Michael J. Nelson
Encyclopedia
Michael John Nelson is a U.S.
comedian
and writer
, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000
(MST3K). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson. In addition to writing books, Mike is currently part of the online movie riffing sites RiffTrax
and The Film Crew
alongside fellow MST3K alumns, Bill Corbett
and Kevin Murphy
.
. He is half Danish, a quarter German
and a quarter Irish
. He lived in Geneva, Illinois
, until the age of twelve, when his family moved to north-western Wisconsin
. He studied theatre and music at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, but he left before graduating and moved to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.
and doing occasional stand-up comedy when he was offered a job on Mystery Science Theater 3000
, typing the suggestions in the writing room. The writers told him to feel free to make some comments on the movies they were watching, and Nelson impressed them so much with both his wit and comedic timing that they made him a staff writer (and, later, head writer).
When series originator and host Joel Hodgson
decided to leave the show half-way through the fifth season, he chose Nelson as his replacement — reportedly because he thought Nelson was a natural leader, a gifted comedian as well as a gifted muse, and also that Nelson simply looked good standing next to the show's puppets.
, Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters and Mike Nelson's Death Rat!
, the last being his first novel
. His other works include a series of pop culture humor books, Happy Kitty Bunny Pony, Goth-Icky, and Love Sick, as well as a monthly column for Home Theater
magazine. He also wrote for the short-lived game show
Let's Bowl
, which gained a cult following of its own. He has commentary tracks for DVD releases of several films, including Reefer Madness
, The Little Shop of Horrors
, House on Haunted Hill
, Plan 9 from Outer Space
, Carnival of Souls
and Night of the Living Dead
. With his M.S.T.3K co-stars Kevin Murphy
and Bill Corbett
, he is part of a comedy team called "The Film Crew
" which has created comedy segments for N.P.R. The first Film Crew D.V.D., Hollywood After Dark, was released July 10, 2007, and three more followed in the months after. Nelson also provided the voice of "Not Chuck" in Cars
.
In 2006, Nelson was appointed Chief Content Producer for Legend Films
. He will be responsible for building and leading the company's creative content, providing continuous commentaries and developing other premium web-based programming. "I'm very excited. Legend Films is such a great fit for me — talented people who consistently put out a great product. Plus, there are Flaming Hot Cheetos
in the lunch room vending machine
. That made it an easy choice to join the team", enthused Nelson.
One of the projects put together by Nelson and Legend Films was RiffTrax
, a website offering the purchase of downloadable audio commentaries. The first commentary made available through the service was for Road House
. In a September 2006 interview, Nelson said he felt that Rifftrax may be the closest thing to a reunion of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team, even though it has never featured Joel Hodgson
, Trace Beaulieu
, J. Elvis Weinstein
or Frank Conniff
.
cover to cover. Check in at Townhall.com
every day. Check the Washington Times daily. Listen to Dennis Prager
and Michael Medved
on a regular basis. Read Mark Steyn
with regularity. Read the Weekly Standard. So, yes, I do vote Republican." He later referred to Minneapolis Star Tribune as "the Star and Sickle
, or the Red Star Tribune".
Nelson is married to fellow MST3K writer Bridget Jones, and the pair have two sons named August Nelson and George Nelson. They moved from the Minneapolis, Minnesota
area to San Diego, California
in mid-2006.
He has described the role of Christianity in his family as "the very centerpiece of our lives. We're heavily involved in our church, my wife works with youth groups and churches as her profession, and almost every career and life decision I make depends upon it." He studies Christian apologetics and cites William Lane Craig
and C.S. Lewis as influences.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
(MST3K). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson. In addition to writing books, Mike is currently part of the online movie riffing sites RiffTrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
and The Film Crew
The Film Crew
The Film Crew were a comedic team similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, comprising former MST3K cast members Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy...
alongside fellow MST3K alumns, Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 , for which he voiced the robot Crow T. Robot during the show's later seasons on the Sci Fi Channel and played the character...
and Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
.
Early life
Michael Nelson was born in St. Charles, IllinoisSt. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs...
. He is half Danish, a quarter German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and a quarter Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
. He lived in Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
, until the age of twelve, when his family moved to north-western Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. He studied theatre and music at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, but he left before graduating and moved to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Nelson was working as a waiter at T.G.I. Friday'sT.G.I. Friday's
T.G.I. Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF...
and doing occasional stand-up comedy when he was offered a job on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, typing the suggestions in the writing room. The writers told him to feel free to make some comments on the movies they were watching, and Nelson impressed them so much with both his wit and comedic timing that they made him a staff writer (and, later, head writer).
When series originator and host Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson
Joel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
decided to leave the show half-way through the fifth season, he chose Nelson as his replacement — reportedly because he thought Nelson was a natural leader, a gifted comedian as well as a gifted muse, and also that Nelson simply looked good standing next to the show's puppets.
Post-M.S.T.3K
Since the series ended, Nelson has worked steadily as a writer, publishing several books (as of March 2006): Mike Nelson's Movie MegacheeseMike Nelson's Movie Megacheese
Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese is the first book by Michael J. Nelson, published in 2000 by HarperEntertainment, an imprint of HarperCollins publishers....
, Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters and Mike Nelson's Death Rat!
Mike Nelson's Death Rat!
Mike Nelson's Death Rat! is the first full length novel by American author Michael J. Nelson. Mike Nelson has previous experience as the head writer for Mystery Science Theater 3000 and has written two previous books of essays.-Plot summary:Death Rat! is primarily a satire, with its main subject...
, the last being his first novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. His other works include a series of pop culture humor books, Happy Kitty Bunny Pony, Goth-Icky, and Love Sick, as well as a monthly column for Home Theater
Home theater
A home theater or home theatre is a theater built in a home, designed to mimic commercial theater performance and feeling, more commonly known as a home cinema...
magazine. He also wrote for the short-lived game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Let's Bowl
Let's Bowl
Let's Bowl was a short-lived bowling game show that aired on the Comedy Central television network from 2001 to 2002 after a brief run on several TV stations across the U.S. in the mid-1990s, the first three being Minneapolis-St...
, which gained a cult following of its own. He has commentary tracks for DVD releases of several films, including Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness is a well-known 1936 American propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marijuana" — from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness...
, The Little Shop of Horrors
The Little Shop of Horrors
The Little Shop of Horrors is a 1960 American comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a farce about an inadequate young florist's assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human flesh and blood. The film's concept is thought to be based on a 1932...
, House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill
House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American B movie horror film from Allied Artists. It was directed by William Castle, written by Robb White, and starring Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren. He and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five people to the house for a "Haunted...
, Plan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1959 science fiction film written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film features Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson and Maila "Vampira" Nurmi...
, Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls is a 1962 independent horror film starring Candace Hilligoss. Produced and directed by Herk Harvey for an estimated $33,000, the film did not gain widespread attention when originally released, as a B film; today, however, it is a cult classic...
and Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
. With his M.S.T.3K co-stars Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
and Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett
Bill Corbett is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 , for which he voiced the robot Crow T. Robot during the show's later seasons on the Sci Fi Channel and played the character...
, he is part of a comedy team called "The Film Crew
The Film Crew
The Film Crew were a comedic team similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000, comprising former MST3K cast members Michael J. Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy...
" which has created comedy segments for N.P.R. The first Film Crew D.V.D., Hollywood After Dark, was released July 10, 2007, and three more followed in the months after. Nelson also provided the voice of "Not Chuck" in Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
.
Legend Films
Legend Films, a San Diego-based company, was founded in August 2001. The company specializes in the conversion of feature films, both new release and catalog titles, and commercials from their native 2D format into 3-D film format utilizing proprietary technology and software...
. He will be responsible for building and leading the company's creative content, providing continuous commentaries and developing other premium web-based programming. "I'm very excited. Legend Films is such a great fit for me — talented people who consistently put out a great product. Plus, there are Flaming Hot Cheetos
Cheetos
Cheetos is a brand of cheese-flavored cornmeal snack made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Fritos creator Charles Elmer Doolin invented Cheetos in 1948, and began national distribution in the U.S. The initial success of Cheetos was a contributing factor to the merger between The Frito Company...
in the lunch room vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
. That made it an easy choice to join the team", enthused Nelson.
One of the projects put together by Nelson and Legend Films was RiffTrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
, a website offering the purchase of downloadable audio commentaries. The first commentary made available through the service was for Road House
Road House (1989 film)
Road House is a 1989 American action film partially based on the life of Norman "Storm" Cantwell, directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring Patrick Swayze as a bouncer at a newly-refurbished roadside bar who protects a small town in Missouri from a corrupt businessman. Sam Elliot also plays a...
. In a September 2006 interview, Nelson said he felt that Rifftrax may be the closest thing to a reunion of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team, even though it has never featured Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson
Joel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
, Trace Beaulieu
Trace Beaulieu
Trace Beaulieu is an American puppeteer, writer, and actor. He is best known for his roles on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
, J. Elvis Weinstein
J. Elvis Weinstein
Josh "J. Elvis" Weinstein is an American writer and performer, best known for his roles as Dr. Laurence Erhardt and the original puppeteer and voice for Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Mystery Science Theater 3000:...
or Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff is a writer and actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of TV's Frank on Mystery Science Theater 3000 .-Early work:...
.
Personal life
During a 2004 interview with the fan site MST3K Review, Nelson described himself as Protestant and conservative: "I read the National ReviewNational Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
cover to cover. Check in at Townhall.com
Townhall.com
Townhall.com is a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative United States politics. It was previously operated by the Heritage Foundation, but is now owned and operated by Salem Communications...
every day. Check the Washington Times daily. Listen to Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
and Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
on a regular basis. Read Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn
Mark Steyn is a Canadian-born writer, conservative-leaning political commentator, and cultural critic. He has written five books, including America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, a New York Times bestseller...
with regularity. Read the Weekly Standard. So, yes, I do vote Republican." He later referred to Minneapolis Star Tribune as "the Star and Sickle
Hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle is a part of communist symbolism and its usage indicates an association with Communism, a Communist party, or a Communist state. It features a hammer and a sickle overlapping each other. The two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat and the peasantry; placing them...
, or the Red Star Tribune".
Nelson is married to fellow MST3K writer Bridget Jones, and the pair have two sons named August Nelson and George Nelson. They moved from the Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
area to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
in mid-2006.
He has described the role of Christianity in his family as "the very centerpiece of our lives. We're heavily involved in our church, my wife works with youth groups and churches as her profession, and almost every career and life decision I make depends upon it." He studies Christian apologetics and cites William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig is an American analytic philosopher, philosophical theologian, and Christian apologist. He is known for his work on the philosophy of time and the philosophy of religion, specifically the existence of God and the defense of Christian theism...
and C.S. Lewis as influences.
External links
- LAist.com Interview with Michael J. Nelson
- Mike Nelson interviewed on "The Joe Cook Program" 9/24/06