WHO
Who Built It, Who Runs It, Who It's For
1. Who Created the World Comedy Web?
The World Comedy Web was developed by Rampantly, a digital trust launched in 2019 in Los Angeles as a radical media label under the Center for Poetic Justice. Originally formed to share visibility and digital access for live performers, Rampantly evolved during the 2020 shutdown into a digital infrastructure project for comedy.
In response to industry collapse and platform exploitation, Rampantly began:
Hosting live digital open mics
Offering free representational access to comedians and producers
Profit-sharing with talent and opening its digital systems to emerging artists
By 2021, Rampantly had expanded its scope to include tools and databases for specific sectors of comedy:
Comedy.ink (for illustrators, cartoonists, and writers)
Laugh.Social (for comedy venues)
BigFunFest.com (for comedy festivals)
In 2024, Rampantly developed the World Comedy Web as a federated product and began the process of incorporating the World Comedy Foundation as a nonprofit to serve the public good.
2. Who Runs It?
Rampantly remains the owner and operator of the World Comedy Web and all commercial subdomains including:
nextshow.me, nextone.live, current.fan, and related talent and show tools
The World Comedy Foundation operates only one domain:
comedy.foundation, which houses the Foundation’s membership portal, ethical ground rules, and metro chapters
Rampantly and the Foundation are currently both governed by the same founder. However, the Foundation is being structured to grow into a community-governed nonprofit with decentralized participation.
3. Who It Serves
The World Comedy Web is designed to serve the entire comedy ecosystem, including:
Comedians: Emerging, independent, and established performers seeking visibility, tools, or representation
Show Producers: Anyone running a mic, a recurring show, a festival, or a touring brand
Venues & Festivals: Spaces and events where live comedy happens
Fans & Supporters: People who want to find shows, support artists, and follow local comedy scenes
Cultural Workers & Educators: Archivists, researchers, journalists, and arts educators
Organizers: Local representatives, metro chapter leaders, and cultural stewards committed to equitable infrastructure
Whether you’re running a mic, booking a tour, looking for a stage, or archiving the past—there is a place for you in the World Comedy Web.
We're making live comedy accessible to everyone, or our name isn't
the
World Comedy Foundation
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Did you know?
Representing yourself and your comedy here ensures that your content is included in publications in digital and in print by the World Comedy Foundation, its partners and its subsidiaries.
It's a group effort.
Our shared representation ecology helps comedians and comedy producers leverage live comedy and strengthen platforms for positive social change through the arts in communities everywhere.
