We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Thomas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

First off let me say thank you again for giving me the opportunity to do another interview with y’all.

I always wanted to be in the entertainment business ever since I was a kid. I remember watching the first Spider-Man movie, after the movie was over I told my mom that I was going to be a actor or a script writer( which I found out later it’s actually called screen writer) or be a comedian. Ever since that day all I did in school was write screen plays and little scenes out and act them out when I got home. Along with those scripts I also told some jokes to my friends and family hoping that would help me get some idea’s on what to write in my next script not knowing I was actually preparing myself for what I’m doing now. The little audience I had at home started to gradually change from 5 people to 10 people, until a presentation I was apart of in elementary. The presentation was about “drugs being bad” I believe it was called dare at the time, I wrote a 5min set to preform on stage in front of the whole 4th grade student body along with 5th and 6th grade student body. Up until then I had never been in front of more the 10 people, I was highly nervous but my counselor gave me one of the best advice I was given in my life “Michael if you walk away now you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take but you fail 99% of the shots you do take” now till this day I still don’t know what that means but at that moment it helped me out tremendously. I went on the stage and completely failed my whole set but it didn’t stop me from becoming the person I am today. I have opened up for Cory Michael’s, Deece Castillos, Matt barnwart, DDC club, Andrew Michael’s, etc this list goes on and on. Morale of the story I knew from 4th grade I wanted to be a comedian.

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

I run a production company called “Laugh&Riot Comedy and Music” we put on new and upcoming comedians and musicians out in front of a new audience to help them build a reputation in their city. This brand started in Montana but since I moved back I wanted to bring it to my home state and see how well I can do here. Im putting on comedy showcase with my business partner Tj Evans who also has a production company called “22 Funny Productions” on may 27th at cheap steaks bar in deep ellum. I was apart of a comedy festival on April 1st and I preformed at Reno’s chop shop in deep ellum, I fell in love with the different variety of comedians there and I thought “why don’t I put on a showcase to find some talent I didn’t see at the festival and give them a chance to hit the stage and broadcast their talent.” That is how the showcase was born. Now im not just stopping at the showcase I’m also putting together a open mic in deep ellum as well. As a comic you are only have some many open mic’s through out the week you can go to and some are far in between each other practicing your set or trying out new jokes is kinda impossible for you do if you are only able to hit 1 a week. Me and my other business partner Jamie have come together to put on 2 open mic’s in deep ellum one of Tuesday and one on Thursday. That way you can hit up the same open mic more the once a week to practice and refine your set before a show or before a festival.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A joke is never done the first time you tell it and having to come up with new jokes every open mic isn’t necessary.

I was told that comics come to every open mic with a new set they want to practice every time they step on stage and their olds jokes were thrown out and new ones replaced their old ones. Yeah I soon came to find out that wasn’t true at all!. While in Montana I got on stage a lot and I was told by one of my friends their that I didn’t need to come up with new jokes if my old ones were practiced on. Blew my mind at that moment, I have a joke my daughter told me that I only told once because I felt like it was good that one time “why did the chicken cross the road daddy? I don’t know why. To tell better jokes then you!” That is a good joke but it has so much room for improvement. At one open mic I had a new set planned that I thought was good but the host came up to me and pulled me aside “hey we have someone here that would love to see you on their stage and I want you to succeed so go with jokes that you know will work and wow them, leave the new set alone and focus on what you already have” I trusted this person saw I let them see the set I had written and they looked over it and gave me their honest opinion on it “it’s good but you are lacking the que’s for your punch lines” i didn’t make sense for me to ditch a set I had prepared to practice on stage but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to preform in a different city. I got the gig and I preformed there well enough for them to want me back. Never threw away something you only looked at once you never know what it could bring to the table.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The one and only goal I have while taking this journey is to be financially stable so I don’t miss anymore time with my kids. I hate the fact that I missed so much with them and that time I won’t get back so I’m working my hardest to get out of this middle class life and live in the high class. I missed trips, field trips, some birthdays, school events I don’t want to miss anymore of that. People actually came up and asked me if I’m in this for the money and truthfully yes but not how most people would think, being wealthy is the mission but the goal is to be there for my kids. My favorite rapper(T.I) said it best “I’m cool without the fame” I don’t really care about having my name up in lights anymore I’m doing this for my kids and their kids.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/miketcomedy?fbclid=PAAaZpGu2Jli2X1iyLpGpLvCtWEPLokAAYUOwTmWgi97k62TUc7mW9wlyx1E8
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=fm7augzhdpfi&utm_content=6uo1k4z
• Twitter: @terrific_mike
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@michaeltforterrific2351