Like many of its high-powered alumni, whose roster includes Denis Leary, Anthony Clark, and Jay Leno, Emerson wasn't on the show business map 30 years ago. But whether by luck or intuition, college officials captured raw talent and released laser-focused graduates who have helped define America's comedy culture.

Some of those stars -- including Leary, Brill, Clark, and Burr -- performed as part of the 2007 Boston Comedy Festival, which was held on Sunday, Oct. 7.

-- Joyce Pellino Crane, Globe Correspondent (Excerpt from "Laugh Track," an article published Oct. 7 in the Boston Globe)