Have you ever seen an artist, beit a comedian, actor or musician that made you say to yourself, “I'd really like to know this person - they must be really interesting” or “Wouldn't he would be a cool friend?”  I kind of felt that way about Mitch Hedberg.  I'd seen him on Comedy Central and watching him, you just wished you were there so you could go up to him after the show and say “You're so funny!  I loved your show!  Don't ever get discouraged, you're gonna be a star someday!”  You could see him get uncomfortable on stage when the laughs didn't flow for his more subtle jokes.  He had a peculiar timing.  He wore sunglasses and stared at the floor.  Sometimes he'd tell jokes with his eyes closed. 

He was hilarious. 

  • Mr. Pibb is a replica of Dr. Pepper, but it's a bullshit replica, 'cuz the dude didn't even get his degree.
  • I wrote a letter to my dad — I wanted to write, "I really enjoy being here," but I accidentally wrote rarely instead of really. But I still wanted to use it, I didn't want to cross it out, so I wrote, "I rarely... drive steamboats, Dad — there's a lot of shit you don't know about me. Quit trying to act like I'm a steamboat operator." This letter took a harsh turn right away ...
  • On a traffic light green means go and yellow means yield, but on a banana it's just the opposite. Green means hold on, yellow means go ahead, and red means where the fuck did you get that banana at?
  • 2-in-1 is a bullshit term, because 1 is not big enough to hold 2. That's why 2 was created. 

Everything I've read about him and from looking at his website proved to me that this guy was honest, genuine, and deserved more than life was likely to give him.  On the latest CD, “Mitch All Together” They included a bonus DVD that included the unedited footage of the show that they pieced together to make his Comedy Central special.  He bombed on that show.  Hard.  It must have been a painful night for him. 

I never got to see him live, but I really wanted to.  I bought all of his CDs, listened to them over and over, forced my friends and family to listen to them. 

Unlike many comics who shy away from their fans' attention, Mitch welcomed it. His official website (www.mitchhedberg.net) encouraged fans to send in pictures of themselves posing with Mitch at his shows. One published anecdote tells of Mitch meeting a group of college students at a recent show in Florida who mentioned the stifling heat of their dorm room. Mitch knocked on their door the next morning with a brand-new air conditioner.

Rest In Peace Mitch.