Make 'Em Laugh

August 13, 2012
After a short summary of events that led to finding a Manhattan location and opening the Comic Strip in the mid-1970s, more than 30 interviews amplify and fill in gaps on the club’s 35-year history. Noticeably short of funny ladies, the impressive lineup of interview subjects kicks off with Jerry Seinfeld reminiscing about the exhilaration of passing the club’s audition: “It certainly was the last time I auditioned as a comedian for anything. Once you became established here you were golden.... This club really took care of us.” For Chris Rock “it was a magical place.” Susie Essman recalls, “Now in those days all I did was characters. It took me a long time until I spoke in my own voice.” Others interviewed include Lewis Black, Jim Breuer, Billy Crystal, Judah Friedlander, Gilbert Gottfried, Lisa Lampanelli, Colin Quinn, Paul Reiser, Ray Romano, and Jeffrey Ross. Historians will find much valuable documentation on the inner workings of comedy clubs and the creation of standup routines, but some readers might wonder why they find few jokes. Agent: Paul Fedorko and J.L. Stermer, N.S. Bienstock, Inc.

September 1, 2012
Brief, repetitive interviews with comedians recalling the club that gave them their starts. Consider this a vanity project commemorating the 35th year of the Comic Strip in Manhattan (a milestone it passed in 2011), with the club's owner (Tienken) credited as co-author, leaving the questioning and transcribing to comedy writer Gurian (co-author: Filthy, Funny and Totally Offensive, 2007). Comedians who cut their teeth at the club still feel a great allegiance to it, so the authors have access to some of the biggest names in comedy, including Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock and Ray Romano. (Conspicuously absent is Eddie Murphy, though Tienken's long association as his manager receives frequent mentions.) While the interviews provide a cumulative sense of what it takes to make the leap from comedy clubs to bigger projects, as well as how a comedian might get his foot in the door in the first place (perseverance would seem to be a key, and being very funny helps), there are few laughs along the way and lots of instances of the same old names. Part of the problem is the question-and-answer format, with most of the interviews starting with some version of, "What year did you start performing comedy and what are your earliest memories of The Comic Strip?"--and ending with, "Tell me about Richie Tienken." Seinfeld says of the club, "They were happy to have us, we were happy to have them, and we were one, big happy family." George Wallace says Seinfeld is "the nicest guy in the world." Gilbert Gottfried, the only one who refuses to play it straight (and, thus, the funniest), says, "Seinfeld was the star of The Comic Strip. And it seemed like 99 percent of the comedians who were Comic Strip regulars would talk exactly like him...even the girls." Among other revelations, the family of Chris Rock knows him as "Chrissy." Toward the end, there's also an interview with the club's landlord, who says that he's been to "only one" show there: "I have a feeling I must have missed some of the highlights." For friends and extended family of "the most legendary comic club there ever was."

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