A little over three years ago Joe Bardetti left a job as a copywriter for Leo Burnett to become a full-time stand-up comedian. He knew he was giving up security, but he didn’t expect what happened next. One week after his resignation, some local comics tried to boycott Zanies over wage issues. Then both the Fallout and the Improv shut down, victims of the comedy bust.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
“That’s how I got so much better,” he says. “You get a sense of composure onstage. You get material that works for many different audiences. It’s a proving ground. If you make it out alive, you can call yourself a comedian.”
Bardetti was more of a jock than a class clown while growing up in Andover, Massachusetts. He played on his high school’s football and track teams and later competed in track and field at Brown University. After graduating in 1988 with degrees in both economics and international relations, he moved to Chicago to work at Burnett, creating TV and print ads for such clients as Tropicana and Dewar’s.
–Michael Marsh
