Chris Hamilton is one of those comics who doesn’t just do stand-up — he lives it. At the time of this interview, I was a young comic writing for Best Comedy Tickets and trying to shine a light on performers I respected. Chris gave me my first show in New York while I was still in college. I had no "material" and I had been on stage four times. Thanks Chris.

It’s interesting to look back and see how online ad campaigns—especially pre-TikTok—were already shaping what comedy would become. These weren’t just commercials; they were backdoor pilots, short films, sketches with a brand attached. The line between content and advertising was blurring, and comedians like T.J. Miller were right at the center of it.

Thanks to the democratization of digital media, comedians and creators no longer need a greenlight from Hollywood to make something funny. Just ask the teams behind Workaholics, The Lonely Island, Broad City, or Drunk History.