Comments on: Mitch Hedberg Was A Genius

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 17:30:17 +0000

I started to enjoy Mitch’s unique brand of comedy a few years back. I only just found out that he had died as news travels slowly to Australia. I must say that I’m sad just thinking about all the hilarious moments that will now never be. All the jokes & musings on life that will remain in the ether forever. Here’s to the laughs we might have had Mitch! I’m gonna miss ya buddy, even though I never knew you personally. I hope your keeping god in stitches mate!

By: The Mean Usher

The Mean Usher — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 22:27:24 +0000

Ditto as above — I only discovered yesterday of his passing and am stunned. Guess his death was overshadowed by Schiavo, Cochran, and some old dude in Europe wearing a pointy hat. That’s the only thing he ever did with bad timing. I was just recently beginning to wonder why I hadn’t heard about him lately…

Of course first saw him on Comedy Central (thankfully before our cable got cut) and he was instantly appealing. It wasn’t just the jokes themselves, it was his delivery. Saw him live twice in S.F., once in a small club where he was very giggly and asked the audience for joke requests, and once in a large theater opening for Lewis Black and Dave Attell’s tour. Although his set went well, he appeared lost and out-of-sorts on the big stage. It was Oct. 2003, probably just after he started performing again following his heroin bust and six-month seclusion.

By the way I surreptitiously shot photos at the theater performance, but I was up in the balcony and too far away for the pix to be any good with my tiny point-and-shoot. So, his image remains elusive to us all!

Damn, what is it with these gifted comedians and early deaths?

By: Andrew R. Kwiatkowski

Andrew R. Kwiatkowski — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 21:29:42 +0000

Mitch i am sorry it took me so long to post this, but its here. Mitch had a completely differtent approach to hummor. It was smart and sometimes a little wierd, but none the less it was all hallarious. Mitch Hedburg was a kick ass individual and will always be missed.

“P.S. this is what the alphabet would look like without the letters Q and R”-Mitch hedburg

R.I.P. Mitch Hedburg you will always be remembered

By: DaRcAntiX

DaRcAntiX — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:52:28 +0000

“His sense of humor was completely unique but didn’t rely on shocking, offending, or belittling anyone or anything. He took comedy to it’s most basic and genuine level. I honor that and aspire to it.”

Thankyou for writing this – I personally only got into Mitch from a random mp3 download one day a few months ago, then proceeded to get any sets I could of him (I can’t afford CDs) and it was only a short while later that I found out he had passed away :((( But these words you have written do describe him well and I now have somewhere to point Mitch virgins when they wonder what’s so great about him. Thanks again. :)

By: brenda

brenda — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 22:10:51 +0000

Dave, that was heartfelt tribute to Mitch! Jeannette and I were in a situation this weekend in a karokee bar where a patron was being heckled for saying some nice words about Mitch. I threw her a look that I swear if I was a comic book character would have been lightening bolts through her chest! I do what I can in the name of stellar comedy. As do you.

By: solo

solo — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 22:15:30 +0000

Truly a sad moment in comic history. R.I.P. Mitch.

By: MR

MR — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 17:22:06 +0000

One thing that DA neglected to mention… the origin of the “Paparazzi Move.” Dave crafted this move shortly after wetting himself. You see, it wasn’t enough to see Mitch Hedberg live on stage. Nope, he needed a way to capture the moment for posterity. He wanted something tangible he could look back on years later to remind him of the great times he had as an audience member. So, he decided he would secretly photograph Mitch during his act.

Here’s how it plays out… First, it’s imperative that he sits in the front row. This gives him a “clear shot” at his subject matter. We accomplished this feat by showing up a good two hours early to the show (this act alone obliterated the “DC nightlife” tab on my vacation spreadsheet.) Second, throughout the show, Dave gives the illusion of being a mild-mannered member of the audience while in the comedian’s direct line of sight. As soon as the comedian faces another portion of the audience, Dave discreetly reaches an arm up and snaps a flash photo of him with a disposable camera at close range. This is done to capture a candid shot of the comedian in his natural environment.

Of course, the Paparazzi Move also draws the annoyed glares of other audience members trying to isolate the source of the distraction. When people around us look over their shoulder with angry expressions, I invoke my signature move, “The Two-Handed Point at Dave While I Mouth the Words “It Was HIM.” Dave is oblivious to all of this, as he’s busy advancing the film for his next potential shot.

The worst part of this is that comedy clubs are usually pretty dark, except for a few spotlights. Whether it was the lighting issues, the rushed action or simply bad luck… the pictures didn’t turn out. Dave was crushed. If it weren’t for the few strands of Mitch’s hair he gathered off the stage, the evening would have been a real letdown…

And just so you know, The Paparazzi Move didn’t die that day. It made another regrettable appearance the time we went to see Dustin Diamond (Screech) perform on stage…

Finally, looking back, knowing what I know today, maybe I should have tried taking a picture too. Mitch Hedberg will be greatly missed.

By: Krusty

Krusty — Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:12:15 +0000

That is a terrible tragedy, I have seen Mitch on late night comedy central many times. He was a one of kind comedian. DA I think you should pick up his torch and start touring.