Louis CK tells Conan his online plans

Comedian Louis CK visited Conan O’Brien last night during the talkshow host’s final night in New York, and the two swapped stories about the early days, when the no-name red-head took over for David Letterman and hired the struggling comic as one of his first writers. “You saved my life, and you gave me a career,” said Louis, who’s since done rather well for himself.

Louis CK sits atop the stand-up comedy landscape, and his FX show has introduced his unique comic perspective to millions of viewers. It will be interesting to see, then, if his next venture will be a success. After joking with O’Brien about suicide etiquette, George W. Bush, and Americans’ bigotry towards Mexicans, Louis announced plans for his next big comedy special. “It’s not going to be on HBO, Netflix, iTunes, or anything,” he said, referring to his Nov. 10 performance at the New York Comedy Festival. “I’m just paying for it with the ticket money from the people that bought tickets … [and you can] go on my website, it’s five bucks. Paypal. That’s the only way you can see it.”

So the hardest-working comic in the business is opting to do-it-himself. Starting Dec. 10, fans will be able to go to his website and watch his comedy special for five bucks. I don’t think there’s any way to predict whether this is brilliant or foolish. “I won’t really make any money, but it’s more fun that way,” said Louis CK. Well, he could make some cash if enough people are interested. He may have cost himself a few Lincolns from Steel City with his jokes last night about Pittsburgh (“Who wants to go to Pittsburgh? It sucks.”), but if the two million folks who tuned in for his FX show come through online, he could actually turn a profit. Watch his clip from last night’s Conan below, and then sound off on whether you’re planning to pay to see his act online on Dec. 10.

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