Outlaws Enertainment Launches, Announces Three Books

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Press Release

Raven Venture Partners (RVP) announces the backing of an innovative new publishing company called Outlaw Entertainment. The full service creative studio will focus on producing high concept/high quality graphic novels across various genres, targeted at multiple demographics.

“As consumers continue to adapt to the ever changing world of pop culture, Outlaw Entertainment will adapt with them, whether it’s through digital or print media” stated HJ Harrison, Managing Partner of RVP. “We are looking for Outlaw Entertainment to be a leader in the comic book/graphic novel marketplace, while also serving as an elite source for intellectual property development.”

Tony Hobdy and Rick A. Villa are the founders of Outlaw Entertainment and will oversee the graphic publishing arm.

Hobdy, who has managed the creation, production, and marketing for more than 300 multimedia projects with corporate clients such as IBM, Coca-Cola, and HP, is excited by the opportunity to bring original content into the marketplace. “We’ve been actively developing a uniquely diverse line-up of graphic novel titles for over a year now,” he said. “Because we’ve been involved in the development process for such a long time, we’re eager to see our public launch finally become a reality.”

With over ten years experience working with animation mega-brands such as Yu-Gi-Oh, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Dragon Ball Z, Villa has seen firsthand the benefits of being a creative house for new ideas and unique properties. “Outlaw Entertainment is in this for the long haul,” he said. “Our goal is not to have one great title, but a library of great titles across all genres.”

Working with top talent in both the comic industry as well as Hollywood, Outlaw Entertainment will release up to fifteen titles a year beginning in June 2009.

The newly formed Outlaw Entertainment will release three books in June, starting with the dark, supernatural thriller PRAETORIAN, and rounding out the early summer roster with a pair of all-ages adventures, IMAGINARY FRIENDS and HAT TRICK.

PRAETORIAN, the first graphic novel released by Outlaw Entertainment, is a supernatural thriller about four Praetorian guards, made immortal in the wake of Christ’s crucifixion, who are tasked with protecting mankind in the centuries to come. Now 2009 and spread out around the globe, the Praetorians must reunite to track down a grisly serial killer whose seemingly random murdering sprees have been haunting them since their eternal rebirth.

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“Praetorian is the kind of story that appeals to fans of varying genres,” states the book’s creator, Rick A. Villa. “While it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone, it does bring together elements of similar genres (mystery, horror, science fiction) and combines them to form a single, dark world where not everything is what it seems.”

Written by award winning writer Jason M. Burns (A Dummy’s Guide to Danger, Curse of the Were-Woman) and brought to life by artist Ramon Espinoza (How to be a Serial Killer), PRAETORIAN is an unforgettable mystery yarn worth unraveling.

IMAGINARY FRIENDS and HAT TRICK, created and written by Burns, will appeal to readers both young and old.

IMAGINARY FRIENDS tells the story of a group of ragtag imaginary friends who are assembled to stop the evil Shift Valentine, a rogue imaginary himself, from becoming real. Led by Rex Montana, the greatest imaginary adventurer never to have ever existed, the mismatched clique will go to the ends of reality and back in order to save the planet, and in doing so, discover more about themselves than they ever thought possible.

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HAT TRICK meanwhile follows the adventures of Ray, a would-be magician who is introduced to a world of magic through his famous uncle’s top hat. With the help of a few of the world’s inhabitants, including a six-foot tall talking rabbit named Poof, Ray must uncover his true potential and defeat the evil that is enslaving the world.

“We were extremely excited that Jason chose to bring these fun, all-ages books into the Outlaw library of titles,” states Outlaw Entertainment CEO, Tony Hobdy. “The amazingly imaginative characters will bring laughs to both kids and adults alike, while the world in which they inhabit offers endless opportunity for future stories to be told.”

IMAGINARY FRIENDS features art by Dustin Evans (Gargoyles, Serpo), as well as an all-new original cover by indie sensation Josh Howard (Dead@17, Black Harvest). HAT TRICK features art by Armando M. Zanker (Gypsy Joe Jefferson, The Middleman: The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse) and a spectacular cover by Scott Schomburg.

For more information on these and future titles, visit Outlaw Entertainment at www.outlaw-entertainment.com.

Raven Venture Partners (RVP) is an innovative early stage venture investment company based in Austin, Texas and Bethesda, Maryland. RVP is focused on traditional technology and entertainment related ventures that offer high velocity return on capital opportunities. RVP offers extensive operating experience and expertise coupled with capital resources to match the needs of early stage businesses. For more information on Raven Venture Partners, visit www.ravenvp.com.