3 Still Standing with Will Durst, Johhny Steele, & Larry Bubbles Brown

Within the booming San Francisco comedy scene in the '80s, there were many comics that filled rooms with laughter alongside the most famous of them all, Robin Williams. Will Durst, for instance, capitalized on the publicity from breaking the Guinness record for continuously telling jokes and was finally able to quit his day job. Johnny Steele performed a set in front of the right person and was soon opening for Dennis Miller. Larry "Bubbles" Brown earned a reputation for elevating self-deprecation to new heights.

Working out their material at the local comedy club Holy City Zoo, which boasted a legal capacity of just 47, it was a golden age to be in the business of making people laugh. But when the advent of cable television led to more and more people staying home for their nightly entertainment, it became just another lesson in how nothing can ever last forever. This is why we now find Steele teaching comedy to newcomers and haphazardly planning a one-man show, while Brown dreams of a life where he can continue to open for Dana Carvey on the SNL alum's tours.

Watching old clips of the trio's vastly different on-stage styles, it's easy to see why they were all on the cusp of stardom before the scene imploded. But as funny as they clearly all are, it's their indefatigable ambition 20 years after their biggest brushes with fame that leaves the biggest impression. Brown spends his days in his preferred office of a parking lot, writing jokes to hone his act. Durst pens books and columns for different publications, but still hustles to fill out his performance calendar. Steele is experimenting with the format by alerting his fans to new "pop-up" style shows via social media.