The Comedy Bible: The Complete Resource for Aspiring Comedians

Readers who have both the ambition and the desire to get started on a career in comedy will find advice, information, and direction in this unusual new book. The authors--both successful standup comics--discuss the different forms of comedy and help readers determine which style of humor matches their personalities. An early chapter analyzes things that make people laugh, such as surprise, incongruity, embarrassment, and absurdity. Chapters that follow explain the fundamentals of comic writing and comic performance, and then go on to focus on comedy's different forms: standup performance, variety acts, musical comedy, sketch writing, sitcom writing, and print humor, which includes everything from cartoon art to comedy nonfiction books. A final chapter looks at comedy's business side--contacts, agents, venues, and the challenges of making a living at comedy. More than 300 illustrations.