Make 'Em Laugh: 35 Years of the Comic Strip, the Greatest Comedy Club of All Time!

Once in a lifetime a venue comes along that changes show business dramatically, that fosters growth and camaraderie, experimentation and freedom. The Comic Strip is one of those places, and Make ’Em Laugh is an inside look at how it all happened, straight from the mouths of the stars who built their careers on its stage. Owner Richie Tienken and a wealth of comics open their hearts and souls to share their most intimate memories, the laughs and tears, the good times and the bad, in order to paint an all-encompassing, behind-the-scenes history of this iconic club. Interviews include famous comedians, such as:

• Jerry Seinfeld
• Gilbert Gottfried
• Paul Reiser
• Lisa Lampanelli
• George Wallace
• Billy Crystal
• Jim Breuer
• Susie Essman
• Lewis Black
• Ray Romano
• And many more!

Relive the excitement as these comics explain how they came to belong to the Comic Strip family, and how they went on to enjoy huge careers, bringing laughter to millions of people all over the world. This book is a must for any comedian or comedy lover’s library!

Jeffrey Gurian is a comedy writer, performer, director, author, producer, doctor, and healer. He's written material for comedy legends such as Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Lewis, Phil Hartman, Richard Belzer, George Wallace, and Joan Rivers. He's also written for MTV, National Lampoon, Weekly World News, and many Friars Club Roasts. In 1999, he launched Comedy Matters, a celeb-based, online entertainment column that now has evolved into Comedy Matters TV, an internet TV channel with over 150 A-list celebrity interviews. He currently teaches an online comedy class for the Learning Annex. You can read more at http://www.jeffreygurian.com And you can reach Jeffrey on Twitter at @jeffreygurian.

Richie Tienken opened the Comic Strip on June 1, 1976, and effectively changed the face of comedy forever. At thirteen, he ran away from his home in the Bronx to Boston, where he got a job selling magazines door-to-door. He moved back to New York a year later and has since managed some of the biggest comedy stars, such as Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, and Colin Quinn.

Chris Rock is a comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, and film producer.