These Comedians Will Kill You

Milwaukee’s comedy institution, the Caste of Killers Comedy Collective, is celebrating four years of hilarity and community, and the whole city is invited to partake in the fun.

The group began in 2010, and its origin story depends on whom you ask. “We had always talked drunkenly about doing our own show,” says Jason Hillman.

A local stand-up comedian, Hillman founded the collective with partner and fellow stand-up comedian Damon Millard hoping to bring unity to Milwaukee’s comedy scene.

“It seemed like everyone was just doing their own thing,” Hillman recalls. “It was always ‘we’re going to have this show, screw those other shows and come to my show.’ That doesn’t lead to the growth of the scene.”

With the help of other Milwaukee comedians, hand-picked by the duo of Hillman and Millard, they worked to assemble a show. “We brought in all the people we enjoyed seeing at all these disparate places,” Hillman says of how the shows were – and still are – billed. “We were more interested in getting people that we loved and putting them up.”

As the shows grew, so did their ties to local comedians and venues. The Caste of Killers began shows at Art Bar, but soon was at other bars and clubs.

The Caste of Killers has even hosted shows outside the city, bringing comedy to towns as small as Delavan. You could Google it.

Around 2012, a “new wave of comics,” as Hillman described them, came to Milwaukee and embraced the Caste of Killers’ theme of community.

“They were tremendously helpful,” Hillman says. “They were really into what we were doing and what we were trying to accomplish, and they would help us out a lot. That’s when we started doing shows at Karma.”

The relationship between the Caste of Killers and Karma Bar and Grill has given the collective a “home field” for showcases and performances.

“Ari Domnitz at Karma was really into what we were doing,” Hillman says. “He was willing to support it and make sure it wouldn’t fail.”

Since forging a strong relationship with Karma, the Caste of Killers brand was strengthened. With the help of new and seasoned talent, as well as dedicated bar and club owners, the collective became more self-sustaining.

“It was great. I could go off and do my own thing, and the (Caste off Killers) shows would run successfully,” Hillman says. “The people who work with us can easily run the shows themselves, and are just as talented.”

Today, The Caste of Killers showcase at Karma is wildly popular, being named one of the AV Club’s top shows of 2013.

The collective will continue their successful “Open Mic Under the Stairs,” every Wednesday at Karma Bar, as well as their open mics at Art Bar on the second and fourth Thursday of every month.  Friday night shows at Karma take place every first and third Friday of the month.

But Hillman is not resting on past achievements. He has big plans for the future. The collective and Karma are in talks to expand to two shows come fall. Hillman’s hope, he says, is to “start running it like a real club. Keep getting the crowds, maybe do some merchandising. We’re only moving forward. Up and up and up.” And funny, too.

The Caste of Killers fourth birthday party takes place at Karma Bar and Grill, 600 E. Ogden Ave., on Wednesday, April 2 at 8 PM.