Friends of TwentyWonder

Rolling Stone dubbed him, “an underrecognized guitar hero.” This grammy-award winner was a founding member and principal songwriter for The Blasters. Dave also played in X alongside famous punk vocalist Exene Cervenka. He has also released thirteen solo albums and been featured on numerous soundtracks—he’s best known for the Blasters hit “So Long Baby Goodbye”. We’re proud to count Dave Alvin as a Friend of TwentyWonder. On top of his already generous support, he performed at TwentyWonder 2012 alongside comedian Andy Kindler.

Judd is one of the most successful producers and writers of comedy working in entertainment. His works include Freaks and Geeks, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Funny or Die, and Girls. Judd began his career on Fox’s award-winning The Ben Stiller Show and has since been credited with writing, directing, or producing nearly 50 projects while doing uncredited work on many more. Judd has worked with several other TwentyWonder friends and performers including David Koechner, Joel Hodgson, and Paul Feig.

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.

Steve is a grammy-award winning music producer who has worked for acts like R.E.M., The Replacements, The Dandy Warhols, and Dear Tick. But he is best known for playing sax and keyboards in the East LA band Los Lobos. They broke out 40 years ago after a wild gig at Whiskey a Go Go alongside The Blasters and Friend of TwentyWonder Dave Alvin. Los Lobos achieved pop recognition for the soundtrack to La Bamba, but most of their time has been spent achieving acclaim and influence among fellow musicians.

Playful, vibrant, and captivating. The artwork of Tim Biskup captures the spirit of TwentyWonder. Tim has involved himself with our Carnival of the Mind in numerous ways. In 2012 he partnered with Tierra Del Sol to help their artists with Down Syndrome create pieces for display at TwentyWonder. His project Ego Killers was at TwentyWonders 2012 and 2013. He even designed the logo at the top of this page. We’ve been blessed to have this extraordinary artist’s support through the years and look forward to working with him again in the future.

At TwentyWonder 2014, fans were invited to find their way to win one of five prints donated by Tim (valued at $200–$400 per print).

Jamie has onscreen credits that include a regular role opposite Oscar-winner Jessica Lange on the TV show American Horror Story. Before coming to Los Angeles, Jamie was appointed to the State of Texas ARC board and elected as its treasurer. She personally lobbied Texas state legislators during a successful effort to end the use the “r-word” in Texas legislation. She is active in many advocacy groups including TwentyWonder’s beneficiary, the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA).

We were proud to have this veteran TwentyWonderer lead the 2014 crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance before the Los Angeles Derby Dolls’ bout.

Between 1980 and 2005, James was nominated for an Emmy every year except one! Best known for co-creating Cheers, he is a multi-talented artist whose credits speak for themselves: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Frasier, Friends, and numerous other hits including the The Big Bang Theory—where he worked with Friends of TwentyWonder Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, and Johnny Galecki. In addition to his intimidating directorial resume, James is a composer and writer.

Exene is most famous as the co-lead vocalist of Los Angeles punk band X and the rockabilly band The Knitters, alongside fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Dave Alvin. Her artistic accomplishments include authoring several books and work as a mixed media artist. For TwentyWonder 2012, she provided artwork and was part of an incredible trio of main stage acts that also included Axis of Awesome and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Her rousing version of Woodie Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land” was one of the highlights of that night.

Alex, a.k.a. Axles of Evil, and fellow skater Jenny “Kasey Bomber” Barbee co-authored Down and Derby: The Insider’s Guide to Roller Derby. Alex skated with 2008 season champs the Tough Cookies. She was also the choreographer and trainer for Whip It! star Ellen Page, who called Alex one of, “The most sincere, awesome, kick-ass women I’ve ever met.” Beyond Derby life, Alex has worked for the Writer’s Guild of America and as a journalist for NPR, hosting KPCC’s All Things Considered.

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.

Coop is part of the Lowbrow art movement who has been featured in Juxtapoz magazine alongside fellow TwentyWonder supporters in the Ego Killers. He has done album artwork for bands like Nirvana, Sex Pistols, and Soundgarden, and his posters are featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His work has a no bullshit, hot-rod feeling that reflects his deep involvement in Kustom Kulture. Several books of this LA artist’s work have been published, including The Devil’s Advocate and THE BIG FAT ONE. We are grateful for Coop’s loyal support, which dates back to TwentyWonder’s prehistory in the Superball era.

Remember his name! With no offense to Trace Beaulieu and his turn as Mr. Lacovara on Freaks and Geeks, Bryan Cranston’s Mr. White is certainly the most memorable depiction of a high school science teacher in television history. Previous to his time on Breaking Bad, Cranston won acclaim for roles on Malcolm in the Middle and Seinfeld. Several years ago, he took time to present awards to individuals with Down syndrome for their accomplishments in the visual arts. Since then, Bryan has continued to generously support our beneficiary, the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.

Kaley has been acting since she was very young, first hitting it big in 8 Simple Rules alongside the late John Ritter. She is famous for her role as Penny on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. As Penny, she stars alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons. You'll be seeing plenty more of Kaley in the future, as Big Bang has already been renewed clear through to 2017!

Obey! Shepard Fairey made his name by plastering Providence, Rhode Island, with stickers proclaiming that “Andre the Giant has a Posse”, which he later adapted into the ubiquitous “Obey” graphic. Shepard also did the Obama “Hope” poster and album covers for Led Zeppelin, Smashing Pumpkins, and LA’s Flogging Molly. He lives in LA and has been featured many times in Juxtapoz—a magazine centered on the Lowbrow art community. Shepard generously donated a signed, limited edition “Obey” print for the TwentyWonder 2012 raffle.

Paul Feig is one the best comedy directors working in Los Angeles. He has credits on Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Mad Men, The Office, Bridesmaids, and The Heat. And here’s a little six degrees of TwentyWonder for you: Paul played a science teacher on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, which was written in part by Frank Conniff, who was on Mystery Science Theater 3000 with Trace Beaulieu, who played a science teacher on Freaks and Geeks, which was co-created by Paul Feig.

This Friend of TwentyWonder became known in the Los Angeles comedy scene for her long running comedy lounge act The Lampshades, which she performs with her comedic partner Scot Robinson. She got well-deserved national attention after being cast as the rarely sober Meredith on NBC’s The Office. In addition, she has appeared on SNL, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and a ton of late night shows. Kate has been a great supporter of TwentyWonder, and we were thrilled when she and Scot brought their Lampshades routine to the Chill Room for TwentyWonder 2013.

Don Foster began his writing career on Roseanne and went on to write and direct on sitcoms like Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mike & Molly—alongside a bevy of fellow Friends of TwentyWonder. Don was involved in the original Superball parties and has been an integral part of TwentyWonder since its inception in 2010. Without his generous soul, TwentyWonder certainly would not be the success it is today. Full disclosure from the guy writing this bio: Don’s my boss—but still, that’s all true.

Michael French hails from the Great White North. He has spent five decades directing and producing movies in Los Angeles. His recent works include Empires of the Deep and Heart of a Dragon. He has supported us time and time again, particularly in our efforts to promote the TwentyWonder events—he helped us produce one of our favorite video spots with the Urban Nomad. Michael is a great supporter of TwentyWonder, possibly our greatest Canadian supporter.

Mark is a writer and illustrator working in Los Angeles. He served as an editor at Wired before co-founding the web zine Boing Boing. Along with fellow editors Cory Doctrow, David Pescovitz, and Xeni Jardin, Mark turned Boing Boing into an award-winning, influential website. Boing Boing revolves around subjects that we celebrate at TwentyWonder—computers, science fiction, comics, art, and “all manner of posthuman irreverent things.” We’re happy to count Mark among the Friends of TwentyWonder.

For the better part of two decades, Pam has been working at the top of the sitcom game, where she has directed fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Bryan Cranston, Weird Al Yankovic, and Laurie Metcalf. She was in the director’s chair for hits like Frasier, How I Met Your Mother, and Two and a Half Men—home of another cadre of TwentyWonder Friends including Chuck Lorre, Eddie Gorodetsky, Mark Roberts, and Don Foster. During her career, Pam has taken home a pair of Emmys along with accolades from the Director’s Guild and the Women in Film Foundation.

Johnny is best known as Leonard on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He has been entertaining TV and film audiences continuously since his debut as a young actor in the 80s. During his career, he has collaborated with several other Friends of TwentyWonder including Big Bang brain trust Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, and Steve Molaro. We are grateful to count him as a Friend of TwentyWonder. Fun Fact: In addition to his onscreen accomplishments, Johnny is also a cellist.

Billy is an LA comic and actor most recognized for his starring role as Mike Biggs on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly—where he has collaborated with fellow Friends of TwentyWonder including costars Swoosie Kurtz and Reno Wilson. Billy worked his way to Hollywood through the grueling American comedy circuit. This tireless, down-to-earth comic went on to earn roles on shows like Lucky, Judging Amy, and My Name is Earl. In addition to being funny as hell, Billy is a remarkably kind and generous man. We’re proud to count him as a Friend of TwentyWonder.

A twice golden globe nominated actor, Thomas first gained widespread recognition for his role as Greg in the sitcom Dharma & Greg—alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Chuck Lorre and Dottie Zicklin. He has gone on to another starring role in the long-running drama Criminal Minds and has worked with acclaimed directors like Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorcese. We are grateful for Thomas’ generosity. Fun Fact: Thomas is a big fan of the band Jackshit, who performed at TwentyWonder 2012!

Eddie might be the only guy in the world who could get Bob Dylan to perform on a prime-time sitcom as a favor. This avid music lover and Friend of TwentyWonder is best known for his work on Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory—alongside TwentyWonder supporters Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady. But among his proudest creations is a twenty-year long series of music compilations, which are coveted enough to have received a write-up in the Wall Street Journal. Eddie’s music library is so extensive that Dylan used it to choose content for his Theme Time Radio Hour.

In addition to his generous support of TwentyWonder, John has often lent his voice and talents to movies, shows, and public awareness campaigns that celebrate the rich culture—and painful trials—of his hometown, New Orleans. During his early career, he worked with fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Laurie Metcalf and on the hit comedy Roseanne. He went on to become a twelve-time SNL host and a frequent collaborator with the Coen brothers. In 2013 he was honored with a pair of cement handprints at the Chinese Theatre.

Dana takes on the absurdities of modern life through a pop-culture obsessed lens. Unapologetic and off-the-wall funny, there’s no middle ground for this comic. He has been featured on networks like Comedy Central, Showtime, and HBO, and he has worked on shows like Parks and Recreation, The Ben Stiller Show, and The Simpsons—alongside Friends of TwentyWonder George Meyer and Matt Selman. You can catch this LA comic on his podcast The Dana Gould Hour.

David Greenberger was trained as a painter but found his medium after taking a job at a nursing home. Since meeting the nursing home’s residents, he has dedicated his talents to telling stories of elderly people, not as repositories of memories or wisdom but as vibrant characters living in this moment. He tells these stories in Duplex Planet, a brand that he started as a magazine in 1979. The contributors to Duplex Planet include fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Dave Alvin.

Friend of TwentyWonder Peter Hayes co-founded the band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in the late 90s after leaving The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The band started in San Francisco before setting up shop in Los Angeles. Since then they’ve traveled the world, including a stop at the Doll Factory for a insane set at TwentyWonder 2011. Peter and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club support many causes and we’re happy to be counted among them. Note: all fans of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are strongly advised to spread your love like a fever.

Wonderful father of Henry Hodgson, a boy with trisomy 21. Full-time director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles. Founder of TwentyWonder. And on, and on, and on, and come off it, Jim. I mean seriously, your ability to bring together large numbers of incredible people, inspire them to donate time and talent and resources, and then organize them into effective teams that benefit people in your community is frankly making all of us look bad. Tone it down, man.

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.

If you were part of the Minneapolis music scene in the early 80s, you knew or knew about this guy Peter Jesperson. He booked the best club in town, The Longhorn, and managed the city’s most influential record store, Oar Folkjokeopus, and co-founded its most important record label, Twin/Tone. On a fateful day—and we’re assuming a ridiculously cold day—Jesperson was handed a demo tape by Paul Westerberg, guitarist for a new band that would become The Replacements. Jesperson went on to manage and produce them, and several other Minneapolis bands, on their way to national prominence. He currently works at New West Records in LA.

Tim’s story collection Irish Girl won an O. Henry Prize and the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for short fiction. Irish Girl received strong praise from fellow author David Sedaris and was included in Sedaris’ anthology Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules. Johnston also wrote the YA novel Never So Green and the A novel Descent. Tim participated in many of the original Superball parties. For Superball 8, he created the world’s largest novel, Never So Green. When Superball morphed into TwentyWonder, Tim played a huge part in creating the look and feel of our original event.

Andy is known for regular appearances on The Daily Show, Letterman, and Everybody Loves Raymond. He is also known for his annual, and typically controversial, state-of-the-industry address at Montreal’s “Just For Laughs” comedy festival. At TwentyWonder 2012 he took the stage for Dave Alvin. If you missed them, you probably missed your only opportunity to hear a performance of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” involving a wooden train whistle.

Prolific comedian Superball parties. He has praised TwentyWonder as, “The most eclectic fundraiser in the country.” At TwentyWonder 2013, he performed songs from his Gerald T-Bones Tibbons repertoire on the main stage of the Doll Factory. T-Bones sang stories about his troubled domestic life, which included some dubious claims about his daddy’s lunar exploits.

Swoosie is as cool and fun as you’d imagine someone named Swoosie would be. Also, she’s an acting powerhouse with a bevy of nominations and awards. Recently, she’s been seen on CBS’ Mike & Molly—alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Billy Gardell and Reno Wilson. Her work includes Dangerous Liaisons, Citizen Ruth, Sisters, Pushing Daisies, Fifth of July, and The House of Blue Leaves. Her memoir, Part Swan, Part Goose, is set to be released from Penguin Pergee (or has already been released, depending on when you read this and how good I am about updating our website’s copy).

Chuck has been an integral part of America’s favorite sitcoms for the past 25 years. His credits include a bevy of collaborations with Fellow Friends of TwentyWonder on shows like Grace Under Fire, Cybil, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, and The Big Bang Theory. He has become known for the vanity cards that appear at the end of his shows, which cover his thoughts on subjects ranging from gay marriage to King Kong’s questionable celebrity culinary preferences.

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.

Busy, busy, busy. By IMDB’s count, this Glee star and Friend of TwentyWonder has racked up 163 acting credits in just 25 years. You couldn’t even fit an acronym of her credits into a twitter message. So we’re not gonna try and list her credits—except her work with Funny or Die, since that lets us put in a link to another TwentyWonder contributor. All this is to say that Jane Lynch made her way through the ranks with serious hard work, so we’re pretty honored that she has included us among the causes that she has generously taken time to support.

The way Roger’s mom tells it, he began demonstrating his musical prowess at the age of two in the kitchen by banging on any pots, pans, and bowls he could reach. This Superball veteran is a multi-intstrumentalist who has had an incredible impact on the American music scene. He has co-founded numerous influential bands like the Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookboock, and TV Eyes. He has also worked with Beck, Blink-182, and Air. In addition, Roger is a sought-after sessions musician, having contributed performances and arrangements on hundreds of albums. We are proud to count him among the Friends of TwentyWonder.

An original member of the famed Steppenwolf Theater, Laurie has been nominated multiple times for her onstage performances. She has also received Emmys awards for her role as Jackie Harris on Roseanne—alongside fellow Friend of TwentyWonder John Goodman. Recently she has made regular appearances as the mother of Sheldon Cooper on the hit Chuck Lorre sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Fun fact: IMDB says she can type at 90 words per minute. What’s the source for that info? Sources! It’s the Internet. We don’t need no stinking sources!

George began his career as the president of the Harvard Lampoon before moving on to Letterman and SNL. His short-lived, but popular, zine Army Man caught the attention of fellow Friend of TwentyWonder and Simpsons creator Sam Simon. George soon joined The Simpsons and, by the accounts of his fellow writers, has been one of the major reasons for the show’s remarkable longevity. George is a dedicated vegetarian and heavily involved in conservation efforts. We are proud to count this remarkable contributor to American culture among the Friends of TwentyWonder.

Melissa stars in CBS’ hit sitcom Mike & Molly with TwentyWonder Friends Billy Gardell, Reno Wilson, and Swoosie Kurtz. Her incredible timing and comedic creativity have launched her into the top ranks of todays TV comedians. She has also appeared on the big screen alongside Sandra Bullock in The Heat and stolen the show in Bridesmaids, both directed by fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Paul Feig. Look for more in the years to come from this blazing talent who we're happy to count among our supporters.

Emmy-nominated Steve Molaro got his start at The Amanda Show and worked his way up to showrunner on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, where he met up with a bevy (a bevy I tell you!) of Friends of TwentyWonder including Laurie Metcalf, Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Don Foster, David Saltzberg, James Burrows, Johnny Galecki, and Eddie Gorodetsky—tell me that’s not a bevy! Steve attended the very first TwentyWonder back when we were in Culver City.

Rebecca Ninburg, derby name “Demolicious”, is a co-founder of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. Her DIY attitude and community-oriented dedication have made her a powerful force for the better in Los Angeles culture. In addition to her work with the Derby Dolls, she serves the public as a commissioner for the City of Los Angeles’ Commission on the Status of Women. Demolicious’ decision to invite TwentyWonder to the Doll Factory in 2011 and throw the Dolls’ support behind us has been crucial to the success of TwentyWonder. We’re proud to call Demolicious a Friend of TwentyWonder.

When we say science is a part of our carnival of the mind, we mean it! In 2010, Friend of TwentyWonder Kostya Novoselov received the Nobel Prize in Physics for, “Groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene,”—graphene is kind of like pencil lead, in the same way that a Saturn V rocket is kind of like a Stomp Rocket. Kostya is a friend and professional colleague of David Saltzberg, who has taken part in every TwentyWonder since 2010 and serves as science consultant on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory’s, where Novoselov made a not coincidental cameo appearance.

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.

Jim is best known for his role as Sheldon Cooper on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, where he stars alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco. He grew up in the Lone Star State with ambitions to be an actor from an early age. His awards shelf has been filling up lately with Emmys for Big Bang while he has also garnered critical acclaim for his turn, on the stage and screen, as gay activist Tommy Boatwright in The Normal Heart.

And here's a Bazinga supercut to get you through the day.

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.

Christina Perri began taking piano lessons at age 8, but her teacher “fired” her because, “I would change the endings to the songs when I didn’t like the way they were written.” Her album lovestrong catapulted her from struggling LA life to stardom almost overnight when the song “Jar of Hearts” was featured on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance. In 2013, Christina donated to our auction the baby grand piano that she used when composing lovestrong. It raised a large sum for TwentyWonder’s beneficiary, the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles.

For over a decade, Bill has been collaborating with Friends of TwentyWonder Don Foster and Chuck Lorre on hit CBS sitcoms. He also helped write and produce the beloved world of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, for the hit show Gilmore Girls—featuring TwentyWonder performers Sam Phillips and Grant-Lee Phillips, no relation. During the 2003 California recall, Bill made himself a gubernatorial candidate, promising to “solve all the state’s problems in twenty-two minutes and forty-four seconds with two commercial breaks and a hug at the end.” He narrowly lost his bid to another entertainment professional.

Josh is a Massachusetts-based game developer, electronic dance musician, and video artist. In his former position as Creative Director at Harmonix Music Systems he was instrumental in launching the craze for rhythm games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Karaoke Revolution. He also made several music releases under the alias Robotkid. For the inaugural TwentyWonder, Josh flew out from Boston to demo a RockBand version of TwentyWonder’s theme song. We look forward to seeing what other innovations this Friend of TwentyWonder will bring to the intersection of music and gaming.

Best known for his iconic character Pee-Wee Herman, Paul has been a loyal Friend of TwentyWonder since its prehistory as Superball. Paul began his career in the 1970 as a member of the prestigious Groundlings improv troupe. While a member of The Groundlings, he premiered the character that would make him famous via HBO specials, a Tim Burton movie, and a children’s show. Since then he has made appearances on Murphy Brown, 30 Rock, and Ted Demme’s Blow.

Mark is the creator of CBS’ hit sitcom Mike & Molly, starring Friend of TwentyWonder Billy Gardell. He also has numerous writing credits on CBS’ Two and a Half Men. Mark wrote the darkly hilarious plays Rantoul and Die and Couples Counseling Killed Katie, which was produced at LA’s Pico Playhouse. He has also appeared onscreen in Friends, The Naked Truth, Seinfeld, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air—in an episode written by fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Eddie Gorodetsky.

Scot is one-half of the funniest fake lounge act in Hollywood. He began his career with Second City and went on to roles in movies like Anchorman:The Legend of Ron Burgundy, alongside fellow Friend of TwentyWonder David Koechner. LA comedy aficionados know him best for his work with Kate Flannery as The Lampshades, a comedic lounge act who have been working out their issues in public for over ten years. We were lucky to have Scot and Kate join TwentyWonder for a rendition of their show in the Doll Factory’s Chill Room during TwentyWonder 2013.

Gotta love Saltzberg! He comes to us by way of The Big Bang Theory and its bevy of Friends of TwentyWonder. When David is not acting as the science consultant for Sheldon and the gang over at CBS, he is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA. During his career he has searched the glaciers of Greenland for signs of interplanetary neutrinos and collaborated with researchers at the famed Large Hadron Collider at CERN. For TwentyWonder 2012, he turned the Derby Dolls and their banked track into a large-scale demonstration of the experiment that discovered the Higgs Boson!

For comics fans, Rob Schrab—pronounced like Robert—is known as the creator of Scud: The Disposable Assassin, the bizarre and violently funny saga of a self-destructing vending-machine robot assassin trying to keep itself alive by keeping its targets on life support. Since Scud, Schrab has gone on to write and direct numerous comedy projects in LA, including Friend of TwentyWonder Sarah Silverman’s eponymous series. Rob has a longstanding collaborative relationship with with Community creator, and Superballer, Dan Harmon. We are proud to count Rob among the Friends of TwentyWonder.

As the founding editor of The Huffington Post, Roy has had a profound impact on American media. Before HuffPo, Roy worked as a screenwriter for 20th Century Fox, Sony, Universal, and Disney. During that time he was also a writer/producer on Michael Moore’s Emmy-winning show TV Nation. He has become a regular face in the news, appearing on shows like Larry King Live, The O’Reilly Factor, and Anderson Cooper/360. We’re proud to count Roy among the Friends of TwentyWonder.

Coco, aka Monster X, is an LA-based freelance art director and graphic designer. She frequently works on high-profile album artwork, for which she has received two Grammy nominations—for “Songs of the West” and “The R&B Box: 30 Years of Rhythm & Blues”. She worked with the legendary Bob Dylan on a number of his albums. She also worked with Dylan on his radio show Theme Time Radio Hour—alongside fellow friend of TwentyWonder Eddie Gorodetsky. We’re proud to count Coco as a Friend of TwentyWonder.

Matt is an executive producer at The Simpsons, having begun his tenure there as a staff writer more than fifteen years ago. At The Simpsons he worked alongside fellow Friends of TwentyWonder Sam Simon and George Meyer. He is responsible for much of the original Simpsons material that has shown up in its film and video game adaptations. In addition to his work on The Simpsons, Matt consulted on Seinfeld and was a regular contributor to the Techland blog at Time. We’re honored by this Friend of TwentyWonder’s contributions to our carnival of the mind.

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.

Multi-grammy winning musician Rob Thomas is an incredibly accomplished songwriter. He is the lead vocalist for Matchbox Twenty, released a pair of solo albums, and collaborated with a host of artists including Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, and Mick Jagger. In addition to Rob’s musical contributions, his Sidewalk Angels Foundation has contributed to the welfare of animals across the country. Rob has also advocated for gay rights in the Huffington Post—edited by fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Roy Sekoff. TwentyWonder is blessed to be among the causes he has chosen to support.

Robots fighting! When you’ve got that, what more do you want from life? Mark Thorpe was a designer working at Lucasarts when he decided to start holding events which pitted DIY robots against each other in death matches. The idea was eventually picked up by the BBC and turned into the TV show Robot Wars. Besides his work on gladiatorial tech, this Friend of TwentyWonder has worked on prestigious movie franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Note: Apparently, Google’s Boston Dynamics subsidiary really likes the Robot Wars idea, but they’re developing it in sort of a non-fiction/action-adventure/horror direction.

Tom Woodruff is at the top of the Hollywood special effects world. He trained under legend Stan Winston before co-founding the oscar-winning effects studio ADI. This Friend of TwentyWonder worked on movies like Terminator, Aliens, Starship Troopers, Death Becomes Her, Cast Away, and Ender’s Game. In 2011 he brought one of his most popular creations to TwentyWonder, a fully functioning replica of the 1966 Batmobile. Among batmobile aficionados (it’s a thing!), Woodruff’s is considered one the best ever made. Adam West himself has driven it and told Tom it is his favorite. It’s a gorgeous product of a master craftsman. And we can attest that the afterburner is fully functional!

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.

Reno is best known as Mike & Molly’s Officer Carl McMillan, partner-in-stopping-crime to fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Billy Gardell. He has had an enviably productive career over the last fifteen years in front of the movie camera and behind the voice-over mic on hits like Crank, Heist, The Cosby Show, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air—in an episode coincidentally written by Friend of TwentyWonder Eddie Gorodetsky. He currently lives in Los Angeles, and we’re happy to count him among the Friends of 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.

Does he really need a bio? If you have no idea who Weird Al is, maybe TwentyWonder isn’t right for you. Also, he’s a loyal Friend of TwentyWonder, and we’re very grateful for his support.

Actor Moon Zappa has appeared in numerous TV shows including Normal Life, The Facts of Life, and How I Met Your Mother. She’s also known for the single “Valley Girl”, which she did alongside her father. In 2001 she published her first novel America, The Beautiful as well as the column “Earth to Moon”. She is a valued supporter, and we are glad to call her a Friend of TwentyWonder. Fun Fact: Moon Zappa made an appearance in Season Nine of Roseanne alongside fellow Friend of TwentyWonder Laurie Metcalf.

This accomplished screenwriter began her career on Grace Under Fire and Cybill before helping create several hit shows including Caroline in the City, Dharma & Greg, and Are You There, Chelsea?. During her career she has worked with a number of fellow Friends of TwentyWonder, including Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Don Foster, and Thomas Gibson. We’re happy to count her among the Friends of TwentyWonder.