Comedy and stand-up

On October 20, 1882, future actress Margaret Dumont was born in Brooklyn, New York. A Broadway regular by the 1920s, Dumont found lasting fame once she started appearing with the Marx Brothers. Tall and regal in bearing, her character provided the...

A rollicking account of the groundbreaking show from one of the show’s producers, featuring the voices of the stars, creators, and executives involved with bringing it to life.“I had the pleasure of working with Richard Gurman for eleven years. When he...

Bring Pawnee to life with Parks and Recreation: The Official Coloring Book, featuring more than 60 ready-to-color, detailed illustrations!What’s better than local government? Coloring in scenes of local government! Destress and relax with this coloring...

Six years ago, Jo Caulfield was about to go on stage when she found out that her big sister Annie had cancer. Not the best way to start a nationwide comedy tour. But the tour turns out to be a welcome distraction for both sisters. As Jo reports back from...

Looney Tunes cartoons, writes celebrated television critic Jaime Weinman, are the high-water mark of American filmed comedy. Surreal, irreverent, philosophical, and riotously funny, they have maintained their power over audiences for generations and...

'Weird Al' Yankovic is one of music's most beloved figures. A skilled accordion player and songwriter, the California native is known for his meticulous parodies of popular songs, hilarious originals, and, of course, for upbeat polkas!For much of Al's...

A comic hero or heroine also goes on a journey, but for the comic hero, it's often quite, quite different. The hero decides to go on the adventure; the comic hero often has no choice. The hero has a wise old man; the comic hero often meets an idiot who...

In his introduction, Christopher Bayes describes the pursuit of the clown as the search for "the authentic, playful self and its unique relationship to the comic world." An essential read for performers of all kinds, this text takes a deep dive into...

"Ms. Finley hasn't lost the power to disturb."-Ben Brantley, The New York TimesNo other performing artist has captured the psychological complexity of this decade as Karen Finley has. In her inimitable style, she has embodied some of the most troubling...

Jokes change from generation to generation, but the experience of the comedian transcends the ages: the drive, jealousy, heartbreak, and triumph. From the Marx Brothers to Milton Berle to George Carlin to Eddie Murphy to Louis CK-comedy historian Kliph...

Australia’s funniest, sharpest social media sensation, Jimmy Rees riffs off his wildly popular social media videos in this humour title for fans of Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life and Un-cook Yourself by Nat’s What I Reckon. Have you ever wondered...