Comic Jim Miller – aka James Macabre – dies at 58 | Fellow stand-ups pay tribute © Facebook

Comic Jim Miller – aka James Macabre – dies at 58

Fellow stand-ups pay tribute

Tributes have been paid to former circuit comedian Jim Miller, who has died unexpectedly at the age of 58.

Miller started as a punk musician, but became active as a stand-up in the London clubs in the 1980s and 1990s,  performing a deadpan act under the stage name James Macabre.

He was one of the founders of the Meccano Club in Islington, initially in the Camden Head pub, where the likes of Eddie Izzard, Phill Jupitus, Matt Lucas, Jo Brand and Harry Hill plied their trade.

Miller dated Brand for a while and co-wrote with her, including on her breakthrough Channel 4 series Through The Cakehole.

Miller’s sister Christine confirmed he had passed away on Facebook, after James Punnett of the Bearcat Comedy Club broke the news, saying the death was believed to be down to natural causes.

Fellow comics also took to social media to pay tribute.

David Baddiel said: ‘He was weird and funny and very much the kind of thing comedy produced below the mainstream radar back in the day.’

Andre Vincent posted a message to Miller saying: ‘You were one of my inspirations and close friends. Incredibly intelligent, superbly funny, ugly drunk, great cook and scarf collector. ‘

Mark Maier said it was ‘horribly sad news’; Brian Higgins said he was a ‘ lovely, lovely human’, and Phil Nichol told him: ‘Safe travels to wherever it is we go. RIP my friend.’

Details of any funeral or memorial event are yet to be announced.

Published: 21 Oct 2018

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