Tonight’s the night! The All Jane No Dick Festival starts this evening with a schedule packed full of local comics. Highlighting the best Portland talent, be sure catch these comics now while you can before they blow up and completely forget their roots.

In this special edition of INSIDE A COMIC’S PROCESS I asked what it’s like to be a comic in Portland.

Kirsten Kuppenbender

Serial Optimist: What is the best part of living in Portland?

“Portland is a safe space for nerds.”
– @lezstandup (Diane Gasperin – Lez Stand Up, Mortified, Back Fence PDX)

“Everyone is so kind, smart, and a lot of the comedians are ridiculously funny and some are working really hard towards their goals. It’s a wonderful time to be in Portland comedy, like a boom of creativity. I’m happy to be surrounded by people I would be honored to consider my peers.”
– @barbara_holm (Barbara Holm – San Francisco Sketchfest, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Writer for the Portland Mercury)

“It’s so good to live in a blue state and a blue city.  I like the fact that I’m politically liberal and it’s okay to say that.  And there are lots of people who ride in the naked bike ride and make me look conservative.”
– (Betsy Kauffman – Spilt Milk Comedy Show, Harvey’s Comedy Club, and Timeout: The Mother of all Comedy Shows.) 

“The weather. I’m totally serious. We get like 15 different kinds of rain here.”
– @lezstandup (Jes Rega – Lez Stand Up)

“Honestly, I love Portland. I’m from here. I kept trying to move away, live in other places, trying to avoid the rain, but the people, the coffee, the restaurants and the Eternal Fountain of Hope kept bringing me back. You can chase any dream you may dream up, here in our lovely puddle-filled township. There’s just not the pressure here that exists in NY or LA. We don’t have to abbreviate our name, for starters! But also, expectations are low, there aren’t that many people here, so if you’re doing something cool, people are just IN-TO-IT!!!”
– @Lezstandup (Kirsten Kuppenbender – Lez Stand Up, Blind Date, My Own Private Idaho)

“The best part about living in Portland is that since I was born and raised here, whenever I go anywhere else, I notice all of the flaws of that city and think ‘pssssh, Portland is sooo much better'”
– @andiemain (Andie Main – Original illustrator of Professor Blastoff, Blogger for Portland Mercury, Co-producer of monthly showcase Secret Weapon)

“Doggies in sweaters.”
– @AmyMiller (Amy Miller – San Francisco Sketchfest, Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival, Host/ Creator of the podcast Sorry About Your Dad) 

Jess Rega

SO: Tell us about what it’s like to be a comedian in Portland. For example, what are the audience like, is it a hotspot for comedy?

“It has changed.  There are two camps here; there is the young Hipster Hawthorne crowd who are great and fun and have a broad range of interests. Ages 18 to 35ish. They are smart and quick with pop culture references that confuse and baffle me at times.  They have a dog. They don’t want to have kids and they ride a bike.  (A general picture)  They were raised by women my age and have a great sense of equality. If they judge me for my age one of their group will quickly call them out.

Then there’s the audience members who come out and have followed the Portland Comedy scene since the 80″s. They grew up on SNL and Nat’ Lampoon.  They have “albums”, they know that Bob Newhart was a stand up comic. They remember standing in line for Prior tickets.  They have followed the changing progress and don’t always approve of the new “form” of the storytelling kind of comedy. They are hard core and you better bring it cuz they’ve seen the best” kind of crowd.  They are who I work in front of most of the time.”
– @Laughlady1 (Susan Rice – Comedy Central, HBO/TNT Comedy Festival at Caesar Palace, Showtime Comedy Allstars)

“It’s a great time to be a comic in Portland! There are open mics almost every night of the week and people actually show up to your shows! We have a night called Lez Stand Up (you can guess the rough and tumble line up we offer) and it sells out every time! Can you imagine?! The Lesbian capital of the world and our lezzie comedy night sells out?!! Again, this is the town where dreams come true. So if you’d rather make your own comedy night than wait to go up right after the guy who roofied his ex-girlfriend, then you can arrange that! It’s like you actually can control your own destiny here!” – @Lezstandup (Kirsten Kuppenbender – Lez Stand Up, Blind Date, My Own Private Idaho)

“Audiences are young, liberal, sweet, alternative, politically savy, and college educated.”
– @barbara_holm (Barbara Holm – San Francisco Sketchfest, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Writer for the Portland Mercury)

“Portland audiences are incredibly patient and excited about comedy, and the community of comedians here is (usually) very supportive and collaborative. There is an expectation that comedians should get paid for their time here, which is nice.”
– @AmyMiller (Amy Miller – San Francisco Sketchfest, Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival, Host/ Creator of the podcast Sorry About Your Dad)

Barbara Holm

SO: Is Portland really like the TV show “Portlandia”? Do you get annoyed at people for always asking if Portland is like the show? 

“If anything, I think Portlandia understates the reality here.  I was at a grocery store tonight and saw a package of artisan marshmallows — 4 to a package for a dollar a marshmallow.  Really?  Only in Portland.  For a long time, I wondered how people outside of Portland understood the jokes on Portlandia.  Then a friend pointed out that they’re not laughing WITH us, they’re’ laughing AT us.”
(Betsy Kauffman – Spilt Milk Comedy Show, Harvey’s Comedy Club, and Timeout: The Mother of all Comedy Shows.)

“It’s more real than real.  When I was background on the show I asked Fred Armisen if he made Portlandia because he loves us, or hates us, and he assured me ‘Oh, I LOVE you guys- you’re so funny!'” –@badiniadones (Virginia Jones – badinia.com, Portlandia, Bridgetown Comedy Festival) 

“I’m a Portland native, and a lot of things that Portlandia makes fun of seem like such a normal part of my life that I don’t understand why they’re making fun of it. They totally nailed the gutter punks spare changing, like, down to the yellow sweat stained shirts and the specific punk bands they used on patches.”
– @andiemain (Andie Main – Original illustrator of Professor Blastoff, Blogger for Portland Mercury, Co-producer of monthly showcase Secret Weapon)

“No, absolutely not. And as soon as I typed that, a 45-year-old man with pink hair rode past me on a unicycle. So, I’m gonna change my answer to YES. Yes, it IS like Portlandia.”
@lezstandup (Diane Gasperin – Lez Stand Up, Mortified, Back Fence PDX) 

Susan Rice

SO: What is your advice to new comedians who want to break into the scene?

“So many people say “I could never get up there and do that.” Bravery is a must for comedy, and a little delusion helps, too. I like to believe that people are there because they want to laugh, and most of the time they’re on their way to being drunk. The audience won’t remember jokes that fell flat; they will remember that witty one liner! Don’t dwell…if you didn’t kill it one night, have the confidence to get back on stage.”
– @lezstandup (Diane Gasperin – Lez Stand Up, Mortified, Back Fence PDX)

“Listen to the audience and take their feedback.  Keep working.  Don’t get married to your material- the result of your first couple of years of writing is finding your voice and learning how to write for yourself.  You’re not going to be telling that hilarious joke about SOS pads forever, or, you shouldn’t.”
– @badiniadones (Virginia Jones – badinia.com, Portlandia, Bridgetown Comedy Festival) 

“I am a new comedian! I don’t know if I have any sage advice at this point. One thing I do know is, If the audience isn’t laughing, you’re probably not funny. I think it’s ok to tell people that.”
– @lezstandup (Jes Rega – Lez Stand Up)

Diane Gasperin

“Don’t. That being said, know what you want and what your shooting for. Helps cut through the crap. If your looking to have a voice..again know what you want from that.  This is a big.. give give give .. kind of business. Your rewards are short and fleeting.  They are there. They come in the form of laughter and thank you’s and maybe even fame. What you need to know is yourself.  It’s your palette and people will listen so use your words carefully.”
– @Laughlady1 (Susan Rice – Comedy Central, HBO/TNT Comedy Festival at Caesar Palace, Showtime Comedy Allstars) 

“Man, I’m still a new comedian, breaking into the scene! So, I still say stuff like: Just get out there and be yourself! No one can argue You being You! – But in another year or two, I’ll probably say something like: I don’t know, you don’t seem angry enough to be a comic. Too friendly. Don’t even bother; you’ll just wind up jaded and resentful.”
– @Lezstandup (Kirsten Kuppenbender – Lez Stand Up, Blind Date, My Own Private Idaho)

“There’s no half way in comedy. You have to be 100% committed, otherwise you’re wasting yours and dozens of other people’s time. Comedy is all about timing, so don’t burn the light.”
– @andiemain (Andie Main – Original illustrator of Professor Blastoff, Blogger for Portland Mercury, Co-producer of monthly showcase Secret Weapon)

“Be open-minded. Don’t talk shit. Don’t create enemies that don’t exist out of other new comics who are as lost as you are. Be kind to each other. Write everything down, even if you think it won’t turn into anything. Don’t go on stage wasted. And treat every open mic and show like someone important is watching.”
– @AmyMiller (Amy Miller – San Francisco Sketchfest, Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival, Host/ Creator of the podcast Sorry About Your Dad) 

SO: Congratulations, you’ve just been put in charge of giving Portland a new slogan! What it is?

“Portland: Come for the beer and wine and strip clubs and bikes and art and comedy and live music! Stay for the incredible public housing and needle-share program!” – @Lezstandup (Kirsten Kuppenbender – Lez Stand Up, Blind Date, My Own Private Idaho)

“We’ve Got Everything You Want In A City- Except Jobs!”
– @badiniadones (Virginia Jones – badinia.com, Portlandia, Bridgetown Comedy Festival) 

“Visualize secession.”
(Betsy Kauffman – Spilt Milk Comedy Show, Harvey’s Comedy Club, and Timeout: The Mother of all Comedy Shows.) 

Amy Miller

“OK Portland, we’re sustainable and quirky and adorable. Now just get on with it and stop being so fucking self-referential.”
– @andiemain (Andie Main – Original illustrator of Professor Blastoff, Blogger for Portland Mercury, Co-producer of monthly showcase Secret Weapon)

“Keep Portland.”
– @barbara_holm (Barbara Holm – San Francisco Sketchfest, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Writer for the Portland Mercury)

“No worries!”
– @AmyMiller (Amy Miller – San Francisco Sketchfest, Laugh Your Asheville Off Festival, Host/ Creator of the podcast Sorry About Your Dad)

“Watch where you step.  Some shit stains.”
– @Laughlady1 (Susan Rice – Comedy Central, HBO/TNT Comedy Festival at Caesar Palace, Showtime Comedy Allstars)

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SO NOTE: The All Jane No Dick comedy festival runs Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 17-20, at multiple venues. See alljanenodick.com for full schedule.