Eugene Mirman (Shawn Brackbill)
There are a lot of meet-and-greet conventions, but only one of them is officially “awesome.” Returning to D.C. for its fourth year, Awesome Con brings industry professionals and celebrities together for a genre-fest. This year’s guests are bigger than ever, with Kevin Smith and Doctor Who‘s Peter Capaldi (no stranger to D.C.) appearing. And Science Guy Bill Nye will co-host a live rendition of the popular radio show Star Talk with comedian Eugene Mirman.
A longtime Adult Swim voice talent, Mirman is the voice of Gene on the Fox animated series Bob’s Burgers, and he hosts Star Talk with Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson. During the convention, Mirman will also offer an evening of stand-up comedy. We caught up with the comedian to talk about his first appearance at Awesome Con and pick his brain about science’s role in popular culture.
DCist: Are you the type of comic book fan who goes to conventions?
Mirman: I look forward to going to Comic-Con every year, and when I was a kid I went to comic book conventions. Now, I mostly go to Comic-Con with the cast of Bob’s Burgers.
DCist: Do you have a background as a comic geek?
Mirman: I grew up loving comic books and science fiction and fantasy, so it’s just a fun place for me to go and look at stuff. I love all the booths.
DCist: Bob’s Burgers has a pretty big fan following. Are there any current or past nerdy properties you follow?
Mirman:Meaning, like, do I love Star Trek?
DCist: Yes.
Mirman: Yes, I love Star Trek [laughing]. The truth is I love all of it. I love superhero stuff. I love a lot of science fiction. I have seen most or all of Star Trek across the different shows and movies. And comic books. I love Astro City and Fables. And just regular DC stuff and Marvel stuff.
DCist: A lot of guys in the comedy world, like Seth Meyers and Bill Hader, are big comic nerds. Are there any books you keep up with on a regular basis?
Mirman: Astro City is one, but last year I got a bunch at Comic-Con. What will happen is when I have to fly, I’ll end up reading a bunch of stuff. And then as a result I’ll read, like, [recent Batman story arc] “The Court of Owls.”
DCist: Have you ever done stand-up for a convention audience before?
Mirman:Not specifically. I’ve done shows in San Diego around Comic-Con but not at the convention itself, so it’s hard to say if people were there from the con. it’s timed around the event but not part of the event. So, I’m pretty excited to do it here.
DCist: What’s it’s like doing Star Talk with Bill Nye?
Mirman: Star Talk with Bill and Neil [deGrasse Tyson] is super fun. It’s one of my favorite things because I get to learn a lot of interesting things from leading scientists across so many fields.
DCist: Nerd culture has become mainstream, and science fiction is a big part of where pop culture is at right now. Does Star Talk help foster the next generation of scientists, people who turn that love of unreality into creating the future?
Mirman: Star Talk is super helpful in terms of getting more people into science and helping people become more science literate. I think both the world of science fiction and real science are getting more popular and it’s really exciting that they’re coming together.
Awesome Con runs from June 3-5 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Eugene Mirman will perform stand-up comedy on Saturday, June 4 at 8:00 p.m. Star Talk Live (w/ Bill Nye) is on Sunday, June 5 at 12:00 p.m. A three-day geekend pass is $75, and admission on individual days is $35-45, with an additional $15 required for the Mirman programs. Tickets are available here.
