Joel Kim Booster wants you to feel connected to him. The multi-hyphenate stand-up comic, writer, and actor is taking this year to lay the groundwork on his already blossoming career—working on a ton of new writing projects, filming season two of Loot on Apple, and working on a new hour of stand-up—all with the intent of expressing himself creatively and building a stronger relationship with you, the audience.
Part of what drives Booster’s success, self-admittedly, is the connection he’s able to foster with his audience. It’s a connection that people are both looking for and need in today’s era of comedy to feel alive and part of something.
For his part, Booster is an expert at creating a familiarity with his audiences, and over the course of our phone conversation, he details the importance of the comedic parasocial relationship, reveals his methods for writing scripts and crafting jokes, and elaborates on why sativas are great for overcoming writer’s block.
High Times Magazine: Growing up in Illinois, did you always know you wanted to pursue comedy?
Joel Kim Booster: For me, comedy was never something that I felt was open to me. I didn’t think it was an option. I always knew I liked attention from a very young age, and as soon as I knew what performing was, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Like a lot of kids in the ‘burbs, I was doing school plays and community theater, and that led me to study theater in college. And at that point, I considered myself to be a very serious actor/writer. I wanted to be in serious dramas and write for The Wire someday.
I remember I tried out for the sketch team and the improv team …
Read More
Author: Stephen Laddin / High Times
