Elliott Kalan – författare

The winner of four Emmys, a Peabody, and two Writers Guild Awards (all of which badly need dusting) explains his process for writing comedy without going insane.  Philosophers may debate the meaning of comedy (thankfully keeping them too busy to fall into a life of crime), but the rest of us are more likely to wonder how we can make an audience laugh—or at least, how to entertain our friends and followers. According to award-winning comedy writer Elliott Kalan, we need to stop staring out the window, waiting for hilarious bits to stroll into view, fully formed. What we need is a process to plant their premises, tend to their structure and wording, and ultimately harvest them as funny material. In short, a farm. But for jokes.  In Joke Farming, Kalan explains that it’s easier to write jokes when you have a dependable method for doing so. All jokes, he argues, are built from the same elements: structure, premise, voice, tone, wording, and audience—and these elements can be applied to any comedic genre, from stand-up to sitcoms to satire. Kalan analyzes examples from his own career—including jokes that he wrote (and rewrote and rewrote and rewrote . . . ) as head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart—as well as material from a diverse array of comedians, writers, and filmmakers, highlighting the phrasing, rhythm, and precise details that make their work so dang funny.  Drawing on his experiences in professional writers’ rooms as well as episodes from everyday life, Kalan’s guide to jokes will appeal to aspiring writers, their mentors, comedy fans, and anyone who has to speak at a wedding. Joke Farming points the way toward a writing process that lessens stress and agony and yields more reliable rewards: a surprising tagline, a hilarious word choice, and—most importantly—a bigger laugh from the audience, whoever they may be.

Amelia Bedelia meets the Cat in the Hat in this hilarious tale of a good mouse gone bad!Meet Sadie. She's a good mouse. She follows all the rules, listens to Mom, and takes her chores very seriously. Sadie's bother does not do any of these things. He'd rather let Sadie do all the hard work. After all, she's so good at it! But every mouse has her limits, and one day Sadie decides she's had enough. Soon she's tossing garbage out the windows, making ice cream sundaes on her bed, and creating a tidal wave in her living room. Now she can't wait for Mom to get home to show her just how bad this good mouse can be.From the masterminds behind Horse Meets Dog, Elliott Kalan and Tim Miller, Sadie Mouse Wrecks the House tells the odd-couple story of a brother and sister who find themselves competing for who can be the absolute worst is sure to resonate with sibling rivals and anyone who feels like they've had enough of being the good kid—and wants to see what it's like to be bad.

The winner of four Emmys, a Peabody, and two Writers Guild Awards (all of which badly need dusting) explains his process for writing comedy without going insane.  Philosophers may debate the meaning of comedy (thankfully keeping them too busy to fall into a life of crime), but the rest of us are more likely to wonder how we can make an audience laugh—or at least, how to entertain our friends and followers. According to award-winning comedy writer Elliott Kalan, we need to stop staring out the window, waiting for hilarious bits to stroll into view, fully formed. What we need is a process to plant their premises, tend to their structure and wording, and ultimately harvest them as funny material. In short, a farm. But for jokes.  In Joke Farming, Kalan explains that it’s easier to write jokes when you have a dependable method for doing so. All jokes, he argues, are built from the same elements: structure, premise, voice, tone, wording, and audience—and these elements can be applied to any comedic genre, from stand-up to sitcoms to satire. Kalan analyzes examples from his own career—including jokes that he wrote (and rewrote and rewrote and rewrote . . . ) as head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart—as well as material from a diverse array of comedians, writers, and filmmakers, highlighting the phrasing, rhythm, and precise details that make their work so dang funny.  Drawing on his experiences in professional writers’ rooms as well as episodes from everyday life, Kalan’s guide to jokes will appeal to aspiring writers, their mentors, comedy fans, and anyone who has to speak at a wedding. Joke Farming points the way toward a writing process that lessens stress and agony and yields more reliable rewards: a surprising tagline, a hilarious word choice, and—most importantly—a bigger laugh from the audience, whoever they may be.

THE CHAMPION OF OLYMPUS RETURNS! The world’s favorite demigod-turned-mortal is back, and he’s about to embark on the biggest adventure since The Odyssey! The Greek gods don’t really get why Hercules chose a mortal life over the opportunity to join them on Mt. Olympus, but since he proved his mettle as a hero many times over, they’re happy to enlist his help with missions that require interventions in the earthly realm. So when Aphrodite grants an artist’s wish that his sculpture be brought to life, Herc gets the call to clean things up when the newly conscious artwork proves to be more bone-crushingly lively than expected! But after discovering that the rogue statue is just misunderstood, and a little rambunctious (much like himself as a youth), Hercules returns to explain the situation to Aphrodite — only to find her temple empty and abandoned. Is the goddess of love just pouting, or is something more sinister afoot? If you know anything about classic mythology, you know it’s going to be the latter! The immortal team of Emmy Award-winning writer ELLIOTT KALAN (The Daily Show) and Gargoyles artist GEORGE KAMBADAIS bring these legends of antiquity to hilarious new life in this brand-new volume. GET READY FOR A WHOLE NEW HERO'S JOURNEY!""

THE CHAMPION OF OLYMPUS RETURNS! The world’s favorite demigod-turned-mortal is back, and he’s about to embark on the biggest adventure since The Odyssey! The Greek gods don’t really get why Hercules chose a mortal life over the opportunity to join them on Mt. Olympus, but since he proved his mettle as a hero many times over, they’re happy to enlist his help with missions that require interventions in the earthly realm. So when Aphrodite grants an artist’s wish that his sculpture be brought to life, Herc gets the call to clean things up when the newly conscious artwork proves to be more bone-crushingly lively than expected! But after discovering that the rogue statue is just misunderstood, and a little rambunctious (much like himself as a youth), Hercules returns to explain the situation to Aphrodite — only to find her temple empty and abandoned. Is the goddess of love just pouting, or is something more sinister afoot? If you know anything about classic mythology, you know it’s going to be the latter! The immortal team of Emmy Award-winning writer ELLIOTT KALAN (The Daily Show) and Gargoyles artist GEORGE KAMBADAIS bring these legends of antiquity to hilarious new life in this brand-new volume. GET READY FOR A WHOLE NEW HERO'S JOURNEY!""

Harley Quinn goes All-In! Join a brand-new creative team as Harley’s favorite and ultra-dangerous neighborhood has been gentrified beyond recognition. Now she’s on a one-clown mission to make Gotham safe for crime again.Harley Quinn joins DC’s “All In” initiative with a brand-new creative the brand new creative team of writer Elliott Kalan and artist Mindy Lee. When Harley Quinn discovers her favorite dangerous neighborhood in Gotham City has been gentrified beyond recognition, she breaks bad and sets out on a one clown-woman mission to make Gotham City safe for crime again! Collects: Harley Quinn #44-49

The Clown Queen of Crime is back—louder, wilder, and more unpredictable than ever!Harley Quinn’s latest misadventures continue in the next thrilling volume from acclaimed writer Elliott Kalan! Whether she’s dodging assassins, joining the neighborhood party planning committee, or dealing with an identity crisis only she could have, Gotham’s most unpredictable antihero is in for a chaotic ride. Featuring the debut of the soon-to-be-infamous Gunbuddies, this collection is packed with action, humor, and classic Harley mayhem.Collects Harley Quinn #50-55.

The Batquinn Begins! Harley starts a brave and bold new era in the latest chapter of her outrageous ongoing adventures.After the thrilling conclusion of DC K.O., Harley's got a new lease on life—and it’s darker and grittier than ever! You can call her Batquinn now: a grim, silent sentinel of justice! She's like Batman, but she does things...a little differently.But the Harq Knight isn't the only Quinn in town—Harley's rational, non-fun-loving brain parts have taken a body of their own! Plus: air pirates, a deadly date night, and the greyscale villainy of the Monochromatic Man!Collects Harley Quinn #58-65 by writer Elliott Kalan and artist Carlos Olivares.

Four years ago, a masked slasher began stalking the streets of New York City.Maniac Harry is inhuman, unkillable and unstoppable. Which is why the authorities’ solution has been to ignore him, and let New Yorkers adapt to a world where death can strike at any moment. When Maniac Harry starts killing his way through the subway system, trauma-haunted political aide Gina Greene and disgraced NYPD detective Zelda Pettibone become determined to go rogue and destroy him. But how can they fight a monster when they can’t fight City Hall?From Emmy Award-winning writer Elliott Kalan (The Daily Show, MST3K, Spider-Man & The X-Men) and artist Andrea Mutti (Port of Earth, Hellblazer) comes the horrifying story of what happens when terror becomes the new normal. A frightening, thought-provoking, sometimes funny, always timely tale of murder, obsession and urban living.

Hades — the lord of darkness! The most deceitful and scheming of the Greek gods! The one god not invited to the weekly brunch at Mount Olympus! Obviously, a slight like this calls for the total destruction of the gods of Olympus. To make that happen, the hot-tempered ruler of the underworld needs to acquire the magical Golden Fleece of Colchis. Unfortunately, the Fleece is guarded by a sleep- less dragon and soldiers made out of teeth, so Hades assembles a ragtag group of morally questionable adventurers to help him steal the Fleece before some dude named Jason and his Argonaut bros swoop in and ruin his perfectly logical plan. It’s absolute chaotic hilarity courtesy of writer ELLIOTT KALAN (Spider-Man & The X-Men) and artist ALESSANDRO RANALDI (Zorro)!