Comic Wonder of the Year offers simple tips for delivering laughs without the
groans
MILWAUKEE, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- With all that is weighing on the mind
of the average American -- from the war to an unstable economy, few could
argue that what we need is a good laugh. Unfortunately, the one day each year
dedicated to humor -- April Fools' Day -- has become such a theatrical
production that most ignore it altogether. Thankfully, one Web site offers
just what we need to get back to what April Fools is really about.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071204/AQTU264LOGO)
Instead of figuring out how to reassemble a car inside your boss' office
or mock-up divorce papers in Photoshop, Comic Wonder
(http://www.comicwonder.com), the Web site dedicated to evolving the art of
joke telling, is delivering all that is needed to get people laughing this
April Fools' Day and it doesn't require elaborate schemes or plots. Comic
Wonder suggests we get back to the roots of April Fools' Day and simply tell a
good joke.
"The magic behind good humor, whether a complicated prank or just a good
joke, is the element of surprise," said Mark Metcalf, spokesperson for Comic
Wonder. "When it comes to joke telling, there's an art to ensuring you hook
your audience enough to surprise them at the end." Metcalf is best known for
his roles as Neidermeyer in Animal House and as "The Maestro" on Seinfeld.
Launched in December of 2007, Comic Wonder features hundreds of jokes,
each of which has been critiqued and features commentary. But the real magic
of the Web site is how these jokes are delivered. Unlike the seemingly endless
supply of text jokes, which have proven to be a sad surrogate for the real
thing, Comic Wonder features an innovative yet simple, audio-based system that
allows humorous bits to be phoned in and then played via the Web site. Since
the secret to great joke telling is in the delivery, April Fools' Day revelers
can bone-up on their joke telling by visiting the site to hear how some of the
best do it.
Chris "Captainhilariousness" Cashman, agrees that one of the most
important elements of good joke telling is the art of "fooling" people. "The
best way to catch someone off guard is to turn a joke into a believable
story," said Cashman, a Seattle native who was voted the 2007 Comic Wonder of
the Year. "I often take a joke I've read or heard and turn it into a personal
anecdote. That way when you get to the punch line, it hits them right between
the eyes. That's the surprise I'm looking for. It's more effective than a
tired whoopee cushion or the painful 'A guy walks into a bar' routine."
Cashman suggests inserting yourself, a friend, or relative into the
narrative, as he did with his award-winning joke titled "Puzzled Sister." The
personalized story recounts one fateful evening when Cashman's ditzy sister
suggested an alternative activity -- assembling a puzzle -- to replace their
weekly movie night.
To help those desperately seeking funny and surprising jokes, Cashman
offers five tips to make this April Fools' Day a success.
1. Choose Your Material Carefully
There are plenty of text jokes waiting to be brought to life by a
joke-teller. Visit your inbox, Google or check out Comic Wonder's "Joke Limbo"
area to find material to work with. If you really want to fool someone, create
a story that they can start to believe. If you don't have a boat, don't start
with "I was hanging out on my yacht with the Pope ... " as this will
immediately tip off the victim. And, finally, does the material have a good
opportunity for a great surprise twist at the end?
2. Personalize/Localize
Instead of the obvious, "A guy walks into a bar ... " customize it to,
"Last weekend, my buddies and I stopped by Chasers for a drink after the
game ... " If the joke is about the debacle or debauchery of one of our fine
elected public servants, localize it by using the name of a well-known local
politician.
3. Transform the "Joke" into a Believable Story
Details can transform a funny "joke" into a memorable story. Use
situations and details that people know. Get them nodding their head in
agreement while the story unfolds. Elaborate. Instead of, "I was in an
accident recently." Try, "You're not going to believe this. I had a car
accident the other day -- on the corner of Fifth St. and Main -- you know that
really busy intersection ...."
4. Develop Characters
Elevate your joke-telling performance by becoming the characters. Avoid
the "he said, she said, and they replied" type dialogue. That won't cut it.
Develop a character voice that fits each person in the story. Now you're
acting out the dialogue instead of reading it like a newspaper story. Instead
of saying "my wife was really angry with me," act out exactly how angry your
wife was using a caricature of her voice. (You may not want to use this method
if you are telling the joke to your wife.)
5. Learn from Listening
Build your joke-telling skills by listening to good joke performances.
This allows you to fine-tune the performance and the material. Comic Wonder
has tons of categorized audio joke performances to learn from and laugh at.
You don't have to copy someone else's style, but you can learn from, improve
it and build your own joke-telling repertoire.
Comic Wonder of the Year
With its motto being "A joke is not a joke until it's told," Comic Wonder
is scouring the earth to discover the one hero who could be a beacon of light
for its cause -- the Luke Skywalker of Laughter, the Frodo of Funny -- the
Comic Wonder of the Year. Jokes are submitted to the Web site with finalists
selected each week throughout the year. Weekly finalists are further narrowed
to monthly finalists who eventually face off for the coveted title of 2008
Comic Wonder of the Year. For contest details, visit
http://www.ComicWonder.com.
About Comic Wonder
Comic Wonder was established in 2007 to be the first online joke telling
forum and Web site dedicated to evolving the art of joke telling. This
innovative audio-based site allows people to just type in their phone number
and the site automatically calls them so they can record their joke -- similar
to leaving a voice mail message. Once the joke is on the site, the world
listens to it, votes on it, shares it with others and ultimately decides who
are the best joke tellers. For more information, visit
http://www.ComicWonder.com.
For More Information:
Zak Mazur, PR Rep
Comic Wonder
414-727-8731
SOURCE Comic Wonder
Zak Mazur, PR Rep, +1-414-727-8731, for Comic Wonder
