"I live in a river of narcissism."
These words were uttered by Dan Harmon today at the Harmontown Comic Con panel, which provided insight into and commentary on the upcoming documentary of the same name.
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Harmon, creator of cult-favorite TV show Community and the animated series Rick and Morty, is a deeply fascinating, nerdy, and egotistical individual. The Harmontown documentary follows his comedy tour around the country, and the panel examined both the film and the man himself. Harmon, the film's director Neil Berkley, and show member Spencer Crittenden were all present to comment and answer questions.
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A clip of celebrities attempting to describe Harmon was shown during the panel, and the range of responses really said it all about the outspoken writer. John Oliver posited that he's a "human hand grenade, with Harmon himself most likely to pull the pin", while Ben Stiller called him "kind of a genius".
Other descriptions included creator, comedian, producer, someone with "a bit of an ego", while Jim Rash simply said "indescribable". For Harmon, sharing his thoughts--whether by speaking to into a microphone or through creating media--is a form of therapy. If getting a story, comment, or idea out in public makes people happy, he's all the more pleased to keep creating.
The documentary candidly follows the Harmontown live tour across the country, picking up the good and bad moments. Harmon got upset at himself for not dropping character towards his girlfriend, for example, realizing after watching the footage that he can often to act like a jerk. It's something he struggles with, but one of his very openly human sides, and much of what he described about introspection and self-image (and the image you project to others) is relatable.
Harmon's fans are generally, like him, misfits--similar types of people show up for his shows in every city. He's sure they're an intelligent and passionate group, and urged anyone seeking to be creative to put pen to paper and get started. If need be, he suggested writing something of poor quality, but finishing it so you know what that sensation feels like, before tackling something you care about. It's easy to procrastinate on the book or show you've always wanted to write, and he personally only gets work done on deadline (he's promised two so-far-unwritten pilots to major networks).
Both Berkley and Harmon don't care that the product may be aimed at a niche crowd, and in fact embrace it. Harmon answered all questions in his unique way, and ended the panel by sharing a drink of the free alcohol gifted to him by one fan. The trailer below presents a general depiction of the documentary, with plenty more commentary and insights available in the full film released on November 7. Follow along with all our NYCC coverage HERE.
