Meet Dan Bublitz Jr | Stand Up Comedian & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Bublitz Jr and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, why did you pursue a creative career?
The short answer is I got a divorce. The real answer is that stand up comedy is something I’d always wanted to do. Growing up my favorite shows to watch were shows like “In Living Color” “SNL” “Kids in the Hall” “Premium Blend,” etc. As a kid I was always joking around and found that using humor helped ward off bullies. I also grew up in South Dakota so being a comedian seemed far-fetched and I had stage fright. When I was 31 I went through a divorce after being married for 12 years and it was a turning in point in my life because it felt like I had wasted all that time (I realize that time helped shaped me and wasn’t wasted). I had a cliche moment looking in the mirror reflecting on life and I made a decision that I didn’t want to be an old man that looked back and wondered, “what if.” So I decided it was time to give stand up a try and overcome my fear of public speaking.

I found an open mic in a town that was about 1.5 hours from where I lived. So I signed up for it and started writing. When it came time to perform I was so nervous. I remember when the host called my name, I walked out on the stage, grabbed the microphone, and looked into the audience, I thought to myself, “what in the hell did I get myself into!” I took a breath, told my first joke, and as soon as I got that first laugh I knew this is what I wanted to do. 15 years later I’m having the time of my life producing and performing stand up.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been a stand up comedian for 15 years. I started later than most at the age of 31 in South Dakota of all places. After about 6 months I moved to California and ended up in San Diego (which is an under rated comedy scene) where I honed my craft. Making a room full of strangers is one of the hardest things to do, thus making stand up a hard profession to pursue. In order to get better I had to take a lot low paying gigs, spend a lot of money out of pocket for shows where the ROI was low, and endure many failures while sacrificing time with friends and family. Many family functions have to be missed to be a professional performer.

The greatest lesson that I’ve learned in comedy is that failure is part of the process and if you don’t fail from time to time, you wont get better. This actually lead me to creating my podcast, “The Art of Bombing,” where I talk to comedians about their bombing stories and what they learned from those bad shows to help newer comedians learn from our failures. I’ve dedicated a lot time to finding success through failure. Which is a phrase that can be applied to any profession.

One thing most people don’t understand about stand up is the sacrifices comedians make to become better writers and performers and while it looks easy to do, it’s not!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently live in Loveland, CO so I would take them to the Rocky National Forest and into the mountains to hike. We’d spend a day in Estes Park. In Loveland specifically I would take them to some of my favorite local spots like Big Beaver Brewing, Verboten Brewing, Urban Field Pizza, Henry’s Pub, the Benson Sculpture Park, and to catch a comedy show at the Comedy Fort in Fort Collins, CO.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout would go to my dad for his continued support and my comedy mentor Spencer James who has helped me immensely become better and better both as a professional performer.

Website: https://www.danbublitz.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbubcomedy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-bublitz-jr-9bab6a163/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbubcomedy/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanBublitzJr

Image Credits
Main photo: Bryce Peterson

Additional Photos:

Pic 2: Melissa Leavenworth
Pic 3 & 4: Jared Chandler
Pic 6: Jeff Stonic
Pic 7: Meike Rm