Funny Stuff with Phil Witte and Rex Hesner (+ Special Guest!)

Funny Stuff with Phil Witte and Rex Hesner (+ Special Guest!)

What do gag cartoons, sugar gliders, kohlrabi, and the accidental death of Tennessee Williams all have in common? They are a few of the wild variety of conversation topics in today's episode. It's summer again — and this summer, revolution is in the air. That's because we're coming up on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Two hundred and fifty years ago, America declared independence from kings. And today, with great pride and historical consistency, patriots celebrate by waving flags made in China, eating hot dogs on stolen land, and watching a UFC match on the lawn of the White House. Nothing says "freedom from tyranny" like a cage fight on the South Lawn. Still, saying "no" to kings was a good idea. Maybe we should try that again sometime... or at least say "no" to giving all of our fresh water to a chatbot so it can write us mediocre beach reads. ... This episode is tied to our July/August print issue- ideal beach reading if you don't mind getting sand on your newsprint. In it, Lenore Skenazy talks about founding father Benjamin Franklin, Dave Barry has advice for our graduates, and we have cartoons about siblings, a tribute to the late great Nicole Hollander and her Sylvia toons, and summertime. It's a great beach read that didn't need any AI! While those AI data centers slurp up our potable water, the rest of the world is heating up. California wildfires. Homemade fireworks. Political debates at the family cookout. But you know the perfect way to let off some steam? Laughing. That's why I love my job. It's why there's always a copy of Funny Times in my beach tote, both to read and to share the laughs with others — and it's why I'm especially excited about today's episode. Today, I chat with two people who have spent a lot of time thinking about what makes people laugh: Phil Witte and Rex Hesner. Phil is a longtime Funny Times contributor, cartoonist, and humor writer whose work has appeared everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to The New Yorker. Rex Hesner is a humor writer, jazz musician, and — alongside with Phil — a cartoon critic. Together, they're the authors of Funny Stuff: How Great Cartoonists Make Great Cartoons, a book about the strange machinery of single-panel cartoons: the gag, the drawing, the caption, the timing, the twist — and why single-panel cartoons are so magical, and so hard to pull off. They also share the story of how what started out as a fun hobby — hanging out as neighbors and critiquing every cartoon in every issue of The New Yorker — turned into a real job. Yes, they actually get paid to pick apart cartoons! I also share my own take on editing cartoons for Funny Times, and we compare notes on what makes a gag funny or surprising enough to make the cut. It's a delightful, wide-ranging conversation — followed by a surprise guest! Here's a hint: After a rant about marsupials, Ray says he's the right person to take to the zoo. (Pssst- it's Dave Maleckar!)

A Firesign of the Times- Ray Lesser and Phil Proctor

Our guest for this episode is Philip Proctor. Phil regales Funny Times' Ray with stories of the inimitable Firesign Theatre, a narrow brush with death, and what it was like to have Steve Jobs as a fanboy. You might also know Phil from the pages of the Funny Times, where he has been sharing laughs through his column Planet Proctor for many years. As you'll hear, Proctor goes on from his humble Indiana beginnings to becoming an award-winning actor and Grammy winner… but I grew up with him as the voice of Howard from the massively popular kids cartoon Rugrats, along with other Funny Times contributor and recent podcast guest Melanie Chartoff! This episode is tied to the June 2026 print issue of the paper. In it, Dave Barry hires the services of a witch with questionable legitimacy, we bemoan our current gas prices, and share some dinosaur cartoons, while on page three, Andy Borowitz skewers the regime. We also share one of those classic Planet Proctors. Phil and Ray talk about the role Funny Times and Firesign Theatre have played in popular culture by using the news as a way to make us laugh, as well as hold people accountable. As Phil says, there's still funny out there. They both have good reason to believe in the power of psychics and the humor of Midwesterners, and they argue the case for both. Ray also talks about the role Phil played in keeping him from getting arrested a few decades back.

The Good, the Bad, and the Funny- Melanie Chartoff, P.S. Mueller, and Ron Placone

Welcome to The Funny Times Podcast—America's Funniest Newspaper, now in audio. How often do you see something and think to yourself "that is batshit crazy"? Please forgive my French, but these days it feels like just about everything is batshit crazy. The price of gas? Batshit crazy Self driving cars? Batshit crazy Triple digit heatwaves…in March? Batshit crazy Before you tear all your hair out, have you ever stopped to think about where that phrase comes from? One of our guests on this episode - Mr. Misanthrope himself- Funny Times cartoonist P.S. Mueller - says that he coined the term in 1979. And despite the fact that these days we're thinking it - and saying it - all the time, he's never made a penny off this omnipresent phrase. Mueller spoke with Funny Times founder, Ray Lesser, about the evolving landscape of cartooning and satire. And if you find that you want more Mueller after listening to our chat, you're in luck! This episode is tied to the May 2026 print issue of Funny Times which features a full page spread of Mueller's droll line drawings. On this episode we also have a chat with actor and writer Melanie Chartoff and comedian Ron Placone. Funny Times readers will know Ron from his cartoon Lucy and Ron about life with his beloved cat, Lucy, who sadly passed away last year. (RIP Lucy) Ron's also an actor and stand-up comedian who hosts a podcast, 1000 w/ Ron Placone [https://open.spotify.com/show/0FRZ05r6iGMGc3A28SiTFb?si=e12e43e61ebd449f], where he sets out to interview 1000 interesting people. Melanie is a longtime Funny Times contributing writer, but you might also know her from her extensive acting career, including roles on Ally McBeal and Seinfeld and the voice of Didi Pickles on the Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats. She's featured in the Andy Kaufman documentary "Thank You Very Much," and her first book Odd Woman Out is available now. These two met at a Funny Times live event awhile back, and they have a lot to say about humor, creativity, and politics in turbulent times. They also talk about the power of humor to shape the world for good and for bad.

Fear vs Funnies with Bob Eckstein and Lenore Skenazy

Welcome to The Funny Times Podcast—America's Funniest Newspaper, now in audio. This episode is coming to you in the midst of both Lent and Ramadan. If you are observing, we hope that it's been a meaningful time for you. Personally, rather than giving things up right now, I have been looking for ways to expand. I'm craving more connection, more laughter, more bold new ideas for how we joyfully resist tyranny together. It was also just the Jewish holiday of Purim. During the Purim spiel, a satirical re-telling of the story of Queen Esther, the audience jeers and shakes noisemakers every time the villain, Haman's, name is said out loud, literally drowning him out. This reminds me of noise demos - jocular protests where people gather outside ICE facilities and hotels where ICE agents are staying to make as much noise as possible. NO JUSTICE, NO SLEEP! This episode of the podcast accompanies our April 2026 issues. If you're a subscriber you should be receiving that issue of the paper around mid-March. It features cartoons about Earth Day, movies, bunnies, weather, alternate realities, and of course all the latest news that we laugh at to keep from screaming. The April issue also has a story about Books from Lenore Skenazy and Sports from Bob Eckstein. We were lucky enough to talk with these two treasured contributors for the podcast. Eckstein is a New York Times bestselling author, his most recent book Footnotes from the World's Most Fascinating Museums is a delight, and in addition to Funny Times his cartoons has been featured in the pages of The New Yorker, The New York Times and MAD Magazine. In addition to being a hilarious essayist, Lenore Skenazy is the founder of the Free-Range Parenting movement and coined a new holiday in 2010: "Take Our Children to the Park and Leave Them There Day." You'll hear these two in conversation with Funny Times publisher Renae Lesser who invites them to examine broad themes of resilience, whether in art or in child-rearing. They consider how independence fuels creativity, why risk is essential to growth and how we can all foster confidence rather than fear.

A Tale of Two Toms with Ruben Bolling and Dan Perkins

Welcome to the fourth episode of The Funny Times Podcast! This episode coincides with our March 2026 issue. If you're a subscriber, that issue should land in your mailbox by mid-February. It features Dave Barry's annual "Year in Review," along with our exclusive "Year in Review" crossword puzzle—a chance to look back, laugh, and say good riddance to 2025. But there's plenty to look forward to in 2026 as the ice melts to make way for spring, including hilarious full-page spreads on free speech, modern conveniences, magic words, and the future. Speaking of melting ICE, the staff here at Funny Times continue to be inspired by the brave residents of the Twin Cities—and communities across the country—who are standing up to protect their neighbors and defend their cities from Trump's thugs. In this issue, cartoonist Keith Knight hilariously ponders the question "What Would Jesus Do?" if he were living in the US today. In his strip, a Black Jesus melts a group of ICE agents into a puddle of water…and then turns that water into a tasty bottle of "White W(h)ine." Ta-da! If only it were that easy. At a moment when many corporate platforms are censoring what can be said, we're grateful to be 100% independent—and free to tell the truth, no matter how Orwellian things get. We hope our readers and listeners will continue to send us snapshots of your favorite protest signs, and we promise to keep printing the most biting satire and humor available to keep your spirits lifted. To that end, we recently sat down with two of the country's leading editorial cartoonists: Ruben Bolling and Tom Tomorrow. Rubin's award-winning weekly strip Tom the Dancing Bug frequently appears in our pages. Known for its shape-shifting style, the strip often parodies by borrowing from other visual traditions. Like his recent comic titled, "a busy, busy day in Washington, D.C.," drawn in the style of children's illustrator Richard Scarry. It depicts cheerful cartoon animals overlayed with grim political realities: a cute cartoon cat holding a sign that reads "I don't like Trump" is labeled "Antifa," while a mouse tagged "looks Mexican" flees an army of ICE agents. In the background, more whimsical characters—with labels like "tariff avoider" and "university president"—line up with bags of money outside the gates of the White House, now rebranded as the "Presidential Library Donation Center." Oof. Meanwhile, Funny Times readers will recognize Tom Tomorrow, creator of the long-running strip This Modern World, which has been delivering subversive political commentary in a retro, minimalist style for nearly 40 years—almost as long as Funny Times has been in print. Kurt Vonnegut once called him "the wry voice of American common sense, humor, and decency," a combination that has only grown rarer, and more necessary, over time. In our wide-ranging conversation with the two "Toms" who have been chronicling American absurdity for decades, we dig into how they keep making satire in a world that already feels like a parody of itself. They talk about cartooning as a form of sketch comedy, about borrowing and breaking visual styles, and about where they still find new ideas and inspiration—even when reality seems determined to beat them to the punch.