With his radio show debuting on DVD — A Prairie Home Companion: 30th Broadcast Season Celebration — the man hose voice is better known than his face reflects on success from Lake Wobegon.
You're not a taskmaster after all this time?
The secret of longevity is to surround yourself with people more talented than you. I feel a big relief when other people steal the show.
Watching the sound effects guys is amazing.
They're very intense. You have to use a lot of physical force to make a chicken cluck or dog bark.
Why does your dry humor work so well?
Jokes are like electric prods — you poke people and they jump, but that's not what they crave from radio. They're looking for a familiar voice and a friend.
What'll be the biggest visual surprise?
People are surprised I'm taller than they thought. They have a clear idea in their minds of what I should look like.
Which is?
Well, they're too polite to say.
