The Ruff & Reddy Show is off to a dark start. It’s a solid, strong dark start, but it’s a dark one. Writer Howard Chaykin lays out the backstory in this issue. There’s some modern day at the end, but the rest is a history lesson. Ruff and Reddy, a cat and dog, respectively, who had a big hit TV show in the fifties. They were canceled by the sixties, revealed to be bickering, drinking foul mouths.
Oh, it’s also a Roger Rabbit world. They’re not toons, they’re celimates. Ruff and Reddy go from being friendly celimates to welcome into the home on the television to the worst example of them.
They go from TV fame to bad movies to worse movies to dinner theatre to Walmart greeters. Apparently celimates don’t age, which raises all sorts of other issues, but at the end–in the modern day–Ruff and Reddy are still able, just not interested.
Along comes a young talent agent who’s become a big fan. What will happen next issue? Fame and fortune? Who knows. Chaykin doesn’t give any hints. He’s just been setting up the checkers.
Mac Rey’s art is a nice fit. It looks “animated” but with a solid sense of composition. Chaykin keeps it moving so fast none of the minor pitfalls make an impression.
Ruff & Reddy, the event series; bring it on.
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