Help Van Keep His Comedy Dreams Alive

Friends, as many of you know, I've been performing Standup Comedy for a little over 5 years now. And being an artist is hard (like really, really hard), and to make a living from it is even harder. So I’m asking you incredible people, who have had the opportunity to catch glimpses of what I am capable of, to donate today, and help keep my comedy dreams alive. And if financial contributions are beyond your means, sharing this message would go a long way.

Over the past year, I've been living out of my van (yes, my name is Van and I live in a van), working the Toronto comedy circuit. In 2024 alone, I performed in 111 shows and open mics; from bars to restaurants to iconic theatres, and some of the most prestigious clubs around. I'm pretty well known in the community, some would even call me infamous, but breaking into the mainstream would be the next step.

With the money, I will hire a social media manager, a producer and buy equipment to help promote my brand and push out professional content. This is just the first step, the goal is to start a podcast, record a couple of my upcoming shows, produce a comedy album, then record a comedy special - all by the end of the year.

In the spring, I will be kicking off my "Get In The Van" Comedy Tour. I will continue touring the country, polishing old material, and generating new ones, which includes jokes and stories of:

-Escaping Vietnam by boat as a refugee

-My Religious upbringing in a small town in Southern Ontario

-Receiving the art award from my graduate class

-My martial arts background and receiving by 1st dan black belt in Taekwondo

-Being one of the early pioneers of the UFC

-My experiences with psychedelics

-My traumatic divorce

-Getting shot at; at a goat resort and art gallery in North Carolina and escaping with a priceless piece of artwork

-Losing my job during the pandemic, and living out of my 2006 Honda Odyssey with my dog, Redit - all in the pursuit of my art

I have a great story to tell, and I have the gift of being able to tell it, so I'm not going to squander this opportunity. Comedy is all I know, and I am determined to make it a full-time job. But I can't do it alone.

Sincerely yours, the infamous, the absurd and the grateful,

-Van

Peace.