Overpriced two-drink minimums and potato skins; bad Clinton jokes on late night—these used to be the hallmarks of comedy, an art relegated to the controlled environs of comedy clubs and network TV. Fortunately, in the late ’90s, a daring breed of comedians began rejecting the status quo altogether and, by taking cues from the indie-music world, started reviving comedy as a savvy and groundbreaking art form. Mock Stars delves headfirst into this revolutionary scene, tracing the evolution of indie comedy as part of the underground music circuit and into mainstream America. Through candid interviews with the major players, including David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Neil Hamburger, Maria Bamford, Fred Armisen, Aziz Ansari, Jon Wurster, Aimee Mann, and dozens of others, Wenzel reveals how comedy is becoming relevant—and dangerously funny—again.

John Wenzel first got the indie-comedy bug watching HBO’s Mr. Show, a sketch comedy program with which he’s still obsessed. He currently writes about music, comedy, and new media for The Denver Post and has written for websites and magazines such as Rockpile and Shredding Paper. He recently won a Best Feature Writing award from the Denver Press Club/Newspaper Guild and writes a random-culture blog at GetRealDenver.com. Wenzel lives in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.