October 31, 2003
The King Still Has A Need For Speed
In his career, Richard Petty raced in over 1000 NASCAR races, where he racked up 200 Winston Cup victories. Seven of those wins where of the Daytona 500 variety, and 27 of them came in a single season. He was a NASCAR rookie of the year, seven-time Winston Cup Champion and was voted the most popular Winston Cup driver nine times. It's no wonder he is known as the King of NASCAR. Though the King has retired from racing, he still has the occasional need for speed. This is why he decided to test his mettle with a supersonic jet ride courtesy of the elite U.S. Navy Blue Angels and longtime sponsor STP. Just like he did during his racing days, Petty again traveled at warp speeds. This time however, he was doing it at 20,000 feet in a two-seat F/A-18-Hornet. Video footage of Petty’s sound barrier-breaking experience will appear as part of the pre-race activities for the Checker Auto Parts 500 Sunday, November 2.

October 31, 2003
The Thin Line Between Goofy and Genius
Chris Alpine easily walks the thin line between goofiness and genius. When you first hear his comedy act, you may write him off as a total nut, albeit a funny one, but after close examination of the material you begin to realize he may be on to something with his oddball takes on current events. Aside from an entertaining standup comedy show, Chris has used his comedic genius as a writer, producer and even as a director. Check out his skills behind the camera in a film Tommy G. might be able to relate to about the over usage of cell phones.

October 31, 2003
The Comedic Stylings of Jamie Lissow
Comedian Jamie Lissow has been called, “The best writer since Seinfeld,” “Adam Sandler without the guitar,” and “a no future bum” (by his ex-girlfriend’s mom). He is a “Tonight Show” veteran, law school dropout, a former competitive bodybuilder and a current championship caliber drinker. Lissow delivers intelligent stand-up comedy, which is just perfect for an open-minded audience that is ready to laugh their ass off... so we've heard. It’s seems to be paying off for him considering he's been re-booked at 100% of the places he’s appeared. Although to be fair, he also dyes his hair and studies accents… just to keep things fresh of course.

October 30, 2003
Phil Collins Calls the Stu-Stu-Studio
Phil Collins can easily be listed among the greatest musical artists of our time. Not only was he the one-time drummer and lead singer of one of the biggest bands ever, he’s also had a solo career few can compete with. Working with the band Genesis for 26 years, Collins helped lead the progressive rock movement with a collection of hit songs and albums including the international smash The Way We Walk. However, it was Phil’s solo career that really thrust him into the spotlight. Songs such as “Sussuido,” “Against All Odds,” and “Easy Lover” topped the charts around the world and allowed Collins the freedom to work on a variety of other projects that he never could have done with the band. He was able to play big band music, team up with other artist, and even produce an entire album where he played every instrument… talk about a solo project. In recent years, Collins has become a soundtrack superstar artist after winning an Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe award for his work on the Disney animated classic, Tarzan. This has led to him being signed on to do three more projects with the Mouse, which includes providing all the songs for their new feature film Brother Bear.

October 30, 2003
Great Trilogies
Come in Threes
Director and producer David Zucker, famous for his creations such as Airplane!, The Naked Gun series and BASEketball is doing something that maybe nobody else could have done… making the Scary Movie franchise funny. Zucker has taken over the movie series from the Wayans Brothers, and made this third installment into a classic parody comedy. The movie spoofs such popular films as The Matrix, Signs, The Ring, and 8 Mile and features cameos from a variety of big name celebrities and those Coors Light Twins. Scary Movie 3 is already a huge hit with movie goers, opening up #1 at box office.

October 29, 2003
Slash & Burn
The name Saul Hudson might not mean anything to you, which is why the former lead guitarist of mega-rock band Guns N’Roses chooses to go by his by his better known, and slightly edgier moniker, Slash. Slash got his first guitar from his grandmother when he was only 11-years-old, and has been jamming ever since. Influenced early in his career by such musical legends as Neil Young, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, Slash was determined to make a name for himself in rock… and he did just that when he helped create the band Guns N’Roses. GNR rocked through the 80’s and most of 90’s until Axl Rose and Slash had a disagreement over the direction of the band. The two decided to split, with Axl retaining the GNR name, but Slash didn’t let all his talent go to waist. He went on to form the band Snakepit and has recorded solo projects as well. Currently, you can find Slash on the brand new Robert Evans animated series “Kid Notorious,” which airs each Wednesday at 10:30 ET on Comedy Central.

Original illustration by Jordan Ward

October 28, 2003
A Pirate's Life For Me
CBS' smash hit reality show Survivor, now in its seventh season, has returned to the top of the television ratings. The show's continued success can be attributed to its ability to stay fresh with new players (like everyone's current favorite Rupert), locations and constant evolution of the game. As host Jeff Probst says, Survivor wrote the book on plot twists, Taking place in the Pearl Islands off the coast of Panama, it was no surprise that season seven featured a Pirate theme. The game began with the players being forced to 'walk the plank' with nothing more than the clothes on their backs as supplies. Since then, they have been taking part in pirate like challenges, plundering the each others camps, and searching for hidden treasure. Even with all the new features, the basic Survivor game is still present. Every three days there are two challenges, one for reward and one for immunity, followed by one member being voted "off the island" until only one player remains. It's just that now, not only do the castaways have to outwit, outplay and outlast, each other... they have to lie, cheat and steal too. Survivor: Pearl Islands airs every Thursday on CBS.

FACTOID - Jeff Probst recently wrote and directed the feature film Finder's Fee, for which he was named 'one of the top-10 directors to watch.' Finder's Fee will be released on DVD October 28.

October 28, 2003
Everything's Bigger in Texas
Scott Kennedy began comedy after a friend decided to enter him in an amateur comedy competition. This turned out to be just what Kennedy needed because he had been looking for a reason to quit all of his “real jobs” anyway. Kennedy has been selling out comedy clubs since 1994, and he’s fast become one of the most popular openly gay comedians in the business.

Side Note - This big, Texan, ex-offensive lineman is one of the founders of The Gay Comedy Jam which has sold-out shows in 150 cities across the US and Canada.

October 28, 2003
Super Tuesday
The Zany Report is back and only the beginning of the approaching NBA season could possibly compare to the excitement it brings. Bob Zany, legendary comedian and all around great guy (now with a full head of hair), has confirmed that there is a possibility that this could be his greatest edition of the Zany Report ever! Though we're not going to bet the farm on that claim, as long as it's better than last week's Report, we'll be happy. Plus, let's not forget about America's favorite game show, "Fix the Joke Baby, Live!" where one lucky player will win Zany's popular comedy album, I Just Can't Win Baby, as well as a one year subscription to BOB&TOM's VIP.