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It almost seems laughable that a populist comedy festival would have not just one, but two, iconic artists twirling in the strands of its DNA, but such is indeed the case with the Montreal-based, worldwide-influential Just For Laughs. One was the late Vittorio Fiorucci, a mischievous, rabble-rousing goblin of a man who created the festival’s enduring symbol of mirth--the little green devil named Victor--in his own unbridled image. The other is Vittorio’s polar opposite, perhaps lesser-known in Just For Laughs lore but equally as important to the event’s heritage--a pipe-smoking, country-dwelling gentleman named Claude Le Sauteur. While his association with Just For Laughs was not as “in your face” as that of Vittorio, his deep dive into the spirit of humour itself resulted in a fine art collection of oil paintings that helped elevate the event’s status from a streetwise “laff-fest” into the lofty realms of “arts and culture.” Some perspective, please. As an “art form,” sadly, comedy is perhaps... Read more