Earwolf

Earwolf Media, LLC

Trading name	Earwolf
Type	Private, limited liability company
Industry	Podcasting
Founded	August, 2010
Founders	Jeff Ullrich Scott Aukerman
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Erik Diehn (CEO) Lex Friedman (Chief revenue officer) Scott Aukerman (CCO)
Products	Comedy Bang! Bang! Kevin Pollak's Chat Show How Did This Get Made?
Number of employees	21[1][2]
Parent	Midroll Media (E. W. Scripps Company)
Website	http://www.earwolf.com

Earwolf is a comedy podcasting network founded by Scott Aukerman and Jeff Ullrich in August 2010. It merged with podcast advertising network The Mid Roll in 2014 to form Midroll Media. Midroll was acquired by the E. W. Scripps Company in 2015.^[3]

Initially built around the Comedy Death-Ray Radio podcast, the network has since grown to include many podcasts on diverse subjects. The Earwolf studios are based in Los Angeles, California.

In 2011, they announced a partnership with Funny Or Die.^[4]

Comedy programming

Comedy Bang! Bang!: The Podcast

Comedy Bang Bang (previously Comedy Death-Ray Radio) is Earwolf's flagship podcast. It is hosted by Scott Aukerman and was originally an extension of his weekly live Comedy Death-Ray show.^[5] The weekly podcast features guests from the world of comedy, including Paul F. Tompkins, James Adomian, Tim Heidecker, Bob Odenkirk, and others. The show is known for improvised conversations between Aukerman and his guests, some of whom perform impressions or original characters. The show celebrated its two-year anniversary during its May 2 show and changed its name to Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast. The A.V. Club listed the show as one of the top comedy podcasts of 2010.^[6]

In 2012, IFC began airing a television version of the show, called Comedy Bang! Bang! The first season ran for ten episodes, it was renewed for a 20 episode second season, and began airing its third season in May 2014.^[7] IFC picked up the show for a 40 episode fourth season on March 20, 2014.^[8] The series lasted for a total of five seasons.

Kevin Pollak's Chat Show

Long-form interviews with luminaries from the worlds of comedy, film, and television, hosted by actor/comedian Kevin Pollak.

Rafflecast

A podcast hosted by Jon Daly where he does sketches and what he wants like making a song with Har Mar Superstar or calling Rob Huebel. Guests have included Honus Honus from Man Man, Brendon Small, Davin Wood of Heidecker And Wood, Doug Lussenhop, Adam Pally, Paul Scheer, Howard Kremer, Matt Besser, John Gemberling of Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, and Brian Huskey.

Nerd Poker: Dungeons & Dragons with Brian Posehn and Friends

Comedian Brian Posehn hosts a weekly Dungeons & Dragons session, featuring stand-up comedians Blaine Capatch, Steve Agee, Dan Telfer, and actor Ken Daly. Guests (stand-in players) have included Rick Remender and Dave Anthony. Original players who have since moved on include Posehn's Deadpool co-writer Gerry Duggan, Sarah Guzzardo, and Scott "Mr. Sark" Robison.^[9]

Sklarbro Country

Sklarbro Country was the first show to be added to the Earwolf roster. It is hosted by Randy and Jason Sklar and is a sports-themed comedy program notably geared towards people that may not necessarily care about or follow sports. The brothers cover sports-related stories from around the world that normally would fall through the cracks of most sports news shows. In addition to The Sklars, voice actor Chris Cox often performs as various characters including Jerry Jones, Tiger Woods, Sam Elliott, and "Racist Vin Scully." Other characters are often played by Dan Van Kirk, James Adomian and Jason Nash. The show has featured a long list of famous guests, including Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jeffrey Ross, Patton Oswalt, and Jon Hamm, discussing specific sports stories or general themes of sports in the news. The title is a parody of Scarborough Country, a former opinion show on MSNBC hosted by former congressman Joe Scarborough.

Sklarbro Country migrated to Feral Audio in July 2017.

Who Charted? with Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack

Who Charted?, launched on December 7, 2010, focus on pop culture by analyzing various film box office and record charts. Each week host Howard Kremer and "Chart Keeper" Kulap Vilaysack host a guest from the comedy or music field to review the week's charts and discuss their feelings on them. Towards the end of the episode the guest will play one of a variety of games.

Glitter in the Garbage with Drew Droege

Hosted by Drew Droege of Planet Unicorn and launched on December 7, 2010, Glitter in the Garbage is "a celebration of all thing fancy" that takes the shape of improvised sketches and monologues with Droege and his guests playing "obscure celebrities who celebrate, fight, feast upon, and polish the filth." Notable guests have included Saturday Night Live alums Melanie Hutsell, Michaela Watkins, and Casey Wilson; comedians James Adomian, June Diane Raphael and Groundlings member Stephanie Courtney who is best known for playing Flo in the Progressive Insurance commercials.

Mike Detective

A send up of hardboiled detective stories starring Rob Huebel as the metaphor spouting title character, Grey DeLisle as Stephanie Client and featuring Neil Campbell as the announcer. After premiering as a backdoor pilot during Comedy Death-Ray Radio, the first season lasted from January 4 to April 11, 2011.

Earwolf Presents

Earwolf Presents showcases new podcasts from Earwolf as well as one-off specials.

Hollywood Handbook

Hollywood Handbook is a satirical comedy program hosted by comedian/writer duo Hayes Davenport (Eastbound & Down) and Sean Clements (Workaholics, The Grinder). The show is supposed to mimic and mock reality programs that deal with trivial celebrity gossip and making it in Hollywood. The hosts go on long tangential riffs about show-biz and Hollywood. Each week they have a guest for an interview, preceding the interview there are comedy segments in which Davenport and Clements discuss different things in their highly satirical fashion.

How Did This Get Made?

How Did This Get Made? hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas was the only bi-weekly show on the Earwolf network before the premiere of WOMP It Up! Each show, which has a new guest, features the deconstruction and mockery of terrible films. Not only are jokes made, but attempts to unscramble plots are often begun before being abandoned. During the show's off week a ".5" episode is uploaded featuring Scheer announcing the next week's movie as well as challenges for the fans.

Eardrop

On March 14, 2011 Earwolf premiered Eardrop. Calling it an "Audio Twitter", Eardrop features a collection of comedians calling and leaving messages to an Earwolf answering machine, and those message then being played with sound effects between.

Cyber Thug Radio

Cyber Thug Radio was a part of Earwolf for two weeks before being discontinued. It was hosted by Jerry Minor (as "Cyber Thug") with co-host "Miles Archer". Together they talked about hip-hop, athletics, and other urban topics. It launched in November 2010 and was formally announced canceled on December 28, 2010. The Earwolf store released a special third episode in March 2012.

Professor Blastoff

The Professor Blastoff podcast premiered in May 2011 and finished in July 2015. Hosted by Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan, and David Huntsberger. Professor Blastoff focused on science, philosophy, and humanities. They have had guests such as Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, Bill Burr and many more comedians. Tig Notaro was suffering through breast cancer and the evolution of her career is mapped over the 4 years of the podcast's airing.

Earwolf Challenge

Billed as "America’s first reality podcast", the Earwolf Challenge premiered July 11, 2011 and follows ten podcasts through a reality television-style elimination competition to win a year-long contract with Earwolf. The show is hosted by Matt Besser. It was won by the Totally Laime podcast, hosted by the Los Angeles-based husband and wife duo of Elizabeth Laime and Andy Rosen. After attracting few listeners, Earwolf Challenge is not returning for a second season.

The Fogelnest Files

Jake Fogelnest brings on a guest to discuss YouTube videos.

The Apple Sisters

A mostly scripted podcast featuring The Apple Sisters. The show features original songs and stars three singing sisters who set their act in 1943.

improv4humans with Matt Besser

An improvised podcast led by Matt Besser, a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade. Besser and various improviser use one-word suggestions from Twitter, listener calls, and videos from YouTube as basis for improvised scenes.

Ronna & Beverly

A podcast hosted by two characters — two Jewish women in their 50s. They often give unwanted advice to their guests.

Totally Laime

Elizabeth Laime and "Psychic" Andy Rosen interview comedians every week. The first episode aired in February 2010, and the last premiered in January 2015. Features The Oprah Game and Laime or Totally Rapid-fire.

Analyze Phish

On Analyze Phish, the late Harris Wittels attempted to convince Scott Aukerman to like the band Phish. The first episode aired on August 2011. Ten episodes aired, with the final installment, "Fuego," posted on July 10, 2014.^[10]

Affirmation Nation with Bob Ducca

A self-improvement podcast hosted by Seth Morris as his character Bob Ducca.

Topics

Topics is a satirical podcast hosted by Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. The two Michaels play fictionalized versions of themselves, having overly pretentious conversations about serious subjects, such as "Does God Exist?" and "Gender".

Never Not Funny

A podcast featuring freeform conversations between Jimmy Pardo, Matt Belknap, and a guest. Never Not Funny joined Earwolf in January 2014.

U Talkin' U2 To Me?

This is the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things U2. Scott Aukerman and Adam Scott express their mutual admiration for the band by attempting to discuss one album per episode. The podcast started on February 26, 2014, and has had seven special guests: Harris Wittels, Lance Bangs, Paul F. Tompkins, Jimmy Pardo, Todd Glass, Doug Benson, and U2.

The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project

A podcast where Andy Daly sorts through various podcast pilots that have been sent to Earwolf.

With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus

A podcast where every week a new person assumes hosting duties and the guest is Lauren Lapkus as an original character.

The Hooray Show with Horatio

A podcast featuring sketches and interviews with host Horatio Sanz. The Hooray Show left Earwolf after 26 episodes.

Spontaneanation

An improv podcast with host Paul F. Tompkins. Based upon an interview with a special guest, Tompkins and several "improvisational friends" (often co-stars from the Thrilling Adventure Hour or Superego podcasts, or co-stars from Tompkins' Seeso program Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) perform narrative improv set in a location provided by the guest.

WOMP It Up!

A "school project podcast" with Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham as their characters Marissa Wompler and Charlotte Listler.

Bitch Sesh: A Real Housewives Breakdown

A podcast where Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider discuss shows from The Real Housewives franchise. They often have special guests, who have previously included Andy Cohen, June Diane Raphael, Michael Rapaport, Adam Pally, and Retta.

Hello From The Magic Tavern

Featuring Adal Rifai, Arnie Niekamp, and Matt Young, Hello From The Magic Tavern follows the story of Arnie Niekamp, who falls through a dimensional portal into the magical land of Foon. He uploads a podcast each week from the land's tavern the Vermilion Minotaur.

Hard Nation

A politics-themed comedy podcast hosted by Mike Still and Paul Welsh featuring comedians impersonating famous politicians. Splitsider called Hard Nation the "Best Political Comedy Podcast" of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.^[11]

Pistol Shrimps Radio

A podcast where Matt Gourley and Mark McConville give an absurdist running commentary on games played by the Los Angeles-based women's basketball team the Pistol Shrimps.

Fake the Nation

A podcast where Negin Farsad discusses politics with her funny friends.

Off Book: The Improvised Musical

In Off Book, Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino, and a guest improvise an entire musical in each episode.

Lifestyle programming

Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People

A podcast where Chris Gethard speaks on the phone to anonymous people. The callers can hang up at any time, but Gethard must stay on the line with them for at least an hour.

By the Way, In Conversation with Jeff Garlin

A live podcast recorded at Largo in LA, featuring a casual conversation between a guest and Jeff Garlin. Guests have included JJ Abrams, Henry Rollins, Lena Dunham, Will Ferrell, Zack Galifianakis and Larry David.

The David Gregory Show

An interview podcast hosted by David Gregory.

Katie Couric

An interview podcast hosted by Katie Couric.

The Longest Shortest Time

The Longest Shortest Time is a parenting podcast hosted by Hillary Frank.

Love, Dad

A parenting podcast hosted by Earwolf founder Jeff Ullrich and comedian/actor David Koechner.

Question of the Day

A podcast where Stephen J. Dubner and James Altucher answer a question every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Seth Godin's Startup School

A business podcast hosted by author and marketing guru Seth Godin.

The Wolf Den

A business and media podcast hosted by Adam Sachs (previously Jeff Ullrich), focusing on the business of podcasting and digital media.

Yo, Is This Racist?

A spin-off of the popular Tumblr blog of the same name, hosted by Andrew Ti.

Culture programming

The Black List Table Reads

A podcast where The Black List founder Franklin Leonard presents unproduced scripts read by a rotating group of actors.

The Canon

In The Canon, Amy Nicholson and a different co-host (formerly Devin Faraci) discuss a new movie every week and whether it deserves to be "canon," though the final decision is left to listeners' votes.

The Cracked Podcast

Hosted by Jack O'Brien and Michael Swaim, The Cracked Podcast is an extension of the discussions that drive articles published on the website Cracked.

Crybabies

A podcast where Sarah Thyre, Susan Orlean, and a guest discuss what makes them cry.

Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period

A podcast where W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery discuss a new movie starring Denzel Washington each week.

Get Up On This

In Get Up On This, Jensen Karp and Matthew Robinson introduce listeners to TV shows, musicians, and other things they should be familiar with.

Happy Sad Confused

An interview podcast where Josh Horowitz has conversations with actors and filmmakers.

I Was There Too

A podcast where Matt Gourley interviews people involved with some of the most famous movies and TV shows of all time.

James Bonding

A podcast where Matt Gourley and Matt Mira discuss the James Bond film series.

Maltin On Movies

A podcast where Leonard Maltin and Baron Vaughn discuss films on a different theme each week. In July 2016, Maltin On Movies moved to Nerdist.

How To Be Less Old

In How To Be Less Old (formerly OMFG!), Emily Foster and Deanna Cheng educate themselves and others on youth culture.

Reading Aloud

A reading podcast where Nate Corddry plays host to live renditions of interesting works of literature.

The Room Where It's Happening

In The Room Where It's Happening, Travon Free and Mike Drucker bring on guests to discuss the musical Hamilton.

Music programming

Nocturnal Emotions

An interview podcast hosted by musician Har Mar Superstar.

Shortwave

An interview podcast hosted by musician Grant-Lee Phillips.

Wolfpop

In November 2014, Earwolf launched a sister network, Wolfpop, led by Paul Scheer. Wolfpop's podcast lineup included The Black List Table Reads, The Canon, Cardboard! With Rich Sommer, Crybabies, Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period, Get Up on This, Happy Sad Confused, I Was There Too, Maltin on Movies, Nerd Machine's Picking Favorites, Off Camera, OMFG!, Reading Aloud, Rotten Tomatoes, and The Sylvester Stallone Show. On March 7, 2016, the majority of Wolfpop's programs were folded over into Earwolf.^[12]

Howl

Howl is a podcasting app launched by Midroll Media.^[13] The premium version of the app features the entire back catalogues of Earwolf and Wolfpop podcasts, as well as several comedy specials and all episodes of WTF with Marc Maron. Howl also features many limited-run podcasts exclusive to the premium version of the app, including Atlas Obscura Day, I Know It Sounds Crazy, Colt Cabana Presents: The Gathering of the Juggalos, Good Question, Hardcore Game of Thrones, Psychic Pshow with Lauren Lapkus, Spalding Gray: Great Live Performances, Superego: Forgotten Classics, The Complete Woman, The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium, What's Wrong With Me?, Wild Horses: The Perspective, and Words of the Years.

References

External links

• Earwolf Home Page
• Earwolf on iTunes
• Earwolf CEO Jeff Ullrich interviewed on comedy podcast The Gentlemen's Club with Caleb Bacon