by Roadrunner Records announced today it's launching a comedy imprint called Roadrunner Comedy, with its first artist signing: Doug Stanhope.
They even let Stanhope make a short video about it. Will there be profanities? What do you think? Roll the clip!
Stanhope's first Roadrunner Comedy release is slated for 2011.
The label says signing Stanhope fits the spirit of the original record label, representing provocative hard rock and metal acts. "We look forward to welcoming a variety of like-minded comedians to the Roadrunner family—new artists with dynamic talents—that will be making us laugh for years to come," said Roadrunner's CEO, Cees Wessels.
Stanhope’s manager, Brian Henningan, added via press release: “We needed to find a supportive partner who would let Doug Stanhope be Doug Stanhope. There are millions of people all over the world that Doug hasn't offended and with Roadrunner's help we should be able to reach them all.”
Roadrunner Comedy joins an increasingly crowded field of record labels putting out stand-up comedy albums. Comedy Central Records has increased its output significantly over the past two years, signing many acts and releasing some albums as digital-only downloads, reflecting the global trend toward buying records online. Other labels producing comedy records include Warner Bros., Relapse, Sub-Pop, Stand Up!, Uproar, Rooftop Comedy, A Special Thing, and multiple independent imprints.
