BYLINE JOE BELK

The headline-making fiascos of evangelists everywhere have inspired Houston's Outlaw Comics to reach down deep within themselves to find their true personal feelings and to produce Outlaw Comics Get Religion. While the Swaggart and Bakker debacles provide their share of the comedic fodder, the comedians themselves have a wealth of experience to draw on. Certainly one of the strangest happened to Steve Epstein, the Outlaw Comic primarily responsible for the theme shows. Several years ago, Epstein went down to Moonie headquarters to stop a friend from joining the religious cult. But Epstein decided he liked the ideology, and enlisted himself. The Moonies sent him to New York, where he collected money on the streets. One day, he took his $200 earnings and bet it on a shell game-type operation. Not surprisingly, the game was rigged; and when Epstein explained the missing money to the church, they asked him to leave. Experiences like these play as important a role in the comics' motivation for satirizing religion as Jimmy Swaggart's offhand comments like, "Never bargain with Jesus, he's a Jew." "The show is very spiritual," said Mark Wilks, the newest member of the Outlaw Comics troupe. "We just don't define what religion is." Veteran comic Bill Hicks agreed with Wilks. "I believe in Christianity; I just don't believe it's ever been practiced. If you get the idea that (we) aren't religious, just consider how spiritual we must be to do a show like this." The Outlaw Comics began in 1980 as Comics on the Lam, a troupe that featured - among others - Hicks, Riley Barber, and a young unknown named Sam Kinison. They left Houston for Los Angeles, where they soon began pursuing solo work. Most of them wound up back in Houston, where they reformed as a group last year. After a successful late-night special on Houston-area television, they went on the road with theme shows. Religion is the third in the series; the previous two were on politics and drugs. Future possibilities include Outlaw Comics Get Censored and Outlaw Comics Get Laid. Even though these three shows have been very successful, they have met with some opposition. For instance, a sold-out show in Jimmy Swaggart's hometown of Baton Rouge, La., was canceled at the last minute by the club owner. "You know what weasels club owners are," said Wilks. "They're like that brown stuff around the commode." Bill Hicks expounded on Wilks' sentiments: "What the guy in Baton Rouge didn't understand is that we went to Swaggart's hometown to promote the idea of freedom of speech. When he shut us down, he was acting against precisely what we were fighting for." Although the individual Outlaw Comics do continue their solo careers, they recognize the potential of the theme shows to vary cliched stand-up routines. Also, as their box-office grosses indicate, they have the potential to get people back into the comedy clubs. "People had grown weary of what was going on in comedy," said Riley Barber. "I mean, how many jokes about people from South Vietnam working in 7-Eleven can you hear before you get tired of it?" Above all, these theme shows indicate a commitment to social issues over cheap laughs - although their audience is likely to get both. "Outlaw Comics take the most intellectual and common-sensical approach to everything," said Mark Wilks. "We're individuals dedicated to individuality, and any topic we touch is going to reflect that." "Plus," said Barber, careful not to overlook the essential, "we're funny." The Outlaw Comics Get Religion will be performed at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 719 Congress Ave.

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