The Ten Funniest New Yorkers You've Never Heard Of

The next Seinfeld, the next Sedaris (David and Amy), and the man behind the year's most rocking TV ad. Aziz Ansari
You May Have Actually Heard of Him If: You frequent the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre-the CBGB of alternative comedy-where Ansari hosts the weekly stand-up show 'Crash Test.' The Setup: Aziz Ansari, only 22, won this year's Best Male Stand-Up at the Emerging Comics of New York awards. The Punch Line: "Texas senator John Cornyn's argument against gay marriage is, "If your neighbor marries a box turtle, it doesn't affect your everyday life. But that doesn't make it right." I myself was not a psychology major, but I think it's safe to assume that at one point or another, Senator Cornyn has thought about making love to a box turtle." Vernon

Chatman and John Lee Dorff and Gausas You May Have Actually Heard of Them If: You watch a lot of Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Kevin Dorff plays the recurring Coked-Up Werewolf, and Christina Gausas has appeared in many roles, from a mom to a porn star. The Setup: An improv duo, Dorff and Gausas are known for brainy, off-the-cuff interplay that recalls the heyday of Nichols and May. The Punch Line: Dorff: "It's my brother's funeral. He was a suicide bomber." Gausas: "So then he totally saw it coming."

David Javerbaum Sam Lipsyte Demetri Martin You May Have Actually Heard of Him If: You are one of the swooning Demetri-ites who flock to his appearances at UCB or the 'Eating It' show at the Zipper Theatre. The Setup: Martin melds Wes Anderson hipster innocence with the deadpan brains of Steven Wright, crafting smart, incisive one-liners. Plus, he writes palindromes, including a 222-word opus titled "Dammit I'm Mad."
The Punch Line: "I've noticed that at most theme parks, the theme is 'Wait in line, fatty.' " Russ Meneve Noam Murro Charlie Todd You May Have Actually Heard of Him If: You happened to catch the two guys with a megaphone in a dinghy giving a 'Circle Line' tour of the fountain in Union Square. The Setup: Charlie Todd is the founder of Improv Everywhere, practitioners of guerrilla improv. Basically, they loose controlled comic chaos on the city, including such stunts as placing an attendant in a McDonald's bathroom or staging a 'Meet Anton Chekhov' reading at the Union Square Barnes & Noble. It's like Candid Camera, without the camera-though the stunts are chronicled on their site, improveverywhere.com. The Punch Line: Two guys with a megaphone in a dinghy giving a 'Circle Line' tour of the fountain in Union Square.

Kristen Schaal

You May Have Actually Heard of Her If: You've caught her excellent character work at the People's Improv Theatre. Or you have an obsessive interest in the bit players in the Meg Ryan film Kate & Leopold.
The Setup: Schaal's like the bastard offspring of Sarah Vowell and Amy Sedaris: a collection of whip-smart characters, suffused with endearing, dorky charm.
The Punch Line: Her grade-schooler who gives a book report on George Washington and ends up dirty-dancing with the Founding Father to "(I Had) the Time of My Life."