Just as much as Atlanta is a fan of Sinbad, the veteran comedian loves the city. He is making a return to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Saturday at 8 p.m. Known for his clean style of comedy, Sinbad (born David Adkins) said audiences should prepare for a “funky” good time.

“Atlanta is the mecca. It’s my core audience,” he said. In addition to Atlanta, Sinbad started out in cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago and Detroit. He has performed often in Cobb and enjoys coming back.

“I love the Cobb Energy Centre,” he said. “I was one of the first people to come there when it opened up. It’s a beautiful place.”

Sinbad got his start in the 1980s. His television work includes a reality show on WE TV, countless stand-up specials, movies such as “Necessary Roughness” and “Jingle All The Way,” and a stint on “A Different World,” a spinoff of the “Cosby Show.” He still counts Bill Cosby as one of his mentors today.

“He’s the man,” Sinbad said. “Between him, Richard Pryor and Red Foxx, they are the greatest. No one will ever surpass them. I call them the original group. Lenny Bruce, George Carlin — we will never be like them. All we can do is hope to be as good. Cosby is one of the few ones left.”

Sinbad said comedians of his generation had their own niche, but somewhere along the way the material became the same. These days, Sinbad is in search of something new or as he puts it: “A young cat that makes you think you’re going to lose your job (as a comic).” 

So what advice does he have for those who want to follow in his footsteps?

“You’ve got to want this so bad that you don’t mind being broke. You’ve got to want this so bad that you don’t mind that you might not ever make any money doing it,” he said. “We all want to be rich and famous, but if that is what’s drawing you (to comedy), don’t do it. It’s work. I have fun with it, but it is a job. It’s probably more work than anything you’ve ever done. You have to have a strong sense of who you are. Be persistent.”

These days, technology plays a major role in fame and success. Sinbad acknowledges using the Internet to post short films and projects with his friends but said social networking and YouTube can have its pitfalls.

“You have to use it the right way to get your name out there. Telling a joke is not like music where you sing that song again,” he said. “If you put too much stuff up, you can’t use that stuff again unless you are going to write a lot. If people see a joke over and over, they won’t want to see you anymore.”

In addition to comedy, Sinbad’s other passion is music. He said he started out in music, and the Atlanta audience will get a taste of it when the comedian takes the stage with his band.

Although the comedian’s career has spanned nearly 30 years, Sinbad said he still hasn’t accomplished all of his goals.

“I want to direct and produce more projects,” he said. “For me, I feel like I’m just starting.”

Tickets are $35.50 plus applicable fees and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at (800) 745-3000 or at the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at Cobb Energy Centre, located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. For more information, visit www.cobbenergycentre.com or call (770) 916-2800.