Few comedians can captivate you with an off-the-cuff style, and Mandal is one of them. Born and raised in Atlanta, Mandal uses his upbringing as the backdrop for his high-energy and charismatic comedic timing. From his obsession with nostalgia to his campy comedy style, Mandal keeps running toward the unexpected and life’s thrills. “$$$$$$” (pronounced “dollar sign”) is Mandal’s debut half-hour comedy program co-produced by Donald Glover’s media company Gilga and Bay Area comedy powerhouse Blonde Medicine released on vinyl and VHS. In a press release for the event, Mandal says, “This stand-up comedy program is my beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy: my fantasy of me in another universe.”

Today, like, right now, the “$$$$$$” Call-A-Thon is already underway. With Big Boi and Sleepy Brown helping run a Monopoly game and a Yeek contest, the Call-A-Thon will feel like a variety show.

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The Sitch sat down with Mandal to explore how his Atlanta roots shaped his comedy brand, how he views fashion, and what it takes to stand out in today’s crowded talent landscape.

Your Dollar Sign Call-A-Thon on October 25 runs live for 12 hours before your debut comedy program premieres. You’ve got Monopoly with Big Boi and Sleepy Brown and a Yeek tournament. Which part of the day do you think will be the most unpredictable?

Man, I’m gonna be honest with you. I think most of it is gonna be unpredictable, because I have not predicted it. The only things I know are happening are what we put in the event write-up, bro. So, this may be entertaining, or this may be a disaster, but I’m moving with the spirit of discovery.

For people unfamiliar with the Yeek, what should they look for in the tournament?  

The Yeek is a super old Atlanta dance, like 90s, even before my time; it was a big thing my mom, her friends, and their generation did and talked about. Then, Atlanta Bass music, when I was born and growing up, was so ingrained in my childhood that whenever I see other cities and their culture, they still have remnants of those old dances or old music in their stuff. So I know some pieces of culture remain with Atlanta. But I’m like, I’m trying to be one of the people who contribute to culture.

Atlanta is a multiverse. How did growing up in the city influence your comedy?

Interesting. I think Atlanta has this unique thing: we are a metropolitan city, but we’re still southern. We’re still very much southern, and I think those two things together create a unique experience that may differ from living in either one. For example, if you grew up in the South, a lot of my folks are from LaGrange, Georgia, and that’s gonna be one perspective. And if you’re from New York City, you’re gonna be having a whole different experience, but I think we have that cool middle where we have Waymos, just like everybody else, but we are also southern. I think that gives you a little bit wider scope of all types of people. Back in the day—not as much now because of gentrification—Atlanta was like a Black universe. Artists and weird people had space to be a little more zanier because it’s so vast and everybody gets to be their own person here.

Did rehearsing or performing in the suit and ruffled shirt change how you moved onstage? What inspired the look?

That’s a good question. I will say, I had to put white socks on instead of black dress socks, because they did have me slipping around in them, hard bottoms [shoes]. So I kept the white socks on to get that grip. I had this idea of doing an old-school joint for years, and I finally had the opportunity to do it. I think I used to be inspired by old James Brown concerts, and the band wore those old-school suits. Or, like, Redd Foxx’s sets on his old late-night show, and I was really inspired by that look. Yeah, I think growing up, I was one of those old soul type kids. You know what I’m saying? I knew almost every word to the Temptations movie back in the day; I could recite it (probably not now), and I was always obsessed with that. I let that reflect in this project.

It’s cool that you’re so unpredictable yet inspired. Often, the people around us help define our inclinations. Who’s the best-dressed man you’ve known who’s never been famous?  

I have to go with my Uncle Kenny. He would wear fly suits. I remember when I was a kid, he taught me about suits and gave me ties. He loved clothes, and he was always the freshest. He was the first cat I ever saw do that thing where somebody does the electric slide and taps the ground. He was the first cat I saw do that, and I was thinking, “This is that fly man.” Yeah, him.

Outside of non-celebrities, you know who I think was clean that people made fun of?

Who?

I thought Rerun’s signature outfit from “What’s Happening!!” was always clean, bro. I thought that. I wouldn’t necessarily wear rainbow suspenders, but I think the matching hat-and-pants-suspender combo always fit him well. I like when people make a choice.

That says a lot about your interests, too. What’s an Atlanta look you’ll defend even if people call it tacky?  

I wouldn’t mind us bringing back the slouch socks.

That’s a good one.

I thought it was a cool way to mix up the bottom half of your look if you didn’t have a bunch of shoes. Like, if all you had was the white Air Force Ones, you could go red socks with the jersey, or blue socks. I thought the sock thing with the shorts was pretty clean. I like slouch socks. We let go of that, and I feel like we could have kept that. We could have kept that.

So you’re releasing this as both a film comedy program and an audio album. What’s something we need to see that we’d completely miss just listening to your project?

It’s cool that we shot it on VHS cameras, so it’s not like a filter. Donald Glover and Fam [Udeorji] were telling me about how they really are investing in physical media and thinking that’s important, moving back toward owning a thing. They pushed for the VHS tapes, and I’m glad they did, bro, because I think it’s cool that people can actually hold it.

There’s value in being able to say, “I have this thing that I really enjoy,” and commemorating it. Sometimes I’ll be at my grandma’s house and see an old VHS of a movie I watched as a kid, and I think, ‘Dang, this really is “Flubber,” bro.’ I have so many attachments to “Flubber.” I remember “Flubber”—like it’s “Flubber.” I definitely think I can create that for somebody else.

Okay, rounding us out, what’s something you love that you hope success never makes you too cool for?

One thing I will say: as the budget has been getting a little better, I’d be quick to Uber Eats instead of going to the place. It’s important that you walk up in there, have that conversation, and get overtalked at that TGI Fridays, bro.