Marty Putz

Canadian Marty Putz, uniquely a “physical and visual comedian” and “inventor” on Twitter, could be a contemporary Marx Brother, his show Very Weird And Slightly Dangerous encompassing neo-vaudevillian stunts. There are flying hamsters, exploding suits and “silly” inventions.

“It's a very visual and physical-based show, comedy-wise,” Putz says, admitting, “this is just a collection of pieces over my years of performing that I always consider very weird and slightly dangerous – although some may not feel that they're dangerous in the sense of life-threatening.” He touts it as “a really kinda high energy, senses-overload type of show.”
Stand-up can be static, but Putz' carnivalesque take is closer to physical theatre – and it's interactive. “My love of comedy has always come from more of the visual [side] – I'm a very visual-oriented person – so, as much as I love stand-up, if there isn't something visually appealing to me about the stand-up, I get quite bored.”

Very Weird And Slightly Dangerous is an allages show, Putz freely indulging “some mischievous kid aspects” of his personality – which explains the marshmallow fights. “I'm really quite immature, I think!”

The Toronto native introduced his now international stage “persona”, modelled on an eccentric inventor, around the early '90s. Putz became popular on the college circuit, moved to LA, but eventually “stepped away” from stand-up to create 2005's acclaimed CBC series, The Tournament, inspired by his “second love”, ice hockey (and Christopher “This Is Spinal Tap” Guest's satire). “It was a mockumentary about sports parents and, in particular, hockey parents.” Putz also plotted a family “live action” show, casting (and training) actors, for Cedar Fair – and this prompted his return to the stage in 2010. Along the way, the comedian even developed “gadgets and gizmos” for his US Putz Gear line. “That's the wonderful thing about performing – if you're open to what you do, it can take you in so many directions.”