BURBANK, Calif. – Goofy is a Disney legend. But it is the voice behind the cartoon, Bill Farmer, who carries the presence of greatness.
Farmer continues to work as a voiceover artist and comedian. His participation at the Flappers Burbank Comedy Festival drew a laughing crowd, but his family didn’t always understand his gift.
“My parents thought I was nuts going coming around and saying ‘Now on our plate is mashed potatoes’ and they would say ‘Our Billy is weird’ and so they did not understand it and I didn't either until I finally got the courage to go to L.A. and give it a shot,” Farmer said.
His move to L.A. was successful as Farmer became a recipient of the Disney Legend Award. Now he is paving the way for his son, who is trying out stand-up comedy for the first time.
“I'm very proud of him anyway because he is a fantastic professional drummer, audio engineer and tonight I think maybe he's crazy to try this but I'm very happy for him,” said Farmer.
Austin Farmer, Bill Farmer’s son, has his own comedic style, layered with a millennial flair. During his performance the audience at Flappers Comedy Club was all laughs.
“Well I grew up in a very funny house you know because we were always making jokes, and always making each other laugh- it was important to us- so stand up was something that I always wanted to try for a long time and this was the nudge that I needed to do it,” Austin Farmer said.
Flappers Comedy Club produces over 40 shows a week, and attracts a very diverse community of stand up artists.
“They're communicating with each other and creating a community that you really can't find anywhere else,” Barbara Holliday said, Founder of Flappers Comedy Club.
That includes legends like Bill Farmer, who coaches many emerging comics.
“I want to leave a legacy of happiness, of optimism. Goofy is an optimistic character,” said Farmer. “He can fall off a mountain and he gets right back on the horse and ‘gorsh’ goes at it again!”
Most importantly, he hopes to pass on the legacy of optimism to his son.