-Welcome to the show. -Hi.
-Thanks for being here. -Thank you for having me.
-Congrats on "Los Espookys."
Season one and season two, by the way,
are both 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
[ Cheers and applause ] Just saying. Not bad.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-I have some reviews for season two of "Los Espookys."
One says "it's hard to think of a show
that's more outstanding than 'Los Espookys.'"
That's from Collider.
A.V. Club says, "please see this show."
Indiewire says "'Los Espookys' may be a difficult show
to define, but it's an easy show to appreciate."
[ Audience oohs ] -Ooh!
That sounds good.
-That sounds good, and you're in it.
That's your show, yeah, it does.
You directed this season. -I did.
I directed the last two episodes of the season.
It was my first time directing.
But, you know, it was a role I felt comfortable stepping into
because I write and I help produce and show-run,
so I know it really well.
So, the directing part was new, and the big part of it that,
you know, goes into the process of directing certain scenes are
a little more intricate, are storyboards.
And I'm not an artist.
We had an artist come and do some storyboards for us.
-This is a storyboard,
so this is what the scene would look like.
-This is what the first artist made.
And after this first meeting, I was like, "You know what?
I think I should do the storyboards,
just for workflow purposes. It's easier."
You know, there's less sort of telephone
happening between us and the artist.
-You get to directly -- you go,
"Yeah, I know what the show should look like."
-So I was like, after this meeting, I was like,
"Let's get rid of the storyboard artists.
I'll do the storyboards." -Yeah.
And so I did the storyboards for the rest of the season.
-Yeah, this is great. Here's your storyboards.
-And these are my storyboards.
[ Laughter ]
Obviously, you know, I know there's a difference in quality.
-Barely. [ Laughter ]
If I switched it really fast, you don't even really know
which one's yours. -They got the job done.
They got the job done, which is what was important.
-Yeah. How do you set up "Los Espookys"?
-I say it's a show about a group of friends who have a business
where they stage different types
of stunts to people who need it.
-[ Laughs ]
-It's spooky but it's also -- -Wow.
-Surreal.
-You just know how to set it up perfectly.
-It's a hard show to describe. It's hard to describe.
-It is hard, but it's so funny.
It's brilliant.
And it's Fred Armisen, Julio Torres.
Is this the first time you worked with Fred?
-On a show like this, yes.
I had met Fred in 2016.
"Portlandia" was looking for a writer, and I was asked
if I wanted to submit, and I didn't have
any scripts or anything like that.
I had never written a script, but I had a Zine,
and so I submitted my Zine.
And I think when the producer was going through, you know,
all these scripts and saw the cover of my Zine,
was like, "What is this?" and then started reading it,
and they liked it and shared it with Fred and Carrie.
It's called "The Truth About Pangaea."
-This is your Zine. -Yeah.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
This got you hired.
-It did not get me hired. -There you go.
-However, it got the -- that's how I met Fred.
Fred was like, "This is really funny."
And then we stayed in touch
and made little videos and things together.
And when he got the idea to -- for what became "Los Espookys,"
he asked Julio and I if we wanted to help to develop it.
-This wasn't the first show
that you've submitted for it and didn't get the job.
-Correct.
-Another show was "The Tonight Show."
-Yeah. [ Audience oohs ]
No, it's okay. It's okay.
In January of 2015, I submitted to be a writer here.
And I did not get the job.
But because I'm here, and you don't often get the opportunity
to find out when you don't get a job
why you didn't get the job, I just wanted to ask sort of
what it was about some of the material.
[ Laughter ] [ Drumroll ]
-Stop, stop, stop.
-I brought part of the things that I submitted.
[ Laughter ] [ Audience ohs ]
-Sometimes it doesn't get to me, you know?
Sometimes it goes to other people.
-Well, I just want to use the opportunity to see sort of what
I did wrong and how I could do better.
So, these were some of the desk bits that were in my packet.
-Okay. -One is called "Non-Slip."
"In this bit, an audience member tests how effective
a pair of shoes marketed as non-slip are.
They must power walk through an obstacle course
on an oily and/or wet floor.
If they slip and fall, we know the shoes are not effective.
A video recording of the quality control test
may be sent to the shoe's manufacturer."
[ Laughter ]
-I can't believe -- I can't believe we passed on this.
-Okay, yeah. And then you passed on this too.
It's called "You're Hired." "In this bit, viewers list Jimmy
as a reference on a job application.
If Jimmy gets a call from a company inquiring about
a job applicant, he must try and make the applicant seem
like a good fit for the job.
The calls are recorded and played on the show."
[ Laughter ]
-So, I just have a camera on me at all times just in case
someone calls me for a reference?
-Correct. -Okay.
-Okay. And then there was one called "Mike Check."
-"Mike Check." What's "Mike Check"?
-"In this bit, Jimmy says 'mike check?'
Everyone in the audience named Mike has to stand up
for the rest of the show."
[ Laughter and applause ]
-Actually, do you want to do that tonight?
-Okay. -Wait. Wait, this is fantastic.
Can we do this tonight?
I don't know if we can give you writing credits.
Do you mind? -No, it's okay.
[ Cheers and applause ] -Can I get this mike working?
One, two, three.
-Mike check!
[ Rim shot ]
[ Laughter and applause ] -One guy.
There it is. Mike!
One guy named Mike.
[ Applause ]
-For the rest of the show -- -For the rest of the show,
you have to stay standing, Mike.
That's the bit, sorry. [ Laughter ]
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Ana Fabrega in the new season of "Los Espookys."
Take a look at this.
[ Conversing in Spanish ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Mike! -Mike! Mike!
-There he is.
Ana Fabrega, everyone.
New episodes of "Los Espookys" airs Friday on HBO and HBO Max.
We'll be right back with stand-up from Michael Rowland.
Stick around, everybody.
♪♪