Raised in Riggins, Idaho, stand-up comedian Dan Cummins has been hard at work making a name for himself over the past decade. The rising star has appeared on “The Late, Late Show,” “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,” “Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham,” and has also starred in his own episode of “Comedy Central Presents,” as well as his own one-hour special “Crazy with a Capital F,” which was recently released on DVD.

Cummins is trying a new way of making new fans and spreading the word of his shows. For his shows at Stanford’s Comedy Club in Kansas City, Kan., fans received free tickets by calling the club and saying, “I’m a fan of Dan Cummins.”

“What you’re trying to do, you know, is pack the club with your fans as an audience,” said Cummins. “Then, I mean, you have more fun, people already know your sense of humor.

“That’s what every comic’s trying to do, trying to build a fan base. That’s why I do the Facebook, the newsletter, and all that stuff to try to connect with people.”

For nearly a third of his life, Cummins has been holding a harsh mirror up to society by using his new YouTube pop-culture news series “Fresh off the Pot” and his dream career of writing idiosyncratic greeting cards with highs and lows along the way.

“This week, actually, is ten years from the first time I ever did an open mic,” said Cummins. “The best part is the challenge of getting a new joke to work, I guess, and being able to make a living creatively.

“The worst part is the travel,” continued the father of a four-year-old son named Kyler and a two-year-old daughter whose name, according to the comedian’s act, Cummins cannot remember.

While Cummins wins over many crowds with his brand of humor, even some of his fans understand why he may not have already gained widespread exposure.

“He could be really creepy if he wanted to be,” said fan Ryan Christopher. “Like when he was rubbing his chest and saying ‘What kind of dogs do you like?’ that was creepy.”

For more information about Dan Cummins, including links to his Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube pages, visit www.dancummins.tv.