NORFOLK - It was a source of hilarity for over a decade, first as a viral web series then as a fixture on Comedy Central for six seasons, and now some of the comedians who made the show possible will be sharing their experiences during this year’s Great American Comedy Festival.

Festival organizers have announced a Drunk History panel discussion featuring GACF participants Bennie Arthur, Steve Berg, and Mort Burke.

Drunk History began as a web series on Funny or Die created by Derek Waters. In each episode, an inebriated narrator would recount a historical event, which would then be re-enacted by comedians and celebrity guest stars, lip-syncing the narrator’s dialogue in the process. The series premiered on Comedy Central in July of 2013, running for six seasons.

In addition to being three of the eight featured performers at this year’s festival, Bennie Arthur, Steve Berg, and Mort Burke were also involved with Drunk History during the entirety of its six-season run on Comedy Central. The three funnymen will talk about how the show came to be, how the show was made, their feelings when the show ended in the pandemic, and several behind-the-scenes stories. In addition to the panel discussion, the three will also be available to take questions from the crowd.

“Our festival has been built over the past 15+ years by several hard-working people looking to give northeast Nebraska something unique and wonderful,” said Comedy Festival Executive Director Pat Janssen. “Our current goal is to continue to build on that legacy and make the festival something everybody can enjoy, with all sorts of different programming. We got incredibly fortunate this year, and once we realized we had a number of people who had been a part of Drunk History, it was kind of a no-brainer to do this show. Bennie, Mort, and Steve will be able to provide a unique and interesting look at the show, including some behind-the-scenes stories people wouldn't otherwise be able to get."

The panel discussion will be hosted on Thursday, June 13th, at the Elkhorn Valley Museum, which also houses the Johnny Carson exhibit.

“We're so incredibly grateful to Libby McKay and the Elkhorn Valley Museum for hosting this show and being so enthusiastic about it,” Jannsen said. “The support and excitement they've thrown behind this show is amazing.”

Doors will open at 9 p.m. on the 13th, with the show starting at 10 p.m. Drinks will be available for purchase before and during the show. Tickets for the event are $30 each, and available through eTix and at greatamericancomedyfestival.com (LINK TO PURCHASE TICKETS).

The Great American Comedy Festival is also made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. The annual festival opened in 2008 to honor the legacy of Norfolk’s favorite son, Johnny Carson, who was host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” for over 25 years.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now! For tickets and information, visit THIS LINK.