2010 Lineup

One of the funniest comics working in LA, Sarah got her onscreen start at SNL. She’s worked her way steadily up the ranks with TV specials featuring her standup acts Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic and Sarah Silverman: We are Miracles. She has starred in Hows Your News, a news/comedy show with individuals from the disabilities community. She also co-created The Sarah Silverman Show alongside fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Rob Schrab—not pronounced like “drab” or “Gabe”. Sarah has been a generous supporter throughout TwentyWonder’s history, having performed at the very first TwentyWonder.

Okay. Now that I’ve lost two hours reinstalling, replaying, and redeleting Will Wright’s SimCity from my computer, I can get back to writing this bio. While most game designers are determined to put us behind the scope of a gun, Will has devoted his talents to crafting games that teach us about the complex systems that encompass our lives. He is a great contributor to our culture and a valued Friend of TwentyWonder. For TwentyWonder 2010, Will teamed up with his Stupid Fun Club to create a video on creativity.

Peter crafts spooky, fantastical, or sometimes just plain weird special effects for movies like Hellboy, Stargate, and Men in Black. He has worked for a string of prestigious special effects houses including Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc—co-founded by TwentyWonder 2011’s Batmobile maker Tom Woodruff. Peter helped Mark Thorpe pioneer the world of modern robotic competition at Superball 3—TwentyWonder’s spiritual predecessor—before going global with the BBC show Robot Wars. For TwentyWonder 2010, he got together with wünderkind Eric Gradman for some innovative work in the Sockie Okie area.

Trace is best known for his role as Mystery Science Theater 3000’s mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester, who imprisoned his fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Joel Hodgson, Josh Weinstein, and Frank Conniff in the orbiting Satellite of Love. Trace was also the voice of MST3K’s Crow T. Robot and made regular appearances as the high school biology teacher in the acclaimed Judd Apatow series Freaks and Geeks. Trace later reunited with MST3K team members to form the bad movie riffing project Cinematic Titanic, which was a part of TwentyWonder 2010.

Frank is a writer/director best known for his work on the cult hit Mystery Science Theatre 3000—alongside Friends of TwentyWonder Joel Hodgson, Josh Weinstein, and Trace Beaulieu. After MST3K he worked as a story editor on ABC’s hit Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and served as showrunner for Nickelodean’s critically acclaimed show Invader Zim. Frank later reunited with several MST3K alums for the bad-movie riffing project Cinematic Titanic, which was brought to the Doll Factory’s Chill Room during TwentyWonder 2010.

Famous for the Comedy Central hit Mystery Science Theater 3000, Joel Hodgson contributed to comedy powerhouses like Saturday Night Live and Letterman. Joel’s involvement with TwentyWonder goes back to its roots in the quasi-annual Superball parties. When Superball was transformed into TwentyWonder by its founder and curator Jim Hodgson—they’re brothers—Joel generously lent his talents in support. He has contributed to every TwentyWonders, bringing material from Cinematic Titanic and his solo project Riffing Myself. Joel has been an invaluable Friend of TwentyWonder.

Taylor grew up around bugs with her grandfather, a UC Riverside entomologist who famously created the University’s most popular course, Insects and Civilization. Taylor has followed in her grandfather’s footsteps, doing a PhD across the pond at Lancaster University studying, “Those finicky little Phlebotomine sandflies and their immune system.” For TwentyWonders 2010, she presented a display of entomological specimens. It drew so much attention that she was reprised in 2011 with the help of her entomologically inclined grandparents. We are grateful for her support and happy to call her a Friend of TwentyWonder.

One of the greatest SuperBallers of all time, Dallas-based artisan Brad Oldham manufactures the TwentyWonder amulets given out each at the event—in addition to manufacturing the Superball rings from 1996–2004. These commemorative pendants go to VIP ticket holders, our content providers, and the dedicated individuals who put TwentyWonder together. Brad owns a design company which has recently partnered with National Geographic to create life-size bronze sculptures of lions to benefit big cats. We salute this extraordinary artist him for his many generous projects and his many contributions to TwentyWonder.

Mary Jo Pehl—pronounced like peal, not peel—pursued a career in nursing until she realized, to the benefit of comedy fans everywhere, that she had made a, “Major bad career choice.” While on the Minneapolis comedy circuit she met up with Mike Nelson and landed a gig on the cult hit Mystery Science Theater 3000 alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Josh Weinstein, and Joel Hodgson. Later she reunited with the crew of the Satellite of Love for the Cinematic Titanic riffing project, which was featured at TwentyWonder 2010.

Josh—who writes under the name J. Elvis Weinstein to avoid confusion with a Simpsons writer and to increase confusion with a rock and roll singer—was one of the original writers of the cult hit Mystery Science Theatre 3000 alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Joel Hodgson. He also wrote for the hit show Freaks and Geeks alongside another bevy of Friends of TwentyWonder. Later, he reunited with the crew of the Satellite of Love for the Cinematic Titanic riffing project, which was featured at TwentyWonder 2010.