Under the cloud of war, in the wake of hurricane damage and relief, and amid political hay in the nation's capital, comedian Lewis Black says folks still love to laugh.

Black, who performs Sunday at Blaisdell Concert Hall, is never faced with a scarcity of topics or targets. Quite the contrary.

"People continue to laugh, and laughter's always present," he said in an interview from his New York home. "It's like air conditioning — the regulator; if you don't laugh, you're ------." (Note to readers: Black does not shy away from expletives, but we do.)

A regular on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," where he is "America's Foremost Commentator on Everything," Black said anything absurd and stupid — and often right out of the headlines — "is funny and irritating. If I can yell about it, it's great."

Mention government ineptitude and you hit a nerve.

"What government? It's just a complete lack of government; it doesn't exist," he scowled. "So the (legislators) are talking about being misled about the war in Iraq; the problem isn't about being misled — there just is no plan. Why can't we discuss no plan? It's madness.

"The Republicans basically don't think; the Democrats think too much. Together, they go nowhere. It's a complete inability to overcome bipartisanship; we need to ignore the 10 or so people making life a pain in the (butt) for us. Far left? Far right? Why not government from the middle?"

He said the political scene is so tarnished, "by comparison, (Richard) Nixon starts looking like an elder statesman. And he was a complete joke."

As he watches nightly TV news and reads publications about policies and such, Black said he often feels "like I'm on a homework assignment, but can't catch up." It's all overwhelming.

Comic fodder is everywhere. Potential material crams the media.

"The hurricane made it immediately into my show. My first line was, 'Watching the aftermath of Katrina, I was beginning to wonder. ...' My question was we don't know how to do anything anymore. Harriet Miers and that mess was not difficult; just the mention of her name was funny.

"Often, I think if I just collated headlines from the newspaper, I would have an act. I mean, Bush calls his critics deeply irresponsible. Pick another word, really; he's demonstrated three months of irresponsibility, and the pot can't call the kettle black."

Clearly, he's not a Bush booster and the president has never seen his act, but Vice President Dick Cheney has. "Well, it wasn't my real act; it was watered down to knock-knock jokes, at a Congressional Correspondents dinner."

Black's background is theater — sort of. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and has written and staged plays — more than 40 of his works have been produced in venues across the country.

So when did he discover he was funny?

"It took a while," said Black. "I always knew I had it in me; I was funny among friends. I wasn't sure till the mid-'80s, when I ran a club in New York, and introduced every play. I was comfortable on stage."

He writes all his own material and he travels with a stand-up sidekick, John Bowman, who will be in the show here, too.

Black attracts both GOP and Democratic fans. But he doesn't cater to either camp. "I don't have time for parties or teams; if you're a Democrat or a Republican and feel like you need a team, join a bowling league," he said.

Surprisingly, Black said his audience ranges in age from 10 to 90. "The cross-section is staggering," he said. "I think comedy is the language of the kids' realm; Comedy Central has made a big effect — along with the Internet. Kids are living in a terrifying time; it's lunacy. It's scary to be a kid today."

Next up for Black: "Man of the Year," a film starring Robin Williams and directed by Barry Levinson. "It's a very good part; I play a (jerk). (Another note to readers: No, Black did not say 'jerk.') I play a (jerk) well; played on two 'Law & Orders.' They're fun to do; easy, because you don't have to worry about a punch line."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.