Columbia Man Crowned Comedian Of The Year

LeClerc Darguin says he wants to be a white man for one hour, just to find out if cops are ticklish. 

He’s also fan of plus-sized women and considers himself a black Harry Potter. 

Darguin’s idiosyncrasies, which translate hysterically on stage, helped the young comic win 2011 Comedian of the Year contest on Wednesday night.  

“I feel amazing. It was great. We had some really funny comics up there tonight. I’m just glad that they invited me to part of the show,” Darguin said while accepting congratulations off stage. 

Darguin, 26, competed against seven other up-and-coming comedians in the finals of the “Best Comedian of the Year” competition at Magooby’s. (See photos.)

“This is a huge benchmark for me. In comedy, you do so many contests and you lose so many contests,” Darguin, of Columbia, said. “It means a lot to come so far and finally beat guys who have been beating you month after month.”

The contestants were judged on their material, stage presence, energy and audience engagement, according to Mike Storck, a well-known Baltimore comedian and guest judge for the contest. 

“He took control of the mic and stage,” Storck said. "Right from the get-go, he had good energy. He engaged the audience. There were other comics that went up tonight that had great material, but they weren’t as engaging or they didn’t own the stage as much. They didn't exude like ‘I’m a pro. I know what I’m doing.’ LeClerc brought everything to the stage that one needs to bring.”

Storck, a 10-year veteran of comedy, said the key to improving one's performance is to “be a student of stand-up.” He insisted that aspiring comics need to study other comedians by actively watching their shows. 

“One of the things that I don’t see as much of here in Baltimore, as I do in other cities and comedy cities, is an appreciation and love of the craft,” Storck said. “Writing is obviously important. Getting on stage is obviously important. But watching comedy and studying it, understanding what makes this comic good, what makes this comic bad.”

Following short performances from the eight contestants, the audience was treated to a set by Seaton Smith, the featured headliner for the evening.

“They were higher than usual for contest people. There was a lot of great writing,” Smith said following the performances. 

Smith is where many of the contestants hope to be one day—touring the country, performing everywhere from clubs to colleges, and building a responsive fan base, much like those in attendance at Magooby’s. 

The comedian of more than 8 years said he was blown away by the talent on stage, begging the up-and-comers, “please don’t stop.”