May 25th, 2017

Feature Spotlight: Tina’s Groove

by Tea

This week’s spotlight is on Tina’s Groove by Rina Piccolo.

Rina is one of the funniest people writing comics– and before she became a cartoonist, she did her fair share of time working in restaurants, an experience that she uses to craft the ups & downs of Tina, the intrepid heroine of Tina’s Groove.

Tina is a thirtysomething waitress at Pepper’s, an establishment that never seems to know whether it wants to be a café or a fancy restaurant, and gets a mix of clientele to match its confusion. From the indecisive to the over-entitled, Tina’s seen them all– and probably served them with a smile.

 

Tina lives with her boyfriend, Gus, whom she met when he took a bartending job at Pepper’s. They’re not married, but Tina’s not especially concerned…though her mother certainly is!

Tina’s happy with her restaurant “family,” though– her best friend, Suzanne, who is a bit more flighty and wild than Tina; Rob, the somewhat obsessive-compulsive manager; Monica, the hostess, who is possibly not from this planet, and Carlos, the easygoing chef whose hygienic habits leave something to be desired for a food-handler.

We love Tina’s Groove because of the frank portrayal of what it’s like to work in a restaurant– Rina doesn’t leave out any of the gory details– as well as its fresh take on being a modern, unmarried woman. And Rina’s humor just can’t be beat– she tackles all kinds of topics with optimism, wordplay, and a healthy dose of the unexpected.