by Just after we had to say goodbye to Super Deluxe, fellow online purveyor of comedy videos Funny or Die announced it had raised $3 million from, as Reuters reported late Monday, "a single, undisclosed investor" (plus an additional $3 million for
"in-kind contributions for marketing, publicity and promotional support
for programing," according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission). Is this money part of HBO's 10 percent stake in the company, as Reuters suggests, or is this a situation reminiscent of political campaigns, in which the candidate taps into his or her own personal pocketbook to fund the operation (does Will Ferrell have $3 million to keep his side project going? or perhaps their partner Judd Apatow could spare a dime?). Either way, Happy Holidays, Funny or Die! And if you're in a giving mood, "single, undisclosed investor," The Comic's Comic gladly would accept even one percent of that investment as a charitable contribution that you can write off on your 2008 taxes. Just a thought.
