Author Richard Andreoli ("Battle at the Comic Expo"): "The Ruth Buzzi of Circus Performers"

Show Notes

Dennis visits the enchanting Highland Park home of Richard Andreoli, author of the new novel Battle at the Comic Expo, which is loosely based on the many years he spent volunteering at Comic-con in San Diego. He talks about the long evolution of the book, the mid-life crisis that motivated him to write it, his affection for the Comic-Con crowd and coming out as gay during the time when he was part of the world. He also talks about his super-serious side-passion; the circus arts and why he loves it. He discusses how it's changed his life, how it's changed his body and how it's enriched his marriage. Other topics include: being a go-go boy for a day for a magazine article, why he wears pantyhose for his circus performances, why it irks him when people refer to our current political situation as "a circus," writing an article about the gay section of the L.A. prison, posing on a trapeze for a fine art painter, being on HGTV's show Urban Backyards, that time he won a Star Trek plate, crushing on Kelly from Guiding Light, working at the Athletic Club in West Hollywood, how super nice author Neil Gaiman is, the Muppet Show lunch box that was everything to him and why Irene Cara's song "Fame" is still awesome. Rick and Dennis also go off on a Xanadu tangent. https://www.battleatthecomicexpo.com/