Cook is, of course, joking about his lack of humour, which, if you think about it, is kind of funny—or maybe it’s not funny at all. This is the sort of paradox that swirls around the wildly successful touring comic who, more than anyone else on the comedy scene today, can polarize a cocktail party conversation.

The L.A.-based comic brings his act to Copps Coliseum tomorrow night.

Before hitting the road, he sat down a few weeks ago at the Sunset Tower Hotel to talk about comedy, death, success and controversy, as well as technology, which has been a backbeat to his success in a singular fashion.

With half-a-million hits per month on his website, a popular blog and 2.5 million friends on his MySpace page, Cook is hard-wired for the digital age in a way that no other comic can rival.

“He built his career leveraging MySpace, but he now has 300,000 Twitter fans and 500,000 Facebook fans, and that’s gone up 200,000 in recent weeks,“ said Adam Zbar, chief executive of Zannel, which partnered with Cook on his own iPhone application. “He’s the digital-age comedian with the largest online footprint of anyone in comedy.

That’s a major reason he sells out arenas with startling ease and racks up box-office numbers that are more like Bruce Springsteen than Lenny Bruce; in 2005, for example, he played two shows at Boston Gardens, his hometown, with a combined audience of 38,000.

“I’ve embraced this technology; it’s the thing that built my career, but it’s also going to be the thing that capsizes me every once in a while,“ said Cook, who is attacked with venom and glee across the Internet as unfunny, a joke thief and a star only frat boys could love. “I respond directly to some of it, or I have in the past, but if you do that, well, that’s one day a week you have to set aside, a B.S. day.“

Veteran comic Robert Klein summed up the skeptics’ side a few years ago when he said, “With Dane Cook, I just don’t see it. I’m going, ‘Where’s the beef here?‘ I just don’t get it. He made a career for himself on the Internet.“

Cook’s comedy is observational, antic and smirking. Many comedians are outsiders, either by heritage or disposition, and there’s anger or iconoclasm in the best of their jokes. Not Cook, who is white, handsome, tall and cheery. This might explain why he is so popular—and so ridiculed.

“People want to escape, they want to laugh, and a lot of the stuff that’s there right now—The Daily Show, Letterman and Stephen Colbert—it’s still got a lot of the stuff that’s stressing us. The pinprick and the healing is great, but sometimes people want to set all of it aside and just be entertained.“

Cook is coming off a foray into Hollywood films that didn’t go as planned. He starred in a romantic comedy called Good Luck Chuck that was neither good nor lucky, and while he held his own as a wannabe serial killer in Mr. Brooks (with Oscar winners Kevin Costner and William Hurt), the movie earned more respect than money. Cook has decided to go back to the stage, where he has been telling jokes since he was 17 in Boston.

“I think for the first time in a long time I have perspective about what I’ve accomplished and where I’ve, well, I don’t want to say where I failed, but where I had some bad at-bats,“ Cook said. “I didn’t have that while it was happening.“

A career highlight was a 2006 special that used a lone camera and a no-frills approach.

“When I did the Vicious Circle special, it was so huge,“ he said. “Here I am in front of 20,000 people, and it’s broad and theatrical and 1,000 edits and cuts from show one and show two when I’m pivoting.

“As much fun as it was to get in there and figure out how to create the perfect show, this time I wanted to flip that completely on its head. One guy, one camera, one night, the good, the bad, the screw-ups.“

Cook isn’t quite the guy many people think he is. For one thing, despite the keg-party persona, he says he’s never had a drink in his life and doesn’t do drugs either. The reason? He says he is so competitive that if he started drinking he would have to be the best at it and that wouldn’t end well.

He also seems to be trying to review his material to make sure he isn’t purposefully hurtful to people, especially women. Cook has five sisters, who have given him a lot of feedback.

Personally, it’s been a difficult few years for Cook, who lost his mother in 2006 after her battle with cancer and then his father the following year. There was also an ugly embezzlement scandal that had Cook’s half-brother, Darryl McCauley, charged with siphoning off millions from the comedian’s earnings. After those bruising incidents and the Hollywood humbling, the overgrown-kid seems more mature and reserved. His new comedy set reflects some of his pain and the resulting change in demeanour.

“The stuff about my mom and dad, it was a new beginning for me of stepping away from some of the old approaches and tricks and tools,“ Cook said. “It was the beginning of figuring out what the new stuff is. I’m very proud of this new show. I wish they could see it.“

Los Angeles, CA – October 28, 2009 – Zannel, the award-winning mobile service that allows people to instantly share their videos, pictures and text updates to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and other social networks, announced today an exclusive partnership with the legendary rock band KISS (www.KISSonline.com) to launch an innovative iPhone, mobile phone and online program. Available starting today, KISS fans can see exclusive behind-the-scenes Alive/35 multi-media updates sent directly to their iPhone, iPod Touch, mobile phones and online as well as preview and purchase music from 28 KISS albums.

Zannel’s partnership with KISS marks a continued expansion of the Zannel Platform for top-tier musicians and up-and-coming bands alike. From the tour bus to the stage and everything in between, KISS is sharing with fans an exclusive view into their Alive/35 tour, which is currently underway. The first leg of KISS’s Alive/35 North American tour will hit nearly 50 cities and comes hot off the heels of the October 6 release of the new KISS album Sonic Boom.

Fans can download the free KISS iPhone application to view multimedia updates, interact with other fans, find venue information, purchase tickets, and listen to and purchase KISS music from 28 of their best albums directly from iTunes. Exclusive tour video, pictures, updates and other content is available in the KISS VIP Pass application for a one-time download of $1.99. The KISS and KISS VIP Pass applications are available in Apple’s App Store on iPhone or iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/“ title=“www.itunes.com/appstore/“>www.itunes.com/appstore/.  For those fans without an iPhone or iPod Touch device, free multimedia updates can be accessed by texting KISS to 58888. To access the exclusive multimedia content, fans can subscribe for $0.99/month to multimedia text alerts by texting the keyword KISSVIP to 58888.

“Zannel continues its association with the biggest stars in music, comedy, film, and television, enabling major artists to communicate directly with their millions of fans on a mass scale,” says Adam Zbar, CEO of Zannel.com. “We are excited to work with KISS, who are true rock legends, and to offer KISS fans the ability to stay connected anywhere, anytime. We look forward to this exciting tour, and stay tuned for additional Zannel talent deals in the near future.” 

The “KISS” mobile solution is built on the Zannel Platform, which enables artists to monetize their premium content via paid mobile and web applications, subscriptions, and sponsorships, as well as selling tickets, music, and merchandise.  Zannel also provides artists with a 360º promotional platform that allows them to publish promotional video and picture updates to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, and the other leading social networks. These updates can be shared by fans, viewed on a map, discussed in groups, and promoted in artist-driven contests that drive fan engagement. In total, the Zannel platform provides artists with the most sophisticated location-based multi-media microblogging service to instantly and visually communicate with their fans.

About Zannel

Zannel is the mobile industry’s first Instant Media Network™, which allows people to instantly and visually communicate what’s happening now across mobile and the web, including all major social networks. Zannel won a Webby for Best Mobile Social Network in 2008, serves millions of users, and has over 50 partnerships with leading operators, media companies, and brands.  Founded by the team that built the first large-scale mobile media storefronts in the US, Zannel is located in San Francisco and backed by top-tier VCs. www.zannel.com

About KISS

KISS is a legendary American rock back formed in New York City in 1972 and regarded as one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time. Their career milestones are staggering. KISS holds honors as one of America’s top gold record champions, recording 37 albums over 36 years, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. Over thirty years of record-breaking tours around the globe include high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the 2005 Rockin’ The Corps concert dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently, the 2009 American Idols Finale before thirty million viewers. The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation, transcending age, race and creed. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the “Hottest Band in the World” is a striking testament to the band’s unbreakable bond with its fans. In 2009, KISS was nominated for induction in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sonic Boom, KISS’ first album in 11 years and released exclusively at Wal-Mart, Walmart.com and Sam’s Club, is an emphatic statement that includes three discs for the price of one. The centerpiece is Sonic Boom, a disc of 11 brand new KISS anthems including their hit Modern Day Delilah, a re-mastered disc of classic KISS songs and a third disc with live footage from their recent show in Buenos Aires, Argentina. KISS is currently on a 44-city tour of North America.

For additional on KISS, please visit www.KISSonline.com.

  * Added support for Zannel.com uploads. Select “Zannel” from the “Media Provider” choice on the Configure screen.
  * Embedded Camera is now available for OS 4.2+ for smartphones with a camera. Try the “Take Photo” menu item from the main “What Are You Doing?” screen
  * Added a “Help” menu for online help
  * Improved performance and memory use for uploading media

To download OTA, hit up http://orangatame.com/ota/twitterberry/beta.html

Hot on the heels of last month’s successful launch of the “Dane Cook Global” iPhone and iPod touch App (which debuted to 5-star reviews), Zannel’s partnership with Urban marks an important expansion of the Zannel Platform for top-tier musicians and bands. From the tour bus to the stage and everything in between, Urban is sending exclusive multi-media updates directly to fans from his Escape Together World Tour, which is currently underway. Urban’s North American tour will hit 50 cities and will feature guest appearances from friends including Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, The Zac Brown Band, and Glen Campbell.

“I’ve always been a touring artist because I love the connection I get with my fans. With my new VIP Pass, I can now share what it’s like to be on the road through my eyes,“ said Urban. “It’s an amazing rush to hit the road, and hear thousands of people singing along to my songs and feel the electricity in the air. My fans can now be part of touring life more than ever before.“

Zannel delivers the ultimate country music fan package. Not only will the iPhone and iPod touch app offer exclusive multi-media updates from Keith, but fans can also follow Keith on an interactive tour map, download Keith Urban Wallpapers for the iPhone and iPod touch, interact with other fans to talk about the tour action, get tour venue information, purchase tickets and merchandise, listen to and purchase Keith’s tracks on iTunes, and more.

The app is available for $1.99 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone or iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/.

“Zannel continues its association with great names in music, comedy, sports, film, and television, enabling major artists to communicate directly with their fan base on a mass scale,“ says Adam Zbar, CEO of Zannel.com. “We are excited to work with one of the biggest names in country music today and offer Keith’s fans the ability to stay connected anywhere, anytime. We look forward to his exciting tour, and stay tuned for additional Zannel talent deals over the course of the summer.“

The “Keith Urban VIP Pass” is built on the Zannel Platform, which enables artists to monetize their premium content via paid mobile and web applications, subscriptions, and sponsorships, as well as selling tickets, music, and merchandise. Zannel also provides artists with a 360º promotional platform that allows them to publish promotional video and picture updates to Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Flickr, and the other leading social networks. These updates can be shared by fans, viewed on a map, discussed in groups, and promoted in artist-driven contests that drive fan engagement. In total, the Zannel platform provides artists with the most sophisticated location-based multi-media microblogging service to instantly and visually communicate with their fans.

Australia native Keith Urban, who moved to Nashville in 1992, has quickly established himself as a force in country music and crossover entertainment alike. His career seven albums and nine #1 hits have earned him multiple Grammy Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and Academy of Country Music Awards and have even landed him a coveted spot on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

The expansion of the Zannel platform represents a unique offering as performers extend the footprint of their social media beyond services like Twitter and share in the revenue generated from application sales.

About Zannel

Zannel is the mobile industry’s first Instant Media Network , which allows people to instantly and visually communicate what’s happening now across mobile and the web, including all major social networks. Zannel won a Webby for Best Mobile Social Network in 2008, serves millions of users, and has over 50 partnerships with leading operators, media companies, and brands. Founded by the team that built the first large-scale mobile media storefronts in the US, Zannel is located in San Francisco and backed by top-tier VCs. http://www.zannel.com

Zannel
Kelly Stack, 415-843-5000
Kelly@zannel.com

Here is more directly from Zannel:

A multi-media microblogging service called zannel.com has created a #iranelection channel http://www.zannel.com/iranelection where Twitter users can share in real-time their photos and videos with others to view and discuss. Geo-tagged updates can be viewed on a map of Iran.

While people are posting photos of the protests to their flickr accounts (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mousavi1388/) and to twitpic (http://twitpic.com/7mbhc), Zannel¹s #iranelection is the 1st group channel that allows multiple Twitter users to see and share their photos, videos, location, and longer tweets all in one spot. Simply go to http://www.zannel.com/iranelection and login with your Twitter ID to get started.

I think this could be quite useful for Friday after Ayatollah Khomeini give his speech during Friday prayers regarding the election. Something to keep an eye on.

All the links of the old nave are still there, just in slightly different configurations.  The new top nav addresses two separate issues. First, we wanted to visually simplify the page layout.  Consolidating all the various links from the previous top nav bar was a great way to do that.  Secondly, by consolidating links in the top nav, we’ve simultaneously made more room on the page for what’s important, namely all the content in the feed and the rest of the page.

We think it’s a solid step towards cleaning up the look and feel of the page. But, by all means, let us know what you think! (Try sharing your feedback to Zannel as a post with a #feedback tag to the ZannelFeedback topic so others can chime in and respond.)

49-ZANNEL

Quick Take: Don’t leave photojournalism to the pros. At Zannel, you’re the photojournalist, sharing your digital photographs with the world.

Photography may be more of a hobby for you, but you still want to know what people think of your photographs—not professional critics with agendas and bills to pay, but regular, ordinary people. With Zannel, you can upload photos from your digital camera or phone, post them with clever captions, and watch the comments roll in. Here’s your chance: You can document your world, whether you’re witnessing a bonafide news event or just hanging with your buddies. That picture of you and your dad in “Star Wars” Wookie costumes? Go ahead and share it, and see if anyone thinks it’s as funny as you do. It’s the age of sharing; why not share your creative side, the side your friends don’t always see? You don’t have to be on the payroll of a publication to take photos worth viewing. And hey, you might just get noticed by someone you want to get noticed by.

About Photo 100
The Photo 100 is your source for the best photography sites on the web, whether you’re looking for a point-and-shoot camera or you’re a pro seeking out expert-level tips and advice.

5 min Life Videopedia

Adam Zbar, Steve Hoffman, Braxton Woodham and Harry Evans founded Zannel in late 2007 in order to address two issues. First, though 80% of mobile users have phones with cameras, only 50% of them take mobile pictures or videos, and only 5% of these are shared. The founders wanted to develop the easiest and most fun way for content creators to share their media across mobiles, the web, and all major social networks. Second, they wanted to democratize mobile media so that anyone could share their mobile photos and videos with friends and fans.

Zannel’s Instant Media Messaging™ service allows content creators to syndicate and monetize their content across the social web/mobile web. But according to the company, what makes Zannel unique is its flagship product, Tourwatch. The patent-pending monetization platform allows major artists such as comedian Dane Cook and musician Keith Urban to syndicate and monetize their most valuable video content on mobiles and the web via downloads, subscriptions, and sponsorship.

Though users can create share, discuss their photos and videos for free on Zannel, they have to pay to get access to premium updates from top-tier talent in way of downloads (iPhone app) or subscriptions (PSMS). This service includes exclusive video, picture, and text updates; the ability to view a band’s tour on a map and get the latest tour information; and the ability to purchase tickets, music, and merchandise directly from the application.

The San Francisco-based company is targeting three groups: content creators such as musicians, celebrities and sportspeople who are looking to monetize their social media; content creators who are looking to promote themselves across social networks by leveraging Zannel’s one-click content syndicate platform; and everyone who loves to take photos and make videos with their mobile phone and needs a service that allows them to share content with friends and family. The company also derives revenue from advertising and sponsorship.

Zannel boasts of one million registered users. According to Compete, there were slightly more than 50,000 unique visitors in April 2009. The company has partnerships with top artists including Keith Urban and Dane Cook, as mentioned above, and it is going to announce partnerships with other artists soon. Further, it has over 50 partnerships with media companies such as Warner Brothers, Capitol, Endemol, Road&Track, Ubisoft, Universal Pictures, Universal Music Group, Versaly Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, and Playboy. The company also has on-deck partnerships with all major mobile carriers in the US, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Virgin. Zannel’s awards include the Webby award for Best Mobile Social Network in 2008 and the Mobile Excellence award for Best Mobile Service in 2008.

Zannel has raised $16 million in venture capital so far: a $6 million Series A from Palomar Ventures and US Venture Partners and a $10 million Series B from Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners and Palomar Ventures. The company did not comment on its profitability but said that there is strong revenue traction. Further, Zannel said that it is working with a number of major partners that may lead to a high-value exit at a later date.

So what’s the benefit to you, the small business? I’ll tell you…but first a bit of a background on how I heard about them.

If you use Twitter, you know that you want to share photos with your entire Twitter followers and those following you. So you use your mobile device & take a picture. What’s the best way for you to share? Most of you will answer with the site Twitpic. I’ve used Twitpic in the past but apparently it never synched with my Twitter account so people never knew I was posting photos. During this time, I was at a Social Media Club event at the Zannel headquarters & spoke with their public relations person, Joann Peach and she gave me an introduction to what Zannel is. I thought it was something cool, but didn’t know the applicability so I essentially shrugged it off because I knew I was happy with the way I’ve been posting my photos & video. Unbenownst to me, I would soon eat my words and become a user of their product - much to my satisfaction.

Basically instead of simply posting photos, Zannel handles video as well and, well, even tweets. But here’s the thing that majorly separates it from Twitpic or yFrog is that it can post to several sites simultaneously, including, but not limited to: Twitter (of course), Flickr, Facebook, WordPress and Moveable Type. You can also create your own widget through Zannel that will allow you to display your photos/videos on other websites as you please. Another key thing is that you’re allowed to geo-tag your photos so people will know where the photo was taken.

But what about the advantages to small businesses? Imagine that you’re running a campaign and want to know about the awareness factor? You can have the public go around snapping photos of your traditional ads that may be running on bus shelters, street signs, doorways, alleyways, on buses, in newspapers, etc and upload them to a Zannel account. Then you could create a aggregate account on Zannel to pull in photos & videos from folks who tagged their content a certain way. Make it into a contest and you might get more participation.

Here’s an interesting example, check out what Zannel did during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC. They had about nine contributors go around and snap photos of different galas and balls and the scene throughout the nation’s capital. This website is branded with the inauguration banner but this could also be your company or campaign as well so you can have your own page to control the content. Another example of what you can do is also apparent with the landing page for the Los Angeles Auto Show by Road & Track Magazine.

I would say that you should check out the usage of Zannel on any of your campaigns as that’ll help show some “accountability” and give a good measure of how people are paying attention to your campaigns, depending on what your overall goals are. It’s basically another social networking site so go ahead and sign up and interact with people on there. You may find a community interested in your product or industry. Reach out to them and you could potentially earn some evangelists too.

Let the adventure begin!

He lost both his parents to cancer in the span of a year. His half brother Darryl McCauley has been charged with siphoning off millions from him. And then there’s the dedicated breed of Dane-haters that show little mercy in their scrutiny of the comic, even hurling insults at him during his time of grief.

Lob on a couple of stinkers at the box office and you’ve got yourself a real-life, full body rug burn.

So Cook, 37, dealt with these setbacks and challenges like any self-respecting comedian would do: he got back on stage.

“When these events fell from the sky on my lap, I dusted myself off and realized I was in pain,“ he tells PopEater in a new interview. “My first obligation as a comedian was: gotta be funny ... there’s gotta be funny in here somewhere. So I just started rooting around, piecing together the poignant moments but making them funny.“

He started keeping a diary to jot down his memories of his folks, George and Donna, and lo and behold “I found that I was laughing.“

In one track off the album, aptly titled ‘Haters,‘ Cook recounts an email he received from “Anonymous@Yahoo.com” with a friendly enough subject line that read, “Please Read This.“ Of course, it was from a hater and read: “Dane, both of your parents got cancer and died to get away from s——y comedy.“

Cook knew that was a heavy thing to drop on fans, and the cautious reaction from the audience is a tense moment in the show. “That was a bit of a slam on the breaks moment for my fans, but definitely a step-on-the-gas moment for my evolution.“

He adds: “Losing my folks. What happens when you become famous or mainstream and the backlash that comes with that. What happens when there are people that are as dedicated to hating you as your fans are dedicating to praising you.“

That’s partly why the Boston native doesn’t do too much “roast-style humor,“ as he puts it, steering clear of ripping on other celebrities when they’re down.

“Having been a person that’s been criticized and been through the spanking machine, you tend to have a little bit more understanding,“ he says. “I know what it’s like to have the white hot spotlight on you. And I know about the backlash.“

“As far as having a Hollywood lifestyle. I don’t have one. I never played into it. I live out here but that’s about all I can say about it. I do my thing and I go home. I’m a homebody. I’ve had the same friends for 20-plus years and I don’t hang out with that element. That lifestyle bores me.“

After a few hits and misses in his acting career, which has included ‘Good Luck Chuck’ and ‘Mr. Brooks’ in 2007 and last year’s ‘My Best Friend’s Girl,‘ the Hollywood outsider plans to stick to stand-up for a while.

“I deviated a little bit by doing a lot of films and having some up-and-down experiences in Hollywood ... So I’ll probably ease back a bit on movies and stick with the stand-up for the next year or two.“
When he does return to the big screen, Cook want to keep his work as random as his comedy routine.

“I don’t wanna do ‘Ace Ventura’ and then do nine movies just like it afterwords. I’ll always have comedy, so why not have dalliances in other genres in film ... If it’s done right I think I may have a shot at a healthy film career,“ adding “I would to show off the other side of the brain. No complaints, though, comedy’s been great to me.“

For now, Cook is stoked to hit the road for a huge ‘Isolated Incident’ tour that will eventually bring his 360-degree stage to Britain, Australia and South Africa, not that any of those far-off places will receive the same show.

“The tour is definitely evolving ... The jokes are always changing and never finished. Kinda like how George Lucas keeps f——-g with ‘Star Wars’ every two years. There’s something exhilarating and frustrating about that.“
—
Side Note: For all you tech-y cool people with iPhones, Cook’s deep connection to fans has led to the creation of his own iPhone application in partnership with Zannel.com ... featuring video, text and photo updates directly from the funnyman, as well as tour dates and album downloads. Watch a Preview

Cook is, of course, joking about his lack of humor, which, if you think about it, is kind of funny—or maybe it’s not funny at all. This is the sort of paradox that swirls around the wildly successful touring comic who, more than anyone else on the comedy scene today, can polarize a cocktail party conversation.

Sunday night, Comedy Central will air Cook’s new stand-up special, “ISolated INcident,“ which be released as an audio album Tuesday and as a DVD later this year. Cook is on tour right now, with three shows in Las Vegas next weekend and a Staples Center appearance on May 30.

Before hitting the road, he sat down a few weeks ago at the Sunset Tower Hotel to talk about comedy, death, success and controversy, as well as technology, which has been a backbeat to his success in a singular fashion.

With half-a-million hits per month on his website, a popular blog and 2.5 million friends on his MySpace page, Cook is hard-wired for the digital age in a way that no other comic can rival.

“He built his career leveraging MySpace, but he now has 300,000 Twitter fans and 500,000 Facebook fans, and that’s gone up 200,000 in recent weeks,“ said Adam Zbar, chief executive of Zannel, which partnered with Cook on his own iPhone application. “He’s is the digital-age comedian with the largest online footprint of anyone in comedy.“

That’s a major reason he sells out arenas with startling ease and racks up box-office numbers that are more like Bruce Springsteen than Lenny Bruce; in 2005, for example, he played two shows at Boston Gardens, his hometown, with a combined audience of 38,000. (He is also the first comedian to sell out Staples.) “I’ve embraced this technology; it’s the thing that built my career, but it’s also going to be the thing that capsizes me every once in a while,“ said Cook, who is attacked with venom and glee across the Internet as unfunny, a joke thief and a star only frat boys could love. “I respond directly to some of it, or I have in the past, but if you do that, well, that’s one day a week you have to set aside, a B.S. day.“

In some ways, Cook’s success is a bit like the 1980s music career of Phil Collins—the more you pull it apart, the harder it is to explain. There’s nothing especially mysterious about Cook (far from it, he’s pure Boston dude-speak), but many of his comedy peers are mystified by him.

Veteran comic Robert Klein summed up the skeptics’ side a few years ago when he said, “With Dane Cook, I just don’t see it. I’m going, ‘Where’s the beef here?‘ I just don’t get it. He made a career for himself on the Internet.“

Cook’s comedy is observational, antic and smirking. Many comedians are outsiders, either by heritage or disposition, and there’s anger or iconoclasm in the best of their jokes. Not Cook, who is white, handsome, tall and cheery. This might explain why he is so popular—and so ridiculed.

“People want to escape, they want to laugh, and a lot of the stuff that’s there right now—‘The Daily Show,‘ Letterman and Stephen Colbert—it’s still got a lot of the stuff that’s stressing us. The pinprick and the healing is great, but sometimes people want to set all of it aside and just be entertained.“

In Hollywood

Cook is coming off a foray into Hollywood films that didn’t go as planned. He starred in a romantic comedy called “Good Luck Chuck” that was neither good nor lucky, and while he held his own as a wannabe serial killer in “Mr. Brooks” (with Oscar winners Kevin Costner and William Hurt), the movie earned more respect than money. Cook has decided to go back the stage, where he has been telling jokes since he was 17 in Boston.

“I think for the first time in a long time I have perspective about what I’ve accomplished and where I’ve, well, I don’t want to say where I failed, but where I had some bad at-bats,“ Cook said. “I didn’t have that while it was happening.“

In the comedy special airing Sunday night, there is a lone camera and a no-frills approach. “When I did the ‘Vicious Circle’ special it was so huge,“ he said referring to the 2006 HBO special that was a career peak. “Here I am in front of 20,000 people, and it’s broad and theatrical and 1,000 edits and cuts from show one and show two when I’m pivoting. As much fun as it was to get in there and figure out how to create the perfect show, this time I wanted to flip that completely on its head. One guy, one camera, one night, the good, the bad, the screw-ups.“

The show was the third of three nights at the Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip, a venue that has been a home base for Cook since he moved west in the mid-1990s to pursue some sitcom opportunities. (He was in five episodes of “Maybe This Time,“ starring Marie Osmond, which didn’t fulfill its hopeful title.)

“I was shy and had panic attacks at the beginning, and by the time I got to L.A. I was still introverted but I could put on a brave face,“ Cook said. “I had wanted to be on stage doing comedy since I was a little kid, but I would have the hummingbird heartbeat. I was a lot more manic on stage, a lot more physical in my comedy. I’d be sweating by the end.“

Jamie Masada, the Laugh Factory’s owner since the club opened in 1979, immediately keyed into Cook’s enthusiasm and crowd-pleasing sensibilities, which set the newcomer apart from many of the ironic, detached or edgy personas who held the microphone on most nights. “He was happy to be on stage,“ Masada said, “and it showed.“

“I’m an entertainer and I’m here to put on a show, and I own that,“ Cook said. “It happened to me in New York too, the criticism from other guys backstage, ‘You’re smiling on stage. What are you smiling about?‘ “

Some surprises

In Sunday night’s show, Cook doesn’t flail nearly as much as he did in his early days, a style that was mocked on YouTube with “MADtv’s” Ike Barinholtz doing an unflattering Cook imitation. As with everything involving Cook, the little video has big numbers; it’s been viewed more than 1.1 million times and there is a long, raging debate in the comments section—more than 10,000 opinions, many of them sputtering with passion.

Cook isn’t quite the guy many people think he is. For one thing, despite the keg-party persona, he says he’s never had a drink in his life and doesn’t do drugs either. The reason? He says he is so competitive that if he started drinking he would have to be the best at it and that wouldn’t end well. He also seems to be trying to review his material to make sure he isn’t purposefully hurtful to people, especially women. Cook has five sisters, who have given him a lot of feedback.

Personally, it’s been a difficult few years for Cook, who lost his mother in 2006 after her battle with cancer and then his father the following year. There was also an ugly embezzlement scandal that had Cook’s half-brother, Darryl McCauley, charged with siphoning off millions from the comedian’s earnings. After those bruising incidents and the Hollywood humbling, the overgrown-kid Cook seems more mature and reserved. His new comedy set reflects some of his pain and the resulting change in demeanor.

“I’ve been doing this material about deleting my mom from the cellphone,“ Cook said. “That moment when I was looking at the number and just as her son and a human being, what it meant that this person was gone and the number was still here. The second thing is the comic mind going, everyone goes through this—a little dual push and pull. So I told it on stage one night, just really authentically and without too much polish. It felt right.“

Cook is no longer jumping at every opportunity that presents itself and he is also trying to enjoy success, which had been difficult in his career ramp-up because his parents’ health was eroding. Cook said he is looking for new things to laugh at and, just maybe, he will win over some of the skeptics who believe he is more flash than substance.

“The stuff about my mom and dad, it was a new beginning for me of stepping away from some of the old approaches and tricks and tools,“ Cook said. “It was the beginning of figuring out what the new stuff is. I’m very proud of this new show. I wish they could see it.“

The Followpalooza music contest (www.zannel.com/followpalooza) challenged emerging musicians to gather the most followers by posting pictures and short video posts with Zannel.com. Followpalooza enabled artists to connect with fans, grow awareness through social media, and have a chance at some great prizing.

The first place prize included a two day recording session with Grammy award winning producer, Warren Riker, at Broken Wave Studios, a support slot with Scissors For Lefty at The Bottom of the Hill, a Zannel featured interview, a flip camera, and a mentor session with the newly popular Authentik Artists. The second place prize included a five-song studio session at Apollo Studios in San Francisco, the opening spot for Scissors For Lefty at The Bottom of the Hill, a flip camera, a Zannel featured interview, and a mentor session with Tricycle Records. Throughout the contest Zannel awarded weekly prizes to the top bands of the week and selected participants were featured on Warren Riker’s Broken Wave Studios radio program. The contest officially started March 1, 2009 and ended May 1, 2009.

Zannel will launch the second round of Followpalooza on June 1, 2009 for all past participants and new artists looking for innovative ways to build their audiences and win cool prizes. First place prize includes a Gig Merchandise Package from www.discmakers.com, a one-year Sonic Bids membership, two special quest management mentor sessions, and a Flip camera. The second place prize included a Sonic Bids membership, an order pack of 750 stickers, a CD review, and a Flip camera. Participants can enter at followpalooza.zannel.com for their chance to win.

About Zannel

Zannel is the mobile industry’s first Instant Media Network™, which allows people to instantly and visually communicate what’s happening now across mobile and the web, including all major social networks. Zannel won a Webby for Best Mobile Social Network in 2008, serves millions of users, and has over 50 partnerships with leading operators, media companies, and brands. Founded by the team that built the first large-scale mobile media storefronts in the US, Zannel is located in San Francisco and backed by top-tier VCs. http://www.zannel.com

Cook, ein Brachialkomiker für begeisterte Schenkelklopfer, nutzt das Internet zur Selbstvermarktung so konsequent wie kaum ein anderer. Videoclips, Fotos, Tourdaten, Blog, Twitter - immer ist etwas los, immer lässt Cook die Fans an seinem Leben teilhaben. Und neuerdings hat er, ganz der Digitalpionier, sogar sein eigenes Programm fürs iPhone. Allen, die es kaufen, verspricht er exklusive Einsichten in sein Leben, die er den Knausrigen aus seinem weitläufigen Bekanntenkreis vorenthält - etwa Blicke hinter die Kulissen seiner aktuellen Comedy-Tour.

Man sieht dann zum Beispiel aus seiner eigenen Perspektive, wie es ist, auf die Bühne zu laufen und vom Publikum gefeiert zu werden. Das Video, gefilmt von einem Helfer, hat den Amateurcharme einer YouTube-Produktion, aber das ist gewollt. “Spannend, nicht wahr?“, fragte Adam Zbar, der mir das Video beim “Mobile Trends”-Workshop vorführte. “Man hat das Gefühl, mit ihm auf der Bühne zu stehen.“

Zbar ist Chef von Zannel, der Firma, die sich die iPhone-Anwendung hat einfallen lassen. Wie viele Fans in den ersten zwei Wochen 2,99 Dollar (oder, bei iTunes in Deutschland, 2,39 Euro) hingeblättert haben, um ihrem Lieblingskomiker digital näher zu kommen, mochte Zbar nicht verraten - aber er beteuert, der Erfolg habe Apple genauso überrascht wie Cook und Zannel selbst.

Schon jetzt stehen nach seinen Worten viele andere in Hollywood Schlange, weil sie auch so einen direkten Draht zu ihren Fans haben möchten. “Musiker, Comedians, Hollywood-Stars - wir sind voll ausgebucht”, sagt Zbar, der einen Partner-Deal mit CAA ausgehandelt hat, einer der größten Künstleragenturen im Unterhaltungsgeschäft.

Lukrativ könnte das Geschäft für alle Beteiligten werden: Die Prominenten teilen sich mit Zannel die Einnahmen aus den Verkäufen des iPhone-Programms, und sie bekommen zusätzlich die Möglichkeit, ihren Fans alles Mögliche anzudienen - Konzertkarten, Tour-Mitschnitte, die neue CD, T-Shirts, Kaffeebecher, was auch immer. Daran wiederum verdient Zannel mit. Der Star wird zur eigenen Marke und ist auf Mittelsmänner (wie die Agentur und die Medien) immer weniger angewiesen. “Künstler wollen ihre Geschicke selbst in die Hand nehmen und ganz direkt mit ihren Fans in Kontakt sein”, sagt Zbar, “sei es über SMS, Fotos oder Video.“

Da aber, zum Leidwesen von Steve Jobs, Dane Cook und Apples Telekom-Partnern, immer noch einige Milliarden Menschen kein iPhone besitzen, soll als nächstes ein Service für ganz normale Multimedia-Handys folgen: Dann können die Promis ihre Anhänger über Premium-SMS auf dem Laufenden halten und auch dabei mitkassieren. Ob es dann einen Dollar im Monat kostet, immer ganz nah dranzubleiben, oder auch zwei oder drei, das ist noch nicht so genau raus. Auf jeden Fall lässt sich ein schönes Geschäft daraus machen, wenn sich genügend Fans finden, die bereit sind, ein bisschen Kleingeld für ihre Bildschirmhelden auszugeben - und die Milliarden aus dem Klingeltönebeutel zeigen ja, wie niedrig bei vielen die Hemmschwelle liegt, wenn es um geringe Beträge geht und das Einkaufen verführerisch leicht gemacht wird.

Um den “Fanclub der nächsten Generation” aufzubauen, will Zannel für jeden Künstler, der einen Mobildienst hat, auch noch einen Internetauftritt gestalten. “Dann schließt sich der Kreis”, sagt Zbar, “dann decken wir 360 Grad ab.“ Mag sein, dass viele Künstler genau davon träumen und sicher auch mancher Fan.

Andererseits: Will man wirklich Céline Dion dabei zuhören, wie sie vor dem Auftritt ihre Stimmbänder ölt? Roberto Blanko begleiten, während er im Kleinbus über die Dörfer tingelt? Schon jetzt, im Probestadium, wird es manchem zu viel. “Keiner braucht eine derartige Dosis Dane Cook”, nörgelt etwa ein Blogger bei Brandfreak.com und wünscht sich ein Programm fürs iPhone, das es erlaubt, den “nervtötenden Stand-up-Komiker mit einer schnellen Handbewegung verschwinden zu lassen. Dafür würde ich tatsächlich extra zahlen.“

Klingt nicht unbedingt nach einem neuen Freund. Aber was soll’s - Cook hat ja genug.

In this video fans are allowed to ask Dane Cook any question they want!  See what he has to say….

See him LIVE at the Staples Center Saturday May 30, 2009 at 8 p.m and other venues!