Ian Karmel came into his own as a stand-up comedian in Portland and has used that liberal Northwest city as a fulcrum for much of his material. Now based in Los Angeles, Karmel litters his sets with references to pop culture, food, sports, weight, and his Jewishness, topics addressed on his strong 2015 Kill Rock Stars debut album, 9.2 on Pitchfork. "My name is Ian Karmel," he starts one joke, "which sounds like a whimsical British candy store. I'm a six-foot-three, 300-pound Jewish man. My name should be, like... Shlomo Puddingtits." Voted Portland's funniest person in 2011, Karmel has elevated his profile since then. He currently writes for the Late Late Show with James Corden and hosts the All Fantasy Everything podcast; before that, he worked as a staff writer for E!'s Chelsea Lately. by Dave Segal