Tom Scharpling Joins Arts & Sciences
Tom Scharpling is an American radio host, comedian, television writer, producer, and commercial film music video director. He is best known for hosting the popular weekly radio call-in comedy program “The Best Show On WFMU” and for acting as a writer and executive producer for the TV show MONK.
SPIN magazine named Scharpling Music Video Director of the Year for 2012. Since 2010, he has directed music videos for The New Pornographers, Titus Andronicus, Wild Flag, Real Estate, The Ettes and Aimee Mann, whose Scharpling-written and directed video for “Labrador” was named the #2 Best Music Video of 2012 by TIME magazine (after “Gangham Style”).
Scharpling is a gifted storyteller and multi-faceted director. His work is subtle, ingeniously high-concept, with a cerebral and dry sense of comedy. “Tom represents a new breed of director that can not only direct content, but can create it.” said Mal Ward, Managing Director of Arts & Sciences.
Earlier this year he wrote and directed the Auditions web film for The Postal Service band's 10-year anniversary reissue of their album GIVE UP. The hilarious video includes appearances from people like Marc Maron, Duff McKagan, Moby, Jon Wurster, Blink-182′s Tom DeLonge, DC Pierson, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
His hilarious trailer for John Hodgman’s book “That is All” features a plethora of celebrity cameos, including Justin Long, Dick Cavett, Ted Leo, Brooke Shields, Nas, Samantha Bee, Jack McBrayer, Paul Rudd, Fred Armisen, Jason Jones, Scott Adsit, Paul Feig, John Lutz, Vernon Reid, Kristen Schaal, and more.
Since1999, Scharpling has released five critically acclaimed albums with comedy partner Jon Wurster under the moniker Scharpling & Wurster. As a writer, Scharpling has written for both basketball and entertainment magazines, with his writing appearing in GQ, SLAM, VULTURE, and HARP. He is also a founding member of the sports writing collective The Classical and hosts the long form musical interview podcast Low Times.
