Near the end of our conversation, comedian Mandal laments that when he was younger he “really wanted to be a serious individual.” He pined to “be smart,” or “some type of leader,” always finding himself pursuing a plan or dream of his that he could never, for some reason, find the follow-through to actually accomplish—be it in the world of corporate accounting, or running for student president (and winning) in high school. He had to accept the fact, he says, that he’s just “silly.” However, I’d argue that the two qualities—serious and silly—are not only deeply reconcilable, but inseparable, and the Atlanta-born humorist is living, thriving proof.
Let us take, for a moment, the litany of impressive credits to his name. He’s the warmup comic for Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, and has performed his sprawling, hilarious, and sprightly sets in coveted spots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Netflix is a Joke, and Don’t Tell Comedy. He’s also produced a number of animated programming for Adult Swim—writing and starring in Mandal Takes an L, as well as co-creating, along with Zae Jordan and Javier Williams, the viral series Lil Daddy. None of that to mention that he’s adored by the world of hip-hop, too—lending comedic lines to two major rap albums this year: Zelooperz’ Dali Ain’t Dead and Earl Sweatshirt’s Live Laugh Love. Vulture naming him, in 2024, a “Comedian You Should and Will Know,” was so apt that the honor now feels sterile. Mandal has not, as he’d suggest about his past, been subsumed by his outsized ambitions, but instead, outgrown them.
But put all that aside and the comedian is strikingly humble, warm, and human. And at a time when this career and industry feels increasingly uncertain, Mandal is flat-footed and focused on what’s actually relevant: the cultivation of an artistic spirit, and an everyday commitment to simply trying to be a good, kind person. It was a refreshing conversation, as he walked me through his upbringing, the influence of a certain yellow fry-cook, and his insights and perspectives on Black culture and comedy.
Full interview at the link in bio - Written by Saheim Patrick (
@saheimj ). Illustration by Parker Rinehart.
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