Prohibition era San Francisco. Gin joints, speakeasies, bootleggers and mobsters. Welcome to Frankie's world.
I can't claim to be an authority on comics or graphic
novels, although I did purchase quite a few of the latter for my stores back in
the Tower days. So I have a pretty good sense of when a particular title is
going to do well. And I'll make a prediction right now that one such title is, "The Tommy Gun Dolls," by Daniel Cooney.
Full disclosure: I know Dan. He was a graphic designer and
scan tech in the advertising department at Tower when I was the book ad
manager. And he's a great guy with a wonderful sense of humor, a keen eye and plenty
of talent. He's also an inspiration. He has a job, a family, and responsibilities
like most of us. And yet, he finds time to pursue his art. I want to be like
Dan. Create. Put your art out there. Be like Dan.
Volume 1 of the Tommy Gun Dolls, "The Big Knockover," introduces us to Frankie, a tough-as-nails grifter who finds herself heading a
troupe of burlesque girls as they try to avenge the death of their friend. Cooney's
fast-paced story line and incredibly detailed drawings are worthy of film noir
narration. Frankie and her pals are no Dumb Doras, as the men who get in their
way find out. You might be tempted to fly through the story to see what
happens, but you'll want to slow down and appreciate the historically accurate
depictions in each panel.
Dan is currently hard at work on volume 2 of The Tommy Gun
Dolls, which is good news considering the cliff-hanger ending of volume 1.
Frankie and the other dolls will be back to roam San Francisco, from the
Tenderloin to Nob Hill. Everything's jake.
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