2009 Gift Guide for Comedy Fans

Shopping for a fan of alternative comedy but not exactly sure what that means? Consider these albums by comedians who are just slightly off the beaten path.

• Patton Oswalt: My Weakness is Strong (Compare Prices)
• Maria Bamford: Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome (Compare Prices)
• Dana Gould: Let Me Put My Thoughts in You (Compare Prices)
• Eugene Mirman: God is a Twelve-Year Old Boy with Asperger's (Compare Prices)

Git 'r done this holiday with these gift suggestions for the Blue Collar Comedy fan.

• Bill Engvall: Aged and Confused (Compare Prices)
• Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (Compare Prices)
• Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special (Compare Prices)
• Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party (Compare Prices)

If someone on your list is a fan of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, check out these Saturday Night Live-related gifts, from the first five classic seasons to a comprehensive history of the show.

• Saturday Night Live: Season One (Compare Prices)
• Saturday Night Live: Season Two (Compare Prices)
• Saturday Night Live: Season Three (Compare Prices)
• Saturday Night Live: Season Four (Compare Prices)
• Saturday Night Live: Season Five (Compare Prices)
• SNL: 25 Years of Laughs (Compare Prices)
• Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live (Compare Prices)

Get back to basics with these classic stand-up album and special suggestions.

• George Carlin: All My Stuff (Compare Prices)
• Richard Pryor: The Anthology (Compare Prices)
• Robert Klein: The HBO Specials (1975-2005) (Compare Prices)
• Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow Right! (Compare Prices)

What better to give an aspiring comedian than the gift of live comedy? Or even classes to improve his or her skills with improv and sketch comedy? Give the would-be comedian in your life a head start with these gift ideas.

• Comedy Club Gift Certificates
• Improvisation Classes (through Second City, ImprovOlympic Chicago, ImprovOlympic Los Angeles, The Groundlings or even your local park district)
• And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft by Mike Sacks (Compare Prices)

Looking for a gift for a sketch comedy fan that's moved beyond Saturday Night Live? Here are some ideas for the more advanced fan of sketch comedy.

• Mr. Show: The Complete Collection (Compare Prices)
• The State: The Complete Series (Compare Prices)
• Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Compare Prices)
• The Second City Unscripted: Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater by Mike Thomas (Compare Prices)

Got a comedy fan in your life interested in exploring the roots of stand-up, improv and sketch comedy? These are some great gifts on comedy history.

• Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America by Lawrence Maslon and Michael Kantor (Compare Prices)
• Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America (Compare Prices)
• The Art of Buster Keaton DVD Box set (Compare Prices)