1.   And nowhere more closely than at Laffapalooza, the locally based urban comedy festival that starts today.

2.   Chatterton, who also publishes a weekly newsletter called the Off Off Broadway Review, said he started the festival after reading several articles about the Fringe festival.

3.   Plus the violinist Gidon Kremer, who started the festival and remains its dominant artistic figure.

4.   Smith founded the Storytelling Association, where he works full-time, shortly after starting the festival.

5.   The film festival was started by entertainer and filmmaker Sheryl Lee Ralph to promote Jamaican culture and independent films.

6.   The Latin Jazz Institute started the festival in response to the growing popularity of Latin Jazz among Los Angeles residents.

7.   The online festival was started as an Internet counterpart to the Sundance Film Festival held each January.