Local journalist turned comedian has a new streaming special
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Photo: Courtesy of Pete Smack
Pete McEntegart has done a little bit of everything, from working in investment banking and starting his own tech company to writing for Sports Illustrated and television shows.
- But the 57-year-old Raleigh resident's newest venture might be his bravest, as he tries to make it as a stand-up comic.
Why it matters: McEntegart, who most recently edited the local tech publication GrepBeat, has released his first comedy special under the name Pete Smack.
- The special, recorded at Theatre Raleigh, can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Youtube and Tubi. Called "Last Man Standing," it tackles topics like caring for his aging mother while navigating aging himself.
Axios recently chatted with Smack about becoming a comedian and making the special. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
You've been many things, including a journalist and an investment banker. What made you want to go full-time as a comic?
When standup comedy is going well as a performer, it makes you feel truly alive. No other profession I've had — and I've had a bunch — can offer the real-time feedback and (ideally) approval of a live audience.
- I had danced around doing standup for many years. … Then in late 2022/early 2023 I was looking to take one more "big swing" professionally before I got too old and I seized on trying to make a serious run at standup. Since I was in the startup world, I had the idea to raise money from investors by essentially selling shares in my comedy career. I raised almost $58k and that enabled me to make the leap to doing standup full-time.
What inspired your first comedy special?
I am someone who largely pulls material from my life and seeks to create longer shows with a narrative arc, in the vein of a comedian like Mike Birbiglia. It just so happened that the 15-ish months leading up to filming my special last September was a time of tremendous change in my life. In addition to making the leap to pursue standup full-time, my dad died and I moved in with my mom. So the special is mostly about those three things.
What does it take to get a comedy special picked up on a streaming service?
It's somewhere between very difficult and literally impossible to even approach the large streaming services as an individual comedian. … I don't have a manager or agent, I don't have a large social media following, and I don't have a proven track record in comedy. Not yet, anyway.
In my case, I bet on myself to create the special on my own dime. I used some of the money I raised from investors to rent out a theater in Raleigh and hire a filmmaker to shoot and edit the special. … After several months of repeated emails and mostly hearing nothing aside from a few 'nos,' I drew the interest of Comedy Dynamics, the largest independent comedy production company in the U.S. They have direct deals with multiple streaming companies — including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV — such that they can essentially place their specials on those platforms. They were able to open doors for me that I couldn't have opened on my own.