Biografia
Andy Cowan is an award-winning writer/producer/performer and the only writer associated with Cheers (three episodes), Seinfeld, and 3rd Rock from the Sun (both staff). His staff and pilot writing credits represent over a dozen comedies and talk shows. He is the creator and host of the comedy/therapy podcast, The Neurotic Vaccine, launched in 2022, and winner of the 2025 Quill Podcast Award for Best Comedy Podcast. In 2026, it was rebranded as The Neurotic Vaccine: Comedy with a Point. He was a 2017 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who in America, and was doubly acknowledged in 2013 by the Writers Guild of America as a writer on the 101 Best Written TV Series, Cheers, Seinfeld. His memoir, Banging My Head Against The Wall: A Comedy Writer's Guide to Seeing Stars, foreword by Jay Leno, was published in 2018 by Black Rose Writing and acquired by The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, in 2019.
He earned his master's degree in broadcasting from Boston University and began his broadcasting career in radio and TV news in Pennsylvania. He began his Hollywood career as a segment producer, writer, and recurring performer on The Merv Griffin Show during the '80s, and interviewed hundreds of luminaries, from Orson Welles to Jerry Seinfeld. He produced, wrote, and hosted his CableACE award-winning 60 Minutes send-up, 6 Minutes, for Showtime, drawing kudos from 60 Minutes' creator, Don Hewitt.
He's written over half a dozen original pilots (and hosted some) including several for Fox and CBS, wrote for Ellen DeGeneres' prime time Emmy-hosting stint, performed in comedy clubs throughout the country, jazz clubs throughout Los Angeles as lead vocalist and hand percussionist, and as a voiceover artist on Seinfeld, 3rd Rock, Lucas Films' Star Wars, Dark Empire I & II audiobooks, Hollywood's Best Film Directors, HBO Europe, Ovation Channel, the Audio Inc. audiobook, Tales from the Oklahoma Sooners Sidelines, and many other projects.
He wrote and performed Hitchin' on the Highway of Life, selected for placement in two motion pictures, including the 2008 short comedy feature he wrote and appears in, Knocked Down, an official selection in the 2008 San Fernando Valley International Film Festival, 2009 Show Us Your Shorts Film Festival, 2009 Cut! Film Festival, and 2009 Southeast New England Film, Music & Arts Festival - Winner of Best Comedy. It later became the theme song for The Neurotic Vaccine.
He's penned dozens of humor pieces for the Los Angeles Times, Salon, written 300 comic panels for Dan Piraro's King Features strip, Bizarro, one of which was featured on NBC's Meet the Press, multiple cartoon panels for Reader's Digest, the UK's Prospect, and Airmail, four-panel comics for the Washington Post Writer's Group's Pickles, over forty panels for Hilary Price's syndicated Rhymes with Orange strip, special material for The New Yorker's Barry Blitt, and multiple comic panels for Harry Bliss's The New Yorker and Bliss Tribune Media panels. He wrote for MyFM in Los Angeles and the Jack FM Radio Network from 2007-'10.
In 2010, his comedy talk/therapy show, Up & Down Guys, premiered on KPFK 90.7 FM, Los Angeles. A podcast pilot was produced for Westwood One in 2019. In 2020: Co-creator/writer/lead/executive producer on the comedy docuseries pilot, Is That Normal?
He wrote, produced, and hosted the 2011 comedy talk show pilot, Another Talk Show! with Andy Cowan, featuring guests, Jason Alexander and Sheila Raye Charles. In 2014: Creator/writer/EP/lead in the half-hour comedy web series pilot, Wannabes, StoryArc New Media, FirstRun. In 2015: Creator/writer/lead/producer on the comedy pilot, Our Time is Up, Cindi Rice EP.
