The use of a character who, by contrast, brings out the comic qualities of another character (or of other characters). The comic foil is the straight man in a pair of comedians (eg Laurel and Hardy or Abbot and Costello) who allows the other to be funny, makes them funnier, without doing anything funny themselves.

This characters are considered comic foils:

• Allan Jones - straight man of the Marx Brothers in Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races
• Gary Sandy - straight man to most of the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati
• Jane Curtin - comic foil to the aliens on 3rd Rock from the Sun and very often on Saturday Night Live
• Margaret Dumont - comic foil of the Marx Brothers, especially Groucho
• Chandler Bing - Friends
• Zeppo Marx - Marx Brothers
• Larry Fine - Three Stooges
• Joey - The Rat Pack
• Hobbes from "Calvin and Hobbes."
• Kermit the frog - The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, etc.

Animated characters: Allan Jones (October 14, 1907 – January 27, 1992) was an American actor and singer. ... The Marx Brothers were a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television. ... A Night At the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. ... Code book scene A Day at the Races A Day at the Races (1937) is the seventh movie starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones and Maureen OSullivan. ... Gary Sandy is best known for his starring role as station manager Andy Travis on the classic TV sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati. ... The cast of WKRP in Cincinnati is pictured in this 1978 publicity photo. ... Jane Curtin - Promo Picture from 3rd Rock from the Sun Jane Therese Curtin (born September 6, 1947) is an American actress and comedian, from Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... 3rd Rock from the Sun was an American television situation comedy that ran from 1996 until 2001. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Margaret Dumont (born October 20, 1889; died March 6, 1965) was an American comedic actress. ... The Marx Brothers were a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television. ... Groucho Marx poses for an NBC promotional photograph Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends (1994–2004), played by Matthew Perry. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Zeppo Marx Herbert Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 29, 1979) is best known as Zeppo Marx, the name he used when he performed with his brothers, The Marx Brothers. ... The Marx Brothers were a team of sibling comedians that appeared in vaudeville, stage plays, film and television. ... Larry Fine Larry Fine (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975) was an American comedian and actor, who is best-known as a member of the comedy act The Three Stooges. ... The Three Stooges were an American comedy act in the 20th century. ... From left: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. ... Calvin and Hobbes took many wagon rides over the years—this one showed up on the cover of the first collection of comic strips. ...

• Brian Griffin - Family Guy