The state of sketch comedy is in flux, since the departure of MTV's bizarre and wonderful show, THE STATE. Meanwhile, the comedians from the show have gone on to write, direct, and star in several TV and film projects.

One such project is this year's funniest movie (see My TNA pick in issue XII), WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER. Featuring all your favorite summer camp characters, including a cape-wearing D&D nerd, and a talking can of mixed vegetables, you can't see it too quickly, or too many times.

I interviewed the film's co-writers/co-producers, David Wain (who directed) and Michael Showalter (who starred as the naive, and sincerely hot "Coop").

kp: How much of WHAS was based on real summer camp experiences? Tell us a summer camp story!
DW: One camp story that actually happened was that I took a bunch of campers to a mountain in the middle of a huge state park and left them there so I could see a girl I wanted to make out with and ended up crashing the van. Then we adapted the real story for the movie.
MS: I crapped in my bathing suit. I hid my soiled trunks in the woods. My bunkmates found the bathing suit and confronted me with the evidence. I wholeheartedly denied any connection. The name tag sewed into the back with "Michael Showalter" written on it, gave me away. I was doomed.

kp: Who played the can of mixed vegetables? He was awesome.
MS: Jon Benjamin -- actor, comic, writer extraordinaire.
DW: Whose voice you may recognize as the son from "Dr. Katz".