Meet James Hartenfeld | Comedian

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Hartenfeld and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, how do you think about risk?
Pursuing comedy and creative work has been one of the craziest risks to calculate in my life, and still is. It’s hard to repeatedly tell myself that if I keep working hard I’ll get what I want out of this. Talent expires at a certain point, and I’ve had to convince myself being willing to show up is a real skill. I started doing comedy before people were dedicating themselves to TikTok and IG, I don’t have any industry connections, so all I can do is consistently give people good shows and hope I stand out. There is real risk in being a comic in your 30’s with all those things working against you- even if you’re booked all the time. I’m often jealous of friends with more predictable incomes and routines, but I stay optimistic and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I do standup and a few other types of comedy. People know my standup as being different, as I just don’t really do it in a very traditional way. I want to play and I don’t really want to talk about anything redundant. I built a Jerry Springer inspired show called ‘Ricky Winters’ that’s been successful. I have fun doing that because it allows me to write, use my improv background, and make videos- it’s just a bigger production. Crowds seem to like that show because we break a bunch of stuff and make a mess. I’m making a doc series about my dad’s cold case called ‘My Little Cold Case.’ I miss my dad a lot, that’s probably why comedy was important to me as a kid. Shows like these have received positive attention lately, and I’m glad that showing I can do more than standup is paying off. I’m proud to be recognized as a top comic in Portland by local publications and have this city rooting me on.

I got where I am by failing for 7 years, and busting my ass for 3 years. It was a horribly painful journey (kind of- maybe just scary). I had to get sober and stay sober, work hard in therapy, learn how to talk to people, understand my bipolar diagnosis….it all sucked! Accepting who I am and accepting the road ahead are big lessons for me. I’m happy to be here, healthy, and functional. My childhood was a nightmare, so I give a lot of high fives to my ten year old self and tell him we’re doing a great job.

I hope that people understand me as someone trying my best. I love being recognized as someone doing a lot of original things, but that’s just a product of playing hard every day and looking for new things to laugh about. When people see me or enjoy one of my shows, I hope they understand that they are watching an adult that has ran out of ideas on how to keep having fun and stay sane.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Easy question, glad you asked. First things first, we see a free standup comedy show at Al’s Den (every Wednesday at 7pm) and enjoy some delicious food there to go with it. We would also get our tickets early for Ricky Winters (various locations), because you know that bad boy always sells out. After Ricky Winters we would hit up Midnight Mic at Funhouse Lounge (every Friday). Wow, we still have a Saturday night ahead of us? Let’s go to Helium Comedy Club and hope they booked James Hartenfeld to host or feature for the national headliner. Sunday we can chill out with a morning at the best diner ever (My Father’s Place AKA MFP), and then check out Ground Control for some classic games and pinball.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to Southeast Portland, OR. Without the consistent encouragement from this area, I don’t think I would be able to keep going.

Website: https://mylittlecoldcase.com

Instagram: hartenfeld

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.hartenfeld/

Other: other IG
@mylittlecoldcase
@itsrickywintersbitch