KRUISER: Some Personal Reflections on the Death of ‘World Famous Improv’ Founder Budd Friedman.

Budd Friedman — the founder of the “World Famous Improv” comedy clubs — passed away over the weekend. He was 90 years old.

Calling Budd a giant is actually a bit of underselling. The comedy club world had already been dominated by just two people — Budd and the Comedy Store’s Mitzi Shore — seemingly forever when I first began performing in 1982. When young comics first got to Los Angeles, all they wanted to do was get a spot at either the Hollywood Improv on Melrose or the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. That was the dream.

Budd helped mine come true.

Great tribute to the genius who made standup accessible.