Martling first heard of radio personality Howard Stern in August 1982 when the owner of Garvin's comedy club in Washington, D.C., where Stern performed during his time at WWDC, suggested to Martling that he send his comedy albums to him. By early 1983, Martling had mailed his three comedy albums to Howard Stern, then less than a year into his stint in afternoons at WNBC in New York City. Stern took a liking to his material and invited him on as a guest in February 1983, which soon turned into a weekly guest spot without pay. Stern then began a regular segment titled "Stump The Comedian", a contest where callers were challenged to start a joke that Martling had to provide the punchline to, otherwise they win prizes.