Names to Know in Comedy


 * This page is part of the "Names to Know" project.

The groundbreaking, the influential, the seminal... but not necessarily the most famous people in Comedy -- Stand-Up or otherwise. (However, please don't list Comic Actors who've never been on a stage in front of a live audience.)

These people are the genre definers, the Trope Makers, the people that other people in the Comedy field look to for inspiration.

For classic routines, or at least classic punchlines, see Stock Shticks and Stock Jokes.

The Greats

 * Abbott and Costello
 * Lenny Bruce
 * Carol Burnett
 * George Carlin
 * Cheech and Chong
 * Bob Hope
 * Laurel and Hardy
 * Steve Martin
 * Red Skelton
 * Mae West
 * Robin Williams
 * Jonathan Winters

General Stand-Up

 * Abbott and Costello
 * Woody Allen
 * Tim Allen
 * Aziz Ansari
 * Bill Bailey
 * Roseanne Barr
 * Chris Barrie
 * Milton Berle
 * Lewis Black
 * Lenny Bruce
 * Victor Borge - more "sit-down comedy", because it's difficult to stand and play the piano at the same time
 * Russell Brand
 * George Burns
 * Brett Butler
 * George Carlin
 * Johnny Carson
 * Margaret Cho
 * Louis CK
 * Billy Connolly
 * Steve Coogan
 * Dane Cook
 * Billy Crystal
 * Rodney Dangerfield
 * Larry David
 * Ellen DeGeneres
 * Phyllis Diller
 * Bill Engvall
 * Jeff Foxworthy
 * Redd Foxx
 * Janeane Garofalo
 * Whoopi Goldberg
 * Gilbert Gottfried
 * Buddy Hackett
 * Mitch Hedberg
 * Richard Herring
 * Bill Hicks
 * Bob Hope
 * Eddie Izzard
 * Kevin James
 * Andy Kaufman
 * Sam Kinison
 * Martin Lawrence
 * Denis Leary
 * Eugene Levy - did stand-up in Toronto before SCTV
 * Stewart Lee
 * Jay Leno
 * Robert Llewellyn
 * George Lopez
 * Lee Mack
 * Bill Maher
 * Steve Martin
 * Rik Mayall
 * Bob Monkhouse
 * Dylan Moran
 * Ross Noble
 * Patton Oswalt
 * Russell Peters
 * Emo Philips
 * John Pinette
 * Joe Piscopo
 * Professor Backwards
 * Richard Pryor
 * Paul Reubens
 * Don Rickles
 * Joan Rivers
 * Chris Rock
 * Rita Rudner
 * Nipsey Russell
 * Bob Sagat
 * Adam Sandler
 * Jerry Seinfeld
 * Pauly Shore
 * Sarah Silverman
 * Red Skelton
 * George Smilovici
 * Yakov Smirnoff
 * Rip Taylor
 * Judy Tenuta
 * Christopher Titus
 * Lily Tomlin
 * Tim Vine
 * Robin Williams
 * Michael Winslow
 * Jonathan Winters
 * Steven Wright
 * Henny Youngman -- "Take my wife. Please!"

Black Comedians
Because of the nature of "race relations" in the USA (and to a lesser extent in Canada), these comics make their skin color part of their act to a lesser or greater extent.
 * Bill Cosby
 * Redd Foxx
 * Whoopi Goldberg
 * Steve Harvey
 * Martin Lawrence
 * Bernie Mac
 * Eddie Murphy
 * Tyler Perry
 * Richard Pryor
 * Chris Rock
 * Nipsey Russell
 * Flip Wilson
 * Michael Winslow

Borscht Belt Comedy
Comedians who honed their craft in the Borscht Belt -- the summer resorts of the Catskills in New York state, active mostly from the 1920s to the 1970s -- or whose style reflects the tradition of Jewish comedy established there.
 * Woody Allen
 * Benny Bell
 * Mel Brooks
 * Lenny Bruce
 * George Burns
 * Billy Crystal
 * Rodney Dangerfield
 * Phyllis Diller
 * Buddy Hackett
 * Gabe Kaplan
 * Mickey Katz
 * Andy Kaufman
 * Jerry Lewis
 * Jackie Mason
 * Don Rickles
 * Joan Rivers
 * Jerry Seinfeld
 * Rip Taylor
 * Henny Youngman

Character Comedy
Comedians who take on the role of a character who then performs the comedy, sometimes as a consequence of the character's personality and/or history. Sometimes the character is an exaggerated version of themselves; sometimes it is a wildly-different persona. Some performers may use multiple characters. And some may refuse to "break character" when in public, making it hard to determine that it is a character.
 * Rowan Atkinson
 * Richard Belzer (as John Munch)
 * Joe Bob Briggs
 * Chespirito
 * Andrew Dice Clay
 * Bill Dana (as "José Jiménez")
 * Rodney Dangerfield
 * Whoopi Goldberg
 * Gilbert Gottfried
 * Andy Kaufman
 * Larry the Cable Guy
 * Jerry Lewis
 * Anders Matthesen (as "Stewart Felfoss Stenstrøm Stardust Jr.")
 * Bob Newhart
 * Emo Philips
 * Paul Reubens (as "Pee-wee Herman")
 * Bill Saluga (as "Raymond J. Johnson, Jr.")
 * Rip Taylor
 * John Thomson (as "Bernard Righton")
 * Lily Tomlin
 * Ron White

Comic Music and Parodies
Performers who routinely create or created humorous music as part of (or as) their regular act. One-Hit Wonders and novelty recordings by otherwise non-comedic acts should not be listed, nor should serious music produced by comic actors (such as Hugh Laurie's jazz recordings).
 * Kip Addotta
 * Heather Alexander/Alexander James Adams
 * The Arrogant Worms
 * Barenaked Ladies
 * Barnes & Barnes
 * Barry and the Bookbinders
 * Bill Bailey
 * Heywood Banks
 * Benny Bell
 * Ivor Biggun
 * Bobby Jimmy and the Critters
 * The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
 * Victor Borge
 * Bowser and Blue
 * Julie Brown
 * The Capitol Steps
 * Jasper Carrott
 * Tim Cavanaugh
 * The Chad Mitchell Trio
 * Jonathan Coulton
 * Crazy Frog
 * Da Vinci's Notebook
 * Da Yoopers
 * Duck Logic
 * Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre
 * Evolution Control Committee
 * Leslie Fish
 * Flanders and Swann
 * Flight of the Conchords
 * Forbidden Broadway
 * Four Bitchin' Babes
 * The Frantics
 * Stan Freberg
 * Dale Gonyea
 * The Great Luke Ski
 * Parry Gripp
 * Grupa MoCarta
 * Homer and Jethro
 * Neil Innes
 * The Irish Rovers
 * Jim's Big Ego
 * Spike Jones
 * Mickey Katz
 * The Kingston Trio
 * Sam Kinison ("Wild Thing")
 * Christine Lavin
 * Denis Leary
 * Tom Lehrer
 * Lemon Demon
 * Les Luthiers
 * The Lonely Island
 * John Mammoser
 * Steve Martin ("Grandmother's Song", "King Tut")
 * C.W. McCall
 * Tim Minchin
 * Mister Stick
 * Modern Man
 * Mojo Nixon
 * Monty Python
 * Moosebutter
 * Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer
 * Martin Mull
 * The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo
 * Napoleon XIV
 * Randy Newman
 * Not Literally Productions
 * Ogden Edsl Wahalia Blues Ensemble Mondo Bizzario Band (aka "Ogden Edsl")
 * Ookla the Mok
 * Rob Paravonian (AKA "Rob P.")
 * Brad Paisley
 * Paul and Storm
 * P.D.Q. Bach
 * Joe Pesci
 * Louis Prima
 * Professor Elemental
 * Bob Rivers
 * Rock Sugar
 * Rolf Harris
 * Anna Russell
 * Mark Russell
 * The Rutles
 * David Seville (Ross Bagdasarian Sr.)
 * Allan Sherman
 * Tom Smith
 * Jim Stafford
 * Ray Stevens
 * They Might Be Giants
 * Ruth Wallis
 * Rusty Warren
 * Whimsical Will
 * Tim Wilson
 * Wally Wingert
 * Woody Woodbury
 * "Weird Al" Yankovic
 * Frank Zappa

Country Comedy

 * Joe Bob Briggs
 * Brett Butler
 * Bill Engvall
 * Jeff Foxworthy
 * Larry the Cable Guy
 * Jim Stafford
 * Ray Stevens
 * Ron White

Improvisational Comedy

 * Wayne Brady
 * Burns and Allen
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * The Groundlings
 * Josie Lawrence
 * Colin Mochrie
 * Second City
 * Ryan Stiles
 * Robin Williams
 * Jonathan Winters

Online Comedy
Acts, shows, or humorous New Media which exist solely in an online form.
 * The Internet Oracle
 * Barats and Bereta

Prop Comedians
Often considered by other comedians to be the lowest form of humor.
 * Carrot Top
 * Tommy Cooper
 * Keith Fields
 * Gallagher (and his brother, who tours as "Gallagher II, The Living Sequel")
 * Steve Martin (He incorporated prop humor into his act at the start of his career.)
 * Olsen and Johnson

Started on radio and (for the most part) stayed there:

 * Fanny Brice
 * Dr. Demento
 * Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre (on NPR)
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * The Frantics
 * The Goon Show
 * Hamish and Andy
 * Hudson and Landry
 * Don Imus
 * Jim and Marian Jordan
 * Bob Rivers

Started on radio, eventually moved to TV:

 * Lucille Ball
 * The Jack Benny Program
 * Milton Berle
 * Bob and Ray
 * Eddie Cantor
 * Kenny Everett
 * Benny Hill
 * Royal Canadian Air Farce
 * Wayne and Shuster
 * Red Skelton

Rant Comedy

 * Lewis Black
 * George Carlin
 * Dane Cook
 * Bill Hicks
 * Sam Kinison
 * Denis Leary

Recorded Comedy
Comic acts and performances which have been packaged and sold on cassette, vinyl or CD over the years.
 * Benny Bell
 * Bob and Ray
 * Buchanan & Goodman/Dickie Goodman
 * Victor Buono
 * Tim Cavanaugh
 * Cheech and Chong
 * Bill Dana
 * Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * Four Bitchin' Babes
 * The Frantics
 * Jim Gaffigan
 * Grupa MoCarta
 * Ivor Biggun
 * Spike Jones
 * Mickey Katz
 * Stewart Lee
 * Tom Lehrer
 * Jerry Lewis
 * John Mammoser
 * Modern Man
 * Monty Python
 * Napoleon XIV
 * National Lampoon
 * Bob Newhart
 * Mike Nichols and Elaine May
 * Emo Philips
 * Monty Python
 * Anna Russell
 * The Rutles
 * The Vestibules (AKA "Radio Free Vestibule" before 1997)
 * Ruth Wallis
 * Rusty Warren
 * Robin Williams
 * Woody Woodbury
 * Steven Wright

Sketch Comedy

 * Rowan Atkinson
 * Jack Black
 * Bob and Ray
 * Carol Burnett
 * Cheech and Chong
 * Billy Crystal
 * Bill Dana
 * Eugenio Derbez
 * Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre
 * Kenny Everett
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * The Frantics
 * Stan Freberg
 * Christopher Guest
 * Jerry Lewis
 * The Lonely Island
 * David Mitchell and Robert Webb
 * Monty Python
 * Paul Reubens
 * Andy Samberg
 * Saturday Night Live
 * Catherine Tate
 * Wayne and Shuster

Storytellers

 * Rowan Atkinson
 * Joe Bob Briggs
 * Brother Theodore
 * Lord Buckley
 * Ronnie Corbett (most famously his "chair monologues" on The Two Ronnies)
 * Bill Cosby
 * Billy Crystal
 * Whoopi Goldberg
 * Gabriel Iglesias
 * Bob Newhart (although the audience usually only gets to hear his character's side of the story)
 * Flip Wilson
 * Jonathan Winters

Surreal Comedy

 * Rowan Atkinson
 * Bob and Ray
 * Brother Theodore
 * W. C. Fields
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * Armando Iannucci
 * Jerry Lewis
 * The Lonely Island
 * Spike Milligan
 * Monty Python
 * The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo
 * The Vestibules (AKA "Radio Free Vestibule" before 1997)
 * Steven Wright

Vaudeville
Comedians who got their start in Vaudeville and/or Burlesque, particularly in the fading years of the circuit.
 * Abbott and Costello
 * Fatty Arbuckle
 * Lucille Ball
 * Milton Berle
 * Fanny Brice
 * George Burns
 * Eddie Cantor
 * W. C. Fields
 * Bob Hope
 * Jim and Marian Jordan
 * Danny Kaye
 * Buster Keaton
 * Bert Lahr
 * Laurel and Hardy
 * The Marx Brothers
 * Professor Backwards
 * Red Skelton
 * The Three Stooges (Originally part of "Ted Healey and his Stooges", but Healey's Hollywood career went nowhere.)

Ventriloquists
See also the list of ventriloquists on Names to Know in Puppet Shows; which has a lot of overlap with this list.
 * Edgar Bergen
 * Jeff Dunham
 * Señor Wences
 * Paul Winchell

Comedy Teams and Troupes

 * Abbott and Costello
 * Bob and Ray
 * Burns and Allen
 * Burns and Schreiber
 * Cheech and Chong
 * Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre
 * The Firesign Theatre
 * Flight of the Conchords
 * The Frantics
 * French and Saunders
 * Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie
 * The Goons
 * The Groundlings
 * Bob Hope and Bing Crosby
 * Hudson and Landry
 * Jim and Marian Jordan
 * Laurel and Hardy
 * Les Luthiers
 * The Lonely Island
 * Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
 * The Marx Brothers
 * David Mitchell and Robert Webb
 * Monty Python
 * Dudley Moore and Peter Cook
 * Morecambe and Wise
 * The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo
 * Mike Nichols and Elaine May
 * Olsen and Johnson
 * Penn & Teller
 * Los Rayos Gama
 * Dan Rowan and Dick Martin
 * Royal Canadian Air Farce
 * The Second City
 * The Smothers Brothers - pushed the boundaries of televised comedy... until the boundaries pushed back
 * Stiller and Meara
 * The Three Stooges
 * The Two Ronnies
 * The Rutles
 * The Umbilical Brothers
 * The Vestibules (AKA "Radio Free Vestibule" before 1997)
 * Wayne and Shuster