When I started blogging about “24” earlier this season, I did many Web searches for other sites where I could get any inside info about the show.

I happily stumbled upon The Jack Sack one day and became an immediate fan. I linked to the site after Jack’s brother, Graeme, was killed, and, long story short, found out blogger Adam Cohen lived in Westchester.

Seeing as how Adam lives in LoHud-land, Remote Access decided to interview him and share some of his “24” insights with the viewing audience. Our interview was conducted via e-mail over the last couple of weeks as we both could fit in the time.

So if you were wondering what twisted brain could be behind some of the funniest “24” fan fiction out there, read on.

Remote Access: So, let’s get the prelims out of the way:

Name, age, where d’ya live, what’s your job (lawyer? What kind?), etc. The vital stats. You can even tell us your astrological sign if you like. The most vital stat, however, is when you started watching “24” – first season, watched the first three seasons on DVD, etc.?

Go!

Adam Cohen: My name is Adam Cohen, I live in Ardsley, NY. Currently, I work in-house at a marketing company, specializing in trademark and copyright law. I am a Gemini, I enjoy long walks, I like to cook, I am an amateur botanist and I occasionally exaggerate my hobbies and interests when being interviewed. But one hobby- dare I saw obsession- that I am completely honest about is my love of “24.” I came across the show very late in the game. My brother, David, insisted for years that I watch the show. Finally, last season, I broke down and started watching Season 5 from the beginning. After that first night, I was immediately hooked. I quickly ran out and bought all 4 previous seasons on DVD and watched the discs in 8-10 hour blocks, skipping sleep, meals and most social contact. Having watched the show in such a condensed period, I found myself sizing up people as potential enemies constantly. I became irritable like Jack Bauer, yelling “COPY THAT!” and “DAMMIT!” at random people and my increasingly bemused family. Now that I think of it, they really should put warning labels on those DVDs!

RA: Ha! And I felt like a bit of a poseur, just having started with Season 2… What in particular sucked you in to the show?

AC: What initially sucked me into the show was the compelling and immersive nature of the storytelling. The show is filled with cliff-hangers and plot twists, and I was also taken with the writing and acting. Jack Bauer is a great character to start- there’s this fatalistic aura around him, similar to James Bond or John McClane (from the “Die Hard” movies). But “24” has the luxury of fleshing out a lot of plot given its real-time format, and that makes the story a lot “meatier.”

RA: So, then, what has been your favorite twist after 5 seasons? Which one just knocked you off your feet and made you say, “No freakin’ way!?!?” (And why?) And while we’re on it, who’s your favorite and least favorite bad guy/gal? Favorite mole? Favorite disaster? Death that you were glad about? Death you mourned the most? Favorite character (other than Jack and his Jack Sack, natch). And, of course, your favorite Bauer-ism.

AC: My single favorite moment in all of “24” is during Season 4 where the terrorists shoot down Air Force One. I remember watching it and being completely on-edge. It was brilliantly written and paced-out. I was not emotionally well for a couple of days after watching that episode. That is what I call “great television!”

My favorite villain so far is Charles Logan. As the President of the United States, he was guilty of the ultimate betrayal against the country. Jack versus the President! I loved every single moment of that showdown from last season. And the fact that Logan was implicated in the deaths of Jack’s closest friends (Tony Almeida, Michelle Dessler and former President David Palmer) made him even more loathsome. Now, my last favorite villain is this season’s bad guy, Fayed. There’s nothing to him- he’s an evil Arab who apparently wants to blow up this country. The jury is still out on whether his character has anything interesting to say or do, but so far I am not impressed with his character.

My favorite mole was Nina Myers. She was unapologetically evil, and she killed Jack’s wife, Teri. You don’t get much more Shakespearean than that lady.

The death I mourned the most is the one I am still in denial over- Tony Almeida. Tony is alive, I’m telling you! He never got the silent-clock treatment that other beloved characters received in past seasons. Tony will come back this season… he better! So, seeing how Tony is still alive, the second-most touching death was that of George Mason. In the second season, Mason flew the plane with a nuke into the desert, saving Jack’s life. Mason is a hero in my house. I shall never forget your bravery, George.

My favorite disaster was the nuclear power plant meltdown from Season 4, where Edgar Stiles lost his mother. That phone call between Edgar and his soon-to-be-dead mother still chokes me up. I’m telling you, I’m not allowed to watch this show in front of others, I get too involved in what’s happening.

I was most pleased to see Nina Myers die, Jack basically kept shooting her even after she was dead. I was half-expecting him to reload his pistol, but he exhibited remarkable restraint in my mind.

My favorite character (aside from The Jack Sack) is George Mason. He was a cranky, arrogant, all-around dislikable person and he ended up being one of the show’s greatest heroes. Mason is an ambassador for us misanthropes everywhere.

My favorite Bauerism is cliched, but it fits in every situation: “DAMMIT!” I yell it at the drop of a hat. It’s my calling card to the world, whether I’m driving to work, or getting in line at the supermarket. I fear that if I get married one day, that will be my response instead of “I do.”

RA:Interesting choices. I’d wager there are many other 24-philes out there who’d agree with you wholeheartedly on the villain. That was one betrayal I don’t think anyone saw coming. As for Nina Meyers, I’m still not convinced she’s dead. C’mon, the woman was the bad guy in what, four seasons? [Editor’s note: I was wrong; it was three.] She could still be alive. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it turned out she was really behind all this stuff and was Jack’s father’s lover?

OK, I admit, that’s a bit ridiculous, even for 24.

So, back to reality, of sorts. When did you create The Jack Sack blog and why?

AC: About a year ago, I was going through my “24” mania- watching the DVDs at a break-neck pace while taking in the new episodes (Season 5) as well. With all of that happening at once, I was bursting with things to say. So, I spent some time going to message baords, joking, discussing and digesting the new episodes with other fans. Somebody on the board made mention of Jack Bauer carrying a manpurse, and the nickname “Jack Sack” became a staple among us in the discussion. “The Jack Sack” took on a cult status among us few dozen fans, but I think it amused me probably more than anyone else.

And that was the foundation for the blog- I wanted to explore the funnier side of the show. I searched for “24” humor blogs and I found one in particular that I thought was the most creative- Blogs4Bauer. Seeing someone else crack jokes about the show gave me the inspiriation to make my own blog. So, last May I started “The Jack Sack” with a couple of sparse posts. Unfortunately, Season 5 was coming to an end, so I didn’t have much momentum in getting readership. Also, it was the first time I had ever tried writing a blog. So, from May through this past January, I was itching to get the blog back up and running. Aside from my family and a couple of friends and co-workers, nobody knew about “The Jack Sack” prior to January. Since then, it’s been a pleasant surprise building a small but loyal readership. And writing the blog has also been a very interesting learning experience.

RA: How so?

AC:See, I set up that question!

I like to make people laugh, I always have been that way. So, doing this blog has been a learning experience in that regard. Writing something funny is very different from making a joke socially. When you make a joke in person, you get an immediate reaction (positive or negative!) and you know what someone thinks at that moment. Writing something you intend to be humorous is totally different- you don’t get a reaction most of the time- at least that was the case for myself when I started the blog again in January. I felt like I was writing in a vacuum. When I started getting feedback, I was ecstatic. Then I began to teach myself about publicizing one’s own blog, reading “how to” articles online, emailing other blogmasters, etc.

And I have been very lucky to make several blog friends along the way. It is such a strange thing to be able to socialize in this manner- not meeting anyone face-to-face yet still communicating effectively. I’ve found that bloggers exist in virtual “neighborhoods”—there’s a geography to it all; people are connected through mutual association. I’m still learning how this all works, but seeing the big picture of how bloggers relate to one another is a very interesting phenomenon. Breaking into these neighborhoods has been fun too. From my work on “The Jack Sack” I’ve been invited to join other blogs as a contributor. I take that as a very high compliment and I appreciate those generous gestures.

RA: Well, that answered my question about why the Jack Sack. But here’s a related one: Do you have a Jack Sack, and if so, what do you keep in it? [Editor’s note: Check out the left-hand sidebar on The Jack Sack for a look at what other readers keep in theirs.]

AC: See, this was the question I was dreading. Here I am, promoting the Jack Sack, heck I even have product links to buy the damn thing. And the honest truth is that I do not own a sack. I’m not a snob or a hypocrite about it, I just have to have a bag that is safe for my laptop. So, instead I use something a little more professional than the Jack Sack. Maybe you don’t know this, but Rodgers and Hammerstein never visited the state of Oklahoma when they wrote the legendary musical of the same name. I’m claiming the same defense on this issue with the Jack Sack.

RA: Aha! I knew my intrepid investigative reporting would uncover an unsavory truth! Busted! But seriously, what’s your favorite post you’ve written so far?

AC: My favorite post so far is a tie between “Jack Needs A Suit: A 24 Picture Book” and “The McLaughlin Group”. Both of those articles reveal the absurdity that kicks around in my head. I usually don’t laugh at my stuff after the fact, but those two articles still crack me up.

RA: I did particularly enjoy the Jack Needs a Suit post, though I think the bris one was even better (though not necessarily for family viewing). I’d not read the McLaughlin Group post previously; great stuff!

So, what’s your prediction for the season, not based on any spoiler intel you’ve come across. Just what’s your gut feeling about who’s responsible, who’s gonna get killed, etc.?

AC: It’s always tough to predict what will happen next on the show. I think it’s safe to say something crazy will happen- something that will forever change Jack’s life! Actually, it’s hard to say “I predict” when I’ve come across some very juicy info about next season already. Are you ready for it? Okay, here’s a pretty big spoiler- next season will NOT take place in L.A. They’ve been talking about taking “24” to a new location for years, but this time it’s finally going to happen. So, in that framework, I predict that CTU will be compromised and Chloe, Buchanan and everyone except Jack and Doyle, will be dead. And Audrey will be the culprit!

RA: Wow. Now there’s a prediction. I doubt most others have the chutzpah to go out on limb like that. Thanks for the chat! Anything else you want to tell your current and future blog fans?

AC: I want to thank everyone for spending a few minutes of their week coming to “The Jack Sack.” I’m extremely appreciative of people’s feedback—like I said earlier, it’s hard to know what people think when you write this type of material, but my readers have been generous with their thoughts, and that makes this whole thing that much more enjoyable for me. And to any new readers: “My name is The Jack Sack and I’m a federal agent’s manpurse- I give you my word, no harm will come to you.”