The Joke Man Cometh

Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, known for his explosive and fast-paced delivery of risque jokes and 18 years working with the Howard Stern Show, performed his headliner routine for almost two hours this past Friday and Saturday nights, July 9 and 10, at Suppa's in Pine Brook.

"I hope you don't have any place to go, 'cause it's been over a month since I've done one of these and I can go on all night," the veteran comic told the 60 plus audience members gathered on Friday.

Martling, who counts among his influences the likes of Rodney Dangerfield, Redd Foxx and Red Skelton, is an accomplished storyteller.  At 62, he is a high-energy goof who skillfully plays the audience for laughs.  With broad facial expressions, varied physical movements, and mischievously delivery, "The Joke Man" reinvents some of the oldest jokes known to mankind.

 "There are no new jokes, really, just different ways of telling them," he said.

For Martling, no topic is off limits.  He prides himself on knowing "every joke ever told." He is like a walking encyclopedia of jokes, rattling off quips about everything from the catholic church, ethnic groups, sex, prostitutes and New Jersey to coarse language and bodily humor.

Martling actually challenges the audience to join him on stage to play "Stump The Joke Man."  On Friday, two men and two women attempted to stump Martling. Of the four jokes they told, he knew three and a half of the punch lines.

Martling holds a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan State University, which may not be proof that he is funny, but is consistent with his ability to catalogue knowledge and systematically recall it.

Reactions to his jokes ranged from delighted laughter, to chuckles at jokes that hit close to home, to outright groans. That is what Martling likes. 

"Comedy is tension," he said, after one particularly off-color zinger.  "Shall I go on? 'Cause the next few are really rough." 

The cheers and applauds from the audience kept him on stage another 20 minutes.

Martling got his start in 1979 when he blindly sent Rodney Dangerfield several unsolicited jokes. 

"[Dangerfield] liked some of them and he called me at home," he said.  "It was, of course, a thrill. He was my hero."

The comic used a similar approach to land his job on the Howard Stern Show. 

"I blindly sent Howard Stern my three comedy LP's in 1982, are you seeing a thread," he said.

Martling performs live only once or twice a month in a wide variety of venues, but he has six CD's, a 24/7 joke line, (516)-922-WINE, a website, www.jokeland.com and can be heard regularly on "Jackie's Joke Hunt," his weekly radio program, which airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and Thursdays at midnight, on Sirius-XM Satellite Radio.

"We tell jokes, the listeners tell jokes, the show is all jokes...and I love jokes," he said.

He has played Suppa's in Pine Brook a few times as part of The Comedy Shoppe schedule of headliner comics, produced by JJComedy.com.   

"I love the intimacy [of Suppa's]," he said. "You have to be funny to work an intimate room, and I love that challenge."

Suppa's Restaurant will host another Comedy Shoppe headliner, "Dr. Dirty" John Valby, July 23 and 24.  The show starts at 9 p.m., but a three course dinner begins at 7 p.m.  The cost to attend is $25 cash plus a $15.95, $19.95 or $24.95 dinner package.  Suppa's is BYOB.