The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” this week to JIM HAMILTON:
“I should tell my neighbors that I’m a registered sex offender. I’m not, but at least the parents would tell their kids to avoid me.”
“No, I’m not stalking you. I made this marionette from memory.”
“Drop everything you’re doing and grab a broom. You just made a mess.”
As Twitter continues to rise in prominence in the comedy world, more and more comedians utilize the microblogging giant in developing material and few are so good as Jim Hamilton.
Though he may not have the following of more famous comedians who tweet only sporadically and often don’t tweet jokes or funny non sequiturs, Jim Hamilton applies his comedic prowess deftly in under 140 characters everyday. Through this process he’s one of the few that have refined a comedic voice online appreciated by many as he was nominated by Punchline Magazine as one of the Best Tweeters of 2010.
Jim mixes dark observations on himself, extremely clever puns, and minutia throughout his feed along with jokes I’ve heard him tell live that echo of Mitch Hedberg, but are completely and uniquely Jim. I’m sure Hedberg would never write a joke about having bartenders announce, in place of last call, “Jim Hamilton’s here.”
On stage, Jim takes these very precise one-liners and, unlike many one-liner comics that adopt an almost pretentious persona, is just himself. His noticeable pauses in between jokes and fleeting glances to seemingly random portions of the room are genuine, only adding a rare nuance of vulnerability and, also, the hilarity.
Though having been on Comedy Central’s popular series Premium Blend, Jim has admitted that if it weren’t for Twitter, he might have quit comedy altogether. Now, Jim has built up such a reputation that when I once told a comic about starting a tweeting competition between comics here in LA, they simply told me, without any hesitation, that Jim would win.
So, follow @Jim_Hamilton and then take the opportunity to catch him at French Toast @ Taix for free tomorrow Sun. Apr. 10th 8:30PM or at The 4 & 20 @ All Star Lanes Mon. Apr. 11th 8PM also for free. You can also get some “extended” Jim Hamilton on Tumblr here.