Podcast - Interview with Grig Larson (Katsucon)

I loved getting to cover Katsucon this year,
loved this guy's costume. (image by DC Geeks)

Many of you probably know Grig Larson from his years of running Katsucon. When he's not trying to keep a host of convention staff happy, he’s also an author, a former improv comic, and an excellent storyteller. His skill as a conversationalist made him an ideal podcast guest, and I have to say (fan and all) this is one of my favorite podcasts.

Please forgive me for the slightly odd audio this week. With the record heat this summer, the next few weeks are going to have a bit of air conditioning noise, but I am getting better at removing it.

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Everyone has their share of outrageous con stories: from that time your friend spent Otakon sleeping in the tub to the girl who took her vampire larp a bit too seriously. Having spent years around dozens (hundreds?) of conventions, Grig has amassed tales of some beautifully insane shit.

Listen in to hear how he almost got “punched right in his fucking face” by an outraged con attendee, why a girl (who I hypothesize was a mental ward escapee) with boundary issues lead his entire troupe to swear off improv forever, and the crazy corporate antics that ensued from a policy of “the layoffs will continue until morale improves.”

Grig’s books are as eclectic as his stories. Trolley is a steampunk horror book that sounds like it even scared him a bit to write at times, and he’s in the process of updating The Saga of Punk Walrus (so grab the collectible copy on Amazon while you can). However, his next original book is scheduled to come out before that, and it has been tentatively titled Space Bitch. The book focuses on an array of female characters - from a peppy girl whose religion puts her in the horrific position of not even being allowed to use the word "no," to the titular caustic character and an eclectic mix of others.

I think of Commander Shepherd when
I hear "Space Bitch" (image by Ewen Roberts)

While talking about the use of profanity in Space Bitch, we launched into a fascinating discussion of swearing, comedy, and the self-imposed limits of offensive comics. We tried to handle things honestly and without skirting issues. We also discuss the Tosh.0 controversy, so I ask that everyone count to ten before posting a reply.

On a lighter note, Grig also imparted more knowledge than perhaps I ever needed to know about Swedish comedy and yogurt ("skyr" - which I'm totally addicted to now. Thanks a lot, Grig). If you’d like to learn more about skyr Grig or Katsu, check out the links below:

• Grig’s Facebook
• Grig’s Twitter
• Amazon Author's Page
• Katsucon Website
• Katsucon Tumblr
• Katsucon Facebook
• Katsucon Twitter

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from this episode, "Even if you do it and fail, at least you'll learn something from it, if you're open to failure." Thanks to Grig for a great podcast this week.