Yes.
That Mike Reiss.
If you’re a comedy nerd, you know exactly who Reiss is. He’s been writing and producing for The Simpsons for more than three decades. Not only has he helped shape the greatest television show and comedic entity of all-time, but he’s a de facto architect of modern comedy.
It’s pretty exciting then that Humorist Books is publishing Reiss’s new and very funny book,
What Am I Doing Here? A Simpsons Writer Visits the World’s Hellholes So You Don’t Have To. Based on the podcast of the same name,
What Am I Doing Here? is a collection of comical essays about Reiss’s extensive world travels, accompanied by pictures taken by his wife and collaborator, Denise Reiss. But this isn’t like all the other travel books. As heavily implied by that subtitle, the Reisses by and large travel to places most would consider anonymous, dangerous, and just plain not fun. Why? That’s the nature of wanderlust, and also, they got a great book out of it.
Here, let’s let Mike Reiss explain it.
1.Who are you? What are you doing here?
I’m Mike Reiss. I’ve been writing for The Simpsons for 35 years. But in my spare time I travel. I’ve been to 134 countries. Not by choice. I love my wife and she loves to travel, so I’ve literally followed her to the ends of the earth.
I’ve been to Iran, Iraq, the North Pole, the South Pole, Chernobyl – these are my vacations. I’ve even been to North Korea – that’s the scary Korea! It’s all in my new travel book called “What Am I doing Here?” It’s fast, it’s funny, and it’s factual… enough. You’ll hear how I was robbed in Rio, kidnapped in Honduras, dangled from a cliff in Pakistan, and chased by a lady with a meat cleaver, again in Honduras. I had a lot of problems in Honduras.
I visit all the world’s hotspots and hellholes, so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
2. Since “Where do you get your ideas?” is a terrible question, what made you want to write this book?
I’d written a best-selling Simpsons memoir Springfield Confidential, and as a follow-up I decided to write about the other side of my life: dangerous world travel. It’s a travel book, but in Simpsons style: fast, funny, irreverent, and with none of the boring parts. Plus, there’s pictures! No matter how crazy a story is, I have a photo to back it up!
3. How did you keep writing this book?
While I was working on the book, the Titan submarine imploded on its dive to the Titanic. And I had seen the Titanic on that very sub a year before. Suddenly I had a story the world wanted to hear. It’s surprisingly funny and ends the book.
4. Who is this book for, anyway?
It’s for anyone who wants a funny book, first and foremost. You can also learn a lot about the world, stuff no other travel book has the nerve to say. Like Iran is fun. And the Northern Lights suck.
5. Any darlings you had to kill?
No, I I just set aside all my lesser travel stories for a second book.
6. What are you working on now?
What Am I Doing Here 2: The Cash Grab.
