Get ready Austin…Carlos Mencia, the uproarious stand-up comedian and comic superstar, is bringing his contentious yet hilarious act to you! Mencia is blessed with the gift to make people laugh, and by capitalizing on this gift, he has become one of the most successful touring comedians in the country.

Mencia was born in Honduras, raised in East Los Angeles, and is the seventeenth of eighteen children. During Mencia’s early teen years, his family requested that he return to Honduras to avoid the gang culture that was prevalent in Los Angeles. When he returned to Los Angeles from school, his education was so advanced they sent him to the tenth grade. After graduating high school, he enrolled at Cal State L.A. where he majored in electronic engineering. He eventually left (one credit short of his degree) to pursue his career in comedy.

He started out by being an amateur stand-up comedian at local night clubs in Los Angeles. After establishing his career there, he was voted “International Comedy Grand Champion” by Buscando Estrellas, the Latin version of “Star Search.” After making appearances on multiple television shows, Carlos released his debut comedy album, Take a Joke America. Comedy Central asked Mencia to make his own comedy special and the result was Carlos Mencia: No Strings Attached, the first Comedy Central Stand-up Special DVD to achieve Platinum sales status.

After so much success, Comedy Central asked Carlos to create a weekly show to be aired. Carlos came up with the smash hit, “Mind of Mencia.” It debuted on Comedy Central in early 2005 and has since become one of the strongest shows in network history, averaging 2.1 million viewers per episode. Hard-hitting and brutally honest, the show combines skits and outrageous stand-up comedy. With the fourth season of the show currently airing, you can catch the action on Comedy Central on Wednesday’s at 9:30 PM CST. Mencia’s career continues to grow stronger, making him one of Hollywood’s most sought after talents to date. His new tour, “At Close Range,” touches on such topics as the war, the recession and the presidential election. His shows are not for the faint of heart, but will keep you rolling in the aisles all night long.

Carlos Mencia is known for his controversial but unapologetic acts. A person knows exactly what they are getting into by looking at some of his album titles: Take a Joke America, Unmerciful, Not for the Easily Offended, and Down to the Nitty Gritty. Mencia’s career has entertained millions of people, and recently he wrote in his blog of how grateful he was when the US Army sent him an American flag that had been flown in Iraq for the entertainment he has given the troops. Mencia told his readers, “This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever received. You really don’t know how much this means to me. Let’s face it, I tell jokes. My job is nothing compared to what the troops are doing out there. Really, all jokes aside, this is really such an honor, from the bottom of my heart.”

Come see what all the fuss is about on October 3 at 8 PM at The Theatre at the Frank Erwin Center.