Your guide to the world of comedy — June 14, 2026
This week:
Comedy Poster Artist on AI Design
US Open Mic Hotspots
Comedy Experimenter Cracks Algorithm
Headlines
Specials, Jobs, Fests, Submissions
Zach Woomer is a painter and digital designer who makes tour posters for comedians like Dusty Slay, Jordan Jensen, Dan Soder and Ian Fidance. When we spoke to him last year, AI art was just cropping up. Now, AI comedy posters are everywhere.
We spoke with him about the rise of AI-generated posters and what the future holds for designers entering their careers.
New York hosts more than three times as many open mic listings as Los Angeles or Chicago, according to data from OpenMicx. Austin is also a clear leader among mid-sized comedy markets.
Comedy Experimenter Cracks the Algorithm
Over the last month, Aaron Westberry has become a YouTube comedy success story, generating millions of views through premise-driven stand-up clips. Videos like Telling the Same Joke Over and Over and Over and Over (1.2 million views) and Ignoring the Prop I Brought On Stage (655,000 views) are built around unusual experiments rather than traditional stand-up.
Similar to the crowdwork boom, viewers click because they're curious. Some may argue that this isn't traditional stand-up. But in an online ecosystem where comedians are competing for attention with everything else, experimental content is a way to stand out and build an audience.
The Scene
Comedian Jonathan van Halem shares financial dos and don'ts for road comics in a guest post for State of Comedy.
NBCUniversal hosts an invite-only comedy showcase at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, putting six emerging comedians in front of casting executives.
Comedian Zac Townsend makes a sketch imagining what would happen if comedians were honest while promoting their shows.
Comedian Katherine Hyebin Yoon shares a staged clip of a fan throwing water on her during her set to prove a point on social media algorithms. The video became one of her most-viewed posts.
Adam Ray launches The Adam Ray Show, a new Netflix video podcast premiering June 19. Ray will conduct long-form interviews both as himself and in character as Dr. Phil.
Taylor Tomlinson announces that her debut essay collection, Actually, Never Mind, will be released on September 22.
Sam Salem launched a new podcast, After School Snack, with All Things Comedy on June 11.
Legion of Skanks hosts a farewell show for Ari Shaffir on June 15 at The Stand NYC.
TV & Film
Julian Shapiro-Barnum hosts Outside Tonight, YouTube's first original late-night series, which premieres June 17 and streams live weekly on YouTube from parks and street corners across New York City.
Bowen Yang says he left Saturday Night Live because he "never felt central" to the show, in an interview with Variety.
Saturday Night Live breakout Ashley Padilla opens up about why she feared audiences would reject her. Padilla led all cast members in Season 51 screen time and appearances.
Former Late Show writers Michael Kayne and Asher Perlman launch a new comedy podcast, But Also with Michael and Asher.
Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino wrap production on the first season of The Bad Game Show, a 10-episode comedy game show produced by All Things Comedy.
Ashley Padilla joins the cast of Universal's comedy The Catch, starring Emma Stone and Chris Pine.
Marc Maron's new film In Memoriam premiered at the Tribeca Festival this week, with Maron starring as a washed-up actor who, after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, becomes obsessed with making the Oscars' annual In Memoriam montage.
Lorne Michaels accepts the Tony Award for Best Musical after Schmigadoon! won Broadway's top prize.
Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed enters the Emmy race for the first time in its 20-year history.
Patrick Renna is reuniting with much of the original The Sandlot cast for Dugout Dads, a new comedy series about the chaos of Little League parenting.
Specials, Signings, Tours
New specials from Francisco Ramos (Comedy Dynamics, June 9), Emmy Blotnick (YouTube, June 16), Greg Melly (YouTube, June 18), Stone Norment (YouTube, June 18), King Bach (YouTube via Bachelors Pad TV, June 18), Andre Myrie (YouTube, June 19), Jourdain Fisher (YouTube, June 23), Sally Ann Hall (Prime Video/Apple TV, June 23), and Edy Modica (Veeps, June 26).
Anthony Jeselnik announces the first leg of his new stand-up tour, Wrath of Man.
Festivals This Month
Bristol Comedy Garden · June 17–21 · Bristol, UK
Great American Comedy Festival · June 17–20 · Norfolk, NE
Flatbush Comedy Festival · June 17–20 · Brooklyn, NY
Corkscrew Comedy Festival · June 18–20 · Santa Ynez Valley, CA
Ottawa Fringe Festival · June 18–28 · Ottawa, ON
Submissions
Full list of festival submissions on our site here. We’ve also partnered with Inside Comedy to track festival submissions!
Comedy Jobs
Upright Citizens Brigade · Los Angeles, New York & Pittsburgh. Stand-Up Comedy Instructor (Part-Time), Improv Instructor, Freelance Content Producers, and Camera Operators. Pay varies, $25–$60/hour.
Stage Manager · The Second City · Chicago, IL. $190/show + $24/hour for rehearsals.
The Groundlings (improv/sketch comedy theater) · Los Angeles, CA. Corporate Sales & Events Manager, Technical Coordinator, Administrative Intern, and Social Media & Marketing Intern. (Pay varies, $24–$34/hour)
Improv Comedy Instructor · Jersey Improv Lab · Somerville, NJ. Part-time contract/temporary. $40–$60/hour.
Comedy Club Show Runner · The Comedy Bar Detroit · Detroit, MI. Part-time. $25/hour.
Comedic Writers & Voice Actors · Catharsis Holdings / Spite Vote · Remote (US). Freelance. $30/hour. Gen Z and HBCU-affiliated creators to write/perform content.
Comedy Writer for Longevity News · Upwork Client · Remote (US). Freelance, long-term. $15–$50/hour. Write a weekly teleprompter-ready comedy news segment covering women's health.
Social Media & Content Coordinator for Comedy Club · Remote (Texas). $8-$15/hour. Manage daily social media content for a comedy club. 12–15 hours per week.
Casting Calls / One-Offs
Actors, Improvisers, and Comedians · Cara Casting · Los Angeles, CA. Temporary. $300/day. One-day AI training project for a major tech company.
Improv Auditions · LA Connection Comedy Theatre · Burbank, CA. Audition. Actors share 25% of box office revenue.
Someone 40+ to Act in a YouTube Video · Improv Comedy YouTube Group · Jersey City, NJ. Casting Call. $100.
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].