It is the unusual way they went about achieving that goal is the basis for this unusual story. Arthur Hinty is the stage name for a 48-year-old Milwaukee man who works for a major company Downtown, dabbles in standup comedy and has had the good fortune to surround himself with a tightly-knit group of intelligent, interesting, thoughtful, talented, funny, quick-witted, slightly twisted friends. (Editor’s note: due to the nature of his job, Hinty asked that we refrain from using his real name or photos).

Several people in Hinty’s circle are comedians: Doug Stanhope, who is recognized for his work on “The Man Show,” “The Howard Stern Show” and in the “Girls Gone Wild” DVD series; Andy Andrist; Sean Rouse; and Lynn Shawcroft. They like to call themselves “The Unbookables.” Like many people who travel the country, stand in front of brick walls and tell jokes to strangers, these people have their share of flaws and vices. Some are bad in relationships. Some smoke too much. Some drink too much. Some dabble in other substances.

Hinty has a vice, too: a lifelong addiction to food.

“There is something wired in my brain that makes me pound food down my throat,” he said last week.

Even by the generous standard of his home state, Hinty is a big man. He has been big for most of his life. And he was big the first time he met Stanhope, whose comedy he admired, after an e-mail exchange nearly a decade ago. Their first in-person meeting came when Stanhope played in Appleton. Hinty and a few cousins went to see the show and went out for beers with the comic afterward.

“You know, when you meet someone on the Internet you always have a fear in the back of your mind that they’ll look … just like you, bastard,” Stanhope told Hinty.

Exasperated, frustrated and just plain fatigued by the cycle that battered his self-image and was eroding his health, Hinty began to consider having gastric bypass surgery.

“I was thinking of having it for three years,” he said. “It’s something you have to get your head around. It was covered by insurance, so I decided to do it. I had to see a psychologist to see if I had the right mind for it. If you don’t respect the surgery for the first six months, you can be in trouble.

“I thought about it and finally I decided to do it. With the way my life is unfolding, I don’t have any super health problems right now, but I could tell it’s starting to go south a bit. I’ve got diabetes, high blood pressure, tingly feet and cloudy vision.

“So, I started working on putting it together and it started to make more sense. I’m 46 and single. I started to think “If you have bad health, who is going to be around if you have a heart attack?”

Hinty began talking to surgeons. “It was like a sales pitch,” he said. “I kind of felt like the guy was trying to sell me a Mercedes or something.”

Slick sales pitches aside, Hinty decided that he needed the surgery. He was past the point of no return … or so he thought. While in the middle of a “pitch,” an office manager called Hinty’s insurance company and came back with stunning news. His employer had switched carriers several months earlier and the procedure -- called Roux en Y Gastric Bypass -- was no longer covered by insurance. Without insurance, the cost of the surgery was going to be about $25,000 -- provided there were no complications.

“I fiddled with it too long,” Hinty said. “I couldn’t believe it. I spent a month thinking about what the surgery meant and how I could get it done. I started to think about selling my house or cashing in my retirement.”

Neither option seemed attractive for Hinty, whose home state is known for fiscal conservatism as well as obesity.

During a trip to Costa Rica with his comedian friends, the subject of the surgery came up. Hinty told his friends about his plight. Stanhope looked at Andrist, who had recently accepted a spring gig as a headliner at Skyline Comedy Café in Appleton. Both men smiled.

“I thought they were going to tell me to just be a good guy, I don’t need to do the surgery,” Hinty said.

As Andrist’s date in Wisconsin approached, more people were added to the bill. Stanhope decided to come along. Then Rouse was added. And Shawcroft. And their friend Banjo Randy from Kansas City.

Hinty looked forward to seeing his friends in his home state, but didn’t realize that they had an ulterior motive until Stanhope called one evening. Hinty was at work. Stanhope was having dinner. Hinty recalls the conversation being short and to the point.

“I’ve got a question,” Stanhope said. “Are you still having the surgery?”

“I think so,” Hinty said. “If I can get the money together.”

“How much is it going to cost?” Stanhope asked.

“About $25,000,” Hinty said.

“Huh,” Stanhope said, hanging up.

It wasn’t unusual for Stanhope to end a conversation this way. “Sometimes, he calls at four in the morning asking if I remember some idea he had a month ago,” Hinty said. “I’m pretty good at remembering those things.”

Stanhope’s next call was unforgettable, and it changed Hinty’s life.

“Doug just told me “It’s going to be 1,500 then,” Hinty said. “I asked him “1,500 what?” and he laughed and said “So, nobody told you? We’re going to make a CD of the Appleton shows. We’re going to sell them for $20. We’re going to make 1,500 of them. That’s going to pay for your surgery.””

Hinty was floored. 

“Here’s a guy (Stanhope), who a lot of people think is a career drunk and hater of the world, the Girls Gone Wild guy, the guy who wrecked “The Man Show.” Well, his heart is pure gold. If he decides if you’re a person worthy of having in his life, he goes balls out to help you.”

The shows took place April 5-8 in Appleton. The CD, entitled “Morbid Obscenity,” was put out by Stand Up! Records and is available at www.theunbookables.com, www.morbidobscenity.com and on Stanhope’s MySpace page.

Hinty underwent surgery Tuesday at a hospital in Waukesha County. He will be home from the hospital by the end of this week. When he goes home, he’ll be limited to seven days of clear liquids, two weeks of protein shakes and two to six weeks of pureed foods. Barring complications, he’s going to lose a lot of weight -- quickly -- and he’s going to have a different outlook on life.

In fact, he already does.

“These people who have come into my life the past few years are amazing,” he said. “It’s like they see something in me that I didn’t believe, or didn’t want to believe, was there. This is almost like starting over. The last year of my life has been a rollercoaster. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know it’s going to be good.”