By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Last year, former Villa Rica resident Rod Man took home the NBC "Last Comic Standing" prize, the first time a local won.
I hear rumors that we may have another potential winner on our hands in Clayton English. (Read the results here from September 9.)
He and Mia Jackson are two Atlantans vying for the 2015 crown. The show returns Wednesday, July 22, at 9 p.m. with a two-hour special showcasing many of the 100 comics picked to perform before the big judges. They will be trimmed to 40, then 10.
This year, Roseanne Barr and Kenan Ivory Wayans return as judges, with "Saturday Night Live" vet Norm McDonald taking over for Russell Peters. Anthony Jeselnik replaces J.B. Smoove as host.
This is the show's ninth season. It returned last year after a multi-year break.
Among those who have appeared on the show include Amy Shumer (fourth place, season 5, 2007), Ralphie May (runner up, season 1, 2003), Kathleen Madigan (fifth place, season 2, 2004), Gabriel Iglesias (disqualified, season 4, 2006), Iliza Schlesinger (winner, season 6, 2008) and Roy Wood Jr. (third place, season 7, 2009).
Here are thumbnail sketches of Mia and Clayton. I have no clue how much airtime either will get in the early episodes.
Clayton English
From: Pensacola, Fla.
Has lived in Atlanta since: middle school, graduated McEachern High School in Powder Springs
Didn't start stand up until: age 24
Early venues: Star Bar, Twisted Taco in 2005
His style: A little bit of storytelling, a few observational jokes. "Some is super smart, some is super silly," he said. "Some are socially conscious. Some of it is stories of life. I try to get something for everybody."
Strategy for the audition and only 3 minutes to impress: "You really have to pick your best jokes. You got to hit them as hard as you can. Atlanta prepared me for that."
Urban (read: black) rooms are tougher: "You get maybe a minute to get to something funny. They don't like long set ups." At Uptown, he said he wouldn't necessarily get booed but get "keyed," as in people would shake their keys. "I've been booed before the music is even off."
His career thus far: He had a minor parts in "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" years ago but has just been gradually building himself up on the stand-up stage. He went full time as a comic four or five years ago and will be headlining The Atlanta Improv at the end of the month.
Coolest moment: Opening for Dave Chappelle on several dates earlier this year, including the Tabernacle. "It's like playing basketball with Jordan," he said. "I will say it made me reevaluate my comedy, not in the sense I was doing it wrong but I have a long way to go before I'm that comfortable on stage!'
Past "Last Comic Standing" connection: He worked at the same cel phone place at a mall kiosk as Karlos Miller, who was a finalist last year.
Sample videos off YouTube
Here he is attempting to "roast" some boxes of cereal:
Warning: a little cursing goes on in this one:
Mia Jackson
Grew up in: Athens
Has been doing standup since: 2005
Places she performed regularly: Funny Farm, then the Punchline
Style: mainstream, observational, with personal stories thrown in.
Practice makes perfect: She will tape her sets and go over them with a fine tooth comb.
Coolest opening: like English, she opened for Dave Chappelle - in 2013.
Job before she went full time as a comic just over a year ago: Corporate trainer.
Strangest job: Canceling credit cards of dead people
YouTube videos:
TV PREVIEW
"Last Comic Standing," 9 p.m. debuting Wednesday, July,22, 2015, NBC
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