We were saddened to learn that local comedian and Cal creative writing alum Chris Garcia is departing for drier, tonier, potentially more fertile pastures (depending on whom you ask) — namely, his hometown of Los Angeles. He said as much in a triumphal email, followed by an even more triumphal Facebook status update. Asked to defend the decision, Garcia issued a semi-formal statement: "I've noticed a serious shortage of multi-talented, big-hearted, and brash snaggle-toothed Cubans represented in Hollywood, so I'm doing the Industry a favor and filling that void."

Our (futile) response: Nooooooooooooooo!

Garcia has been instrumental in fueling the recent Bay Area comedy renaissance, both in his role as co-founder of the weekly Mission district showcase, The Business, and as a former employee of the local startup Rooftop Comedy. He's gigged around the Bay for seven years now and amassed an impressive dossier of original sketch videos, including this parody of a hipster bass instructor, which wound up on The Bold Italic last week. (Sample line: "Maybe my libido doesn't like to come home to what appears to be my father in a dress.") It required the comedian to revisit a past life in which he played bass for various rock bands in the Berkeley student co-op circuit. He was also a science theater educator. At one point, he won a "Best of" award for having the best gams in the Bay.

Uh, j/k on that last one. But in all seriousness, he is one of the best comics. Or was.

Garcia has lofty plans for the next phase of his career, and hopefully he will, indeed, address the dearth of snaggle-toothed Cuban yuksters in Southern California. But he will be greatly missed in these parts, and we'll certainly be sitting front and center when he performs a farewell show Monday at the Punch Line. For those who want to join the fete, it starts at 8 p.m. Monday, July 23, and costs $15. You can buy tickets here.

Oh, and here's a little old school Garcia from the Garchives: