In 1960s Boston, a Jewish deli owner who struggles to come up with his newest joke stumbles into a scam with more ramifications than he could have ever dreamed possible.

The characters found in jokes are forced to act out the jokes every time they are told.

When a mysterious new member joins a group of struggling authors, the friends discover that they may have a supernatural creature in their midst, who can grant a single author success above all the others—but at a cost.

A young comic artist works at a nearby steakhouse and spends his free time dreaming up a character he calls 'Warrior Jesus,' a savior who enacts revenge on evil people.

An author discusses with his friend the best way to write about a poor aunt. Their words take on a new power when he manifests a literal poor aunt on his back and draws in spectators.

A young couple obsessed with syntax sets off to meet their favorite author.

In a world of corrupt nursery rhyme characters, Detective Humpty Dumpty must investigate a murder with an unexpected tie to his personal life.

A man recalls his intimate friendship with his former English professor, who resolved to fuel his unsatisfied desire for playwriting during the time they were apart. In their reunion decades later, instead of the brilliant play he promised, the professor shows his former student a disturbing product of his mental instability.

When three troublemakers board a bus with a plan to cause mischief, their jokes take a sour turn and ends grimly.

In his new job as an English professor, Tarzan finds himself annoyed by his students, hounded by his department chair, and alienated by the world around him, with solace only from his girlfriend Jane. Naturally, hijinks ensue.