John Hodgman

John Kellogg Hodgman was born on June 3, 1971, in Brookline, Massachusetts. His early life included attending the Heath School and Brookline High School, where he edited the underground magazine Samizdat and hosted the Radio Consuelo show on WMFO. He pursued higher education at Yale University, graduating in 1994 with a degree in literature, specializing in literary criticism. Before his public persona developed, Hodgman worked as a literary agent at Writers House in New York City, representing authors such as Darin Strauss and Bruce Campbell. This experience later influenced his column “Ask a Former Professional Literary Agent” for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.

Hodgman’s career evolved significantly in 2005 with the publication of his first book, “The Areas of My Expertise,” a satirical almanac. This led to his initial appearance on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” where he became a recurring contributor as the show’s “Resident Expert” and “Deranged Millionaire.” A major turning point in his public visibility was his role as the personification of a “PC” in Apple’s “Get a Mac” advertising campaign, which ran from May 2006 to 2010. He further expanded his acting credits with roles in films like “Coraline” (2009) and “Baby Mama” (2008), and made notable television appearances in “Flight of the Conchords” (2007) and “Battlestar Galactica” (2009).

His multifaceted career also includes extensive writing for publications like “Wired” and “The New York Times Magazine,” and contributions to radio programs such as “This American Life” and “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” In 2010, Hodgman launched the comedic court show podcast “Judge John Hodgman,” where he adjudicates real-life disputes, which has gained significant popularity. He has authored several more bestselling books, including “More Information Than You Require” (2008) and “Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches” (2017). His recent work includes co-creating and starring in the animated series “Dicktown” (2020-present) for FX/Hulu, showcasing his continued presence in both humorous and creative endeavors.