The unofficial but sincere
Maria Bamford Fan Site Newsletter
March 2004

Hello Bamford Fans!
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In this issue:
++ Maria's Updated Website
++ Coming Soon to the Fan Site
++ Supporting Maria: Phase Two
++ Upcoming Bamford Performances
++ Be a SuperFan: Join Us Online!

Maria's Updated Website
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If you haven't noticed yet, you'll want to surf on over to Maria Bamford's newly redesigned website.

It has been redone from the top down to make navigating easier and to provide more official Maria information in a timely manner. Performance schedules and TV/film appearances will now be regularly updated as they become known. Maria's site is now the official place to find out where she's at and what she is up to (as it should be!).

Maria is also renaming her "Story-A-Day" phone line to "Dial-A-Story" to take the pressure off having to come up with something new,clever, and entertaining every single day... nearly impossible since she is on the road a lot now!

The website will post the latest date when she updates the "Dial-A-Story" line so every one will know when there is something new to enjoy without having to make extra long distance calls to check.

Cool, huh?

Her newsletter mailing list will soon be updated so that you can subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your email address automatically without having to wait for Maria to get back from a road trip to update it for you.

So, check it out at http://www.mariabamford.com !

Coming Soon to the Fan Site
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Observant fans will notice that yours truly has taken over the official Maria Bamford website at her request. Which begs the question, "What will become of the Unofficial but Sincere Fan Site?"

Answer: I am going to keep it alive as long as there are fans who want it. But I plan to shift the scope and emphasis of what it covers to better complement Maria's official site

Examples:
++ The live and TV schedules will now be maintained on Maria's official site where they rightfully belong. Hence, they will not be duplicated (at least not in detail) in the online calendar of the Fan Chat Board.
++ Content will concentrate more on fan-oriented stuff, such as submitted fan pictures, links to hard-to-find information and trivia about Maria, and fan activism... supporting Maria so she will get more work, which means we will get to see more Maria!
++ The fan newsletter mailing list will be split into two new lists: the original monthly newsletter, plus a second SuperFan list for those who want the latest bulletins, last-minute performance date announcements, and other breaking news. So if you just want the monthly newsletter and nothing else, or if you want all the Maria news as it happens, it's your choice.
++ And last, but not least, I will be pursuing establishing a line of Maria Bamford SuperFan gear... t-shirts, ball caps, mugs, and the like which will be available on the Fan site. With Maria's permission, of course!

So whether you are a casual fan or a SuperFan, look for the new changes coming soon!

Supporting Maria: Phase Two
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OK, SuperFans, we did a great job pushing Maria all the way up to #9 on the latest Comedy Central Stand-Up Showdown list (which made her the #1 female comedian!).

Maria herself noted that being so high on the list made a big difference when she pitched her TV idea to Comedy Central, as well as convincing them to play her comedy special yet again.
Well, it's been a little quiet since that victory. So it is time to remobilize and continue the push to help Maria get more TV exposure. And here's how we're going to do it:

We need everyone to go to the Comedy Central feedback form and write them a message asking for two things:

1. Are they going to be featuring any new performances by Maria Bamford?
2. Have they considered releasing Maria's 1/2 hour special as a DVD, complete with additional material and outtakes?

If we can get a bunch of fans to write to Comedy Central asking for more Maria, it should go a long way toward making them decide to go with Maria's TV show idea

Write it in your own words. Keep it brief. Be polite. Thank them for playing Maria's shows in the past. Mention you know about her new TV pilot and really want to see it, if you like. But do it now, while you're thinking of it!

Comedy Central Feedback Form:
http://www.comedycentral.com/help/questionsCC.jhtml

And I'd really appreciate it if you send me a quick email letting me know when you write Comedy Central so I can keep track of this SuperFan campaign. Thanks!

Upcoming Maria Performances
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Live:
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March 15 – 18 at 8:00 PM
The FAKE Gallery — 4319 Melrose in LA
Maria's One Person Sitcom
Suggested Donation: $5.00
Portion of proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

March 25 – April 18
Melbourne Comedy Festival
Melbourne, Australia

April 25th, time TBA
Oregon State University
Memorial Union Building, Corvallis, OR
Opening for Rita Rudner.

On TV:
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March 11 — 11:30 AM ET
Premium Blend on Comedy Central. Classic stand-up by Maria.

March 28 — 3:30 PM ET
Comedy Central Presents on Comedy Central. A full half hour of stand-up by Maria Bamford .

April 2 — 9:00 PM ET
USO Comedy Tour on Comedy Central. Maria and other stand-up comedians entertain the troops.

Join Us Online!
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It's been a little quiet on the Maria Bamford Fan Chat Board lately. Did you know that a fan has proposed we set up "street teams" to help promote Maria, sort of like the street teams for rock groups?

Hey, Maria rocks, so why not? Log in to the chat board now and tell us what YOU think!Your humble Webmaster and Maria fan,
Eugene

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