By Joanna Orland
Scott Aukerman is not only the creator and host of the long-running Comedy Bang Bang podcast, but he’s also a pioneer of modern podcasting as we know it. Trailblazing the medium through his podcasting network Earwolf, and being an instrumental part of many beloved comedy podcasts, he is arguably one of the most influential podcasters of our time. “When I was starting out, I just kind of wanted to do anything in show business,” says Scott. “It is very interesting that I’ve had a pretty good career in movies and TV, but what I’ll probably be most known for is podcasting, which is not a thing that I dreamed about when I was a little boy because it wasn’t around.”
Beginning his career as a writer and director, Scott didn’t initially intend to pursue a career in comedy. “When I was 25, my friend who read one of my scripts said to me, ‘I really don’t like this. Um, but you’re so funny. Why don’t you give comedy a try?’” he says. One of Scott’s first professional comedy writing jobs was for Mr. Show with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. After performing an early standup set, he was approached by Bob himself, and the rest is history. “Bob was in the back of the room watching, and he came up to my partner and I and said, ‘Hey, you guys are really funny. Do you want to write on my show?’” tells Scott.
After his work on Mr. Show, Scott performed and taught sketch comedy at famed improv school UCB. It was here where he created his live show format which would eventually become the Comedy Bang Bang we know and love today. Being part of the Los Angeles comedy community, he was familiar with many of the local comedians and their bits. Hosting a talk show style format at UCB, he invited his friend Andy Daly up on stage and began to ask bizarre and random questions, finding the funny in these improvised moments.
While the tone of Comedy Bang Bang is quite silly and informal, the format works like a well-oiled machine. After introducing himself, host Scott typically interviews a celebrity guest, with the outcome being a comedy rather than serious interview. He then invites comedians onto the show and interviews them while they’re in character. The conversations are improvised, and often characters recur over multiple episodes, even across years, to form some long-running improvised arcs. “I don’t have any information beforehand, but I’m pretty good at recognizing a character’s, what we call in improv, a character’s game,” explains Scott.
Considering his career has been heavily based in improv, it’s remarkable that Scott was never professionally trained in the craft, opting to learn his skills on the fly. “Because I worked on, you know, Mr. Show in the ’90s, by the time UCB came around in 2005, I kind of was like, in my mind, an established performer. So, I never actually took classes there ‘cause I was like one of their first teachers in terms of sketch-writing,” he admits. “I was too in my head about it. Like, I probably should have just for fun taken classes. So I’ve really had to learn on my feet.”
Evolving his podcast into a network for him and his friends, Scott has been responsible for a large swathe of comedy podcasts, including the hugely successful How Did This Get Made? “The idea was like my show is very popular and a rising tide lifts all boats,” he explains. “If we all share these resources and become known as like a gang, then everyone will get popular together.”
As Scott was there at the start of podcasting, he’s seen the medium evolve into what it is today — an oversaturated market with a lot of content creators now opting to broadcast on video. “People really looked down on podcasting and thought it was for nerds, or, you know, wasn’t something to be taken seriously,” remarks Scott. “And now it’s a status symbol.”
While Comedy Bang Bang may follow a typical interview format in principal, in reality the podcast hugely stands apart from its contemporaries. “Yes, we do interview people who have projects out that week. But, I don’t ever really take the interview that seriously,” he admits. “You know, I want the Comedy Bang Bang interview to be a place where I’m asking funny questions and we’re putting on a performance — we’re not just having a conversation about whatever they want to promote that week.”
The podcast has been on the air for 17 years so far, with no end in sight as Scott has just signed a three year contract to see him bring the podcast into its 20th year. “I really just want to do it as long as it’s fun,” declares Scott. “I don’t see any reason to stop at this point.”
Having led such a trailblazing career, the one word to sum up Scott Aukerman is…
“I think sandpaper maybe — I can appear to be rough, but it’s really about honing down all the rough edges between things, and making them nice and soft.”
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Tickets are now available for the Comedy Bang! Bang! Ground Beefing Tour 2026