• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, April 9, 2010

Until now, Kevin Pollak has done live theater, scripted as well and reality TV (thank you, "Celebrity Poker Showdown"), and such feature films as "The Usual Suspects." For his directorial debut, however, the perpetually leering actor/comedian has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Web and mobile video content platform Babelgum.

The "Vamped Out" series -- which Pollak also co-created and co-stars in -- is about a modern-day 35-year-old actor/vampire struggling to make it in Los Angeles.

The first six episodes are slated to debut on Babelgum's Comedy Channel on April 12, from which point new episodes will go live over five subsequent Mondays.

Regarding the partnership with Babelgum, Pollak said: "It was a perfect match in terms of smart comedy and allowed us to share our series with an incredible audience of comedy lovers."

"Vamped Out," however, is not Pollak's first foray into digital media. Last year, he executive produced and starred in the weekly online talk show "Kevin Pollak's Chat Show." "The 'Chat Show' has really made me aware of how incredible the Web community is to interact [with] and support high-quality and funny content," Pollak said. "With 'Vamped Out', I wanted to create a series that would truly appeal to fans of comedy, no matter what platform."

Along with the project's other creator and star Jason Antoon, additional cast members include Samm Levine and Seana Kofoed.

The project could be a boon to London-based Babelgum, which is still trying to establish its stateside presence.

"'Vamped Out' is sure to appeal to Kevin's evolving online fan base," said Amber Lawson, publisher of Babelgum's Comedy Channel. "Each episode ends with a cliffhanger that is the perfect device to engage our audience to keep watching more."

Lawson also called the series "brand friendly," but declined to name any show sponsors.

To promote the series, Babelgum Comedy and Pollak plan to premiere the series for members of the entertainment industry and Web community on April 9 in Los Angeles.

Late last year, Metacafe tapped Babelgum to power its iPhone application. Content on the new ad-supported app is offering select material from both companies, including stand-up and sketch comedy, animation, how-to videos, and sports. The partnership also included the launch of a branded Babelgum channel on Metacafe.

Other Babelgum content partners include EMI, Sony Music, the New York Times, PBS, BBC, VBS, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, and Funny or Die, to name a few.