As last year came to a close, Vanyaland suggested that perhaps the comedy game in 2022 would harbor even more creative ingenuity than the year before, and wouldn’t you know it, we were right. So, we’ll gladly take that pat on the back at a later date, but for now, let’s focus on the stand-up standouts who really shined through a vast sea of specials and albums aplenty to deliver top-quality art in all forms, from dick jokes and tales of getting stoned to meticulously sculpted passion projects that hit on all the feels and even more tales about getting stoned.
The projects listed below were not tough choices to include here, but what was challenging was sifting through the hours of self-produced and independently funded content that, looking back on it, seriously gave the major streaming services a nice little run for their money in terms of the potency of the projects. A number of new avenues became available to deliver comedy content directly to your face in 2022, and not only did that result in more comedy by volume, but also a distinct sense of creative freedom that allowed artists to venture out of their comfort zones, or maybe even dive deeper into them, to deliver some royal gems to the masses from behind the mic.
Perhaps the last few weeks of the year are a time that you utilize to reflect on the past 11-and-a-half months. Or maybe it’s when you start the countdown to a photo finish between keeping it together and absolutely McFuckin’ losing it. It’s a little bit of both for us, so we feel you, and to help you decompress a little, we’ve arranged a comprehensive list of our 22 favorite comedy releases that had us laughing, crying, and everything in between through this broken DeLorean of a year. Onward to 2023, and here’s to at least 23 more laughs along the way.
Valerie Tosi, Beach Trash
The only thing better than a homegrown comic waxing nostalgic on relatable and local topics is one who absolutely waxes the floor with the stereotypes that the area so willingly embraces without even knowing it. Valerie Tosi’s debut hour hits all the right notes in paying homage to her entirely too familiar North Shore roots in her own special way, while deep diving on how the pandemic changed her for better or worse, and giving the good ol’ folks of Bloomington, Indiana a delightful dose of coast-to-coast comedy excellence.
Moses Storm, Trash White
There’s a lot of trauma and pain unpacked in Moses Storm’s debut special, but the way he tells the stories and details of that heartache are equal parts hilarious and powerful. There’s no holding back in sharing his fears of returning to poverty after a childhood entrenched in it, along with the hardships that come along in the fine print of it, and what comes of it is an intense chronicling of insecurity, anger, and in terms of Storm’s stage design and physical delivery, one of the most innovative specials we’ve seen in a long time.
David Cross, I’m From The Future
You just can’t touch David Cross. In his latest hour, he further displays just how many more lines he crosses with Grinch Heist-level stealth, all the while charging head first into realms of discomfort as he dissects and eviscerates the stupidity he’s witnessing every day. While it’s a brand new batch of material from the legendary stand-up, he employs the same, nearly poetic lexicon that has helped him deliver scorching criticism of pretty much everything held sacred with a whimsical flair and masterful precision that would make his dear late doggo, Ollie Red Sox so proud.
Taylor Tomlinson, Look At You
Being able to unpack and dissect frustrating and sometimes painful moments of your life can be an excruciating exercise, indeed. Being able to do it in front of a room full of people is nearly unthinkable, but Taylor Tomlinson approaches the feat on her sophomore special with remarkable precision and sticks an Olympic-level landing with poise, vulnerability and brutal honesty about herself, while finding the light buried deep in the dark times in her life.
Jerrod Carmichael, Rothaniel
You will be hard-pressed to find a special from this year that is as raw, poignant and powerful as Jerrod Carmichael’s latest tour de force. With a warm, intimate setting and cutting vulnerability, the comedic material that Carmichael unpacks shows that he’s still a top-tier performer of the craft, but what really sets this special above the rest is how Carmichael uses his platform and moment in the spotlight to bring visibility to the LGBTQ+ community, spearheaded by his own coming out within the hour. It’s as soulful and artistic of a project as you’ll find making its way out of the comedy cipher this year.
Ronny Chieng, Speakeasy
It doesn’t matter where Ronny Chieng goes, he’s always ready to bring blunt honesty in boatloads. In this case, he’s delivering the heavy truths on cultures and society from within the round, atop a small stage, and even with his back turned to someone at all times, he reads the entire room with precision and sheds any semblance of worry when it comes to telling it like it is. His second hour for Netflix may not have been on as big a scale as the first, but he’s equally, if not more focused and tactical in the rollout, which counts for more than room size.
Steven Rogers, Before He Was Super
As the old saying goes, you’re always your own worst critic. But Steven Rogers not only exemplifies that in his first album, but he also brings it to a whole new creative high. Detailing his struggles with depression, anxiety, and “fitting in,” Rogers exercises his charm and ability to take aim at all the pieces of himself that could possibly warrant a battering, while keeping it brilliantly sharp, quick and funny without making us all feel sympathy as he hands his own ass to himself.
Orlando Baxter, Live From South High
We’re sure he was a great teacher, but we are also very happy that Orlando Baxter didn’t just stick with his day job. With all of the heart, passion for joyfully detailed storytelling that we’ve come to know and love from him, the Worcester native brought the power for his homecoming special, which pays just as much tribute to his teaching peers as it does to his creative journey, and shines a bright light on one of the Commonwealth’s brightest comedy minds.
Christina P, Mom Genes
While her brash, unbridled approach to comedy has already brought her great success over the years, Christina P’s second full hour for Netflix adds to it, with a refreshingly open and honest look at the best and worst parts of motherhood, while also detailing the rough, traumatic journey that has brought her up to and ultimately through while balancing the worlds of being both a full-time comic and a full-time mom. Giving off an almost Dolly Partonesque vibe with her signature cocktail of finesse and bite, she quite literally embodies the example of perseverance through tough times, with all the glitz and glam necessary to shine a light on her growing and unphased comedy prowess.
Josh Gondelman, People Pleaser
Comedy’s nicest nice guy made a big splash with his first hour special earlier this year. Displaying his well-documented warm demeanor alongside his unparalleled observational comedy, Josh Gondelman keeps it light and bubbly without making the material or it’s flow feel restrained, forced or nauseatingly sweet. In fact, it’s the upbeat approach to topics that would otherwise not necessitate such a response that fully shows off just how versatile and genuinely good-natured Gondelman’s comedy, and without much pomp to what is often seen as a celebratory occasion, Gondelman carries the room with a rockstar’s confidence and a Mr. Rogers sweater.
Stavros Halkias, Live at the Lodge Room
As presented by Baltimore native Stavros Halkias in his debut hour, there is no semblance of chill when it comes to the way he operates. The LPMs generously peppered into this set are nearly as impressive as the relentless ground attack strategy executed by Halkias in the form of stories of family history, impenetrable comparisons and an obvious and radiating passion of Halkias’ for the joy and catharsis of laughter, and in the scope of it being the first special from Stavvy, it seems like it’d be hard to top it — but we know he’s got it in him.
Bill Burr, Live at Red Rocks
Having become one of the most globally-recognized voices both inside and outside of comedy over the years, it’s more than admirable to see how much Bill Burr has pushed the envelope, and he pushes it even further with his latest recorded hour, as he finds a way to bring things even further into the stratosphere with another delightfully scathing bipartisan takedown of all the bullshit he’s finding in the air in his characteristically unabashedly blunt yet poetic fashion. Arguably more importantly, he also doesn’t hold back on how he’s changing himself for the better as he gets older and continues to work on his own foibles. Billy Red Rocks is surely a sight to behold.
Tim Dillon, A Real Hero
Amidst the never-ending calamity of both sides of the political spectrum pointing fingers and kicking up dust in the name of progress, it’s nice to see Tim Dillon not buying any of it. To say his debut hour is unwavering is woefully underselling it, as Dillon wastes no time going for the throat of towering world and cultural leaders with a voluntary Molotov cocktail of social commentary that follows a defiant middle finger with an exclamation point. Unwavering? Yes. Unhinged? Also yes, and we’re here for all of it.
Sheng Wang, Sweet & Juicy
If it’s one thing that can be taken away from Sheng Wang Netflix debut, at its foundation, is that you don’t have to be boisterous and theatrical to make your art hit like a freight train. With a comforting and largely monotone delivery, Wang takes what would otherwise be mundane ideas, objects and topics, and shapes them into an assembly line of well-expanded musings that come with a bit of a kick all the way through. In a way, he sort of micro-doses his comedy through this special, and that’s what makes it so potent.
Nick Kroll, Little Big Boy
It’s tough to put a finger on it, but there’s just something about Nick Kroll’s wading in stories that many see as earth-shattering events as kids that make this such a heartfelt and relatable batch of comedy. And even at his most absurd points of the hour, Kroll’s story building strengths are on full display non-stop, and his ability to balance tales and observations while peppering in voices to separate characters embedded in the material, in a way that almost makes it feel like a live script reading as opposed to a stand-up routine, shows an elite artist at his highest level of performance that may have you forgetting that this is his first special.
Hasan Minhaj, The King’s Jester
The term ‘unapologetic” often holds a certain connotation when used to describe comedy, but in the case of Hasan Mnhaj, and specifically his latest hour, his unapologetic approach to socially-driven humor and bringing cultural shortcomings to light in an effective and thought-provoking fashion has only strengthened over the last few years. With plenty of inspiration to pull from, Minhaj is the sugar that helps get the medicine down as he not only pokes fun at, but also points out and dissects the most absurd perspectives and beliefs embedded in the many factions of society in a way that values both truth and tactfully-executed, precise comedic demolition.
Matt Braunger, Doug
If it wasn’t for his ability to paint a canvas piece of comedy gold with his storytelling force, Matt Braunger’s strongest attribute comes in the form of making the whole room gloriously uncomfortable with thoughts that are ultimately relatable and progressive to an almost honorable degree. Challenging the usual tropes of what you might expect from a married father in his mid-40s on stage, Braunger is once again all about flipping the narrative of fatherhood, marriage and masculinity on its head, whilst still holding on to the vibe of a college kid who can’t wait to tell you what he witnessed last night.
Fortune Feimster, Good Fortune
At this point, it seems nearly inevitable that if Fortune Feimster puts out a special, it’s making our end-of-year list. She’s really just that good. While she takes the time in her new hour to continue her streak of bringing us up to speed on her wild and often awkward interactions with everyone from a masseuse to her own partner, Feimster spares no chance to point the finger at herself with stories of shortcomings and embarrassment, which only adds to her standing as one of the most genuine talents in the comedy game today.
Neal Brennan, Blocks
With past work, Neal Brennan has set his own precedent for top-tier delivery of his art, and his early November Netflix release certainly follows the blueprint. It’s layered, poignant, sharply funny and, no surprise, masterfully written and executed in a way that has the potential to set off some soul searching of your own once you’re done watching it.
Sean Patton, Number One
Sean Patton has effectively bookended 2022 with two stellar releases, but with the latter coming in the form of his first video-recorded release, the NOLA native keeps it close to home with a full hour of high-octane mental intensity that burrows deep into Patton’s delightfully chaotic and overactive brain, while making a plethora of pit stops along a weighty, genuine through line that rests heavily in unpacking his struggles with the many facets of OCD. Taking jabs at everything from weed and holy rolling bible thumpers to irate parental threats, his very own romantic shortcomings and the importance of farting, Patton’s storytelling has just gotten stronger over the course of the year, only furthering the notion that he is not only “King Scorpio,” but damn near close to being King storyteller.
Tom Papa, What A Day!
There’s no big over-the-top rockstar welcome or a built-up, erupting conclusion. Instead, what you get is just the king of chaotic joy in his element, setting up story after story with punchline after punchline, each garnering more reaction than the last. With his jokes and observations weaved together in his signature fashion, Tom Papa shows evident creative ingenuity while staying close to his common topics with takes on fatherhood, married life, and pointing out both frustrations and oddities of modern culture, while being able to deliver fresh perspective with ease and candor.
Atsuko Okatsuka, The Intruder
She may have been bamboozled before, but in terms of checking out Atsuko Okatsuka’s debut hour, we cannot say the same. With her descriptive and physical style, Okatsuka delivers a multi-tiered, unrelenting clinic that pulls from a myriad of inspirations, whether it be her family and culture, her unique upbringing, or her approach to fending off an ambitious home intruder — all of which funneling into the point that she’s just trying it all out as she goes along. If you’re not familiar with her, you’re about to be, as this hour gives an introduction that may just have you waiting for more.