Recently, The Jokebook crossed 1,000 weekly readers. Thanks for reading. I want to say a bit more about our goals for what’s next.
We’re doing deeper reporting. Expect more original stories covering comedy with data analysis, larger surveys of comedians, a look at what full-time comedians actually earn, corporate gig pay, a mental health report, and investigations of how comedy career paths are changing.
We'll keep the practical stuff. We’ll continue to comb the web for comedy jobs and general news. If you’ve ever landed a job or gotten into a festival after hearing about it from us, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. We want to strengthen the argument that this is a resource for comedians.
We want to be clear on our AI use. We do not use AI to write any original reporting. We also do not use AI to create graphics. Our visual content is built in Canva every week, and our stories come from talking to real comedians and people across the industry. We do use it to search for and summarize jobs, news, and festival opportunities.
Lots of people make The Jokebook possible. This includes Halifax comedian Dan Mitchelmore, who has been an invaluable partner since the start. Lotan Mizrahi is a Denver comic who is helping run our social media. Los Angeles comic Sarah Cotenoff has advised us on many decisions. New York Times writer Jason Zinoman responded to a cold email from me and said this newsletter might be a good idea. Deadline reporter Matt Grobar has been gracious with his time and his coverage informs much of our news content.
Finally, we really want to keep this free. We see this as a resource for comedians and those who follow comedy. It takes a lot of time to put this together every week. I have a personal hatred for subscriptions, which is partly why nothing is paywalled. If you want to support this, you can buy me a coffee for $5 or support monthly for as little as $3 a month. More to come!
— Paul Oshinski
Guo Degang, one of China’s best-known comedians, faces an investigation after riffing on lyrics of a patriotic song during a performance.
The New York Times covers how comedians now use comic strip-style Instagram carousels with still frames instead of performance videos.
Matt Grobar interviews Kountry Wayne on Comedy Means Business about turning social media into a major comedy business.
Nate Bargatze sets a Guinness World Record for the most tickets sold on a comedy tour, surpassing 2 million tickets in just over 16 months.
Stavros Halkias shares a YouTube video offering a behind-the-scenes look at developing his new special, Fat Rascal, ahead of its September 8 release on Netflix.
Comedian Matt Ruby argues that comedy gossip videos on YouTube now often draw more attention than stand-up specials themselves.
Leicester Comedy Festival faces questions over more than £100,000 in debts after the charity behind the festival collapses into insolvency, with money still owed to comedians.
The Guardian highlights 10 of the funniest jokes from the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Vova Tamarkin is fined £2,500 after an Israeli court rules that his jokes about an audience member’s weight during a stand-up show amount to defamation.
800 Pound Gorilla celebrates 10 years in comedy, reporting nearly $45 million generated for more than 700 comedians.
Eric André and Clayton English settle a lawsuit challenging a police search program at Atlanta’s airport.
SXSW launches a dedicated Podcast Festival in 2027.
Saturday Night Live advances a group of performers to screen tests for Season 52, including Trenton Mason, Saidah Belo-Osagie, Claire Riffle, Grace Reiter, Devin Bockrath, Olivia Puckett, Ismael Loutfi, Rachel Coster, Russell Daniels and Ana Fabrega.
Netflix spotlights 10 rising comedians from The Shortlist at Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026 and shares clips of each comic’s performance at The Comedy Store.
Andy Weil, Netflix’s longtime VP of Comedy, joins Amazon MGM Studios as Head of Comedy and will lead a push to expand its half-hour comedy slate.
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story releases its trailer. The documentary covers Cook’s brother stealing $12 million from him and streams September 29. Trailer here.
Shane Gillis’ Tires gains traction on Netflix with Season 3, debuting with 2.4 million views and climbing to No. 3 in the US, up 33% from Season 2.
Writers from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert join the team writing the 2026 Emmy Awards.
Paramount wants Jon Stewart to remain at The Daily Show beyond 2026.
Jimmy Fallon carries much of broadcast late-night by himself this summer as Kimmel and Meyers take extended breaks, highlighting uncertainty around the late-night format.
TheWrap covers the “nonstop craziness” behind the series finale of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Amy Schumer stars in and produces a new comedy titled Best Divorce Ever.
Jon Rudnitsky shares what it was like lasting one season on SNL and having one of his pitches rejected by the writers’ room.
A Los Angeles realtor visits the former entrance to the now-sealed tunnel beneath The Comedy Store.
Seth Rogen discusses why Superbad would struggle to get made in today’s Hollywood.
Jason Alexander shares Larry David’s insight on making Seinfeld funny rather than worrying about character development.
Jimmy Carr responds after a heckler questions Louis C.K.’s return to Netflix.
Dave Chappelle shares clips from his Summer Camp, a series of outdoor shows he hosts in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
David Perell shares what writers can learn from comedians.
Specials and Tours
New specials from Kerry Godliman (Gorilla Comedy+, August 24), Stamptown (Netflix, August 25), Zac Amico (YouTube, August 25), and Michelle Wolf (YouTube, August 26).
Jamie Foxx returns to stand-up with Take Care of Yourself, premiering October 7 on Hulu and Disney+.
Gabriel Iglesias films his 10th Netflix comedy special during a sold-out three-night run in San Antonio.
Festivals This Month
Edinburgh Fringe · August 7–31 · Edinburgh, Scotland
Busan International Comedy Festival · August 21–30 · Busan, South Korea
Columbus Comedy Festival · August 27–30 · Columbus, Ohio
Festival Submissions
Good Karma, South Comedy Festival · October 2–31, 2026 · Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, New Jersey. Fee: $25. Deadline: August 28, 2026. Submit here.
City of Laughs Comedy Festival · September 24–27, 2026 · Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Winner gets flights, accommodations, and a spot at 2027 Edinburgh Fringe. Fee: $0. Deadline: August 31, 2026. Submit here.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
Comedy Jobs
Comedy Cellar · New York, NY. Door Hosts. Full-time. Hourly compensation to be discussed in interview.
Comedy Cellar · New York, NY. Server. Full-time. $65,000–$100,000. (We spoke with a Comedy Cellar employee who got his job through a Craigslist listing!)
Tacoma Comedy Club · Tacoma, WA. General Manager. Full-time. $60,000–$70,000.
Creative Artists Agency · Los Angeles, CA. Comedy Touring Assistant. Full-time. $20–$22/hour.
The Sweet Spot · Remote. Video Streamer — Comedians and Comedic Personalities. Compensation not listed.
Live Nation · Remote. Comedy Marketing Coordinator. Full-time. Compensation not listed.
Casting Calls / Gigs
Upwork Client · Remote. Comedy Writer for YouTuber Roast. Freelance. $100 fixed-price.
The World’s Most Politically Incorrect Web Series · Remote/New York, NY. Writers and Performers. Pay depends on experience.
Punchup · Remote. Marketing Video Production for Punchup. Freelance. $15–$40/hour.
Upwork Client · Remote. Comedy Show Flyer / Social Media Graphic Designer Needed. One-time. $50.
Drunk Shakespeare / Brass Jar Productions · Washington, DC. Full-Time Performer for Drunk Shakespeare. Full-time. $876/week.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].