Tom Scharpling

One would think that the “hook” of Tom Scharpling’s memoir, It Never Ends would be the fact that he a) was institutionalized for depression and eventually reinvented himself and b) changed his last name from Giuliano — combining the names of two polarizing heroes: Al Sharpton, who Tom admired for his willingness to be a champion for minorities while putting New York on blast for its racism and corruption, and Garry Shandling, whose deadpan, unflappable wit was an early influence on Tom’s comedic sensibility — as a community college student in Middlesex County, New Jersey. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Scharpling, who has quietly influenced and bridged the gap between alternative rock and comedy over the last 25-plus years through the music videos he’s directed, the televi...