Creator: Brian Kelly
2023 (remastered color edition: 2026)
Independent comics often wear their influences proudly, but few do so with as much confidence and personality as Francis & The Vegas Tramps. Created and produced by Brian Kelly through Kickstarter, the book is described by its creator as “Josie and the Pussycats meets Criminal, but set in outer space.” Surprisingly, that seemingly odd combination is an accurate summary of what readers can expect. The comic blends noir mystery, science fiction, and absurdist humor into a stylish package that feels like a lost classic from the heyday of British anthology comics such as 2000 AD or Métal Hurlant. (A review in Medium – https://medium.com/@nicholasaaronhodge/francis-the-vegas-tramps-review-past-history-leads-to-future-tragedy-68f419dd871e ) notes that Mr Kelly is a German-based tattoo artist, which possibly explains the tone.)
The story centers on the remnants of a once-successful band known as The Vegas Tramps. Molly, the band’s sharp-tongued bassist, has reinvented herself as a successful solo performer. Ray, the dependable drummer, now earns his living behind turntables instead of drum kits. Francis, meanwhile, has fallen on hard times and survives by working as an Elvis impersonator. The comic wastes little time establishing its central mystery: Francis has been murdered. With their former bandmate dead, Molly and Ray find themselves pulled back into old haunts and buried memories as they attempt to uncover what happened and find some measure of closure.
As one might expect from a story dealing with aging rock stars and the darker corners of the entertainment industry, Francis & The Vegas Tramps is very mature in tone. Gore, sexual content, addiction, strained relationships, and murder all play significant roles in the narrative. Readers looking for something family-friendly should quickly look elsewhere. However, the comic never feels like it is relying on shock value. While absurdist humor and surreal situations are common throughout the story, there is a narrative backbone holding everything together. Beneath the bizarre surface lies a carefully constructed mystery with clear character arcs, particularly for Molly, whose journey serves as the emotional anchor of the book.
The story’s biggest hurdle may be its climax. Mr Kelly throws virtually everything imaginable into the narrative, and the science fiction setting gives him plenty of room to escalate the weirdness. Clones, robotic replicas, and increasingly bizarre revelations pile up as the mystery unfolds. The final twist and its resolution may leave some readers scratching their heads. The closest comparison might be a classic Scooby-Doo unmasking sequence filtered through mature themes and absurdist humor. It is not the cleanest or most straightforward ending, but it ultimately succeeds in tying together the story’s many moving parts.
Visually, the comic is equally impressive. The art evokes the spirit of 1980s pop art while feeling sleek and modern. It is part Eduardo Risso, part Mike Allred. Rather than relying on heavy shading or hyper-detailed rendering, the pages use bold stylization and vibrant color palettes to establish mood and tone. This approach proves especially effective given the story’s frequent shifts between past and present. Readers are rarely left confused about when a scene is taking place, which is no small accomplishment in a narrative that repeatedly strays from its timeline. There may be moments that require a second look, particularly when distinguishing between characters’s visual appearances and dialogue, but this is more a consequence of the story’s complex use of clones, robots, and different life stages than any failing of the artwork.
Ultimately, Francis & The Vegas Tramps is an entertaining and distinctive read that embraces its eccentricities without losing sight of storytelling fundamentals. It combines a murder mystery, science fiction spectacle, music industry satire, and mature drama into a package that is often strange, occasionally messy, but consistently engaging. Readers looking for a slightly absurdist take on the sci-fi mystery genre, complete with entertainment industry shenanigans and a healthy dose of adult content, will find plenty to enjoy here.
There is a Kickstarter campaign presently on foot for the “remastered” version of this comic – see https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/briankellyarmy/francis-and-the-vegas-tramps-remastered-and-in-full-color
