ENGLISH LIT 344 / COMEDY & SATIRE

A GLOSSARY OF COMICS, COMEDIANS, AND COMIC ACTORS
[For more details on these people, check their lising in Wikipedia, but note--this is one of the rare times I can accept the use of Wikipedia as a source. I have found that most of the information there about these people is reliable.]

To go to specific categories, click one of the following links.

  • Comic Performers
  • Comedy Teams
    		•
  • Stand-up Comics
    		•
  • Comedy Writers
    		•

    Also note that these lists do not include impressionists and performers whose acts include comedic elements, such as Penn & Teller who, though often humorous, are magicians first.

    Abbott & Costello

    Allen, Tim

    Arnold, Tom

    Arquette, Cliff

    Allen, Fred

    Steve, Fred

    Allen, Woody

    Lucille Ball

    Barr, Roseanne

    Belushi, John

    Belzer, Richard

    Bergen, Edgar

    Berle, Milton

    Berman, Shelley

    Benny, Jack

    Black, Lewis

    Bob and Ray

    Borowitz, Andy

    Brice, Fanny

    Brooks, Foster

    Burnett, Carole

    Burns, George

    ` Brooks, Mel

    Brown, Joe E.

    Bruce, Lenny

    Burns and Allen

    Caesar, Sid

    Cambridge, Godfrey

    Candy, John

    Carey, Drew

    Carlin, George

    Carrot Top

    Cavett, Dick

    Chappelle, Dave

    Chaplin, Charlie

    Cheech and Chong

    Cho, Margaret

    Clay, Andrew Dice

    Colbert, Steven

    Coco, Imogene

    Cohen, Sacha Baron

    Cosby, Bill

    Crosby, Norm

    Crystal, Billy

    Conway, Tim

    Dana, Bill

    Dangerfield, Rodney

    Diller, Phyllis

    Dunham, Jeff

    Durante, Jimmy

    Engvall, Bill

    Farley, Chris

    Ferguson, Craig

    Fields, Totie

    Fields, W.C.

    Foxworthy, Jeff

    Foxx, Redd

    Franken, Al

    Freberg, Stan

    Gallagher

    Gelbhart, Larry

    Gleason, Jackie

    Gobel, George

    Gregory, Dick

    Hackett, Buddy

    Handler, Chelsea

    Henry, Buck

    Herman, Pee Wee

    Hicks, Bill

    Hope, Bob

    Jones, Spike

    Judge, Mike

    Kaufman, Andy

    Keaton, Buster

    Kinison, Sam

    Korman, Harvey

    Kovacs, Ernie

    Lahr, Bert

    Larry, the Cable Guy

    Laurel & Hardy

    Leno, Jay

    Letterman, Dave

    Levant, Oscar

    Levi, Eugene

    Lewis, Richard

    Lewis, Jerry

    Little, Rich

    Lloyd, Harold

    Maher, Bill

    Marx Brothers

    Marx, Groucho

    Martin, Steve

    Mason, Jackie

    Mull, Martin

    Newhart, Bob

    Nichols and May

    Novello, Don

    O’Brian, Conan

    O'Donnell, Rosie

    Paar, Jack

    Pearl, Minnie

    Phillips, Emo

    Prinze, Freddie

    Reiner, Carl

    Rogers, Will

    Pryor, Richard

    Radner, Gilda

    Rickles, Don

    Rivers, Joan

    Rudner, Rita

    Saget, Bob

    Sahl, Mort

    Sales, Soupy

    Sandler, Adam

    Sandrich, Jay

    Schiller, Tom

    Seinfeld, Jerry

    Sherman, Alan

    Short, Martin

    Silverman, Sarah

    Silverstein, Shel

    Skelton, Red

    Smith and Dale

    Smothers Brothers

    Steinberg, David

    Stewart, Jon

    Taylor, Rip

    Tenuta, Judy

    Thomas, Dave

    Tomlin, Lily

    Three Stooges

    Van Dyke, Dick

    Charlie Weaver

    West, Mae

    White, Ron

    Whitney, Daniel Lawrence

    Wilder, Gene

    Wilson, Flip

    Winters, Jonathan

    Wright, Steven

    Wynn, Ed

    Youngman, Henny

    Performers
    Many comedians, especially before the 1960's, did not write their own material. They bought jokes and,iof successful enough, hired writers.

    Allen, Fred

    Lucille Ball

    Berle, Milton

    Burnett, Carole

    Brown, Joe E.

    Caesar, Sid

    Coco, Imogene

    		Gleason, Jackie

    Hope, Bob

    Lahr, Bert

    Marx Brothers

    Skelton, Red

    Three Stooges

    Wynn, Ed

    Teams
    Since the days of vaudeville there have been comedy teams. Of interest is the different styles of these teams

    Abbott & Costello

    Bob and Ray

    Cheech and Chong

    Laurel & Hardy

    Three Stooges

    		 Marx Brothers

    Nichols and May

    Smith and Dale

    Smothers Brothers

    Burns and Allen

    Stand-up Comics
    The venues for stand-up comedians expanded in the sixties with the onset of comedy clubs. One of the expectations became that each comic would perform his or her original material. Though some of these people went on to perform in sit-coms and oher vehicles, their basic format has been stand-up.

    Allen, Woody

    Berman, Shelley

    Bruce, Lenny

    Carlin, George

    Diller, Phyllis

    Fields, Totie

    Foxx, Redd

    Gregory, Dick

    Hicks, Bill

    		Hope, Bob

    Kaufman, Andy

    Kinison, Sam

    Prinze, Freddie

    Pryor, Richard

    Rivers, Joan

    Sahl, Mort

    Wilson, Flip

    Wright, Steven

    Youngman, Henny

    Comedy Writers
    Some comedians moved from doing stand-up into comedy writing; others never did stand-up, but wrote extensively for comedians and comic performers.

    Allen, Woody

    Berman, Shelley

    Brooks, Mel

    		Rogers, Will

    Freberg, Stan

    Other Resources