Vulture, the villain of the Blokhedz comic book series, is the first of three action figures to be released by the Los Angeles-based Street Legends Ink.

March 2004 - LOS ANGELES - The journey of a teenage rapper struggling to save his home from evil while learning to accept responsibility for the magical power of his words continues this month with the release of the next installment of Blokhedz, a comic book series published by the Los Angeles-based Street Legends Ink.

A release party featuring the debut of book #2, and the first of three collectible action figures, will be held 7:30 p.m., March 31 at Meltdown Comics & Collectibles, 7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. 323.851.7223 www.meltcomics.com. DJ Marvski, the legendary Los Angeles-based turntable wizard, will spin beats during the event.

Blokhedz is the epic story of Blak, a 17-year-old rapper who comes to realize his voice has tremendous power when he discovers he is one of a select few gifted by mystical powers to stand against the evil threatening Empire City. While confronting his nemesis, Vulture, Blak is wounded by a cursed blade which leaves a scar that gives him tremendous physical strength. But each time he uses it, the scar grows, and eventually it will kill him. Blak's journey into manhood will require him to do the most difficult thing imaginable - believe in himself. Though Blokhedz uses rap lyrics to chronicle Blak's evolution and dance with the dark side, it is not just a hip-hop story. Its theme is universal. Without true faith in your abilities, you can't help yourself, let alone mankind.

Artists Mark and Mike Davis are part of the creative team at Street Legends Ink, publisher of the Blokhedz.

"Blokhedz is a story about love, loss, and life," said Mike Davis, co-creator of the series. "It's about the decisions that effect your life and following your dream. Hip Hop is vital to the story's essence because it's our language -- not just blacks and Latinos, but youth as a whole. When we're bombarded by exploitive, over-saturated versions of the media's definition of hip hop, it's imperative to re-instill a sense of integrity, authenticity, creativity, and quality in this art form that mainlines into the soul."

Created by animators Mark and Mike Davis and further developed by Brandon Schultz, Blokhedz was originally conceived as an animated feature for ImajiMation Studios, (parent of Street Legends Ink) where Schultz is creative director.

"We have always seen it as an animated feature film," said Schultz, who also writes the book. "Blokhedz as a comic book came at Mark's insistence. He was already doing sequential art in the form of storyboards, so a comic book was the logical extension."

All involved have extensive experience providing creative works for major entertainment companies. Schultz has worked on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and was hired by Adidas to create commercials for Adidas Dreams. He is also the son of pioneering director Michael Schultz, director of Cooley High and Car Wash . The senior Schultz is chair of ImajiMation Studios (Parent of Street Legends Ink).

Between them, Mark and Mike Davis have created animations, album covers and posters for Wu-Tang Clan, the Cartoon Network and singer Toni Braxton's video He Wasn't Man Enough, which was nominated for an MTV Music Video Award.

In addition to comics, ImajiMation Credits include producing animations for Nestle, Jive Records, LifeBeat and Arista Records.

Established in 1982 by Gaston Dominguez-Letelier and Ilia Carson-Letelier, Meltdown Comics & Collectibles has become a key component in the cultural sphere of Los Angeles. A must-see pop culture destination for some and a valuable research spot for others, the cosmopolitan approach to the core stock - comic books from around the world - has earned praise throughout the globe. Among awards won over the years are a Best of LA nod from Los Angeles Magazine and a Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.

What: Blokhedz Release Party at Meltdown Comics & Collectibles
When: 7:30 p.m., March 31
Where: 7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90046
Cost: Free
Information: www.meltcomics.com
For Creator Information www.blokhedz.tv