HelLA #1

Title: HelLA
Issue: 1
Date: 2010
Publisher: Cody Pickrodt
Writer: Cody Pickrodt
Artist: Cody Pickrodt

I keep mentioning it, but I'm a sucker for geeky autobiographical comics. I love reading the misadventures of creative people, and the minicomic is the perfect format for this kind of story. HelLA is geeky autobiography with a west coast style to it.

Actually, the author moved out to LA from the New York area and found work out there as an artist, teacher, and designer. This is the first volume of his California adventures, covering dumpster diving, costume parties (super-hero and yakuza!), Star Trek VI, Eegah (!), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Walken, and Halloween at the mall.

Also, there are ferrets.

As with most such things, a few of the observations fell a bit flat, but overall, there were some fun, quirky bits of humor here and a good mix of focus on the author himself and on the LA society he was finding his way in.

Rating: 7/10