From: St. Paul Dispatch* [reprinted in part in St. Paul Pioneer Press*,
page C5, same date]
Date: September 30, 1982
Headline: Backstage: Tricky Comic Wins Local Contest
Photo(s): Joel Hodgson is a "bad" magician but a good comic, good enough to
win first place and $500 in the finals of the First Annual Twin
Cities Comedy Invitational last Sunday night. [Hodgson holds up
a Mystery Date game board.] [Photo not included in reprint.]
Author: Protzman, Bob
Page(s): B2


The Twin Cities comedy scene got a big boost and deadpan magician/comic Joel Hodgson got first place and $500 in the finals of the First Annual Twin Cities Comedy Invitational Sunday night in the Riverview Supper Club, Minneapolis.

The youthful Hodgson's transparent "magic" tricks, monotone delivery, and "Agent J" running gag impressed the five judges enough to earn him the victory over five other comedians or comedy groups.

The finals of the competition, which began with 20 comedians or acts, attracted a good-sized crowd of some 375 people to the 500-seat Riverview.

The finish was extremely close, with Hodgson barely edging second-place finisher Jeff Cesario, whose 20 minutes included some perceptive and very funny stuff on sports and drugs and rock 'n' roll concerts.

Third place went to the only out-of-towner to reach the final six, Chicagoan Ed Fiala, a marvelous sound-effects impressionist and whimsical funnyman, who beat out Alex Cole in a photo finish. Cole's act was highlighted by wry and insightful observations about his first child and an on-the-mark impersonation of Hibbing's Bobby Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan)singing Christmas music.

Hodgson, Cesario and Fiala were awarded trophies.