Former NPR host cracks the whip at Emerald City Comic Con

Avid public radio listeners may recall the name Jack Lepiarz as a WBUR host in Boston, but these days he’s going by his other name, Jacques ze Whipper, as he performs in traveling circuses. He cracks a whip while singing renditions of pop hits at Renaissance fairs, comedy clubs, and at this weekend’s Emerald City Comic Con.

Lepiarz grew up splitting time between New Jersey and traveling with Renaissance fairs with his dad who was a performer. He described the festivals these says are like an "outdoor Comic Con that is vaguely set in the Renaissance period of Europe."

He started performing when he was 6, and stepped into the role of Jacques Ze Whipper at 17, but as he put it, “being a circus kid when you're young: super good. Being a circus kid when you're in high school: not so good socially.”

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He said that when he grew up he wanted a job people respected, whether it was an actor or a writer.

“For me broadcast journalism was a way to combine the two of those, because there is a performative aspect to radio, but then there's also a writing aspect,” he said.

Lepiarz never fully put the whip down though, posting videos of his performances on TikTok and YouTube, which gained a large following and an unexpected reaction.

“I was surprised by how nice the internet was towards me at the start," he explained. "I have a strong feeling that that's because I'm an attractive, straight white man, whereas I talked to some of my friends who are also content creators, who are women, who are people of color, they do not have the same experience that I do.”

After more than a decade behind a mic in a studio, he returned to the circus full time in 2023.

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He credits the Renaissance fair audience for the development of his show from singular jokes becoming two to three minute routines.

“The Ren Fair audience, they’re salty," he said. "They’ll yell stuff back!”

As for his routine, he likes to warm the crowd up with whip-inspired parodies of popular songs, by request. The most common one right now is anything by Chappell Roan, especially her hit, "HOT TO GO!"

Lepiarz and his performing partner Sess Carny are at the start of their month-long tour of comedy clubs with their stop at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. He’s adapted the show for the space and it will feature some things you can see at a Renaissance fair and some things you can’t.

You can see Jacques Ze Whipper at Emerald City Comic Con this weekend, with two performances on Saturday and one on Sunday.

To hear the full interview with Lepiarz, tap play below.