Comedian Louis C.K. hits Comedy Works this weekend in all his vulgar glory.

Plenty of mediocre comedians have found mainstream success through movies and sitcoms, but far fewer have earned the respect of their peers to become a comedian’s comedian, the kind that the openers never miss, and that amateurs study carefully.

Louis C.K. is a comedian’s comedian, a guy that has honed his craft over 20-plus years at countless clubs and theaters, spinning hilariously offensive, down-to-earth tales of daily life. In advance of his visit to Comedy Works (a fairly small venue, but his normal theater-playing standards) this weekend, we talked to him about his recent material, upcoming special, and why there aren’t enough female comedians in the world.

Have you played Comedy Works before?

Sure, it’s one of my favorite clubs, easily one of the top five in the country. I only played it once before but it was a great experience. That place is really well laid out. Wende (Curtis) runs it in a very conscientious manner. There’s a lot of comedy clubs that are sort of in a mall somewhere next to the Cheesecake Factory, but this place is really good. In most towns I’d play a theater but I also like to mix up theaters and clubs. It’s better for developing (material).

Will people be seeing mostly new material at your sets this weekend?

Oh yeah. I taped a special in March, which is airing in October, so now I’m onto another hour of new material. I scrapped that old stuff. There’ll be some of it but I’m working on a new hour now.

I’m guessing those photos of you in the new Ricky Gervais movie are in a fat suit… or did you actually gain all that weight for the part?

That’s me, man, in a tight wife-beater.

You look so different without your beard.

Yeah, I’ve mostly been a grown-up with a beard, but I don’t trade on my looks so I don’t care. And actually I’m not that much fatter in that photo than I usually am. I hover around 230 to 240 pounds.

Are you still working on a new CBS sitcom?

Yeah, Pamela (from the HBO sitcom “Lucky Louie”) and I just signed a deal with CBS.

She played your wife on “Lucky Louie,” right?

She did, and we wrote an episode of “Lucky Louie” together that was really good. She was a real partner in comedy on that show and we really wanted to do something else together. We missed doing this married stuff together about family life, so I’ve kind of developed different ideas since “Lucky Louie.” CBS was really asking me if I’d do something for them again. But it’s in a development stage, and now I’m shooting this movie and (Pamela) is shooting “Californication” for Showtime. When the smoke clears we’ll have a deal in place. CBS has paid us, so that’s a vote of confidence.

I’ve interviewed dozens of comedians at every level and your name often comes up. Why do you think you’re so respected among your peers?

I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for a long time, just outlasting people. I’ve been doing this now for… well, I got started in 1985 in Boston. That’s a long time for a stand-up. A lot of people doing it as long as me have moved on. It’s hard to stick for something 23 years and be awful at it. When you’re younger you are interested in guys that have been doing it longer. I care about stand-up, but I think a lot of people use it as a vehicle to get to something else. They’re funny in flashes and have potential, but don’t actually get good at it. It takes years and years.

Right, some people just want to go the sitcom route.

It’s like making an old violin, and most people abandon it before they’re done. But I think it literally takes 20 years to make a good comedian, and then you only get good at the 20 year point. I never got into video games, I can’t play them, but I did try to play a boxing game and they give you a fighter to develop through a career. You create a boxer and you can give him attributes, like he’s speedy or he’s strong… his stats are taking on damage at the same time as he’s building skill levels. When you get to the end he has to still have the gas to fight for the title, but you usually go over that curve and your fighter’s gotten too tired to do anything. You go through a lot and that makes you better.

Who are some up-and-coming comedians you admire right now?

I’ve got some guys opening for me that I really like. Actually, Maria Bamford is one of my favorite comics. She doesn’t get nearly enough attention. I’m more interested in a funny woman comedian usually. There’s just an army of f**king lousy dudes out there talking about masturbating and their favorite sports and product and service complaints. To me it’s the most boring kind of comedy.

For more information about Louis C.K.’s sets this weekend, visit Comedy Works online.

More from Get Real Denver

• Comedy Q&A: Moshe Kasher Pt. 2
• Comedy Q&A: Dave Attell
• Comedian Q&A: Christian Finnegan
• Comedian Q&A: Paul F. Tompkins
• Comedy Q&A: Doug Benson

Get Real Denver Recommends

• The Mile High Makeout: The love-in begins (Reverb)
• CMJ Q&A: Author Tony Fletcher (Reverb)
• Such a deal – $52.80 for a burger (The Peek)