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Robert Smigel (b. February 7, 1960)  is an American humorist and performer, possibly
best known as the puppeteer behind Triumph, the
Insult Comic Dog.

Smigel was once a member of the Chicago comedy
troupe All You Can Eat.

Smigel first established himself as a writer on
Saturday Night Live, where he wrote many memorable
sketches including one where host William Shatner
urged worshipful attendees at a Star Trek
convention to "get a life." Smigel rarely appeared
on screen although he was a recurring character in
the Bill Swerski's Superfans sketches.

Smigel later became the first head writer at Late
Night with Conan O'Brien, where he created
numerous successful comedy bits, including one
where Smigel performed only the lips of public
figures which were superimposed on photos of the
actual people. (This technique was pioneered on
the "Clutch Cargo" cartoon series as a cost-saving
measure, and was known as "Syncro-Vox".) His most
famous creation, however, is the foul-mouthed
puppet Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog who
mercilessly mocks celebrities and others in the
style of a Borscht Belt comedian. Smigel also
wrote and performed on the short-lived The Dana
Carvey Show|Dana Carvey Show.

Smigel continued to establish himself on Saturday
Night Live by producing short animated segments
under the title "TV Funhouse," which usually
satirized public figures and popular culture. It
spawned a TV Show on Comedy Central featuring a
mix of puppets, animation, and short sketches.
Only eight episodes were aired in the winter of
2000-2001|01.

Smigel continues to create "TV Funhouse" segments
for Saturday Night Live|SNL and occasionally
appears in films (usually alongside Saturday Night
Live|SNL veterans like Adam Sandler).

Smigel's name is currently surfacing as a
replacement for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with
Conan O'Brien as host.

Smigel's father is also the "Father of Cosmetic
Dentistry" http://www.smigel.com, Dr. Irwin Smigel
(president of the American Society for Dental
Aesthetics for over 25 years). Robert briefly
attempted to follow in his father's footsteps and
studied dentistry at Cornell University and New
York University.

==External links==
* http://www.triumphtheinsultcomicdog.com
Triumph's Home Page
* http://www.smigel.com Robert's father's webpage

==Sources==
* Triumph Sniffs a Hit, by Frank DiGiacomo,
October 20th 2003 edition of The New York
Observer.