In a Facebook post, Thompson said Wakim started doing comedy in Bloomington in 2017, around the same time he started working at the Comedy Attic. He worked at the comedy club until 2020, when he moved to New York.

“In all this time, I have never seen anyone work so hard, be so resilient, or be so willing to not only be smart but do things the right way to get where they wanted to be,” Thompson wrote in his Facebook post.

He continued, “Besides being the funniest person in town and opening the door at almost every show, he also did all the art for the club, designed our website, created the art, managed the tent for the club, and drove the vast majority of the comedians to and from the airport.”