Villa Rica native Rod Man (real name Rod Thompson) has been a front runner on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" since he made his first appearance last month commenting about "loyalty cards" at drugstores that never seem to reward him with anything.
While the topic could be something Jerry Seinfeld might opine about, Rod Man does it with a distinctive flair, a look of perpetual exasperation and a unique cadence rooted in Georgia.
The judges on "Last Comic Standing" (Russell Peters, Roseanne and Keenen Ivory Wayans) loved him from the get go and he cruised into the top 10, then the top 8.
"The every man point of view was very funny," Wayans told him after his first-round bit. "The attitude you put behind, being confused about everything."
Rod Man, who moved to L.A. from Atlanta 12 years ago, has warm memories of Villa Rica (current population: 14,000). "Played basketball, football. Yah, man. Met my wife there. Villa Rica is a beautiful thing."
He began his career about 20 years ago at the Buckhead version of Uptown Comedy Corner, where he used the nickname "Rod Man" so his family wouldn't know early on that he was pursuing comedy.
"Seeing live audiences laugh was totally different from watching comedy on TV," Rod Man said in a recent phone interview. "I was hooked the first time folks laughed. I decided I was going to do nothing else."
Yet despite his veteran status, he didn't break it into the top echelon of black comics who worked frequently out of Atlanta in the 1990s such as Bruce Bruce, Don "DC" Curry, Earthquake and Mo'Nique.
"He's a good guy," said Gary Abdo, who owned Uptown at the time. "He really deserves this shot."
Earthquake, who Rod Man considered an early mentor, said in an interview that Rod Man developed his unique style early on, a Southern feel that is like "a sip of bourbon" that doesn't necessarily hit you immediately but then burrows deep. "I'm so glad he's getting recognition," he said.
"It took me years to get comfortable up there," Rod Man said. "I still get nervous when they call my name. I've learned to find that connection in each town I perform in. Have jokes that travel."
He has appeared over the years on "Def Comedy Jam," "BET's ComicView" and "Showtime at the Apollo." He's gotten a few film roles, including Judd Apatow's 'Funny People" in 2009. "It was kind of a weird experience," Rod Man said. "I was sick at the time. I was overweight. That was not my best look in comedy. I still wasn't ready to shine yet."
Now appears to be the right time. Someone (he does not know who) sent his tape in to "Last Comic Standing" and he was invited to try out. Better yet, he felt ready. He likes to compete, he said. And repeating a line he uttered on the show, he said, "Who survives the island tonight? Somebody's got to go - as long as it's not me!"
Rod Man's exposure before six to eight million viewers on "Last Comic Standing" will elevate his status the way it did for dozens of other comics that have graced the show, win or lose. (Amy Schumer, Jon Reep, Alonzo Bodden, Gabriel Iglesias and Doug Benson are among past participants who parlayed the show into bigger and better things.)
"I've had great years, I've had terrible years," Rod Man said. "It's always been a balancing act. Family has helped me along the way, especially my wife."
His take on the judges:
Russell Peters: "I met him at the Montreal Comedy Festival years ago. Good dude. Always followed his career. He's got kind words for everybody. He's got jokes and he knows how to tag jokes."
Roseanne: "She's the matriarch What she says, goes!'
Wayans: "He's the patriarch. He's regal. When you talk to him, you say, 'Yes sir!' When he told me to not wear so much black because black on black was too black, I took him seriously.' "
Here was Rod Man's opening jokes that got him to the semifinals:
Here was his head-to-head challenge two weeks ago:
TV preview
"Last Comic Standing," 10 p.m., Thursdays, NBC
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