Cursed at birth, Charlene ''Chuck'' Manchester hires out her own bad luck, providing disaster where someone else can profitÑbut now disaster is coming home to roost! The cops want her, the evangelists want her, and a highly motivated insurance adjuster wants herÑChuck ran to the one place she's ever been safe, and now she's brought a hellish alliance down on her sanctuary, led by a vengeful mob boss.
Cursed at birth with extraordinary bad luck, Charlene "Chuck" Manchester provides disaster where someone else can profit. Got a failing business? For a price Chuck will make sure you collect on that insurance policy, without ever getting your own hands dirty. But when a crime boss hires her to take out an evangelical cult, things don't go as planned. Now the mob boss, the cult leader, and a dogged insurance-fraud investigator all come for her at once. Everything that could go wrong does--and only about half of it by accident. A dangerous liaison with the crime boss's daughter ups the stakes fatally for Chuck, as the curse she's run from her whole life finally catches up to her. Lela Gwenn brings a fresh voice to comics with this twisty noir, full of outlaws who aren't so much wise guys as they are smart asses. Matthew Dow Smith, best known for a long run on IDW's X-Files, brings that weird detective vibe, placing the oddball villains and anti-heroes in a grounded world taking us from the bad side of town, through shadowy office spaces reminiscent of Sam Spade, to a fiery revival tent and the splendor of a Tibetan abbey. Chuck will need more than a rabbit's foot to get through this. Collects Bad Luck Chuck #1-4.
Cursed at birth with extraordinary bad luck, Charlene "Chuck" Manchester provides disaster where someone else can profit. Got a failing business? For a price Chuck will make sure you collect on that insurance policy, without ever getting your own hands dirty. But when a crime boss hires her to take out an evangelical cult, things don't go as planned. Now the mob boss, the cult leader, and a dogged insurance-fraud investigator all come for her at once. Everything that could go wrong does--and only about half of it by accident. A dangerous liaison with the crime boss's daughter ups the stakes fatally for Chuck, as the curse she's run from her whole life finally catches up to her. Lela Gwenn brings a fresh voice to comics with this twisty noir, full of outlaws who aren't so much wise guys as they are smart asses. Matthew Dow Smith, best known for a long run on IDW's X-Files, brings that weird detective vibe, placing the oddball villains and anti-heroes in a grounded world taking us from the bad side of town, through shadowy office spaces reminiscent of Sam Spade, to a fiery revival tent and the splendor of a Tibetan abbey. Chuck will need more than a rabbit's foot to get through this. Collects Bad Luck Chuck #1-4.
Cursed at birth, Charlene ''Chuck'' Manchester hires out her own bad luck, providing disaster where someone else can profit. A warehouse job goes wrongÑmeaning Chuck destroys the place according to plan, but the authorities finally catch up to herÑnot to mention the curse she's run from her whole life. A vengeful cult leader, a mob matriarch, and an insurance investigator on a quest finally have her where they want her. But Chuck won't let bad luck stop her, even if she has to seek out allies she turned her back on a long time ago.
A broken mirror gets you seven years of bad luck. Salt was thought to have the same preservative effect on friendship as it had on food, so spilling it was a bad omen. We all know a black cat crossing your path is bad luck, but did you know an upside-down horseshoe represents good fortune spilling out on the ground? Charlene ''Chuck'' Manchester hires out her bad luck, providing disaster where someone else can profit. While her enemies rally to take her down, Chuck sees a way out with her new heiress sidekick. But sometimes her own bad luck is not enough, and Chuck needs to really tempt fate to pay the rent . . .
A young boy who throws caution and the Motor Vehicle Code to the wind during a reckless motorcycle ride is brought to his senses by a Highway Patrol officer.
This new book tells-for the first time-the story of Charlie Bowman, a musician from East Tennessee, who was a major influence on the distinctive fiddle style definitive of country music of the 1920s and 1930s. Charlie, along with three of his brothers and two of his daughters, were part of the Columbia Records "Johnson City Sessions" of 1928 and 1929. The farmer-turned-musician was one of the pioneers who helped shape and develop a vital American musical genre. Bowman was acquainted with many musical luminaries of that colorful era, including the legendary Carter Family. But this is not simply the biography of one man. Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman is the portrayal of a large colorful family, a close-knit mountain community, a geographic area, and a specific musical variety defined as old-time traditional Appalachian music. This volume explores Bowman's musical life - his work with various bands, including the Hill Billies (the first group to use that name to characterize old-time music), his years on the road touring, and his association with other performers. Beyond that, it chronicles the experiences of Bowman's large family left behind in Gray Station, Tennessee and details the many hardships caused by his departure and prolonged absence. Written by Bowman's great nephew Bob L. Cox, this biography provides an insider's perspective on an important but often overlooked musician. For his research, Cox drew on his family's records and memories. In addition to published books and articles, his resources included the family Bible, scrapbooks, diaries, photographs, and taped interviews with family members and friends. Sure to be enjoyed by all those interested in the origins of country music and Appalachian history, Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman is a delightful account of the life and times of this musical trailblazer. Bob Cox, a retired chemical engineer, is a history columnist with the Johnson City (Tennessee) Press, producing a weekly feature entitled Yesteryear.
