Back in the era of Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce and George Carlin, stand-up comedians typically stuck to wry observations on everyday life, societal norms and the opposite sex.

But as much as Lewis Black, one of today's most well-known figures in the worlds of comedy and television, would love to stay simple, the current economic crisis and wars in the Middle East are center stage in his act.

"I'm doing jokes about sub-prime mortgages," the 60-year-old Black said earlier this month during a tour stop in Florida, laughing cautiously. "What happened to the good old days?"

With just a little more than a week before the presidential election, Black will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center to rant and rave about the economy, the price of gas, alternative energy and, of course, the diverse selection of candidates in his "Let Them Eat Cake" show.

During the course of the phone interview following the night of the vice presidential debate, Black took shots at both the Democrats and Republicans, calling both parties "appalling" in their handling of this past month's economic events. Despite his problems with those on both sides of the aisle, the majority of his anger was reserved for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his selection of running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"I was lucky I missed it," he said of the debate. "I think it would have caused hemorrhaging or might've induced seizures."

Seizures are one thing that those who've seen Black's stand-up routine, guest spots on The Daily Show or his two HBO specials might expect from the constantly enraged figure. Countless politicians and public figures have been brutal targets of his during the years, and though he said he rarely lets his feelings override his comedy, the Alaskan governor induces more anger in him than "anyone he's ever seen."

"It's like watching fiction; [the selection] was disgusting on McCain's part," he said. "You tell me you've got a candidate who's a great decision-maker and the only major decision he makes when he's running is for VP, and this is who he picks? I don't want to be the test case if someone like me can be president. Wait until after I die to figure out if that works."

Black himself once dabbled in government, as a member of the student senate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), although he quit because it eventually "made him sick." Being a student in the late 1960s, Black, like many college students at the time, took part in a great deal of political activism.

"In retrospect, we were idiots, but at least we were trying," he said. "I always think it's getting better. It's slow-moving, sure, but you don't really see it; it's a microscopic movement. When I was a kid, a black man couldn't run -- it wouldn't have even been a thought. So there's been a real change, but I think the leadership gets worse and worse."

Black developed an interest in playwriting while at UNC and was soon attending the Yale School of Drama. After graduating, he wrote hundreds of one-act plays in New York City, with his stand-up comedy soon becoming the opening act. Though the transition to a full-time career in stand-up was complete, Black took with him much of what he learned in playwriting.

"Hopefully I learned how to tell a story better on stage," he said. "The transition came because I was just at work and had been playwriting for years, and all of a sudden people started gravitating toward my comedy."

Having been "perpetually on the road for the last 20 years," Black has mostly stood on the sidelines of major current events, speaking about the war in Iraq and the outgoing administration from the stages of theaters and clubs. That changed in December 2007 when he went on a USO tour of Iraq and Kuwait to entertain the troops.

"It was mind-altering," he said, comparing the trip to taking LSD and admitting it "blew out" all preconceptions he had about the military. "They are really an extraordinary group."

Since his visit to the Middle East wrapped up, Black began hosting a new Comedy Central show, The Root of All Evil, and released a book dealing with his personal experiences with religion, Me of Little Faith.

Black has visited State College before, and despite the weather, has quite a bit of adoration for the way things operate.

"All cities should be built around a college," he said. "They're providing stuff for students and 80 percent of it is stuff that I want. I can get a pizza delivered at four in the morning?"

Black, whose brother went to the University of Michigan, and who has always had a distaste for Ohio State University, said he had a soft spot for Penn State and will be rooting for them Saturday.

"If you don't beat Ohio State, I might not show up," he said.