Coaches. 2017  

DYLAN HAAS is no fun, does not like fun things and has no imagination. Dylan is the co-founder/co-director of the 208 Comedy Fest and the president of Almost There productions but is better known as everyone’s favorite step dad.

DUSTIN CHALIFOUX does not walk the thin line between genius and insanity, he is the thin line between genius and insanity. With an in your face, blast of the bizarre free flowing style Dustin has been bringing thought provoking laughter to audiences throughout the Mid and Northwest for the past several years.

ERIC COLE was born fully formed, as he sprang to life from the inside of a fish tank, so It's easy to see where he gets his irreverent, nonsensical sense of humor. He's made 'em laugh from Idaho to Reno and back again, hosted the shit out of the main stage at the 2017 Idaho Laugh Fest and is Boise’s own roastmaster general.

JASON WARD is an experienced public speaker as both a stand-up comedian and storyteller, having been featured at Boise’s Story Story Night; a showcase performer in the Idaho Laugh Fest, ComedyFort, and upcoming 208 Comedy Festivals; and opening comedian for Bob and Tom Radio favorites, Auggie Smith and Costaki Economopoulos.

EMMANUEL VERA

The charm of SOPHIE HUGHES allows her to say and do things she shouldn't be able to get away with. Her good looks have helped her to achieve regular work as a voice actor. Her talents have taken her all the way to performing at Limestone Comedy Festival and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

According to a former classmate, KC HUNT has had sad eyes since the fourth grade. KC's sarcastic mix of observational and absurdist humor touches on subjects from the mundane to the profane, connecting with diverse audiences while still challenging their assumptions. All with a look on his face like his mustache smells funny. In 2016, KC’s contestant was Boise’s Funniest Runner-Up.

MERRY COLE is a comic with a flair for combining everyday topics with her quick wit, unique rhetoric and just the right amount of edge. She first came onto the comedy scene in 2014 when she entered Boise’s Funniest Person, and as a novice who had never before taken the stage, she walked away with second place. Since then she has performed all over Idaho, and the Northwest.

OLEK SZEWCZYK is a master at making the masses laugh at his awkward but relatable humor. Between opening for Kyle Kinane, Rory Scovell, and Bobcat Goldthwait, Olek has found time to perform at Idaho Laugh Fest, coach Boise’s Funniest person for five years and reign as Boise's Best Bad Dancer two years in a row. Olek was also voted the most handsome comedian at the Szewczyk family Christmas dinner in 2012 (where he received 30% of the vote).

BEN HESS was born upside down and backwards. And so goes his comedy. With his cavalier style, he relates his unique life experiences by providing new and odd perspectives. Whether musing on the life of a deer or espousing the realities of mental health, Ben's all inclusive approach will leave you thinking. And if not thinking, at least he'll leave you laughing.

Judges. 2017  

AARON WOODALL

Editor-in-Chief of the Boise Weekly, AMY ATKINS describes herself as a "writer, maker of jewelry, listener of music, watcher of TV, reader of books, surfer of Internet, and lover of hitchhiking cats and all things pink." She's a passionate consumer and reviewer of entertainment, and has lent her excellent judging and commentary skills to all five years of Boise’s Funniest Person.

DEREK SHEEN is a cuddly mess of insecurities, a gifted storyteller, actor and writer. He’s quickly become a favorite among comedy fans all over the globe touring with Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Janeane Garofolo and Rory Scovel.

EMMA ARNOLD is a comedian, author, and beekeeper. She tours regularly, and performed in fifty two cities in 2016. A fan favorite on the Dana Gould Hour, Sklar Bro Country, and Doug Loves Movies. Her greatly anticipated book, “Notion Sickness”, will be published in 2017, and her comedy album will be available May 2017 from Rooftop Comedy.

JODI EICHELBERGER is a puppeteer, writer, director, and composer whose roles include Stingy on the television series LazyTown and The Upcoming 2018 Movie LazyTown: The Movie. He performed in the original cast of the Tony award-winning musical Avenue Q on Broadway. Jodi is currently artistic director and most stellar master of ceremonies of Boise’s Story Story Night.

MATTIO MARTINEZ has written and directed shorts and web series for ABC Studios, the BBC, as well as for several independent live-action and animation production companies. As a stand-up comedian based in L.A., Mattio performs at The Comedy Store, Flappers, and the Super Secret Comedy Show at the Lyric Theatre and co-produces a monthly stand-up show called BASH.

TIM NORTHERN is a regular on the national comedy club circuit and has the credentials to prove he is no stranger to the bigger and brighter stages in comedy. Born and raised in Nashville, this wordsmith's influences are a who's who of comic geniuses. George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Steven Wright all appealed to him because of how smart their material was. That lesson was never lost on him. His style can be aptly described as humor for the thinking person, a unique combination of intellect and fun-filled observation. Simply put, Tim Northern is a punster of the highest caliber.

HOST. 2017  

Alisha Donahue is a comedian, podcaster and mother of four. As one half of the comedy duo Lady Bizness, voted Boise’s Best Comedians by Boise Weekly readers in 2016, Alisha has opened for Fortune Feimster and Gilbert Gottfried, performed at Idaho Laugh Fest, The Comedy Womb and the upcoming 208 Comedy Festival. She was first runner up in the inaugural Boise's Funniest Person comedy contest in 2013, though if pressed she will tell you she tied for first.