the comic's comic

Fundraisers for the late Cain Lopez

I know of at least two planned comedy fundraising shows this weekend for the family of the late comedian Cain Lopez, who died last week from cancer at the age of 30. Funeral arrangements for Lopez will be next Monday-Tuesday in Vacaville, Calif. Richard Villa will host a tribute show late Friday, July 17, at the Hollywood Improv on Melrose, with a scheduled lineup that's set to include Joey Medina, Joey Diaz, Jeff Garcia and Willie Barcena. Pepper Belly's in Fairfield, Calif., will go ahead with its already-planned fundraiser as a tribute show on Sunday, July 19.

RIP: Cain Lopez

Cain Lopez died Thursday. The stand-up comedian, who began in the Bay Area and based himself out of Burbank, Calif., was only 30.

UPDATED: Here are the funeral arrangements. Viewing from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 20 (with a rosary at 7 p.m. at the funeral home, McCune Garden Chapel, 212 Main St., Vacaville, Calif. Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Vacaville, Calif.

Starting his comedy career in his teens, he already had gotten out of the trailer parks, survived a car accident that had shattered his jaw and broken his femur in 2002, then jaw cancer in 2003. Lopez had appeared on "Loco Comedy Jam," the "Latino Locos" DVD and other shows and he had made many friends among comedians up and down the West Coast. A recent diagnosis of lung cancer, however, sent him back to the hospital for good just over a month ago. Here was a message Cain Lopez sent out from his hospital bed, gratefully acknowledging the love his friends had shown him (even sadder to watch now that he has passed):

As recently as July 1, the Ice House in Pasadena, Calif., held a fund-raiser for Lopez. And upon his death, his friends and fellow comedians were quick to pay offer their condolences publicly on Twitter and Facebook. I'm sharing a few of the initial status messages from our mutual friends after the jump, as well as a clip of Lopez onstage doing stand-up. If I get word on the plans for his funeral, I'll be sure to post them here.