Meltdown Comics to present Godkiller Episode 1 Free Premiere Screening
First public screening of innovative, star-studded animated film on Wednesday October 7th in Hollywood, CA -
Los Angeles, CA, October 1, 2009 – On Wed Oct 7th, Meltdown Comics Art Gallery will present the first public screening of Godkiller: Walk Among Us episode 1, the first installment of the dark animated series directed by award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo (Threat) and featuring voice performances by sci-horror legend Lance Henriksen (Aliens), scream queens Danielle Harris (Halloween 4, 5, I, II) & Tiffany Shepis (Night of the Demons), horror hero Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), sci-fi starlet Nicki Clyne (Battlestar Galactica), cult icon Lydia Lunch (Richard Kern’s Hardcore), and singers Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack and Davey Havok of A.F.I.
Space is extremely limited, RSVP to godkiller-la@halo8.tv
Admission is Free with RSVP
Wednesday October 7th, 8pm
Meltdown Comics Gallery
7522 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90046
p. 323.851.7223
“Meltdown Comics is one of the true champions of indie-art culture, and I couldn’t be happier that they’re hosting Godkiller’s first public screening,” said Matt Pizzolo, Godkiller’s writer-director. “When I first visited LA and wondered if I could actually move here, I wound up at Meltdown and decided ‘okay, I can live in any town with a comic shop this awesome.’ Meltdown represents the bleeding edge of media, so the fact they’re supporting Godkiller is incredibly exciting to me.”
A post-nuke odyssey about a young boy venturing into the savage land of Outer City on a quest to find a new heart for his dying sister, Godkiller was directed by award-winning filmmaker Matt Pizzolo based on the graphic novel he created with illustrator Anna Muckcracker.
The dark, unrated film pioneers a new style of animation called ‘illustrated-films,’ developed by Pizzolo with his producing partner, Emmy-winner Brian Giberson. Utilizing the comic book’s sequential illustrations, the filmmakers add 3-D cgi, motion graphics, elaborate sound design, and dramatic voice performances for an edgy, sophisticated, intricately detailed new form of animation. Danielle Harris told iF Magazine “its more like moving art than animation, with very good writing.” Upcoming illustrated-films from Halo-8 include Tim Seeley’s Loaded Bible and James Farr’s Xombie: Reanimated.
The trailer is posted on Halo8.tv and available for easy embedding.
LA TIMES: Documentary reminds fans to ‘Dig Comics,’ not just superhero movies
SATURDAY: FREE SCREENING OF “DIG COMICS” AT MELTDOWN
It seems comic book heroes are bigger than ever.
In 2007, “Spider-Man 3” topped the charts with a $891 million in worldwide box office. The following year “The Dark Knight” grossed more than $1 billion while “Iron Man” rang up $585 million.
But while heroes are flying high in theaters, comic book publishing is on the verge of being a mere footnote to the cinematic franchises it spawned.
That is deeply alarming to Miguel Cima, who wants to preserve the lore of the truly American pop-culture phenomena – and he has the help of someone who knows about endangered species, namely actor Edward James Olmos, who led the ragtag fleet of human survivors in the critically acclaimed series “Battlestar Galatica” and, back in 1982, was a key cast member in “Blade Runner,” regarded by some as simply the best sci-fi film ever.
Cima’s documentary “Dig Comics” will screen this Saturday at the Los Angeles landmark store Meltdown Comics [7522 Sunset Boulevard, 323-851-7223] and it cautions that comic book lore and legacy is in jeopardy. Through various interviews with comic industry vets — such as Jeph Loeb, Scott Shaw and Dame Darcy – personal pleas and assorted examples of the comic as art, Cima challenges viewers to see the importance of comics.
“It’s the most vibrant art form that exists in America today and yet nobody engages in it,” said Cima, who took a closer look at the state of the industry after trying to publish his own comic. “At the same time, there’s monetization of properties like X-Men and Batman; they’re making millions of dollars. But no one is going back to the source. People only know comics from the movies. It’s sad.“
The film won best documentary at the Comic-Con International: Independent Film Festival and has been selected for screenings at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Tucson Film and Music Festival and the Royal Flush Film Festival in New York City. It recently screened at the Downtown Film Festival: Los Angeles.
And it’s garnered the attention of Olmos’ company, Olmos Productions, which has agreed to produce a full-length version of the documentary.
“I had no idea the comic industry had been so badly beaten up until I saw the documentary,” said Olmos, who will also appear in the upcoming masked-man film “The Green Hornet.” “It’s a crucial art form that goes beyond comic books. We use it in the film industry all the time with storyboarding. It’s a fantastic art form and a great way to increase literacy among kids.”
Olmos will make a special appearance for the Saturday screening. He’ll take part in a post-screening Q&A with Cima, along with members of the cast and crew.
– Yvonne Villarreal
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