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Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order.
When you hear Linda Stogner’s act on stage, you get the sense that she lives in her own little world where common sense and normalcy don’t exist. But as Joel Hodgson once said, “That’s OK, they know me there.”
The comic and filmmaker was born into a life of absurdity. She was brought into the world by a father who got mixed up in a Chicago crime syndicate when he had an affair with the wife of a local mob boss. When her mother left her with her father and he couldn’t take care of her, his partner-in-crime brought her back to Texas where his parents raised her with a set of phony adoption papers. That sounds like the perfect resume for a budding comic but it wouldn’t be fair to just call Stogner that. She’s also a gifted and heartfelt storyteller.
Her storytelling skills and unique point of view have earned her comedy honors such as this year’s Funniest Comic in Texas as well as several Emmys and a Gold Hugo award for the short films and documentaries she’s made for KERA and the PBS series Life 360.
She talked to Mixmaster about her zany imagination, why her comedic presence is more of a persona and less of a character and finding the unusual stories of interesting people.
Is it easier or harder to become a name in a comedy community that was as small and new as Dallas’ once was?
I think it is probably easier in Dallas than in LA and New York because there are not as many comics here, but in some ways, I think the process is the same in any city. Wherever you go, you have to get on stage, perform and write as often as possible, and just keep improving. Then it is about opportunities, getting in, becoming part of community, networking, luck, right place – right time, and everybody’s journey is different. In the end, I think you get out of it what you put into it. It has been a long road for me, but I love it, so I keep going. I am like the Energizer Bunny; I just keep pounding away.
Where do your ideas come from?
Some of my comedy ideas come from weird life experiences, my unusual family and things that have happened to me, for example, I really did hit a train, I was adopted by senior citizens and my brother robbed a bank. And then there’s the more off the wall stuff that comes from my imagination, sort of “what ifs” such as a talking squirrel, a bird that sings badly, airplanes landing in my yard because I move my hands a lot, a doodle bug feeling ripped off that his defense system is to “roll up in a ball.”
My films have usually stemmed from assignments, but I end up taking them a different way than others might. I always try to make sure my films have humor and heart.
And originality is very important me in both comedy and filmmaking. My goal is to be unique as possible but still be true to myself.
What’s your creative process? Do you have to sit down and think of ideas or do you let them come to you?
Most ideas come to me, but I try not to limit my imagination, and no matter how unusual the idea, if I can feel it, I can try to turn it into a bit. Sometimes, I can have a normal premise, and then I take it a different way, sometimes way out there. I try to be creative as possible.
Where does your comic persona come from? It seems like you’re playing a character on stage but you do it so naturally that it feels more real, even when the humor is surreal.
I like to think of it more as an enhanced side of me, a persona more than a character, because it comes from me, it is just a side of me that is exaggerated. I am very literal and naïve and goofy offstage, too and that has resulted in awkwardness, I just exaggerate that awkwardness for the stage. I try to down play that part in real life, but on stage I can let it go, have fun and be silly, and hopefully get a laugh or two.
What’s your ideal subject for a documentary? What do you look for when you’re developing ideas to document?
I look for an unusual story with interesting people. I like stories that have heart and humor. One of my favorite subjects was Jack Kilby, the Texas Instruments engineer who co-invented the microchip. I liked the idea that here was a man that changed the world, and yet he remained humble and shy. In our current world of TMZ and instant celebrity, I found that refreshing.
Have you ever combined your gift for comedy and filmmaking together yet and if not, how would you like to do that?
One of my most unusual projects that was a blast to do was a comedy short called “Turtle Cinema”, it was a spoof of classic films, such as American Beauty and Raging Bull, using real turtles as actors. Later, it was developed into a web series called Turtle TV. And that led to an opportunity to do a series of short comedy films for the national PBS series Life 360. One was about life through the eyes of a 10-year-old dog, and one was about being adopted as a baby. Adopted, aka A Love Story is a personal story, and is very special to me. In the future, I would like to do more comedies with me as a performer and an expanded version of Adopted.
I feel very fortunate in my life; I get to make a living doing two things that I love, comedy and filmmaking. I am a lucky girl.
100 Creatives:
100. Theater Mastermind Matt Posey
99. Comedy Queen Amanda Austin
98. Deep Ellum Enterpriser Brandon Castillo
97. Humanitarian Artist Willie Baronet
96. Funny Man Paul Varghese
95. Painting Provocateur Art Peña
94. Magic Man Trigg Watson
93. Enigmatic Musician George Quartz
92. Artistic Luminary Joshua King
91. Inventive Director Rene Moreno
90. Color Mavens Marianne Newsom and Sunny Sliger
89. Literary Lion Thea Temple
88. Movie Maestro Eric Steele
87. Storytelling Dynamo Nicole Stewart
86. Collaborative Artist Ryder Richards
85. Party Planning Print maker Raymond Butler
84. Avant-gardist Publisher Javier Valadez
83. Movie Nerd James Wallace
82. Artistic Tastemakers Elissa & Erin Stafford
81. Pioneering Arts Advocates Mark Lowry & Michael Warner
80. Imaginative Director Jeremy Bartel
79. Behind-the-Scenes Teacher Rachel Hull
78. Kaleidoscopic Artist Taylor “Effin” Cleveland
77. Filmmaker & Environmentalist Michael Cain
76. Music Activist Salim Nourallah
75. Underground Entrepreneur Daniel Yanez
74. Original Talent Celia Eberle
73. Comic Artist Aaron Aryanpur
72. Classical Thespian Raphael Parry
71. Dance Captain Valerie Shelton Tabor
70. Underground Culture Mainstay Karen X. Minzer
69. Effervescent Gallerist Brandy Michele Adams
68. Birthday Party Enthusiast Paige Chenault
67. Community Architect Monica Diodati
66. Intrepid Publisher Will Evans
65. Writerly Wit Noa Gavin
64. Maverick Artist Roberto Munguia
63. Fresh Perspective Kelsey Leigh Ervi
62. Virtuosic Violinist Nathan Olson
61. Open Classical’s Dynamic Duo Mark Landson & Patricia Yakesch
60. Rising Talent Michelle Rawlings
59. Adventurous Filmmaker Toby Halbrooks
58. Man of Mystery Edward Ruiz
57. Inquisitive Sculptor Val Curry
56. Offbeat Intellect Thomas Riccio
55. Doers and Makers Shannon Driscoll & Kayli House Cusick
54. Performance Pioneer Katherine Owens
53. Experimental Filmmaker and Video Artist Mike Morris
52. Flowering Fashioner Lucy Dang
51. Insightful Artist Stephen Lapthisophon
50. Dallas Arts District
49. Farmer’s Market Localvore Sarah Perry
48. Technological Painter John Pomara
47. Progressive Playmakers Christopher Carlos & Tina Parker
46. Purposive Chef Chad Houser
45. Absorbing Artist Jeff Gibbons
44. Artistic Integrator Erica Felicella
43. Multi-talented Director Tre Garrett
42. Anachronistic Musician Matt Tolentino
41. Emerging Veteran Actor Van Quattro
40. Festival Orchestrator Anna Sophia van Zweden
39. Literary Framer Karen Weiner
38. Man Behind the Music Gavin Mulloy
37. The Godfather of Dallas Art Frank Campagna
36. Rising Star Adam A. Anderson
35. Artist Organizer Heyd Fontenot
34. Music Innovator Stefan Gonzalez
33. Triple Threat Giovanni Valderas
32. Cultural Connector Lauren Cross
31. Critical Artist Thor Johnson
30. Delicate Touch Margaret Meehan
29. Fashion Forward Charles Smith II
28. Dedicated Artist Carolyn Sortor
27. Political Cyber Banksy Wylie H Dallas
26. Dance Preserver Lisa Mesa Rogers
25. Rob ‘Ain’t No Creative Like A Bow-Tie-Wearing Creative’ Shearer
24. Scholar of the Stage Susan Sargeant
23. Photographer of Record Justin Terveen
22. Music Man Jeffrey Liles
21. Keeper of the Safe Room Lauren Gray
20. Playwright Jonathan Norton, Man of Many Words
