For Immediate Release:
5/25/2003
HumorMall.com


Best Closing In Show Biz
San Francisco comedy legend John Cantu''s funeral brings down the house. John Cantu -- passionate voice for comics in S.F. Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
©2003 San Francisco Chronicle


John Cantu, the loud, funny and beloved promoter and impresario of the San Francisco stand-up comedy scene, has died.

Mr. Cantu, 55, who ran the Holy City Zoo comedy club and for years stood on the sidewalk in front, cajoling and wheedling passers-by to come in, died Sunday at Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco after a long battle with cancer.

"I loved John. He was such a character," said comedian Michael Pritchard, his friend. "He was so gifted, and he really helped build comedy and comedians in San Francisco."

Comedian Dan St. Paul, one of the regulars at the club, said Mr. Cantu liked to encourage young comedians, and although his criticism of their performances could be devastating, it was also forthright, perceptive and accurate.

"You felt a camaraderie with the guy, and he was really delighted just listening to people laugh," St. Paul said.

Mr. Cantu, who often slept on the stage of the club after the shows, was well known for attempting to snag new customers by hollering "Comedy! Comedy! Comedy!" at perplexed Clement Street pedestrians. Few who ventured inside were disappointed.

Although he rarely performed himself, he taught joke-writing classes, operated a humor Web site, made speeches about comedy, and supplied one-liners to columnists, comedians, customers and anyone else who would listen.

"The art of comedy," he often said, "is to not let the audience know you're doing jokes."... MORE

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Show goes on at memorial for comedian Eulogists get 2 1/2 minutes each to do their shtick at the packed service
Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, May 17, 2003
©2003 San Francisco Chronicle

Eulogists got exactly 2 1/2 minutes to tell mourners what a great fellow John Cantu was, before a man with a flashlight began shining it in their eyes.

That's the way Cantu, the stopwatch-toting impresario of open-mike stand-up comedy in San Francisco, would have wanted it.

Cantu, 55, who died Sunday of cancer, was remembered on Friday by legions of comedians and friends, most of whom knew that a comedian can die on stage almost as surely as the other way.

"John was such a good producer, he could put on a show even after he left the building," said his friend David Garfinkel, who introduced himself as the "emcee" of Cantu's funeral at the San Francisco Columbarium... MORE

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WHAT: Best Closing In Show Biz - San Francisco comedy legend John Cantu''s funeral brings down the house.  WHO: "John Cantu - passionate voice for comics in S.F." WHERE:San Francisco Chronicle''s Front Page Headline: "Show goes on at memorial for comedian. Eulogists get 2 1/2 minutes each to do their shtick at the packed service"  WHEN: Died May 11, 2003, San Francisco, California USA CONTACT: Susan Cerce of HumorMall.com 415-668-2402 http://www.HumorMall.com John Cantu is a former co-owner and producer for the "Holy City Zoo Comedy Club," and HumorMall.com (www.HumorMall.com). For years Cantu showcased some of the country''s top comedians including Robin Williams, Dana Carvey, Paula Poundstone, Jerry Seinfeld, Rob Schneider, Kevin Pollock, Margaret Cho, and others. And John just wasn't a pretty face. "Cantu is a comedy genius who really gets a crowd excited while teaching practical yet easy to implement skills" notes Malcolm Kushner, author of "The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success" and "Public Speaking For Dummies." (John's legacy will continue with his how-to products available at HumorMall.com).