Andy Forrester
My profession is about meeting and taking great care of people, and sometimes this work brings some really amazing and interesting people into my life. Such was the occasion when I had the opportunity to sit down with one of Raleigh’s finest local talents, Andy Forrester!
Andy is a professional comedian, graphic artist, loving husband, and father of two daughters. When I asked him how he manages all of this, he was the first to credit his wife Tammy, stating that she is the reason he can be on the road as much as he is. Tammy works for a non profit organization while Andy volunteers at their daughter’s schools, does graphic design on the side and works as a professional comedian–and he says, “Yes, It is a real job!”
Andy officially started in comedy in 1999 and has been featured as a headliner at the Carolina Comedy Club in Myrtle Beach, performs regularly at Charlie Goodnights here in Raleigh, along with dates currently scheduled in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, and the Bahamas. His unique special brand of “clean comedy” is quite refreshing to his audiences, and has made him a local standout. He recently had the opportunity to perform on the Pure Flix Comedy All Stars which aired on Television this past June With Louie Anderson.
Andy also shared that he was very excited about his podcast titled “Eating IT” which is an endearing term for comics when they are on stage and “hearing crickets!”. But in explaining further, Andy says, “I also love to eat. When I am on the road, I love to go to various restaurants and basically give my review on the podcast. I usually do not go to Chick-Fil-A, however, because their waffle fries do NOT taste like waffles!” You can check out Andy’s podcast at: eatingitpodcast.libsyn.com
While Andy is known for his comedy, I simply MUST mention his incredible talent for graphic design. He recently challenged himself to do a “Sketch a day” with pencil. Take a look at this humble example of a tree frog drawn with colored pencils on black paper:
Family is important to Andy and the decision to keep the family here in Raleigh is a reflection of that focus. “Raleigh is a good place to raise children–it is a good sized city, you know?” While his family has had an opportunity to move to New York City, Andy acknowledges that raising kids in a high-rise apartment is not ideal although he reflects that, “Jim Gaffigan is raising 5 kids in an apartment!”
While I could literally fill several pages with funny and interesting stuff from my sit down with Andy, I simply want to encourage you to check him out when he is in downtown Raleigh at Charlie Goodnights! Please take a look at his website to learn more about him and his upcoming dates: www.ComicBigA.com. When you see him please tell him hello! But be forewarned, if you would like to buy him a shot of whiskey after the show expect him to decline. But he may let you buy him a shot of some chicken wings!!
