Paper dubs Michael Showalter the “King of Comedy”:

“I was never like, ‘I’m a comedian,’ until very recently,” Showalter explains. “It took me a while to be able to say that.” This is surprising, given that the 34-year-old has devoted the past 15 or so years of his life to various comedic endeavors. And he, along with Wain and Ian Black, are probably the closest thing there is to New York comedy royalty. While their previous ventures, like the short-lived MTV sketch show The State and the cultishly popular 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer went over the heads of many Americans, critics hailed them as groundbreaking and Showalter and company were propelled to cult-like status. With Stella slated to fill in the coveted Tuesday night spot left open by Chappelle’s Show and with the more traditional romantic comedy The Baxter coming soon to a theater near you, Showalter is diving head-first into the mainstream.

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