We were lucky to catch up with Eric Patno recently and have shared our conversation below.

Eric, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I went down to the fish market and came across some crabs in a bucket. They’d claw, climb, and attempt to scuttle over one another to escape their surroundings. I thought to myself, “that looks fun.”. So I dived dick first into the entertainment industry… Wink wink… I’m joking of course. It certainly can be competitive, but it’s doubly rewarding so I’m never salty about it. I don’t snap my claws at a single opportunity and have no problem on propping the next guy up when I can. In short, I love to write, create, and the feeling of confidence when working a room. It was a natural fit… Once you come out of your shell.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a comedian by trade and a single dad by circumstance. I was a soldier prior to this and you know how bad we are at pulling out. *See Iraq… *See me having 4 kids… “Hiyaaa.” ~Uncle Roger… So yeah anyways… It’s parenting for the majority of my time with my creative ventures whenever I’m free. I also work as a producer putting on events and creating paid opportunities for other comics in the community. I started my 4th year of this adventure on April 12th. I’ve acquired trademarks, built a website, produced numerous podcasts / live shows, done some script writing, and am a published musical artist. I knew as a young boy that I wanted to do comedy watching the likes of Jim Carey, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, and Pryor. I just happened to stumble into my first open mic about a year before I finally got my divorce from my ex. Not that those two events are related. She hated me long before that when I was just testing out material at home and being obnoxious.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Way too speculative and have no physical value. I wouldn’t bet money on it. Though I do believe there crypto projects that are geared toward new technologies. Bet on the tech, not the really sweet 3D model of that meme where the lady is pointing at the cat.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

When someone comes up to you in the street and says “hey, I remember you!” and you respond with “Oh really? Where from?” And you just know they’re going to remember that really great joke you had, but then they say “Jail.”… Nah, all jokes aside it is at its most rewarding when someone recognizes you from the stage, or someone walks up and recites one of your jokes, the laughter that fills a room when a bit works better than you thought it would, or when someone randomly sends $5 to your cashapp @ $MrPatno to show their undying love and support. Those are the moments that make you smile and feel alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.patnoproductions.com
• Instagram: @Mrpatno
• Facebook: Eric Patno
• Twitter: @MrPatno
• Youtube: Lmsakaepizzle
• Other: @mrpatno on most things. Also be sure to follow @petty_bandits_comedy and @gameday_comedy_mic for all the latest!

Image Credits
@BlurredLinezPhotography