EYES STILL ON TINSELTOWN
Tinseltown is an engaging comic book series created by David Lucarelli, set against the backdrop of Hollywood’s golden age during the late 1910s and early 1920s.
The Tinseltown is a period crime drama about Officer Abigail Moore, one of the first female police officers in early Hollywood, that have been called “L.A. Confidential meets Boardwalk Empire.”
I’ve shared my notes on Tinseltown regarding the stories and the experience with the Alterna campaigns. Now the author, David Lucarelli, has launched his own campaign offering volume 2 in trade paperback format.
Lucarelli, both the writer and creator of the series, takes readers on a captivating journey through the glitz and glamour of the nascent film industry while weaving a narrative that skillfully intertwines crime, corruption, and the pursuit of justice.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Lucarelli’s storytelling prowess shines through as he masterfully blends historical accuracy with a noir-inspired narrative, creating a rich and immersive world that explores the complexities of both the entertainment industry and societal norms of the era.
Lucarelli’s meticulous attention to detail, coupled with good artwork by industry professionals such as Henry Ponciano, breathes life into the characters and the era they inhabit. The series successfully captures the essence of a bygone era while delivering a compelling and socially relevant story that resonates with contemporary audiences, making “Tinseltown” a must-read for comic enthusiasts and fans of historical fiction alike.
ABOUT TINSELTOWN
The series primarily follows the character Abigail Moore, an aspiring actress turned LAPD officer, who finds herself entangled in the dark underbelly of Hollywood as she investigates a murder that threatens to expose the seedy side of the movie business.
With its unique premise and strong female character development, “Tinseltown” offers readers a fresh perspective on Hollywood’s glamorous façade, delving into the challenges faced by women breaking into the film industry during a time of societal change.
The series is told in two volumes each with a 5-issue run that I previously covered in my notes:
THE BOOKS
With this crowdfunding campaign, David offered backers the opportunity to get volume 2 “The Director’s Cut of Losing the Light”, a 144-page graphic novel trade paperback printed in color on high-quality paper.
Volume 1 “Director’s Cut” published by Alterna Comics is different from the ‘Alterna Giant” measures. It has a sturdy cover to go along with the 100+ pages printed in full color on high-quality paper available on the Alterna Comics website.
The Director’s Cut of Losing the Light collects all 5 issues of the Tinseltown Volume 2 Alterna Comics mini-series, adding 5 new pages of story, along with the Tinseltown comic short “Pinboy,” from It Came Out on a Wednesday #11, twelve pinups featuring art by Andrew Pepboy, Dwayne Harris, Rick Geary, Peter Simeti, David Moreno, Rafael Navarro, Timothy Aymar, Don Schmidt, Rafael Navarro and Henry Ponciano, with an introduction by comics legend Tony Isabella, the creator of Black Lightning. Volume 2 “The Director’s Cut of Losing the Light” was published by Abacab Studios and has similar measures as Volume 1 “Director’s Cut”.
TINSELTOWN VOLUME 1 DIRECTOR’S CUT
Abigail Moore is the daughter of a fallen police officer. In 1915, when the L.A.P.D. rejected her application, Abigail responded to a Utopia Studios ad looking for female officers. While her official duties consisted primarily of amusing and assisting the tourists, it wasn’t long before the crime-ridden underbelly of Tinseltown reared its ugly head. Headstrong and tenacious, Abby may not always get it right, but when push comes to shove, there’s no one else you’d rather have in your corner. When her best friend disappears under mysterious circumstances, Abigail goes undercover and discovers a plot to murder the President of Utopia.
TINSELTOWN VOLUME 2 DIRECTOR’S CUT
The year is 1916. Sinister forces are using Utopia Studios as a pawn in their deadly plan…and only Officer Abigail Moore can stop them. After a series of accidents, scandals, and protests threaten to bankrupt Utopia Studios. Officer Moore is sent to oversee a film shoot in Mexico for a picture that could save the studio…but all is not what it seems. By the time the truth is revealed, all Hell will break loose, and Abigail will never be the same again!
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
The Kickstarter for “Tinseltown: Losing The Light – A Period Crime Drama” offered backers the opportunity to get the Volume 2 trade paperback edition along with Volume 1 and many Tinseltown merchandise, great offers, and products of other IPs from the author. I got the signed physical copies of Volumes 1 & 2 plus digital rewards, some merch, bonus items such as a bookmark, and ads for other IPs.
The author provided regular updates on the campaign and used the Backerkit platform that lets you as a backer confirm the products you backed initially and it also allows you to add more products to your order which is great. The tracking number was provided timely and everything was delivered at once, carefully packaged. While I love Alterna’s customer service it’s great to see creators take the reign in their own hands and imitate Pete.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I hope to read more about Tinseltown in the future. Tinseltown is one of those series to constantly reread and is easily shareable with all ages. The crime drama and the world make some think of Disney, others such as my fellow female friends simply enjoy the great stories. The state of my issues is bad so I’m glad to have the trade paperback but is also great to see the art like this.
The trade paperbacks are still available on the Backerkit website. The individual issues and some Tinseltown merch are available for purchase on the Alterna Comics website.
For more interesting titles check GRAPHIC NOVELS under the “EYES ON” series I documented my experience with crowdfunding entertainment and shared my notes on the products I received.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
