A native of Brooklyn, New York, Dwayne Perkins is a very funny stand-up comedian who has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; The Late, Late Show; and Premium Blend. He recently starred in his own comedy special on Comedy Central. In 2008 he was named one of the top five comics to watch in Rolling Stone.

When did you first realize that you were uniquely funny?

I still don't know if I'm uniquely funny. I'm kidding; I think when you begin to realize the times when you're not being intentionally funny and people are laughing, that's when you begin to get insight into your real funny. My first moment was in fourth grade when in a bodega in Brooklyn someone said, “You have such white teeth.” And I said without skipping a beat or trying to be funny, “but my gums are black.” The grown ups in the store started cracking up and I made a mental note.

Who do you think were your influences?

The more I live, the more I realize how influential my mother has been to my comedy. She is one of the funniest people I know and her humor isn't mean or cynical. Always good-natured but somehow she really cracks me and my siblings up.

Do you remember your first original joke?

I think my first unofficial stand-up joke/observation was the problem I had with a Head & Shoulders commercial in third grade. In the commercial a person would scratch their head and all their friends would flee in disgust and fear because of dandruff. I thought if people don't run out of your life when you scratch your butt surely they will stay when you scratch your head. Maybe the irony of the ad was lost on me.

When did you realize that comedy was something you had to do for a living?

Probably in college. I just felt 9-5 wasn't for me. Not that I couldn't hack it or take orders. I just felt that for me the curtain has been pulled back on the wizard for quite some time.

What was your first job in comedy writing or performance?

My first paid gig was in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Up until that point I had done a bunch of free shows in New York and then in Boston. But I was to do many free shows after that as well.

What is the biggest difficulty you've encountered being a comedy writer?

Two things. One is getting people to accept me as a writer of scripts and screenplays. The weird thing is people used to always assume I wrote screenplays back when I didn't. And now that I do write screenplays and develop show ideas, it seems people want to think of me as a pure stand-up. Hopefully that reflects positively on my stand-up and the impact it has. The second thing for me is forcing myself to be original has actually hurt me. I will skip over entire subjects if I think they're overdone. But that robs me and my supporters of a possible fresh take on an old concept. I'm working on focusing on being real first and original throughout.

How long does it take to write your own comedy special?

Hard to say. I had been doing comedy about ten years when I taped it, so maybe that long. But I probably could have done one six years in. For me, the writing and performing ebbs and flows and progress isn't always noticeably linear. A comic's comedy progress is like the stock market. It goes up and down but over time, if they stick to it, goes up. Although that example may not work in our current times.

How do you prepare for a short TV appearance?

First you pluck out about seven minutes of material you haven't done on said show that you think would really work well. Next, you get the set approved by the show. Finally, you do the set as many times as possible but never forgetting that each show is different and you always have to remain in the moment. Even doing jokes to the point of monotony, you have to make them relatable and “new” every time.

Are there jokes that you do just for you?

Definitely. You would go crazy if you didn't have a few of those in your arsenal. It's also a way of seeing if a good crowd is great and of finding core fans who even like the jokes more suited for the comic mind.

What are the differences between writing for yourself and writing for others?

Sometimes it's easier to write for others because you're a bit detached and more able to see all the angles. Also, another performer may get away with something or be able to pull something off that you couldn't. So it's great to see another comic make your words come to life … provided they had permission to do so.

What do you find exciting about comedy right now?

The Internet and all these satellite sites are making it exciting. It's allowing guys who are not industry darlings to carve out a piece for themselves.

Where do you think the future of comedy is headed?

It's hard to say because there are so many factors and people trying to steer the ship in their favor. I hope the field levels and the general public comes to realize that fame and funny don't always come hand in hand. Basically, I hope we get to a point where the consumer is a tad bit more informed. We have comedy fans and they are great, but then you have the people who have never been to a comedy show or only go if it's a bigger name.

As audiences are becoming more specific and more segmented, is that making your job easier or more difficult?

For me, it's way more difficult. I have always geared my act to be universal and now everything is customized. But as in other things, I don't think separate is equal. It's like people don't want to challenged in the slightest, but why pay top dollar to hear what you could hear at a family barbecue for free? The other tough thing is it seems that the industry wants you to deliver a segment. They reward you for it. I'm not sure what happened that made people feel their comedians have to look and sound exclusively like them. That's not what comedy is about. I'm trying to find my audience, but as my audience cuts across race, gender, socioeconomic, and age lines — no one is going to cut me a fat check and say, “Here, Dwayne. Bring in a cross-section of the population.” I think that's where the Internet comes in.

What is the best thing about being a comedy writer?

Having everything at your disposal for potential material — every experience, every crazy idea you have, every piece of news. Comedy is almost like high-level sampling. And like with music, great sampling becomes its own music. But also like music, bad sampling is borderline thievery and stale and rehashed at best.

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming comedy writers?

Start writing ASAP. I wished I had started sooner. Also, find some discipline.

No matter how hectic things are, try to carve out some semblance of a routine that you can stick to. Don't make it so hard that you can't stick to it and get discouraged, but try to have some challenge in there for yourself. Also, you have to read. For me, catching up on the classics I had skipped really helped awaken my mind and my imagination.