*Comedian, actor, and writer Ian Edwards has released his latest special, “Untitled, The Comedy Special You Didn’t Know You Needed,” on YouTube. Shot at the Legendary Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Edwards offers sharp, relatable observations on life, asking questions like, “Why do we pay for luggage, and service dogs are free?” His humor is incisive and accessible, blending everyday frustrations with thought-provoking social commentary.
When asked about the unusual title, Edwards explained, “I could come up with everything except the title, coming up with jokes, premises, ideas, find a team to shoot it, find a club to shoot it in. But I just couldn’t come up with a title that everybody liked. And then the editor, who also shot the special, when we were editing, he sent me the special. But there was no name yet, he had untitled on it… And then I showed the special to a friend. And then I was suggesting titles. And he’s like, wait a minute, I thought the title was untitled. He’s like, I was rolling when I saw that. And I was like, you know what? Let me just do that. I think it’s the first comedy special to have no title. So I just thought that was funny too.”
Edwards chose YouTube as the debut platform, citing accessibility and creative freedom. “I ain’t gonna front, we did shop it around a little bit to some networks…people in Australia were like, do I need a VPN? I’m like, what the hell is a VPN? That’s how I learned what a VPN was… It’s great to have it on TV in America or on a network, but not everybody can see it.”
Performing at the Comedy Store, a venue where Edwards is a regular, allowed him to deliver his best performance. “I’m used to performing in that club because I’m a regular…I want to be comfortable. So I’m going to make sure to shoot in a place where I’m comfortable, do well in, and me and that audience understand each other.”
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Edwards describes his comedic style as “dark and edgy, definitely funny.” He added, “I like to make the audience watch me dig a hole and then climb out of it.” When asked about cancel culture, he emphasized pushing boundaries thoughtfully: “I just think, can I go harder? You know what I’m saying?… They say I can’t cross this line, but if I go two steps over that line, they can’t accuse me of crossing a line that I erased.”
Reflecting on his journey, Edwards shared how he first realized comedy could be his path. “I was working at a Burger King, and when I was on the drive-thru, I would crack jokes, like I would take people’s orders and make them laugh just for the fun of it. And this one customer pulled around front, and they were like, Hey, did you just take my order?… you’re funny, man. You should do stand-up comedy. And it had never occurred to me before then ever. But as soon as they said it, it resonated. I knew at that moment, I told myself, that’s what you can do for the rest of your life.”
On the evolving comedy landscape, Edwards sees opportunity in digital platforms. “I feel like comedy might be at one of its all-time highs right now. There’s so much craziness going on that people are seeking comedy out…at least there’s places they could see it for free. You know, like on YouTube, Instagram, or just wherever. So I feel like that has blown some comics up that normally wouldn’t get the chance for people to see them.”
Looking ahead, Edwards plans to continue performing and producing while embracing technology. “If I can’t afford to shoot somewhere on a set, AI can create the set for me at a cheaper rate. So I want to take advantage of it and use it to my advantage.”
Watch our full conversation with Ian Edwards below. You can watch his YouTube special above.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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