The Jokebook
Your guide to the world of comedy — February 15, 2026
Welcome to The Jokebook, your Sunday update on comedy. This week:
Goodbye, Gaulier
Interview: How to Clown
Comedy Headlines
Festivals and Submissions
Comedy Trivia
Philippe Gaulier and the Art of the Idiot
Philippe Gaulier. Source: Cedrine Scheidig for The New York Times
Philippe Gaulier, dubbed the “Dumbledore of Clowning” by New York Times columnist Jason Zinoman, died this week at 82. The French master teacher founded École Philippe Gaulier in 1980 and became one of comedy’s most revered and divisive mentors, shaping performers like Sacha Baron Cohen, Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz, Helena Bonham Carter, and generations of experimental comics. His method was blunt, often brutal, and rooted in a simple demand: find “your idiot.” Clowning, he insisted, requires lightness, ridicule, and ego death. “If you want to be comfortable,” Gaulier once said, “be a pharmacist.”
Comedian Matt Ruby collected some of his top lessons: be at ease with the audience (but don’t get too comfortable), feel the joy of pretending, stay allergic to pretension, nurture a childlike spirit, get your ego out of the way — and always do it with lightness.
In a 2022 short documentary, filmmaker Fraser Jones asks Gaulier, “But what will the world be after Philippe?”
Gaulier shrugs it off. “When you leave, you leave. It’s finished. We lock the door, goodbye school…If the world remembers me or doesn’t remember me, I don’t give a shit. I do not care.”
Watch the 7-minute documentary on Gaulier here.
Amber Butler is a performer building a clown scene from the ground up in Atlanta. After years in improv, she pivoted toward clowning, rooted in French theatrical tradition. This summer, she’ll be attending École Philippe Gaulier, the legendary French clown school founded by Philippe Gaulier.
Clowning is an established scene in some cities, but in Atlanta, Amber and a small collective of performers are creating their own opportunities, often “Trojan Horsing” clown acts into magic and stand-up shows.
Comedy Headlines
TV & Film
SNL UK Lands Canadian Streamer, U.S. Still Waiting: SNL UK will stream in Canada via Crave when it premieres March 21 on Sky/NOW in the UK. The six-episode series is executive-produced by Lorne Michaels. No U.S. distribution partner has been announced yet.
Lorne Michaels Documentary Set for April 17 Release: Lorne, directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom, SNL50), promises the first real behind-the-scenes portrait of the famously private SNL creator. Interviews include Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, and John Mulaney.
Kenan Thompson & Lamorne Morris Team for Action Comedy: The two comedians are developing Unwanted, an action-comedy adaptation of the QCODE podcast. Production is slated for this summer.
SNL Stars Dominate Super Bowl Ads (Ranked Worst to Best): LateNighter ranks the Super Bowl ads that feature SNL comics.
Culture
Bill Maher Says Jimmy Kimmel Rift May Be Permanent: Maher discussed their falling out on Club Random, suggesting they “may never talk again.”
James Van Der Beek Dies at 48: The Dawson’s Creek star passed away Wednesday, nearly two and a half years after revealing his cancer diagnosis. Beyond his teen drama fame, Van Der Beek hosted Saturday Night Live in 1999 (watch here).
Legion of Skanks Roast Kid Rock’s Alternative Halftime Performance: Luis Gomez, Jay Oakerson, and Dave Smith unloaded on Kid Rock’s alternative halftime performance.
SNL Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews Shoots Super Bowl Players: The longtime SNL photographer handled NBC’s Super Bowl player portraits this year.
Don’t Tell Comedy in Ohio: A Cleveland news outlet ran a profile on how Don’t Tell Comedy, the secret-location stand-up brand, has built momentum, with pop-up shows expanding in Ohio.
Comedy Trivia
Lafayette Comedy in Louisiana ran a stand-up contest this week called “Stoned vs Drunk vs Sober vs Mardi Gras.” Comics performed stand-up sets under different states of mind and let the audience decide who was best.
Which team won the audience vote?
A) Stoned
B) Drunk
C) Sober
D) Mardi Gras (a mix of…well, everything.)
Answer at the bottom!
Comedy Fests This Month
Leicester Comedy Festival · Feb 4–22, 2026 · Leicester, England
Just For Laughs Vancouver · Feb 12–22, 2026 · Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
NW Black Comedy Festival · Feb 16–22, 2026 · Portland, Oregon, USA
Adelaide Fringe · Feb 20–Mar 22, 2026 · Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Festival Submissions Closing Soon
Badgerland Comedy Festival runs April 30–May 3, 2026, with shows across Wisconsin. The main hub is in Janesville, WI, with possible additional shows in Milwaukee, Mauston, and other cities. Submissions cost $25 and close on February 15, 2026. Swag, meals, and accommodations for comedians, and every accepted comic will receive at least two performance spots. Priority given to new performers. Submit here.
Good Vibes Comedy Festival in Memphis, Tennessee accepts submissions from Thanksgiving to mid-February. Early submissions: Nov 26–Dec 25; regular: Dec 26–Feb 1; late: Feb 2–Feb 15. Entering its third year with more shows and national headliners. Submit here.
Derby City Comedy Festival runs July 9–August 1, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. Comics can submit for the contest, the weekend, or both with a single $15 fee; deadline February 15, 2026. The festival features a multi-week competition with knockouts, quarter-finals, semis, and a final round, with 100% of submission fees paid out to the top three winners. Selected performers receive pro video, festival headshots, and a festival t-shirt, while non-selected comics get a free digital headshot coupon. Submit here.
Improvpalooza 2026 runs March 7 & 14 (Prelims) and March 28 (Finals) in Rock Island, IL, at The Circa ’21 Speakeasy with Nightcaps Improv. The improv tournament returns with sixteen improvisers competing over three Saturdays for audience and judges’ votes, with the winner taking home the ’Palooza Cup and a $1,000 cash prize. Submission deadline: February 19, 2026, at 5:00pm; submissions are free but do not guarantee selection. Submit here.
Full list of festival submissions on our site here. There It Is Pod also has a list with some we don’t have listed!
Trivia Answer: A) Sober.
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].