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 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: 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! ~ Michael
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