"A very funny friend of mine, Travis Vogt, had just written a piece of erotic fan fiction about the movie Cars that he would just read at regular standup shows," Cook recalls. "It was very funny, but it just confused the audience. At the time, I did an annual Valentine's Day show, Broken Hearts Are for Assholes, that was mostly breakup stories and stuff like that. That year, after watching Travis read that story, I was like, ‘Oh, let's do a little round of people writing fan fiction.’ So I had Travis and four other comics read fan fiction, and people loved it, so then I spun it off a month later into its show."
The peculiar blend of comedy and fan fiction inspired Cook to launch Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction, a show that has since become a cult favorite. On Monday, July 1, Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction will make its highly anticipated return to Denver at the Bug Theatre, marking its first performance since 2019.
"Denver was always a great spot for the show," Bryan Cook says. "I used to spend a lot of time in Denver because the comedy scene is fantastic, but writing keeps you in Los Angeles."
Courtesy of Liezl Estipona
"The show really hasn't evolved much since day one," he says. "I added a second round, so I read fan fiction to the audience while they write disgusting suggestions for our comedians to choose from. If they like their first suggestion, they can use it or draw again, but then the audience votes on what the comics should write, and then they go backstage to write for about a half-hour while the people who prepared pieces ahead of time read them. At the end of each round, the audience selects the winner, who receives nothing but glory and the knowledge that they wrote the best fan fiction."
As the show's popularity grew, it evolved into a podcast and began touring extensively across the United States. The titles of some of Cook's favorite fan-fiction performances have been Ben Roy's Of Mice and Men, Troy Walker's The Raven, Ian Karmel's Criss Angel, Mindfreak and Eliza Skinner's Cat in the Hat.
"Because I was touring the podcast all over the country at the time, I decided to record it and release each round as a separate episode," Cook explains. "At the height of its popularity, I was doing about fifty shows a year, and, unless it was on a festival, they were all self-produced. I didn't have promoters or management or anything, so it was a ton of work, and I was lucky to break even."
Cook started to slow down the show's pace after receiving more consistent writing gigs, performing it only in Los Angeles at his annual Valentine's Show. However, the pandemic brought an abrupt halt to the momentum. Like many live events, the show was put on hiatus. Now, nearly five years later, Cook is reviving the show, starting in Denver — a city that holds a special place in his heart.
"Denver was always a great spot for the show," Cook says. "I have known the Grawlix guys for a long time; they always helped me put those shows together in the early years. Adam is out of town this time, but Ben and Andrew are both performing, as is Troy Walker, who I go way back with. We are currently working together at Jimmy Kimmel; I got him hired. ... Troy helped me connect with some other comics for the show, because I do not know many Denver comics anymore. I used to spend a lot of time in Denver because the comedy scene is fantastic, but writing keeps you in Los Angeles."
The return of Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction will showcase a stellar lineup of local comedians, including Ben Roy, Andrew Orvedahl, Troy Walker, Steve Agyei, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Kate McLachlan and more. Cook is particularly excited to see the fresh takes on pop culture and current events.
"Part of the reason I was getting burned was also Donald Trump," Cook admits. "It seemed like every show had something to do with politics; I do ban topics that are overdone, and Trump eventually got banned. There’s been a ton of stuff that’s happened since we last did the show, so I'm excited for people's take on newer pop culture and stuff."
Despite the hiatus, the essence of the show remains the same. "It's all pretty much right there in the name," Cook says. "You go buy the ticket and take the ride." As Cook prepares for the show's return, he reflects on the past and future.
"What comes next? Good question: We'll see Denver, so no pressure," Cook says when asked about future performances. "I'm sure I will try to do it in New York and L.A. at some point. I have always preferred to do these shows at bars or music venues, so the Bug Theatre is a little different, but it has such a great vibe that it has always worked for our sleazy show."
Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction With Bryan Cook, Monday, July 1, The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo Street. Get tickets at bugtheatre.org.
