Michael Joseph Snyder

Michael Joseph "Duke" Snyder was born in Chicago, Illinois, May 12, 1961. He was co-inventor of the Marz-175 Arterial Blood Gas Sampler, a medical device used for understanding the functionality of human lungs, and a developer and marketer of liquid and gas chromatography syringes which help to determine the chemical composition of various compounds.

However, Snyder is best known as a stand-up comedian, having performed in Northern Nevada from 1989-1996. He opened for lounge acts such as Shelby and Sanders and Kenny Rogers.

In 1993, Snyder appeared in a series of popular performances featuring a wry, erudite, dry and urbane style pontificating on such diverse subjects as the motivation to become a proctologist and the 1980’s [...] culture. Unlike the manic comics of his era, Snyder seemed to catch his audiences off-guard with a disarming charm and oblique view of the world.

Snyder appeared primarily at Harrah’s–Reno and other venues local to Northern Nevada, with occasional forays to California clubs such as The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles and Paul Anka's night club "Jubilation" in Las Vegas. In 1992 he appeared on VH1's "Stand-Ups". Just as it seemed his star was rising, he abruptly left the business and married. In 2000 he briefly appeared with Parlos Gentry for two weeks in Arlington, Texas and vowed not to return to the stage. Snyder currently resides in Portland, Oregon.