Pod Person

Let the wildly prolific Paul F. Tompkins be your guide to the comedy-podcast firmament

- Tim Donnelly

From Mr. Show to BoJack Horseman, Paul F. Tompkins has staked his claim on some of modern comedy’s most cultadored outposts — but the core of his devoted following undoubtedly comes from his work in podcasts. Delve into his appearances as guest, host or character, and it’s a safe bet you’ll become that one headphoned maniacally laughing commuter on the bus.

A Reddit database tracks more than 1,100 Tompkins podcast appearances, and fans have flooded the internet with artwork depicting his characters. His secret? He’s just like you: “If you’re outside Los Angeles, if you’re getting into comedy, you can listen to these things and think, Okay, there are people out there who share a sensibility with me. That means there’s a place for me in this arena; there’s a place for me in this world.”

HOST

SPONTANEANATION

Tompkins fully embraced longform improv when he launched this show in 2015. The centrepiece is a three-button board that improvisers can smash to jump forward, backward or sideways in time. “That can sometimes be a challenge. The biggest problem is people hitting the wrong buttons.”

THREEDOM

If