Richard Belzer plays Cinema Arts Centre

Like his long-running police-detective character John Munch from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" -- and from "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "The X-Files," "Arrested Development," "30 Rock" and elsewhere -- comic Richard Belzer is a conspiracy theorist.

Unlike him, the actor-provocateur is a published conspiracy theorist: "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe" (Ballantine, 2000) and now Skyhorse Publishing's "Dead Wrong: Straight Facts on the Country's Most Controversial Cover-Ups" with co-author David Wayne.

With that new book as the anchor, the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington Wednesday presents the retrospective and book signing "An Evening With Richard 'The Belz' Belzer," featuring discussions with the star, a screening of the 2006 "SVU" episode "Uncle" with Jerry Lewis, and segments from the drily funny Web series "Belzervision."

Belzer, 68, began his career as a reporter with his hometown Bridgeport (Conn.) Post. After becoming a cult-star standup in New York in the '70s, he began doing film and TV. In 1992, Barry Levinson cast him as Munch on "Homicide."

"Dead Wrong" covers the much-tilled territory of the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and others. I'm sure I'm not the first to suggest that a comedian isn't necessarily a history professor.

I'm a comedian and actor, but also a journalist and author. I was a newspaper reporter, and my partner, David Wayne, is a historian and microanalyst of how the media covers events. I've been involved in studying this material for many years, and people can say what they want about me, but I'm just reporting facts.

For example?

The book conclusively proves that Marilyn Monroe was murdered, and a Kennedy did not murder her. People can be skeptical -- people should be skeptical -- but the book is bulletproof and we're proud of that. Forensic evidence, interviews with FBI agents and police -- we consulted all kinds of information. I want people to be provoked and let them question me, so people can draw their own conclusions. No one's punched any holes in any of these stories -- this is what really happened.

Ah, but what's the conspiracy behind Munch appearing on 11 TV series, plus your playing a Munch-like detective in "A Very Brady Sequel"?

There's something about the curmudgeonly, dissident cop I'm lucky to play, and who's very close to who I am, anyway, that for some reason has gotten the affinity of a lot of show runners.

And I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't ask about your "Say heil" salute last Wednesday on "Good Day New York."

Satire is satire. And it was almost like a dumb college prank -- Fox is 24 hours a day spewing vile, so I gave them a satirical jab.

WHO Richard Belzer

WHEN | WHERE 7:30 Wednesday at Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington

TICKETS $35 (includes reception); 800-838-3006, cinemaartscentre.org