A Tribute to Robert Schimmel

A Tribute to Robert Schimmel

Written By: Abel S. "Honest Abe"

09-06-10

We’d like to take a moment out of this day to discuss a most disheartening topic… losing someone. Comedian Robert Schimmel passed away late Friday night due to complications from an auto accident he was in just a few days prior.

I don’t want to rehash the same details you’ll find in most of these articles. What I would like to talk about is someone who I often referred to as “the funniest guy you’ve never heard of.” Robert would often open his stand-up routines with something so off the cuff that he’d occasionally quip, ‘and that’s why you don’t see me on network TV.’But TV did come calling on occasion. He was a guest on Conan O’Brien and Leno. He was tapped for a network pilot until he was diagnosed with cancer. As he put it, “I gained cancer, lost a show and lost a ball”.(He lost a testicle as a result of the treatments.) He was also a frequent guest on Howard Stern’s morning radio show.

But Robert was never one to take things lying down. He incorporated his cancer into his comedic routine. He published a book on the subject, Cancer on 5 Dollars a Day* (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life.

Amazon: Robert Schimmel

He was warm and engaging and incredibly raw in his routines. No topic was off limits, especially his own personal life. He was twice divorced but was a loving father to his five children. His two youngest sons were born after his cancer had gone into remission, after losing a testicle and after the doctors told him he would never father another child. How’s that for living life on his terms?

I had the pleasure of seeing him several times live at the Improv. He always took the time to meet everyone after the show.There he would be, shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for pictures or simply thanking everyone for coming out to see him. The last time I saw him was on a Thursday night. The Improv was barely one quarter full. Yet Robert was extremely gracious as he quipped, “you people came out here on a Thursday night with the economy the way it is?” Another time I saw him, he walked out onstage very slowly and wearing a neck brace. He’d been rear ended earlier in the day and although the Improv management told him he didn’t have to perform, he said that he had to be there because he knew there were people there to see him. He apologized several times for moving so slowly throughout the night and for being so doped up on painkillers but he still delivered. He had such comedic timing that I often see other comics mimic his delivery style. To hear him was guaranteed laughter. To see him perform, whether in person or on one of his DVDs, was genius.

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One of my favorite comedic bits is his story about hosting the AVN Awards in Las Vegas. This is the equivalent of the Academy Awards for the adult entertainment industry. I’ll keep it clean but Robert makes jokes about Lexington Steele and his mom running into each other in the hotel lobby and about her confronting him about his “performance.” When I met Lexington a few years back, I commented about that bit and Lexington, total gentleman that he is, laughed and laughed and spoke of his affection for Robert. He signed an 8x10 for me to give to Robert’s mom, as I was driving back to L.A. that night to see Robert at the Improv. Needless to say, when I gave the photo to Robert later that evening, he laughed and posed for a photo with it.

The man was a walking inspiration. The fact that he was down so often, yet never out, is a testament to his strength. He would close his stand-up by showing a slideshow of him going through his chemo treatments and ending with photos of his family, particularly his two young sons who were born after he beat cancer.

Now he's gone. And I am numb.

Abel S. a.k.a. "Honest Abe" has written reviews for Dark Horizons, JoBlo and MusicTap. He has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. He can usually be found at his keyboard ranting and rambling about the human condition or watching Beavis & Butthead.