Nevertheless, the picket line held, the comics prevailed and the Comedy Store started paying.

FORBES: Sorry, Bloggers, but Huffpo Isn't Like a Comedy Club

Revenue at the Comedy Store has increased annually by 9% over the past four years.

ECONOMIST: Cracking jokes the world over

Mr. Madrigal also performed comedy tenaciously, doing up to 10 shows a week at clubs like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory.

WSJ: Al Madrigal: Another Comic Springs Out of 'The Daily Show'

The analogy between Huffpo and the Comedy Store is off target.

FORBES: Sorry, Bloggers, but Huffpo Isn't Like a Comedy Club

Michael Walker, writing in the Los Angeles Times, compares the Newspaper Guild-led boycott of the Huffington Post to the famous 1979 boycott of the Comedy Store, the seminal L.A. stand-up venue.

FORBES: Sorry, Bloggers, but Huffpo Isn't Like a Comedy Club

Like Arianna Huffington, Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore said comedians were, or should have been, happy to provide their material for free because she was giving them visibility that led to paying jobs elsewhere.

FORBES: Sorry, Bloggers, but Huffpo Isn't Like a Comedy Club