Features
Were excited to welcome these comics and have them party with us! Click their picture and give them a follow!
Alaina Bamfield
-
“Alaina Bamfield is a Brooklyn-based stand-up comedian with deep roots in the Michigan comedy scene. Known for her dark comedic style, she blends classic setup-punch writing with distinctive storytelling. She has performed at festivals across the United States, including MotorCity Comedy festival and Skankfest.
Alaina regularly features for Sam Tallent on the road and her debut comedy special “Untouchable” is now streaming for free on Sam’s youtube channel.“
Marcus Banks
-
Marcus Banks is a stand up comedian, writer, and producer born and based in Chicago, Illinois. After attending boarding school in Northern California as a teen, film school in Boston, then running out of couches to hop on in Los Angeles, Marcus has come back to Chicago to tell everyone all about what it’s like to be a human boomerang. Since then, he’s wowed audiences with his insightful jokes and ability to find the silliest aspects of the most serious subjects. Marcus has performed at clubs and festivals all over the country including Zanies, Laugh Factory, Lincoln Lodge, Detroit House of Comedy, Limestone Comedy Festival and Laughing Skull Festival. He’s also the co-founder and co-producer of the award winning all Black collective and comedy variety show ‘My Best Friend is Black’ in Chicago.
Caitlin Checkeroski
-
Caitlin Checkeroski is a Michigan bumpkin turned Chicago comic and now performs all over the country. She has participated in many prestigious comedy festivals including Altercation Fest, 10,000 Laughs and Limestone Comedy Festival. She recently headlined Zanies Chicago.
George Delgado
-
George Delgado is a comic that got his start in comedy back in Texas and currently calls Denver home. Drawing inspiration from his unconventional home life, intrusive thoughts, and cultural identity crisis, George crafts sharp material that resonates with diverse audiences. Since relocating to Colorado, he’s become a regular in the local scene, performing at clubs, festivals, and showcases across the state. With a voice that’s both authentic and relatable, George continues to connect with crowds while carving out his place in stand-up.
Erin Depke
-
Erin Depke is a New York based comic by way of Bloomington, Indiana. She’s performed in the Limestone Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, Let’s Fest, and headlined Indiana University’s Funny501 Festival. Erin is a feature at the Comedy Attic and has worked with Beth Stelling, Michael Longfellow, and Chris Fleming.
Rachel Dispenza
-
Rachel Dispenza is a stand-up comic by night and an artist merch manager, also by night. What they do during the day is none of your business. They’ve performed all over the US, opening for headliners including Emma Willmann and Myq Kaplan as well as the bands Sleater-Kinney and Mannequin Pussy. They can be seen regularly all over Chicago, where they live and produce the shows Nervous Laughter and Could Be Fun.
Jonathan Dunne
-
Originally from Sydney and by way of Chicago, Jonathan is a New York based comedian whose comedy has been described absurd and leaves audiences feeling ‘hungry.’ Jonathan hosts the well loved Sloppy Sunday’s in New York which was featured on the Hemispheres; The United Airlines in Flight Magazine.
-
Tocarra is a comedian, writer, and kid lit enthusiast based in New York City. She is most known for her work as a writer on the Emmy-nominated show "The Problem with Jon Stewart" and her viral social media recaps of beloved children’s books. She has opened for Irene Tu, James Adomian, Shannon Fiedler, Blair Socci, and Zainab Johnson. A special correspondent on the Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast with Chelsea Devantez, you can catch her performing stand-up all over the US and writing the Webby-Award winning podcast, "If Objects Could Talk," A Getty Museum Podcast. Follow her on socials.
Tocarra Elise
Joshua Emerson
-
Joshua is a Dine' (Navajo) comedian, actor, and writer based in Denver, Colorado. He was named one of the
"Five Artists to Watch in 2025" by Westword Magazine and was selected for the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture in 2023. Joshua produces the Native American comedy showcase, "Bad Indian" at clubs and festivals all over the country including Netflix is a Joke and SF Sketchfest. He lives at homes with his partner, Rachel, and their pets Lola, Joanna, and Nibbler.
Adam Flick
-
Adam Flick is a Philadelphia comedian by way of Indiana. His sharp writing ability coupled with his unique blend of dry humor and deadpan delivery has quickly made him one of the top comedians in Philadelphia. Adam has performed all over the country at major clubs including Helium Philly, Punchline Philly, the DC Comedy Loft, The Comedy Studio Boston, The Port Comedy Club Baltimore, Comedy Corner Underground Minneapolis and The Punch Line San Francisco. He has appeared on Good Day Philadelphia and performed with some of the biggest names in Comedy including Emily Catalano, Kelsey Cook, Geoffrey Asmus and Shane Gillis.
Jackie Kashian
-
Jackie Kashian is a stand-up comedian who has been seen on After Midnight, Conan, The Late Late Show with James Corden, HBO, and Netflix. Her current tiny comedy special Looking Back was shot from a Mazda 6 in reverse. She’s the star of five comedy specials and albums including Jackie Kashian: Stay-Kashian, one of Decider’s 10 best stand-up specials of the year.
Jackie hosts two iconic podcasts: The Dork Forest, where she interviews guests about their obsessions, and The Jackie and Laurie Show, which she co-hosts with Laurie Kilmartin about women working in comedy. You can read her writing in The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies. She’s currently sharing 966 square feet with her husband, mom-in-law, two chihuahua mix doggos, and a cat. She’s working on a new genre of standup comedy: Positive Mother-In-Law Jokes and will record and film a new special in the new year.
Ella Horwedel
-
Often described as raunchy, irreverent, and a disappointment by her mother, Ella Horwedel has been an energetic force in the Midwest comedy scene for the past eight years. She has featured and headlined at clubs all over the country, where she explores the difficulties of being a 27-year-old woman through bawdy stories and intimate self-reflection. She has opened for Kyle Kinane, Joe Dombrowski, Ron Funches, Beth Stelling, and Whitney Cummings, and has been featured at some of the best comedy festivals in the country, including Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, Limestone Comedy Festival, 10,000 Laughs Comedy Festival, and Skankfest. She's had numerous viral appearances on the hit show, "My Straight Friends," and earlier this year, she recorded a set with Netflix is a Joke's "Are You Still Listening?" This summer, she filmed a special taping with Don't Tell Comedy.
Rashika Jaipuriar
-
Rashika Jaipuriar is a Cincinnati-based standup comedian who got her start in Indy! She's a Leo (delusional), an eldest daughter (tired), and a coffee and chai enthusiast (lifelong identity crisis). She has been a feature performer at Nateland Live, Limestone Comedy Festival and Raleigh Comedy Festival. She has opened for nationally touring headliners, including Tim Meadows, Beth Stelling and Chad Daniels. Rashika performs regularly at clubs and showcases around the Tri-State, and you can catch her viral takes on girlhood.
Jared Kassebaum
-
Jared Kassebaum is an LA-based comedian and actor who can be seen on TBS's 'Foul Play with Anthony Davis', where he pranks professional athletes. His first album, The Better Jared, hit #1 on iTunes in 2023 and can be heard on SiriusXM. He got to represent millennials as a comedian in a competition on Good Mythical Morning with Rhett and Link, the internet's top daily talk show. He can often be seen on the high seas as one of the headlining comedians aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Katie Kincaid
-
Katie Kincaid is a Chicago-based comedian known for her queer-forward comedy and Midwest roots. She has been featured at Netflix Is a Joke Fest, Limestone, Big Pine, 10,000 Laughs, Fountain City, Let's Fest, and West End Comedy Festivals. She has hosted and featured for nationally touring headliners including Josh Johnson, Adam Ray, Beth Stelling, Bob the Drag Queen, Natasha Leggero, Steph Tolev, Amber Autry, Rachel Scanlon, Jay Jurden, Joel Kim Booster, and more. Katie is an ensemble cast member at iO Theater and can be seen regularly at Zanies, Laugh Factory, and The Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. She can be followed on all socials.
Matt Kinney
-
Matt Kinney is a stand-up comedian from Iowa currently based in Los Angeles, CA. Matt has performed at the Comedy Store, Hollywood Improv, and the Comedy Cabin. Matt was the winner of the 2025 San Gabriel Valley Comedy Festival and came in 2nd place in the 22nd Annual U.S. Comedy Contest.
Adam Mcshane
-
Adam McShane is a Brooklyn based comedian and writer known for his structured absurdism on topics that “aren’t really a thing.” He’s been a featured performer at numerous comedy festivals including Limestone, Flyover, and 10,000 Laughs, and has performed all over the country opening for acts such as Michael Che, Robert Kelly, and Gary Gulman.
Johnny Mocny
-
Johnny Mocny is a Michigan-born Chicago comic who’s been on the scene since the ripe age of eighteen, combining wry wit with shrewd, satirical edge and a comfortably innocuous demeanor. Johnny has opened for Tom Green, Matt McCusker, Beth Stelling, Sam Tallent, and Roy Wood Jr. among others, he has performed on the Secret Show in Austin, Texas, and he’s been featured on NPR and HG-TV. He’s one of the producers of Rocket Force Comedy at Laugh Factory Chicago, and you can catch him every week on the Rocket Force Podcast and We Are Movies.
Melissa Stephens
-
Mel Stephens is a comedian, writer, and director. Her acting credits include The New Girl, Californication, Key and Peele, House of Lies, and Black Monday . As a former alumnus of the infamous Groundlings' Sunday Company, Melissa created many viral series and videos for Funny or Die, including Get Up with Drew Tarver.
Her comedy special Sparkles debuted on YouTube with a viral reception in June 2026, and her standup and sketch clips on Instagram and YouTube have hit over half a million views. She performed her comedy special Hot Dog & Tears at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023, which was later sold as a pilot to eOne. She is in development on many TV and film projects.
Mel’s writing credits include the AMC anthology series Soulmates, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and created by Brett Goldstein and William Bridges. Her directorial debut, Peen, received the Vimeo Staff Pick, and the short series she wrote and directed, Finding the Asshole, premiered at Slamdance. Mel is a founding member of the IAMA Theatre Company, where her first play, TomKat, is being developed. She was an MTV Fresh Face, performed at the San Francisco Sketchfest, and regularly performs stand up comedy. She created a hit podcast Fear Based Life that was number one on Apple Health.
Jon
Pfendler
Mitchell Potts
-
Mitchell Potts is a comedian that is based out of Chicago, IL. Using a combination of self-deprecating humor and clever one-liners, Mitchell has charmed audience across the Midwest. He has been accepted as a featured performer for the Limestone, 10,000 Laughs, Milwaukee, Tree Town, Windy City and Let’s Fest comedy festivals and has worked with some of the biggest names in comedy like Kyle Kinane, Mike Birbiglia and John Mulaney. He has also appeared on the nationally syndicated radio show Bob & Tom.
Lucas Waterfill
-
Lucas Waterfill is an Indianapolis based comedian whose sharp, autobiographical comedy the explores disability, family, politics. He dissects absurdities of everyday life with honesty, warmth, and a dark sense of humor. Lucas has performed at the 10,000 Laughs, Flyover, Limestone, and Laughing Skull comedy festivals. As well as opened for Sarah Sherman, Dusty Slay, Hans Kim, and Duncan Trussell. He is the winner of Funniest Person in Indianapolis, Funniest Person in Cincinnati, and Trial by Laughter. Lucas Waterfill’s comedy special, Public Inconvenience, is streaming on Peacock.
Gabbie Watts
-
Gabbie Watts is part stand-up comedian, part aspiring pop star, bombastic with a monotone, in a style that audience members have described as “smart but also dumb.” Based in Brooklyn but honed in Atlanta, she’s performed at festivals like Flyover, Limestone, and 10k Laughs and recently won “Best of the Fest” at both the West End and Big Pine Comedy Festivals. She's amassed a following online from her manic songs about mental illness and as the satirical MAGA pop star Charlie Kirk XCX. You can hear her special BOING streaming on SiriusXM, or listen to her iHeart podcast American Filth.
Sammie Weiser
-
Sammy Weiser is a Los Angeles native whose comedy roots run deep. She honed her craft in improv at The Groundlings and in sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade throughout her childhood and teenage years before making her mark on the stand-up scene. She now performs weekly at The Laugh Factory in Hollywood and is most notably known as the creator, producer, and host of The Sweiser Show, a monthly stand-up show held at the world famous Comedy Store.
A graduate of Emerson College with a BFA in Comedy, Sammy blends formal writing training with a distinctive, high energy, gen z comedic voice that has been described as “a bit much”—in the best possible way. Besides her work on stage, she spent several years working alongside Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on their new animated comedy series Sausage Party: Foodtopia.
Hosts
The host of the comedy show is a crucial role, these folks set the ship to sail and guide us through a sea of guffaws, laughs, and chuckles. Give these heroes a follow.
Tyson Cox
-
Comedian Tyson Cox, dubbed "the human trash panda" for his endearing yet mischievous charm, brings a unique blend of wit, quirky perspectives, and Bigfoot enthusiasm to the stage. An international touring comic, Tyson has shared the spotlight with comedy heavyweights like Josh Johnson, Brian Posehn, Steve-O, and more proving he’s as versatile as he is hilarious.
DJ Dangler
-
DJ Dangler is a stand-up comedian, and a stand up guy. He enjoys cats and short bios.
Mariah Davidson
-
Mariah Davison is an Indianapolis based stand up, improviser, sketch performer, and comedy writer. She loves wordplay and creating goofy art with her talented friends.
Austin Fry
Jeremy Johnston
Duncan Kissinger
-
Duncan Kissinger is a recently middle-aged comedian whose work draws from the well popularized by the likes of Steven Wright and Emo Philips, steeped in a uniquely agnostic neuroticism. Duncan has opened for Tim Meadows and other such national treasures.
Thaddaeus Mckee
-
Thaddaeus McKee, grew up in the small, rural town of Columbia City, Indiana, and began his comedic career in 2016 while doing stand up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has opened for many prominate comedians such as Saturday Night Live’s Chris Redd and America’s Got Talent Ryan Niemiller. He is known as a witty, highly creative, comedian. In addition to his on stage successes, he also has been a part of 2 podcast: He is the Creator of the movie podcast “IDK IT”,
He was the co-host of Indianapolis top ranked comedy food podcast “Harder Brunch”, He has produced several shows around Indianapolis including Chef JJ’s Comedy Night and Strange Bird Shoyu Comedy shows. He is a Creative Mornings speaker. He also is the co-creator of a funny, off beat YouTube channel "Urgent Comedy". McKee enjoys entertaining his audiences with his unique fresh style.
Dyke Michaels
Dwight Simmons
-
Dwight's debut comedy special, "Who's The Master" debuted on YouTube on July of 2023. In that same year, he was selected to the 10,000 Laughs, Milwaukee, Flyover and West-End Comedy Festivals. His self-produced album "Sip and Pass" reached #1 on the iTunes comedy charts, making it his second release to do so. He was listed as Indiana’s selection for Thrillist’s 50 Best Undiscovered Comics in the country. Dwight’s comedy has been featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL on Sirius XM and on the Bob and Tom show.
Gwen Sunkel
-
Gwen Sunkel is a comedian, character actor, and senior wiener dog mom from Indianapolis. She performs regularly at Helium Comedy Club where she was crowned the Funniest Person in Indiana 2024. You’ve heard her on Sirius XM and The Bob & Tom Show and she appeared on the Vice TV Series ‘Hunters.’ Her albums ‘No More Tears’ and ‘A Two Person Job’ debuted at #1 on the Apple Music and Amazon charts.
Val Werner
-
Val Werner is an Indianapolis-based comedian who’s performed in theaters, clubs, bars, and dog parks across the country. Val is a Wasian currently cosplaying as a Midwestern white lady. Her comedy about being mixed-race, a former physicist, and a longtime-married human is both relatable and funny.
Val has shared the stage Steve Hofsteter, Reggie Watts, Alex Moffat, and Emma Willmann. She’s appeared at several festivals, including the Seattle International Comedy Competition, Detroit Women of Comedy, and Blue Whale Comedy Festival. She is the former host of The World Series of Comedy.
Juan Arellan0
-
Juan Arellano is a Mexican-American comedian and writer from Chicago, IL. He is most known for producing and starring in Riff City, an audience-led improvised stand up comedy show. He is an alum of the Bob Curry program at Second City and a regular at Zanies Chicago.
@juannyarellano

