Patton Oswalt

Patton Oswalt belongs on Magnaphone. He does a bit where he conjures up a scene that involves a loser eating a KFC "Famous Bowl" at 3am. Said loser asks if they could make the bowl play This Mortal Coils' It'll End in Tears" while he eats it.. In an earlier version same loser asks if it could play Pink Floyds' "The Great Gig in the Sky" (along with "Dogs" my favorite Floyd tune ever). So as you can see he's one of us.

He also happens to be the funniest stand-up comic our cynical post-modern generation has produced. Along with Norm MacDonald, David Cross, Janeane Garofolo and Lizz Winstead he is pointing out everything that is wrong with a keen exacto.

Aside from being one of the funniest parts of the long-running The King of Queens, being the lead rat in Disney's Ratouille he just put out the damn funniest record you will hear this year on the storied and fantastic Sub Pop label. Werewoles & Lollipops is available now

Sparkling in his brevity he took time out of his busy schedule to talk to me a little:

Trout: Was Werewolves and Lollipops conceived as a whole, an arc commenting on America today, or was it just what you saw as your strongest work to date?

Patton: It was all my strongest work, wrapped in a bow and dipped in sprinkles.

T: One of your most popular bits is your masterful skewering of the KFC "Famous Bowl". Have the people at KFC asked you to reconsider? To give it another try and see if it's not just for losers? (Which it is)

P: They’ve wisely given me a wide berth.

T: Given your success on such mainstream projects as TV's The King of Queens and Disney's Ratatouille the temptation must be there to join the glitterati and stop being a "bridge troll". How do you fight it?

P: With physical neglect and scotch.

T: I loved your character Spence on The King of Queens, particularly when he would delve into his Albanian background. How much of your own personality were you allowed to inject into him? He seemed to love many of the same comics and TV shows you do.

P: Well, the writers did a good job adding levels of creepiness to Spence, so I kind of went where they pointed me.

T: Since the release of this record has science stepped up to the plate in even creepier ways than the 65-year old mother?

P: If it has, I don’t want to know.

T:I turn 37 this year as well, and everyone is now relieved that they don't have to celebrate it and pretend to like me. At the senior center where I work my folks seem really excited that they will be able to litter, thieve, and murder soon. How will you celebrate your 40th?

P: By being elected president.

T: The Bush junta is going to be ending soon. Who has your support?

P; Whichever horseman shows up first during the Apocalypse.

T: As your fame grows the threat that you may someday be in the presence of Paris Hilton also grows. Do you ever fear that day that she may call you to task for wishing her "AIDS of the cancer of the leukemia of the eyes?"

P: Since she doesn’t know what “AIDS”, “leukemia” or “eyes” are, I’m safe.

T: What are your thoughts on the rumored Star Trek: Starfleet Academy film featuring Matt Damon as Kirk, Adrian Brody as Spock, and Gary Sinise as McCoy?

:P: Hope, confusion and giddiness.

T: I n the realm of Star Wars it might just get a little worse with planned animated films and a T.V. series. What do you think? If anything it should be grist for your act.

P: I have said my final word on Star Wars. I have moved on, and so should we.

T; Magnaphone is based in Philadelphia and that's where a good number of its readers are as well. I always like to ask artists of any memories of times in our terrifying little town. Have any?

P: It’s a haze of delicious cheese steaks and shocking body odors.

T; Your act references a lot of brilliant music (Bad Brains, Fugazi, This Mortal Coil, Elvis Costello, the Pixies). Did this motivate you to go with Sub Pop? Do you find your audience is in tune with a lot of these musical touch points?

P:What motivated me to go with SubPop was that they asked me.

Which brings me to my favorite questions for everyone. What was the last record you bought? Listened to? What's your favorite record of all time? Last great comic you read?

Children of Pebbles boxed compilation, Same as above., Girls in the Garage Vol. 1 compilation by Romulan Records., World War Hulk 3.

T: You're a geek like me. Did you love Grindhouse?

P: Loved it. Wished it’d done better.

T: I loved your interview with Aimee Mann in The Believer. The Forgotten Arm was one of my favorite records of the last couple years. When she played Philly on the 'I'm with Stupid’ tour she stopped her show dead for a half-hour to do a Carol Burnett style Q & A. What did you think of the Christmas record?

P: I loved it. I love everything she does.

T: What's next in the world of Patton Oswalt?

:P: Sitting around and breathing steadily.

T: I will break up with a girl, or not return her calls based on bad taste in music, or any remote interest in Cirque De Soleil. Is that wrong?

P: No.

Werewolves and Lollipops is available now at Sub Pop