Last Friday Night Tina and I were among many who attended the first film evening of the 2009 Leo Carrillo Film Festival...  

Which led me to blog about our evening there in conjunction with reviewing the HoRRoR Western Comic Book 'Boot Hill" Issue #1 from Main Enterprises the next day!

Last night Tina and I just went with our neighbor Vikki to the second film evening, instead of with the group that was sponsored by the Men's Group the previous Friday.   Plus this morning I don't have a comic book to review!

Sure I could probably take one of the forty issues of The Cisco Kid that were printed from January 1951 - October - December 1958 by Dell Comics and review that here, but I'll just post a photo at the bottom right of this blog post showing issue #29 that was more in keeping with last night's feature film co-starring Leo Carrillo as a fisherman.

Instead I'll just mention that even without our larger group sponsored by the Men's Group, we had lots of others out there on the lawn to watch the 2nd night of the 2009 Leo Carrillo Film Festival!  Approximately 250 persons gathered and watched another episode of The Cisco Kid that ran before the 1941 re-make film of Barnacle Bill that starred Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main, and Leo Carrillo. 

The above photos show the opening credits of The Cicso Kid TV Show episode that was shown last night.  It is really 'different' to sit under the stars at Leo Carrillo's Ranch and watch his TV Show episodes and then films he that played in.

The Film Festival audience is actually sitting near the pool and cabana where Leo and his family used to entertain their guests, mostly from Hollywood, who would travel down to the ranch that once comprised the Eastern area of Carlsbad that we now live in!  Matter of fact Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent their honeymoon there at the ranch many years ago!

The film last night was really good, a MGM flick with the great Wallace Beery.  Of course all of us had a good time, what with the wine and  picnic dinner that Tina and Vikki prepared.  The Ranch folks also cooked hot dogs and had popcorn and candy to eat while watching the TV show episode and film for those that didn't bring food. 

There will be three more weeks of the Leo Carrillo Film Festival should you be in the Carlsbad, California area, September 18th (Friday) & 26th (Saturday), and then back to a Friday night on October 2nd!  The 26th evening will be a special 'Phantom Of the Opera' showing, of the 1943 film.

My thanks to Denise who took a few photos of Tina, Vikki, and myself last night, (of which one is published above right).  And for the additional conversation with Denise's friend Anna, who just happened to enjoy and collect the old EC HoRRoR Comics.  Small World indeed when you make conversation with others sitting around you!

Also, last night before entering the Hacienda, I talked with Allan Kindle who is on the Board of Directors for the Ranch.   Upon hearing of my interest in buying / selling / blogging about comics, he mentioned that he had gone to the San Diego Comic Con International about five years ago to look for Cisco Kid Comics for their exhibit at the Ranch itself! 

Which reminds me... For more info on the Film Festival or just to learn about the ranch, check out the web site at:  http://www.leocarrilloranch.org/     

During the month of July I was blogging a lot on the then upcoming 40th Anniversary of the San Diego Comic Con International... 

Which was very special to me as I was there almost at the beginning when I first set up as a dealer in 1972.  

Well, for people like me that have enjoyed attending the con some, part, or even all those 40 years, the Comic-Con folks put out two publications celebrating this special event for their 40th Anniversary!  

The first was the regular Comic Con Souvenir Program Book that was distributed to each attendee at the Con.  I enjoyed reading it so much that I blogged about that right away!  

   Click here for that review.  (And If you haven't seen a copy yet, we do have a few left for sale if you click the cover of the souvenir program book showing the SD Toucan. That will take you to the shelf in our online store where it is available.)    

The second publication, the actual hardcover book, was co-authored by Gary Sassaman and Jackie Estrada.  That book is pictured at the top right of this blog post.  Gary and Jackie will both be at this special event.  The event details are mentioned below, taken from the event's web page:

   Comic-Con: 40 Years of Artists, Writers, Fans, and Friends  - A celebration of San Diego Comic-Con International!

Featuring Gary Sassaman & Jackie Estrada (pictured above) co-authors of the Book! 

Host:                  Mysterious Galaxy
Type:                 Music/Arts - Performance
Network:            Global
Price:                 Author events are free and open to the public.
Date:                 Sunday, September 20, 2009
Time:                 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Location:           Mysterious Galaxy
Street:              7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. #302
City/Town:        San Diego, CA

Our event will include co-authors Gary Sassaman and Jackie Estrada, and numerous contributors. Plus podcasts via geekroundtable. Details to follow!

OK, I'll take it from there...

   First, to see my blog previewing the special book and my history with the con... Just Click here!

I haven't blogged about the book since I first received my copy at the Comic Con, but trust me on this one... it is chock full of notes, photos, and memorabilia from the 4 decades of history!  Great effort by all concerned in putting this together! 

Up to date details on this special event can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139208123776&ref=mf

I've been blogging the last few days about several new comic book series that have caught my interest...

Which is good, because after all, isn't this blog's name 'ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com ? 

Well it is, and I feel that the comics I've been blogging about recently are ones that are to be read and collected.  Not necessarily 'collected' in a trade paperback format, but bagged and boarded to be placed in your collection to read again in the future, they are that good!

Today's post is about the 'Lander' comic book series.  I was sent copies by Jaymes  Reed who writes and also letters this series, after I blogged about some other publications that he had done lettering in and liked.   I'm always grateful to be turned on to new series that I feel good while reading and then sharing with my blog readers.  

Here are what the first two issues are about per Jaymes' advertising blurbs on his web site:

   LANDER #0  Written/Lettered by Jaymes Reed
Illustrations/Cover by Andrea ASH
Peron Colors by Catriel Tallarico

Standard Comic
Full Color
Page Count: 8

Haley's official original Landing! In 1999, Haley boards a plane for Miami, but she LANDS in the South Pacific... as aviatrix Amelia Earhart in 1937!

Meet HALEY, an afterlife time traveler who possesses the bodies of women throughout history to alter the outcomes of varying timelines. In the spirit of Quantum Leap, join Haley for a different year, possession --and artist-- each TIME...

And then....    LANDER #1
Written/Lettered by Jaymes Reed "Mars Lander" Illustrations- Lee T. Melton, Jr. "Everywhen" Illustrations- Philipp S. Neundorf "Mars Lander" Colors- Siqueira & Aline Silva
Cover- Andrea ASH Peron

Standard Comic
Full Color
Page Count: 24

OK, I'll take it from there...

As I've said before here in my Blog...  I enjoy time travel stories when they are done right.  I cite for example the TV Show 'Quantum Leap', of which I was one of the Original Leapers, attending the very first 'LeapCon' in Los Angeles!   Additionally, 'Somewhere In Time' with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour is a film that I always stop to finish up when I am channel surfing and I catch it in progress...

So, yeah I suppose I would be inclined to like a series that calls to mind 'Quantum Leap' in its' advertising blurb. 

Thing is, I didn't see the advertising until After I read these two issues, and was drawing comparisons of my own to them!

Is this series perfect?  No, but the first two issues ,(actually numbered #0 & a #1), are very good steps in the right direction to keep my interest in this continuing series.  

Issue #0 had a good background story, what with it being on Amelia Earhart in 1937, always a great time period to start a series in my mind for a time travel series.

Issue #1 had two stories, and as such a reader would naturally favor one over the other.  I did.  I really liked the 'Mars Lander' story... reminded me of some old black & white TV Sci-Fi Shows that enthralled me as a kid in the early 1960's.

You'll notice the word 'God' in the advertising blurb.  No, the two issues so far are not overly religious, or come out and preach 'at' you.  Very good balance in the writing, and of course Jaymes' lettering was great as usual.  I had not read anything by Jaymes before and was pleased with these two issues with him as the writer. 

The artwork fit the stories and the whole presentation for both issues were entertaining as well as though provoking.  What was fun was seeing different artists for each of the different stories.  Almost like 'leaping in' to different artist's renditions each time.  Seeing 'Lander' from different artists' viewpoints made this different but not too different where the artwork could have clashed with each others' stories.  The choices of artists were good ones for these two issues.

I would recommend this to those that enjoy time travel TV Shows, Films, or print publications that have this as part of their theme.

Issue #3 will be published within the next couple of weeks.  I plan on reading that issue and possibly blog on issues #2 & #3 together sometime after that... 

Details on purchasing these issues can be found at:

http://www.digital-caps.com/Lander.htm

Yes, I'm still blogging reviews of comics that I received during the recent San Diego Comic Con International...  

That's because I visited almost all of the tables in Artists Alley and the Small Press Section either by myself or with Tina this year.  Several of the artists there had 'press kits' available, or when seeing my taking photos of their 'neighbors' next to them, inquired as to who and what I was doing and then gave me their publication(s) to read and possibly review here.

Additionally I found several publications at The Antidote Trust (TAT) booth at this same con, thanks to Dale Wilson of DWAP Productions who introduced me to the creators who were part of the 'collective' TAT.  Those who shared their works with me and that I found interesting enough after reading them to blog about, are being slowly featured here in my Blog as I finish reading those publications and have room to insert a mention here.

Today's blog post is on the first issue of 'HollyVood'.  I found this to be published in a comic book format, at least what I was given to read was in that format.  It was a limited edition first printing for $4.95 cover price.  However, after reading this publication I believe that the graphic novel format would be better for it in final print format; it is that good and reads that way.  But I get ahead of myself... 

Following are the words from their marketing effort that describe what this first issue is about: 

"What is HollyVOOD?

Hollywood is a place we all know. But HollyVOOD is gritty ethnic neighborhood; a place filled with first generation immigrants. A melting pot that includes Russians, Ukranians, Armenians and Mexicans... all struggling to fulfill their version of the American Dream.

HollyVOOD is also the name of this limited comic book series written by Vem / Steven Thadeus with art by Anthony Diecidue.

Krikor escapes a war in the Caucasus (Eastern Europe/Western Asia), only to make it halfway across the globe where he finds himself in a battle to survive in the land of opportunity.

He starts from zero with the lofty goal of getting a green card and saving his family from his war torn country by bringing them to Hollywood.

But this is a different kind of Hollywood; its streets are run by larger than life Russian, Ukrainian and other Eastern European gangsters who abuse the system in their pursuit of easy money.

Brothels, medical fraud, identity theft... there isn’t a scam that’s beyond reach for these characters. And Ruzo is the mastermind of it all.

Ruzo is a thinker and creator. Raised in the USSR where survival equals fraud, Ruzo had a PhD in crime by the age of 9. The free and open US system is no match for Ruzo’s criminal mind as he spearheads scams that can best be described as "Intellectual Thuggery".

Having no other choice in the quest to save his family from the war, Krikor decides to reinvent himself as Ruzo’s equal in crime.

What transpires threatens to unravel Hollywood into a modern day civil war.

In this story, gangster is redefined.

Welcome to the harsh streets of HollyVOOD.

See http://www.hollyvoodsite.com/ ."

Okay... sounded like it could be a good 'read'.  So I went into it with an open mind.   The front cover was different in that the 'logo' was on the left side of the front cover. Additionally there was only a '#1" at the bottom right.  Turns out the cover was a 'wrap around' style of cover with a back cover meant to be seen with the front cover, as shown at the top right of this post.

Turning the page into story... The lettering in this publication was fantastic!  The different fonts, the sound effects, etc., really got me into this story!  Plus the text and dialogue kept what could have been hard to write in a sequential format, rolling along...

The artwork by Anthony Diecidue was definitely fitting for this genre of story.  The colors, (not credited), helped create the 'tone' of the story.  I found this presentation, although a 'continued' story, to be a 'complete package' of a story that I would want to continue reading! 

Here are the credits:

Written by:              Vem / Steven Thadeus
Art:                          Anthony Diecidue
Characters & Story: Vem    
Consultant:              Andrew Simonian    

Now, here is what makes this project something to look forward to.  This team has its' act together for sure!

First, at the web site, you see a video trailer about the project.  Then you see that you can buy a download of this same comic book for $1.50 !  The web site also has a link to the project's blog, plus links to: 'What is Hollyvood?', 'Tell Me More...',  Buy Now, Credits, and last but certainly not least: 'Social Media'.

When I say this team has its' act together, this 'Social Media' link shows why!  The project can be found on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and YouTube!  Now that is a powerful act to follow for those other creators that are looking on how to get the word out on their own project.  This team is definitely on the right track, first with the product, and secondly with the message!

For a project that is really 'For Mature Audiences' and not for all readers or viewers, all it needs is a little more 'tweaking' on their marketing end, and this could be a Big Breakout Hit for 2010!  Don't say I didn't appraise you of this early in its' project cycle! 

The first issue for an inexpensive download and all the other links can be found at:

http://www.hollyvoodsite.com/ 

Again, my Thanks to Dale Wilson of DWAP Productions who has turned me on to several works that members of The Antidote Trust have turned out!   Especially 'The Roach' mini-series by Robert Roach!  The BEST mini-series I have read in years!  (Click here for my review on that series!)

AND Thanks again to all of YOU reading our current and archived blog posts!  We do blog daily on comic book creators, comic book reviews, and other pop culture news and events including some TV shows and theatrical films!  

While You are here today... Please check out our new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that most of our blogs are based on!  It's due to sales at this online store that keep us going with the ability to post blogs like the one you have read here!