Laughs, Games & Career Turns: Mike Drucker’s Path from SNL, Nintendo to Tonight Show and New Memoir

In this episode of Game Dev Advice, writer and comedian Mike Drucker shares his journey across the worlds of television, video games, and comedy. Starting as an assistant and researcher at Saturday Night Live, Mike moved into game localization at Nintendo—where he even played basketball with Reggie Fils-Aimé—before joining The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a writer and then Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He dives into the creative challenges of translating humor across mediums, from crafting jokes for a global audience to building narrative in games. We also discuss his book, Good Game, No Rematch, a funny and heartfelt exploration of growing up with games, self-doubt, and finding meaning in pop culture. Mike shares behind-the-scenes stories from working at IGN, creating mock news shows, and writing for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Packed with industry insights and honest advice for aspiring writers, this conversation highlights the importance of joy, resilience, and staying passionate in your craft. Bio: Mike Drucker is an Emmy-nominated, Writers Guild Award–winning comedian, writer, and producer based in New York. He’s written for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Bill Nye Saves the World, and more. At Nintendo of America, he worked on Kid Icarus: Uprising and Mario Party 9. His latest book, Good Game, No Rematch, blends humor and heart in a memoir about growing up, video games, and pop culture. Show Links: *Good Game, No Rematch - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668015477 *Late Night with Seth Meyers interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltVPFFSgUkE *Chrono Trigger – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrono_Trigger en.wikipedia.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5 *Persona 5 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_5 en.wikipedia.org+12en.wikipedia.org+12megamitensei.fandom.com+12 *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clair_Obscur:_Expedition_33 *IGN’s Up at Noon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6fBaggwNcg *Mystery Science Theater 3000 - https://www.youtube.com/@MST3K *Bill Nye Saves Saves the World - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-_HKOcYBK8 *The Onion Book of Known Knowledge - https://www.amazon.com/Onion-Book-Known-Knowledge-Encyclopaedia/dp/0316133264/ Connect With Links: Mike Drucker on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/mikedrucker.bsky.social Mike Drucker on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikedruckerisdead/ Mike Drucker on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mikedruckerisdead Game Dev Advice Links: * Website: show notes, links, stuff - https://www.gamedevadvice.com * Patreon: career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership - https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice * YouTube: main channel link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvkY8LxjGyOPqlQKuRlObhg * Game Dev Advice hotline: [phone] * Email: reach out - [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices