date published: December 3, 2007

Gary Gulman 
by Josh B. Wardrop

Stand-up comedian Gary Gulman (“Last Comic Standing,” “Tourgasm”) is the ultimate local success story. Raised in nearby Peabody, he attended Boston College, playing football for the BC Eagles. On December 7 & 8, Gulman returns to Boston for two nights at the Comedy Connection.

Q: Is it fun to come back and play Boston?
A: It’s too much pressure. When I started out, I worried people wouldn’t come to see me. Now, I worry people won’t come to see me because they’ll think they’ve heard all my material.

Q: Does the newly flush-with-success Boston sports scene seem unreal to you?
A: It’s crazy. The Red Sox were down 3-1 to the Indians in the playoffs, and people here weren’t contemplating suicide. And Tom Brady has achieved an unheard-of level of popularity. I mean, we loved Larry Bird, but this is different. Macho Boston guys seem to love Brady in a “take him to see Wicked and out to the Cheesecake Factory” way.

Q: You’re back home for the holidays. Any Gulman family traditions?
A: It’s weird, because I’m Jewish, but I covet Christmas. It’s not fair to show a kid Santa and the elves, then say “But your holiday is about heating oil lasting.” It’s like celebrating driving your car on empty for a week.

Q: Is the current Writers’ Guild strike affecting you professionally?
A: I actually was a dues-payer in the Guild for a couple of years. I’m not sure if I’m still a member. I guess I may be on strike. Not by choice—I just don’t have any ideas for material.

Q: What are you working on next?
A: I’m doing a sports-related stand-up series for [Boston sports network] NESN. It combines my loves of comedy and sports—finally, my obsessive watching of the same episode of “SportsCenter” three times a day can become lucrative.