About

From the back of the room to your room, The Comic’s Comic is your definitive guide to comedians, comedy and comedy news. A former newspaper reporter on staff for the New York Daily News, Boston Herald, The Arizona Republic, The Sun (Bremerton), The Federal Way News, The Times-News (Twin Falls) and his hometown paper, The Hartford CourantSean L. McCarthy launched the site in November 2007, a month after winning New York’s Funniest Reporter contest. Hi!

SeanLMcCarthy_2015

Back in 2007, I couldn’t convince the mainstream media to change its ways of treating comedy as the ugly stepchild of the performing arts, so I decided to DIY.

Your local newspaper, if you still read it in print, might interview a stand-up comedian who comes to town. And the local radio and TV stations might then invite said comedians to come on the air, only to immediately treat them as dancing monkeys. “Tell us a joke!” “Tell us another joke!”

Hollywood treats comedies as lesser than. Big-budget hit movie comedies lose out to musicals or actual dramas in the Golden Globes and only get to host the Oscars, not actually win an Academy Award.

It’s still mostly that way, although now in 2016, everyone in the mainstream media online has rushed in to cover, criticize and essentially heckle the comedy scene as it has BOOMED once more. This has been the biggest comedy boom since the 1980s.

Comedy and comedians deserve better. That’s what I’ve strived to do here at The Comic’s Comic, working the comedy beat to bring you the best information — curating through all the online noise and chattering classes to cover only the funniest things you need to know, read, see or hear. I haven’t won a Webby Award or a Pulitzer. Not yet.

I did win an ECNY Award once back in 2011, which isn’t even a thing anymore so I won’t bother trying to explain it to you. Same goes for most of you kids if I TOLDJA that Nikki Finke called me “very reliable” back when she ruled the roost and terrified Hollywood at Deadline. But you have seen my reporting quoted, cited and linked to by The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, heard me on NPR, BBC Radio and SiriusXM, and seen me on MSNBC and FOX News, plus cameo appearances in the series The Jim Gaffigan Show and Brody Stevens: Enjoy It!, among many other places. I’m also currently freelancing comedy reviews for Decider (a Rupert Murdoch vertical for his New York Post), and covering comedy festivals all over North America. Though my passport is valid for trips abroad, too. One of these Augusts, Edinburgh! One of these Marches, Melbourne!

I’ve moderated comedian panels for SXSW and Internet Week NY, and I’m available for your festival or confab, too! Or even children’s parties. I did work as a professional clown one summer back in the day, after all, makeup and red nose and all. Still carry an “emergency clown nose” in my carry-on, just in case.

The Comic's Comic Presents Last Things FirstAnd since July 2015, I’ve hosted my own podcast. Last Things First, indeed. That’s what it’s called. I know there are a gabillion podcasts out there already, but mine is different. For one thing, it’s shorter. Most episodes average a half-hour. For another, it’s more timeless and vital. Last Things First is an inspirational interview series with comedians and funny people in funny business, asking them about the historic lasts and firsts in their lives as their comedy careers have blossomed. Or still are blossoming. Click on the photo to support the cause via Patreon, please. And obviously, SUBSCRIBE on iTunes, thanks!

If you’ve got a hot comedy scoop or otherwise would like to contribute to the site, email the editor at thecomicscomic@gmail.com.

Donations gladly accepted and appreciated!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.