From Charred Goosebeak to Broken Lizard
The story begins not with a lizard, but with a goose. In 1989 at Colgate University, Jay Chandrasekhar was asked to put together a comedy show. He recruited fellow students and Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter,
and Erik Stolhanske. Performing a mix of sketches and short videos, they called themselves "Charred Goosebeak." After graduation, the core five reunited in New York City to continue their act. They performed for years in Greenwich Village clubs under a new, randomly chosen name: Broken Lizard. The name, which beat out "The Chocolate Speedo Team," was an impromptu invention by Chandrasekhar for a flyer, and it stuck.
The Puddle Cruiser Plunge
The group's ambitions quickly grew beyond live sketch comedy. After making a 30-minute short called "The Tinfoil Monkey Agenda," they decided to attempt a feature film. With a shoestring budget, they returned to their old stomping grounds at Colgate University to shoot their first movie, "Puddle Cruiser" (1996). The film, a campus comedy based on their own college experiences, was a critical first step. It gained them entry into the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, putting the aspiring filmmakers on the map and solidifying their resolve to make movies together.
Right Meow: The 'Super Troopers' Phenomenon
Their next project was "Super Troopers," a script they'd painstakingly developed about a band of mischievous Vermont state troopers. The film was shot in 2000 and earned them a second trip to Sundance. The raucous screenings and audience buzz led to a bidding war, which was won by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Released in 2002, "Super Troopers" was only a modest box office success initially, but it found its true calling on DVD, becoming a massive cult classic. This success cemented their relationship with Searchlight, which would distribute their next film, the slasher-parody "Club Dread" (2004). This effectively turned the indie troupe into a mini-franchise for the studio.
Crowdfunding a Comeback
After making "Beerfest" (2006) with Warner Bros., the idea of a "Super Troopers" sequel percolated for years. The studio, however, was hesitant to fund a sequel more than a decade after the original. So, Broken Lizard took a gamble. In 2015, with permission from Fox Searchlight to self-finance, they launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The goal was to raise $2 million. They hit that target in just over 24 hours. The campaign ultimately raised a staggering $4.6 million from over 54,000 fans, proving beyond a doubt that the audience was still there. This fan-powered movement not only got "Super Troopers 2" made but also demonstrated a new path forward for creators with a dedicated following.
The Shenanigans Continue with 'Super Troopers 3'
The long-standing comedy troupe returned to the big screen for a third installment in the summer of 2026. Searchlight Pictures released "Super Troopers 3" on August 7, 2026. Directed again by Jay Chandrasekhar from a script written by the group, the film centers on the wedding of the obnoxious Trooper Farva to Thorny's sister, an event that inevitably gets tangled up with a new criminal investigation. The film brought back the entire original cast, including Brian Cox as Captain O'Hagan. For the Lizards, making the film was a chance to prove that their brand of good-natured, boundary-pushing comedy still has a place in theaters.
