So many of my comedy heroes have let me down in the past few years, whether it be due to their political leanings, increasingly hacky material and/or their movie about breakfast pastries. But if there’s one comedian who has maintained integrity in the face of an industry that begs us to stretch ourselves too thin it’s Anthony Jeselnik. Never one to rush his work or delivery, each of his specials is a testament to just how much a punchline can surprise the audience.

And then there’s his persona. In a landscape where being yourself and sharing your true feelings is commercially possible (thank god, for my sake), the character of Anthony Jeselnik is as much a creation as Rodney Dangerfield’s ‘I don’t get no respect.’ Except Jeselnik respects nothing, allowing him to say things that ‘this is who I really am’ comedians could never do lest their laptops get confiscated by the authorities. Comedy becomes dated very fast but, in the same way that Dangerfield routines are so well written that they hold up today, I believe Jeselnik’s jokes will stand the test of time.

I should also mention two other comedians: Geoffrey Asmus and Chris Fleming, who I’m too close in age to call ‘heroes’ but whose work fills me with deep insecurity that, like shit used as fertiliser, helps me grow.

Gianmarco Soresi: The Drama King, Union Chapel, London, Friday 11 July; Glee Club, Glasgow, Sunday 17 August; Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Monday 18–Sunday 24 August.