Tim Slagle
A veteran club comic who treats mild inconveniences as constitutional crises.
1 special · 2023
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Tim Slagle works a room with the gravel-voiced weariness of a guy explaining why the city council is wrong. He paces, leans into the mic, and dissects everyday annoyances like warning labels and vegetarians until they become arguments against a society that refuses to leave people alone. He builds a bit the way a regular at the end of the bar builds a case, letting mild irritation escalate until he proves a point.
Specials
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A veteran comedian leans into his grumpiest midlife observations.
Stand Up! Records · 57 min
On stage
He is a career road comic, a veteran who skipped the pivot to television or podcast empires to just keep running hours in standard-issue comedy rooms. He occupies a specific lane as a libertarian favorite and an outspoken opponent of political correctness, working everywhere from suburban basements to conservative political dinners.
His best bits bring political abstractions down to the living room carpet. In his most famous routine, he advocates teaching children about taxation by confiscating a large chunk of their Halloween candy right after they finish trick-or-treating. When he stays grounded in those domestic scenarios, he pulls real laughs out of minor grievances. When he leans too hard into straight partisan talking points, the set feels less like a comedy show and more like a political editorial.
He grew up downriver of Detroit and briefly sang in a punk band before catching the 1980s comedy boom and settling into the Chicago scene. The path explains the act. He kept the exact same anti-authority attitude for decades, just letting it age naturally from punk rock anarchist to a cranky older guy telling the government to get off his lawn.
Turning points
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Production of The Mudslingers Ball
Slagle produced and starred in a political comedy debate pilot for Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP alongside Lewis Black and Will Durst, finishing second in its time slot behind SNL.
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Debut Album Europa on Stand Up! Records
Slagle released his landmark first CD Europa through Stand Up! Records, featuring custom cover artwork by iconic Mad Magazine illustrator Jack Davis.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Bengt Washburn
As Slagle's long-running co-host on The Rule of Three, Bengt Washburn shares a sharp, topic-driven conversational chemistry.
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Will Durst
Will Durst shares Slagle's dedicated lane of topical political satire, having debated alongside him on the pilot The Mudslingers Ball.
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Lewis Black
Lewis Black and Slagle both mine political absurdity for standup material and starred together on the Minneapolis TV pilot The Mudslingers Ball.
Podcasts
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The Rule of Three · co-host
Two comics tackle three topics for ten minutes each, discussing news, pop culture, and the reality of life on the road.
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Another Day Above Ground · co-host
A comedy and information show created for, by, and about Baby Boomers.
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The Weekly Wrap with Bruce Wolf · co-host
A comedic round-up and discussion of the week's biggest current events.
Also on screen
- The Mudslingers Ball
- Michael Moore Hates America
A clip to start with
Don't Ever Try To Date A Goth Girl. Tim Slagle