Mitch Hedberg, a Sly, Shy Comic Presence, Dead at age 37

[Up2Late]

With all the hoopla surrounding the Terri Schivo MSM BS and the death of the Pope, a rising star of Late night Comedy Died this week too, largely un-noticed.

<>

I don't know if any or all of you know his name, but if you watch Comedy Central or Late Show w David Letterman, you've seen his act (or at least the commercial for his act (from HBO) that was replayed on Comedy Central. His act was mainly a Ironic Stoner and his most famous joke is the one where he tells the guy he doesn't need a receipt for a Donut. You either know it or you don't.

I thought I post this for anyone who hadn't heard and had tickets to his up coming Comedy tour. Here's his website (which has the tour dates that will obviously be canceled) and the audio report from NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday.

Mitch Hedberg, a Sly, Shy Comic Presence

by Elizabeth Blair

Weekend Edition - Saturday, April 2, 2005 · The comic from St. Paul, Minn., used a stoner persona to deliver subtle, wry observational comedy. He made frequent appearances on late-night TV shows. He was shy and battled stage fright, and was once arrested for heroin possession. His death at 37 was reportedly due to heart failure.

[Dookus]

1. Yeah, this was reported here a few times.

I know people loved him, and thought he was brilliant. I saw him last year, not knowing anything about him, and he frankly, he was awful. But it was probably due to his drug use.

I'd like to see some video of him in his prime, because people I respect think he was very very funny. But I didn't see it that night.

[Up2Late]

3. His Comedy Central Special was very funny,

but I think that was a few years ago.

In the report on NPR, they said he had been using Heroin, which has cause "heart failure" in lots of 30 somethings over the years.

[mzmolly]

2. As a person from Saint Paul, who likely went to school with Mitch

(I am the same aprox age) I was sad to hear of his passing.

I grew up all over Saint Paul, and I'm certain I ran into him on occassion, but I can't place exactly when/where unfortunately.

So very young ...

[Up2Late]

4. Here's a better news report

Updated 3/31/2005

2:27 PM
Looks like its for real, say it ain't so...

Comedian Mitch Hedberg dead at 37

BY MATT PEIKEN
Pioneer Press

Even family and close friends had a hard time understanding Mitch Hedberg, a St. Paul native who ran away from home and, despite living a scattershot life, became a runaway success as a standup comic. Hedberg, whose space-case persona was as much part of his soul as it was his act, died early Wednesday morning in a New Jersey hotel room. He was 37. A medical examiner hasn't issued findings, but Hedberg's family is told he suffered a heart attack. His wife was with him.

After graduating St. Paul's Harding High School, Hedberg rose through the ranks at Minneapolis' Acme Comedy Co., and caught his big break through a Comedy Central special. He made several appearances on David Letterman's and Conan O'Brien's shows, made more Comedy Central appearances and produced two comedy CDs. His big dream, to have an HBO comedy special, was in the works.

Hedberg's one-liners, dished off in a spacey staccato, were based on absurdest, random observations. His long, dirty blond hair hearkened to the image of a 1970s stoner, and his success occurred in light of, in spite of and even because of his quarter-century affair with drugs and alcohol. "I'd probably be living in Costa Rica, eating oranges on the beach, if I wasn't doing comedy," he told the Pioneer Press last September.

(more at link)
<http://www.thedotdotdot.com/humor/hedberg.html>

I you scroll down, there are a lot of his jokes on this page also.:evilfrown:

[ikojo]

5. Heart attack at 37....wow that is YOUNG!

[BuyingThyme]

6. An American original.

He was a no-nonsense, make-me-laugh weirdo.

[bamacrat]

7. Wow I had not heard. He was the funniest person I had seen in forever.