We talked to multiple creators who landed spots at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, and one pattern kept coming up: the shows that break through often combine two ideas that don’t normally go together. 

Nearly Average Wrestling blends stand-up with live wrestling. Hamburger Club mixes comedy with game show chaos. Often, these shows are built on a small budget, but have a clear hook.

Another example is Holy Cannoli Comedy, a show built around Italian American culture staged at Hollywood Improv. Co-hosted and co-produced by Gabi Conti and Jaclyn Marfuggi Caprio and produced by Christine Casagrande, the show mixes stand-up with themed audience games and cultural bits. The trio moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast, and wanting to connect with their Italian roots, built an Italian American comedy show. 

The show has a clear identity. “During the show…we play Italian American-themed games,” they said. “Like having comedians and celebrity guests do impressions of famous Italian Americans or describe something Italian.”

When asked how to find success in getting booked for larger festivals, they said, “Do something different. Do something that feels true to who you are as a performer. Book comics you would be excited to see.”

A unique or niche show can bring a certain audience, as well as things like sponsorships. “We're lucky to have some amazing sponsors on board, like Locatelli Cheese, Bug and Bear Cannoli, Si Roma Panini, and the Whiskey Lifestyle, who help our audience walk away with prizes from our games.” 

If your show feels interchangeable, it’s easy to overlook. If it has a clear identity, it’s easier to book.

Holy Cannoli Comedy’s Netflix Is a Joke Fest show is on May 9th at The Three Clubs in Hollywood. And if you’re hitting an Italian restaurant after the show, they swear by a bolognese or cacio e pepe, paired with a Gavi or Chianti, depending on the sauce.

New York comedian Rebecca Kaplan is stacking stage time with a whopping 24 shows in April. We asked her how she’s making it happen. She told us this:

“Someone once said that to be successful as an artist, you have to be some combination of talented, professional, and likable. As in, if you’re talented enough, you can get away with being rude or late. Conversely, if you’re always on time, nice and professional, you can get away with being a little less funny. I try to be as professional and nice as I reasonably can. Some of the things I do to get on shows include having a car so I can easily drive outside of NYC, producing myself, doing small favors in exchange for a spot, and submitting to every open call for submissions I see that at all makes sense. Every show I didn’t get through that, I got by someone recommending me or a booker reaching out to me. One of the best ways you can make people think of you is figuring out how to gently remind them you exist without being pushy or irritating them.”

An animated short film about Norm Macdonald featuring previously unheard audio is making the rounds. The clip includes an appearance from Sam Kinison.

Watch here.

Mark Normand co-created and hosts Human Trials, a new YouTube series launched this month where comedians perform for hyper-specific audiences, like Gen Z, bikers, or nuns, to see how different groups react to the same jokes. Early traction is strong, with episodes already pulling around 100K views each. That’s a solid start for a brand-new series.

A jury’s ruling against Live Nation/Ticketmaster could reshape live comedy by forcing changes to ticketing, fees, or even venue ownership, opening the door to more competition.

Why This Matters: in The Jokebook’s exclusive interview, PunchUp founder Danny Frankel calls the current comedy ticketing system “really broken,” driven by “contract lock-in” that traps venues in deals they “can’t get out of.” He says those agreements are often “objectively bad,” with high fees that are “bad for fans and bad for artists,” adding, “I just want to go see Mark Normand…I didn’t want to create an account for this random ticketing platform.”

That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].