“The Wolf Den” Looks at the Funny Business of Podcasting

I’ve praised The EARWOLF Podcasting Network before for their lineup of quality, cutting edge, comedy shows so I was surprised in January to see the introduction of a new show called The Wolf Den: The Business of Comedy.

At first, The Wolf Den was described as “an informational look at Earwolf from the people behind the scenes,” and to its credit stayed true to documenting the growing pains of a one-man show (Comedy Death-Ray Radio with Scott Aukerman) turning into a full-fledged online network. By episode four, however, the focus had grown to encompass the new media business of comedy and the people behind it, making it something completely different from anything out there.

Much of the difference—and greatness—is due to the show’s host and Earwolf Media Co-Founder Jeff Ullrich’s curiosity for new media and where a business like his fits in. Jeff was formerly a Director at the global financial firm UBS, so you get a sense during his interviews that he’s not only asking questions for our education, but also for his.

And because of his business background and newness to new media you get very detailed conversations about distribution, advertiser integration, and the definition of success. It may sound boring until you factor in the guests he’s discussing this minutiae with; which includes Doug Benson, Marc Maron, the Head of Zune Marketplace, and the Managing Editor of The A.V. Club.

I must confess that The Wolf Den does tap into my infatuation with web entrepreneur stories and the behind-the-scenes dirt. Case in point is the newest episode which lets us listen in on a conversation between the developers, designers, engineers, and other Earwolves that are planning version two of Earwolf.com.

It’s not very sexy or funny, but like all The Wolf Den episodes it’s something you’re surely not going to hear anywhere else. And, most importantly, it’s by the people who are clearing the path for other artists trying to navigate through the new media landscape.