- Maria Bamford grew up in Duluth, Minnesota.
- She started doing stand-up at age 21.
- Bamford taped her first Comedy Central Presents stand-up special in 2001.
- Her first stand-up album, The Burning Bridges Tour, was released in 2003.
- In 2004, she began touring with The Comedians of Comedy.
- Her second album, How to WIN!, was released in 2007.
- Bamford released her third album, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, in 2009.
- The Burning Bridges Tour (2003)
- How to WIN! (2007)
- Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome (2009)
In 2004, comedian Patton Oswalt organized a few of his friends and fellow comics together for the Comedians of Comedy tour, a showcase of some of the best in alternative comedy. Bamford was part of that tour, along with Oswalt, Brian Posehn and Zach Galifianakis. The tour was turned into a documentary/tour film, called The Comedians of Comedy, in 2005. A short-lived reality series followed on Comedy Central.
In 2008, Bamford joined her fellow Comedians of Comedy for their last-ever show in San Diego.
In addition to performing stand-up, Bamford's unique voice and ability to perform characters keeps her working steadily in the cartoon voice-over business. She has supplied voices for children's cartoons including CatDog, Hey Arnold, Mucha Lucha, Skunk Fu! and the direct-to-video film Charlotte's Web 2. She also does voice for more "grown-up" cartoons, including Tom Goes to the Mayor, Home Movies and Sit Down, Shut Up.
- Bamford starred in her own web series, called The Maria Bamford Show, on SuperDeluxe. The episodes are packaged together on DVD alongside the release of Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome.
- Bamford was named one of Los Angeles Magazine's 10 comics to watch in 2005 and one of Variety's 10 comics to watch in 2007.
- Though she had been a professional comic for three years, Bamford continued temping until age 32.
