From The Comic's Comic

In 2023, Maria Bamford’s stand-up special, “Local Act,” celebrated the friendly neighborhood sense of community in Altadena, and specifically the home she had found at Public Displays of Altadena.

That space, co-owned by a couple of clowns in Claire Woolner and Kevin Kreiger, and so much of Altadena burned down in the Eaton Fire, one of several blazes still lighting up across Los Angeles County in the harshest way to start 2025. A GoFundMe launched by Budd Diaz, PDA’s facilities, tech and booking guy, has raised just north of $34,000 as I’m typing this.

But there are so many other victims, comedians, creative artists, regular working folk, as more than 12,000 structures have burned to the ground in the past week. So many GoFundMes and potential links floating around social media, it’s dizzying even if you’re not a victim yourself to try to make sense of how to help best.

Pete Lee, another friend of the site, performed stand-up on Thursday’s Tonight Show, but wound up spending even more time sitting next to Jimmy Fallon, explaining his surreal state of mind seeing his own home in Pacific Palisades ablaze on live TV while watching the local news.

How many other comedians or people in the comedy community have lost their homes? How many who were already suffering due to lost income and work thanks to the pandemic and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were already in a tough spot in needing work to hold onto their health benefits? I know of some just through friends sharing individual stories and GoFundMe pages, but what about our friends and colleagues who may not have gone so public about their devastating circumstances? How can we help best?

Kyle Kazanjian-Amory and Brett Kushner of Don’t Tell Comedy have started up a nonprofit, Stand Up for Stand Up, have set up a Google form for anyone impacted by these L.A. wildfires.

Comedy Gives Back, likewise, is offering support, and a form to apply for emergency grants.

All Things Comedy (founded by Bill Burr and Al Madrigal), reported Saturday that their staff and studios remained safe for now, and suggested sending donations to Dream Center and the American Red Cross.

Vidiots in Eagle Rock is hosting Bob Baker Marionette Theater puppeteers on Monday to put on a free show for kids, in addition to showing kids movies all day Monday and providing water, snacks, and peace to those who need it. But the theater itself reported Saturday that their technical director and puppet builder, Kevin, and his wife, Ilana, lost their house in the fires.

LA-based comedian Kel Cripe shared the results of their research yesterday into the most effective ways to help.

Of course, this situation is very fluid and the best way to help today or tomorrow may be different than it was the day before. And so many more people may need our help. Radio station KCRW put together a list of resources to point you in the right direction. I know some of LA’s many comedy clubs and institutions also are on a group text hoping to coordinate even more resources and fundraisers.

Meanwhile, here are the first few NYC comedy fundraisers that I’m aware of…

• Monday, Jan. 13: Union Hall, 8 p.m., Gavin Matts, Emil Wakim, Liza Treyger, Ricky Velez, Molly Kearney, Petey DeAbreu, Duchovny Improv and more, benefiting LA fire mutual aid.
• Thursday, Jan. 16: The Stand, 8 p.m., Paul Virzi / Jim Florentine / Gabby Bryan / Jon Rudnitsky / Vladimir Caamano / Mark Normand, benefiting American Red Cross.
• Sunday, Jan. 19: Comedy Cellar, 4 p.m., Matt Richards and Rachel Feinstein host with Sam Morril, Chloe Hillard and more, benefiting LA’s first responders and animal shelters.

If you have more information on how to help, or whom, please let me know or add it to this post in the comments. Thanks!