Eric Tellef Hansen wins city's latest comic idol, credits family and friends for support

THUNDER BAY – The third time was the charm for a local comic as he was crowned the city's newest Comic Idol Friday.

Eric Tellef Hansen, 30, was surprised and honoured as he knocked out nearly a dozen other local comics to take home the title and $750 in front of a packed house at the DaVinci Centre.

"It was awesome," said the father of two.

Hansen has been a regular at the Dragon's Den Wednesday night Open Mic, which draws a tight-knit supportive crew of local comics to the stage.

It's that group he competed against last Friday but were also the ones to encourage him during his first sets that came complete with notes on a music stand so he could remember his jokes.

"It was terrible," Hansen said of his first sets a few short years ago. "I didn't get many laughs."

He's come a long way since, crafting a five-minute set on Friday that had the crowd laughing, the judges impressed and headliner Nelson Mayer calling him a "real-life Peter Griffin," though that was likely more to do with Hansen's appearance than his comedy style.

Hansen gets a lot of support from his wife Riley, sister Katie and mom Shelia, who get to hear all of his material before it's even ready. His mom is usually there to give him notes after his set.

"No matter how raunchy they are, she will let those ideas breathe," Hansen said.

"According to her I should've won (comic idol) every year."

Not that Hansen strives to be offensive. While he has blue material, usually Hansen would rather tell jokes that appeal to everyone.

"I like to do stuff that a younger audience would get. I like to go borderline, almost raunchy but I like to also have stuff that my grandparents would listen to," he said.

From George Carlin to Jerry Seinfeld to Louis C.K., Hansen draws on a number of comedic influences but his all-time favourite comic is his five-year-old daughter.'

Hansen now has the chance to take on past comic idol winners when they all face off in September.