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Brian VanHooker

Brian VanHooker is a staff writer at MEL specializing in pop culture, food (especially pizza) and long form oral histories. He is the co-creator of the comic book "Barnum & Elwood" and "The Tramp," a comedy pilot starring John O'Hurley. He also hosts a TMNT interview podcast called "Turtle Tracks" and was once called a "Good Guy" by Mr. T.

Recent

I Was the Original Host of ‘Cash Cab,’ But a Drunken McDonald’s Run Ruined It All

In 2005, Edward Crawford was hired to host the new game show. But when his background check came back, everything came crashing down

What Happened to the ‘Star’ I Supposedly Own?

Ten years ago, my wife presented me with a certificate that said a star had been named after us. It was cute and beautiful — until I started investigating

How Good of a Cabbie was De Niro in ‘Taxi Driver’?

I asked three New York City cab drivers to size-up Travis Bickle’s taxi-driving skills in the hopes of finding out whether the crazed psychopath might also have been a decent cabbie