THE
COMIC
IDOLBOX
HOW TO BE FUNNY EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT
BY JOHN VORHAUS
SILMAN-JAMES PRESS
Los AncelesCONTENTS
Introduction xi
¥ Comedy (6 Th and Pain 1
@® aitrewitor 9
3 The Comic Premise 19
5 Some Tools from the Toolbox 47
@ 6 types ot comic Sores 58
7 The Comic Throughline 75,
8 More Tools ftom the Toolbox 103
@ 5 Practical jokes 116 *
11 Still More Tools from the Toolbox 125
@ 2 sivaton comedy 159
@ 15 sketch comedy 154
14 Toward Polish and Perfection 162
15 Scrapmetal and Doughnuts 174
16 Homilies & Exhonations 186“FORWARD!”
to The Comic Toolbox
Are you one of those sorry folk
Who cannot write a decent joke,
Who cannot pen a funny scene
Because you lack the comic gene?
‘Are you convinced that you alone
‘Are cursed to walk this earth without a funny bone?
ike heart, dear friend, for now a book is writ
To guide you on your quest
To wrest from deep within, your native wit
Voila! The Comic Toolbax by John Vorhaus
To save you from the jester's poorhouse.
It lays you certain basic rules
‘That aid the craft of serious fools.
‘You'll learn to slay that dreaded din,
The Editor who lives within,
‘And once sprung from that self-constructed jail,
‘You'll then be free 10 risk and free to fail,
Free to find the premise, choose the word
‘That separates the master from the nerd.
So if you wish to tune your comic eraft
‘And join the ranks of the professionally daft,
Then take this book of humor-honing tools
And join the ranks of esters, clowns and fools
‘Who rise each day and, taking out their pen,
Bring joy and laughter to their fellow men.
—Peter Bergman,
Furesign Theatre, Los Angeles, 1994