The Town Show
The Town Show
Kelly&Kelly Inc
Ep 74: The Hat Store w/ Paul F. Tompkins
1 hour 5 minutes Posted May 20, 2026 at 7:15 am.
The legendary Paul F Tompkins (BoJack Horseman, Mr Show) joins Mark and Ryan to talk about growing up in Philadelphia, riding trolly cars, performing stand-up when he was really bad at it, and his first job a store called “Hats in The Belfry”. In our town he creates a hat store called “You Dirty Hat” that also happens to be haunted. If you want to take part in our first ever live Town Hall - be sure to sign up for our PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/TheTownShowThe Town Show is sponsored by No Smoke Coffee - "No Smoke. No Mirrors. Just great coffee." Head to NoSmokeCoffee.com and use the promo code TOWNSHOW20 at checkout to get 20% off your order.Follow us onInstagram: @TheTownShowYouTube: @TheTownShowPodTikTok: @TheTownShow  
Introduction to Paul F. Tompkins and episode concept
Paul's childhood in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, and early open mic nights
The comedy boom of the 80s and the necessity of self-delusion
Famous comedy rooms and funky venue names like Go Bananas
Mount Airy neighborhood and trolley lines
Trolley accidents and the charm of vintage transit
Themed hotels like Madonna Inn and their unique designs
Neighborhood celebrities and local characters
Neighborhood legends: the glass-eyed husky guy
Starting in college, dropping out, and early career stories
Work history: hats shops, video stores, comic book stores
Creating haunted locations and cursed shops for the town
Innovative town features: the bag-hat and haunted business ideas
The art of pranks and pranking veterans
Ghost stories: haunted hat stores and spectral apparitions
Spectral activity and ghostly lore in the town
Meta conversation: fake ghost stories and the town’s lore
Touring plans and upcoming shows with Paul
Podcasts and projects: Neighborhood Listen and Stay F Homkins
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The legendary Paul F Tompkins (BoJack Horseman, Mr Show) joins Mark and Ryan to talk about growing up in Philadelphia, riding trolly cars, performing stand-up when he was really bad at it, and his first job a store called “Hats in The Belfry”. In our town he creates a hat store called “You Dirty Hat” that also happens to be haunted. If you want to take part in our first ever live Town Hall - be sure to sign up for our PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/TheTownShowThe Town Show is sponsored by No Smoke Coffee - "No Smoke. No Mirrors. Just great coffee." Head to NoSmokeCoffee.com and use the promo code TOWNSHOW20 at checkout to get 20% off your order.Follow us onInstagram: @TheTownShowYouTube: @TheTownShowPodTikTok: @TheTownShow  (00:00) Introduction to Paul F. Tompkins and episode concept(01:16) Paul's childhood in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, and early open mic nights(04:28) The comedy boom of the 80s and the necessity of self-delusion(06:23) Famous comedy rooms and funky venue names like Go Bananas(08:30) Mount Airy neighborhood and trolley lines(09:34) Trolley accidents and the charm of vintage transit(13:18) Themed hotels like Madonna Inn and their unique designs(15:00) Neighborhood celebrities and local characters(17:22) Neighborhood legends: the glass-eyed husky guy(20:54) Starting in college, dropping out, and early career stories(24:54) Work history: hats shops, video stores, comic book stores(29:00) Creating haunted locations and cursed shops for the town(39:58) Innovative town features: the bag-hat and haunted business ideas(44:25) The art of pranks and pranking veterans(49:42) Ghost stories: haunted hat stores and spectral apparitions(55:00) Spectral activity and ghostly lore in the town(61:41) Meta conversation: fake ghost stories and the town’s lore(63:10) Touring plans and upcoming shows with Paul(64:29) Podcasts and projects: Neighborhood Listen and Stay F Homkins(65:33) Credits and community shout-outs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.