Rising comic Mitch Hedberg wants the whole enchilada
By Larry Getlen • Bankrate.com

Mitch Hedberg is the perfect example of how perseverance can pay off in stand-up comedy.

The rising comic hit the stage for the first time in 1989 in South Florida, getting up at local open microphone nights and, by his own admission, not getting many laughs. Two years later, he moved to Seattle and found himself a bit funnier, a bit more admired and a bit more capable for getting paid road work. He started to play small-town clubs in Montana and Canada where audiences were so happy to see an entertainer show up, according to Hedberg, that the person didn't have to be that good.

It took him about five years to develop a half hour of solid material, all the while working to conquer stage fright so intense that it had a marked impact on his vocal stage presence which remains today.

Hedberg's fortunes changed in the late '90s when an appearance on MTV led to his signing with a manager. Within a year, Hedberg made his first appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Since then, Hedberg has appeared on Letterman's show nine more times and become one of the most popular comedians on the scene today. He self-released a concert CD in 1999 titled "Strategic Grill Locations," and will be releasing his second CD this year through a deal with Comedy Central.

At one point, Hedberg's career path almost swerved in another direction. He wrote and directed a movie called "Los Enchiladas!," which was accepted into the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, the film's reception at the festival was less enthusiastic than Hedberg had hoped, and any attempt at a directing career was dashed, at least for the time being. But Hedberg, who is still proud of the film and may release it on DVD, says that the experience made him focus even tighter on his strength -- stand-up comedy.

Bankrate spoke with Hedberg about the financial life of a comic.

Bankrate: When you were just starting out in South Florida, what did you do for money?

Mitch Hedberg: I got hired at one of those hospital experimental things, where they test drugs on you. I did that for a month and made $800, and at that time $800 for four weekends was amazing. And I cooked at the Sheraton Yankee Clipper hotel. They have a little hamburger and sandwich stand they brought out to the beach. I got a job doing that.

Bankrate: In your early days on the road, what did they pay you?

Mitch Hedberg: Back then I got $100 a show, although in Canada it was a little bit more. It was pretty amazing. I was having rough shows because these people in Canada, they like the hockey, and you'd have to do comedy right after the hockey games.

Bankrate: You wrote and directed a film, "Los Enchiladas!"

Mitch Hedberg: I had a development deal with a now-defunct studio for a hundred grand. At the time, I thought that was a lot of money. Eventually, I had a quarter of it left and said, "I'm going to make a movie." I thought I was going to make a movie for $25,000. In the end, I spent about a hundred grand. I got some loans and got into some credit card situations.

Bankrate: Have you paid that money back?

Mitch Hedberg: For the most part. I had some debt, and my credit's kind of screwed now because of it. But I'm working on that.

Bankrate: You Web site mentions a CD deal with Comedy Central. Tell me about that.

Mitch Hedberg: Comedy Central, or some branch of their company, is releasing CDs. They released Dave Attell's first, and they're going to do mine next. Hopefully, it'll get me into the new-release section. If you sell CDs individually, by yourself, the profit margin's amazing. You buy them for like a buck fifty a piece and sell them for $15. There, you're making $13 a CD. When you get a record deal like this, you're making a buck a CD. But it'll be more exposure, and it'll be more official and in stores, so that's kind of cool.