The New York Comedy Festival kicks off November 9, showcasing an El Guapan plethora of comics, TV show panels, and even a special tribute to the late Mike Destefano. But one of the most promising (and probably affordable?) options of the four-day bonanza is the second annual Comics to Watch show, which will feature eight–count 'em, eight!–of the best and brightest rising comic stars, including Kevin Biggins, Emily Heller and Josh Rabinowitz to name a few. From the release:

'Comics To Watch' is a showcase featuring a wide range of diversely talented young comedians. It was created to launch the careers of the next generation of comedians by putting them in front of industry executives and comedy fans. The selection process involved live showcases in multiple cities and online video submissions via comedycentral.com.

I was extremely disappointed to hear organizers did not select the talent based on some sort of tropical island tribal death competition involving hand-crafted shivs and feces-slathered Punji sticks. It's like my mother always told me when I was a child: The true measure of man can only be gauged in the face of his own inevitable demise, especially when he is dying of typhoid.

The inimitable Jeffrey Ross hosts the event, which takes place Wednesday, November 9 at Carolines and will air on cc.com/standup Friday, November 11 at 5pm EST / 2pm PST. Check out the full CTW lineup after the jump.

Kevin Biggins
Kurt Braunohler
Michael Che
Emily Heller
Sam Morril
Mark Normand
Josh Rabinowitz
Daryl Wright