It’s been almost 8 years since Arthur The Comic has performed on stage. Arthur (real name Arthur Hopson) has been traveling with his daughter’s step team, working with an adult skate team, acted as a Master of Ceremony for an array of events, and has done a little promotional work. He accomplished all of this while maintaining his job with the City of Tampa’s Parks and Recreation Department for the past 12-1/2 years.

“What I want to do now is return to the stage as a comedian. This past weekend, I hosted an event for parks and recreation, and I decided then to return to the stage.

“My plan is to start outside of the immediate area, then work my way back to Tampa for a really big show. I will need the time away to work on my new material.”

Arthur said he’ll always be appreciative of the man who first allowed him to perform before an audience.

“I owe all of my success to Mr. C. C. Miles. He allowed me to perform during some his talent shows in the early 1980s, and that gave me my first break.

“I figure all I need to do now is rebuild, because my name is still well-known in the area. I meet people all the time who ask when I’m returning to the stage.”

Arthur said he has a lot of material he’s been working on, and he feels this summer will be the perfect time to let everyone hear it.

“I haven’t arranged any appearances at area lounges or comedy clubs. At this point, I think it’s more important for me to prepare myself properly for a return as a standup comedian, and get more involved in promoting shows.”

If you want to check out what Arthur The Comic is up to, visit his website at arthurthecomic@gmail.com.