Torry Martin has a long list of accomplishments as an actor, author, storyteller and a standup comedian. He chooses to use his gifts for laughter, writing and entertaining to bring serious messages to audiences through the softening blows of humor. After telling a typical “Torry Story” revolving around his own blundering and misfortune, Torry pulls in the spiritual lesson in a sometimes subtle way. “If I can keep them laughing while they’re learning it doesn’t hurt their brains as much,” he explains.
Torry was a standup comic and actor in Los Angeles before he became a Christian. After finding the Lord, Torry moved to Alaska and lived in a remote cabin with a friend who was studying for ministry. He gave up acting and comedy for two years and studied the bible while becoming grounded in his faith. After being encouraged by some friends at his church, Torry began writing comedy sketches which he entered into the national competition sponsored by the Gospel Music Association called Christian Artists, now called Seminar in the Rockies. He won the grand prize two years in a row and now returns annually as an instructor.
Torry has written for Adventures in Odyssey, a children’s radio series produced by Focus on the Family. For this self-proclaimed “hippie-for-the-Holy-One,” the melding of talent and faith have also resulted in the release of several books, including Under the Circumstances, and What a Character, both are collections of comedy sketches about Christian life. Published by Lillenas Drama, the books are available in Christian book stores worldwide. While the sketches rely heavily on comedy to convey their messages, they also harbor moments of drama, often pulling no punches to get the point across.
“I like using comedy in my writing because we need to be able to make fun of ourselves,” Torry says. “We take ourselves too seriously, but we don’t take God seriously enough and that needs some fixing.”
Torry says he hopes his material will help and audience focus more on their relationships with God and place less emphasis on the technicalities of differing denominations or outside appearances. His blend of hilarious personal experiences, human observations and spiritual applications have made him one of the most entertaining and comical speakers around. From churches to corporate functions, banquets to biker rally’s, or prison’s to praise gatherings, the appeal of Torry Martin’s material makes him a perfect choice for groups and gatherings of all kinds.
Torry’s new book, Shameless Self Promotion, co-authored with his friends Mike and Paula Parker, is due out in the Summer of 2011. To learn more about Torry Martin, visit him online at torrymartin.com.
