400! A Celebration with Lara Smith & Travis Zinzer [VIDEO]
Release Date: 10/17/2026
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400! A Celebration with Lara Smith & Travis Zinzer [VIDEO]
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #400 For this celebrity video episode, Travis Zinzer and Lara Smith (with special guest introduction by Katana the Tripod) talk with Valerie about: How Lara’s famous “no” sent Valerie to Comedy Wham and sparked 400 episodes of conversations Valerie's favorite pinch-me moments with Scott Thompson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Dana Gould, with a dose of back alley dumpster-dodging to bring us down to earth. Heartfelt notes from comics who found stages, festivals, and friends through Comedy Wham - Brendan K O'Grady & Duncan Carson, Holly Hart, Rita...
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Valerie Nies
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #399 Valerie Nies talks with Valerie Lopez about Trading chilly Bismarck for Austin, bombing at early open mics, and finally taking a comedy class Teaching hundreds of comics to write jokes and launching Smile More, her all-women showcase Building her own pandemic MFA and publishing the poetry collection Snacks for the Love Hungry Half Empty, Half Full, her monthly literary comedy show pairing comedians, writers, optimists, and pessimists Recorded September 2026 at Fallout Theater Podcast Studio Follow Valerie Website - Linktree - TikTok - YouTube - ...
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Kandyce August
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #398 Kandyce August talks with Valerie about: Starting stand-up at 36 after a comedy class Hitting nearly 40 comedy festivals while racing to check off all 50 states Her Kill Tony weight loss challenge and the Moody Center New Year's Eve prize on the line Hosting for Nicole Byer, Usama Siddiquee, all while inspiring future moms with her pregnancy bits Follow Kandyce TikTok - YouTube - Instagram - Facebook - Threads - Dot - Kandyce can be seen and heard: LMAOF special #93 - Kill Tony episodes 701, 726, and 766 Kill Tony Weigh-in Challenge...
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Carlo Lorenzo Garcia
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #397 Carlo Lorenzo Garcia talks with Valerie about: Turning TV paychecks into Under Covers, a silly web series pitched as Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets Cheaters Flipping Perfect Strangers into Strange, But Perfect, his award-winning Hill Country film starring Ed Begley Jr. and Beth Grant (and Austinites Garrett Rojas and Irielle Wesley) Weaving his late father's voicemails into a screenplay, and why you should write down loved ones' stories Directing the political satire A Million More to Go His surprising nemesis: tinfoil touching metal fillings Recorded...
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Vanessa Gonzalez, Volume 4 (VIDEO)
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #396 Vanessa Gonzalez returns to talk with Valerie about Self-funding her Hulu special, Mamona, after a manager lied for a year about shopping it. Landing her first writers' room job and feeling like an imposter at Warner Brothers. The anxiety medication that changed how she handles online hate and self-doubt. Why Austin will always be her comedy home, no matter where LA takes her. Recorded September 2026 Follow Vanessa Website - Instagram - Tiktok - Youtube - Vanessa can be seen and heard: Hulu special Mamona (2026) HBO Latino special Entre Nos...
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Katie Felton, Volume 2
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #395 Katie Felton returns to talk with Valerie about: Getting engaged, co-hosting Quackin Jokes, and juggling comedy with her 2027 wedding planning Retiring her "single girl" jokes and learning to write fresh material as a newly engaged comic Teaching special ed adults and finding classroom humor without punching down at anyone The annual FPIA contest and having the introspection that fun beats chasing a trophy every time Recorded August 2026 Follow Katie Instagram - TikTok - YouTube - Katie can be seen and heard: Quackin' Jokes - Monthly 8:00pm,...
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Slade Ham & Jimmy Pineapple (VIDEO)
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #394 Slade Ham AND Jimmy Pineapple talks with Valerie Lopez about Getting their start in Houston alongside a young, pre-fame Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks Why LA sketch comedy and short sets never beat an hour alone with strangers Reviving the legendary Texas Outlaw Comics brand for a new Houston film taping Surviving brutal one-nighters, empty casinos, and what actually makes a comic great Recorded August 2026 Watch the video on our Youtube channel Follow Outlaw Comics Website - YouTube - Instagram - Facebook - See the Outlaw Comics Outlaw Comics...
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Xander Noland
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #393 Xander Noland talks with Valerie Lopez about Juggling five-plus Austin comedy shows at once and somehow still adding more to his plate Landing a spot on the brand-new UCB Harold team after a wild 96-person audition His "directionless" 20s, and why finding performance turned everything around for him Launching Clown Carbonara, an immersive clown-run restaurant show premiering this September at the ColdTowne Cabaret Recorded August 2026 at Fallout Theater Podcast Studio Follow Xander Instagram - Xander can be seen and heard: Austin Sketch...
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Matt Evans
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #392 Matt Evans talks with Valerie Lopez about Growing up a rare native Austinite and stumbling into comedy through Comedy Central reruns Becoming a horse vet against everyone's advice, then bombing his way through open mics The 300-person equine convention set that turned painting hobbyist into stand-up addict Writing his memoir during the pandemic and landing a book deal after three years of rejection Recorded July 2026 Follow Matt Website - TikTok - YouTube - Instagram - Threads - Substack - Matt can be seen, heard, and read: Donna Lee...
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Wallis Brown
Comedy Wham Presents
Read the article at Episode #391 Wallis Brown talks with Valerie Lopez about Her one-woman My Three Stooges Fanfiction show ahead of its Austin Sketch Fest run. Performing that fanfiction at 6:30am for Del Close Marathon crowds in New York City. Juggling standup, improv, and songwriting as a Story Wrangler adapting 3rd graders' stories at the Paramount Theater. Turning 25, finding focus, and building a packed rotation across Switchblade, Unhinged, Candy Necklace, and Doghouse. Recorded June 2026 at Fallout Theater Podcast Studio Wallis can be seen and heard: Where it Hides hosted...
info_outlineRead the article at comedywham.com
Episode #400
- How Lara’s famous “no” sent Valerie to Comedy Wham and sparked 400 episodes of conversations
- Valerie's favorite pinch-me moments with Scott Thompson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Dana Gould, with a dose of back alley dumpster-dodging to bring us down to earth.
- Heartfelt notes from comics who found stages, festivals, and friends through Comedy Wham - Brendan K O'Grady & Duncan Carson, Holly Hart, Rita Patterson, Nikki Coleman, Robert May, Danna Kiel & Gretchen Dietz.
- A retrospective on hundreds of episodes and memorable experiences
- How Travis grew up a junior comedy fan, from Sure Thing showcases to Letterkenny interviews.
Follow Comedy Wham
- Website - comedywham.com (oh wait, you're already here!)
- TikTok - @comedywham (not super active)
- YouTube - @ComedyWham (all the audio and occasional video podcast episodes, the CCPP Comedy Class, and more)
- Instagram - @comedywham (tag us in your show promos & we'll share. Follow us! We live here)
- Facebook - comedywham (not active except when Instagram cross-posts)
- Twitch - comedywham (see archives of our online shows when some big names weren't so big)
Comedy Wham can be seen and heard:
- Weekly podcasts drop every Sunday (twice a month in summer)
- Monthly ImproVintage comedy show - 1st Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m. at Fallout Theater
- Sporadic stand-up showcases
- Valerie's articles for the Austin Chronicle, The Barbed Wire, the San Antonio Current can be found in our Columns tab and by visiting their web sites and searching "Valerie Lopez"