Joe Bob Briggs

Here is a detailed profile of Joe Bob Briggs (the alter ego of John Irving Bloom):

Joe Bob Briggs – Life, Career & Persona

Joe Bob Briggs is the pseudonym and performance persona of John Irving Bloom, born January 27, 1953 in Dallas, Texas.
Bloom was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas.
He studied English at Vanderbilt University, where he wrote for the student newspaper.
After graduation, he worked as a reporter for the Dallas Times Herald and later for Texas Monthly.

Bloom created the persona “Joe Bob Briggs” to write humorous and satirical reviews of B-movies, exploitation films, and drive-in fare, often parodying a stereotypical “redneck” moviegoer.
His column “Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In” began in local papers and then was syndicated more broadly.
In Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In (1987), columns from 1982–1985 were collected, and the book includes his signature joke metrics (e.g., counting bodies, breasts, blood) and fictional lore about Joe Bob’s personal life.
The character’s backstory is intentionally exaggerated: he claims multiple ex-wives, a penchant for drive-in theaters, and a set of idiosyncratic preferences.

Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater (The Movie Channel, 1986–1996): This late-night B-movie showcase was a major platform for the Joe Bob persona.
MonsterVision (TNT, 1996–2000): After Drive-In Theater, Joe Bob hosted MonsterVision, continuing the tradition of horror/B movie presentation with commentary.
The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (Shudder, from 2018 onward): In the streaming era, he revived his persona and show format—hosting marathons of horror / cult films with his trademark commentary, interludes, “Drive-in Totals,” interviews, and humor.
He also did TV appearances in other shows (e.g., a cameo in Married… with Children).

Under his persona, Joe Bob Briggs has authored several humor/satire books: Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In, Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive-In, The Cosmic Wisdom of Joe Bob Briggs, Iron Joe Bob, among others.
Under his real name, John Bloom, he co-wrote Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs (1984), based on a true crime case, which was adapted for television.
He also wrote Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story (2016), about the development and challenges of the Iridium satellite project.

Joe Bob Briggs’ public persona is a comic, self-aware “drive-in movie critic” blending satire, affection for B-movies, genre knowledge, and camp sensibility.
His reviews often include humorous tallies (“Drive-in Totals”) of gore, nudity, and violence—an ironic commentary on exploitation cinema’s tropes.
He has a dedicated fanbase in horror / cult film communities, being celebrated in genre circles.
He has been honored by the horror community, such as being named Monster Kid of the Year by the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, and later inducted into its Hall of Fame.

Full name: John Irving Bloom.
Parents: Rudolph Lewis Bloom and Thelma Louise (née Berry).
Marriages: He married Joyce Karns in 1978 (divorced 1979). Later, he married Paula Leigh Bowen (married in 1988).
In 2020, he revealed he had contracted COVID-19, though he did not publicly disclose it at the time.
In 2023, he starred in the anthology horror film Cryptids, playing a talk radio host who interacts with cryptid legends.

Joe Bob Briggs is a unique cultural figure: part critic, part satirist, part horror host, part performer. He occupies a niche bridging genre fandom and commentary.
His revival via The Last Drive-In shows his enduring appeal in the streaming era.
He helped popularize a style of film commentary that both mocks and honors exploitation and cult cinema.
Through his books, persona, and media presence, he has influenced horror fandom, cult movie culture, and the discourse around low-budget genre cinema.

Articles by the author

Joe Bob Briggs

Joe Bob Briggs