Mike Lawrence
Gravel-voiced bitterness and dense punchlines from a fast-food veteran.
1 special · 2013
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Mike Lawrence takes the stage looking like the guy who refuses to buy your used comic books, speaking in a voice that sounds like he just woke up in a gravel driveway. He packs an enormous number of punchlines into a set. The rhythm is pure setup and punch, delivered in a rumbling, exhausted deadpan. If a crowd groans at a harsh premise, he doesn’t apologize; he just leans closer to the microphone and waits for the room to surrender to his misery.
Specials
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Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents
Aggressive self-deprecation, horrible internet comments, and a passionate defense of Spaceballs.
Comedy Central
On stage
He sits squarely in the tier of standups who get hired to write the jokes that famous people say on television. He is the comedian other comics watch from the back of the room to study joke structure. When he steps into a roast battle, his peers know exactly how hard it is to out-write him.
His material runs on pop-culture frustration and personal indignity. He treats his encyclopedic knowledge of comic books and his memories of being single with the exact same utter seriousness. He will spend a minute explaining the lore of a bad movie franchise just to set up a punchline about his own face. He talks about his failures with total detachment, demanding laughs rather than pity.
Lawrence spent years working the drive-thru at a Florida McDonald’s, a tour of fast-food duty that he credits for his ability to handle a rough crowd. That era, alongside his resume writing for televised roasts and award shows, gives his stage presence a permanent layer of earned spite.
Turning points
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Dual Release of The Half Hour and Debut Album
Lawrence premiered his Comedy Central half-hour special alongside the release of his debut standup album Sadamantium via Comedy Central Records.
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First Place Winner of Roast Battle
Lawrence won the inaugural season of Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle on Comedy Central, establishing his reputation as one of the sharpest joke writers in the industry.
At a glance
Fans also like
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Jared Logan
Logan is Lawrence's frequent creative peer and partner in the Dark Lords of Comedy showcase, sharing a generation of NYC club comedy and Comedy Central specials.
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Dan St. Germain
St. Germain co-formed the Dark Lords of Comedy touring group with Lawrence, matching his comedic cohort and self-effacing stand-up approach.
Podcasts
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Nerd of Mouth · co-host
A weekly comedy podcast covering comic books, video games, television series, and movies.
A clip to start with
Scar Isn’t the Villain in “The Lion King” - Mike Lawrence