Civil engineer digs comedy Published Oct. 3, 2006 By SrA Jonathan Jones 434 ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind -- Knock, knock. Who's there? George McGookin. George McGookin who? George McGookin the comedian...and Tech. Sgt. George McGookin the Grissom Reservist. Sergeant McGookin, an engineering assistant with the 434th Civil Engineering Squadron, has been performing stand-up comedy at a higher level for more than two years. "I always knew I wanted to be a comedian," Sergeant. McGookin said. In high school he always made people laugh and his friends would tell him to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. To accomplish this goal he decided to go to college to make himself a well-rounded person, and to become more intelligent. Intelligence plays a strong role in how a comedian performs his material and broadens the scope of topics that he can discuss during a show, he added. In March 2003 he got a chance to practice his comedy when he entered the "Michiana's Funniest Person Contest" and finished sixth out of 28 people, he said. After the contest he knew he could become a stand-up comedian and perform on a regular basis, he added. "I try to be all over the board; I try to hit everything [during my stand-up] like I make fun of my children, I make fun of my wife, religions, sex, historical events, etc.," Sergeant. McGookin said. To become a better comedian, Sergeant McGookin hooked up with John Osborn, a stand-up comedian and previous winner of the MFPC in 2003. Mr. Osborn, who served four years active duty with the Army, approached Sergeant McGookin and suggested they start a workshop for comedians that would meet weekly. The workshop would allow comedians to perform in front of other comedians, where they could critique each other and highlight their strengths and weaknesses as performers, Sgt. McGookin said. Sergeant McGookin said the workshop still meets Thursdays at the "Funny Bone Comedy Club" in Mishawaka, Ind. These meetings have helped him learn effective techniques to develop a routine, which he tries to utilize when performing. "I like intelligent humor. After now doing it for awhile I don't want to get up there and just curse; it seems so cheap and I want to be above that and be the best I can," Sergeant McGookin said. "The cleaner you are the farther you will go in comedy over the course of your career," he added. In addition, the funnyman sometimes performs with a traveling comedic group called "Regional Insanity", which is made up of comedians who attend the weekly workshop. They have performed in numerous locations to include Indianapolis, St. Louis, Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., and Omaha, Neb. Currently, he is working on some new material that incorporates military comedy into his routine. "I watched a video during our annual tour about operational security and there is a guy grabbing something that is labeled in huge letters TOP SECRET and I'm thinking-can we make it any easier for the spies?," said Sergeant McGookin. He believes to become a successful comedian a person must be dedicated, persistent, and patient. His patience shows from attending weekly workshops to performing with other groups of comedians.
