A new web TV series is kicking it in town, "Chop Socky Boom". The four-part series, with nearly a dozen cast and crew members from West Seattle and White Center, spoofs the kung fu and action hero genres. The first two episodes were released today, called "Audition". and "Callbacks".

With its playful, animated opening credits ala South Park, the table is pretty well set for high-flying hijinks and angst-ridden self-examination between this motley crew of self-ascribed "misfits". Thrown into the bowl of tricks is a subtle homage to the Peanuts cartoons, and to a Clint Eastwood film.

Sometimes, a serious point is conveyed.

For instance,

1. in a scene in "Audition" Seattle actress Khanh Doan, a Vietnamese American,

is urged by her agent on the phone to take a Chinese role. She retorts angrily, "I am Vietnamese, not Chinese", then turns to an unsuspecting man standing in a doorway, and demands, "Do I look Chinese to you?"

This goes one step further when she says, "I don't even know karate."

Art imitates life as the "real" Doan runs into this stereotyping often in the rough and tumble world of acting.

"As an actress in town, Khanh gets sent for Chinese roles, Hispanic roles, anything not Caucasian, and this is an issue many (such) actors face," said Darlene Sellers of the Westwood Village neighborhood who portrays Daisy in Chop Socky Boom sporting an aqua cotton candy wig with pony tails. She co-created the series with Heath Ward and has 21 credits on IMDB (the Internet Movie Database).

She explained, "Chop Socky Boom is about these 12 misfit actors who audition for a kung fu show called 'Final Zodiac Warrior.'"

Yes, these dirty dozen misfits ape those 12 zodiac "year-of-the" animals like the rat, pig, ox, dog, and, in Sellers' case, rabbit. Some of these animal warriors, plus other cast and crew, also play a role on the web TV series "The Collectibles" and in the West Seattle-porduced short film, "All My Presidents", which we have reported on extensively.

West Seattle resident, Lisa Skvarla, co-owner of Lee's Martial Arts on California Av. SW, was stunt coordinator for Chop Socky Boom. We have covered the real-life black belt here and as "Utrafemme", a superhero on The Collectibles.

Co-Director and Co-Creator of the Collectibles, West Seattle's Todd Downing, also a member of Twelfth Night Productions appears in Chop Socky Boom episodes III and IV as a surly director. Former West Seattleite S. Joe Downing, Collectible superhero "Death-Wish" becomes the Warrior Ox.

West Seattle's Alder Sherwood, Co-Founder of Corwood Productions appears in episode I. She co-produced and appeared in "All My Presidents" which will be shown at SIFF.

Chop Socky Boom's additional West Seattle connections include Conor Hogan, a Chief Sealth graduate and resident of West Seattle appears in episodes III and IV hand helped as production assistant, actress Kim Watts of Delridge, and Evergreen High School grad Vana Danh who appears, and is also a production assistant.

In addition to her many roles on casts and crews, Sellers wears another hat, as long-time recreation coordinator for the free teen drop-in center at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center through White Center Parks and Recreation, and serves 800 youth, ages 12 to 19, from White Center, Burien, and beyond. Basketball, soccer, cooking class, and a homework center are offered. A short documentary about her program's soccer team "The Aztecs" which you can see here was filmed by Heath Ward who also co-created, directed and produced Chop Socky Boom.

In this film, Ward pulls no punches as teens on the Aztecs talk frankly about how being on that soccer team has kept them out of trouble and given them positive goals. There is a scene where Sellers appears, talking about the positive changes the team has made in these kids' lives. Tears roll down her face.

"The kids still tease me about that," Sellers said of her on-screen tears. "I'll drop the box of Capri Sun (juice) and they're all, 'Oh no! She's going to cry.'"