Ben Roy

I’ve loved stand-up comedy since I was a kid. I don’t know where I encountered it first, or which comedian sunk the hook, but before I was out of junior high I owned George Carlin’s Occupation: Foole, FM & AM, and A Place for My Stuff. On cassette. Richard Pryor’s Live on the Sunset Strip is another one I remember having early. Comedy helped me through some lonely years after my parents’ divorce. My attention to it has waxed and waned since then, ranging from casual partaking to obsessive repeated listening to certain sets, but I’ve always maintained an abiding love for the stand-up comic. Some that had a big impact are Bill Hicks, Dave Attell, Maria Bamford, and way too many more to list. Current comedians I like a lot are David Drake, Neil Rubenstein, Jena Friedman, and, the object of this current exercise, Ben Roy.

Punk rock is another thing I’ve loved since I first heard it, and Ben actually kills both of these love birds with one stone, because not only is he a professional stand-up comedian, he also sings for the bands SPELLS and Arson Charge, among others.

If I had to pick four words to describe Ben’s comedy, they’d be caustic, smart, earnest, and lively. And he brings those chops between songs when he’s singing, too. Woe betide any hecklers at the punk show.

Whether it’s working the DIY-punk stylings of SPELLS or the post-hardcore buzz saw of Arson Charge or killing in a comedy club, Ben brings a visceral intensity that is inspiring and infectious. I drew this portrait based off a great live pic by Victor Rollins. Hard to tell which medium Ben’s engaged in here. Is he screaming, singing, or talking? Barking, yelling, spieling, entreating, or ranting? Well, I’d have to say the answer is, yes. -Abe Brennan

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