A Comedian's Notebook

A humor blog with articles, jokes, and stories about what it's like to be a stand up comic in New York City. See the full thing at acomediansnotebook.com.

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season 1 of the Green podcast is live!

season 1 of the Green podcast is live!

Green is a seasonal podcast where two green comedians talk to successful comedians about stuff they’re really good at. It’s hosted by me (Stu Melton) and Jake Fromm. Here’s a little preview of what the first few episodes are about: ep. 1 – How to create a podcast ep. 2 – How to get booked & be a working comic ep. 3 – How to pitch a TV show The episodes feature some of our favorite comics in NYC…

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Matt Ruby of Schtick or Treat (Seeso) on recording his comedy album, life as a comedian, and how to get people to notice you

Matt Ruby of Schtick or Treat (Seeso) on recording his comedy album, life as a comedian, and how to get people to notice you

Matt Ruby is a touring comedian based in New York City and is the creator of Vooza. His newly released album Hot Flashes (top 10 on iTunes) is available now.  (more…)

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my dumb thoughts on comedy festivals - Patrick Hastie

my dumb thoughts on comedy festivals – Patrick Hastie

Comedy festivals are huge right now. They got ‘em everywhere. Pretty much any city with a scene has it’s own festival. In my home state of Iowa there are 5 different comedy festivals right now. I’ve never done the *big* ones like Bridgetown, JFL or Edinburgh, but I have done a bunch of the smaller ones. Here are some of my dumb thoughts… (more…)

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ACN in The Interrobang!

ACN in The Interrobang!

“14 Things You Can Say On Stage That Will Definitely 100% Make You Seem Funnier” is live in The Interrobang! Read that funniness! Shout out to Brian at ComedyArtwork.com for coming in clutch with some killer art.

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what i learned from seeing Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Thank God For Jokes’ three times

what i learned from seeing Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Thank God For Jokes’ three times

This is a re-post from stumelton.com. the original article was published almost exactly a year ago. Thank God For Jokes is live today on Netflix…watch it! (more…)

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how you can make a successful Netflix stand up comedy special just like Mike Birbiglia

how you can make a successful Netflix stand up comedy special just like Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia’s new special Thank God For Jokes is out today on Netflix! If you’re a comedian there’s no way you’re NOT trying to get your own Netflix special one day. Who wouldn’t want a way to stream their jokes to an audience of millions? However, the steps up to that point seem so abstract… “I know I deserve it, but how could Netflix want to work with a dumb small-time comedian like me?” you…

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getting booked Mad Libs

getting booked Mad Libs

Every comedian is trying to get booked these days, so it’s hard for us to stand out in the crowd. Getting booked is tough. But, if you just think a little differently, you can really capitalize on your colleagues’ lack of creativity and get yourself on more shows. Just fill out this sheet and stick it inside the notebooks of all your favorite comedy show producers and watch as the bookings start…

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a made up story about the time Bill Burr said i was an inspiration and then did completely consensual submissive mouth sex to me - Alex Ptak

a made up story about the time Bill Burr said i was an inspiration and then did completely consensual submissive mouth sex to me – Alex Ptak

People are going to say this story isn’t true, only because it is fake. They are going to say “Alex is just trying to be funny” or “Alex has a tumor in his brain that makes him lie to the public.” When you get right down to it, why can’t we both be right? Cannot a lie be the most true? Would that be crazy? Yes. Anyway, here is a fabrication where a comedy legend tells me I am great and then puts…

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how to network in comedy from a real pro - Alex Ptak

how to network in comedy from a real pro – Alex Ptak

Alex Ptak is a top talent man for KRB Talent Empire. He has done many big deals with top comedy talents like Geraldo Rivera and the Rivera Family Band. He is also currently represented by ACA as a Networking Star. Before leaving to work as talent man at KRB, Alex worked on a steam boat where he quickly rose to the top by networking. After many years of hard work on the poop deck, Alex became a…

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what the 10,000 hours rule really means: taking lessons in stand up comedy from a nerdy Swedish guy instead of Malcolm Gladwell

what the 10,000 hours rule really means: taking lessons in stand up comedy from a nerdy Swedish guy instead of Malcolm Gladwell

My roommate Matt, like me, is a stand up comic. So, when one of us decides to take a night off, the other always tries to inspire some action: “Why don’t we go out and do some open mics?! You need to write more!” Matt always boils it down to: “You’ve gotta get your 10,000 hours, man!” I’ve probably heard Matt say that phrase 10,000 times. He’s really good at it.  I was listening to a rebroadcast…

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community service is stupid

community service is stupid

I don’t believe in community service: I think it’s stupid. The idea of giving back is good, but people mostly do it to masturbate their egos. “What! That’s crazy! Volunteering is amazing!” you say. But that’s because you haven’t been sucked into a meaningless vortex of community service quite like I have. (more…)

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photographs of the top 10 moments in podcasting history

photographs of the top 10 moments in podcasting history

Ever since podcasting first started catching hold in late 2004, the industry has been booming. In 2013 it was estimated that the number of subscribed listeners passed over 1 billion and there were over 250,000 unique podcasts out there for us to listen to and it has grown since. Since podcasting is so based in audio, some of the biggest moments in podcasting history are merely remembered as…

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here’s a Twitter list of 150+ comedy festivals if you want updates on submissions

here’s a Twitter list of 150+ comedy festivals if you want updates on submissions

Here’s a fairly comprehensive list of festivals (mostly in the U.S.) to submit to! I thought it might be helpful if you’re looking to submit videos. If you’re active on Twitter and very forgetful like I am, they’ll literally remind you to submit whenever their deadlines are coming up. If you don’t know how lists work, subscribing won’t make a million Tweets pop up in your feed; it just means that…

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the 13.5 best "best of 2016" comedy lists of 2016

the 13.5 best “best of 2016” comedy lists of 2016

There are A LOT of “best of 2016” comedy lists out there – dozens and dozens of them. And with that many, how do you know who to trust? The “best” comedy books, the “best” comedy specials, the “best” podcasts.. .how are you supposed to figure out what’s really important: which lists are really the best “best of 2016” lists? That’s why I’ve combed through all the 2016 comedy lists to name the top…

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all the best free/super cheap comedy shows in New York City, according to comedians

all the best free/super cheap comedy shows in New York City, according to comedians

I’m a New York City comedian. My non-comedian friends tell me all the time how they can’t see as much stand up as they want to because “When I go to The Cellar, I spend like $50 every time!” And that annoys me because the same exact comedians perform at free shows all over NYC! And big guests like Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, and Jim Gaffigan don’t just drop in on club shows.. .they show up at some…

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what I learned from performing stand up in an amphitheater for six Bolivian people - Michael Karlik

what I learned from performing stand up in an amphitheater for six Bolivian people – Michael Karlik

I was about one year into doing stand-up comedy. Naturally, I thought I was doing well (I wasn’t). Naturally, I thought I should be on more shows (I shouldn’t have been). So when the Craigslist post said “Performers wanted – all types,” I responded immediately. (more…)

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why puns are NOT funny, have NO place in comedy, and are generally PUNderwhelming

why puns are NOT funny, have NO place in comedy, and are generally PUNderwhelming

Like any good citizen of the world, I absolutely HATE puns. They’re the worst! Puns are polar-izing; some people love them, but others can’t bear them. I must admit, sometimes puns are written so beautifully that they are awe-ful. But, when it comes down to it, puns are deplorable and everyone should think so. The only people who like them are old wheelchair-bound vegetables; when it comes to…

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