# Sam Tallent
**Sam Tallent** is an American stand-up comedian, novelist, and podcaster from Colorado, known for the novel *Running the Light*, the comedy specials *Waiting for Death to Claim Us* and *The Toad's Morale*, and the podcast *Chubby Behemoth*, which he hosts with comedian Nathan Lund.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) • [2](https://www.eventworld.com/sam-tallent-tickets/performer/27461) For roughly a decade he has performed more than 45 weekends per year in North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, and he lives in Detroit.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Profession | Stand-up comedian, novelist, and host of the Chubby Behemoth Podcast[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) |
| Origin | Born and raised in Elizabeth, Colorado, which he has called "the forgotten part of Colorado"[3](https://red.msudenver.edu/2022/from-open-mics-to-world-tours/?category=281) |
| Stand-up start | Began stand-up in 2006; finalist in Denver's Comedy Works contest in 2007, in his fourth time on stage[4](https://podscripts.co/podcasts/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast/episode-1186-sam-tallent) |
| Debut novel | *Running the Light*, self-published and sold at shows, later reissued by Random House in April 2025[5](https://podcastrex.com/shows/otherppl-with-brad-listi/1057-sam-tallent/transcript) • [1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) |
| Second novel | *Brut*, publishing with Random House in September 2026[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) |
| Comedy specials | *Waiting for Death to Claim Us* (Amazon Prime) and *The Toad's Morale* (Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast YouTube)[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) |
| Touring scale | More than 45 weekends per year across North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe for the last decade[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) |
## Early life and Denver comedy scene
Tallent enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2005 but left as soon as stand-up could pay his rent, following the road, including a stint living in an anarchist commune in [Ithaca, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/ithaca-new-york).[3](https://red.msudenver.edu/2022/from-open-mics-to-world-tours/?category=281) He started stand-up in 2006 and was a finalist in the Comedy Works contest in 2007, in only his fourth time on stage; he bombed in the finals, and at the time he had improv experience from the Bovine Metropolis Theater in Denver rather than club chops.[4](https://podscripts.co/podcasts/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast/episode-1186-sam-tallent)
**DIY roots.** Tallent came up through Denver's do-it-yourself scene, performing at since-shuttered venues such as Blast-O-Mat and Rhinoceropolis. With friends he co-founded Mouth House, a house venue on [California Street](https://www.edgepedia.org/california-street) where, as he described it, any act could play, from a theremin player to a hardcore band; he shared the space, at around $120 a month per person, with more than a dozen people including Lund. He also drew crowds for the Too Much Fun variety show at Deer Pile as a co-founder of the Fine Gentlemen's Club comedy troupe with Lund, Bobby Crane, and Chris Charpentier.[6](https://archives.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/) After Mouth House closed in 2013, he moved to Las Vegas with his wife Emily, filling empty hours with writing while she attended medical school.[6](https://archives.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/) In 2021 he re-enrolled at MSU Denver to finish his degree after a 12-year hiatus, as an Individualized Degree Program major in Public Address and Rhetoric.[3](https://red.msudenver.edu/2022/from-open-mics-to-world-tours/?category=281)
## Running the Light and later books
*Running the Light* follows Billy Ray Schafer, an aging road comic charging through a gauntlet of bad gigs in his twilight years, a decline into obscurity rather than a rise to fame; Denver Westword noted its debt to the spartan, lyrical prose of [Denis Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/denis-johnson).[7](https://www.westword.com/arts-culture/sam-tallent-on-running-the-light-and-will-smith-11771919/) Tallent self-published the book, sold copies at shows, and marketed it on comedy podcasts.[5](https://podcastrex.com/shows/otherppl-with-brad-listi/1057-sam-tallent/transcript) After he obtained representation at CAA through stand-up, literary agent Dan Kershan read the book and took it to [Random House](https://www.edgepedia.org/random-house), which gave him a two-book deal: a reissue of *Running the Light* in April 2025, with a Spanish translation and international publication through White Rabbit Books, and a second novel.[5](https://podcastrex.com/shows/otherppl-with-brad-listi/1057-sam-tallent/transcript) • [1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf)
The second novel has appeared under two titles in different sources. His own website describes a forthcoming follow-up, *Petillant Brut*, in hardcover from Random House in 2025,[8](https://green-blue-zmlg.squarespace.com/) while the CAA catalog lists his sophomore novel as *Brut*, publishing in September 2026.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) By late 2026 Tallent was promoting *Brut* as out now on comedy podcasts.[9](https://podscan.fm/podcasts/joke-wrld/episodes/the-sam-tallent-interview) His novella *Attaboy* was published as an Audible Original.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf)
## Stand-up and other media
Tallent has two comedy specials: *Waiting for Death to Claim Us*, available on [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime), and *The Toad's Morale*, available on the Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast YouTube channel.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) He also hosts the travel show *Wide World* on YouTube.[1](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf) His live career includes appearances at Skankfest and [Just for Laughs](https://www.edgepedia.org/just-for-laughs) in Montreal, and he has performed in the United Kingdom and Australia.[2](https://www.eventworld.com/sam-tallent-tickets/performer/27461)
On stage, Tallent describes his aim as belly laughs rather than material that makes audiences think too hard, citing the noise rock duo Lightning Bolt as a model of direct, visceral immediacy.[6](https://archives.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/) He has said, in an interview about his style, that he has never told a truthful joke in his life.[10](https://medium.com/foco-now/q-a-with-comedian-sam-tallent-c8e2b56f539f)
## Touring
Tallent maintains a heavy club-touring schedule. Ticketing aggregators listed dozens of shows per year, with his most frequently played markets including Tampa, Denver, Philadelphia, Austin, Cleveland, and Kansas City.[2](https://www.eventworld.com/sam-tallent-tickets/performer/27461) In June 2026 he headlined the second What's So Funny About Detroit showcase of the summer for Detroit's NPR station WDET, closing a bill that included Blaine Hill and Johanna Medranda, and discussed stand-up crowds, his creative process, and *Brut* on the station's program The Metro.[11](https://dev.wdet.org/2026/06/24/the-metro-comedian-sam-tallent-headlines-wdets-june-comedy-showcase/)
## References
1. [Sam Tallent author page, CAA London 2026 catalogue (PDF)](https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/static/caacatalogue-2026-london-a3820672fc0808ba61089989f6373f38.pdf)
2. [Sam Tallent Tickets & 2026–2027 Tour Dates, Eventworld](https://www.eventworld.com/sam-tallent-tickets/performer/27461)
3. [From open mics to world tours, MSU Denver RED (May 10, 2022)](https://red.msudenver.edu/2022/from-open-mics-to-world-tours/?category=281)
4. [WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Episode 1186 – Sam Tallent transcript](https://podscripts.co/podcasts/wtf-with-marc-maron-podcast/episode-1186-sam-tallent)
5. [Sam Tallent transcript, Otherppl with Brad Listi, Podcast Rex](https://podcastrex.com/shows/otherppl-with-brad-listi/1057-sam-tallent/transcript)
6. [Comedian/author Sam Tallent on the pen, the mic and the future, Boulder Weekly (November 15, 2023)](https://archives.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/)
7. [Sam Tallent on Running the Light, and Will Smith, Denver Westword (September 3, 2020)](https://www.westword.com/arts-culture/sam-tallent-on-running-the-light-and-will-smith-11771919/)
8. [Sam Tallent official site](https://green-blue-zmlg.squarespace.com/)
9. [The Sam Tallent Interview, Joke WRLD, Podscan](https://podscan.fm/podcasts/joke-wrld/episodes/the-sam-tallent-interview)
10. [Q&A with comedian Sam Tallent, Medium (FoCo Now)](https://medium.com/foco-now/q-a-with-comedian-sam-tallent-c8e2b56f539f)
11. [The Metro: Comedian Sam Tallent headlines WDET's June comedy showcase, WDET 101.9 FM (June 24, 2026)](https://dev.wdet.org/2026/06/24/the-metro-comedian-sam-tallent-headlines-wdets-june-comedy-showcase/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1980 onward › Surnames N to Z*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license