Who makes me laugh? • Janeane Garofalo • Arsenio Hall • Vargus Mason • Sally Mullins • Bob Newhart • Bobbie Oliver • Patrick Reid • Scott Shimamoto • Steven Wright

ABOUT PAULA JOHNSON I became a comedian by accident…or did I? In late 2006, I chaired an auction to benefit Hillsides Home for Children. One of the donated items was a stand-up comedy class. I'm an old hand at running auctions, and often bid on multiple items to drive up the prices. Silly, silly me. At the auction's end, I was surprised (and only slightly terrified) to discover I was the winning bidder for the comedy course. I began classes at Bobbie Oliver's Standup Academy in January 2007. Y'know, eight weeks really race by when you have "my comedy debut" penciled into your date book. (Time may pass even faster if the calendar entry reads "death by lethal injection," but I doubt it.) I'm a writer, so generating material was a pleasure; performing it was a challenge. I don't talk fast because I have stage fright. I talkthisfastallthetime. However, rapid-fire delivery wouldn't benefit my material or the audience—especially after they downed their two-drink minimum. At my March graduation show, I enjoyed a fun and funny five minutes on stage in the main room of The Ice House in Pasadena. I had more than two dozen friends in the audience (including my dentist), but total strangers were laughing as well. I know this because I watched my performance on DVD. Thirty-seven times. My first appearance at The Comedy Store was a month later. Frankly, the evening was nothing like I imagined. When comedian Vargus Mason called to ask if I'd like a "date at The Comedy Store," I agreed immediately. Vargus Mason? The Comedy Store? What woman could refuse? I thought we'd get a little table in the back, order drinks (possibly with colorful little umbrellas), and talk about life and…Vargus's mysterious hair care regimen. But as co-producer of the Wednesday night show, he was a bit busy. As it turns out, a "date" at The Comedy Store is not an actual date. It's more of a friendly invitation to work for free. Bottom line? I could have worn underpants that night. On the plus side, I got to perform in the main room, and had the pleasure of watching and learning from a dozen comedians, including Chris Rock and Andrew Dice Clay. Standup may never be my career, but I plan to make it one heckuva hobby. So what's next? More writing. More shows. More laughs. In fact, I treated myself to Steve Kaplan's Comedy Intensive, a terrific two-day workshop on, well, writing comedy. I am officially fired up. Check my performing page for upcoming shows. If that seems like too much work, just email me and I'll keep you posted. Strictly comedy—I promise not to forward any sappy messages about angels or kittens or rainbows. I hate that crap.