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! 

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

As I've stated before, I read a lot of comics and graphic novels, both in hard copy (print) and .pdf formats.  However, I don't blog about them all here in my Blog, as it takes at least a three quarters of an hour to format and proof one of these posts, what with the pics and text to prepare.  For me to blog about something here, I've either got to really like it, and / or the publication has a uniqueness or some other quality or feature that I want to share with my blog readers. 

I don't normally blog about publications that I don't like for whatever reason(s).  My 'free time' for blogging is too short to dwell on something that I didn't like reading, let alone spending extra time writing about it!  I like to keep my Blog on a positive path as there are so many deserving publications out there to share with you that I come across.... 

I found several publications at The Antidote Trust booth at the 2009 SDCC, thanks to Dale Wilson of DWAP Productions who introduced me to the creators who shared their works with me!

Today's blog post is on the first issue of 'The Untamed - A Sinner's Prayer'.  I was handed two copies of the first issue, the above pictured cover is the regular cover.  The writer of the series is holding both covers in the smaller photo at the top right.

This comic takes place on 'The World of Asunda'.  Following are the words used in the publicity promo that describe what this first issue is about: 

"I was given a second chance in death. Vengeance was offered and I was quick to accept.”

A cloaked Stranger slips into the rustic Town of Oasis changing things forever. Ten years it had been since he ran this town with malice and harshness. Even then there was hope for his soul. His wife and daughter were on the verge of turning him from wickedness. But they were murdered, and so was he. Now he has returned hell-bent on killing.

Okay... sounds kind of 'heavy' right from the start.  It is.  However, the text is minimal.  No, Not simplistic... just minimal.  The dialogue is sparse also.  What it does though, is flow very well with the artwork, which is beautifully done by Peter Bergting.  Yes, there is blood, and violence here.  Is it heavy handed and out to shock the reader?  Well, not overly so in my opinion.  (Kind of like the 'Man with No Name' movie series starring Clint Eastwood, where the violence goes with the action format.)

What makes this introductory issue 'good' is the combination of the minimal text & dialogue with the illustration / colors / lettering. It is a fine presentation and although normally not what I personally would read for 'fun', it is compelling enough for me to want to read more of this seven issue series. 

Here are the credits:

Words:        Sebastian A. Jones
Art:             Peter Bergting
Design:        Darrell May
Letters:       Christopher Garner 
                   Troy Peteri
Cover:         Peter Bergting
Alt. Cover:  Hyoung Taek Nam

Now, here is what makes this comic book additionally 'interesting' and 'interactive' for my Blog readers.  You too can read this comic book, but instead of a hard copy, you can see the first issue for free online, all 36 pages including the back story, so you can formulate your own thoughts as to whether it draws you in enough to purchase the second copy.  The first issue can be found at:

http://www.strangercomics.com/asunda/untamed.php 

Just click on the 'Read' box on that web page.  See what You think of this storyline!  Let the creators know!  Let me know!

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 store that keep us with the 'free time' to post blogs like the one you have read here! 

Friday night Tina and I went with several other couples to see the first of a series of films featuring Leo Carrillo, of whom I have blogged about here a few times...

The film is part of a five week Friday nights Film Festival featuring Leo Carrillo, who is best known today as portraying 'Pancho' in 'The Cisco Kid' TV Western Show of the 1950's.   Before the feature film is played, a half hour episode is played first of 'The Cicso Kid'.  All this under the stars, in the same area where Leo and his wife used to entertain all the Hollywood Stars that would come down to their ranch to stay and 'rough it'!

So this morning, thinking about the above fun we had last night reminded me that in the package that Jim Main, Publisher of Main Enterprises, had sent me recently, was a modern Western Comic Book with a HoRRoR twist to it. 

I recently reviewed a fanzine on Doc Savage that Jim also publishes, (see here for that blog).  That zine and this Western HoRRoR Comic Book are just 2 of the 48 publications that he has published that are currently listed for sale in his online store!

However, this post is on the Western HoRRoR Comic Book  titled Boot Hill #1... The comic book itself is an anthology with three stories written by Sam Gafford, and illustrated by three different artists in black & white interior pages format.   Here are the stories that this issue covers per Jim's advertising blurb:

Do you like westerns? Are you a fan of horror stories? Well here's a new comic anthology that pairs them both togerther! Issue #1 features 3 tales of sagebrush terror, as narrated by your host, The Gunslinger : "Do Not Forsake Me"(illustrated by Dave Farley), "The Horseshoes" (illustrated by Jack Bertram) and "The Battle of Perkin's Feed (illustrated by John Lambert) all penned by horror writer Sam Gafford! And take a gander at that creepy cover by Scott McClung! If that's not enough to give you the willies...  

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

As you can tell by this blog's opening paragraph, I like western comic books.  I have since I first started reading comics and watching TV western shows!  I found the process of taking a TV show and printing it as sequential art to be something I enjoyed.

However, this comic book doesn't come from a TV Show.  It takes a genre of comic books that has recently been having a revival and inserting the HoRRoR theme into it.  Very similar to what I have seen by others do in recent years.  I have even blogged about a couple of them here, that included either HoRRoR or Supernatural themes into the western background of the story, (i.e. Jonah Hex upcoming film, and Desperadoes Omnibus by Jeff Mariotte.)

That doesn't mean I don't like this hybrid genre.  It just better be done good to rate my taking the time to blog about it! 

The cover to this comic book is one that made me put it near the top of my 'to read' stack of comics and mags that have come in for me to possibly review.  That says something right there!  Good job by illustrator Scott McClung!

The stories use a 'host' narrator to introduce you to the storyline. His name is 'The Gunslinger'.  Similar to the old EC HoRRoR Comics.

The first story 'Do Not Forsake Me!' is well written by Sam Gafford. The art is by Dave Farley.  I can't figure out the style here, it has a little 'underground' flavor to it, but since it was his comic book premiere, I don't really know his background.  The artwork meshed pretty well with the storyline.

The second story 'The Horsehoes!' was well written.  Reminded of the style of earlier EC Comics... The lettering didn't mesh as well with the art in this second story after the splash page.  The splash page lettering looked like an effort to tell the story in an EC lettering style. But turning the page, it lost that flavor.  I don't see the credits for that effort.  However the art by Jack Bertram told the story well in the sequential art format.

The third story 'The Battle of Perkin's Feed' was done right all the way through!  The storyline, the dialogue, the lettering and the art all blended well together!  And the ending?  Well done!

OKay... as I've said before here in my Blog...  Reviewing an anthology is one of the hardest things to do.  In this case, because the writer of each story was the same person, it was just a tad easier.  Plus there is a different 'tone' for comics that have black and white interior pages instead of color pages... 

For those that like Westerns with a HoRRoR or Supernatural bent,  then this issue should be down the right path to Boot Hill for you to read pardner!   I would appreciate seeing a 2nd issue to this series.

Details on this issue as follows:

Cost of this issue is: $2.95 plus 1.50 shipping.
$4.45 per issue postpaid in the USA.  Personal checks only, with checks made out to Jim Main.  Jim's web site to order is at:   http://mainenterprises.ecrater.com/

Unfortunately we don't have back issues of Jim's comics or magazines in our own online store at this time... However, Please check out our other new listings of comics, graphic novels, Comic Con exclusives and more pop culture items for sale in our online eBay Featured Store that our blogs are based on! 

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!  

This entry in our 'Spotlight On...' blog post series is about a special person who is celebrating his birthday today...  

Yes, that would be Scott Shaw!, who has entertained my family members during the many years they attended the San Diego Comic Con International with me...

I could go on and on about how Scott Shaw! is a famous United States cartoonist and animator!  But if you are reading this, you probably know about that of him! 

So I'll just mention that among Scott's many works in the comic-book industry is his work on Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones (for Marvel Comics and Harvey Comics).

Why just mention that?  Well, it's because my two oldest kids had the privilege years ago at one of mid 1990's San Diego Comic Cons  (SDCC) to actually sit in a 'class' at the Convention and learn how to draw Flintstones characters as taught by Scott!  They talked about that 'class' the rest of the summer and brought it up for years afterward!  Thanks Scott for doing that for my kids, and all the other kids that were there that year!

The other program that has entertained us everytime for many years is his 'Oddball Comics Slideshow' which he has shown at the SDCC! Quite honestly my feet thank him for being able to sit down for an hour at each con and then I just relax and laugh with Scott at his choices to feature each year!   Seen below are: left - 'Forward With Eisenhower - Nixon', and yes that is a comic book!, and to the right one of many promotional comic books that have been published through the decades, this one being Scotty MacTape to The Rescue!

The above program was not the only program or panel he attends each year at the SDCC;  just click here to see my earlier blog post as to what he was attending and participating in at the 2009 Con! 

And yeah, I guess I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Scott was also the first artist for the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic book which my youngest son enjoys reading!  So much so the my son even blogged about that here once!

Currently Scott also maintains a regular column on the craziest comic books ever published, http://www.oddballcomics.com/ web site.

So, why don't YOU, If You aren't already registered there, sign up and comment on his discussion board?!  I'm sure he would appreciate that as a Great Birthday Present from YOU!  At least wish him a Happy Birthday there!

And so I close out this 'Spotlight On... Scott Shaw!' by saying...  Happy Birthday Scott, AND Thanks for all the entertainment you've given me and my family during the years!  Looking forward to many more years of fun programs at the Comic Con and your other endeavors! 

And Oh... 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!  

Plus... 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 our blogs are usually based on.  We do have a few Scott Shaw! comics there from time to time!