The San Antonio comedy scene is filled with comics from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, which makes for a unique style of stand-up humor. Here’s a look at five San Antonio comics, their style of comedy and their take on why they love the stage:

Jose Sarduy

Age: 31
Years at stand-up: Five
Style of comedy: “High-energy act that’s really me,” Sarduy says, adding about two-thirds of his act is based on stories about his Cuban-American family, military experience and relationships. The rest, he says, comes from friends’ experiences and observations.
Comedy cred: Sarduy recently won the Funniest Person in South Texas contest at Rivercenter Comedy Club, and he opened for Carlos Mencia at Iowa State University in 2007.
On his first time: “I got one legitimate chuckle,” he says of his first stand-up performance in 2003. “It was awful.”
Why stand-up? “It really blows your mind when you make 800 people laugh,” he says.

Todd Larson

Age: 34
Years at stand-up: Six
Style of comedy: “I’m not clean. I’m not dirty. I’m just rude,” he says. “I wouldn’t be booked for any Disney shows.”
Comedy goals: “I want to be the center square in ‘Hollywood Squares,’.” he jokes before adding he’d like to have his own show one day and be a comedic actor like Jim Carrey.
On his worst time: “Take your pick,” he says. “As comics, we’re always sucking. That’s how you get better.”
Why stand-up? “The ability to make people laugh is like a drug,” he says. “It’s a high.”

James Ponce

Age: 29
Years at stand-up: Five
Style of comedy: “I honestly don’t know,” he says. “You don’t find your voice for at least seven years.”
Comedy cred: Besides stand-up, he’s a writer and producer for “Late Night Live with Cleto Rodriguez,” and he’s working on a screenplay with comedian Mike Robles, Emmy-winning creator of “Loco Comedy Jam.”
On his worst time: Ponce ranks a 2004 Houston gig as his worst. At the time, he’d been doing stand-up for about a year and wasn’t prepared for the tough urban crowd. “They were already booing me before I got to the mic,” he says.
Why stand-up? “I’m not one of those who feels the drug,” he says of many comics’ addictive love of the stage. “It’s just the one thing I’ve stuck with the longest and like it.”

Jay Whitecotton

Age: 29
Years at stand-up: Five
Style of comedy: Influenced by George Carlin and Sam Kinison, but “it’s still a work in progress,” he says. “You need years behind you to be any good.”
Comedy cred: Also a musician, Whitecotton runs a local comedy/musical business called Bitter Karaoke while continuing to write comedy for the stage.
On his first time: “I got a lot of support, but not too many laughs,” he says of his first stand-up act in 2003. “I was able to say everything I wanted to say.”
Why stand-up? “I feel like I have to do it. I find it all so interesting,” he says. “The environments that make you separate yourself from the rest of the world are what lead you to comedy.”

Luigi Pimentel

Age: 18
Years at stand-up: Not even a year
Style of comedy: “My comedy is everything. I use my own experiences and stories,” Pimentel says of where he gets his material. “I guess I’m a storyteller.”
Comedy cred: Only doing stand-up for about six months, Pimentel is still working on establishing his stage cred. He’s a regular at the weekly open mic shows at Rivercenter Comedy Club.
On his first time: Pimentel’s first performance was at a show following a local six-week comedy course. The show, done at a local nightclub, was a graduation of sorts for those who completed the course. “I thought it was going to be a bunch of drunks,” Pimentel says. “I got some laughs, and people told me later they thought I was the funniest one in the class.”
Why stand-up: “There’s something about making people laugh, about being able to make anybody laugh that’s just a great feeling,” he says. “In all honesty, comedians don’t have the best lives, and the stage is where people can get help.”