By Dave Gaskill
Publisher: TUCANN books
ISBN: 978-1-873257-96-8
Dave Gaskill, known best for his editorial cartoons in The Sun, Today and the Sunday Mail, not to mention being a long-time CCGB member, has been slaving away to produce his first graphic novel. Dave's a superb cartoonist and an excellent caricaturist, and, as is proved by this book, can write too.
The story is set in Georgian London and centres around Moll and her tavern, Ye Sotted Sow, filled with various nefarious ne’er-do-wells and parodied patrons. Press gangs are at large conscripting the drunk and the vulgar, and who should get swiped while leaving Moll’s premises but the Prince Regent himself. It’s left to Moll, Sgt Rupert Romper and a few regulars to track him down, taking them all the way to the States and a potentially explosive situation.
The book is jam-packed with wit and is full of gloriously detailed illustrations and caricatures of the famous and infamous. It reminded me a lot of Goscinny and Uderzo’s Asterix books with it’s comical and satirical takes on the familiar coupled with globe-trotting exploits, which is no bad thing at all, but that said, the book has a heart and style of its own and is clearly a work centred around Dave’s own storytelling talents. There are genuine laughs and smiles amongst the pages which, when added to the quality of the drawing, makes for a recommended read.
If you enjoy cartoons then this should be on your bookshelf. To find out more visit www.davegaskill.com
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