Mal Sharpe, comedic pioneer and a very funny man, has left us. In 2007 the Art of the Prank blog published access to 20 of his early Imposter Podcasts, which are recordings of his street sketches (more like comedic ambushes) with his comedy partner Jim Coyle, who passed away in 1993. These recordings had been re-purposed and released by Jesse Thorn of the Maximum Fun site, where all 100 episodes reside:

In the early 1960s, James P. Coyle and Mal Sharpe roamed the streets of San Francisco, microphone in hand, roping strangers into bizarre schemes and surreal stunts. These original recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, which is tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe.

We extend condolences to the family. Here’s his obit from The New York Times:

Mal Sharpe, Groundbreaker in Street-Level Pranking, Dies at 83
by Neil Genzlinger
The New York Times
March 19, 2020

Long before late-night talk show hosts began doing it, he conducted absurd interviews with gullible passersby with his comedic partner, Jim Coyle.

Two strangers approach a man named George on the streets of San Francisco.

“George,” one of them says, “would you yourself participate in a program of inter-protoplasm flow?”

George doesn’t hesitate. “If I needed it, I guess I would,” he says.

One of the strangers, earnestly impressing on George the seriousness of that commitment, elaborates: (more…)

From Jesse Brown, host of Canadaland Podcast:

The greatest media prankster alive talks to Jesse for our April Fools episode.

Here are Episodes 7, 8 & 9 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America.

In Episode 7, Coyle & Sharpe invade a football practice field, where they ask a coach for his help training their wolverines. In Episode 8, they discuss the merits and difficulties of having an extremely elongated head. And, in Episode 9, they affect piss-poor French accents and ask an antique dealer if they can smash his goods.

You can listen to the earlier episodes: Episodes 1, 2 & 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.

You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.

Here’s Prison Camp, episode 6 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America. In this episode, Coyle & Sharpe ask a man from Montana to help them to control the laborers in their agricultural facility using guns and electrical shock.

Listen to episodes 1, 2 & 3 here, episode 4 here and episode 5 here.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.

You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.

Here’s The Ashtray, episode 5 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America. In this episode, Coyle & Sharpe discuss with a New Zealander the possibility of growing an ashtray out of his forehead.

Listen to episodes 1, 2 & 3 here and episode 4 here. New episodes will be posted each Wednesday as they are released by The Sound of Young America.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.

You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.

Here’s The Druggist, episode 4 of the historic Coyle & Sharpe podcast series presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America.

Listen to episodes 1, 2 & 3 here. New episodes will be posted each Wednesday as they are released by The Sound of Young America.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. More about Coyle & Sharpe is available on their Website or on MySpace.

You can also listen to this podcast at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to the series in iTunes.

Here are the first 3 episodes of a series of podcasts of historic Coyle & Sharpe satire presented by Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America.

Each podcast is 5 to 7 minutes long. We’ll put up new episodes every Wednesday as they are released.

Here’s a little history from Jesse’s blog at maximumfun.org:

In the early 1960s, James P. Coyle and Mal Sharpe roamed the streets of San Francisco, microphone in hand, roping strangers into bizarre schemes and surreal stunts. Today, their humor is a cultural touchstone for artists as varied as Henry Rollins and The Upright Citizens Brigade.

These recordings are from the Sharpe family archive, which is tended by Mal’s daughter, Jennifer Sharpe. You can learn more about Coyle & Sharpe on their Website or on MySpace.

You can also listen to these podcasts at The Sound of Young America or you can subscribe to them in iTunes.