Cardis Cardell Willis (August 3, 1937 – February 10, 2007), better known as Cardell Willis and often billed as C. Cardell Willis, was an influential Milwaukee comic. He was locally known mostly in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He went by the name Cardell socially and professionally, but used his formal name legally. He was mentor to Will Durst before his eventual fame in San Francisco, and Dobie Maxwell, as well as Richard Halasz, and Chris Barnes, all of whom are natives to Milwaukee. According to onmilwaukee.com, Mayor Barrett designated April 22, 2012, as Cardell Willis Day.