On a night when almost every other comic did their take on getting high, seeing cops while you’re stoned and pot-fueled philosophers, Stan Chen stood apart. Tweaking Asian stereotypes, Chen welcomed the crowd by asking, “Any dog lovers? Mmmmmm. Tastes just like cat” — and extolling the success of Asians in popular culture — “Before Yao Ming if I wanted to pull for an Asian athlete all I had was Michelle Kwan and half of Tiger Woods.”

Chen charmed the crowd and wowed the judges to capture the $2,500 top prize in the first ever “Comedy Starter Kit Contest” at The Funny Bone Dec. 9.

 

-Stan Chen won the Comedy Starter Kit Contest held last weekend at The Funny Bone.-

 

Also included in the prize package were paid engagements as an MC at eight different clubs across the Eastern U.S.

“I am in it for the love of the game,” said Chen, 39, a full-time commercial pilot who’s been performing comedy for five years. “I really respect the art of stand-up comedy.”

The contest was organized by Troy Davis, one of the handful of comics in Indy who make their living as touring comedians. Davis, who was a bricklayer for 20 years, began performing full-time four years ago, and has been organizing open mic nights for a number of years. “I know how hard it is to break in,” he said. “I wanted to do something for the comics. So many of these guys have the talent, it’s just hard to get your foot in the door.”

Local radio personality and owner of One-Liners Comedy Club in Greenwood, Dave “The King” Wilson, was one of six judges. “I started doing comedy in Indianapolis in ’83 and there were some very funny people in town,” he said, “but I don’t know if you could have found 10 guys back then that were this good. I was really impressed with the originality and the level of the talent.”

Other winners were Nick Goforth, 23, Shelbyville, who won $1,000 and four weeks of MC work; Kris Shaw, 30, Indianapolis, $500 and two weeks work; and Brooke Showalter, 21, $100, one paid week.

Contestants paid $25 per night to enter, with the money going toward the cash prizes. Even thought the contest lasted for nearly a full year, Davis still had to augment the pot with $1,000 of his own money. “The contest was my idea and I didn’t want to renege on the prizes.” Chen intends to work each of the eight engagements he won, schedule permitting.