Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre is one of those comedy troupes that you never knew you already knew. As it turns out, they have 30 years of history presenting their peculiar brand of off-the-wall lunacy in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in places they've toured in the past, but that's probably not how you might know them. I knew them from the Ask Dr. Science spots they run on NPR stations around the country ("Remember, he's not a real doctor." "I have a Master's Degree--" "--in science!")

Now, to be perfectly honest, I can't say I cared much for the Dr. Science bits on the radio. But when I sat down and watched the footage of the Duck's Breath 30th Anniversary Show, the Dr. Science sketch had me in stitches! Because in the live show, he takes questions from the audience and answers them on the spot, ad lib. And that colors the whole experience. (Dan Coffey, the man who is Dr. Science, also hosted the radio show Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!.)

Another one of my favorites in the show is Ian Shoales, whose voice you might remember from snappy social commentary spots on NPR ("...I gotta go.") or recognize from ABC's "World News Now." His dry delivery and sharp wit are delightful.

My favorite sketch from the show is with Jim Turner as Randee of the Redwoods. Anyone who's been exposed to '70s stoner culture will get a kick out of this spaced out dude. I think it's his utter innocence that makes him so endearing.

How did I miss these guys all these years? They never hit the big time like Second City, but they really are just as silly, with perhaps a bit more of social satire. It's great to be able to work on a DVD project for such a talented bunch, but for me the real joy was being introduced to the nutty humor of these ascerbic wits. (And I'm not just saying that because we worked on the disc. You'll just have to trust me on that.)

The Duck's Breath 30th Anniversary Show DVD is being released at the end of October. Check Riverbend Entertainment for the latest info.

• Laura's blog
•