The Ruff and Reddy Show #3 – Howard Chaykin, Writer; Mac Rey, Artist
Ratings:
Ray – 7/10
Corrina: Overcooked
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: The comparisons to acclaimed Netflix show BoJack Horseman – also a satire of Hollywood set in a world where humans and talking animals work side by side in entertainment – get much clearer with this third issue, as Ruff and Reddy’s attempted comeback takes a dark turn. Word of their comeback has started to spread around Hollywood, and the opening segments show us what most of Hollywood’s gossip and talk luminaries think of it. Spoiler alert – it’s not good. There’s some amusing satire of Hollywood mainstays, but Chaykin’s trademark humor slips into this issue with some seriously dark moments. A politically incorrect segment set at a retirement home for retired comedians is guaranteed to offend some people.
With the help of a young agent, they begin to push their name forward around Hollywood, but enemies are lurking. The rival cat-dog comedy duo Down and Dirty is spreading rumors that Ruff and Reddy ripped off their arc, and hard-boiled TV detective Roy Raymond uses his talk show to dig up nasty old secrets from their past. Meanwhile, a shady bird with ties to Reddy’s past is blackmailing him, and things only get worse from there. The series has a key eye on the ins and outs of Hollywood, especially the less savory elements, but three issues in I’m not sure Ruff and Reddy themselves are compelling enough to sustain this issue. Reddy relapses towards the end of the issue, and it lacks the emotional impact it should have. Overall, it’s an interesting experiment, but it lacks the punch of the social satire in Flintstones or Jetsons.
Corrina: To care about a satirical meta-commentary on Hollywood and pop culture for the long run, I have to care about what happens to the characters in that story. And, after three issues, the paper-thin Ruff and Reddy are still merely props to build a story around Hollywood twists and turns and how the systems uses and abuses people and then decides, for whatever reason, that they’re hot again.
It’s enough to sustain an issue or two. It’s not enough for more than that and so this third issue felt like a retread already.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
Am I the only one who recognizes Roy Raymond, TV Detective as a pre-established DC character? All of the reviews and synopsis I read have been failing to mention it.
I recognized him! But I suspect he’s not mentioned because he basically only makes a cameo appearance.
Roy Raymond appears in issue 4, as well, along with Detective Chimp. Personally, mixing 50s era cartoon stars Ruff & Reddy with 50s era DC Comics detective Raymond and Chimp was a brilliant move on Chaykin’s part.