"Babyman" Unleashed: Bruce Baum’s Comedy- 2nd Interview & Comedy Set - Show #265

Bruce Baum is a dynamic stand-up comic, filmmaker, and musician celebrated for his high-energy performances and distinctive comedic material. Known for creating the memorable character Babyman and achieving success with projects like "Marty Feldman Eyes" and appearances on The Simpsons, Bruce has cemented his place as a versatile entertainer. Reflecting on his illustrious career, which has included collaborations with comedy legends like George Carlin and Don Rickles, Bruce is now contemplating a one-man multimedia show to encapsulate his unique comedic experiences. By testing this show in clubs or schools with the potential of taking it off-Broadway, Baum aims to adapt and share his humor with changing audience dynamics while continuing to innovate within the comedy landscape. I added a short comedy set by Bruce as well.

(00:00:32) Baum's Entertainment Journey Unveiled by Edwards

(00:07:04) Comedic Collaborations with Legends and The Simpsons

(00:10:21) Short Form Comedy Mastery: Bruce Baum's Success

(00:18:36) Comedy Career Evolution Through Multimedia Performance

(00:22:32) "Quirky Humor and Unexpected Responses: Bruce Baum"

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• 14:31 [Ad] The Education News Comedy Quiz -- Some of the Above
• 15:21 (Cont.) "Babyman" Unleashed: Bruce Baum’s Comedy- 2nd Interview & Comedy Set - Show #265

Transcript

R. Scott Edwards: 0:04

This is another episode of Stand Up Comedy. Your host and emcee celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here's your host and emcee, Scott Edwards, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to the podcast, man. I'm already laughing because I'm talking to one of my best friends in the comedy world. He has been interviewed once before. Let's get him on this show.

Bruce Baum: 0:32

Show.

R. Scott Edwards: 0:32

And then I'll tell you a little bit about them. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the one and only Bruce Bomb.

Bruce Baum: 0:43

Oh, sit down, sit down.

R. Scott Edwards: 0:46

They're so excited to have you back on the show, Bruce.

Bruce Baum: 0:49

Oh, and I'm excited. Just don't send me everybody's laundry bill, okay?

R. Scott Edwards: 0:54

Okay. That would be very excited. Hey, tell you what, let me. I'm going to put Bruce on hold for a minute. I want to tell you a little bit about Bruce now. Now you should go back and listen to the first interview. It was really in depth. It was a few years ago, but let me catch you up. He's a professional stand up comic. He's a filmmaker, he's a musician. Now, how does that all come together? Well, he created an amazing character called Babyman that was not only seen on stage in a very funny way, but it was also in a comic book and seen in some movie stuff. I mean, it's crazy how Babyman got around. Then he had a hit single called Marty Feldmanize that made it on the Billboard charts. He was featured as an animated character on the Simpsons. He's done tons of TV like Make Me Laugh and Full House and was even in a few movies like Shakes the Clown and Faith wins. Oh, Faith wins. There you go. In other words, this man has had an amazing career. And if that wasn't enough, we got hooked up early on at Laughs Unlimited and he got me into the world of animation, which, you know, was a whole nother area for me. I wrote a book, I still deal in this stuff. It's crazy. But Bruce Baum with a master's in film and all this great comic genius. It's been a couple years. What have you been up to?

Bruce Baum: 2:17

Oh, I've been. By the way, as you mentioned that Babyman was also featured in several cheap motels for the right price. I've been making little videos and putting together. You know, most guys are doing stand up specials now. And so what I've done is I've taken all the sketches that I own over the years and I put them into four half Hour shows. Hopefully I'll be able to sell them as a short summer series called Bruce Baum's Personal Stash. And these sketches have everybody from Bob Saget and George Carlin, Garry Shandling and all the guys that were around when I started and when I was in film school and a lot of. And I've also got some stuff that I just recently shot. So I've been doing that and a couple other little independent projects. The making of Letters from a Nut, which is a book I co wrote.

R. Scott Edwards: 3:21

I forgot to mention successful author. I'm so sorry.

Bruce Baum: 3:25

That's okay. And so that's what I'm doing. And I'm not really traveling as much anymore. That's my choice. It's just I look out there and see what's going on as far as passengers and time schedules and people missing gigs because of flights. So if I can drive it, I usually do the gigs now. And well, I'm having fun. I've got a YouTube channel. I had to eventually call it just Bruce Bomb because every other. I originally called it Bruceville, but there is a Bruceville and they were taking all the. So I met YouTube and Instagram. In fact, if you go to brucebaum.com and that's B A U M, not B O M B, they've got the buttons there. You don't have to search. You can press YouTube or Instagram or Facebook. It'll take you right to my sketches. But I've been doing a little like under one minute little things. Some of the titles are Beyonce and the Three Stooges and a couple other things. So if you go to the little shorts, they're usually under 50 seconds. So it's like, I guess I call them a quick comedy squirt.

R. Scott Edwards: 4:42

Well, those are the popular things these days, that short film clips, TikTok clicks, whatever you want to call them seem to be the way that people are connecting. I put a lot of promo videos out that are under a minute to go along with my two different podcasts. But Bruce, I mean, you started off playing football at UCLA and UC Davis. You started doing stand up comedy. You had such huge success. In fact, it was in recent years, you were even making and selling some amazing hot sauce. You have kind of an eclectic life going.

Bruce Baum: 5:17

I get bored. Yeah, I should mention that when I was playing at UCLA, we were in the pack two. No, actually it was the PAC 8 back then, which is gone now. Yeah, you know, I started making the hot sauce. I used to not be able to eat anything hot. And then I Had head and neck cancer. And I heard hot peppers were really good antioxidants, and I couldn't find organic ones in the store consistently. I started making my own, and then I made a little sauce, took it to radio stations who went, wow, this is great. Why aren't you selling this? After about a year or two, I started, you know, making it and bottling it. And the only reason I really stopped is it took so long to ship them. And shipstation in the US Post Office made so many mistakes that I just couldn't. I figured I'm gonna go back and start making videos again. And so that's what I'm doing now. I grow a little crop for myself and making videos for the world.

R. Scott Edwards: 6:24

Well, there's nothing wrong with that. The hot sauce was amazing. But shipping can be a pain in the ass. And the videos, I think, does lend itself more to your background. I mean, you have a master's in film. You used do a lot of great videos, and you had some great success with the music video for Marty Feldman Rhine. So film and video are really a part of the constitution of Bruce Bohm. I remember even back in the 80s and 90s, you were doing some great short films. In fact, as you mentioned, you got a chance to work with George Carlin and Garry Shandling and a number of people. Was there anybody you worked with that intimidated you or were you ever starstruck?

Bruce Baum: 7:04

Probably Carlin. You know, when I was in college, my student films had Robin Williams and David Letterman, but we were all playing the store at that time. But George Carlin was a real. You know, I grew up. My parents never. I don't know if I talked about this last time, but my parents never had music albums. They had comedy albums. So I listened to George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Shelly Berman, Alan Sherman. You know, those were the kind of things I listened to growing up and Don Rickles. So, yeah, when I did the Don Rickles special, that's another one. Because I grew up closing the door and listening to Don Rickles by myself in the room. In my room. Yeah, when I got to do the Don Rickles special on HBO or direct George Carlin in one of my pieces. Yeah, that was. That was a life highlight. That was, you know.

R. Scott Edwards: 7:59

Yeah, that would be really exciting. Anybody interested in comedy would just be wowed by being in the presence of comedic giants like that. But you also have had an edge and a lean towards music. So you had a chance to meet Ringo Starr. That had to be incredible.

Bruce Baum: 8:15

Oh, yeah, yeah. I got to open for him for a few shows. And that was incredible. Yeah, that happened in a weird way, too. I was in Vegas. I was playing Vegas, and my agents asked me about a month or two before the gig. Ringo Starr wants to see a tape of you, but you won't know if you get the gig possibly till the day or before. Two days before the gig. So I'm playing Vegas. And by the way, I was the last holdout to get a cell phone, But I had just gotten a cell phone. Just gotten a cell phone. My agent calls and said, ringo wants you to open the show starting tomorrow night. And that was in Northern California. I was in Vegas and I happened to get the call because I had a cell phone. So I went down to the entertainment director and said, look, I've got a chance to open for Ringo. Can I get out of the next couple the rest of the week? And he said, we'll get somebody to replace you. So I did. Thank God I had a cell phone, because I called. It was Tim o' Rourke, who's no longer with us, but he came up and did those shows. I took a flight and got there just in time. And it was his all star band. He had Jack Bruce from Kareem. He had Gary Booker from Brokel Harem. It was incredible. Todd Lundgren. Cause I could just do my show and smoke a J and go watch their show, which was great.

R. Scott Edwards: 9:40

Well, knowing what a big fan you are of rock and roll and music in general, that had to be a real highlight and honor to open for Ringo Starr. But the fact that remains is that it was your comedic talent that really led to all these opportunities. For example, being animated on the Simpsons. I mean, not a lot of people can say that.

Bruce Baum: 10:01

No. And if they do, I slap them across the face. Yeah. And that validated me with my kids. And as far as music goes, I had a couple other little songs out. Don't you wish your boyfriend was bald like me?

R. Scott Edwards: 10:17

Oh, I'm sorry. I may have missed that one. That must have been a big hit.

Bruce Baum: 10:21

Well, it was. I told him not to let Scott hear it. And then I got to do. You know, I did short films on Fox for two years on Comic Strip, Live on Sunday Comics, and then I did for two years on America's Funniest People, where I had my own segment. So I really enjoyed that. Having. You know, I think short form is my strength on stage. I pretty much go, joke, joke, joke, joke, joke. There are no. Usually long stories. And then the same thing with everybody's attention span. Shortening now, you know, I've always been sketch oriented, so, you know, thank goodness there was a place for me somewhere.

R. Scott Edwards: 11:05

Well, yeah, and you're right about people's attention span. And so all the work you've done over the last 30, 40 years you can still use. And because you kind of specialized in short film, in short videos, I think it's great that you have an opportunity in this day and age to share the humor of Bruce Baum because it is unique. It's always funny. In the beginning, you were kind of known for a prop comic, but you moved beyond that and started adding music and just straight funny jokes. And it's been such an amazing career. And we want to remind everybody, if you'd like to tap into this, just go to brucebaum.com bruce b a u m dot com. You can find all these things. Now, I know I've been seeing you posting some of your shorts on the Internet and social media, but we're going into 2026. Is there any projects like, when will you hear about that video project or what's planned for the next year?

Bruce Baum: 12:00

Well, I should be all wrapped up in the next couple of weeks, so, you know, hopefully it'll be accessible in a couple months. And if nobody takes it, I'll put it out there for people to see.

R. Scott Edwards: 12:11

Anyway, I'm assuming that through bruce bomb.com that whatever happens, we'll have some way of marketing that and connecting to it. So that is still the easiest way to find all the very funny stuff by Bruce Baum. Right.

Bruce Baum: 12:27

That's where all things Bruce Bomb take place. It's comedy the whole family can enjoy, depending on how you raise your family.

R. Scott Edwards: 12:37

Well, you know, it's interesting because you and I have experienced quite a bit over the years and I alluded to animation. Do you still have some of your original cels?

Bruce Baum: 12:48

I have a couple. Not many. But the shows that I'm telling you about, personal stash. I did animation for it. I had animation done. So there's animation, you know, throughout the show. I not, you know, it's not half the show, but there is animation. Just because it's something that influenced me and now I'm throwing it back out there.

R. Scott Edwards: 13:16

Did you get a sell of you as on the Simpsons?

Bruce Baum: 13:20

Yes, I did. They gave me.

R. Scott Edwards: 13:22

That would be so cool to have.

Bruce Baum: 13:24

Yeah, I've got that. It's up on the wall.

R. Scott Edwards: 13:26

Oh, so envious. That is so cool. You got me into it big time. I wrote a book on it. I've been into collecting animation, a couple art Galleries and I'm just catching you up. Sorry audience, but I did start, as I'm getting older, decide I needed to thin my collection. And I have several, about 50 pieces going through auction. Heritage Auction House out of Dallas, Texas. And so far they're doing pretty well. So thank you for getting me into animation. It's been a really good side hustle for me, something I really appreciate the art form itself and being a part of it and learning about it. So I owe all of that to you. Bruce, you talked about all the stuff you've done in the past and how you're kind of repackaging it. And we talked about this future video project that people can find through Bruce Baum. It was interesting because I did notice that you had gotten back up on stage recently. You had taken a hiatus. Are you regularly getting back and doing stand up or is just special occasions?

Bruce Baum: 15:12

I kind of pick and choose because for me, if I've laid off a while and I have a date, it's not just that day. You know, every show is important to me. So a day or two before I'm like honing my head, so to speak, which is illegal in three states. But you know, it's not just one day to me when I go out on the road. Even in the old days when I'd go out for a couple weeks at a time, you know, you got to keep yourself in shape and your mind sharp. And I really enjoy making short videos. So with everybody else out there doing stand up. When I started, Stand up was new, you know that you were there. Yep. And nobody else was doing it. It was like brand new. The audiences, it was a different kind of laughter. It was like a baby laughing, having never seen anything before and just laughing, you know, wild and free. Now there's so much out there that it's not special anymore. I hate to sound jaded because I'm not jaded. So that wasn't anything from my body. I opened up a can, but I've always wanted to do things that nobody else was doing, so well. That's why.

R. Scott Edwards: 16:37

Yeah. And you know, we're both getting older in the end. The road can be really difficult for anybody, but especially an older married guy with a family and everything. It's hard to be on the road. And I think because you have a background in film and video and you've had so much success over those decades that sticking to that and working with that for the next few years I think will bring you some joy and happiness and have some fun doing it. I Know that with my audio podcast, it's had some great success over the last six years. But my new video podcast, the Tag Team Talent podcast that just launched in March where I'm using videos, in fact, I've, you know, I had some old video of you. It's gone over very well with the audiences and that is building up, you know, it's a whole new world for me doing video. I haven't got the history you do, but working with it now, I can see all the things that you can do with it and I'm, I think it's so great that you have such a wealth of content and you're finding ways to utilizing it.

Bruce Baum: 17:46

Yeah. And just because I'm not really tooling much, you know, you can't stop being funny, you know, so well, my wife.

R. Scott Edwards: 17:52

Would say I can.

Bruce Baum: 17:55

Well, so would my wife. So the wives tend to go, oh, oh, that again, you know, so it's so true. So yeah, usually if I have a new joke and I run it by my wife and she doesn't like it, it's sure fire. If she laughs at it, I don't think I try to put it on stage so.

R. Scott Edwards: 18:21

Well, you know, I'm gotta say I'm selfish. If I had a chance to see Bruce Baum on stage again, I would leap at it. Because you were one of the unique and very funny high energy guys back in the day. I mean, every night the effort you went through to do Babyman, which folks, if you can find it somewhere, try to see it because it's an amazing piece of comedy material. But I understand as a producer that utilizing the content you have and creating new film and video content can be very helpful to your personal happiness and growth. And you having that unique Bruce bomb mind which is, you know, let's admit, a little twisted. I know that there's going to be some great product and content coming out of that.

Bruce Baum: 19:16

And I'm actually toying with the idea of doing a one man show that incorporates all of that. Me talking about, you know, being there when the comedy boom started and what even made me want to be a comedian and just everything and incorporate video, make it sort of a multimedia presentation.

R. Scott Edwards: 19:41

That would be really cool and you could, that would something I could see. You could start off kind of test the waters. You could probably take that to UCLA or one of the schools in as something that would educate the kids.

Bruce Baum: 19:54

I could do that. Or I could try it out in a few clubs on one of their off nights that has a big stage and see whether I can't draw and at least work it out to where it's ready to take off Broadway. And for me, off Broadway is anything from the Pacific coast to Missouri.

R. Scott Edwards: 20:15

Ladies and gentlemen, when you hear of Bruce Bomb Off Broadway, it might be Fresno, California. But he has so much talent, so much amazing video from over the years. I mean, I was right there when you produced Marty Feldmanheim. It was so much fun. We had such a great time. So thank you for all the years of laughter and joy that you brought me and my family. But ladies and gentlemen, we've said it several times. Don't miss out. Check out brucebomb.com hey Bruce, anything you want to share with the audience before.

Bruce Baum: 20:50

We let you go see, in a little while I'll have my other book. I haven't got anything up for sale now. I don't want to make it look like I'm trying to fleece anybody. So I'm waiting for a little while and then I'll be ready to fleece everybody. But I've got another book that I wrote called on hold and I only wrote it when I was on hold on the phone and it's got fairy tales, you know, bombs fairy tales. It's also got fairy less tales where there's no fairies at all and then just odd little thoughts that I thought of all written while I was on hold on the phone.

R. Scott Edwards: 21:30

Well, that sounds like a great idea. You have had a couple books out that did really well that you co wrote and to have one come out on your own and I can imagine knowing your comedic mind that a short story on hold book would be very funny. And I can't wait. You're going to have to come back on the show and let us know when you author and produce that.

Bruce Baum: 21:56

I will do that. It's already authored. I just have to. It was sold for a while, I took it off and I'll do a couple little tweaks. I guess they call that an abridged version. So yeah, I'm going to make a couple more tweaks, make it a little bit better and then it'll be out there again.

R. Scott Edwards: 22:14

And that's called On Hold On Hold. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we've learned so much. There's music videos, there's films, there's other videos. His stand up Comedy and Brucebomb.com will be featuring On Hold. His newest book coming up soon. And your video project, there's so much going on. Bruce, thanks so much for sharing it with my audience.

Bruce Baum: 22:37

Thank you Scott. And my best of Your family. I could do it by name. Jill and Bobby. And the best to all of you. It's been a pleasure, a fun pleasure knowing you all these years.

R. Scott Edwards: 22:53

Oh, it really vice versa, man. I appreciate it. Ladies and gentlemen, that was a great short interview with my very good friend Bruce Baum. I mentioned many times his stand up comedy. I have one of his old sets here. Let's jump into it and have a little comedy by Bruce Baum.

Bruce Baum: 23:12

I made a terrible mistake this morning. I accidentally put my chameleon lizard on a plaid shirt and he exploded. I've been working with a group of people. We help handicapped animals. Right now I've been teaching dyslexic geese.

R. Scott Edwards: 23:28

How to fly south for the winter.

Bruce Baum: 23:31

It's not that tough. You just put a map up in front of a mirror and they're gone. I was in Oklahoma City recently. Is anybody here from Oklahoma City? Because I'll tell you. Well, regardless, Oklahoma City's gotta be the only town in the country you can drive a Ford Fairmont into a parking lot and people come out and admire your car. You guys Springsteen fans now? You guys bought that new 39 record.

R. Scott Edwards: 23:58

Set from birth till yesterday.

Bruce Baum: 24:01

Now I'm a Springsteen fan, but it's gotten to the point where he can sing about anything and make it sound serious. He could be going, does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? Whoa. Some incredibly long raps before each song too, huh? You know, I'll never forget the night we decided to record that tune. I was up on Wendy's porch doing acoustical version of Thunder Road. And my sister just lost her job at the laundromat. She was dancing on the dryers playing Hacky Sack. And we were just sitting her up on the porch listening to the frogs and the crickets and Wendy's mom putting away leftovers, little Tupperware dishes and sticking them in refrigerator window. Maybe later on someone wanted to come by. Anyway, I was feeling real romantic towards Wendy. Wanted to whisper in her ear. So I got real close. By God, I was so close I could feel the hairs on her earlobes up against my lips.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:04

I said, wendy? She said, yeah.

Bruce Baum: 25:09

I said, wendy. She said, yeah. I said, wendy, let it rock. And I remember her looking right back at me and going, don't ever do that again, you doofus.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:24

Jesus.

Bruce Baum: 25:25

God, that hurts.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:32

I gotta tell you, there's some.

Bruce Baum: 25:33

If you guys read about. They're letting people out on the streets now from prison that have no business out. Have you read about these guys? They got a guy. I know there's the one everybody's talking.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:42

About now, but there was a guy.

Bruce Baum: 25:43

A couple more months ago who had.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:44

Dismembered his girlfriend and sent her parts in the mail.

Bruce Baum: 25:47

This guy is out on parole.

R. Scott Edwards: 25:48

So long as he takes those. Can you imagine being a party with.

Bruce Baum: 25:51

This guy when he goes, has anybody?

R. Scott Edwards: 25:57

All right, ladies and gentlemen, we'll be back next week with some more great stand up comedy. Bruce Baum, thanks for joining us on the show.

Bruce Baum: 26:05

Thank you. And happy everything.

R. Scott Edwards: 26:08

Ladies and gentlemen. You heard it from Bruce. Happy everything. Bye. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Stand Up Comedy. Your host and mc. For information on the show merchandise and our sponsors or to send comments to Scott, visit our website at www.standupyourhostandmc.com. look for more episodes soon. And enjoy the world of stand up comedy. Visit a comedy showroom near you.