Robert Orben

Robert Orben (born March 4, 1927) is best known as an American comic writer, although he also worked as a writer for Gerald R. Ford's speech and as a magician. He has authored numerous comic books, most of the collections of gags and "one-liners" originally written for his newspaper, Orben's Current Comedy, and has also written magic books. Robert Orben published his first gag book at the age of 18 1946, when he was working for Stuart Robson Jr. (stage manager of Florenz Ziegfeld's store) in a consolidation shop in New York. The magicians would use his gags to add humor to their actions; comics also went into magic shops, special offers and books, because there were no comic shops or resources at the time. When Robert Orben wrote his first gag book, The Encyclopedia of Patter, it was very interesting, and he began to publish many books of gags, complete with drawings, advertisement bars, business calls and methods. Listing names include Patter Parade, Lake Package, Sight Bits, and Screamline Comedy.In the 1950s, Orben gag's books were brilliant in comic work and were probably used extensively by comic actors. Orben said he nearly sued Lenny Bruce once, as Bruce advertised on his show with the tagline, "No Joe Miller, no corn, no Orben". However, Orben never filed a lawsuit, and saw Bruce only perform once, shortly before Bruce's death.In addition to his gag and joke books, he began publishing a regular joke magazine on top topics, Orben's Current Comedy, which he wrote for nearly a century. -30, discontinued In 1989. Other comic writers, including Gary Apple and Daniel R. White, tried to keep the book going, under the current name Comics, but none could stop the subscription ban, and eventually their rights were sold. Orben's books began to attract attention, he started by writing gags created by actor Dick Gregory for six years. Gregory made contact with him in 1955, when Gregory started in Chicago. Orben told him to contact once he had found his jokey voice. In 1962, Gregory phoned Orben, saying that there would be a two-page Time article about him. Orben bought the magazine and saw the magazine, and soon, the two signed a contract to work together. Orben reprinted Jack Paar on the Tonight Show in New York City (1962-63), and The Red Skelton Show in Hollywood (1964-70). Later, Orben entered politics and in 1973 became presidential spokesman Gerald R. Ford. When Ford took office in August, 1974, Orben became his spokesman. In January 1976 he was appointed Special Assistant to President Ford and Director of the White House Department of Names. In 2007, Orben served as a speaker at the organization's events.