Robert Smigel

Robert Smigel is an American humorist, actor, puppeteer, writer, and director best known for his cartoon shorts ‘TV Funhouse' on the ‘Saturday Night Live' (SNL). His most famous creation is ‘Triumph the Insult Comic Dog,' a puppet who mocks celebrities and other public figures in a ‘Borscht Belt comedian' style. Though the character was created for ‘Late Night with Conan O'Brien,' it became so popular that Smigel would attend movie openings, award shows, and other events with the puppet for mockery and comedy. With memorable sketches and parodies like ‘The McLaughlin Group,' ‘The William Shatner Star Trek Convention,' and ‘Superfans,' he helped ‘SNL' usher into its second golden era after being hired as a writer for the 1985-86 season. He continued to write for the show through 2013, becoming the longest-running writer in the show's history. He also made his mark in films by writing scripts for the ‘Hotel Transylvania' films and the cult famous ‘You Don't Mess with the Zohan.'