Dale Ward is a Calgary-based comedian known for his dark but silly style, often described as “Halloween comedy.” Drawing inspiration from comedy legends like George Carlin, Bill Hicks, and Mitch Hedberg, Dale has opened for his favourite comedians at large-scale events like The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. Beyond the stage, he has found viral success with his unique chest-shaving videos on TikTok and Instagram, including a Stitch shave video that has garnered over 112 million views.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Dark but silly. Halloween comedy in October.
Who are some of your influences?
Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
George Carlin
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Bill Burr or Anthony Jeselnik
What is your pre-show ritual?
Write my set, rehearse new jokes/tags, and watch the show before I go up so I don’t miss any key events, and to see if I can riff on anything that’s happened.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. There’s nothing like performing for 10,000 people while opening for your favourite comedian(s).
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I don’t really have a favourite, but I love my joke about how death and corpses are handled in our society. I love it because it’s a dark and taboo subject, it has lots of tags I’m proud of, I love performing it, and there are SO MANY ridiculous things about our funeral system.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Comedy clubs. I usually don’t listen to or watch much comedy unless it’s live now.
Tell us a joke about your city.
I find it interesting that Calgary has a straight pride parade and no one is upset by it. Maybe it’s because they call it the Stampede Parade.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
My chest shaving videos have done well. My Stitch shave is currently at 112 million views.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Chris Gordon, Brittany Lyseng, and Todd Ness, all on Instagram
