By Tim Arthur

Brand, Kane, Howard�?� what is it about comedians and the name Russell? The latest to join the fold is Canadian Russell Peters - he tells Time Out about his ascent to fame, and why he's far from Mr Brand's biggest fan�?�

By Erika Hobart (Seattle Weekly)

Korean-American comedian Margaret Cho is best known for her raunchy, politically-charged stand-up. But she recently recorded an album called Cho Dependent (in stores August 24) and soon embarks on a North American tour, her second stop: Seattle's Paramount Theatre (August 27.)

Arj Barker talks to Keir McAllister about Edinburgh, Chicago and Scandinivia.

from Chicago Tribune, by Kevin Pang

2007 was a year when comic Patton Oswalt�??s food cred soared to new heights. First, he lent his voice to Disney-Pixar�??s Oscar-winning �??Ratatouille,�?� where he played Remy, a rat with culinary ambitions. It was a film chefs said revealed more about life inside the restaurant kitchen than any live-action movie before.

Written by Express contributor Roxana Hadad

Jim Gaffigan attended Georgetown University, so his upcoming two shows at the D.C. Improv  are kind of like a homecoming. Except that he never intended to be a comedian at all �?? not realistically, anyway.

by Noah Gardenswartz (CL Atlanta)

The 90s were good to Janeane Garofalo. The generous decade provided her a stint on �??Saturday Night Live,�?� and roles in the box-office hits Reality Bites and The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Over the years, the comedienne could always find stage time around New York City to tell jokes, but good work as an actress became harder to come by. She recently spoke with Creative Loafing about her early career, her break from the spotlight, and her relationship with the web.

By Ruth Walker

Larry David on life before Seinfeld, being follicularly challenged, and a family man at last

There's a reason college kids love David Cross. The beer-swilling, myth-debunking, pot-bellied lefty comedian has been a staple in dorm rooms since his days on HBO's ahead-of-its-time sketch comedy show Mr. Show, and as the is-he-or-isn't-he analrapist Tobias Funke on FOX's cult classic Arrested Development. In fact, his on-screen characters have been so indelibly stamped in the minds of the PBR set, that his fans tend to forget that Cross' roots are planted firmly in the wonderful world of stand up.

Locating le mot juste to describe Bill Maher can be taxing, like trying to order a pizza with your two buddies, the vegan and the Teamster. The 54-year-old Maher's loyal fans might label him provocative visionary, perhaps even prophet.