Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Dave Allen, and a couple of new boys heading towards that list like Louie CK and Doug Stanhope.

Dov Davidoff Sebastian Maniscalco Bret Ernst Iliza Shlesinger Kevin Hart

Ali Wong's entire Netflix special is my favorite joke. It's just so real and so funny and so perfect.

Hannibal Buress. Zach Galifanakiciksiswiwiwiww88899is [sic]

The funniest person I've ever met is Bob Uecker. So he'd probably be the most underrated.

I'm a big fan of Chris Morris. When I first began doing comedy a friend of mine introduced me to Brass Eye and I was blown away. It was so dense and visual. The pedophilia episode with the guy dressed as a school... oh man. So hilarious. He's definitely been an influence on the stuff I do. Among many others.

I started doing comedy in 2002 and I had a VHS tape of one of my first few sets. I took it to my RA, Open Mike Eagle. He watched it and said you sound like this dude, he played some Hedberg for me. I thought it was amazing. Mitch played Zanies in Chicago in 2005. I was brand new and I went up to his green room and asked for a spot. (This was really obnoxious but I was hungry and ambitious.) The next night he let and 3-4 other Chicago comedians that he never met perform on a sold out show of his fans. That's unheard of. Comedians just don't do that type of shit. I won't do that shit now. I can be in the greatest mood ever and I won't let a stranger on my show. It went well and he let me open...[Read more]

Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.

That’s a hard one to answer, but living legends… Don Rickles. Present Eddie Pepitone.

mel brooks steve Martin. the unknown comic.

I'd have to say Dave Chappelle. He's brilliant and fun to watch. Patrice O'neal was one of the best live acts I've seen. His crowd work was amazing.

My favorite NEW comedian? I don't know how new he is, but every time I see Jim Gaffigan, I laugh and laugh. I love seeing him on TV, hearing him on comedy radio stations, guy just makes me laugh.

I never have a good answer for this. Any joke by Dave Attel, Todd Glass or Mitch Hedberg probably. Also Paul F Tompkins joke about Fabio is way high up there.

Maria Bamford is my favorite comedian, but there are so many comedians pivoting during this time in ways that inspire me.

some faves are amy sedaris, louis ck, erin whitehead/mary holland/stephanie allynne :)

Richard Pryor live in concert. George Carlin (the one at the beacon that he did where he opened with an abortion joke) eddie murphy delirious. Bill Cosby HImself.

Favorite standup comic of all time. (I hate the word favorite. It's too exclusive). But for one special, Sam Kinison was fucking perfect. One special. Then it went to his head and the rest of his career served as a warning to me on what to avoid. And then currently, I'll never miss the chance to watch a set from Bill Burr, Dave Attell, Rory Scovel and Kurt Metzger.

I love any comedian in front of me. Seriously, I am a big fan of comedians, in general- in LA, a young man named Vince Caldera is just great -coming out of Glassel Park, I love Vance Sanders- a comedian working in LA for 25 years who has run a show here for as many years and always has new, fresh topical material at his show BARK in Pasadena, a great show called GENTRIFICATION hosted by Danielle Perez in Highland park. Seriously, Google comedy and your zip code and you may find your next favorite comic!

Mitch Hedberg is my favorite comedian of all-time. I'm not saying he was the best of all time, but he was my favorite.

Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, Patrice O'Neal, Maria Bamford, Sarah Silverman, Louis CK (he funded my special), Andy Kindler, many more who I'll think of later.