C/O JIM SHARKY Jim Sharky, still entertaining and still offending...in a different format.

Jim Sharky can now look back at his public access days with a bittersweet glance. Three years ago, following a decade of loyal service on The Lone Shark during which he provided the community with countless hours of local insights and quality dick jokes, a boundary-pushing stunt earned him a prominent "banned for life" stamp across the forehead (figuratively, or course) that he was never able to erase. The Lone Shark was no more, but this was not without a silver lining. In his quest for another hobby, Sharky stumbled across the world of stand up comedy (thanks to a local open mic hosted by comedianne Anne Kissel), and no one is more pleased with the transition than he. "I only wish [the station manager] threw me off five years ago," he says. "I'd have my own fucking sitcom by now. Sometimes I think I should send the guy a fucking bouquet of flowers."

Using Fairfield as his homebase, Sharky, an IT slave by day, ventures into the big city and rubs elbows with the NYC comedy elite whenever time allows in a just-for-the-fun-of-it attempt at making a name for himself. So far he's shared a stage with the likes of Artie Lang, Jim Gaffagin, Jim Norton and Dave Atell, to name a few, and he seems to get a kick out of holding his own against the pros.

"The real reason I got into comedy is because it dawned on me that Fairfield's greatest export, talent-wise, is John Mayer," he says, "and I felt compelled to do something about that."

The act that actually pulled the plug on The Lone Shark seems pretty tame compared to other segments aired on the same channel. It was during a demonstration of a file-sharing application (Napster, Kazaa, Morpheus) that Sharky and his friends were downloading some material that was questionable for on-air braodcast. "Accidentally, and I use the term 'accidentally' loosely, we broadcast two or three seconds of some chick taking it up the ass," he explains. "That's a quote by the way, 'taking it up the ass.' Use it. It'll look good in print."

The incident got the crew temprorarily suspended, but when they failed to respond to a letter from the station manager within the allotted time, it became grounds for lifetime banishment from Cablevision. The show had been regularly used as an outlet for complaining about and mocking the station's hierarchy and any procedural excuse for excommunication must have seemed like a good one for those on the receiving end of the taunts.

The other controversial public access personality of note was Jerry Jer (aka, the Tampon Man. Remember, the guy with the Maxi Pad taped to his forehead and the chain connecting his nose to his ear?) who was suspended for bringing a stripper into the studio, naked, for an entire episode. Jerry has since made a return to TV.

Since embedding in the stand up scene, Sharky has tasted the harsh business realities of so-called "bringer shows," where clubs require you to bring your own audience along in order to perform. Like a less-harsh version of pay-to-play or ticket-selling scams set up by bigger rock clubs, talent comes second to profit and the promise of an admission-paying, alcohol-buying crowd. "I'm getting to a point now where people are realizing that I can do it, and I don't have to bring people," says Sharky. "So getting a regular slot at Gotham or someplace is the next pleateau."

Sharky's style is straightforward and offensive, and doesn't rely on props, goofy faces or histrionics for a laugh. Consistent with the approach of the television show, he strives to shock while still remaining likeable. "I'll trade off getting a laugh if I can get a gasp of horror," he admits.

This Friday, he brings his act back home for a show at the Acoustic Café with fellow Connecticutian Johnny Rizzo. The house rules are "no rules" and the word "fuck" is guaranteed to be spoken a few hundred times.

The Acoustic Café is located at 2926 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport. Jim Sharky and Friends (including Johnny Rizzo) perform Fri., Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. Call 335-3655 or visit www.acousticafe.com and www.jimsharky.com for more info.

Contact Jim Sharky.