Over the last few years, Nathan Hartswick has been instrumental in building the standup scene in Burlington and beyond. He founded the Vermont Comedy Club, a one-stop online resource for all things comedic in the state, and was the 2011 winner of the prestigious Higher Ground Comedy Battle (and a 2012 finalist). Earlier this year, he and his wife, fellow comedian and actor Natalie Miller, founded Spark Arts, a Burlington performing-arts studio that offers classes and workshops in both standup and improv comedy.

SEVEN DAYS: You’re stranded on a desert island with Dane Cook, Daniel Tosh and Carrot Top, with little to no food. Who gets eaten first?

NATHAN HARTSWICK: Probably me. Dane would run around giving rescue planes the “Super Finger.” Daniel would smile adorably while telling rape jokes to hermit crabs. Carrot Top would be fashioning shelter from two toilet seats and a pair of dress shoes. I would likely die of exhaustion. (If not, I imagine these three would taste like foie gras, smoked salmon and Tang, respectively.)

—Dan Bolles