800 Pound Gorilla Media

History

800 Pound Gorilla was launched in 2016 by comedy managers Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman along with Ian Adkins and Anthony Leo, who saw an opportunity to apply modern consumer targeting, digital marketing, and fan engagement to stand-up comedy. The flagship label, 800 Pound Gorilla Records, releases new comedy albums, while the Clown Jewels imprint showcases vintage comedy acts. The company also provides distribution and marketing for Kevin Hart's LOL Network and Bill Burr's All Things Comedy. In 2019, a children's music imprint called 8 Pound Gorilla was launched, featuring artists such as the Imagination Movers, Genevieve Goings, Frances England, and SaulPaul. That same year, the company partnered with Robert Kelly and The Syndicate to form The Laugh Network, which includes The Laugh Button Podcast Network and The Laugh Button Records; its first release was Mike Feeney's 'Rage Against the Routine'. In February 2019, the founders partnered with former Broadcast Music executive Jim King to found Spoken Giants, a multi-rights organization that helps creators of spoken word copyrights collect performance royalties, representing members including Patton Oswalt, Jeff Foxworthy, Lewis Black, and hundreds of others.