He’s Not Nervous, He’s Just Drawn That Way

WATERTOWN, Mass. —  How does Jonathan Katz know he’s hot stuff in Hollywood?

“HBO took out this full-page ad recently with stars of its shows and specials,” says Katz, who had a stand-up special on the network last year. “I was the only one I’d never heard of.”

And no one is more bemused by this sudden success than the short and balding comic-writer who, at 49, is suddenly being coddled by networks and production companies alike. All this as a result of “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist,” his computer-animated series now in its second season on Comedy Central.

For the millions who have neither seen nor heard of it, the series features Katz--well, a spitting-image drawing of him--as a lonely, put-upon analyst dealing with a tart-tongued dish of a secretary (Laura Silverman), a grown-up adolescent son (H. Jon Benjamin) and an ever-changing roster of comic patients, voiced by their real-life counterparts (Garry Shandling, Rita Rudner, Richard Lewis, Stephen Wright, among others).

The series, rather like Shandling’s own “Larry Sanders Show,” has not only become a cult favorite to watch in Hollywood, but it’s also become a place comedians want to go.

“In the beginning, I really had to call in old favors to get them,” says the low-key Katz, who won an Emmy last year for his voice-over performance. “Now they seem to be calling me.”

And why not? “Someone finally came up with an original way for comics to work without standing in front of their mike,” says Marc Maron, stand-up comedian and visitor to the show. “There’s not the pressure of an audience and we can show a bit more of ourselves.”

After sifting through several offers, Katz and his partner, Tom Snyder (founder of the software company that produces the series), have signed a deal with DreamWorks to produce other shows with at least the same sensibility as “Dr. Katz.” The first, “Giving Harry the Business,” is a computer-animated series that ABC is considering for its fall lineup. (Katz does not star in any form).

“I’m overwhelmed by all that’s expected of me but I have a sense of excitement I haven’t had for a long time,” Katz says. It’s not that he’s going Hollywood, by the way. In fact, he won’t go at all. “For years I wouldn’t live in Los Angeles--because no one asked me,” he deadpans. “Now I won’t out of principle.”

Katz, you see, lives happily here with his wife and two children (ages 14 and 4) just outside Cambridge, Mass., very close to where Snyder’s production company happens to be based. So far, so good, but will Hollywood accommodate?

“I realize I may have to go to Los Angeles more,” Katz says, “but I have it in all my contracts that I stay in New England.”

Spending time at Snyder’s Retro Ranch, a feel-good warehouse of a place without cubicles, filled with denim and flannel, and no noticeable hierarchy, one feels a long way from the pressure cookers of Hollywood and New York sound stages.

On this day, Katz and Marc Maron are getting an episode rolling. Maron enters a connected recording studio and spews out some of his favorite material for close to an hour (prompted sometimes by Katz and Snyder sitting just outside the booth). There is continual laughter and high hopes as Maron gets on a roll.

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Later, Katz joins the stand-up in the room for some improvised interaction as doctor and patient and the chemistry seems to work. Patient: “Is it unusual to have commercials in your dreams, Doc?” Katz: “I think that’s the whole idea of good advertising.” Katz: “You get along with your brother’s wife?” Long pause--”That’s not therapy, I’m just meddling.”

Audio editor Loren Bouchard will eventually edit that material, plus that improvised by the regular cast members. Katz then loosely puts a script together (they call it retro-scripting), and Bouchard picks and chooses among the best stuff. Several hours are whittled down to 22 minutes. “It’s really done like an old radio show,” says Bouchard, who admits, “this is probably the most creative audio editing job in television.”

Only when the soundtrack is finished does it go to the visual folks. Enter Squigglevision, the process invented for the series wherein a simple line drawing of a character is made, traced several times unevenly, then computer regenerated over that. The sensation is a bit like watching Jell-O on screen, but stick with it.

“We wanted something that could be very expressive,” explains Snyder, whose 16-year-old company mostly does educational tapes. “While these characters can’t move with this process, they do have lots of expressions. Also, rather than animators, Squigglevision allowed us to hire illustrators, who I find more creative, affordable and available.”

Little wonder Katz has mixed feelings about the changes that prime-time stardom may bring to his life. He’s not even sure he wants to come out from behind his animated self.

“I like being behind the scenes,” he says, “and in the spotlight. Those are the only two places I’m comfortable. Right now I’m still at the point where I have to get my autographs co-signed and I’m not sure I want that to change. On the other hand, it’s easier to write for me than it is to write for other people. I can practice in the car.”

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One thing he likes about his newfound security is being able to retire from the road. “The last stand-up I did was a show for the Jewish Community Center in Newton, Mass., a few months ago,” he says. “I was in bed by 10 o’clock. They were in bed by 9:30. I was never driven to do stand-up and after 15 years of nightclubs, I realized I’m not a night person.”

While the comedian awaits the fate of “Giving Harry the Business,” “Dr. Katz” remains priority and true love No. 1. And despite all the heavyweight callers, he intends to keep the show on the little comedy channel that did. (“I think they own it, actually.”)

He’s particularly excited when he lands special guests: “Shandling was my dream-come-true guest,” he says. (That show kicks off a batch of new episodes on Sunday.) “He’s such a clever guy and a good actor.”

Now he’s actively seeking Steve Martin. “We go back a long way . . . separately, of course.”

And he’s trying to figure out a way to pry Johnny Carson out of retirement for a chat on the Katz couch. That would be another joint effort he has long dreamed about.

“I was invited on ‘The Tonight Show’ when he was host,” Katz recalls, “but I was always holding out for ‘The Best of Carson.’ ”

* “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist” airs its new episodes on Sundays at 10 p.m., which then repeat Tuesday at 9 p.m., Thursday at 9:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and the following Sunday at 11 a.m. on Comedy Central.