From NEPA to Charlotte, Jason Allen King hits the comedy scene

Jason Allen King is a successful screenwriter, comedian and actor who grew up in Mountain Top then found his footing doing standup in Charlotte, N.C. Get to know this Northerner-gone-Southerner as his career flourishes in the world of comedy.

“I used to think I was a writer until I started doing stand-up.” said King.

After growing up with a dream of writing movies, King got his film production start when he moved to Charlotte. It was actually his motivation to write better screenplay humor that led him to take comedy classes at The Comedy Zone in Charlotte. After a few classes, they asked if he’d like to do stand-up, and King decided to give it a shot.

Nine years later and King’s life centers around comedy. He just launched his Dry Bar Comedy Special “Nobody’s Emergency Contact” and was voted Favorite Local Comic in 2019 by Elevate Lifestyle in Charlotte. He’s opened for big names like Rob Schneider, Fortune Feimster and David Attell. For 2023, he already has shows scheduled across the country.

Charlotte was the perfect place to expand his knowledge in humor, both behind the scenes and on stage. After starting his stand-up journey there, The Comedy Zone became King’s “home club” where he’s truly mastered his craft of humor. The Comedy Zone has one of the largest comedy club chains in the country.

He currently hosts the Comedy Zone Podcast. The podcast, recorded at Charlotte’s Comedy Zone, has been around for eight years. King and his co-host, Will Jacobs, interview A-list jokesters to construct a great listen for comedians and fans alike. King and Jacobs plan to soon take the podcast a step further by writing sketches, doing impersonations and expanding on its applications of humor.

King describes his comedy style as an observational comic and joke teller. He said he’s not afraid to go R-rated for the right show, but the focus is always on being relatable with a sharp but positive spin. He works off of stories from life experiences with friends and family that are accessible to everyone in the audience.

“As a short person, I have a unique perspective. … Usually it’s up,” King jokes. Jason Allen King is the youngest of five and admits he’s short, so he leans into his self-awareness to create memorable material. A lot of his recent jokes come from growing up, family, jobs, relationships and the pandemic.

Much of these inspirations go into his recent Dry Bar Comedy Special, “Nobody’s Emergency Contact” which is a 100% clean and sober comedy show. This 25-minute standup special can be watched with the whole family on Dry Bar Comedy’s Season 8.

Between his stand-up, acting and writing, King has really dug his teeth into the vast world humor. He said one of his favorite experiences so far was when he was set to open up for Bill Burr at a show at The Comedy Zone. “That was a very cool experience because he came to The Comedy Zone — and the club was like ‘eh I don’t think you’re gonna get to open for him but you can read the announcements’ and it was kind of a bummer.”

Bill Burr got wind that King would just be reading announcements and King recalls Burr saying to him, “Wait, aren’t you a comic? Well, I’m not going to have you just read announcements, go get out there and do some time!” and he pushed King to get out on stage in front of his sold-out crowd.

“He’s just as cool as you think he is,” King assures us.

King is creating great connections in the comedy world and has gotten the chance to open for many of the comics that inspire him, such as Pete Holmes and Kyle Kinane. He said that, even behind the scenes, comedians are real.

“Comics are a different breed of people I think,” said King. “There’s something about them. Especially if you’re a comic, there’s such a camaraderie among comedians. I haven’t had that many experiences where comics are uncool or don’t treat you right.”

So, what’s up next for Jason Allen King? He’s looking forward to a busy 2023 and hitting the road in spring to do standup in Oregon, Washington and Florida. “That’s where you really cut your teeth and find out how good you are. You go to places you don’t normally tell jokes,” said King.

Growing his standup career is his main focus, but King is also writing a scripted podcast produced by Queen City Podcast Network called “Life Coach,” so keep an eye out for its big debut. He’ll be starring in a new comedy film called “On Earth as it is in Heaven” and was also in the movie “Pink”, so he certainly has his hands full with lots of amazing film and comedy projects.

King tries out a lot of new material with his social media followers so that’s the best way to support him and get in on the fun. Follow him on socials, primarily Instagram, to get an inside peek into King’s humor.

He hopes to get back home to NEPA for a show soon to show us all he’s learned.