Brent Butt

Brent Butt has made his home in Vancouver for 30 years, but was born and raised in Tisdale, Saskatchewan. After high school, he worked as a drywaller, salesperson, comic book artist, and darkroom technician before deciding to pursue his real dream, and in February of 1988, Butt performed stand-up comedy for the first time on an amateur night at a Saskatoon comedy club.

He is now considered one of the funniest people in Canada, with a career in stand-up comedy that stretches into five decades, including numerous appearances at major festivals in multiple countries and being voted Best Male Stand-Up in Canada by his peers. He also created and starred in two successful sitcoms: Corner Gas (“Funniest Show on TV” as voted by TV Guide readers, currently showing in 60 countries) and Hiccups (multiple Leo and Writers Guild Awards). When you add in two theatrical comedy films (No Clue and Corner Gas: The Movie) and four seasons of an animated Corner Gas spinoff, it may seem surprising that Butt’s latest venture – literature – has taken a rather dark turn.

Website: brentbutt.com
Instagram/Threads: @brentbutt
Facebook: @officialBrentButt
Newsletter: brentbutt.substack.com

FESTIVAL BOOK

Huge

Butt kills with a darkly comic thriller that could only be written by someone who knows there are worse things than dying on stage.” – Linwood Barclay

Halfway through an advance copy of the hilarious/scary new novel by Brent Butt. A perfect snapshot of road comedy circa 1994 … GET THIS BOOK on October 3rd.” – Patton Oswalt (via Threads)

In comedy, killing is a good thing. From the award-winning screenwriter and International Emmy nominee comes this unexpectedly dark and twisted thriller.

It’s 1994, and three stand-up comedians have embarked on a tour of smaller communities across a remote stretch of rural Canadian countryside. Dale is a 40-something comic from Chicago who’s on the back half of a mediocre career and thinking about quitting the business. Rynn is a 20-something fast-rising comedy star from Dublin with a big break into TV on her horizon. And who is this third guy, the hulking young man added to the bill at the last minute by a booker with dubious motives? He goes by Hobie Huge, and his enormous physical presence is unfortunately not matched by his skills as opening act. But his brutal lack of ability as a comedian turns out to be the least of his companion’s problems. Huge starts to show signs of a terrifying capacity for brutality offstage too – and for Dale and Rynn, the tour becomes less about getting laughs and more about getting off the road alive.

It’s going to take some getting used to, but Brent Butt is no longer just a funny guy. His debut novel is so accomplished it’s frightening.

GET THE BOOK

Shelf Life Books | Calgary Public Library | Audible

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