You're unlikely to find a comedian in Winnipeg who has been as expertly trained as Aaron Merke.

At 19, he moved to Chicago to study at the Improv Olympic Theater under the guidance of legendary Second City guru Del Close. Since then, he's picked apart videos on MuchMusic's Video on Trial, guest starred on CTV's House Party and recently taught an intensive workshop on the tenets of improv.

Next on his agenda is his first comedy DVD, set to be filmed at Aqua Books on Sept. 10, with a second night on Sept. 12.

Uptown caught up with Merke to discuss his exciting new project.

Uptown: How did studying in Chicago influence your style of comedy?

Merke: We were constantly with other like-minded people. Nowadays, it's so packed, because the place has become known for cultivating comedy, but back then, in '98 or '99, we had Adam McKay, who had just left for SNL (as head writer), and he brought on Tina Fey.

Second City has always been a mining ground, but Improv Olympic was like the clubhouse, that's where shit went down.

And you studied with Del Close near the end of his life?

Merke: He was the movement of long-form improv. Whose Line Is it Anyway is short-form, and long-form is like an improvised one-act play. Del was the innovator.

I was there when Del died. He had a living wake, which was held by Bill Murray in the hospital. We snuck chocolate martinis in for Del, because that's what he liked. And Del was into witchcraft - he was an honorary witch - so you had Bill Murray and witches on one side of the room, a jazz quartet on the other, and then he'd be getting faxes from people like Robin Williams and Mike Myers giving their respects.

All the while he's still alive, and he's repeating his last words over and over again, "I'm tired of being the funniest person in the room."

He donated his skull to the Goodman Theatre so he could play Yorick in Hamlet, because he wanted to continue to play the king of clowns.

Who are some of your own influences?

Merke: I love the holy trifecta of the Johns: John Belushi, John Candy and John Cleese. Also, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy. if you're black, you're in. It's weird, I'm really drawn to the African-American stance on things.

And Louie Anderson - who people really hate. But you have to see his good shit; you have to see him at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis - that's him in his prime. I don't care what anyone says.

How do you envision your new DVD?

Merke: I want it to be like Zach Galifiankas' special (at the Purple Onion) where it's just in a normal venue and not in a huge theatre where you're losing the energy of the audience. It just seems more intimate. I don't necessarily like the whole effect where you can see the cameras, and have him breaking the fourth wall.

To me, the most perfect standup was Eddie Murphy's Delirious. I've never seen anyone do as tight as a set.

How do you see the current comedy landscape in Winnipeg?

Merke: Winnipeg has a really good comedy scene (Merke's opening acts include Ryan McMahon and Dan Verville). It's just that there's not a lot of promotion, so nobody really knows about it.

It's really quiet, but there's a lot great stuff.

AARON MERKE COMEDY DVD TAPING
Sept. 10 & 12, 7 p.m., Aqua Books
For tickets, contact tickets@aaronmerke.com. Leave your name, email and quantity desired.