There are very few (if any at all) fans of The Walking Dead who are unaware of the companion talk show and it’s host, Chris Hardwick. Chris traversed his way through the industry as an actor, voice over artist, standup comedian, founder of Nerdist, podcast host, television host, and now… FESTIVAL ORGANIZER! Recently, he threw his FIRST comedy, music, comic book convention/festival Id10T Fest in beautiful Mountain View, California.
The festival boasted such acts as: Weezer, OK GO, TV on the Radio, Crystal Castles, Animal Collective, Girl Talk, The Mowgli’s, and that’s just SOME of the music. The fest also headlined incredible comedians such as: Michael Che, Garfunkel & Oates, Brian Posehn, Michael Ian Black, Nikki Glaser, Greg Proops, Demetri Martin, and that’s just SOME of the comedy. There were also panels featuring the creators of Futurama, Portlandia, Con-Man, Harmontown, Stan Against Evil, Mystery Science Theatre 300, and so much freakin’ other stuff too! With this being the first ID10T Fest, you better keep your eyes peeled for next year…
While we were there, I sat down with Chris to discuss this new endeavor of his, his inspirations to brave the world of entertainment, and answer some questions from you – our Insider brethren!
Before we got into it, we talked a bit about the first time I met Chris, back when I worked on a little movie channel called Cinefix and we worked with the awesome Dustin McLean and Benjamin Martin on a shot-by-shot recreation of the Star Wars trench run using toys, glue, and a lot of garbage. It was an amazing work of art and Chris was the best Luke Skywalker! If you haven’t seen it, check it out here:
During the interview he shed some light on the origins of ID10T and why de decided, despite his already crazy schedule, to take a big swing and at least try to do something awesome. In his own words:
“I just wanted to see if it would work, it really just sort of an experiment to see if enough people would come out that would like all of these things and this whole experience, you know? It’s really a test just to see and if it doesn’t work then it still was really fun to make!”
Honestly, it did work. A lot of people came out from the Bay area to enjoy music, comedy and general nerd culture. The panels were all filled to the brim, and most of the concerts and comedy shows were packed! Every event I attended filled up even the standing room areas! It was a really exciting combination of people that all love a range of things which was really enjoyable to see.
Afterwards, I couldn’t help but ask the questions I can’t ever stop myself from, “So, how did you get started and why do you do what you do?” I learned that there was such a thing as a professional bowling tour, that if you take your kid to Vegas you can sneak them into comedy shows, and that supporting what your kids love tends to work out!
Remember, if you missed out on your chance to ask a question follow our Insider Facebook group HERE. We’re constantly updating the group with our impending interviews so that the you all can be a part of the process!
Lastly, make sure you follow Chris Hardwick for more information on next year’s fest and what this renaissance man is up to next!
Chris Hardwick – @hardwick
See you guys next week!
