Alternative comedy is a style of comedy that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and 1980s which would eventually go on to become mainstream in the 1990s and up to the present day. It has its roots in British nonsense writings of the Victorian era, and their logical extension through the works of Canadian author Stephen Leacock and his influence over the Marx Brothers and The Goons. It coincided with other comedy movements of a similar style around the world, although the British scene had many unique aspects. A major alternative scene existed in Los Angeles during the early 1990s, in which David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, Julia Sweeney, Margaret Cho, and Beth Lapides, among others, rose to comedic prominence. There are currently three major "alternative" movements in English-speaking North America, in Los Angeles, in Toronto and in New York (centred on the East Village).