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The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films
A comic hero or heroine also goes on a journey, but for the comic hero, it’s often quite, quite different. The hero decides to go on the adventure; the comic hero often has no choice. The hero has a wise old man; the comic hero often meets an idiot who inadvertently says something that can teach him a thing or two. Steve Kaplan will show you the diverse paths that comedy takes in The Comic Hero’s Journey.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2018
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105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 24, 2020
There are three general ways to approach a work of art (for the purposes of this review at least): To enjoy it, to analyze it, and to enjoy analyzing it. Comedy expert Steve Kaplan strikes me as being very much in this third camp, as someone who enjoys tinkering with the mechanics of story and comedy the way your crankcase-oil covered cousin just has to take apart engines and put them back together again.
I wish more people involved in comedy writing took this approach, because when I think over all of the comedies I've seen, sure there are some that are flat-out bad (the agonizing "Corky Romano") and some bonafide masterpieces ("Groundhog Day") but there are so many in that middle ground, sort of funny, sort of not working, for reasons that I could never quite put my finger on.
Kaplan the diagnostician does a good job of finding out why something is a near-hit (it could be a joke or a whole movie) and why something works completely, joining the canon of comedy miracles like "Dr. Strangelove" or "There's Something about Mary." He does this especially well by examining early drafts of comedies and contrasting them with the polished final projects. He also does it by showing how not making characters subordinate to plot is critical in comedy, and that even in implausible comic worlds (think "Ghostbusters" or "Shaun of the Dead") characters still have to react in plausible ways.
I liked "The Comic Hero's Journey" almost as much as the other Kaplan book I read, "The Hidden Tools of Comedy," and while there is some reiteration here of things said there, it didn't feel redundant because it is the kind of stuff not just worth revisiting, but drilling into your head if you hope to get better at making comedy.
Especially cool was how he included many recent, post-Apatow comedies in his analysis. We all get set in our ways, and so many formerly great comedic minds just seem sort of sclerotic and unwilling to engage with new frontiers, which made it especially refreshing to see the kind of line of progress drawn from Laurel & Hardy to "The Producers" to "The Forty Year-Old Virgin" in "The Comic Here's Journey." Highest recommendation.
I wish more people involved in comedy writing took this approach, because when I think over all of the comedies I've seen, sure there are some that are flat-out bad (the agonizing "Corky Romano") and some bonafide masterpieces ("Groundhog Day") but there are so many in that middle ground, sort of funny, sort of not working, for reasons that I could never quite put my finger on.
Kaplan the diagnostician does a good job of finding out why something is a near-hit (it could be a joke or a whole movie) and why something works completely, joining the canon of comedy miracles like "Dr. Strangelove" or "There's Something about Mary." He does this especially well by examining early drafts of comedies and contrasting them with the polished final projects. He also does it by showing how not making characters subordinate to plot is critical in comedy, and that even in implausible comic worlds (think "Ghostbusters" or "Shaun of the Dead") characters still have to react in plausible ways.
I liked "The Comic Hero's Journey" almost as much as the other Kaplan book I read, "The Hidden Tools of Comedy," and while there is some reiteration here of things said there, it didn't feel redundant because it is the kind of stuff not just worth revisiting, but drilling into your head if you hope to get better at making comedy.
Especially cool was how he included many recent, post-Apatow comedies in his analysis. We all get set in our ways, and so many formerly great comedic minds just seem sort of sclerotic and unwilling to engage with new frontiers, which made it especially refreshing to see the kind of line of progress drawn from Laurel & Hardy to "The Producers" to "The Forty Year-Old Virgin" in "The Comic Here's Journey." Highest recommendation.
January 13, 2020
I'm an enthusiast of the hero's journey paradigm when writing my own stories. I've read Campbell and Vogler, and I've worked with the paradigm enough that it's now part of my story subconscious. I've seen it in enough different contexts such as Snyder's 'Save the Cat' and Harmon's 'Story Circle' that I recognize it immediately. I'm planning on posting some animations to TikTok that use scenes from my books, and I wanted to punch up the humor so that people would have fun doing a duet as half of the scene conversation. I have Vorhaus's 'The Comic Toolbox' and had previously read Kaplan's 'Hidden Tools of Comedy' so I was pleased to see the 'Comic Hero's Journey' when I went looking for more resources.
Steve Kaplan does a wonderful job of re-mapping the hero's journey with a comic perspective overlay. He walks you through the framework with solid examples from real films and stories. If you are already familiar with the afore-mentioned references, this book is a solid next step into comedy. Which, as we know, is harder than dying!
Thank you, Steve!
Steve Kaplan does a wonderful job of re-mapping the hero's journey with a comic perspective overlay. He walks you through the framework with solid examples from real films and stories. If you are already familiar with the afore-mentioned references, this book is a solid next step into comedy. Which, as we know, is harder than dying!
Thank you, Steve!
September 1, 2019
There's a lot to chew on and process here. I don't know that Kaplan has solved the problem of "what makes a comic narrative different from a dramatic narrative" but I'm not sure if he set out to do so (I was hoping... but that's on me). And maybe the answer is: a comedic story is defined by the presence of a comedic hero. (which is in essence Kaplan's argument in his previous book).
Having said that, there is a great deal of useful information and insight for those choosing to create comedic film narratives and really any comic narrative. And while there is some repetition from the prior book but he's building on that information so it makes sense and necessary for those who haven't read the The Hidden Tools of Comedy.
Having said that, there is a great deal of useful information and insight for those choosing to create comedic film narratives and really any comic narrative. And while there is some repetition from the prior book but he's building on that information so it makes sense and necessary for those who haven't read the The Hidden Tools of Comedy.
February 16, 2020
Terrific book, as always, by Steve Kaplan. I would have given it 5 stars except that I’m a fiction writer. Not a screenwriter. So, I spent lost of my time trying to figure out how to adapt this for a novel.
December 22, 2018
Dying is easy
Dying is easy; comedy is hard.
And writing comedy is the worst of both worlds.
If only for that reason, I anxiously awaited the arrival of The Comic Hero’s Journey by Steve Kaplan, a delightful man whom I met at a comedy workshop at Raindance Toronto and whose other book, The Hidden Tools of Comedy, I devour routinely.
Much as Chris Vogler cribbed from Joseph Campbell to create The Writer’s Journey, an examination of the mythic structure of modern cinematic storytelling, so Kaplan has cribbed from Vogler, right down to the title, for his examination of the Non-Hero found at the heart of every comedy.
And the key to this is the Non-Hero (e.g., The Forty-Year-Old Virgin) rather than Anti-Hero (e.g., The Good, The Bad & The Ugly).
Where the Hero and his dark-souled sibling Anti-Hero are equipped to deal with life’s tribulations and merely need to be convinced to step-up, the non-hero has no internal resources to access when challenged. Not only can she not step-up, but she doesn’t know there is a staircase.
In part, I think that this is why comedy resonates with most audiences. We are not inherently a hero, but rather a non-hero in our daily lives.
That fundamental difference in perspective means that the mythology of comedic characters is different from their heroic counterparts. Their pivotal moments or story motifs may be similar in effect but are different in tone from the moments Campbell (The Hero with a Thousand Faces) and Vogler describe.
It is these pivotal comedic moments that form the bulk of The Comic Hero’s Journey and provide the book with its subtitle: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films.
Before Kaplan delves into structure, however, he gives us a few moments with the archetypal characters found in comedy, dipping into European art history. Much as dramatic characters fit into mythological archetypes, comedic characters typically align with the archetypes of Commedia dell’Arte, the best remembered being Harlequin (not Margot Robbie).
Thus, in creating comedic characters, the writer is not necessarily starting from scratch. Rather, she can tap into the archetypes as starting points and layer in facets that make each character unique, imbuing each with a distinctive voice and perspective.
With our casts in place, Kaplan then leads us on a journey through the pivotal moments that might occur in any given story (more on “might”, shortly), starting with the “WTF? moment” (Kaplan’s description) that kicks the Non-Hero from her slumber.
As Kaplan describes these moments, he offers scenes from films that exemplify those moments. He picks from an array of movies, but his go-to films include: Tropic Thunder, Groundhog Day, This is the End, and Bridesmaids.
(Vogler similarly describes the mythic elements in terms of Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz.)
It’s in making these choices that Kaplan stands out from so many other writers writing about screenwriting, because you get the sense that Kaplan adores these films.
Where most writers largely offer an almost academic analysis of story, character or any other element of screenwriting, Kaplan approaches the topic from both sides: critical analyst and kid sitting in a darkened theatre.
Much as the non-hero is us, so too is Kaplan, which makes both of his books incredibly approachable, whether you write or simply watch comedy.
As a writer, however, what I also appreciate about Kaplan’s approach is his enthusiasm for exploring moments where filmmakers didn’t quite achieve a moment or ignored an archetype.
I hesitate to use the word “failed” – if you can get a movie made, you have NOT failed – but one of the challenges of only looking at stories that work is it can be difficult to see how they might have been any other way. Sometimes it can only be in examining suboptimal stories or scenes that you can truly understand the power behind these creative decisions.
Thus, Kaplan not only gives us examples of where ideas have worked in screenplays, but also demonstrates where opportunities may have been missed, examining suboptimal stories or early versions of scenes that he then contrasts with the final, stronger versions.
By seeing both sides, we get a better understanding of how these concepts work and why they can be so important in storytelling.
That said, Kaplan is quick to acknowledge – downright screams, actually – that the journey he has described is NOT A FORMULA for writing comedy.
Any story can be written in any way, and while these moments or concepts occur in most strong comedies, they are not necessarily found in the order in which Kaplan describes them. Nor does every story necessarily include each moment.
In keeping with The Hidden Tools of Comedy, these are very much tools, not rules.
What happens next in the story should be driven more by the characters themselves than any external element, structural or otherwise. Instead, these elements merely help the writer understand what is happening and hopefully provide some perspective on how a story might be improved, but always from within the characters rather than the deus ex machina of “Wouldn’t it be funny if…”.
The Comic Hero’s Journey should adorn the shelves or hard drives of any writer seriously considering comedy and would not be out of place in the hands of anyone who simply enjoys comedy.
My biggest hope is that the book is a prelude to a workshop tour, because I will be first in line for its Toronto leg.
Dying is easy; comedy is hard.
And writing comedy is the worst of both worlds.
If only for that reason, I anxiously awaited the arrival of The Comic Hero’s Journey by Steve Kaplan, a delightful man whom I met at a comedy workshop at Raindance Toronto and whose other book, The Hidden Tools of Comedy, I devour routinely.
Much as Chris Vogler cribbed from Joseph Campbell to create The Writer’s Journey, an examination of the mythic structure of modern cinematic storytelling, so Kaplan has cribbed from Vogler, right down to the title, for his examination of the Non-Hero found at the heart of every comedy.
And the key to this is the Non-Hero (e.g., The Forty-Year-Old Virgin) rather than Anti-Hero (e.g., The Good, The Bad & The Ugly).
Where the Hero and his dark-souled sibling Anti-Hero are equipped to deal with life’s tribulations and merely need to be convinced to step-up, the non-hero has no internal resources to access when challenged. Not only can she not step-up, but she doesn’t know there is a staircase.
In part, I think that this is why comedy resonates with most audiences. We are not inherently a hero, but rather a non-hero in our daily lives.
That fundamental difference in perspective means that the mythology of comedic characters is different from their heroic counterparts. Their pivotal moments or story motifs may be similar in effect but are different in tone from the moments Campbell (The Hero with a Thousand Faces) and Vogler describe.
It is these pivotal comedic moments that form the bulk of The Comic Hero’s Journey and provide the book with its subtitle: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films.
Before Kaplan delves into structure, however, he gives us a few moments with the archetypal characters found in comedy, dipping into European art history. Much as dramatic characters fit into mythological archetypes, comedic characters typically align with the archetypes of Commedia dell’Arte, the best remembered being Harlequin (not Margot Robbie).
Thus, in creating comedic characters, the writer is not necessarily starting from scratch. Rather, she can tap into the archetypes as starting points and layer in facets that make each character unique, imbuing each with a distinctive voice and perspective.
With our casts in place, Kaplan then leads us on a journey through the pivotal moments that might occur in any given story (more on “might”, shortly), starting with the “WTF? moment” (Kaplan’s description) that kicks the Non-Hero from her slumber.
As Kaplan describes these moments, he offers scenes from films that exemplify those moments. He picks from an array of movies, but his go-to films include: Tropic Thunder, Groundhog Day, This is the End, and Bridesmaids.
(Vogler similarly describes the mythic elements in terms of Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz.)
It’s in making these choices that Kaplan stands out from so many other writers writing about screenwriting, because you get the sense that Kaplan adores these films.
Where most writers largely offer an almost academic analysis of story, character or any other element of screenwriting, Kaplan approaches the topic from both sides: critical analyst and kid sitting in a darkened theatre.
Much as the non-hero is us, so too is Kaplan, which makes both of his books incredibly approachable, whether you write or simply watch comedy.
As a writer, however, what I also appreciate about Kaplan’s approach is his enthusiasm for exploring moments where filmmakers didn’t quite achieve a moment or ignored an archetype.
I hesitate to use the word “failed” – if you can get a movie made, you have NOT failed – but one of the challenges of only looking at stories that work is it can be difficult to see how they might have been any other way. Sometimes it can only be in examining suboptimal stories or scenes that you can truly understand the power behind these creative decisions.
Thus, Kaplan not only gives us examples of where ideas have worked in screenplays, but also demonstrates where opportunities may have been missed, examining suboptimal stories or early versions of scenes that he then contrasts with the final, stronger versions.
By seeing both sides, we get a better understanding of how these concepts work and why they can be so important in storytelling.
That said, Kaplan is quick to acknowledge – downright screams, actually – that the journey he has described is NOT A FORMULA for writing comedy.
Any story can be written in any way, and while these moments or concepts occur in most strong comedies, they are not necessarily found in the order in which Kaplan describes them. Nor does every story necessarily include each moment.
In keeping with The Hidden Tools of Comedy, these are very much tools, not rules.
What happens next in the story should be driven more by the characters themselves than any external element, structural or otherwise. Instead, these elements merely help the writer understand what is happening and hopefully provide some perspective on how a story might be improved, but always from within the characters rather than the deus ex machina of “Wouldn’t it be funny if…”.
The Comic Hero’s Journey should adorn the shelves or hard drives of any writer seriously considering comedy and would not be out of place in the hands of anyone who simply enjoys comedy.
My biggest hope is that the book is a prelude to a workshop tour, because I will be first in line for its Toronto leg.
December 8, 2018
Reading 'The Comic Hero's Journey' is perfect for someone like me who wants to write a full-length comedy but has little-to-no idea on how to do so. When I first set out to learn comedy I started with joke-writing books. Books on punchlines. But the nature of a comedic screenplay demands more attention to be paid to character, and that's where Steve Kaplan is an expert.
Many of the ideas that I have about screenwriting come from the standard texts and they all say pretty much the same thing. But I found some of the material in this book to be really surprising like this gem from page 79: "And while there's always a place for villains in our comedies (i.e., Biff in Back to the Future or Ben Stiller in Dodgeball), here's what you need to understand about antagonists in comedies: You don't need them."
I found that piece of advice to be worth the price of admission alone.
This book is an adaptation of Joseph Campbell's 'Hero's Journey'. It pays particular attention to several blockbuster comedies (Bridesmaids, This Is The End, Tropic Thunder, and Spy) and breaks them down step-by-step so that you can see how the journey unfolds throughout several movies. Beginning in 'Normal World' and progressing through seven key areas: 'WTF?' 'Reactions' 'Connections' 'New Directions' 'Disconnection' and 'Race To The Finish'.
With 'The Comic Hero's Journey' what you get is a blueprint for comedy screenplays that doesn't feel like a formula. Steve even says so himself on page 141: "Structure is a form, but it needn't be a box. All of the stages in the Comic Hero's Journey happen in most movies, but not at set page numbers of percentage points."
Like Steve's first book, this book is a set of tools that will guide you as a writer. If you've read 'The Hidden Tools of Comedy' then you'll notice some overlap between the two which is nice because it helps springboard into new material. If you haven't read it, no worries, because this book definitely stands on its own merits.
This book revisits the idea of comedic archetypes and describes many of the characters we see in today's movies. The Fool, The Voice of Reason, and The Animal to name a few. In the 'Hero's Journey,' the character of the Mentor is somebody like Ob-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) while in the 'Comic Hero's Journey,' the Mentor is Patches O'Houlihan (Dodgeball).
As a writer, I find this book to be a fresh view on how to write comedy. I think you'll agree.
Many of the ideas that I have about screenwriting come from the standard texts and they all say pretty much the same thing. But I found some of the material in this book to be really surprising like this gem from page 79: "And while there's always a place for villains in our comedies (i.e., Biff in Back to the Future or Ben Stiller in Dodgeball), here's what you need to understand about antagonists in comedies: You don't need them."
I found that piece of advice to be worth the price of admission alone.
This book is an adaptation of Joseph Campbell's 'Hero's Journey'. It pays particular attention to several blockbuster comedies (Bridesmaids, This Is The End, Tropic Thunder, and Spy) and breaks them down step-by-step so that you can see how the journey unfolds throughout several movies. Beginning in 'Normal World' and progressing through seven key areas: 'WTF?' 'Reactions' 'Connections' 'New Directions' 'Disconnection' and 'Race To The Finish'.
With 'The Comic Hero's Journey' what you get is a blueprint for comedy screenplays that doesn't feel like a formula. Steve even says so himself on page 141: "Structure is a form, but it needn't be a box. All of the stages in the Comic Hero's Journey happen in most movies, but not at set page numbers of percentage points."
Like Steve's first book, this book is a set of tools that will guide you as a writer. If you've read 'The Hidden Tools of Comedy' then you'll notice some overlap between the two which is nice because it helps springboard into new material. If you haven't read it, no worries, because this book definitely stands on its own merits.
This book revisits the idea of comedic archetypes and describes many of the characters we see in today's movies. The Fool, The Voice of Reason, and The Animal to name a few. In the 'Hero's Journey,' the character of the Mentor is somebody like Ob-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) while in the 'Comic Hero's Journey,' the Mentor is Patches O'Houlihan (Dodgeball).
As a writer, I find this book to be a fresh view on how to write comedy. I think you'll agree.
January 6, 2019
If you’ve read about classic story structure (especially from Save the Cat) this book does a great job of highlighting key differences from the hero and the comedic hero.
Simple shifts in perspective that make a big difference when structuring a comedy. I also love that the book GIVE EXAMPLES of movies that don’t follow classic structure perfectly, and yet still work.
The real area this books shines is in the little observations and the Q&A at the end of the book. The authors opinions are very insightful.
Lots to chew on here, but it would help to have a good understanding of the hero’s journey before reading this. Not because you’ll be lost or anything, but to appreciate the shift in perspective.
Simple shifts in perspective that make a big difference when structuring a comedy. I also love that the book GIVE EXAMPLES of movies that don’t follow classic structure perfectly, and yet still work.
The real area this books shines is in the little observations and the Q&A at the end of the book. The authors opinions are very insightful.
Lots to chew on here, but it would help to have a good understanding of the hero’s journey before reading this. Not because you’ll be lost or anything, but to appreciate the shift in perspective.
July 3, 2020
A tad too repetitive and fragmented, ironically lacks structure
While the book does make some good observations about what makes comedies work, you gain nothing more than the author’s available lecture on YouTube! So it’s not exactly a book you can come back to with each new script as you would with Truby, McKee or even Blake Snyder. Plus the movies it features as examples of good comedies are a bit outdated and frankly, no longer funny. With the exception of perhaps Groundhog Day that he appears to worship, other films are excruciatingly too slow or humorless for today’s audiences. And not one mention of a comedy classic that still works: The Big Lebowski!
While the book does make some good observations about what makes comedies work, you gain nothing more than the author’s available lecture on YouTube! So it’s not exactly a book you can come back to with each new script as you would with Truby, McKee or even Blake Snyder. Plus the movies it features as examples of good comedies are a bit outdated and frankly, no longer funny. With the exception of perhaps Groundhog Day that he appears to worship, other films are excruciatingly too slow or humorless for today’s audiences. And not one mention of a comedy classic that still works: The Big Lebowski!
May 11, 2024
Worth it, adjust the right length
Worth it, and will buy his other book. Four Best screenwriting books are “story”,”The story solution””Writing for emotional impact”, and this one. And I’ve read a couple of dozen by now.
Worth it, and will buy his other book. Four Best screenwriting books are “story”,”The story solution””Writing for emotional impact”, and this one. And I’ve read a couple of dozen by now.
April 30, 2020
But can... I... write it
January 22, 2021
This book is clear and easy to read. I like that it gives examples from movies to explain structure.
January 7, 2022
It is helpful but not easy to read.
October 6, 2024
Very easy to read and informative
While other how-to-be funny books were forgettable, I found this book to be a valuable reference. Well worth the price!
While other how-to-be funny books were forgettable, I found this book to be a valuable reference. Well worth the price!
October 2, 2025
اگر سفر نویسنده(ووگلر) و ابزارهای کمدینویسی(همین نویسنده) رو خوانده باشید، چیز زیادی دستتان را نمیگیرد. اما به صورت جداگانه کتاب بدی نیست.
April 10, 2023
UPDATE 2023
I loved this book even more the second time. I also use it as a reference manual when I am stuck in my own writing.
2022
This book changed my writing life. Seriously. I've been attending writing conferences and studying the craft for about 14 years and couldn't figure out why my writing didn't work. I was using the traditional Hero's Journey for my comedy screenplay. No wonder a producer said to me, "I was excited when I read the word Christmas in your title, but I wasn't excited when I read your script." I read this book and am taking his intensive class via zoom and my brain has exploded. I know exactly what I am doing wrong. I am rewriting my screenplay using the COMIC Hero's Journey.
I loved the easy style of writing. I buy a lot of writing books and while the concepts are good, they are BORING. This is an easy read and the concepts are easy to grasp. I feel like Steve Kaplan is the hero that saved my writing life. #fangirl
I loved this book even more the second time. I also use it as a reference manual when I am stuck in my own writing.
2022
This book changed my writing life. Seriously. I've been attending writing conferences and studying the craft for about 14 years and couldn't figure out why my writing didn't work. I was using the traditional Hero's Journey for my comedy screenplay. No wonder a producer said to me, "I was excited when I read the word Christmas in your title, but I wasn't excited when I read your script." I read this book and am taking his intensive class via zoom and my brain has exploded. I know exactly what I am doing wrong. I am rewriting my screenplay using the COMIC Hero's Journey.
I loved the easy style of writing. I buy a lot of writing books and while the concepts are good, they are BORING. This is an easy read and the concepts are easy to grasp. I feel like Steve Kaplan is the hero that saved my writing life. #fangirl
February 26, 2024
His attempts to be funny aren't very funny, but it's an otherwise great book. Most "how to" humor books are for comedians, so it's great to have a whole book that's applicable to fiction.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews