[mattmaroon]

While very few standup comics make Louis CK money (and don't forget how long it took him to get there) there are tons of working professional ones you've probably never heard of. It's very similar to music in that way. If you're willing to work hard at it you'll probably get to where you can make a decent living within a couple years, even if you never end up with your own HBO special.

[kurtvarner]

I love how he made an insightful comment, and everyone goes off on a tangent about how much money comedians make.

[mattgreenrocks]

Facts are easy to talk about.

Too easy.

[Cushman]

My understanding is that the realistic way a musician makes a living without "making it" is session recording and teaching. What's the equivalent of that for comics?

[jdietrich]

I can't speak for the US, but in the UK there's a broad spectrum of "professional standup", from people playing 10 minute slots at comedy nights for £50 a time, through people touring small theatres and arts centres with 100-200 seats, all the way up to people playing arenas and doing TV.

The general rule of thumb here is that you can make a comfortable living with ~15,000 twitter followers - just enough fans to make a tour viable.

[rquantz]

Just to add to the "working musician" profile: there are lots of opportunities for paid live performance, whether in clubs, with live orchestras or bands, or for events. Most musicians I know make most of their money with a combination of live performance and teaching, rather than with session work, which has largely dried up everywhere except LA. Even here in NYC there's very little money in recording anymore.

[ocelotpotpie]

Assuming your write your own material, the rough equivalent for a comic is getting a writing gig. TV shows, for other comedians, etc. You basically write "session" material as a comic the same way a "session" musician would be a hired gun.

[nerfhammer]

Being a writer for a TV show isn't "making it without making it", it's "making it" proper.

[ocelotpotpie]

Absolutely - I didn't intend to downplay being a TV writer.

In that vein, being a session musician is also "making it" as well. But "it" is subjective - if "it" is being on stage, you didn't "make it" in either case.

[cmaggard]

Local clubs and improv/comedy classes?

[lupatus]

Indie publishing and art classes.

Edit: Oops. Wrong "comics".