Yesterday, comedian Jim Gaffigan released his new stand-up special Mr. Universe online for $5. It follows in the footsteps of Louis CK and Aziz Ansari doing the same thing before him. However, this is a bit different because Gaffigan doesn't have quite the same high-profile that the other two do. It's the same setup - self-financed, direct to consumer sales for $5 - but he's banking a whole lot more on word of mouth.

Personally, I think everyone should check out the preview and heartily consider spending the $5 on the full show. The more artists that succeed in this manner, the better. Having complete creative control over your works can only have an upside.