Donovan Strain

{{Short description|American stand-up comedian and skateboarder}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox comedian | name = Donovan Strain | image = Donovan Strain at Maloof Money Cup 2009.jpg | caption = Strain at Maloof Money Cup in 2009 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|11|22}} | birth_place = Camarillo, California, U.S. | medium = Stand-up | years_active = 2013-present | subject = Observational  | website = {{URL|https://www.twitter.com/donovanstrain|Twitter.com/DonovanStrain}} }}

'''Donovan Strain''' (born November 22, 1985) is a stand-up comedian and skateboarder living in Los Angeles, California.

==Biography==

===Skateboarding===

Strain started the skateboarding-based comedy segment titled "Buttery Ass Mondays" on The Berrics, where he was credited for inventing the skateboarding tricks Grape Flip,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skaterevolution.com/index.cfm?p=challenge&g=sick&tr=333 |title=World Grape Flip (Flat) Flip Tricks Skateboard Trick |publisher=Skater Evolution |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref> and Double Grape Flip.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skaterevolution.com/index.cfm?p=challenge&g=Pro&tr=334 |title=World Double Grape Flip (Flat) Flip Tricks Skateboard Trick |publisher=Skater Evolution |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref> The series ran until 2010 when it was cancelled and removed from the archives.<ref name="junkiemonkeys1">{{cite web |url=http://www.junkiemonkeys.com/buttery-ass-mondays-return-to-the-berrics/ |title=Buttery Ass Mondays Return to The Berrics |publisher=Junkie Monkeys |date=2013-10-23 |access-date=2014-03-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318122524/http://www.junkiemonkeys.com/buttery-ass-mondays-return-to-the-berrics/ |archive-date=2014-03-18 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hubbawheels.com/?p=1312 |title=CURVEBALL « Hubba Wheels |publisher=Hubbawheels.com |date=2010-03-23 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref>{{third-party-inline|reason=As the source says: "Regardless, he [Donovan] still reps Hubba." Can we find a third party source?|date=March 2014}} In October 2013, Strain's "Buttery Ass Mondays" returned to The Berrics' archive, suggesting new episodes of the series would be made for 2014.<ref name="junkiemonkeys1"/> On April 1, 2014, Donovan's series made a return to The Berrics with the newly titled series "The Donovan Strain Show".<ref>[http://theberrics.com/gen-ops/butteryass-stashsocket.html ''The Donovan Strain Show''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403203521/http://theberrics.com/gen-ops/butteryass-stashsocket.html |date=April 3, 2014 }}</ref>

In 2008, Strain participated in his first professional skateboard contest for the original "Battle at the Berrics" where he won his first round match against Sean Malto,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theberrics.com/battle-at-the-berrics-1/sean-malto-vs-donovan-strain.html |title=Battle At |publisher=The Berrics |date=2008-11-30 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref> only to be knocked out of the contest in the second round by Eric Koston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theberrics.com/battle-at-the-berrics-1/eric-koston-vs-donovan-strain.html |title=Battle At |publisher=The Berrics |date=2009-01-18 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref>

He received his first signature skateboard with the brand Sk8mafia in 2008<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepremierstore.com/product_detail.cfm?CatID=4&PID=3361 |title=Skate Mafia Buttery Ass Board Skate Decks at Premier |publisher=Thepremierstore.com |access-date=2014-03-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318122924/http://www.thepremierstore.com/product_detail.cfm?CatID=4&PID=3361 |archive-date=2014-03-18 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The source is a retailer. It does not mention Strain. It does not confirm the 2008 claim.|date=March 2014}} before a split with the brand and receiving his next signature skateboard with City Skateboards in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://skately.com/shop/p/city-donovan-buttery-ass-skateboard-deck |title=City Donovan Buttery Ass Skateboard Deck < Skately Board Shop |publisher=Skately.com |access-date=2014-03-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318121310/http://skately.com/shop/p/city-donovan-buttery-ass-skateboard-deck |archive-date=2014-03-18 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Another retailer. Does mention Donovan Strain. Nothing is mentioned about 2009. This whole sentence sounds like WP:SYNTH.|date=March 2014}} [[File:Donovan Strain skating in City Skateboards advertisement featured in Thrasher Magazine's January 2010 for his 2nd signature board.jpg|thumb|right|Donovan Strain skating in City Skateboards advertisement featured in Thrasher Magazine's January 2010 issue for his 2nd signature board]] In 2010<ref name="twitter.com">{{cite web| url = https://twitter.com/makeawishsfla/status/28720740933| title = Make-A-Wish So Fla on Twitter: "Alex wished to meet skateboarder Donovan Strain.}}</ref> Donovan got involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation when he was able to help grant a wish for a kid from Florida named Alex that requested to meet him.<ref name="twitter.com"/>

In 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyskateboarding.com/2010/11/donovan-strains-murk-avenue-2010/ |title=Donovan Strain's Murk Avenue (2010) |publisher=NYSkateboarding.com |date=2010-11-30 |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref> he moved to New York City, where he hosted a video series on his own site MurkAvenue.com<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/trash/donovan-hubba-office-space/ |title=Thrasher Skateboard Magazine | Office Space |publisher=Thrashermagazine.com |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref>

==="It Was a Good Day"===

[[File:Ice Cube and Donovan Strain at the Good Year Blimp Airport 2014 event celebrating the "Good Day".jpg|thumb|right|Ice Cube and Donovan Strain at the Goodyear Blimp Airport 2014 event]] In 2012, Strain wrote a post on the website Tumblr breaking down the lyrics to Ice Cube's 1993 classic "It Was a Good Day" deducing that everything in the song actually happened on the date January 20, 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://murkavenue.tumblr.com/post/16553509655/i-found-ice-cubes-good-day |title=Murk Avenue, I Found Ice Cubes 'Good Day' |publisher=Murkavenue.tumblr.com |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref> This was picked up by news outlets<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thesource.com/2014/01/21/cali-native-donovan-strain-calculates-exact-day-of-ice-cubes-today-was-a-good-day/ |title=Cali native Donovan Strain calculates exact day of Ice Cube's "Today Was a Good Day" |publisher=TheSource |date=2014-01-21 |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/ice-cube-leaves-rap-fans-disappointed/ |title=Ice Cube Leaves Rap Fans Disappointed - FishbowlNY |publisher=Mediabistro.com |date=2012-03-04 |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref> including CNN,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/10/tech/social-media/apparently-this-matters-ice-cube-good-day-blimp/ |title=Apparently This Matters: 'Ice Cube's a pimp' |publisher=CNN.com |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref> ''Daily News (New York)'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/ice-cube-good-day-revealed-blogger-cracks-music-mystery-date-jan-20-1992-article-1.1013227 |title=Ice Cube's 'Good Day' is revealed: Blogger cracks music mystery, says date is Jan. 20, 1992 |publisher=NY Daily News |access-date=2014-03-20}}</ref> and ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' where Ice Cube commented "It doesn't make any sense at all, but it's cool".<ref>{{cite web|author=Christine Friar |url=http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2014/01/ice-cube-actually-may-end-up-on-a-blimp/ |title=Ice Cube Actually May End Up on a Blimp - Show Clips |publisher=Late Night with Jimmy Fallon |date=2014-01-16 |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref><ref name="complex1">{{cite web| url = http://www.complex.com/music/2014/01/donovan-strain-ice-cube-it-was-a-good-day-analysis| title = Donovan Strain Shares His Analysis of Figuring Out the Exact Day Ice Cube Was Talking About on "It Was a Good Day" {{!}} Complex| website = Complex Networks}}</ref> On January 20, 2014 Goodyear invited both Ice Cube and Donovan Strain to their Goodyear Blimp airport for a charity event to witness the blimp fly over south central Los Angeles reading "Ice Cube Says Today Was A Good Day".<ref name="complex1"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Trinh |first=Jean |url=http://laist.com/2014/01/20/ice_cube_rides_goodyear_blimp_that.php |title=Photos, Video: Ice Cube Rides Goodyear Blimp That Says 'Today Is A Good Day' |publisher=LAist |date=2014-01-20 |access-date=2014-03-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140124200852/http://laist.com/2014/01/20/ice_cube_rides_goodyear_blimp_that.php |archive-date=2014-01-24 }}</ref>

===Stand-up comedy===

[[File:Donovan Strain performing stand-up at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, CA 2013.jpg|thumb|right|Donovan Strain performing stand-up at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, CA 2013]]Strain started performing stand-up comedy in 2013 at Flappers Comedy Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flapperscomedy.com/site/index.php?pg=talentdetail_page&id=0151b107d594c08 |title=Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant :: Burbank :: Claremont :: Comedy Workshops |publisher=Flapperscomedy.com |access-date=2014-03-18}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2014}} located in Burbank, CA.

==Sources== {{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strain, Donovan}} Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American comedians Category:American skateboarders Category:People from Camarillo, California Category:American male comedians Category:American stand-up comedians Category:Comedians from California