I knew Mark Turcotte was hilarious even before he went off to do it professionally.

When he designed my website in 2005, he kept me in stitches. On the Sun Journal’s sports department, he was a hoot. Now, as a Dempsey Challenge spokesman, he is both funny and helpful — he’s the guy you need to see for information and you want to see him because you know that sooner or later, he’s going to crack you up.

Turcotte, married with two kids, is everywhere. Since making his stand-up comedy debut in June, 2012, he has been a semi-finalist in 2012 Maine’s Funniest Comic Search, founded Comedy Fix fundraising series and LAME Comedy Fest, performed at the Lewiston-Auburn Film Festival Awards Gala and at 25 other venues in Maine and New Hampshire. On Nov. 10, he will perform at “Salute to Veterans” at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.

Turcotte is among the funniest people I know, but he’s also brilliant and incredibly generous. I tracked him down to talk about his stand-up comedy and, as we chatted, he made me laugh stuff out my nose. It’s what he does, man.

What made you decide you wanted to be a comic?

It was time. It’s something I’d wanted to try since I was 12. I remember sitting in awe watching George Carlin’s “Carlin at Carnegie” HBO special wondering if I could ever entertain a crowd with nothing but my warped thoughts and a microphone. Last year, at age 41, I gave it a try. Now, I can’t imagine life without it.

What’s the hardest part about the laugh game?

Getting stage time. The instant feedback from an audience is essential to growing as a comedian. Running jokes in front of a mirror, my dog, family or friends does nothing to improve my fragile self-esteem. It also doesn’t help that my dog thinks I suck.

What’s the easiest?

The camaraderie with fellow comics. We’ve all had great sets, we’ve all bombed and we’ve all had horrific shows (mine was for my daughter’s elementary school faculty). The local scene is loaded with talent, but we support each other and try to help out as much as possible.

You suck! Get off the stage! That’s my way of asking how you deal with hecklers.

Give them one chance. Politely ask them to stop because they’re disrupting the show. If that doesn’t work, it’s open season. Fortunately it hasn’t been much of an issue. Most of the crowds I’ve seen have been respectful and it’s great to see this community embrace local entertainment.

Can you tell us a joke that will make the copy editors red in the face?

My wife and I were being intimate and I tried some new stuff. She didn’t like it. Whatever you’re thinking of right now, that’s what I tried.

Where can our laugh-starved readers learn more about your shows?

markturcotte.com has all the info, and tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers. That last part may not be true.

When you’re not being hilarious, working with the Dempsey Challenge, handling PR or designing websites for lousy authors, what do you do with yourself?

Here comes the cliche “spending time with my family” answer, but it’s true … they’re a great source of material.

mlaflamme@sunjournal.com

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