San Francisco Comedy Competition

The San Francisco Comedy Competition (sometimes referred to as the San Francisco International Comedy Competition or The San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition) is a stand-up comedy contest held each September in San Francisco, California, and neighboring areas of Northern California.

San Francisco Comedy Competition
StatusActive
GenreComedy competition
Location(s)San Francisco, California
CountryUnited States
FounderFrank Kidder
ParticipantsComedians
ActivityStand-up comedy
Websitesanfranciscocomedycompetition.com

History

The SFICC was originally conceived by Bay Area comedian Frank Kidder. However, it has been produced since its inception by Jon and Anne Fox, who now retain complete ownership after purchasing Kidder's share.[1]

The competition has evolved from two nights of 20 comics performing, to its current multi-week format.

The Competition

Hundreds of comedians each year submit applications to enter the contest. Of these, 32 are chosen to perform in one of two week-long preliminary rounds. In these prelims, comedians perform sets of 5 to 7 minutes in length and the top five from each preliminary round move on to the semi-finals.

The semi-final round is another week of shows, with the 10 semi-finalists performing sets of 10 to 12 minutes. From this group, five finalists are chosen.

Finalists must prove themselves in yet another week of shows, this time performing sets ranging in length from 12–15 minutes.

Penalties are assessed for comedians who go over or under the time constraints.[2]

The performances are judged on the following criteria: Material, Stage Presence, Delivery, Technique, Audience Response, Audience Rapport, and the judges' "Gut Feeling" about the performer. Typically, the judges, who are different at each event, are previous competitors, members of the media, talent agents/scouts and representatives from the performance venue. There is also an extra point awarded given by the audience through their applause after a comedian's performance. If the audience gives a ten-count of enthusiastic applause, the extra point is awarded.[3]

Venues are varied and wide-ranged to ensure that the performers can play to all types of audience and have included bars, clubs, casinos, colleges, theatres and more.[4]

Previous winners
YearWinnerRunners-Up
2nd3rd4th5th
1976 Bill FarleyRobin WilliamsBob SarlatteMark MillerMitch Krug
1977 Dana CarveyGil ChristnerA. Whitney BrownBill FarleyMark McCollum
1978 Mark McCollumMarty CohenJack MarionMitch KrugDarryl Henriques
1979 Marsha WarfieldMike DavisDana CarveyMichael WinslowA. Whitney Brown
1980 Michael PritchardDenny JohnstonJames Wesley JacksonBobby SlaytonJack Marion
1981 Ronn LucasBob DubacJohn FoxBarry SobelDr. Gonzo
1982 Jim SamuelsKevin PollakJack GallagherWill DurstCarrie Snow
1983 Will DurstLeland BrownD. Alan MossDr. GonzoRay Hanna
1984 Doug FerrariMark PittaPaul KellyJoe AlaskeyD. Alan Moss
1985 SinbadEllen DeGeneresEvan DavisSteve KravitzSteven Pearl
1986 Jake JohannsenEddy StrangeRich CeislerMilt AbelDana Gould
1987 Warren ThomasRick ReynoldsRob BeckerTom KennyRob Schneider
1988 Mike DuganBrian HaleyBilly ElmerJeffrey JenaTree
1989 Dexter MadisonMark CurryDan St. PaulHenry ChoDenny Johnston
1990 Christopher CollinsNick DiPaoloMatt WeinholdKarin BabbittWarren Spottswood
1991 Don McMillanTim WigginsBarry WeintraubRodney JohnsonLouis C.K.
1992 Johnny SteeleNgaio BealumMaria FalzoneBarry WeintraubT. Marni Vos
1993 Carlos AlazraquiMarc MaronStephen B.Rick KernsPatton Oswalt
1994 Jackie FlynnRick KernsWild Willie ParsonsRoger RittenhouseKarlton Johnson
1995 Doug StanhopeDane CookDwight SladePaul NardizziJ.R. Brow
1996 David CroweJerry MinerMilt AbelMike UrygaJohn Alston
1997 James InmanChris McGuireDon FriesenBobby TesselJames P. Connolly
1998 Vinnie FavoritoJames P. ConnollyMickey JosephRalphie MayScott Silverman
1999 Don FriesenRobert DuchainePaul D'AngeloJohn AlstonDaniel Packard
2000 Danny BevinsDarryl LennoxDave RussoRon OsbourneRick D'Elia
2001 Bengt WashburnAuggie SmithRobert MacFloyd J. PhillpsDave Burleigh
2002 Gerry DeeVargus MasonDobie MaxwellChris MataArlo Stone
2003 Rob PueJoe KlocekDarryl LennoxLamont FergusonRob Little
2004 Jim ShortEric SchwartzNathan TrenholmSadiki FullerTommy Savitt
2005 Don FriesenDave BurleighCain LopezKevin AveryFloyd J. Phillips
2006 Jay Wendell WalkerLeo FlowersMo MandelMike E. WinfieldDylan Mandelsohn
2007 Paul OgataDavid Van AvermaeteMike BaldwinDennis GaxiolaKellen Erskine
2008 Steve WhiteDerek LengwenusTyler BoehBrent WeinbachLeif Skyving
2009 Tom SimmonsDanny BevinsMaureen LanganJarrod HarrisRodger Lizaola
2010 Auggie SmithTony DijamcoSammy ObeidKurt SwannSolomon Georgio
2011 Sean KentAlex KollSal CalanniJohn HastingsAJ Finney
2012 Tony BakerMike MerryfieldPrashanth VenkataramanujamThe Greg WilsonDave Williamson
2013 Samuel J. ComroeBrendan LynchDrennon DavisSterling ScottMatthew Broussard
2014 Kabir SinghDan GabrielLars CallieouJohn McClellanKurt Weitzmann
2015 Myles WeberPat BurtscherStuart ThompsonRodger LizaolaKen Garr
2016 Alex ElkinTrenton DavisMitch BurrowEhsan AhmadChris Griffin
2017 Ellis RodriguezTyrone HawkinsMark SmallsMatt McClowryChris Bennett
2018 Dave NihillCristian MachadoDauood NaimyarMike BaldwinKris Tinkle
2019 Sterling ScottGina Stahl-HavenAnthony KPauline YasudaClay Newman

Notable

Marsha Warfield, in 1979, became the competition's first African-American winner and its first female winner. She is also the only woman to win in the entire history of the SFICC.

Among the big names who entered, but did not advance to the semi-finals are Roseanne Barr, Janeane Garofalo, Bobcat Goldthwait, Christopher Titus and D.L. Hughley.

Don Friesen won in 1999 and again in 2005, making him the only person to have won the competition more than once.

Paul Ogata's win in 2007 was the first by an Asian-American comedian in 32 years of the competition.

References
  1. The State Hornet, October 5, 2005: Comedians Compete For A $10,000 Prize
  2. ThePress.net September 15, 2006: SF Comedy Event Comes To Antioch
  3. "209vibe.com September 16, 2008: San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition at the Empire". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  4. ThePress.net September 15, 2006: SF Comedy Event Comes To Antioch
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