AsiansOfMixedRace.com Interview
Mike Anderson

Does a 6 or 7 year old just wake up one day and out of the blue emphatically state, "I want to be the next Ron Burgundy!" Probably not. Mike Anderson did know when he was that age he wanted to be a comedian but he became a news reporter first. He still works behind the camera and by the way, he’s a damn good comedian. He’s a funny guy, a family guy and a news guy . He is, Mike Anderson.

AMR.com: Is it true Ann Curry told you the news world is not big enough for two half-Asians so you better do comedy?

MA: Ha, ha. Yes, I'm not supposed to talk about that. Ann is very territorial, and her people put a quick stop to my TV news reporting. I didn't want to go with stand up comedy, but that's what they selected for me since we've already reached our quota of part-Asians in golf, acting, and the music industry.

AMR.com: Was it always your aspiration to be a comedian?

MA: Yes. I remember watching TV with my Dad when I was like six or seven years old. He was surfing channels, and stopped for a moment on some program with a stand-up comedian. We watched for a few minutes, and then he let out his goofy embarrassed laugh and quickly changed the channel. The comedian must have said something inappropriate for kids, but it was just enough time for me to decide that was what I wanted to do. It stuck with me my whole life. While my little friends wanted to be firefighters or cops, I wanted to tell jokes.

AMR.com: Who were some of your favorite comedians growing up?

MA: As a kid I was never really exposed to stand up enough to develop some solid favorites, although I looked up to a lot of comedians in movies. People like Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Martin Short. By the time I was in High School though, there was this program on FOX called "Comic Strip Live". Thanks to that, I had become a big fan of comics like Ray Romano, George Lopez, and Brian Regan. This was of course long before Romano or Lopez had sitcoms.

AMR.com: Who are some of your favorite comedians now?

MA: Brian Regan still remains my number one favorite comedian. The guy has his character nailed, which allows him to sell his material to the crowd in a way that I think no one else can. I also really enjoy Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Gaffigan, and the late Mitch Hedburg.

AMR.com: Can you talk about the first time you got up in front of crowd to perform?

MA: Yikes. I try not to think about that, but sure. I was sixteen... I think. I had about three minutes of material that from what I remember, took me a really long time to put together. I decided to debut my "act" at a church talent show. Maybe that was for the best, because the audience there was polite, sympathetic, and quick to give "charity laughs." I had a couple of prop jokes, and I think a few bits about being in High School, the prom, and dating. I remember being so nervous that all my words kind of ran together, but I also got a big high from the fact that people actually laughed. I guess that's what's kept me going.

AMR.com: You've spent 6 years as a TV news reporter and now you're behind the camera. Has this helped you (ie performing in front of crowds, material, etc.) in your stand up?

MA: Sure. I'd say the news reporting at least has helped me learn to put aside the nerves and go on with it. As a reporter, I had to do that everyday. I also had to memorize a few lines here and there that I wrote for live reports. Doing that regularly helped me learn how to structure things in my mind in a way that helps me more or less memorize quickly.

AMR.com: Because you are half-Asian, do you feel there is an expectation for you to do just half-Asian jokes?

MA: Without question. Several people in the business have told me to stick to the ethnic material and build my character around it. I've definitely felt that pressure. When I performed at the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen, I chose to go with a diverse set. I did some Asian stuff, some married stuff, some observational. The feedback I got was that that was a big mistake. I was told that I needed to brand myself as a "Half-Asian Comedian" right away. However, many of my comedian buddies say there are already too many comics out there who play the race card 100 percent of the time. That's the tough thing about stand up. It really is an abstract art, and there will always be a lot of conflicting advice out there. In the end, every comic has to do what works for them. In many ways I think I'm still figuring that out. But I will say it is good to see comics like Steve Byrne, who is half-Asian but doesn't build his success on doing only half-Asian material.

AMR.com: What is the worst thing about being a comedian?

MA: That's a tough question. I don't know that I can think of anything truly horrible about it. Sure, it sucks when you have a bad show or when you get paid beans for a good one. Still, if it's something you love and you're lucky enough to do it, life can't be all that bad... right?

AMR.com: What is the best thing about being a comedian?

MA: The rush. When you have a good show and everything comes together as it should, you come off stage with the best feeling ever. Some say it's better than sex. My wife would strongly urge me to disagree. But uh... you're not gonna tell my wife about this website are you?

AMR.com: When the going gets tough, do you ever have second thoughts about doing comedy?

MA: Yeah, I have second thoughts about three times a week, and the going doesn't even have to be that tough, but I think most comedians go through that. I mean, it really is the hardest thing I've ever done. It's tough to write good material and work that out in front of a crowd. The occasional bad show really sucks, and the pay sucks among other things. It's even tougher if you do this full-time and try to make ends meet. Luckily, I still have a day job to support the family. But I think those challenges can be good. It helps weed out the people who aren't truly serious about being a comedian while making the rest of us tougher.

AMR.com: If you weren't involved in media and comedy, what would you be doing?

MA: Yikes. I really don't know. I mean, nothing else really ever interested me... well... except for video games. So I'd probably be single, working a low-pay crappy job in order to rent a cheap apartment and support my gaming habit at night. Actually, I have friends who do that and their lives seem pretty good.

AMR.com: What's easier, funny guy, family guy or news guy?

MA: Uh, none of those are in the least bit easy, but I'd have to go with news guy. Aside from being on-call, you can leave the news guy thing when you go home. If you want to write good material, you have to be thinking about that all the time. Funny guy can also get you heckled and ridiculed... so can family guy. You're not gonna tell my wife about this site, are you???

AMR.com: How do you spend your downtime when you're not doing comedy?

MA: Spending time with family and getting my butt kicked on Xbox Live. The wife and kids are great. I have the greatest wife, and I love having two daughters. They can be really freaking cranky, but really cute too. I'm also a serious video-game addict. It relieves the stress for me like nothing else.

AMR.com: With the release of Chinese Christmas, does Adam Sandler have anything to worry about?

MA: Ha, ha. I actually thought of Adam Sandler after I got done writing that song. No, he doesn't have anything to worry about though. My song didn't come out nearly as funny as it needed to be. It was more of an experiment than anything. And to be honest, I don't think I'll be adding music to my act permanently any time soon. That's the great thing about YouTube. You can post a video and get some honest, anonymous feedback in no time at all.

AMR.com: You just got a big gig. Who are you opening up for?

MA: Hmmm. I'd love to open for Cosby, or Brian Regan, but both those guys are too big to need openers anymore. But yeah, in my fantasy world that would be it.

AMR.com: Now you're the headliner. Who's opening up for you?

MA: I made several good comedian friends throughout the relatively short time that I've been doing comedy. If I ever make it real big, and they haven't surpassed me by then, I'd like to have some of them open for me. All those guys are unknowns just like me, but I think some of them are on the right track for some real good things in the future.

AMR.com: Is MySpace an accurate gauge of coolness?

MA: Definitely. I can't believe this is even a question! If you have the most friends on MySpace, you have achieved the ultimate coolness. Right now I'm right below 400 which means I'm not that cool, but I hope to get there one day. I think 3000 is about the number where you start to achieve uber-coolness. Okay, so you read the line on my page. It's just my way of making fun of the friend collectors. I guess I don't really get it. When I get a request from someone who already has a million random people they know nothing about on their friends list, they don't really need me, right?

AsiansOfMixedRace.com Interview
Kip Fulbeck

If you have had the pleasure of meeting Kip Fulbeck, you’ll agree when I say he is one the nicest and most genuine people you will ever meet. Besides being arguably the most recognizable face in the Hapa community, he is an award-winning artist, slam poet and filmmaker. And if the world of swimming had a fantasy league, I’d trade up to draft him!

AMR.com: It’s been two years since the release of Part Asian, 100% Hapa. How important was it for you to put this book out?

KF: Hard to believe it's been that long, as it's still finding it's way around to new people. I would say it's probably the most important artwork I've made. Mostly because of the widespread impact it's had on so many people ... and ultimately, that's why we make art.

AMR.com: Any pressure being the face of the Hapa community?

KF: Well, I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I am. I'm "a" face of the community, but there are so many other artists out there and new ones coming up. Sometime there is an expectation that my work should specifically address Hapa issues ... it's been that way since I directed "Banana Split" in '91. Everything I made after that had the implicit question attached to it -- is it about being Hapa? The funny thing is, everything I make is about being Hapa ... no matter what the initial subject is; just as it's also about being male, being American, being a surfer, etc. You can't escape who you are.

AMR.com: In your opinion, why has America taken so long to recognize who we are (as well as Mixed Race people) and the fact we are just like everybody else?

KF: Mainstream America hasn't recognized it yet. We're just operating in a more educated, progressive social network so it seems that way. Anyone who comes to your site, for instance, is already light years ahead of the typical American who has never considered race/ethnicity past the cursory. Look at Obama still being referred to as a Black candidate, Tiger Woods as a Black golfer, etc.

AMR.com: What would you like to see happen within the Hapa community now and in the future?

KF: What will naturally happen ... that is more and more creative, younger voices willing to challenge established norms and mores (including my own) ... who can talk about race/ethnicity and identity on their own terms and not have to get didactic and territorial, who are well-rounded and have lives outside this discussion. Sometimes people get too involved in things, especially online, and need to chill out.

AMR.com: Do you have any words of encouragement or advice for the younger generation?

KF: Don't get penned into any community that tries to tell you what you can, can't or should do. One of the pitfalls of the web is it has allowed passive aggressivity to flourish ... meaning a lot of people with stuff to work out get very brave behind a keyboard. As you get out there, a good rule of thumb is don't google yourself or read discussions about you. Works like a charm.

AMR.com: You have a new book set for release, Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck. What’s the story behind this book and how much did you enjoy doing this book?

KF: Loved doing it. Learned so much from doing 100% Hapa that this was much, much easier to organize and shoot. When you think about it, both books are really about the same thing -- identity. Hapa uses race as a foil to discuss it and Permanence uses tattoos, but essentially they're both about how we define our individuality. One book goes inside-out, the other outside-in.

AMR.com: Is there anyone in particular you wished you could of photographed for Permanence?

KF: Hmmmmm... Mike Tyson. I just think he's such a freak. It'd be like meeting Michael Jackson or Anna Nicole Smith when she was alive. Could they really be that weird? Also Kobe Bryant. Trouble is, their handlers are so on top of their every move you probably couldn't get a real statement from them. Whereas the celebrities I have in Permanence really give some meaningful information. I remember after I shot Chuck Liddell ... he wrote his statement and then said "I never told anyone that before."

AMR.com: Which was more fun putting together? 100% Hapa or Permanence?

KF: In terms of my impact on the world, 100% Hapa was more of a mission piece, and this made it more difficult and pressured. It's funny ... when I was making it all these people started giving me their opinions on what I should do or shouldn't do, as if they had some ownership or right to the artwork. I also got a lot of "You know, I thought of this idea myself a long time ago" type of comments, which I found hilarious. Some people's sense of entitlement is jaw dropping.
Permanence was also easier to shoot because I was completely free as a photographer to visually capture the subjects, instead of being restrained by the identical framing I used in Hapa. It was really nice breaking all the traditional rules of composition. I'm really happy with how Permanence came out ... it's a beautiful book.

AMR.com: Any chance of Permanence going the same route as the Hapa Project via traveling exhibition?

KF: The prints will open at Ghettogloss Gallery in Silverlake on March 20th ... from there I'm not sure. There's some interest from other galleries in L.A. and San Francisco, and I'll be doing a talk at the Baltimore Museum of Art on the book as well.

AMR.com: You were recently on the cover of Hyphen looking buff as a Hapa centaur! How much fun was the photo shoot?

KF: Yeah, that was pretty funny. My friend Claire wrote me about it and asked if I wanted to do it. I love Hyphen and I think their covers are great. I also like how they're so tongue in cheek and people don't always get it ... I remember someone complaining about their Asian import girl cover as if it was real! Stef (art director) and Seng (photographer) were really fun to work with. My dad took one look at the cover and said, "They got the halves switched."

AMR.com: Do you have any projects in the works?

KF: I've got a couple book projects in my head, but I'm performing so much it's difficult to get time. Once Permanence launches things should calm down a bit (hopefully) and I'll knock a couple ideas out. Keep your eyes open.

AMR.com: The United States swim team needs you for 08! Which way do you go? 50meter freestyle or 50 meter butterfly?

KF: Good question! The best thing about masters swimming is the older I get, the higher my national ranking goes. I love the 50 fly, but to paraphrase my favorite swimmer, Natalie Coughlin (also Hapa btw), sprint freestyle is where the action is!