This week, Ira Sternberg spoke with Jackie “The Jokeman” Martling, who for 18 years (1983-2001) was a fixture of Howard Stern’s radio & television shows and for seven years had his own radio show, “Jackie’s Joke Hunt” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Martling talks about his early career and who was responsible for naming him “The Joke Man”; how he was influenced by Red Skelton; why he doesn’t consider himself a comic, but just tells jokes; why he views his life as a pinball game; how he created a dirty joke line, “Use Your Finger! Dial (516) 922-WINE!,” which has been in uninterrupted operation since 1979; and his earliest memories of Las Vegas, as well as his three perspectives on the town.
In 1982, after founding “Governor’s Comedy Shop” in Levittown on Long Island and touring as a national headliner, on a suggestion from a Washington DC comedy club owner, he blindly sent his three LP’s to Howard Stern upon the broadcaster’s arrival at WNBC-AM in New York City. Stern called him to make a guest appearance on his radio show. In 1986, Martling became a full-time cast member and the head writer of Stern’s show.
He left the Stern show in 2001 after 15-year run as head writer of the radio show, four television series, and three Pay-Per-Views. He’s released six dirty joke CD’s … “The Joke Man,” “Sgt. Pecker,” “Hot Dogs & Donuts,” Come Again?!,” F. jackie,” and “snart,” as well as three videos, five joke books and countless joke gadgets of all kinds, for children as well as adults.
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