Jay Chandrasekhar has spent the past two decades writing, directing, and acting in film and TV. With his comedy group, Broken Lizard, he has produced and directed beloved movies such as Super Troopers, Beer­fest, and Club Dread. Now, with the upcoming release of the long-awaited Super Troopers 2, Jay is ready to tell the ridiculous, madcap, dead-honest story of how he built his career, how he formed Broken Lizard, and, ultimately, how he made Super Troopers.

Jay grew up Indian American in the lily-white sub­urbs of Chicago, and he had an outsider's perspective from the beginning. Instead of taking the traditional acting path, he formed his own troupe, wrote his own scripts, and made movies his own way. And he had an incredibly good time doing so as readers will learn in this hilarious story about making it in Hollywood and directing, cowriting, and costarring in one of the best-loved and most-watched comedies of all time. Part humorous memoir, part film study, this book will inform, entertain, and tell readers what drinking mul­tiple bottles of maple syrup is really like.

One of NPR's Best Books of 2023. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. Named a Most Anticipated Book by Vulture, Elle, Chicago Tribune, The Millions, and Lit Hub.

Comedy Book changes the way we talk about an art form that is more diverse and exciting than ever before. --Seth Meyers

Energetic and wise . . . Comedy Book is not the definitive history of the past three-plus decades. It's Fox's history, and better for it. --The New York Times Book Review

From a beloved comedy critic, a wisecracking, heartfelt, and overdue chronicle of comedy's boom--and its magic.

In Comedy Book, Jesse David Fox--the country's most definitive voice in comedy criticism and someone who, in his own words, enjoys comedy maybe more than anyone on this planet--tackles everything you need to know about comedy, an art form that has been under-considered throughout its history, even as it has ascended as a cultural force. Weaving together history and analysis, Fox unravels the genre's political legacy through an ode to Jon Stewart, interrogates the divide between highbrow and lowbrow via Adam Sandler, and unpacks how marginalized comics create spaces for their communities. Along the way, Fox covers topics ranging from comedy in the age of political correctness and Will Smith's slap, to the right wing's relationship with comedy, to comedy's ability to heal in the wake of tragedy.

With memorable cameos from Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Ali Wong, Kate Berlant, and countless others, Comedy Book is an eye-opening education in how to engage with our most omnipresent art form, a riotous history of American pop culture, and a love letter to laughter.

Mick has been the catalyst for the most messed-up, funny, smart, low-budget, loud, subversive, hilarious, mind-expanding improv shows of his time. Bob Odenkirk, star of Better Call Saul. In this follow-up to his highly regarded book Improvise. Scene from the Inside Out, globally acclaimed improviser, director, and instructor Mick Napier focuses on the complexities and theories of long-form improvisation. This extended form of improvisation invites performers to be inspired for at least thirty minutes by a single suggestion as they push their creativity to the limit. Napier taps into more than 30 years of experience and distills his tools for success into practical, engaging lessons: -The art of introductions and edits -Different approaches to openers -Pros and cons of the backline -Why it's okay to be funny -Finding the dominant energy -Sustaining a solid character

The New Comedy Bible is a step-by-step, no excuses manual for writing, performing, and launching your career as a stand-up comic. Written by Judy Carter, the author of The Comedy Bible (2001), which was called by The Washington Post and Forbes as a Comedy Essential. This new book, penned in classic Carter's style -- part career coach and part comedy dominatrix -- has 100% new content where you will:

• Partake in 48 new exercises to turn your problems into punchlines
• Create 60 minutes of new material
• Discover your authentic comedy persona
• Conquer stage fright and slay hecklers
• Push part procrastination and get booked

Whether you're a beginner just starting out or a pro looking to create new material for your next Netflix Comedy Special, Carter's proven methods are legendary among today's top performers. Alumni of her workshops include: Seth Rogan, Hannah Gadsby, Sherri Sheppard, and Maz Jobrani among others. As Lily Tomlin says, Judy Carter helps others find their authentic persona and communicate in a way that makes audiences laugh. Interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, she said, Judy Carter can show you how to make your sense of humor pay off.

The exercises in this book will get you off the couch and onto the stage, helping you develop the skills necessary to envision, and achieve, a successful career in comedy.

One of the longest running rock clubs in America, First Avenue in Minneapolis gets the rock-star treatment it deserves with this glorious celebration of a true rock 'n' roll landmark. Revised and updated through the club's 50th anniversary celebrations, the book chronicles the club's storied past--from its impressive inaugural show in April 1970 (Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour) up through the latest acts to take the stage at this beloved venue.

In its initial incarnation as the Depot, the club hosted music legends as varied as the Kinks, Ike and Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, and B. B. King before transforming into a disco club known as Uncle Sam's. In the '80s, First Avenue catapulted to the global stage as the hub of Prince's Purple Rain and the incubator for widely revered, wild-eyed indie-rock bands such as the Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, and Babes in Toyland. During the past half-century, First Avenue and 7th Street Entry have hosted everyone from the Ramones to R.E.M., Wilco to the Wu-Tang Clan, Billy Idol to Billie Eilish, Lizz Winstead to Lizzo, and hundreds more--all immortalized in this volume.

Over the decades, First Avenue survived corporate competitors, bankruptcy, a bitter ownership battle, and most recently, a global pandemic to become one of the most successful independent clubs in the country and ground zero to Minneapolis's thriving community of hip-hop and indie-rock acts. Amidst all that history, the book is interlaced with anecdotes, quotes, and occasionally cloudy memories from musicians, employees, and regulars--many of whom are as unique as the club itself. Chock full of concert photos and memorabilia collected from professional photographers and average fans alike, the book is a lavish tribute to a rock 'n' roll landmark.

One of NPR's Best Books of 2023. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. Named a Most Anticipated Book by Vulture, Elle, Chicago Tribune, The Millions, and Lit Hub.

Comedy Book changes the way we talk about an art form that is more diverse and exciting than ever before. --Seth Meyers

Energetic and wise . . . Comedy Book is not the definitive history of the past three-plus decades. It's Fox's history, and better for it. --The New York Times Book Review

From a beloved comedy critic, a wisecracking, heartfelt, and overdue chronicle of comedy's boom--and its magic.

In Comedy Book, Jesse David Fox--the country's most definitive voice in comedy criticism and someone who, in his own words, enjoys comedy maybe more than anyone on this planet--tackles everything you need to know about comedy, an art form that has been under-considered throughout its history, even as it has ascended as a cultural force. Weaving together history and analysis, Fox unravels the genre's political legacy through an ode to Jon Stewart, interrogates the divide between highbrow and lowbrow via Adam Sandler, and unpacks how marginalized comics create spaces for their communities. Along the way, Fox covers topics ranging from comedy in the age of political correctness and Will Smith's slap, to the right wing's relationship with comedy, to comedy's ability to heal in the wake of tragedy.

With memorable cameos from Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Ali Wong, Kate Berlant, and countless others, Comedy Book is an eye-opening education in how to engage with our most omnipresent art form, a riotous history of American pop culture, and a love letter to laughter.

This work features easily staged scenes with believable teen characters in various comic situations. People can't get enough of Laurie Allen's comedy duet scenes! Based on the popularity of her Sixty Comedy Duet Scenes for Teens, this sequel was inevitable. Like her original, this funny book is written for middle and high school students, with a brand new collection of five- to ten-minute skits split evenly between scenes for females, males, and mixed. Allen is a pro at capturing a teen's voice, and many of her competition pieces have gone all the way to national speech and forensics competitions.

Do you think you're funny? Do you want to turn your sense of humor into a career? If the answer is yes, then Judy Carter's The Comedy Bible is for you. The guru to aspiring stand-up comics provides the complete scoop on being--and writing--funny for money.

If you've got a sense of humor, you can learn to make a career out of comedy, says Judy Carter. Whether it's creating a killer stand-up act, writing a spec sitcom, or providing jokes for radio or one-liners for greeting cards, Carter provides step-by-step instructions in The Comedy Bible. She helps readers first determine which genre of comedy writing or performing suits them best and then directs them in developing, refining, and selling their work.

Using the hands-on workbook format that was so effective in her bestselling first book, Stand-Up Comedy: The Book, Carter offers a series of day-by-day exercises that draw on her many years as a successful stand-up comic and the head of a nationally known comedy school. Also included are practical tips and advice from today's top comedy professionals--from Bernie Brillstein to Christopher Titus to Richard Lewis. She presents the pros and cons of the various comedy fields--stand-up, script, speech and joke writing, one-person shows, humor essays--and shows how to tailor your material for each. She teaches how to find your authentic voice--the true source of comedy. And, perhaps most important, Carter explains how to take a finished product to the next level--making money--by pitching it to a buyer and negotiating a contract.

Written in Carter's unique, take-no-prisoners voice, The Comedy Bible is practical, inspirational, and funny.

An unmissable gift book, A Small Book of Jewish Comedians is a perfect (please God) post-pandemic pick-me-up

A New York Times Book Review 2021 holiday gift guide pick

In 1978, Time magazine estimated that around 80 percent of professional American comics were Jewish, and Jewish humor remains a foundation stone of American popular culture and humor. This book is not intended as a definitive tome but is instead a joyful and irreverent celebration of great photography and some of the greatest one-liners of the 20th century, ripe in satire, anecdote, self-deprecation and irony.
Featuring photographs of comedians such as Larry David, Fran Lebowitz, Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, Lenny Bruce, Rita Rudner, Joan Rivers and George Burns, the book's portraits are accompanied by one-liners such as: Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. (Groucho Marx); When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick. (George Burns); It was a Jewish porno film ... one minute of sex and nine minutes of guilt. (Joan Rivers); You know who wears sunglasses inside? Blind people and assholes. (Larry David); I am not the type who wants to go back to the land; I am the type who wants to go back to the hotel. (Fran Lebowitz).

The story has a connective tissue - humans standing on stage, alone, trying to get laughs. That experience connects all stand-ups through time, whether it's at the Palace, the Copacabana, the Apollo, Mister Kelly's, the hungry i, Grossinger's, the Comedy Cellar, the Improv, the Comedy Store, Madison Square Garden, UCB, or at an open mic in a backyard.

What would you do with over 500 improv games?
Would you like to own the most comprehensive collection ever published?
Who do you know that loves improvisation?

The product of years of research, The Big Book of Improv Games will amaze you as you flip through it, discovering page after page of performance-based games, many that will be completely new to you!

Are you ready to become an Improv Powerhouse?

Feed your passion for improv, go beyond the basics, and turn good improv into great improv with The Big Book of Improv Games! You'll discover over 500 ways to make stuff up, along with full, expert descriptions, tips, and variations so complete anyone from beginner to expert can pick up the book, read through any game, and play it with confidence!

Games are divided into convenient categories, making it easy for you to design an entertaining, varied play set for your show, jam, or practice:

• Scene Games
• Quirky Games
• Non-Scene Games
• Guessing Games
• Singing Games
• Step-Out Games

• Glossary of Improv Terms
• Also Known As (alternate names for many games)
• Named Variations
• Game Categories (to help plan your show)
• Audience Member Games

Become an Improv Powerhouse - Say, Yes, and... to get your copy now!

This workbook is a must-have for the owners of Judy Carter's The New Comedy Bible.

It provides a proven method for creating, capturing, and honing pro comedy material. Think of it as a how-to manual for building a comedy career, joke by joke.

It provides 5 sections for readers to workshop their material:

• Section 1: 48 Exercises to Turn Problems into Punchlines
• Section 2: Jokes in Progress by Topic (Place to write & workshop material in progress)
• Section 3: My Act: Polished Jokes by Topic (Final resting place of your comedy gems)
• Section 4: Set Lists (Place to store the running order of your act based on time & theme)
• Section 5: Morning Writings (30 writing prompts to create material)

A finalist for the 2017 George Freedley Memorial Award

A compelling, absolutely unputdownable story . . . And, in case you're wondering, yes, the book is funny. In places, very funny. A remarkable story, magnificently told. -- Booklist

In this richly reported, scene-driven narrative, Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv from its unlikely beginnings in McCarthy-era Chicago. We witness the chance meeting between Mike Nichols and Elaine May, hang out at the after-hours bar where Dan Aykroyd hosted friends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner, and go behind the scenes of cultural landmarks from The Graduate to The Colbert Report. Along the way, we befriend pioneers such as Harold Ramis, Chevy Chase, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Alan Arkin, Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, and many others. Wasson shows why improv deserves to be considered the great American art form of the last half century.

One of the most important stories in American popular culture . . . Wasson may be the first author to explain [improv's] entire history . . . For that reason alone, it's a valuable book. -- New York Times Book Review

A compelling history . . . It holds the element of surprise--true to the spirit of its subject. -- Entertainment Weekly

Beginning with the nationwide vaudeville circuits that dominated at turn of the twentieth century, Nesteroff describes the rise of the first true stand-up comedian--a variety show emcee who abandoned physical shtick for straight jokes. The end of Prohibition ushered in a surprising golden age of comedy, as funnymen were made into radio stars and the combination of the Borscht Belt, the Chitlin Circuit, and Mafia-run supperclubs furnished more jobs and money than ever before. Those were the days of the Copacabana, tuxedos, and smoking cigars onstage, when insulting the boss could result in a hit man at your door and obscenity charges could land you in jail. In the 1950s, late-night television cemented the status of the comedy establishment while young comics rebelled, arriving on the beatnik coffeehouse scene with cerebral jokes and social angst. They soon found their own way to fame through comedy records that vied with top musicians for Billboard spots. Then came the comedy clubs of the coke-fueled 1970s and 80s, Saturday Night Live and cable TV, and with the internet, a whole new generation of YouTube stars, podcast personalities, and Twitterati. Through the decades, Nesteroff reveals the contradictions between comedians' public and private personas and illuminates the often-seedy underbelly of an industry built on laughs.

Based on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, The Comedians is a sharply written and highly entertaining look at one hundred years of comedy, and a valuable exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture along the way.

More fun to read than the movie was to watch... a scene-stealing book.
-- The Washington Post

An Entertainment Weekly Must List selection

Caddyshack is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, a classic snobs vs. slobs story of working class kids and the white collar buffoons that make them haul their golf bags in the hot summer sun. It has sex, drugs and one very memorable candy bar, but the movie we all know and love didn't start out that way, and everyone who made it certainly didn't have the word classic in mind as the cameras were rolling.

In Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story film critic for Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty goes behind the scenes of the iconic film, chronicling the rise of comedy's greatest deranged minds as they form The National Lampoon, turn the entertainment industry on its head, and ultimately blow up both a golf course and popular culture as we know it. Caddyshack is at once an eye-opening narrative about one of the most interesting, surreal, and dramatic film productions there's ever been, and a rich portrait of the biggest, and most revolutionary names in Hollywood. So, it's got that going for it...which is nice.