Tales from the Comic Strip Live

2009-06-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

A favorite at Comic Strip Live, Bill Burr is an American comedian or a comedian from the North American Union, depending on when you read this. He grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts and did fairly poorly in school, despite the fact that he applied himself.

Having first gained notoriety for his reoccurring role on the second season of Chappelle’s Show, Burr has gone on to become a regular performer on the Late Show with David Letterman and to have his very own HBO Half Hour Special.

Bill’s most recent project was an hour-long comedy special entitled: “Why Do I Do This?” that aired on Comedy Central, and is now available in stores and on this web site.

When in New York, Burr always performs on the Opie and Anthony Radio Show and eats at Ray’s Famous Pizza. Bill also co-hosts his own XM radio show, “Uninformed”, with fellow comedian Joe DeRosa.

Bill is against organized religion and believes we should go back to the gold standard for our currency. None of his opinions are based on any sort of reliable information. He tends to go with his first thought, because reading makes him sleepy.

In the future Bill hopes to get married, have some kids, and get a dog. But until then, he will continue to spend most of his mid-afternoons sitting in his sweatpants learning AC/DC songs on his SG.

2009-05-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Artie Lang Makes Surprise Appearance at Comic Strip Live!

2009-05-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

The Next Eddie Murphy Has Been Discovered!

According to Robert Wachs (Co-Owner of Comic Strip Live), Germaine Fowler is the next Eddie Murphy and has unlimited potential. “He has incredible likeability – you just want to gift wrap him and take him home.” Said Wachs. In addition Wachs is in awe of Brian Scott McFadden whom he calls “the funniest man in New York.” Both McFadden and Fowler recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency

"Psychic Madman" Jim Karol performs at Comic Strip Live

Legendary Comedian George Wallace Returns to Comic Strip Live!

2009-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

2009-04-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

2009-04-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

2009-03-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

Dave Chappelle Returns to Comic Strip Live!

2009-03-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Dave Chappelle shocked the world this week when he made a surprise appearance at the very club he got started in: Comic Strip Live. Dave did a 4-hour set that was met with loud applause from our audience who stayed the entire time. A true gentleman and great guy that Dave is, he stuck around to sign autographs from fans and staff who were thrilled to watch a living legend take to our stage.

Comic Strip Live regular Judah Friedlander recently made the cover of Time Out New York. We congratulate the World Champion on this impressive feat!

2009-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

A stand-up comedian since his high school days, New York, Jim Breuer worked at comedy clubs around the country for several years before deciding to become a regular on the New York comedy club circuit. He quickly became a favorite at the Comic Strip Live. After being in New York for only seven months, he landed a gig on the nationally syndicated show, "Uptown Comedy Club," where he spent two seasons.

In 1995, Jim joined NBC's "Saturday Night Live," becoming best known for his original character "Goat Boy" and his impression of actor Joe Pesci. After a four-year stint on "SNL," Jim starred in the movie "Half Baked "alongside Dave Chappelle.That summer, MTV also invited the comedian to co-host the popular show "MTV's Beach House." Additional appearances include numerous stints on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," as well as roles in several movies, such as "Dick" (1999) and "Once in the Life" (2000), and most recently, "Beer League."

Throughout the years, Jim has also supported various charities through his comedy, including the Chris Farley Foundation, VH1 MusiCares, his local police and fire departments and more. In 2004, Jim began his career at Sirius Satellite Radio as the host of his own show "Breuer Unleashed" on RawDog 104.

2009-01-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

2009-01-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

You’re seen her multiple times on MTV, VH1, Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” Animal Planet, Fox News, NBC, Comic’s Unleashed, TBS’s “Burly TV” (created by Lorne Michael), and every other show that features people. Hailing from Revere, Massachusetts comedian Bernadette Pauley is a dominant force of hilarity in stand up comedy.

After graduating Emerson College, she moved to NYC and began paying off her education and building an acting resume. Her crappy job resume grew much faster than her acting one. She added paralegal (lasted one day), waitress, bartender, bathroom attendant, coat check girl, cigarette girl and dog walker to her list (which already included working at Wonderland dog track, Suffolk Downs racetrack and supermarket cashier). She has spent years trying to figure out where she really belongs: in Blue Collar Revere or Beverly Hills. The answer is both. And neither

Eventually Bernadette’s talents found their way to the stage and in a short few years, she was cracking up the masses in states, colleges, comedy clubs, and casinos all across the country. It didn’t take long for the media to realize Bernadette had something special. When a big story breaks about a celebrity, flip the dial and you’ll likely see Bernadette giving her side of the story. She is also frequent guest on Sirius Radio's Raw Dog channel and you've probably seen her smart ass comments in Life & Style Magazine’s "Style Slipups" pages every week, although you may not admit you read it. Bernadette is a regular at the Comic Strip Live where you can see performing all this month.

2009-01-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

2009-01-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

Marina Franklin is emerging as one of the hottest comedians in the comedy scene today. With such notable appearances as “Chapelle’s Show”, NBC’s “Last Comic Standing Season II”, VH!, Oxygen’s “Girls Behaving Badly”, “Show Time at The Apollo”, Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” , "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn", CW’s “Hip Hop Holdem”, CBS “The Intern”, Dutch TV's "The Comedy Factory", BBC’s “The World Stand’s Up”, and look for her soon on Byron Allen's "Comic's Unleashed".

Marina routinely performs across the country at comedy clubs and universities. She is a favorite in Comedy Festivals across the country such as: The Montreal Comedy Festival, New York Underground Comedy Festival, Ireland's Kilkenny Comedy Festival, Nashville's Bonnaroo Music Festival, In 2007 headlined in Johannesburg, South Africa for David Kau’s Comedy Show and most recently Scotland's Glaskgow Comedy Festival.

Marina is based in the comedy capital of the world New York City where she is a regular performer at the World Famous Comic Strip Live as well as many other venues in and around the metropolitan New York area. Check out her magazine cover debut for www.strivemagazine.com.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

2008-12-27T15:32:00.001-08:00

Relive the Comic Strip Live's 2008 Guinness World Record
for the "Longest Stand Up Comedy Show In History" below!

2008-12-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

2008-12-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

2008-12-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

Opinionated. Passionate. Athletic. Honest. These are just a few of the many qualities friends used to describe the late and legendary Comic Strip Live Booker Lucien Hold Hold worked at the Comic Strip Live in a number of capacities for nearly 30 years before dying from scleroderma in 2004.

“Ultimately, because he was honest in a business where honesty was rare and bar help was often short-changed management moved him to be the talent coordinator,” said Joe Bolster, a comic who befriended Hold in 1978.

It was in the ‘70s when stand up first began to blossom. At first comics were not paid, and then they started to receive nominal salaries. They also got the opportunity to serve as emcees, deciding who would get gigs and when. The first emcee at the Comic Strip was a guy by the name of Jerry Seinfeld, who you may have heard of.

In the book "Seinfeld: The Making of an American Icon," Hold said Jerry was very dependable and normal, who wrote every day to hone his craft. In the 1980s, Hold took responsibility for who would “pass”—those allowed to go on stage.

“Like anybody, he developed comedic likes and dislikes and he was not always agreed with,” Bolster said. “It’s a tough job. He knew he was similar to a baseball umpire—that not everybody would like him.”

“He was very devoted to his friends,” Bolster said. “He maintained friendships with comics even after they left the club (The Comic Strip was a springboard for so many comedians before they went on to television and film). He stayed in touch with Jerry, Chris Rock, George Wallace, Adam Sander, etc.”

While the comedy business lost a giant when Hold passed, only the Comic Strip Live could house a giant of Holds status along with Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, and 100 other legendary comedians. He’s still greatly missed.

2008-12-08T15:21:00.001-08:00

2008-12-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

2008-11-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Honored as one of the “Ten Standout Stand-Ups Worth Watching”
by Back Stage magazine, Ray Ellin is comedy'srenaissance man:
comic, television host, actor, writer andfilmmaker. He's also a
regular at the Comic Strip Live.

Ray is the host of “LateNet with Ray Ellin,” the first comedy/variety
show to combine both in-studio and online audiences, live. The show
features A-List celebrities, top comedians, and musical guests,
including Chevy Chase, Fran Drescher, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman,
Richard Belzer, Paul Shaffer, Gilbert Gottfried, Artie Lange etc.

Profiling the top three Latin comics in the country, Ray executive
produced and directed the film “The Latin Legends of Comedy.”
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, the movie received the Best
Documentary Award at the Boston International Film Festival. A live
national stand-up tour is currently in production.

Ray has racked up an impressive list of television credits including
appearances on HBO's “Chris Rock Show,” FOX's “Fox and Friends,”
VH1’s “Best of…,” ABC's “Primetime Live,” NBC's “Today Show,”
and England's “Mancs vs. Yanks.”

2008-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

2008-10-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

A regular at the Comic Strip Live and a national headliner in clubs and theaters across North America and in Europe, Paul Mecurio has performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and has made numerous TV appearances including “Comedy Central Presents,” “The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” “Late Night w/Conan O’Brien,” Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” Comedy Central’s “Dr. Katz”, NBC’s “Late Friday,” and numerous appearances on VH1’s popular clip shows. Paul has been a guest on Fox News Channel and makes regular appearances on CNN, CNNfn and MSNBC as a political satirist.

On May 21, 2004, Paul premiered his own “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special. Paul was featured as a political satirist in the 2004 Presidential Election coverage by The Daily News, CNN, MSNBC, CNNfn, and ESPN2.

Paul was seen in a guest-starring role opposite John Cleese in the ABC sitcom “Wednesday at 9:30” and shot, “The Joke Show,” a television pilot set in New York City for famed producer/directors Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana. He can also be seen in the upcoming film drama, “High Art, Low Life,” written and directed by Peter Nourjian and recently shot the lead role in the independent film “Faux Pix.”

See when Paul will be at the Comic Strip Live next: CLICK HERE!

2008-10-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE STORY!

It was William Stephenson who taught Michael Phelps how to swim yet, Phelps did not credit him or the Comic Strip Live. We forgive you Phelps but, you better tip BIG when you finally come to your senses and return home!

Gilbert Zings Bob Saget

2008-08-08T00:42:00.000-07:00

Gilbert Gottfied, who was at the Comic Strip Live training Ann Curry a short time ago tells a memorable joke at the upcoming Bob Saget Roast.

Comedy Caliente

2008-08-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Caliente this Thursday!

2008-07-30T18:23:00.001-07:00

Ann Curry visits the Comic Strip Live

2008-07-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

NBC Today Show Anchor Ann Curry recently stopped by the Comic Strip Live with Gilbert Gottfried to train for her debut appearance...as a stand up comedian! Ann was impressed with the club's history especially knowing she was on the same stage that Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and so many other legends of comedy had taken. Between Gilbert, the Comic Strip Live's amazing energy, and Ann's pure determination, she did fantastic!

World Record Holders

2008-07-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

On June 5th, 2008 at 10:30 pm, the Comic Strip Live set the Guinness World Record for the "Longest Stand Up Comedy Show In History" at 50 straight hours. Over 100 comedians performed at the event and William Stephenson emceed all 50 hours without taking a single break! For nearly the entire duration of the event, we always had an above average attendance whether it was 3 am or 3 pm. It will go down in history as one of the most spectacular achievements in comedy history.

Re-live the once in a lifetime moment below: