Comedians Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky recently relocated from Los Angeles to Austin with their two children. Segura explained that they made the move due to feeling that L.A. was falling apart during the pandemic. However, shortly after settling into their new home, Pazsitzky had a fall resulting in a broken ankle and part of her tibia. Segura turned this incident into a comedic bit for his upcoming Netflix stand-up special titled "Tom Segura: Sledgehammer," set to premiere on July 4.
"Sledgehammer" is Segura's fifth Netflix comedy special and the first of a two-special deal. He describes the special as fun, outrageous, and likely to offend some people, emphasizing the importance of pushing boundaries in comedy.
Segura dismisses concerns about online backlash, stating that it eventually subsides.
The special was recorded in November 2022 during Segura's 21-month tour. Segura believes that taking time to refine and marinate material leads to better results. In "Sledgehammer," Segura explores various topics, including his wife's fall, his father's deathbed, parenting their children, getting his mom high on gummies, and his admiration for Brad Pitt.
Filmed at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix and directed by Ryan Polito, the special captures the energetic atmosphere of the first performance, leading them to use footage solely from that night.
Segura plans to release his next Netflix special after his upcoming tour, which is expected to begin in early 2024.
Beyond his stand-up career, Segura runs YMH Studios, a podcast and entertainment production company. Alongside Pazsitzky, he co-hosts the popular weekly comedy podcast "Your Mom's House." YMH Studios produces eight other podcasts and is launching a ninth, "Not Today Pal," hosted by "The Sopranos" stars Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Rob Iler.
YMH Studios also focuses on developing low-budget comedy movies, including "Fat Astronauts," a moon colony-based comedy scripted by Segura and Bert Kreischer.
The company has TV projects in the works as well. Segura acknowledges the impact of the WGA strike on closing deals but remains optimistic.
Despite the slowdown in podcast advertising, Segura believes in its eventual recovery. YMH Studios finances its films and TV shows and can monetize them through its website or other distributors. While producing the podcast during their travels can be challenging, Segura and Pazsitzky work in hyper mode to create a backlog of episodes. Segura anticipates an economic rebound and feels that recovery has already begun.
