Ultimate Guide to Comedy Resources
Aristotle’s definition of comedy was “an imitation of men worse than the average.” Due to the evolution of society and what we find funny, it’s unlikely that a modern philosopher would classify present-day comedy in those terms. This is because we are easily able to find humor in our average, daily existences – just ask Jerry Seinfeld. The ability to poke fun at a subject is no longer confined to the bumbling of fools. Instead, it can be found within a morning commute, lost dry cleaning or a mistaken identity. On that note, we’d like you to see what you can find in our Ultimate Comedy Resources Guide. Whether you’re interested in simply finding some temporary entertainment or you’re taking on the more serious task of developing your comedic skills, check out the more than 40 links to discover something of interest.
General Humor and Comedy Resources
This section includes links to online comedy magazines, jokes, comedy advice and more, which makes it a good place to start clicking.
SHECKY magazine – This online magazine is dedicated to stand-up comedy and includes interviews, features and opinions.
Stage Time Magazine – Discover news, interviews, columns, videos and reviews for comedians in this online magazine launched in 2005.
Jokes – Choose jokes from 33 categories such as technology, food, news, politics and more to find a temporary respite from the daily grind.
The 100 Jokes That Shaped Modern Comedy – Discover the 100 one-liners, comedic sketches or bits that shaped what we know as comedy today.
Advice on Comedy – Check out this blog that imparts advice for those who aspire to be a stand-up comic or a comedy writer. In addition, find recommendations for stand-up comedian videos.
The Three Best Things to Know in Open Mic Comedy – This insightful article by Joe Deez, co-founder of Limaland Comedy in Lima, Ohio, is well-worth your time to read.
Humor, Education, Learning and the Brain – From the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, find links to articles on various topics in the humor research field.
Comedy Writing Resources
Short and sweet, this section gives you access to some of the best free comedy writing resources on the Web.
Six Tips for Successful Comedy Writing – Learn expert tips for comedy writing success from Dr. Mark Shatz, author and professor.
How to Write Comedy Fast – Watch as Jerry Corley, founder of Stand Up Comedy Clinic, demonstrates how to write 15 jokes in 30 minutes.
How to Write Comedy Scripts With LOL Dialogue – Find out hacks for writing comedy scripts that will evoke belly laughs from your audience.
How to Break Into Stand-Up Comedy – Unfortunately, there are no deep secrets that will allow you to break into the business. It takes work and lots of it.
Standup Comedy Resources
Even the most experienced standup comics will tell you not to be afraid to fail (because it will happen). However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as prepared as possible by using the following resources.
Free Comedy Tips – The Creative Stand-Up blog offers a selection of articles that detail free comedy tips for anyone who is interested in pursuing or refining a career in stand-up.
Online Comedy Class – This online standup comedy class offered by comedian John Roy is absolutely free and self-paced.
How to do Stand Up Comedy: A Beginner’s Guide – If doing standup comedy is on your bucket list, check out this helpful guide by standup comic Jonas Polsky.
Writing for Standup Part 1: What is a Joke? – In this post, the author dissects the components of a joke, complete with informative, embedded videos. Check out the rest of his blog for other helpful posts.
A Technician’s Guide to Writing Standup Comedy – John Beuhler graciously gives you the technical details of the standup comedy writing system he developed after 13 years of writing and delivering his own standup.
Open Mic Opportunities Near Me – Use this site’s search feature to find open mic opportunities within 25 miles of your location.
Joke Writing Resources
Yes, there are formulas that exist that can help you write jokes. So why reinvent the wheel? Instead, take notes from those who have been there, done that.
How to Write a Joke – Learn from Jim Richardson, comedic coach with decades of experience, how to write a joke that follows the seven basic joke forms.
Joke Writing Tips – Jerry Corley, a professional comedian, details one formula he has successfully used for writing jokes.
How Do You Write a Joke? – Read what a handful of comedians have to say about coming up with jokes for their acts.
10 Ways to Write One-Liners – Check out this joke-writing resource. It’s one to have in your comedy writing toolbox.
How to Write a Joke: Step One – Rik Roberts, 23-year comedy veteran, shares step one of his three-step method on how to write a joke. Follow these links to check out step two and three.
How I Write Monologue Jokes – This fast read from Nick Jack Pappas, comedy writer and stand-up comedian, gives you his insider tips on how to write monologue jokes.
Comedy and Humor Podcasts
You’ll spend your time laughing rather than deeply musing when you choose to listen one of these top comedy and humor podcasts.
Malignant Brain Humor – Join host Mike Blejer for funny interviews with comedians, writers, and other artists about their lives and their work.
My Brother, My Brother and Me – Brothers Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy spend each episode of their podcast answering questions from their audience (or Yahoo!) where humor and riffing on one another abound.
How Did This Get Made? – Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas use this podcast to make fun of terrible movies in an engaging and humorous way.
Comedy Bang! Bang! – This weekly podcast marries conversation and character work during interviews from the funniest comedians today. During the podcast, listeners can often expect the arrival of an “assortment of eccentric oddballs” that serve to add to the humor on tap.
You Made it Weird – Join host Pete Holmes as he gets all sorts of comedians to share their oddities and weirdness in a completely hilarious way.
Judge John Hodgman – Average citizens with ridiculous complaints try to get their voices heard on this podcast. However, Judge John Hodgman uses this platform as a way of poking fun at their plights.
Notable Comedians and Comedic Actors
Kicking off this section is a link to a compilation of bios for the world’s most famous comedians. Following the initial resource, you’ll find links to a variety of individual comic icons from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Famous Comedians – Follow this link to browse biographies for a variety of famous comedians, living and dead.
Charlie Chaplin – Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) was a British comedic actor who became famous for his starring roles in silent films of the 20th century.
Groucho Marx – Groucho Marx, (1889-1977) was born in the same year as Charlie Chaplin and also died in the same year as Chaplin. He is remembered for his witty one-liners.
Laurel and Hardy – Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) were one of the most famous comedic duos in history.
Bob Hope – Bob Hope (1903-2003) was known for his quick one-liners and performing standup for the U.S. Military.
Gene Wilder – Gene Wilder (1933-2016) starred as wacky characters in films such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Blazing Saddles.
Carol Burnett – Born in 1933, Carol Burnett is best known for her long-running comedy show, The Carol Burnett Show.
Bill Murray – William James Murray, born in 1950, is an actor and comedian who is well known for his roles in box-office hits such as Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day.
Robin Williams – The late Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951 August 11, 2014) was a stand-up comedian and actor who starred in many notable movies.
Ellen DeGeneres – Ellen, born January 26, 1956, is most well known for her comedic skills, although she has hosted a popular talk show under her name for years.
Bill Hicks – Irreverent and often profane, Bill Hicks (1961 – 1994) was an outlaw comedian who died young but left a lasting legacy on standup comedy.
Jim Carrey – Jim Carrey, born in 1962, is a comedic master at improvisation and impressionism. He’s known for his acting in films such as Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber.
Will Ferrell – Ferrell, born in 1967, discovered in the third grade that he had the ability to make people laugh, which led to, among other things, his seven-year run on Saturday Night Live many years later.
Sarah Silverman – This politically incorrect comedienne, born in 1970, is regarded by many as a standup dynamo.