LMAOnaise and Piñata are making a comedy zine!

Aim

Help LMAOnaise and Piñata launch our new collectible comedy zine!

LMAOnaise is teaming with Piñata to make a new zine! A brand new collectible zine about the world of live comedy!

The funds we raise will cover the design, printing, postage, platform fees and to pay the contributors (gasp).

“Didn’t you already make a zine?” No, that was a newspaper, and you all LOVED it by the way. But this one is different. This is going to be evergreen and gorgeous. It’ll be multi-functional and compact, and designed by a real designer, rather than someone who has taught themselves to use inDesign and is heavily reliant on shadows as an aesthetic choice (me).

What will you get?

You’ll get the first edition of our new foldout zine, which will be both a little magazine and an A3 poster. Multi-functional! You can read it or you can exhibit it on your wall, preferably both. 

One comedian or comedy act will be the main feature of each zine, accompanied by a couple more small features written by comedy contributors, and a comic or puzzle.

In donating to this campaign, you’re essentially pre-ordering your first (and even second) issue of the zine. You also get to be part of a grassroots movement trying to make the world of live comedy better. After the money is raised, we’ll work towards getting a zine out every 2 months, hopefully until we die.

We are creating something that lasts, a little piece of art that is also a snapshot of comedy right now. These will go for thousands on Antiques Roadshow in 50 years!!

What will the money be used for?

The main bulk of the funds raised will go to printing costs. We also need to pay for photography studio hire, cover these platform fees, and pay the contributors for their work. It’s rare that people get paid for things like this, and we’d like to be different in that regard!

About LMAOnaise

LMAOnaise is all about weird, queer, alternative comedy and exciting acts in the earlier stages of their careers. We focus mainly on the comedians who haven’t yet made it into the big news, or are less likely to get column inches because of all those biases we know and hate so well. We aim to be a positive force in the comedy world and are very clear about what we stand for (more on that below!).

With our regular newsletter, we take away the nightmare of trying to find live comedy shows to see when you don’t know what you’re looking for, by sending them directly to you. With our website, we offer a colourful online magazine that aims to reflect the fact that comedy is a fun thing to see in your spare time. Comedians might have to agonise over what their shows are going to be, but audiences shouldn’t!

We have existed online for nearly six years, gradually growing in our niche little corner of the comedy scene. In that time, we’ve predicted the rise of some of the current coolest names on stage and screens right now, so just think about that when you’re deciding whether to purchase!

About Piñata

Piñata is a comedy variety night started in 2016 by Michael Julings and Marion Burge. A collective of art students and clowns dedicated to showcasing alternative comic variety and upcoming stars of the future in SE London. We smash a piñata at the end. In May, we’ll be celebrating our 100th show!

Who we are

Editorial: Zoe Paskett

Zoe (me) is a journalist and comedy nerd. She (I) knows loads about comedy, has interviewed countless comedians, seen and reviewed an obscene amount of comedy and wants to bring everyone along with her, which is why she launched LMAOnaise. She used to write about comedy at the Evening Standard, and launched their first LGBTQ+ section. "The scaffolding of the comedy landscape" -Alison Spittle

Designer/photographer: Michael Julings

Michael is a designer/director/photographer who has also seen an obscene amount of comedy. In 2016 he founded SE London comedy variety show Piñata. Now resident monthly at the Ivy House, they’ve taken one-off sell out shows to Brainchild, VAULT, Clapham Grand and the Edinburgh Fringe. He’s worked on immersive concerts for Sony, social campaigns for Netflix, cartoons for Nickelodeon and stages for Glastonbury. You’ve most likely seen his work in comedy poster form on the streets of Edinburgh in August. He knows about design!  

The LMAOnaise ethos

Our ethos is that comedy is fun, and writing about it should be too! We want to help make the world of comedy journalism a more positive place, where comedians aren’t worried about reviewers, and audiences can easily find out about new, exciting performers without having to read any horrible takedowns. Some people don’t like those!

Our house rules reflect this:

• Vocally inclusive
• No all-white line-ups
• No all-male line-ups (in fact, no line-ups with only one woman)
• No star ratings, just thoughtful commentary
• Positive reviews only!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th October 2026 at 11:59pm