Episode 59 - A Review of Palookaville #21 and The Fox #1

This week the Two Guys with PhDs review Seth’s Palookaville #21 (Drawn and Quarterly) and The Fox #1, by Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid (Red Circle Comics). They begin by providing a primer on Palookaville and the 16-year run (so far) of the serialized Clyde Fans. They spend a good amount of time talking about the latest installment of Clyde Fans, part four, and then move on to the two overtly autobiographical sections of this issue of Palookaville: “Rubber Stamp Diary” and “Nothing Lasts, Part One.” Both Gene and Derek are fascinated with the very concept of the former, using specially designed rubber stamps to keep an illustrated diary. And they are bowled over by “Nothing Lasts,” a section from one of Seth’s sketchbooks and a better story than most people’s finished comics. Next they turn their critical eyes to Haspiel and Waid’s The Fox, a new superhero title for Archie Comic’s Red Circle imprint. (Yes, we know that The Comics Alternative doesn’t focus on superhero comics, but this first issue is a notable and justifiable exception, especially since Dean Haspiel is a friend of Gene’s.) They comment on the history of The Fox, beginning back in the 1940s, and then discuss how Haspiel and Waid revive the character for current times. What the Two Guys discover inadvertently are the thematic similarities between The Fox – Haspiel’s critique of social and digital media — and Seth’s emphasis on the past and older printed materials. All in all, it is a fun review show for Derek and Gene, and they both wholeheartedly recommend Palookaville #21 and The Fox #1 to everyone.