I always admire comedians who subvert the system.  There is a way to have a comedy career in the comedy business that is not the usual route.  The usual route means perform in comedy clubs, get a mgr/ agent early, do some festivals, do the road, become a road headliner, and eventually maybe even get a TV show.  That is the usual route.   Then there are the unusual routes.  There are the people who only do comedy in their respective cities of New York or LA.  They are very known in those cities and eventually they land a writing job or a good manager / agent who takes them the “alternative comedy” route – performing in theaters, making short films, or whatever will…