LOL WITH IT: The Feeko Brothers

We were both bitten by a radioactive comedy bug after owl parents were gunned down on our home planet that blew up.

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LOL WITH IT: The Feeko Brothers

POSTED: Friday, April 8, 2011, 11:00 AM

Filed Under: Comedy LOL With It

The Feeko Brothers, comprised of Billy Bob Thompson and Christian Alsis, have been appearing all over Philly — Ministry of Secret Jokes, Meg and Rob’s final show, Philly Sketchfest, etc. I was able to track them down for a little Q&A before their big gig on Wednesday at Helium.

City Paper: How did the Feeko Brothers originate?

Billy Bob Thompson: We were both bitten by a radioactive comedy bug after owl parents were gunned down on our home planet that blew up.

Christian Alsis: Now that the joke answer is out of the way, we met at Temple University’s film school. We had both been hoodwinked into thinking we could become famous film directors. It’s that shame, unspoken of until just now, that helped us develop a bond.

BBT: Yeah, Temple was great! They not only took our money, but they took our youth as well!

CA: While we were there, we made a bunch of comedy videos for our classes and we really learned a lot about the collaborative and creative process.

CP: What were some memorable Milestones up to this point?

BBT: Our video “Coach & Kid” was featured on the main page of FunnyOrDie.com which is a comedy website mainly for rich and famous celebrities. Not sure why we were on it. Maybe they thought Christian was Jimmy Kimmel.

CA: Oh, screw you, Billy! You know how sensitive I get when you bring that up! I got two words for you: new SNL cast member, Paul Brittain!

BBT: I LOOK NOTHING LIKE HIM, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!

CA: WE LOOK EXACTLY LIKE BOTH OF THEM, ASSHOLE!!!

BBT: We also won the 2010 Dirtiest Sketch in Philadelphia Contest with a sketch where I vomit onstage for five minutes.

CP: That was a pretty infamous night. I wanted to ask, Billy, how did you manage all that vomit?

BBT: I thought about your face! BURN!

CA: Billy, you’re BLOWING IT! This is our ONE BIG CHANCE! GET SERIOUS!

BBT: You’re right… sorry, City Paper. Basically, I just drank a big load of salty water, and eventually my body rejected it and I puked my guts up. It was a lot safer than using ipecac and it got the same results. Also, you can thank Chick-fil-A for the vibrant orange puke color.

CA: Yeah, Billy really took it up a notch that night. A vomit notch. Maybe I should have puked too. I could always stand to lose a few pounds.

CP: Christian, how important is weight in your comedy dynamic? Is chubby-guy/skinny-guy a perfect recipe for big comedy-duo laughs, or is it just a classic coincidence?

CA: I think its a big coincidence. A big fat, out-of-breath-even-though-I-only-walked-up-the-stairs coincidence. Maybe early on our comedy was a bit more superficial and we dwelled on jokes about our physical appearance, but I think we’ve grown out of that.

BBT: Just like you’ve grown out of your pants!

CA: You’re bad!

CP: Long term goals? Any big projects you’re working on?

CA: A lifelong dream of ours would be getting cast in the MadTV re-imagining.

BBT: Which is actually spelled MaddTV. The show is mostly drunk driving PSAs with MILFS.

CA: Very good, Billy. In all sincerity though, we’d like to get paid for being funny. I know as comedians we’re supposed to pretend that getting paid isn’t important, and that what we’re doing is too noble to measure in dollar and cents, but that’s horse-puckey.

BBT: Yeah, a lawyer doesn’t just practice law for his love of the law.

CA: Objection!

BBT: OVERRULED!

BOTH: Aaaand, scene!

CA: But as far as big projects go, if I don’t get a job, I might be living in one soon.

BBT: Living in a project, he means. He’s doing shtick, just ignore him.

CP: What are your day jobs?

BOTH: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

CA: [slapping his knees in riotous laughter] I do very infrequent freelance video work.

BBT: [wiping tears from his eyes] And I do very infrequent animation voice-over work.

CA: Maybe this article will finally give us the exposure we need to get our dream jobs.

BOTH: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

CP: Where do you guys live, and where are you from?

BBT: We both live together in the Pennsport section of South Philly. We’ve been roommates since sophomore year of college, so roughly 7 years… Wow, that sounds really depressing out loud.

CA: I think technically we qualify as being in a common-law marriage.

BBT: Wait, I have a segue! Speaking of gay marriage, I’m originally from Vermont.

CA: Nicely done. I’m from Broomall, which is a suburb of Philly.

CP: What some pros and cons regarding The Feeko Brothers?

BBT: The pros are there are no cons. Wait… no, I meant that the other way around. But, seriously, as far as The Feeko Brothers are concerned, I am the Pro and Christian is the Con.

CA: Which reminds me, Billy, my friend is a Nigerian prince whose inheritance is about to come through. But here’s the rub, he needs a few thousand bucks to get him through the next couple of months. He’ll pay you back tenfold, he just needs the money now…

BBT: Shut up. Please, shut up. I guess a pro would be that we share a very similar sense of humor.

CA: That’s probably also the biggest con as well because sometimes we get locked into a train of thought that is funny to us, but extremely annoying to everyone else.

BBT: Case in point, the majority of this interview.

CA: Oh, a wise guy, eh?!

[4 MINUTE SLAP FIGHT]

The Feeko Brothers will be performing Wed., April 13, 8 p.m., on the Philadelphia Sketchfest presents Sketchy Stand-Up show at Helium Comedy Club! Visit them online at TheFeekoBrothers.com, Facebook.com/TheFeekoBrothers, YouTube.com/TheFeekoBrothers, FunnyOrDie.com/TheFeekoBrothers and Twitter.com/FeekoBrothers.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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