Daily Crosshatch Dispatch: More Old Jewish Comedians Book Release
Im just covering the wrong subject matter, but rarely, if everin fact, Im going to go out on a limb here and say neverhas a post ever lent itself so perfectly to a dedication for my grandfather, Seymour Eisner. This is not reflection on him, of course, but rather a direct result of the fact that the things about which I tend to writecomic books, computers, and rock and roll musicnever quite fall within the realm of his interests, namely contract bridge, Jim Lehrer, and the music of Nat King Cole. Recently hes also become rather enraptured by DVDs of Everybody Loves Raymond, so perhaps I might be able to meet him halfwaybut, as ever, I digress.
Earlier tonight, jam-packed into the Milton Berle room of midtown Manhattans legendary Friars Club (incidentally the largest room in the club, which gave way to bevy of [in]appropriate jokes about the former members former member), with 80-year-old Jewish men sporting 90-year-old penis jokes, the inevitability of such a dedication was difficult to escape.
Celebrity-watching at the book release party for the sequel to Drew Friedmans collection of old Jewish Comedian illustrations (Fantagraphics brilliantly titled [More Old Jewish Comedians]) was a bit like reading the New York Posts "Page Six," back when Alex Hamilton was a frequent contributor. The proceedings were MCed by one-time Borscht-Belter and current Friars Club dean, Freddie Roman, who, thanks to co-MC and former Phil Silvers Show costar (thats Sgt. Bilko, to you kids), Mickey Freeman, finally got to use the Im an old Roman, joke hed been waiting to cash in on, his whole life...
Read full "[Old Jewish Comedians" here.]