Michael P. O’Toole is an American writer, performer, podcaster, indie filmmaker and visual artist. He grew up in Massachusetts. Michael studied screenwriting at Boston’s GrubStreet center for creative writing under filmmakers Mariona Lloreta and later Mark Fogarty, placing into their Advanced program after securing several scholarships. This culminated in theatre actors performing Mike’s work before a live audience. He also studied improvisational theatre at ImprovBoston’s comedy school under Artistic Director Emeritus Will Luera, and majored in Communications at Massachusetts Bay Community College. Notable courses include Oral Communication, Film Studies and Introduction To Mass Media with Professor Jayson Baker. His final paper was “The Electronic Soapbox: A Brief History of Public Access Television.” It was here Mike learned of the famous quote from media philosopher Marshall McLuhan, “The medium is the message.”
Since his early teens, O’Toole assisted on the production of Independant films and community television shows. He trained in television production with his mentor Municipal Access Coordinator Michael Padden-Rubin at the NewTV community media center. As part of a crew of students of varied cultural backgrounds, he would go on to win a 2005 “Most Innovative” award in the Alliance For Community Media’s Hometown Video Festival for the Educational Access special “All Over The Map.”
Michael continued work as a camera operator and video editor on NewTV staff productions like the Arts In The Parks concert series. He also was behind the camera on The Top Shelf Variety Show. It was produced by Massachusetts College Of Art and Design students, including video blogging pioneer Ryanne Hodson and James “Perfect Jimmy” Bernardinelli of sock puppet rock band Uncle Monsterface. While working on the wacky Top Shelf Mike was introduced to artists like Heavy Metal Spoken Word Artist Duncan Wilder Johnson and saw early performances of rock bands Damone and Freezepop. During this same period he could also be found running audio and cueing up taped packages for The Wellesley Channel’s weekly live news program. Michael then began to lean toward narrative film by editing neurotic Eli Roth mentor D.L. Polonsky’s quirky comedy Urban Fairy. More offbeat productions followed.
Later, during his time at BATV, he was a regular camera operator for The Golden Sounds Series, produced by Andy Macbain/California of Tunnel Of Love and The Monsieurs with Dan Shea of Boston Hassle. These underground events showcased many avante-guard rock ‘n’ roll and noise bands like Future Islands, JuiceBoxxx and Neptune. As a punk fan, Mike also ran camera and would occasionally direct TJ Welch of The Welch Boys’ punk rock TV series Sonic Lobotomy which spotlighted acts like The Freeze, Killslug, Darkbuster and tributes to The Clash and Ramones.
When not lending a hand behind the scenes, Michael became eligible to join SAG-AFTRA after acting in several indie movies in New England, sometimes credited as Mike Phelan O’Toole. Notable collaborations include sound recording, co-producing and performing in the experimental film work of John Hartman’s Reel Groovy Films. Mike can be seen in the VHS feature The Shackling as host Rad Tacular and a dozen others, as well as Super 8 short El Terrifico which co-stars Victor Escajadillo and satirist politician Vermin Supreme. Michael was also a regular in Reel Groovy Films’ 80’s TV tribute web series Retro Tube as acid-tripped standout Detective Blackwell. Mr. O’Toole also appears in the late Outlaw Poet Mick Cusimano’s surrealist video poetry which mixes live action and animation like Don’t Spill The Eggs. Called “The most surreal film Cusimano ever made,” it screened in Greece’s Cyprus International Film Festival and in Swaziland, Africa.
Michael can next be seen with long-time friend Lawrence Hollie in the Rod Webber documentary tentatively titled “The World According To Tiny” about the misadventures of former WWE little person wrestler Doug “Tiny The Terrible” Tunstall and his quest to have celebrities like Jason Mewes, Stan Lee and John Amos voice his custom “Ghetto Altered Heroes” superhero action figures. Tiny was last seen on the New Jack episode of Vice’s popular Dark Side Of The Ring series and in Webber’s A Man Among Giants which chronicles his bid for Mayor.
Among many weird escapades and late night rides to and from productions, as fans of popular culture, great storytelling and indie film, it was in 2006 on the set of Nitebeat with Barry Nolan at CN8: The Comcast Network that Lawrence and Michael first got the opportunity to meet an inspiration; Clerks writer/director Kevin Smith. Smith said “Don’t leave this world without telling your story.” Going forward, Michael’s enduring creative partnership with filmmaker Lawrence Hollie yielded comedic appearances on Hollie’s experimental TV series Random Acts, the 2010 Alliance For Community Media award-winning production of O’Toole’s one-man spoken word show Solipsist’s Dispatch and sitting in as “AJ’s Co-host” for the horror-rock inspired talk of AJ’s 8 Ball. During this era, the duo also shot and edited multiple music videos for the Boston/Ireland rock band Midatlantic, including their stint on WAAF’s Baystate Rock with Carmelita and an opening set during Letters To Cleo’s 2008 hometown reunion show at The Paradise Rock Club.
However, making a splash in the bohemian art scene, Mike and Lawrence are perhaps most known for co-producing the Experimentally ILL indie film festival, which highlighted the short cinematic work of friends, collaborators and other countercultural local filmmakers. After outgrowing Cambridge’s Out Of The Blue art gallery around 2008, the festival ran for five years at the historic Coolidge Corner Theatre and Somerville Theatre. It received extensive coverage via The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, The Weekly Dig, WBCN radio and more. Michael acted as press agent, writing releases and corresponding with media outlets. All screenings were co-hosted by Mike and he and Lawrence’s eccentric friend Quincy Brisco. Brisco is known to audiences as a legendary entertainer for his shows Quincy’s Perspective and After Hours with TC Restani. He was also the emcee of BATV’s Golden Sounds Series and is remembered for his appearances on WBCN’s popular Toucher and Rich afternoon-drive radio show.
During a break between Experimentally ILL festivals, Hollie and O’Toole promoted a tour of the shoe-string comedies of D.L. Polonsky under the banner “D.L. Polonsky’s Nonviolent Anarchy Film Festival.” These events featured Michael hosting Polonsky onstage for Q & A and a movie marathon of five of his films, including the super 8 piece Ersatz, which was made when the elder statesman was thirteen. The screenings took place at The Provincetown Art House Theatre, The Cable Car Cinema and Somerville Theatre and were covered in local newspapers.
Off the heels of this publicity, by 2012 Michael and Lawrence initiated an Experimentally ILL weekly radio program at Boston internet streaming upstart UnRegular Radio. The show featured a crew of creative friends like alt-model Miss Mary Mack, Chris Kimball and D.L Polonsky, alternative comedy and conversations with artistic luminaries in between free form music breaks.
Upon UnRegular Radio’s move into the office of alternative weekly newspaper The Dig and a restructure of programming, the series was fast-tracked as a daily morning drive-time show and rechristened Experimentally ILL A.M. This version included news breaks and the addition of pun-tastic artist D.L. Polonsky as the duo’s regular third chair.
Since the closure of UnRegular Radio and a 2014 cross-country road trip with documentarian Rod Webber situating Lawrence Hollie’s California move, Michael has become known for his solo journalism chops. He produces and hosts many episodes of an audio podcast edition of Experimentally ILL. These feature long-form, humorous and insightful interviews with local artists, celebrities and creative thinkers about their career, DIY art, mental health and more. Highlights include chats with co-founder of The Lemonheads Ben Deily, Scott Schiaffo of Kevin Smith’s debut film Clerks, writer for the international hit animated series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir Fred Lenoir, America’s Got Talent’s The Lone Ranger of Rock KEG, the late poet/cartoonist Mick Cusimano and diabetic traffic cone street artist Frank “Conecutter” Kwiatowski. Episodes are available via many popular podcast apps.
Michael also obtained unique on-set experiences as a background artist on several big budget movie productions over the years. These include Here Comes The Boom with Kevin James and Henry Winkler, My Best Friend’s Girl with Dane Cook and The Maiden Heist, which starred Christopher Walken, William H. Macey and Morgan Freeman. As a fan of writer/director Kevin Smith, the peak of these gigs was perhaps when he and Lawrence traveled to Monroeville, PA for Smith’s Zack And Miri Make A Porno, starring Seth Rogen. Their scene was shot in the Monroeville Mall, famous for being the setting of George Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead. Michael also shot on an ESPN College Game Day commercial featuring rapper Macklemore.
Michael continues to do freelance videography and editing. Some of his more recent work includes political commentaries by cartoonist D.L. Polonsky and recording the “Flowers In The Attic” go-go dancers of DJ Kuro’s goth night “The Attic/Cellar Door,” which took place at Machine Night Club in Boston. Michael is also credited as Second Unit camera operator on “Was That Vermin Supreme?,” which presents a psychedelic fictionalized biography of the perennial boot-hatted US presidential candidate. He also appears in the film briefly.
Michael also writes poetry and prose. As a child, his work was highlighted in his school superintendent’s newsletter, beginning “It is a good day for a love story. The hero is fifth grader Michael O’Toole…”. These days, he can often be found writing while listening to his favorite music acts like The Misfits, Joan Jett and The Distillers. He is also a big Henry Rollins fan.
During the lock-down period of the pandemic, Mike picked up drawing and painting again from childhood. His surreal cartoons embrace lowbrow pop surrealism with a gonzo outsider art style. He has taken to creating several pieces based on real life characters in the New England media scene as well as pop culture icons.
Mental health awareness remains close to Michael’s heart. Following in the footsteps of his grandmother, who was president for thirty years, he is active in his local chapter of the National Alliance On Mental Illness. Michael received a certificate for completing NAMI’s Family To Family curriculum in 2021.
Michael P. O’Toole splits his time between the Boston and Los Angeles area. He continues to work on media projects, sometimes under Experimentally ILL Productions or his own banner, Manic Schematic. He is writing a comedy screenplay based on his experiences.
Michael Phelan O'Toole 