'He's still killing it': Ken Flores jokes on in Hulu's 'LOL Live'

Beloved Los Angeles comedian Ken Flores died earlier this year, but not earlier giving audiences 1 last hearty laugh.

On June 6, Hulu released 2 episodes of Kevin Hart’s stand-up series, “LOL Live,” featuring sets by Flores and Daphnique Springs. This is the archetypal and past peculiar ever taped by the budding comedian, who died successful the midst of his headlining “Butterfly Effect” circuit astatine property 28, pursuing a past of congestive bosom failure.

“Ken Flores was precisely the benignant of authentic comedic dependable we sought to champion done our ‘LOL Live’ series,” said Jeff Clanagan, president and main organisation serviceman of Hartbeat, Hart’s amusement company, which produced the program. “[The special] captured his unsocial quality to link with audiences done genuine storytelling.”

Born successful Chicago and raised successful Aurora, Ill., Flores was intrinsically comical, profoundly convinced that helium was funnier than immoderate of the booked comics helium witnessed connected stage.

“These radical suck!” helium told the Comedy Gazelle blog successful 2023.

Flores honed his comic chops astatine fashionable Chicago-area drama clubs, including the Laugh Factory and Zanies, and roseate to greater popularity connected societal media platforms similar TikTok and Instagram, wherever helium shared snippets of his sets— often filled with his impeccable assemblage enactment and self-deprecating humor. The comic often made his manner the punchline, chiefly taking purpose astatine his ain value and Mexican identity.

Gabriel Iglesias took announcement of the rising star, tapping him to unfastened for his 2023 “Don’t Worry Be Fluffy Tour” successful Chicago.

“It was a item to person his family. His mom, dada and friends were determination with him — and 15,000 radical that night,” said Iglesias, who remembers Flores arsenic “kind” and “respectful.” The young enactment besides went connected circuit with established comedians Jo Koy and Felipe Esparza.

But it was aft his determination to Los Angeles successful 2023 that Flores seemed to instrumentality flight, gathering a assemblage crossed assorted drama clubs including Hollywood‘s Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store, the HaHa and the Hollywood Improv.

“People did similar him and that’s precise telling,” said Iglesias.

Among those who loved and proceed to mourn Flores are Rene Vaca and Ralph Barbosa — salient Latino acts successful the drama satellite — who considered the precocious comedian a “brother.”

“The astir memorable happening astir him was however existent helium was,” said Barbosa. “[Ken] ne'er kissed anybody’s ass, which made maine respect him more, due to the fact that that means everything that helium got was done endowment and hard work.”

Two chiseled memories linger for the duo. The archetypal took spot astatine a edifice successful L.A., which marked the archetypal clip they each got together.

“It was 1 of those Chinese restaurants with those spinning tables,” said Vaca. “Ken was ever trying to scope for the orangish chicken, but each clip helium reached for it, [the table] kept spinning distant from him.”

Then there’s their past reunion successful L.A. erstwhile each 3 comedians got connected signifier to execute during Barbosa’s acceptable astatine the Hollywood Improv connected Jan. 21, conscionable a week earlier Flores’ death.

“We had immoderate drinks successful us, we had the piano, we were improvising songs …  Rene fell connected the crushed trying to pants Ken,” said Barbosa. “It’s hard not to get teary eyed erstwhile I deliberation astir that day.”

“It was arsenic if the beingness gave america our accidental to person that infinitesimal with Ken earlier helium near us, you know?” said Vaca.

Vaca has already watched the Hulu special, marveling astatine Flores’ quality to onshore the jokes perfectly. “Like butter, antheral — it was beautiful,” helium said. Barbosa, connected the different hand, has lone seen snippets. Choking up, helium admits, “ I conscionable don’t privation it to beryllium over, you know?”

The 3 had plans for a nationalist circuit this year, which Vaca and Barbosa continued successful grant of their friend. They adopted his circuit name, “The Butterfly Effect,” splitting the nett 3 ways to see Flores’ family. “None of america would bash it unless it was similar we divided this evenly,” said Barbosa.

During each show, the brace play an unreleased 15-minute conception of Flores, who jokes astir the fluttering interaction of specified majestic creatures. “He’s inactive sidesplitting it successful the audience,” said Vaca.