Listen to the SHECKYmagazine Podcast!
- A YEAR LOCKED DOWNMr. Potato Head, Dr. Seuss, truth, common sense and trust have all succumbed to a totally different virus! Will history, art and "Breakfast At Tiffany's" be the next victims? Is that a light at the end of the tunnel, or is it the headlight of the Woke Express? Give us a listen and find out!
- Comedians Are Energy ConductorsIn Episode 18 of the SHECKYmagazine PODCAST, Brian and Traci vent about the 198-day (and counting) lockdown, flying, Sophie Tucker, ancient alien astronauts and ENERGY-- why we lack energy, why we need energy and how comedians are super-conductors. Tune in now-- but STAY AWAY from the CANS!
- Is It Over?Brian McKim & Traci Skene, podcasting from locked down Las Vegas, NV, consider whether standup comedy-- LIVE, the way it oughta be-- will ever come back from the Great 2020 Fear Porn Lockdown Pandemic Panic! Is life over? Is the career history? The future, as always, is uncertain. Listen in as we speak for the […]
The Authors
Shecky! Alumni!
Dan Rosenberg
…& Lester
Tim Cavanagh
Paul F. Tompkins
Mitch Hedberg
Mack Dryden
Jamie Alcroft
John Curtin
Joey Yanetty
Pete Fogel
Kip Addotta
Bob Zany
Wayne Cotter
Richard Lewis
Andy Kindler
Jimmy Myers
D J Hazard
Nehl Bobal
Sheila Kay
John Bizarre
Doug Benson
Jim Shubert
James Gregory
Gabe Abelson
Paul Gilmartin
Hal Sparks
Bob Harris
Paul Bond
Grover Silcox
Basile
Bobby Collins
John Wing
Brian Whalen
Rich Williams
Steve O.
Jeff Shaw
Ryan Wilner
Brad Slaight
Harland Williams
Joe Rogan
Triumph
David Feldman
Steve McGrew
Dan Barton
Rob Becker
Matt Weinhold
Bobby Gaylor
Steve Silberberg
Jeffrey Ross
Dave Little
Vince Vieceli
Marc Jaffe
Dick Cavett
Buddy Fitzpatrick
Stephen Kruiser
Suzy Soro
Jeff Allen
Doug Stanhope
Kid Dave Miller
Brian Kiley
Gary MuleDeer
Jim David
Judy Carter
Drew Hastings
Andrew Gropman
Rabbi Bob Alper
Dan French
Robert Hagearty
Chuck Savage
David John McCarthey
Mrs. John Hughes
Jason Stuart
Rick Overton
Steve Eblin
Jack Mayberry
Tom Parks
Charles Viracola
Rusty Warren
Robert Dubac
Jeff Marder
Joe Dunckel
Evan Davis
Veronica Mosey
Troy Conrad
Matt Davis
Mat Becker
Lewis Black
Dan Carlson
Jan McInnis
Joe Dixon
Larry Getlen
J.D. Sidley
Jeff Klinger
Tony Camin
Bill Engvall
Pat Mac
Anwar Richardson
Mary Ann Nichols
Rita Rudner
Larry “Bubbles” Brown
Jim Morris
Brett Butler
Kathleen Madigan
Todd Barry
Roger Ritenhouse
Marc Maron
Doug Hecox
Tommy James
Emo Philips
Lord Carrett
Jim Gaffigan
Eddie Gossling
Tom Rhodes
Etta May
Ron Zimmerman
Ross Bennett
Franklyn Ajaye
Chris Zito
Argus Hamilton
Costaki Economopoulos
Laurie Kilmartin
Jimmy Pardo
Leslie Thomason
Bill Bunker
Vinny Badabing
Henry Cho
Jonathan Katz
Dave Pavone
Larry-Bob Roberts
Brian Hennigan
Kenneth Nichols
Rich Vos
Dave Mordal
__________________
Traci Skene & Brian McKim
SHECKYmagazine
Editors, Publishers
© Copyright 1999-2022 SHECKYmagazine Published by Independent Together
Sam Arif, comedian
Sam Arif died yesterday from liver cancer.
So we learned in a brief a email from Steve Young, the proprietor of the defunct Comedy Works (the club that was over The Middle East Restaurant in Old City Philadelphia from approximately 1982 to 1992 or so). Young called Arif, “The best Wednesday night open stage coordinator EVER.”
When The Male Half decided to try comedy for the very first time, he did the open mike at the Works on a Wednesday night in mid-October 1981. The man who wrangled the talent and handed out the spots was Sam Arif. He was kind, wise and gentle. Eventually, he fled to Florida and turned over the Wednesday night duties to Jim Levi, a member of the local comedy group Mixed Nuts.
The Male Half saw Arif one more time. It was during one of his first road gigs, at the Comic Strip in Lauderdale. Arif showed up and watched a show. And, of course, offered some constructive criticism afterward!
Arif was also was among eight acts on the first live standup show that The Male Half ever attended.
7 Responses
Reply to: Sam Arif, comedian
On Amazon.com! Only $1.99!
Traci Skene Kindle Single hilariously skewers traditional social and sexual mores as well as modern feminism. "This book is a prime example of quality over quantity."
"This book made me laugh out loud! ”
Our Book!
Thanks for posting that, Shecky. The Comedy Works was open in 1979 when I started doing spots there, and I moved into a house near the Museum of Art with Sam, Judy Toll, and Mike Eagan. Sam was always trying this esoteric joke, where the punch line was “Herman Hesse! You know! Sidhartha?!”Maybe somebody gets it now.P.S. I hope that you, Wid, and Mixed Nuts are taking multi-vitamins, I can’t take a lot more of this.
Thanks for giving Sam a just due. I’m sure he would have appreciated (though mnosre so if he were here to read it). The last time he got a write up was on the Friday Noght lineup sheet at the Jailhouse.BTW-Comedy Works ran from 80-93…before I was born.
Yes, before it was “The Works” it was the Comedy Factory Outlet, before Steve was born, or got into a fight with Clay Heery and those other guys. I hope that Grover Silcox and Ken Lynch are also taking multi-vitamins. And Tommy Moore. And Stuart Roberts. And Grandma Minnie.
Centrum Silver, Tom. Plus fish oil and a daily 80 mg aspirin. Washed down with a fifth of gin and handful of Oxycontin. I’m fit as a fiddle!Sam Ariff had a special spot in Mixed Nuts lore. He judged our first audition at the London Grille. The top three acts got a spot at open mic night at the Jailhouse. We performed second to last and Sam gave us the Number 3 spot. Yes! Then a mumbly drunk guy went last and mumbled his way through his “set.” The Nuts were the only folks left in the audience and we gave the guy a lot of mercy laughs. Afterward, Sam told us that we were now No. 4 “because that last guy got a lot of laughs.”Doh!Well, we quickly forgave Sam after Mixed Nuts took off like a bottle rocket.He was a good guy. I always like to imagine him and Ben Kurland chasing the old ladies around Boca Raton.
Sam Ariff was a great great guy. I knew him in Florida when I first started as a comedian. He gave great advice and he was fun to hang out with. I’m a better man for knowing him.Jeff Garlin
sam was the first guy to treat me seriously when he and I first started doing comedy in the late seventies, decades before I was born. he was always able to give constructive criticism, even if it was “That sucked; you should just get rid of that piece”. In recent years i tried to contact him via the Interenet, but could not. His obit in The Phila. Inquirer came as a shock. Ironic it happened on the eve of a Comedy Factory Outlet reunion later this month. Nice to see so many old names here – not that any of you were born before 1987 or so. fell free to check in to yolip23 AT gmail DOT com Best,Steve Lippe
I remember Sam when i worked for the comedy works. very serious look on his face. He liked what he did and helped the new young comics with the 34th spot of the night. god bless