Derrick Comedy
Encyclopedia
Derrick Comedy is an Internet sketch comedy
group from New York University
. The group has a large YouTube
following and was mentioned in Rolling Stone
in July 2007. Their video "Bro Rape" has garnered over 8 million views. They have released videos online, performed sold-out shows at venues such as New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
, produced the film Mystery Team
, and have appeared on national television.
, DC Pierson
, and Donald Glover
, who also writes original music as Childish Gambino. Derrick's director is Dan Eckman
and their producer is Meggie McFadden.
, all of Derrick's videos are tightly scripted. Some of their videos include "New Bike," in which a boy threatens to kill his parents if they do not get him a new bicycle; "Opposite Day," in which an office changes Fridays from "Casual Friday" to "Opposite Day," likely in response to the boss's wife's infidelity; "Girls are not to be trusted", in which a film student makes a series of movies chewing out his girlfriend; and "National Spelling Bee", in which every contestant in a spelling bee was told to spell the word "niggerfaggot". They also have a video called "Jerry" concerning a boy who has had an "accident" in his pants.
currently plays Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community
and was discovered when he was offered the part of Troy after series creator Dan Harmon
came out of a showing of Mystery Team. The entire troupe (with the exception of Glover) appears in the episode Romantic Expressionism as Pierce's joke writers.
Dominic Dierkes
has made a cameo appearance on a video released by The Onion
on a fictional World of Warcraft
expansion titled The World of World of Warcraft, where he praises the game's "realism" such as calling an in-game internet service provider. In the video, his name is Kyle Dierkes. He and fellow Derrick member DC Pierson also appeared in the CH: LIVE video series for Collegehumor
. Dierkes is currently a staff writer for the animated show Allen Gregory
created by and starring Jonah Hill
.
DC Pierson
has published a novel entitled The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To. He hosted New York University
's Ultra Violet Live Talent Competition in 2010
, a comedy involving a childish trio of senior high school students solving a serious crime. Mystery Team premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
and was released in the fall of 2009 by Roadside Attractions
. Mystery Team was released on DVD on May 25, 2010.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
group from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. The group has a large YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
following and was mentioned in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in July 2007. Their video "Bro Rape" has garnered over 8 million views. They have released videos online, performed sold-out shows at venues such as New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre or UCB Theatre is an improvisational theatre and associated UCB Training Center with locations in Chelsea, New York, the EEast Village, New York and Hollywood, California.....
, produced the film Mystery Team
Mystery Team
Mystery Team is a 2009 film created by the comedy group Derrick Comedy. The story was written by Donald Glover, DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, Dan Eckman, and Meggie McFadden. It stars Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes...
, and have appeared on national television.
Members
Derrick Comedy consists of actors Dominic DierkesDominic Dierkes
Dominic Dierkes is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his involvement in the sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy.-Life and career:...
, DC Pierson
DC Pierson
DC Pierson is an American comedian, author, rapper and actor. He is best known for his involvement in the sketch and improvisational comedy group Derrick Comedy....
, and Donald Glover
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
, who also writes original music as Childish Gambino. Derrick's director is Dan Eckman
Dan Eckman
Dan Eckman is an American director, writer, and producer. Eckman first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy.-Early life:Eckman was born on January 27, 1984 in Manchester, New Hampshire...
and their producer is Meggie McFadden.
History
The members of Derrick Comedy met at NYU while performing/directing Wicked Wicked HammerkatzWicked Wicked Hammerkatz
For the current NYU group see: HammerkatzWicked Wicked Hammerkatz was New York University's premier sketch comedy group and was renamed as HammerkatzNYU and in 2009 Hammerkatz.- History :...
Video sketches
Even though they are all experienced improvisors trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade TheatreUpright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre or UCB Theatre is an improvisational theatre and associated UCB Training Center with locations in Chelsea, New York, the EEast Village, New York and Hollywood, California.....
, all of Derrick's videos are tightly scripted. Some of their videos include "New Bike," in which a boy threatens to kill his parents if they do not get him a new bicycle; "Opposite Day," in which an office changes Fridays from "Casual Friday" to "Opposite Day," likely in response to the boss's wife's infidelity; "Girls are not to be trusted", in which a film student makes a series of movies chewing out his girlfriend; and "National Spelling Bee", in which every contestant in a spelling bee was told to spell the word "niggerfaggot". They also have a video called "Jerry" concerning a boy who has had an "accident" in his pants.
Individual work
Donald GloverDonald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
currently plays Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
and was discovered when he was offered the part of Troy after series creator Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon
Dan Harmon is a writer and performer. He is the creator and an executive producer for the NBC television comedy series Community, and, along with Rob Schrab, a founder of the alternative television network/website Channel 101....
came out of a showing of Mystery Team. The entire troupe (with the exception of Glover) appears in the episode Romantic Expressionism as Pierce's joke writers.
Dominic Dierkes
Dominic Dierkes
Dominic Dierkes is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his involvement in the sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy.-Life and career:...
has made a cameo appearance on a video released by The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
on a fictional World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
expansion titled The World of World of Warcraft, where he praises the game's "realism" such as calling an in-game internet service provider. In the video, his name is Kyle Dierkes. He and fellow Derrick member DC Pierson also appeared in the CH: LIVE video series for Collegehumor
CollegeHumor
CollegeHumor is a comedy website owned by InterActiveCorp and based in New York City. The site features daily original comedy videos and articles created by its in-house writing and production team, in addition to user-submitted videos, pictures, articles and links. In early 2009, CollegeHumor's...
. Dierkes is currently a staff writer for the animated show Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory is an American animated television series created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul that airs on FOX. The series premiered on October 30, 2011.-Synopsis:...
created by and starring Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
.
DC Pierson
DC Pierson
DC Pierson is an American comedian, author, rapper and actor. He is best known for his involvement in the sketch and improvisational comedy group Derrick Comedy....
has published a novel entitled The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To. He hosted New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Ultra Violet Live Talent Competition in 2010
Mystery Team
In January 2008, the group announced that they are taking a break from making internet videos while they work on their first full-length feature film entitled Mystery TeamMystery Team
Mystery Team is a 2009 film created by the comedy group Derrick Comedy. The story was written by Donald Glover, DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes, Dan Eckman, and Meggie McFadden. It stars Donald Glover, DC Pierson, and Dominic Dierkes...
, a comedy involving a childish trio of senior high school students solving a serious crime. Mystery Team premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
and was released in the fall of 2009 by Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions
Roadside Attractions is a US film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2003, specializing largely in independent films.Lionsgate bought a partial stake in Roadside in 2007.-List of films released by Roadside Attractions:...
. Mystery Team was released on DVD on May 25, 2010.