Marc Maron

Marc Maron’s been grinding away at comedy for, what, like a decade and a half now? Guy’s basically a fixture in the stand-up scene—kind of that comic’s comic who’s everywhere but never feels like he’s selling out. You’ve probably caught him on HBO or some late-night slot, maybe Conan or Letterman, just dropping those punchlines that sound less like rehearsed bits and more like confessions from a guy you met at a dive bar. He’s got this gnarly honesty that’s somehow both hilarious and just slightly uncomfortable, which, let’s be real, is what makes him good. His book, “The Jerusalem Syndrome,” honestly, good luck finding it for a sane price—collectors have turned it into some weird holy grail for comedy nerds. And those three albums? “Not Sold Out,” “Tickets Still Available,” “Final Engagement”—if you know, you know. They’re like little time capsules of his rawest material, and folks still trade stories about their favorite tracks. Marc’s year wasn’t exactly quiet, either. He headlined John Oliver’s NY Stand-Up Show, snagged a #7 spot in Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Showdown—yeah, that’s out of hundreds of comics. But the real rocket ship was “WTF with Marc Maron,” his podcast that blew up and took the top spot on iTunes. It’s just him and his guests, riffing and getting weirdly deep, and suddenly he’s everywhere. Oh, and don’t forget “Scorching the Earth,” that one-man show where he basically lays out his messy divorces and anger issues like open wounds—somehow making it all feel like therapy with a laugh track.