Call Me Puke: A Life on the Dirt Circuit

by Mark Sieve

Actor, producer, and director Mark Sieve is the co-creator of the Renaissance vaudeville team Puke & Snot, the longest-running two-man comedy duo in the country and a headline show at festivals and comedy clubs throughout North America since 1974. A comedy club owner in Los Angeles once said after an appearance by Puke & ''This act heralds the merging of the visual discipline of performance art with the verbal precision of classical drama, resulting in nothing less than a completely new art form. They'll never work here again.'' But work they did, and still do. With wit and energy, Mark Sieve weaves choice tidbits about his remarkable partnership with Joe Kudla against the backdrop of his early life in a small Minnesota town and his emerging career as an actor. A supremely affectionate book, Call Me Puke finally puts to rest his mother's oft-stated and greatest ''I hope I die before I find out all my kids are stupid.'' ''Mark devotes as much energy to his golf game as his acting. Both, unfortunately, are above par.'' -Tom Watson, golf professional ''The most successful act on the Renaissance festival circuit, the nonpareils, Puke & Snot.'' -Calvin Trillin, The New Yorker

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

259 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A far better book than I expected. I expected funny, I expected a remarkable life story, but I did not expect it to have poignancy, and I for sure did not expect it to be so grammatically correct (autobiographies rarely are). But in reading it, now I understand why-from his college major to his earliest professional experience, it’s all clear to me now. Thanks Mark.
For all of these reasons, read this book. It’s very enjoyable and entertaining, much like chatting with Mark Sieve in person.

[Stan Pedzick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting history of Marc Sieve personally as well as RennFaires in general. Well worth the read if you are a person that attends or works in the Circuit.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, breezy read that gives amazing details about the iconic MN Ren Fest duo. Who knew that Puke used to teach a block away from my house?

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a title! For a blog post or a book, that's gotta be one that grabs your attention. Call Me Puke, A Life on the Dirt Circuit is an autobiography by Mark Sieve, better known as "Puke" of the "Puke & Snot" comedy duo seen nationwide, mostly at Renaissance festivals. My family and I love to go the Ren Faires and have been to several in the US, Germany and England. But it wasn't until a couple of years ago, in 2008, when we visited the Colorado Renaissance festival near Larkspur for about the fourth time that we actually saw the Puke & Snot show. Unfortunately, later that year, Joe Kudla, who played "Snot" passed away, only a couple of weeks after we had seen the show. This year, my wife and kids went back to the festival and saw Puke & Snot once again, with a new "Snot" in play. They were lucky to have been a bit early to the show and lo and behold, Mark "Puke" Sieve sat down next to them and starting shooting the breeze. As a souvenir, because I couldn't attend, they brought home this book as a gift for me, autographed by the author. Cool!

This is a great little autobiography and, not surprisingly, won the Midwest Book Award. Mr. Sieve does not tell his life story in direct chronological order but rather mixes it with other, themed vignettes. He does a great job of being humble (but not overly so like some autobiographies that just make you want to...well, puke). We get to experience his life, from his early days working in his parents’ cinema, to his potential major league baseball career, and through his early days as a public school teacher. But always there was his love for performing comedy and getting the audience to laugh. Together with his partner, Joe, they carried the Puke & Snot show for about 35 years, usually on the "Dirt Circuit" as he calls it but elsewhere too...even Disney. Along the way they've met and worked with some memorable characters including some you've heard of like Penn & Teller who got their start in similar circumstances. Mr. Sieve writes from a very personal point of view and it's never more heartbreaking than when he serves tribute to his long time partner.

Highly recommended.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the Midwest Book Award and regular at many different Renaissance Festivals, Mark Sieve is half of the comic duo of Puke and Snot. A vaudevillian type of banter and humor, the show is very fun and so is his memoir. It covers his early life, his time as a teacher, his time spent at various festivals, his relationships with Penn and Teller (who got their start at festivals as well) and a great many other things. Sieve has lead a very interesting and very full life and, as a RennFest regular, I really enjoyed hearing about it.

His story was told not chronologically but in a back and forth type of way where you go from his time at the festivals in Texas to his childhood on a farm to his time as a teacher in Minnesota and then back to college. At times this worked very well and at other times it was a bit dizzying. But if the worst thing I have to say is about the structure of this book, the Sieve has done something very right.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about Mark's life in the fast lane of performing arts. I bought this book last weekend at the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, CO and was more than happy that I did. Mark (Puke) as well as the new Snot (Snot Jr.) both signed the book for me. The book is a fast read with great photos and laughs. Its a great bedtime story that puts to rest that Mark is beyond talented; he's a great innovator of this century's entertainment.

[Sean Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This funny, very well written autobiography by one of the creators of the legendary Renaissance vaudeville team 'Puke & Snot' chronicles not just the life and times of the talented, innovative comic duo of Kudla & Sieve - it also paints an excellent picture of the history of the Renaissance Festival circuit. Huzzah!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of my own knowledge and experience of Renaissance Festivals, it is extra fun to read the memoirs of one of the original big deal acts. These guys were flying in for weekends when all the other acts were living in tents - but the venue remains the same, and the insiders look is always of interest.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading not only about Mark Sieve, Joe Kudla and Penn & Teller but the way that the Renaissance festivals started out as kind of a fringe/hippie thing and have become so popular and mainstream. If you love Puke & Snot, you should definitely read this. Although John Gamoke has done a good job stepping, I will always miss Joe Kudla as the great Snot.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were very interesting. I liked hearing how they achieved their success at the MRF. I wish more of the book focused more on starting out.

[Salvatore Leone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moderately funny story of his life.