WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:05.980 getting into the weeds on a career that's, well, 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.699 fascinating because it operates on two parallel 00:00:08.699 --> 00:00:10.660 tracks. Definitely. You've got the brilliant 00:00:10.660 --> 00:00:13.179 comedic satire, the guy you recognize instantly, 00:00:13.419 --> 00:00:15.939 right? Al Madrigal. Yeah. Especially from The 00:00:15.939 --> 00:00:18.399 Daily Show. Uh -huh. That sharp, kind of deadpan 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:20.399 delivery. Exactly. But then there's this whole 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:23.309 other side. The sources we dug into, they paint 00:00:23.309 --> 00:00:25.350 a picture of someone who's not just performing, 00:00:25.469 --> 00:00:27.829 but like fundamentally reshaping the business 00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:30.449 side of comedy. It really is a story about refusing 00:00:30.449 --> 00:00:34.829 to be pigeonholed. Creatively. Ethnically. In 00:00:34.829 --> 00:00:37.490 any way, really. So our mission today is to unpack 00:00:37.490 --> 00:00:40.090 the whole thing. Alessandro Liborio Madrigal, 00:00:40.189 --> 00:00:42.810 comedian, actor, writer, producer, the whole 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:45.969 multi -hyphenate deal. And specifically, we want 00:00:45.969 --> 00:00:48.250 to look at how his background, this really interesting 00:00:48.250 --> 00:00:51.590 mix of Mexican and Sicilian heritage, how that 00:00:51.590 --> 00:00:53.670 didn't just fuel his comedy. Right, which it 00:00:53.670 --> 00:00:55.990 clearly did. But also became the driving force 00:00:55.990 --> 00:00:59.570 behind building something entirely new. The All 00:00:59.570 --> 00:01:03.060 Things Comedy Network, ATC. That dual identity 00:01:03.060 --> 00:01:05.500 seems absolutely key from the get -go. We often 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:08.620 just see the performance, the jokes. But the 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:11.739 sources suggest a very deliberate strategy. He 00:01:11.739 --> 00:01:15.040 took his own experience of being sort of multi 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:17.900 -ethnic, feeling like an outsider, maybe to multiple 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:21.379 groups, and used that not just for stand -up 00:01:21.379 --> 00:01:23.099 material, but then he looked at that feeling 00:01:23.099 --> 00:01:25.579 of exclusion and thought, okay, how do I build 00:01:25.579 --> 00:01:27.799 something so others don't hit these same walls? 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:30.900 Exactly. And you see that playing out everywhere. 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:34.219 His political stuff, sure, but also creating 00:01:34.219 --> 00:01:36.959 something like the Primo's comic book, which 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.239 is just steeped in this reimagined Mayan mythology. 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:43.719 It's incredible. It connects all the dots. It 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:46.340 really does. His career is kind of a blueprint 00:01:46.340 --> 00:01:49.939 for how you navigate the old system, the traditional 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:52.239 industry, while at the same time building your 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:54.000 own independent thing. He didn't just want a 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:56.219 seat at the table. No way. Yeah. He built a whole 00:01:56.219 --> 00:01:58.180 new restaurant, like you said. Yeah. And to really 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:00.519 get that ambition, we need to go back. Yeah. 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:03.060 Back to the foundation, which maybe surprisingly 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:05.579 is really grounded in San Francisco. Okay, yeah. 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:07.560 Let's dig into that foundation because it's not 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.099 the typical struggling comedian origin story, 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.270 is it? Not at all. So. Full name, Alessandro 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:18.330 Laborio Madrigal, born July 4th, 1971, San Francisco. 00:02:18.569 --> 00:02:21.469 And that heritage, let's nail it down. Fatherside 00:02:21.469 --> 00:02:25.810 Mexican from Tijuana, motherside Sicilian. So 00:02:25.810 --> 00:02:28.750 right from birth, he's straddling these two really 00:02:28.750 --> 00:02:31.870 distinct, powerful cultures. He grew up in the 00:02:31.870 --> 00:02:34.509 Inner Sunset District in SF. And this is one 00:02:34.509 --> 00:02:36.509 of those amazing little details the sources bring 00:02:36.509 --> 00:02:39.930 out. Comedy was literally in the air. Mike Pritchard, 00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:43.979 Michael Meehan. successful comics were his neighbors. 00:02:44.139 --> 00:02:46.939 Wow. Really? Yeah. So the rhythm, the timing, 00:02:47.020 --> 00:02:49.060 the business of comedy was happening right there, 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:50.659 even before he thought about doing it himself. 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:52.780 That's fascinating. And then look at his education. 00:02:53.020 --> 00:02:56.360 It suggests a very structured upbringing. École 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:58.400 Notre -Dame de Victoire. Right. A private Catholic 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.020 school. Big emphasis on French language and culture. 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:03.500 So we're talking discipline, languages, structure, 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.710 not exactly Improv 101. Then St. Ignatius College 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:08.810 prep for high school, graduated 89, University 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:10.949 of San Francisco after that. Again, it doesn't 00:03:10.949 --> 00:03:13.789 scream drop everything for open mic night, which 00:03:13.789 --> 00:03:15.729 makes his first career path even more striking. 00:03:16.069 --> 00:03:18.810 Absolutely critical because for 10 years, a whole 00:03:18.810 --> 00:03:21.490 decade after college, he wasn't doing comedy 00:03:21.490 --> 00:03:24.449 professionally at all. No, he was working in 00:03:24.449 --> 00:03:27.909 human resources in a staffing agency run by his 00:03:27.909 --> 00:03:31.330 family. And here's the kicker, the detail he 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:35.330 always brings up. His main job, his crucial responsibility 00:03:35.330 --> 00:03:38.729 for years. Is firing people. Firing people. Can 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:41.710 you imagine? Talk about a crash course in high 00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:43.789 -stakes communication. It's like the ultimate 00:03:43.789 --> 00:03:46.050 accidental boot camp for stand -up. Seriously, 00:03:46.310 --> 00:03:48.469 think about what that involves. You have to have 00:03:48.469 --> 00:03:51.210 your script down cold, your reasons. You need 00:03:51.210 --> 00:03:55.050 total control. You have to project calm. Well, 00:03:55.270 --> 00:03:57.409 dealing with someone who's probably upset, angry, 00:03:57.530 --> 00:04:00.250 scared. Exactly. Highly emotional, unpredictable 00:04:00.250 --> 00:04:02.310 situations. You've got to read the room in a 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:04.830 split second, know when to talk, when to pause, 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:07.069 when to just listen. It's intense interaction. 00:04:07.349 --> 00:04:09.969 So it wasn't just paperwork. It was live emotional 00:04:09.969 --> 00:04:12.729 de -escalation over and over. That's what he 00:04:12.729 --> 00:04:14.830 says. He talks about it a lot. Handling those 00:04:14.830 --> 00:04:17.949 really scary situations, as he put it, just completely 00:04:17.949 --> 00:04:20.829 wiped out any potential stage fright. We're telling 00:04:20.829 --> 00:04:22.930 someone they've lost their job. Facing an audience. 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:27.079 Even a tough crowd. The stakes just seem lower. 00:04:27.339 --> 00:04:28.800 Yeah, what's the worst that can happen? They 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:30.899 don't laugh. Right. Compared to dealing with 00:04:30.899 --> 00:04:33.819 real human fallout. He basically says it gave 00:04:33.819 --> 00:04:37.110 him the fearlessness to bomb. to fail publicly, 00:04:37.329 --> 00:04:39.910 which is essential for a comic. And he did that 00:04:39.910 --> 00:04:42.649 for 10 years before finally deciding, okay, comedy 00:04:42.649 --> 00:04:45.610 full -time. That was 1998. That decade, that 00:04:45.610 --> 00:04:47.910 real -world pressure cooker, you could argue 00:04:47.910 --> 00:04:50.029 that was way more valuable training than any 00:04:50.029 --> 00:04:52.550 comedy class. It built that unflappable persona 00:04:52.550 --> 00:04:55.769 we see. Okay, so that calm, almost structured 00:04:55.769 --> 00:04:58.230 approach he learned in HR, it comes with him 00:04:58.230 --> 00:05:00.600 onto the stage. Definitely. But his material 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:02.680 immediately dives right into the messy stuff, 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:05.220 right? The identity complexities. As soon as 00:05:05.220 --> 00:05:07.420 he hits the circuit, his stand -up is mostly 00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:10.660 stories. Yeah, very narrative -driven about his 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:13.199 life, his family, and crucially that feeling 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.939 of confusion or just the weirdness of being both 00:05:16.939 --> 00:05:19.459 Mexican and Sicilian in America. He found that 00:05:19.459 --> 00:05:22.060 sweet spot pretty quickly, it seems. Observational 00:05:22.060 --> 00:05:25.300 stuff, satire. Uh -huh. Looking at cultural assimilation, 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:28.680 how people act. American culture generally, but 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:31.300 always through that multi -ethnic lens. Started 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.379 out in the San Francisco clubs, obviously. And 00:05:33.379 --> 00:05:35.620 he co -founded a sketch group early on. Yeah, 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:37.680 Fresh Robots. That was one of his first ventures. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.699 And the breaks start coming. 2002 seems like 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:44.779 a key year. SF Sketch Fest with Fresh Robots. 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:48.339 Right. And then getting into the New Faces Showcase 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:50.899 at Just for Laughs in Montreal. Which is huge. 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:52.800 That's the industry basically saying, OK, pay 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:54.720 attention to this guy. But with that visibility 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:59.300 came. This seems to be a recurring theme, especially 00:05:59.300 --> 00:06:02.199 for artists navigating multiple identities. Oh, 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:04.379 absolutely. The sources really highlight this 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:06.459 tension. The industry immediately tried to put 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:09.579 him in a box. Latino comic, that's the label. 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:12.259 Okay, for marketing, easy categorization. But 00:06:12.259 --> 00:06:14.279 at the same time, he's getting pushback from 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.139 within the Latino community sometimes. Like, 00:06:16.259 --> 00:06:18.980 oh, he's not Latino enough, specifically because 00:06:18.980 --> 00:06:21.959 he didn't speak fluent Spanish. Wow, that's a 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:24.220 tough spot. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. 00:06:24.490 --> 00:06:26.850 labeled by one group, policed by another. It's 00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:30.230 a classic double bind. And that conflict, that 00:06:30.230 --> 00:06:32.490 feeling of being caught in the middle, that became 00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:35.569 the absolute core of his early comedy. And he 00:06:35.569 --> 00:06:37.930 weaponized it, basically, turned the criticism 00:06:37.930 --> 00:06:40.949 into his strength. Brilliantly. I mean, winning 00:06:40.949 --> 00:06:42.709 the Best Stand -Up Award at the U .S. Comedy 00:06:42.709 --> 00:06:46.410 Arts Festival in Aspen in 2004, that was massive 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:50.170 validation from peers. From the industry. Saying 00:06:50.170 --> 00:06:52.829 his comedy worked beyond just the label. Exactly. 00:06:52.829 --> 00:06:55.389 And that directly led to a talent holding deal 00:06:55.389 --> 00:06:58.389 with CBS. Things started moving. Which eventually 00:06:58.389 --> 00:07:01.209 builds towards that landmark special in 2013, 00:07:01.689 --> 00:07:04.879 Why is the Rabbit Crying? on Comedy Central. 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:07.199 Yeah, that was a big one. Not just popular, but 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:09.920 critically loved. Made year -end best -of lists 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:12.399 for places like Westward and The Village Voice. 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:14.500 And the critics noticed how he was doing it, 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:16.379 right? Totally. They pointed out that he wasn't 00:07:16.379 --> 00:07:19.139 just reinforcing stereotypes, he was deconstructing 00:07:19.139 --> 00:07:21.839 them. Taking the gap between what people expected 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:24.519 a Latino comic to be and his actual reality. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:27.139 And finding the humor in that disconnect. Yeah, 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:29.360 milking incongruity, as one reviewer put it. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:31.480 He acknowledged the label, but only to immediately 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:34.259 pull it apart. It was smart. Taking that personal 00:07:34.259 --> 00:07:36.819 anxiety about identity and making it universally 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:39.879 funny, you know, about how we categorize people. 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:42.860 And he kept refining that with his next big special, 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:46.259 a 2017 Showtime one, Shrimp It Ain't Easy. Right. 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:48.839 Tell me about that one. Well, what's interesting 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:50.579 there is the context. They filmed it at the Masonic 00:07:50.579 --> 00:07:53.060 Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Yeah. Kind 00:07:53.060 --> 00:07:56.920 of adds this unique, almost somber vibe. Unusual 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:58.800 choice. And it was directed by Neil Brennan. 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.699 Okay, Chappelle's show co -creator. Known for 00:08:01.699 --> 00:08:04.519 his own really raw personal stand -up. Exactly. 00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:07.790 So you feel that... influence, maybe pushing 00:08:07.790 --> 00:08:10.389 magical towards even more layered and intimate 00:08:10.389 --> 00:08:13.750 stuff. Still funny, obviously, but moving maybe 00:08:13.750 --> 00:08:16.509 further into self -reflection beyond just observational 00:08:16.509 --> 00:08:18.949 humor, constantly evolving his style. So he's 00:08:18.949 --> 00:08:20.930 got the stand -up cred, critical acclaim, and 00:08:20.930 --> 00:08:23.009 network deal. Naturally, he tries to leverage 00:08:23.009 --> 00:08:25.230 that into film and TV. Which brings us right 00:08:25.230 --> 00:08:27.050 back to those gatekeepers you mentioned. Yeah. 00:08:27.110 --> 00:08:29.269 And his early attempts at sitcoms. They really 00:08:29.269 --> 00:08:31.689 show how precarious that traditional path can 00:08:31.689 --> 00:08:33.870 be. Oh, yeah. We got to talk about the Otegas. 00:08:34.309 --> 00:08:39.629 Fox, 2003. Huge potential, right? Based on a 00:08:39.629 --> 00:08:43.330 successful BBC show, The Kumars at number 42, 00:08:44.049 --> 00:08:47.009 Madrigal was the son hosting a talk show from 00:08:47.009 --> 00:08:49.250 his parents' backyard. Sounds like a great concept. 00:08:49.529 --> 00:08:51.570 It was. They filmed six episodes he was starring. 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:54.769 Yeah. And then Fox just shelved it, pulled the 00:08:54.769 --> 00:08:57.590 plug before a single episode aired. That's got 00:08:57.590 --> 00:08:59.509 to be brutal for a comic getting their big break. 00:08:59.929 --> 00:09:03.820 Starring role, network show. Gone. It says a 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:05.779 lot about how little control creators often have 00:09:05.779 --> 00:09:08.100 in that system. Your fate is entirely in the 00:09:08.100 --> 00:09:10.299 hands of executives. And that wasn't a one -off, 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:12.519 was it? The CBS deal led to a few roles, too. 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:14.500 Yeah, a bit of a pattern there for a while. He 00:09:14.500 --> 00:09:17.740 was Jesus in Welcome to the Captain. Lasted five 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:20.490 episodes. than a more substantial role. Dennis 00:09:20.490 --> 00:09:23.389 Lopez in Gary Unmarried, that ran for 20 episodes, 00:09:23.529 --> 00:09:25.950 so more stability. But still supporting roles 00:09:25.950 --> 00:09:28.370 in the shows themselves didn't quite stick. Right. 00:09:28.450 --> 00:09:30.529 He's killing it on stage, getting all this acclaim, 00:09:30.529 --> 00:09:33.570 but translating that into durable TV success 00:09:33.570 --> 00:09:36.149 within the existing structure is proving really 00:09:36.149 --> 00:09:38.289 challenging. He did find a better foothold with 00:09:38.289 --> 00:09:41.990 NBC's About a Boy. Played Andy. 28 episodes. 00:09:42.370 --> 00:09:45.129 Got an Imogen Award nomination for that in 2014. 00:09:45.590 --> 00:09:47.309 That was a good run. And then he did something 00:09:47.309 --> 00:09:49.129 kind of different, playing a comedian, but in 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:52.200 a period drama. Right. I'm dying up here. The 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:55.080 70s dark comedy about the L .A. comedy scene. 00:09:55.299 --> 00:09:58.019 Yeah, executive produced by Jim Carrey. That 00:09:58.019 --> 00:10:00.659 show explored how rough and competitive that 00:10:00.659 --> 00:10:03.779 world was. Kind of exploitative, even. So for 00:10:03.779 --> 00:10:06.460 Madrigal, who'd been fighting against being boxed 00:10:06.460 --> 00:10:08.559 in. Playing a character, Edgar Manny Martinez, 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.019 who's navigating that toxic hierarchical system. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.519 It must have felt pretty resonant. Bit of meta 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.620 -commentary on his own struggles, maybe. But 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:17.879 the role that really put him on the map for millions, 00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:21.100 the one that defined his public persona for years. 00:10:21.419 --> 00:10:24.000 Had to be The Daily Show. No question. Joining 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.399 Jon Stewart's show in May 2011, The Senior Latino 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:29.759 Correspondent. That title itself is kind of a 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.200 wink, isn't it? Given his earlier struggles with 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:35.440 the Latino comic label. Totally. Using the label 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:38.519 ironically for sharp political satire. And the 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:40.600 story of how he got hired is pretty amazing, 00:10:40.740 --> 00:10:42.879 according to the sources. It wasn't the usual 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:46.320 long audition grind. No. Adam Lewitt, one of 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:49.159 the producers, recommended him. Madrigal performed 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:52.500 a specific bit at a club, a piece about Texas 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:54.879 Representative Debbie Riddle. Ah, I remember 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:57.519 this controversy. She had this bill targeting 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.179 employers who hired unauthorized immigrants. 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:04.419 Right. And this was the satirical gold. The bill 00:11:04.419 --> 00:11:07.080 had this massive carve -out, this unbelievable 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:10.240 exception, specifically for domestic workers. 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:13.840 The hypocrisy. Punish businesses unless it affects 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.480 hiring help for your own home. Exactly. Perfect 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:19.299 Daily Show fodder. Madrigal did his bit on that, 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.759 read it for Stewart. And Stewart hired him basically 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.559 on the spot. That's the story. It was just a 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.240 perfect fit. Madrigal's measured satirical style 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:28.759 clicked instantly with the show's whole ethos. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:31.799 And that platform was huge. He even won a Genesis 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:34.879 Award in 2014 for one of his segments, Blowing 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:37.100 the Whistle on Whistleblowers. He became a major 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:39.740 voice. For sure. But even while doing The Daily 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:41.960 Show, he kept pushing into film. You see the 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.340 range expanding. Yeah, comedy is like night school 00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:46.940 in 2018. But then switching gears completely 00:11:46.940 --> 00:11:50.139 for drama, like playing Dan opposite Ben Affleck 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:52.440 in The Way Back in 2020. And jumping into the 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:56.340 superhero craze with Morbius in 2022 as Agent 00:11:56.340 --> 00:11:59.639 Rodriguez. Right. Showing versatility. And he's 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:01.539 still very active in traditional TV, starring 00:12:01.539 --> 00:12:05.740 as Oscar Rivera on Lopez vs. Lopez on NBC, renewed 00:12:05.740 --> 00:12:07.980 for season two. So he's definitely still playing 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:10.379 the game within the studio system. He is. But 00:12:10.379 --> 00:12:12.460 the real pivot, the thing that fundamentally 00:12:12.460 --> 00:12:15.100 changes his career narrative that happens back 00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:17.879 in 2012 while he's still at The Daily Show. Ah, 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.799 yes. This is the core of the deep dive, isn't 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:23.519 it? All those years dealing with canceled sitcoms, 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:26.000 the identity policing, the frustration of maybe 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:27.960 having your work shelved. And it seems like it 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.529 led to a realization. A huge one. Instead of 00:12:30.529 --> 00:12:31.970 just trying to get hired by the gatekeepers, 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:34.190 he decided to become an owner to bypass them 00:12:34.190 --> 00:12:35.929 altogether. Okay, so let's shift gears here. 00:12:35.990 --> 00:12:37.610 Forget the performance for a second. This is 00:12:37.610 --> 00:12:40.970 pure business strategy, economics. 2012, Al Madrigal 00:12:40.970 --> 00:12:43.909 and Bill Burr launch All Things Comedy, ATC, 00:12:44.009 --> 00:12:46.909 October 1st. And crucially, this wasn't just, 00:12:46.950 --> 00:12:49.230 hey, let's make a podcast network for our buddies. 00:12:49.450 --> 00:12:52.350 This was conceived as a direct challenge to how 00:12:52.350 --> 00:12:54.789 things were usually done. How so? What was the 00:12:54.789 --> 00:12:57.110 core difference? The mission statement essentially 00:12:57.110 --> 00:13:00.210 was to be an artist -owned cooperative. We need 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:01.669 to unpack that because it's the whole point. 00:13:01.789 --> 00:13:04.929 Back then, early podcasting days, and honestly, 00:13:05.029 --> 00:13:07.990 still often today, if a comedian signed with 00:13:07.990 --> 00:13:10.649 a traditional network, the network would usually 00:13:10.649 --> 00:13:14.279 take... a huge chunk of the ad revenue like 50 00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:18.460 60 sometimes even 80 percent wow and often they 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:21.399 demand ownership of the show itself the intellectual 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:23.679 property or at least exclusive licensing rights 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:26.840 for a long time so the comic Provides the content, 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.039 the talent, the audience draw, but gets a minority 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:32.519 share and loses control of their own creation 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:35.240 long term. Pretty much. ATC was designed to flip 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.820 that script entirely. As a cooperative, the fundamental 00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:41.039 rule is the comedians retain 100 percent ownership 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:43.220 of their IP, their show, their back catalog, 00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:45.320 everything. OK, that's huge. So how does ATC 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:47.379 make money? It functions more like a collective 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:49.960 bargaining unit. They handle the ad sales, the 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.720 marketing, distribution, leveraging the power 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.320 of the whole network. But the vast majority of 00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.440 the revenue generated by a specific podcast goes 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:01.659 directly back to that podcast's creator. So it 00:14:01.659 --> 00:14:04.379 treats the comedian like an actual business owner, 00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:07.399 not just hired talent. Exactly. And the model 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:09.259 clearly resonated. The growth was explosive. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:13.139 By 2014, just two years in, they reportedly had 00:14:13.139 --> 00:14:16.620 like six dozen members. Over 50 podcasts already. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.299 That fast. That shows you how much pent -up demand 00:14:19.299 --> 00:14:21.240 there was among comics for something like this. 00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:24.919 Absolutely. And today, sources say ATC hosts 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:28.200 over 50 major podcasts, pulling in close to 5 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:30.480 million listeners every month. That's real economic 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.340 clout. And it's power directed back to the artists. 00:14:33.820 --> 00:14:35.799 The initial lineup really helped cement it too, 00:14:35.940 --> 00:14:38.039 right? Having Bill Burr's monster hit the Monday 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:40.580 Morning Podcast as an anchor. Definitely. Plus 00:14:40.580 --> 00:14:43.480 shows like the Long Shot Podcast, Artie Shafir's 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:46.220 Skeptic Tank early on. It attracted serious talent 00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:48.019 because the deal was just better for them. And 00:14:48.019 --> 00:14:50.299 they didn't just stick to podcasts. They expanded. 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:54.389 ATC Records. It launched in March 2014, releasing 00:14:54.389 --> 00:14:56.870 comedy albums for people like Sam Tripoli, Brian 00:14:56.870 --> 00:14:59.870 Scolaro, Jackie Cashian. Same principle, control 00:14:59.870 --> 00:15:01.929 the distribution, control the financial destiny 00:15:01.929 --> 00:15:04.470 across different formats. It feels like they 00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:07.149 were building an entire ecosystem. It's a good 00:15:07.149 --> 00:15:09.710 way to put it. Madrigal and Burr even co -host 00:15:09.710 --> 00:15:12.029 that monthly All Things Comedy Live podcast, 00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:15.370 featuring comics like Sinbad, Doug Benson. It 00:15:15.370 --> 00:15:18.450 fosters community, mutual support, very different 00:15:18.450 --> 00:15:20.909 vibe from the often cutthroat nature of traditional 00:15:20.909 --> 00:15:23.409 Hollywood. Now, let's tie this back to Madrigal's 00:15:23.409 --> 00:15:26.450 personal story, the whole not Latino enough thing. 00:15:26.750 --> 00:15:29.570 How did ATC become part of that narrative? This 00:15:29.570 --> 00:15:32.370 is really key. He's been explicit about it. He 00:15:32.370 --> 00:15:35.990 sees ATC as a mechanism, a tool for improving 00:15:35.990 --> 00:15:38.590 representation, specifically for Latin American 00:15:38.590 --> 00:15:40.659 voices in media. How does that work in practice? 00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:43.019 Well, think about it. If you build your own independent 00:15:43.019 --> 00:15:45.980 platform, you don't need to pitch your idea for 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:48.440 a show featuring diverse voices to mainstream 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:51.039 executives who might not get it or might pass. 00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:53.740 You just launch it yourself on ATC. Exactly. 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:56.539 You bypass the gatekeepers entirely. And you 00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:59.039 see that reflected in their roster. They host... 00:15:59.309 --> 00:16:02.590 Major Spanish language podcasts like Leandis 00:16:02.590 --> 00:16:06.009 Legendarius or El Dollop. Giving direct access 00:16:06.009 --> 00:16:10.269 to potentially huge audiences that might be underserved 00:16:10.269 --> 00:16:13.509 by traditional American media. Precisely. It 00:16:13.509 --> 00:16:15.450 removes those linguistic and cultural barriers 00:16:15.450 --> 00:16:18.169 often imposed by conventional distribution networks. 00:16:18.610 --> 00:16:21.029 It's like the ultimate creative comeback to the 00:16:21.029 --> 00:16:22.850 people who tried to define him early on. When 00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:24.710 they wouldn't give him the space he wanted in 00:16:24.710 --> 00:16:26.950 their system. He built a whole new system where 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:29.429 hundreds of artists, including many Latin American 00:16:29.429 --> 00:16:31.809 creators, could define themselves freely. And 00:16:31.809 --> 00:16:34.509 his influence keeps growing, that overall deal 00:16:34.509 --> 00:16:37.929 he signed with CBS Studios in 2021. Right. It 00:16:37.929 --> 00:16:39.629 means he's now working from the inside, too, 00:16:39.690 --> 00:16:42.149 developing projects within the traditional structure 00:16:42.149 --> 00:16:44.370 while also running this powerful independent 00:16:44.370 --> 00:16:46.669 cooperative on the outside. He's playing both 00:16:46.669 --> 00:16:48.830 sides. OK, so he builds this incredible economic 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:51.450 engine with ATC, securing independence for herself 00:16:51.450 --> 00:16:54.190 and others. Then what? He seems to turn his focus 00:16:54.190 --> 00:16:56.289 back very deliberately to those core identity 00:16:56.289 --> 00:16:59.210 questions. Yeah. But now moving beyond just stand 00:16:59.210 --> 00:17:01.850 up jokes, he starts using longer formats to really 00:17:01.850 --> 00:17:04.869 own and explore his cultural narrative. First 00:17:04.869 --> 00:17:08.880 up is that documentary Half Like Me. 2015 on 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:11.500 Fusion. This felt like a direct follow up to 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:13.759 all that earlier criticism, didn't it? Absolutely. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.099 It wasn't just stand up about identity. It was 00:17:16.099 --> 00:17:19.480 an investigation, a personal quest. The premise 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:22.839 was him trying to get closer to his Mexican roots. 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:25.759 Right. Leading up to a family reunion in Tijuana. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:28.180 Yeah. Using the documentary format to explore 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:30.359 different aspects of Latino culture in the U 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.440 .S. It was funny. Obviously, it's him. But it 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.579 was also a genuine attempt to connect with that 00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:37.849 side of his heritage more deeply. And it landed 00:17:37.849 --> 00:17:40.650 well, critically speaking. Oh, yeah. The L .A. 00:17:40.710 --> 00:17:42.990 Times called it a critic's pick. The A .V. Club 00:17:42.990 --> 00:17:45.849 found it solid and thought -provoking. And Madrigal 00:17:45.849 --> 00:17:47.970 himself mentioned something really telling. What 00:17:47.970 --> 00:17:50.170 was that? He said people started contacting him. 00:17:50.690 --> 00:17:52.569 Educators wanting to use this special in their 00:17:52.569 --> 00:17:55.130 classrooms. Wow. When your comedy documentary 00:17:55.130 --> 00:17:57.910 becomes teaching material? You know, you've struck 00:17:57.910 --> 00:18:00.049 a chord much deeper than just entertainment. 00:18:00.329 --> 00:18:02.650 It really resonated with people grappling with 00:18:02.650 --> 00:18:05.079 similar questions of belonging. so half like 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.380 me tackled the real world complexities the anxieties 00:18:08.380 --> 00:18:10.960 but then he took this idea of reclaiming identity 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:14.460 somewhere totally unexpected into fantasy into 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:16.579 comic books with primos this is where it gets 00:18:16.579 --> 00:18:19.259 really interesting i think his love for superheroes 00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:22.859 which is well documented merges directly with 00:18:22.859 --> 00:18:25.299 his mission for representation He wasn't just 00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:27.900 consuming superhero stories. He wanted to create 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:30.779 them, specifically Latino superheroes. Right. 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:33.720 He created and wrote the Primo series, launched 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:36.880 in 2022. And he teamed up with serious players, 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:40.640 AWA Studios, Axel Alonso, the former editor -in 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:42.759 -chief of Marvel Comics. This wasn't a vanity 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:45.119 project. It was a serious push into the comics 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:47.500 industry. And the motivation was explicit. More 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:49.380 Latino stories, more Latino characters, more 00:18:49.380 --> 00:18:51.640 Latino voices in that genre. Exactly. And the 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:54.039 concept of Primos. It's just this incredible... 00:18:54.029 --> 00:18:56.990 act of, like, creative myth -making. Tell me 00:18:56.990 --> 00:18:58.670 about the plot. Primos means cousins, right? 00:18:58.910 --> 00:19:01.829 Yeah. It brings together three distant cousins 00:19:01.829 --> 00:19:04.089 who find out they share this ancient, hidden 00:19:04.089 --> 00:19:08.009 lineage. They're descendants of, get this, space 00:19:08.009 --> 00:19:10.250 -faring Mayans. Space -faring Mayans, okay. Tracing 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:12.309 their ancestry directly back to the historical 00:19:12.309 --> 00:19:16.670 Mayan king, K 'inichchena Bokal. or King Janab, 00:19:16.789 --> 00:19:19.970 and their destiny, to save the world from this 00:19:19.970 --> 00:19:22.869 ancient, destructive ancestor who harnessed alien 00:19:22.869 --> 00:19:26.049 tech centuries ago. Whoa, okay, so choosing Mayan 00:19:26.049 --> 00:19:30.180 history, King Janab. That feels incredibly deliberate. 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:32.900 Oh, it's a powerful statement. It takes indigenous 00:19:32.900 --> 00:19:35.519 history often relegated to museums or seen as 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:38.380 past and makes it the source of futuristic cosmic 00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:41.160 power. It completely flips the script on any 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:43.779 narrative of cultural inferiority. It's reclaiming 00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:46.200 history and recharging it with sci -fi. And here's 00:19:46.200 --> 00:19:48.400 the detail that ties it all back together beautifully, 00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:51.680 connecting to those early not Latino enough criticisms. 00:19:52.019 --> 00:19:54.619 That's it. Every single issue of Primos is published 00:19:54.619 --> 00:19:57.900 simultaneously in both English and Spanish. So 00:19:57.900 --> 00:19:59.839 the guy criticized for not speaking Spanish is 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:02.279 now creating this epic mythology rooted in his 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:05.380 heritage. And ensuring it's immediately accessible 00:20:05.380 --> 00:20:08.660 to Spanish -speaking readers. No waiting for 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:11.910 a translation. It's instantly shared canon. for 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:14.269 both audiences. It's like the ultimate artistic 00:20:14.269 --> 00:20:16.730 response. You question my connection to this 00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:19.390 culture. Fine, I'll invent a universe where that 00:20:19.390 --> 00:20:21.990 very culture holds the key to saving humanity, 00:20:22.210 --> 00:20:25.309 and I'll deliver it in both languages. He's literally 00:20:25.309 --> 00:20:28.250 writing new myths where his roots are the source 00:20:28.250 --> 00:20:31.670 of galaxy -spanning heroism, defining the narrative 00:20:31.670 --> 00:20:34.150 on his own epic terms. And it mirrors his own 00:20:34.150 --> 00:20:36.150 life, doesn't it? The complexity he embodies 00:20:36.150 --> 00:20:37.990 professionally is right there personally, too. 00:20:38.089 --> 00:20:40.130 Absolutely. He's third -generation Mexican on 00:20:40.130 --> 00:20:42.700 his dad's side. But then he points out his wife 00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:46.220 is Korean Greek. Meaning his kids are what? Quarter 00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.460 Mexican, quarter Sicilian, quarter Korean, quarter 00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:51.819 Greek. Exactly. Talk about defying easy categorization. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.359 Yeah. He lives that blended identity. Yeah. He's 00:20:54.359 --> 00:20:56.440 living proof that culture is fluid. It's additive. 00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:59.680 It evolves. It's not some fixed box that media 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.000 companies want you to check. So let's wrap this 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.710 up. Thinking about everything we've covered, 00:21:03.849 --> 00:21:05.549 what are the big takeaways for someone listening? 00:21:05.750 --> 00:21:07.930 What does Al Madrigal's story really show us? 00:21:08.150 --> 00:21:10.789 Well, it's clear his path is way more complex 00:21:10.789 --> 00:21:13.490 and, frankly, more strategic than just being 00:21:13.490 --> 00:21:16.690 a funny guy who got famous. Right. We started 00:21:16.690 --> 00:21:19.890 with him in HR, that surprising job, firing people, 00:21:20.109 --> 00:21:22.410 which paradoxically gave him this incredible 00:21:22.410 --> 00:21:25.329 stage presence, this immunity to fear. Then he 00:21:25.329 --> 00:21:27.930 took that calm confidence, that sharp, satirical 00:21:27.930 --> 00:21:31.019 mind. and used the Daily Show platform to turn 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:34.000 his personal identity struggles into really pointed 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:36.099 political commentary for a national audience. 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:38.880 But he didn't stop there. He saw the limits of 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:41.680 just working within the existing system. Exactly. 00:21:41.819 --> 00:21:44.180 The frustration from those canceled shows, being 00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:46.799 typecast. He didn't just complain. He channeled 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:49.319 it. He co -founded All Things Comedy. Building 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:52.880 that revolutionary economic model, artist ownership, 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:55.559 creative control, bypassing the old gatekeepers, 00:21:55.700 --> 00:21:57.700 he became both a creator and a business leader. 00:21:57.930 --> 00:22:00.440 mogul, really. And then... Armed with that independence, 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:03.440 he revisited the very identity labels others 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:05.539 tried to put on him, first through the personal 00:22:05.539 --> 00:22:07.680 exploration of Half Like Me. And then completely 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:10.200 transcending it by creating Primo's, building 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:12.619 this fantastical world rooted in his heritage, 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.759 creating the representation he wanted to see. 00:22:15.059 --> 00:22:18.099 It just demonstrates this incredible power you 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:20.619 gain when you decide to own your own narrative. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:23.539 Across every single platform available to you, 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:27.099 stage, business, documentary, even fantasy comics. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:30.640 He took the Latino. comic label, redefined it, 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:32.920 owned it, and then blew it up into something 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:35.579 far bigger and more interesting. Remember, early 00:22:35.579 --> 00:22:39.819 on, the critique was not Latino enough, partly 00:22:39.819 --> 00:22:41.660 because he didn't speak Spanish fluently. Right. 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.420 Now, he's a co -founder of a major comedy network 00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:46.640 actively promoting Spanish language content, 00:22:46.819 --> 00:22:49.220 and he's created a blockbuster potential comic 00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:53.079 universe centered on Mayan space royalty. available 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:55.480 simultaneously in English and Spanish. Which 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:57.079 really brings us to a final thought, something 00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:59.519 for you, the listener, to chew on. Consider this. 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:02.500 What kind of power, what kind of maybe revolutionary 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:05.740 act is it when you take the very thing used to 00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:07.619 criticize you, the very reason they said you 00:23:07.619 --> 00:23:10.680 didn't belong? Like not fitting a narrow definition 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:13.000 of your own culture. And you don't just refute 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:16.509 it. You use that exact cultural history, Mayan 00:23:16.509 --> 00:23:19.849 kings, ancient lineage, to invent an entire universe 00:23:19.849 --> 00:23:22.549 complete with intergalactic technology, effectively 00:23:22.549 --> 00:23:24.410 rewriting or reclaiming that history on your 00:23:24.410 --> 00:23:26.710 own terms and planting it firmly within the popular 00:23:26.710 --> 00:23:28.950 imagination within the high fantasy canon itself.