Armed & Ridiculous is a comedy collective based in Brooklyn, NY. It was founded and is lead by Mark Annotto and John Payne, who have been performing in the NYC comedy scene since 2002. Since that time, A&R has grown into a comedic juggernaut with a diverse range of acts, shows and contributors. And when we say diverse, that means black people. (And a latino, too!)

A&R has produced and performed numerous original sketch shows in Manhattan, and recently has expanded its focus to new mediums including film, sitcom scripts, and even puppetry. That’s right…film and puppetry. Past work of live performance and video sketches can be viewed in the Multimedia section of this site.

Armed & Ridiculous shot their first-ever short film about the seedy underground world of New York City Ping Pong, which was recently announced as an official selection at the Queens International Film Festival. Check out the trailer of The Underground.

As a side note, A&R is open to the opportunity for sponsorship. Mark enjoys Nutella Hazelnut Spread, while John is a huge fan of Skippy Superchunk Peanut Butter. If either wonderful product would care to sponsor Armed & Ridiculous, please contact us immediately.

The two funny guys also play in a geek-rock band called Puppetbox, but the band isn’t funny. Armed & Ridiculous, however, is.