Jay Martel

Jay Martel is an American writer, screenwriter, TV producer, showrunner, and actor. He is the author of three novels and a regular columnist of comic pieces for "The New Yorker" and "Rolling Stone."

Jay Martel is best known as an executive producer and writer for "Key & Peele" and "Alternatino with Arturo Castro" sketch series on Comedy Central. He has created various TV shows and written many successful screenplays over his career. For instance, he collaborated with Michael Moore on his acclaimed documentary Fahrenheit 9/11.

Martel is the winner of Emmy, Peabody, WGA & American Comedy Awards for his work in television.

His debut science-fiction comic novel “Channel Blue” was published by Head of Zeus in 2013. It is about an intergalactic alien conglomerate called Galaxy Entertainment that for decades has used the Earth as the basis of a reality TV show for billions of planetary viewers. The book received discreet but mostly positive reviews.

"One part Waugh, one part Vonnegut, one part Truman Show." — says the bestselling author Tom Perrotta.

The next one “The Present” was released as an Audible Original in March of 2021. The story is about an 11-year-old Adam Diehl who knows his parents are going to split up and he turns back time to stop them. Jay later reworked the audiobook into a screenplay. It will be on the screens in 2023, directed by Christian Ditter.

He is currently working on the novel Mayfly Man.

Originally from Oakland, Jay Martel lives and works in Los Angeles.

Photo credit: jaymartel.com