My First Joke

In the last episode of our first season, Myq Kaplan (Tonight Show, Conan, Letterman) tells us about THREE of his first jokes that really worked on stage. He also discusses how he narrows down his thousands of ideas, how he distinguishes between "this is good" and "I like this," and how he learned to listen. Follow Myq (@myqkaplan) to keep up with his work, and check out his latest album “A.K.A.,” his podcast “Broccoli & Ice Cream” and his substack "Arty Har-Hars."

Jonathan van Halem (Tooning Out The News) tells us about his first joke that really worked on stage. He also shares his 50-state joke philosophy, argues that you should know whether a joke will work before you ever tell it, and recalls the difficult shift from standup in college to standup in the real world. Follow Jonathan (@jonathan_vanhalem on IG, @jon_vanhalem on Twitter) to keep up with his work, and check out his (now biweekly) show Hot Gossip at Pine Box Rock Shop. 

Dylan Adler (Late Late Show) tells us about his first joke that really worked on stage. He also talks embracing musical theater, recounts his journey from quiet kid to big ole ham, and shares the joy of taking a huge swing on stage and missing.  Follow Dylan (@dylanadler_ on IG, @dylanadler6 on Twitter, @dylanadler7 on TikTok) to keep up with his work, and check out his solo show in NYC, 5/23 at Littlefield.

Reid Pope (Vulture) tells us about their first joke that really worked on stage. They also share how they let go of their fear of being cute, how they stack punchlines to reach a wider audience, and how they have no choice but to have fun onstage.  Follow Reid (@rpopegram on IG, @rpopetweets on Twitter) to keep up with their work, and check out their newsletter at reidpope.substack.com! 

Asha Ward (SNL) tells us about her first joke that really worked on stage. She also reads out the one-liners she wrote in high school, shares how a motivational speaker changed her life, and talks joke theft on Vine.  Follow Asha (@ashaforthecause on IG, @ashatellslies on Twitter) to keep up with her work!

Ashton Womack (The Daily Show, Comedy Central) tells us about his first joke that really worked on stage. Other topics include meeting his standup comedian dad, gaining perspective, and starting comedy at 16. Follow Ashton (@ashtonwomack on IG, @LRonIsley on Twitter) to keep up with his work!

Isabel Hagen (The Tonight Show, JFL) tells us about her first joke that really worked on stage. Other topics include bad comedy advice from men, going from Juilliard to open mics, and the one suggestion that made Isabel's jokes start coming alive.  Follow Isabel (@isabelhagen_ on IG, @isabelhagen on TikTok) to keep up with her work, and contribute to her Kickstarter to see her movie come to life! www.kickstarter.com/projects/onastring/on-a-string

Moss Perricone (Patriot Act, The Other Two) tells us about his first joke that really worked on stage. Other topics include supportive dads, oversharing in front of audiences, and drinking forties of malt liquor before open mics. Follow Moss (@mossperricone) on Instagram to keep up with his work!