Back when I was a lad in the nineteen-hundred and eighties, standup showcase shows were on cable television 24 hours a day, and I watched every single one of them. They were all good to me and my insatiable appetite for standup, but the big ones were on HBO. I seldom had access to HBO, […]
Continue ReadingKeith Robinson had a stroke last year — one of those strokes that leaves an entire side of your body paralyzed and your speech slurred. The type that makes simple acts – like stepping onto the 2-foot-high stage of The Comedy Cellar – arduous feats. But Keith Robinson still does it, undeterred. And fortunately for […]
Continue ReadingThis year ABC’s Downward Dog became the first network sitcom ever to be accepted at the Sundance Film Festival. Not bad for a show about a talking dog. While the talking-animal concept is one critics generally deride, it’s the opposite for Downward Dog, which has received critical acclaim for the way it smartly portrays the […]
Continue ReadingWith some help from Kickstarter, writer/director Jeff Grace was able to turn his screenplay about a struggling standup comic and his musician friend into a feature film. Folk Hero & Funny Guy tells the story of Paul (Alex Karpovsky) and Jason (Wyatt Russell), childhood friends who pursued their creative passions, one more successfully than the […]
Continue ReadingSince leaving New Orleans for New York City nearly ten years ago, Mark Normand has been honing his joke writing and delivery to a fine point. That fine point has earned him appearances on nearly every late night show, a steady opening spot for Amy Schumer, and honors like being one of our “10 Best […]
Continue ReadingLast year, Anthony Atamanuik teamed up with James Adomian to create Trump vs. Bernie, a stage show between the two most surprising candidates of the election. It became quite a success, leading to a special episode of @midnight that functioned as a debate between the two personas as well as a special for Fusion entitled […]
Continue ReadingWhen anger is your artistic medium, sometimes you need to take a little time to just chill. When Lewis Black picked up his phone on a recent weekday morning, I heard a different side of him than what I had become accustomed to. He was measured, calm, and other than the occasional raspy cough, kind […]
Continue ReadingTo say 2017 has been a bumper-crop year for Jonah Ray would be an understatement. Aside from pulling double duty as co-host of Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist Podcast and solo-host of his own Jonah Raydio, the 34-year-old comedian also has not one, but two hit television shows airing concurrently. His Netflix reboot of the cult […]
Continue ReadingAl Madrigal is making up for lost time and he doesn’t have much time left. Don’t worry, he’s fine. But in his own words, he “started late” and has given himself until the age of 50 to see what he can accomplish with his comedy career. If this year is any indicator, the accomplishments will […]
Continue ReadingWe are all familiar with the old adage that “we laugh to keep from crying.” But what’s wrong with a healthy dosage of both? You’ll experience plenty of laughter — as well as some cathartic tears — while watching Chris Gethard’s new HBO special Career Suicide, a hilarious and heartbreaking one-man show framed around his failed […]
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