I’ve known comedian Nick Griffin for over 20 years and he’s been doing stand up a little more than that, so I consider him a family member in the circle of the funny.

This is also a special time because it’s almost Halloween (with lots of events this weekend). Griffin loves all things horror and monster related and has the original scripts of all things scary for motion pictures waiting to be made to prove it.

Griffin used to have a segment on his Facebook page entitled, This Day in Monster History (or something close to it) telling us what happened of historical significance having to do with vampires, zombies, etc., and I would constantly be sharing it with my listeners here in Tahoe on my morning radio show.

Griffin used to be based out of Los Angeles and did very well but once he became a New Yorker, that’s when things really took off.

New York City fits Nick’s temperament and he was immediately embraced by those in the comedy community because he already had a solid reputation.

What a difference considering his Midwest upbringing where he started performing at the age of 19 in Kansas City.

Griffin is a regular at The Comedy Cellar, Stand Up NY and Gotham Comedy Club when not out on the road spreading his comedy cheer.

Griffin has a lot of comedy credentials, his most impressive is he appeared 12 times on The Late Show with David Letterman — 12!

He’s also had his own special on Comedy Central, the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Show and (where I first saw him) on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and his latest, Nick Griffin: Cheer Up (released by Comedy Dynamics) is his funniest piece of work to date.

It’s funny though when you comment to Griffin about appearing on all these well-respected shows he’ll tell you it really hasn’t helped him that much. I believe though there’s a vast undercurrent of people who are just now discovering Nick Griffin.

There are many things that come to mind when watching a Nick Griffin comedy show, insightful, observational and a touch of brilliance first come to mind.

I never tire of watching his act. I’m a bit biased because there’s only a handful of comics that share the same passion about movies (horror, sci-fi and cult being favorite discussions).

He’s written a plethora of scripts, treatments and full blown screenplays with his best stuff being the ones that are kind of dark and not everyday stories.

Sometimes Griffin will text me late at night asking how many bagels I gave a certain movie (I rate movies by bagels with five being the best) and why I liked or disliked it.

Griffin said he really enjoys performing and spending time up here at Lake Tahoe in part because he said he feels safe which allows him to concentrate more on his writing and less on having to worry about making bad decisions.

“Things have been OK lately, which is huge for me because I always expect the worst,” Griffin said.

So, with those kind of not-so-high expectations, the rest of us are going to be in for a real treat this week at The Improv inside Harveys.

The Improv at Harveys takes place Wednesdays through Sundays at 9 p.m. Learn more at http://www.harveystahoe.com.

Sean Peabody at The Carson Comedy Club

When you first see comedian Sean Peabody you might mistake him for the club’s bouncer and not the headlining act.

I first met Peabody at a taping of Carson City Tonight with host Bob Zany. He did both stand up and paneled for the show and was very entertaining. He definitely has a passion for comedy and upon meeting him you can’t help but be drawn to the guy.

Peabody has an instant likability factor with his ability to tell stories that make you feel like you were there.

Don’t let his relaxed style fool you, he will come out blazing and have you laughing until your whole body hurts.

Born in San Diego and raised in the Bay Area, Peabody has been a force on the comedy scene the past 15 years. With a Polynesian background he has adapted to all styles and types of comedy.

Peabody is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and actually got his comedy start while serving his country. As an instructor on the shooting range his philosophy was “better to have them happy while they were walking around with loaded weapons. You want people in the right state of mind.”

With that his comedy career was born. From performing clean comedy shows to working blue, Peabody can adapt to it all.

His comedy is high energy from beginning to end no matter what style of comedy. Crowd work is his specialty and any audience member having seen him will feel like they’ve been part of the show.

Griffin is a performer for all ages and everyone to enjoy which you too can experience this weekend at The Carson Comedy Club inside The Carson Nugget.

Shows at the Carson Comedy Club inside the Carson Nugget start at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.