Little ‘ole YOU can help celebrate New York’s independent comedy scene by purchasing a one-of-a-kind archival zine filled with photos, ephemera, history, and memories from the people who were there! Veteran comedy talent producer Marianne Ways has penned the soon to be yours zine complete with a beautifully illustrated comedy map and plenty of weird and wonderful rewards like Ronny Chieng‘s Tie Collection, a mix CD from David Cross, a one-on-one standup show with Maria Bamford, Kate Micucci’s original artwork, Eugene Mirman in your voicemail, Dave Hill’s hand-painted vintage camping hatchet & more!
Ways has been a comedy producer for 13 YEARS of Monday night comedy shows at Littlefield in Brooklyn (Hot Tub, Night Train & Butterboy). She’s also been a talent producer for After Midnight on CBS, 2 Dope Queens on HBO, or the podcasts Don’t Ask Tig or Mindy Tucker’s Comedy Archives as well as possessing an obsession with NYC’s buildings, ghost signs & street art.
In 2003, she accidentally stumbled into the East Village indie comedy scene. She immediately bought a camera and started documenting her nights at a bar called Rififi. Ways quickly became a regular at Invite Them Up, a weekly show hosted by Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale.
Stories From The Room will bring together those photos with memories of the people who were there. From early images of comedians like John Mulaney, Nick Kroll, Kristen Schaal, and Jenny Slate, to shared memories from people like Eugene & Bobby, Pete Holmes & many more. On a broader scale, the zine will also explore the history of NYC’s emerging “indie” comedy scene and the move away from clubs and into bars that started in the late 90s, early aughts. The zine will highlight how places like Rififi helped shape a generation of comedians.
While many people work to preserve the history of NYC, very few are focused on preserving the history of COMEDY specific to our city. Comedy is an art that disappears fast. Shows end, venues close, and suddenly some of the most important moments in a community’s history exist only in people’s memories, old photos, and boxes of stuff. Ways believes these stories deserve to be preserved—not just as nostalgia, but as a record of the people and community that helped shape it.
The zine is part of her larger journey, which begins this fall as she actively pursue a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science with a focus in Archives and Museums. It’s the first step toward a larger goal of creating an accessible archive of NYC comedy history. A place for comedy nerds to call home! Now that’s a quest worth pursuing! Support the Kickstarter HERE, if you can.
Mentions: Give Marianne a FOLLOW on IG and support the Kickstarter now! Feed the algo. Marianne Ways photo by Mindy Tucker.