When a Custom Marquee Sign Meets a Graphic Novel: The Tommy Gun Dolls

Some of our favorite signs tell a story before you even read the words. The custom layered marquee sign we built for The Tommy Gun Dolls is one of those pieces.

The Tommy Gun Dolls is a graphic novel series by artist and writer Daniel Cooney — a gritty, atmospheric 1920s crime story set in Prohibition-era San Francisco, following a cross-dressing grifter who leads a gang of burlesque girls to avenge a friend's murder. Think speakeasies, mob-owned bars, and a whole lot of attitude. Volume 1 launched in 2017, and Volume 2 is currently in production via Kickstarter. It's the kind of story that practically demands a sign with some character.

The Sign

The piece we created is a layered marquee sign — one of our signature styles — featuring dimensional lettering on a dark background with warm Edison bulbs and ornate decorative detail. The typography and finish were chosen to match the era and energy of the source material: bold, vintage, and unmistakably theatrical.

Layered signs are built with multiple materials and depths, so the letters sit proud of the background and cast real shadows as the light shifts. It gives the piece a physical presence that flat signage just cannot match — which is exactly what you want when the sign is representing something as visually rich as a graphic novel.

Custom Signs for Creative Projects

Whether it's a book, a band, a venue, or a brand, a custom marquee sign is one of the most powerful ways to give a creative project a physical identity. We've built signs for restaurants, bars, events, corporate clients, and now graphic novelists. Every single one is made from scratch — your concept, your name, your style.

We are the original Vintage Marquee Lights, and we've been doing this since before it was a trend. If your project deserves a sign with this kind of presence, we'd love to build it.

Get a custom quote at vintagemarqueelights.com

Also in News