Ben Roy wields a knife on stage, grabs an audience member’s head by his ears, stares down into his soul, and screams “I was on extended basic cable television!” Ben howls out to the audience with an eccentric enthusiasm – and they howl back and echo the same feral and carnivorous energy that earned this special the apt name, Hyena . With the audience in tow, he rants about the downfall of American society and how letting go may be our last hope in this chaotic yet surprisingly optimistic view of our inevitable demise and the cackling laughter we can enjoy while watching it die.
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Ben Roy: If you aren’t familiar with Ben Roy, he’s been taking comedy audiences by storm since 2004, bringing an unparalleled energy and unique voice to the stage. Often compared to Lewis Black or Bill Hicks due to his passionate, ranting approach, Roy has a style that is definitively his own. Roy cut his comedic teeth in Denver at the world famous Comedy Works. Since then, he has been selected to perform at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs Toronto, Just For Laughs Chicago, The New York Comedy Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest festival, and many more. Roy has been featured on HBO’s Funny as Hell series; as well as on the Comedy Central shows Adam DeVine’s House Party, Corporate, @midnight, and This Is Not Happening. Ben has also released four stand-up comedy albums and was listed as one of Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch. Along with fellow Denver Comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (who collectively perform as The Grawlix), Ben created, wrote, and starred in TruTV’s original scripted comedy series Those Who Can’t, which now has all three seasons available for streaming on HBOMax. He’s also currently host of two popular podcasts, 97.9 The Rat Race on the All Things Comedy network and, along with Orvedahl and Cayton-Holland, The Grawlix Saves the World available on The Starburns Audio Network. In addition to stand-up comedy, acting, and podcasting, Roy is a prolific musician and the current lead singer of pop punk outfit SPELLS. 800 Pound Gorilla Media: 800 Pound Gorilla Media , the largest comedy label in the world, with over 400 of the industry’s top comedians including Kevin Hart’s LOL Records . Established in 2016, 800 Pound Gorilla Media was started by managers of comedians in need of a company that would bring a modern focus of behavioral targeting, digital marketing and fan engagement around comedy video projects and audio. The company has released over 500 comedians’ projects and has partnered with companies like Netflix, Kevin Hart’s LOL, and All Things Comedy. The company has also produced and released over 60 stand-up comedy video specials on various platforms, including two of the most successful comedy specials ever on YouTube, Mark Normand’s Out To Lunch and Matt Rife’s Only Fans.