Dead Alewives
Encyclopedia
The Dead Alewives was an improvisational comedy troupe during the 1980s and 1990s from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. They did not get a lot of press during their active life, but some of the group's individual members went on to become noteworthy since the group's breakup.
The Dead Alewives began as a splinter group from the Milwaukee-based national comedy organization, ComedySportz
. The split occurred out of a desire to do a less family-oriented, more uncensored style of improv than the "clean" variety offered by ComedySportz. The group took its name from the local phenomenon of multitudes of dead alewife
fish washing up on the shore of Lake Michigan
during summers in the mid-1980s. Its shows always featured music from local bands during their set breaks.
The Alewives began performing in the ComedySportz theater space in Milwaukee's Third Ward district, but called many Milwaukee area theaters home during almost 12 years of live performances. Other venues that played host to their shows included Thai Joe's, The Avalon Theatre, and the Miramar Theatre, which is where they wound up their weekly live shows in the late 1990s.
The Dead Alewives approached widespread recognition many times, but never seemed to enjoy the push that would launch them to national prominence. Their Dungeons and Dragons sketch from the comedy CD Take Down the Grand Master made the rounds on the Internet during the late 1990s. The short was also one of the most requested on the syndicated Dr. Demento
radio program. Entertainment Weekly
once reported that the Dead Alewives had been contacted about a television sketch-comedy series, but it ultimately fell through.
The Dead Alewives ceased their weekly live performances in the late 1990s, and the individual members all pursued other interests.
where he hoped to continue to work on theater projects with his wife, Karen Stobbe.
Robert "Bo" Johnson — a founding member, currently lives in Milwaukee, and works in theaters in the area. He plays rhythm guitar with Milwaukee-based pop band Random Maxx.
Peter Alberts — a founding member, was a staff member of Fireman Press, the self-contained publishing house that produced the popular independent comic book Scud: The Disposable Assassin
. He currently lives in Los Angeles
.
Rob Schrab
— In addition to his tenure with the Dead Alewives, Schrab was a successful artist and writer of comic books and graphic novels for many years. When the Alewives folded, Schrab moved to Los Angeles with Alberts to pursue a pending movie deal for his comic characters. When that deal didn't work out, he remained in Los Angeles, and became a jack-of-all-trades in the film industry. Among his achievements are co-writing the Dreamworks
animated film "Monster House" with Dan Harmon; producing The Sarah Silverman Show on Comedy Central
; writing and producing the unpurchased (but virally-reproduced) cult pilot Heat Vision and Jack (also with Harmon); and creating Internet "TV channel" Channel 101
, which features user-submitted content.
Dan Harmon
— became an Alewife at the same time as Schrab, both having trained under Scholler and Johnson. Harmon was the creator and writer of Alewives' recordings that found some viral Internet success, such as "Dungeons and Dragons sketch," also known as "Summoner Geeks". He often wrote for Schrab's comic book, and after the Scud: The Disposable Assassin movie deal of the late 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles with Schrab, where the two launched a career as screenwriting partners, collaborating with Schrab on several popular creative projects. Harmon was the producer, writer, and star of "Acceptable.TV
" on VH1
. He also created, and serves as executive producer and head writer of Community
, which debuted on NBC in September 2009.
Sean McKenna — was a founding member. After the Alewives ceased their live performances, he moved to the Twin Cities to continue his theatrical career, where he became the voice of the Best Buy
Idea Box on television commercials and also provided the voice for the titular character in Schrab's Robot Bastard short. Sean became a copywriter and now works at an ad agency. He has two children.
Kurt Scholler — In addition to having taught improv classes to much of Milwaukee while living there, Scholler also appeared in a number of television ads for the Cousins
sandwich restaurant chain, CapitalOne, and Campbell's Soup. In addition, he has appeared in small roles on a number of television shows, including Kwik Witz
, Boston Legal
, and The West Wing
. Scholler performed the physical role of the robot in Schrab's Robot Bastard short. Still performing with ComedySportz
in Los Angeles
, Kurt continues to do commercials, film, and television, including a brief cameo on The Sarah Silverman Program
.
Other Alewives
Dylan Bolin — is a Milwaukee-based comedian and improv artist who joined the troupe after the departure of some of the original members.
Tom Clark — is a stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Los Angeles and has appeared on such shows as Comedy Central's Premium Blend
and CBS's Late Late Show. He, too, joined after the departure of some of the founding members.
Mark Redlich — worked with the Alewives and ComedySportz
while finishing his Ph.D in organic chemistry. He currently lives in Milwaukee, where he works as a chemical analyst, and plays lead guitar in Random Maxx with Bo Johnson. Redlich is still active with ComedySportz
.
Eric Price
— is a comedian and impressionist who did several shows with the Alewives in the stead of the departed founders. Eric was a featured performer on MADtv
.
Rollie Cafaro — is a Milwaukee-area attorney and veteran of ComedySportz who filled in for absent members during a number of shows.
role-playing game
experience. It was produced in 1996 by the Dead Alewives and comes from an album of like sketches titled Take Down the Grand Master. Voice talent was by Dead Alewives members Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Peter Alberts and Mondy Carter.
In the 1980s, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons reached a peak in popularity. Misunderstandings of its fantasy settings led those glossing over the content of the game to assume that it had elements of demonology and satanism. Written by Harmon, the Dungeons & Dragons Sketch made it quite clear that kitchen table role-playing games are nothing more than creative forms of arguing over minutiae and wondering where that bag of Cheetos
had gone.
There is a lesser known sequel as well.
video game and featured characters from both Summoner and Red Faction
. The "Where are the Cheetos?" character was played by an oversized demon, Luminar. The video was included in the game, and can be found by viewing the credits.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. They did not get a lot of press during their active life, but some of the group's individual members went on to become noteworthy since the group's breakup.
The Dead Alewives began as a splinter group from the Milwaukee-based national comedy organization, ComedySportz
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green and many others.-Format:...
. The split occurred out of a desire to do a less family-oriented, more uncensored style of improv than the "clean" variety offered by ComedySportz. The group took its name from the local phenomenon of multitudes of dead alewife
Alewife
The alewife is a species of herring. There are anadromous and landlocked forms. The landlocked form is also called a sawbelly or mooneye...
fish washing up on the shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
during summers in the mid-1980s. Its shows always featured music from local bands during their set breaks.
The Alewives began performing in the ComedySportz theater space in Milwaukee's Third Ward district, but called many Milwaukee area theaters home during almost 12 years of live performances. Other venues that played host to their shows included Thai Joe's, The Avalon Theatre, and the Miramar Theatre, which is where they wound up their weekly live shows in the late 1990s.
The Dead Alewives approached widespread recognition many times, but never seemed to enjoy the push that would launch them to national prominence. Their Dungeons and Dragons sketch from the comedy CD Take Down the Grand Master made the rounds on the Internet during the late 1990s. The short was also one of the most requested on the syndicated Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
radio program. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
once reported that the Dead Alewives had been contacted about a television sketch-comedy series, but it ultimately fell through.
The Dead Alewives ceased their weekly live performances in the late 1990s, and the individual members all pursued other interests.
Founding members
Francis Montgomery "Mondy" Carter — Mondy Carter was a founding member of the troupe. He lived in Milwaukee for many years and worked as an actor in the city's live theater industry. He moved with his family to Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
where he hoped to continue to work on theater projects with his wife, Karen Stobbe.
Robert "Bo" Johnson — a founding member, currently lives in Milwaukee, and works in theaters in the area. He plays rhythm guitar with Milwaukee-based pop band Random Maxx.
Peter Alberts — a founding member, was a staff member of Fireman Press, the self-contained publishing house that produced the popular independent comic book Scud: The Disposable Assassin
Scud: The Disposable Assassin
Scud: The Disposable Assassin is a humorous, hyperkinetic science fiction comic by Rob Schrab about a world in which one can buy robot assassins out of vending machines, the most popular of which are intelligent robots that kill a specified target and then self-destruct.The protagonist of the...
. He currently lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Rob Schrab
Rob Schrab
Rob Schrab is a comic book creator, actor, comedian, writer, and film and television producer. Schrab grew up in Mayville, Wisconsin. He is known as the creator of the comic book, Scud: The Disposable Assassin, co-writer of the feature film Monster House, the unaired pilot Heat Vision and Jack,...
— In addition to his tenure with the Dead Alewives, Schrab was a successful artist and writer of comic books and graphic novels for many years. When the Alewives folded, Schrab moved to Los Angeles with Alberts to pursue a pending movie deal for his comic characters. When that deal didn't work out, he remained in Los Angeles, and became a jack-of-all-trades in the film industry. Among his achievements are co-writing the Dreamworks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
animated film "Monster House" with Dan Harmon; producing The Sarah Silverman Show on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
; writing and producing the unpurchased (but virally-reproduced) cult pilot Heat Vision and Jack (also with Harmon); and creating Internet "TV channel" Channel 101
Channel 101
Channel 101 is a non-profit short film festival in Los Angeles, which also has a sister festival in NYC, Channel 101: NY. Channel 101 is a creation of Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab in which participants submit a short film in the format of a pilot under five minutes in length...
, which features user-submitted content.
Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon is a writer and performer. He is the creator and an executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101....
— became an Alewife at the same time as Schrab, both having trained under Scholler and Johnson. Harmon was the creator and writer of Alewives' recordings that found some viral Internet success, such as "Dungeons and Dragons sketch," also known as "Summoner Geeks". He often wrote for Schrab's comic book, and after the Scud: The Disposable Assassin movie deal of the late 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles with Schrab, where the two launched a career as screenwriting partners, collaborating with Schrab on several popular creative projects. Harmon was the producer, writer, and star of "Acceptable.TV
Acceptable.TV
Acceptable.TV was a television program from the makers of Channel 101 that first aired on VH1 on March 23, 2007. The final episode of the program aired on May 11, 2007....
" on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
. He also created, and serves as executive producer and head writer of Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
, which debuted on NBC in September 2009.
Sean McKenna — was a founding member. After the Alewives ceased their live performances, he moved to the Twin Cities to continue his theatrical career, where he became the voice of the Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
Idea Box on television commercials and also provided the voice for the titular character in Schrab's Robot Bastard short. Sean became a copywriter and now works at an ad agency. He has two children.
Kurt Scholler — In addition to having taught improv classes to much of Milwaukee while living there, Scholler also appeared in a number of television ads for the Cousins
Cousins Subs
Cousins Submarines, better known as Cousins Subs, is a U.S. sub sandwich chain founded in 1972 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cousins Subs is a regional chain with stores throughout the Midwest and on the West Coast...
sandwich restaurant chain, CapitalOne, and Campbell's Soup. In addition, he has appeared in small roles on a number of television shows, including Kwik Witz
Kwik Witz
Kwik Witz was a syndicated comedy program which aired in syndication, mainly on numerous NBC affiliate stations - usually in the time-slot following Saturday Night Live. The show originated from WMAQ-TV in Chicago, Illinois and was produced by Beau & Arrow Productions...
, Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, and The West Wing
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
. Scholler performed the physical role of the robot in Schrab's Robot Bastard short. Still performing with ComedySportz
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green and many others.-Format:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Kurt continues to do commercials, film, and television, including a brief cameo on The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program
The Sarah Silverman Program is an American television series that starred comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, who created the series with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab...
.
Other Alewives
Dylan Bolin — is a Milwaukee-based comedian and improv artist who joined the troupe after the departure of some of the original members.
Tom Clark — is a stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Los Angeles and has appeared on such shows as Comedy Central's Premium Blend
Premium Blend
Premium Blend was a television show that aired on the American cable television channel Comedy Central from 1997 to 2005.The program features a well-known stand up comedian as an emcee who introduces four or five lesser known comedians looking for a big break on television...
and CBS's Late Late Show. He, too, joined after the departure of some of the founding members.
Mark Redlich — worked with the Alewives and ComedySportz
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green and many others.-Format:...
while finishing his Ph.D in organic chemistry. He currently lives in Milwaukee, where he works as a chemical analyst, and plays lead guitar in Random Maxx with Bo Johnson. Redlich is still active with ComedySportz
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green and many others.-Format:...
.
Eric Price
Eric Price
Eric Price is an American comic actor. Price is most notable for his membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv during its 14th Season.-Early years:...
— is a comedian and impressionist who did several shows with the Alewives in the stead of the departed founders. Eric was a featured performer on MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
.
Rollie Cafaro — is a Milwaukee-area attorney and veteran of ComedySportz who filled in for absent members during a number of shows.
Dungeons and Dragons sketch
Dungeons and Dragons (also known as Summoner Geeks or Attacking the Darkness) was a comedy sketch parodying the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
experience. It was produced in 1996 by the Dead Alewives and comes from an album of like sketches titled Take Down the Grand Master. Voice talent was by Dead Alewives members Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Peter Alberts and Mondy Carter.
In the 1980s, the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons reached a peak in popularity. Misunderstandings of its fantasy settings led those glossing over the content of the game to assume that it had elements of demonology and satanism. Written by Harmon, the Dungeons & Dragons Sketch made it quite clear that kitchen table role-playing games are nothing more than creative forms of arguing over minutiae and wondering where that bag of Cheetos
Cheetos
Cheetos is a brand of cheese-flavored cornmeal snack made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Fritos creator Charles Elmer Doolin invented Cheetos in 1948, and began national distribution in the U.S. The initial success of Cheetos was a contributing factor to the merger between The Frito Company...
had gone.
There is a lesser known sequel as well.
Popular quotes
- "Where're the Cheetos?!"
- "Where's the Mountain Dew?!" / "Can I have a Mountain Dew?!"
- "I wanna cast... Magic Missile!"
- "I'm attacking the darkness!"
- "I am Galstaf, Sorcerer of Light!" / "Then how come you had to cast magic missile?"
- "Roll the dice to see if I'm getting drunk!"
- "Okay, but if there are any girls there, I wanna DO them!"
Connection to Summoner
In 2000, Volition, Inc. released a computer animated version of the sketch titled Summoner Geeks. It was a promotional video for the SummonerSummoner (game)
Summoner, developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ, is a third-person RPG. It was released on October 25, 2000 as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 and was subsequently ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS.-Gameplay:...
video game and featured characters from both Summoner and Red Faction
Red Faction
Red Faction is a first-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It was released for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows and Mac in 2001. A version for the Nokia N-Gage was developed by Monkeystone Games. The game was also re-developed as a top-down shooter for...
. The "Where are the Cheetos?" character was played by an oversized demon, Luminar. The video was included in the game, and can be found by viewing the credits.
External links
- Original
- Sequel
- Video of Summoner Geeks
- Flash animated 8-Bit D&D using characters based on Brian ClevingerBrian ClevingerBrian Clevinger is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic 8-Bit Theater and the Eisner-nominated print comic Atomic Robo...
's 8-Bit Theater8-Bit Theater8-Bit Theater is a completed sprite comic created by Brian Clevinger, and published in 1,225 episodes from March 2, 2001 to June 1, 2010. One of the most popular web comics, it won the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards for best fantasy comic in 2002... - Home Page of "Summoner"
- Home Page of Volition, Inc.