Norm Stulz

In 1981 Norm took his first step onto the professional comedy stage at The Castle.  Back stage, which was really just the back of the room, Norm met numerous comedians awaiting their turn to the stage. Norm met Hey Hey Danny Grey, Willy Tyler and Lester, Tim Lilly, Jerry Elliott, and Tim Dick who went by the stage name Tim Allen.

After his first 10 minute set to a sold out Monda night open mic audience and watching the other comics work on their sets Norm felt he was in the right place. As the weeks turned into months of open mic sets at the Castle and Bea’s Comedy Kitchen in downtown Detroit, Mark Ridley asked if Norm would stop by and do 20 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday. At this time of his life any  extra money was big money for Norm as his wife Sharon had presented him with another son and a daughter and that money paid the grocery bill for the week.

It was Bob Saget who contacted Norm and asked him to come to California to film a spot for the CBS Morning Comedy series he was hosting at the time. It was 1987 and Norm took to the sky to find Hollywood for the first of many times.

Bud Freidman from the Improv in Los Angeles was a judge in Detroit for The Johnny Walker Comedy Competition. This was the midwest regional finals, before televised shows, and “producers” having a word on who was the best. Just a good old live comic verses comic throw down. Norm not only won the competition, Bud himself asked Norm to come to Los Angeles to film an episode of An Evening at the Improv for the A & E Network.
As winner of the Johnny Walker contest, Norm and other regional winners were sponsored by National Lampoon and flown to Las Vegas to film the National Competition for Showtime Network. Norm worked with Leslie Neilsen.The award winning CBS television show filmed a documentary entitled “Survival of the Funniest” and Erin Moriarty followed Norm through a normal day in his life.  The film crew followed Norm as he shopped, ate and prepared for the evenings competition in Detroit. Norm won that competition and the show aired before the Showtime special. Norm has appeared on many local television commercials and comedy specials.