Palookaville 9: "It's A Good Life . . ." Wraps Up

This issue wraps up the "It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken" storyline as Seth finds some answers about Kalo, the cartoonist he's been researching.  Here are some random thoughts on this comic:

*This was the era when Palookaville was being published the most frequently.  If the three times a year schedule had been kept to since 1997, then Palookaville would now be on number 57.  It's on 21 instead.

*From the letters on the letters page, it seems that I was not the only one who was impressed by the seasons changing opening sequence from last issue.  This issue the atmospheric opening scenes don't fare quite as well.  Instead of having the reader observe Seth progress from the train station to Kalo's daughter's house, Seth might have been better off opening with a splash page of the daughter opening the door to greet him.  By the way, the daughter looks like a female version of Seth.  A psychoanalytic critique of this storyline would be quite interesting.  I imagine it would focus on Seth's worries that his art will be forgotten and is a waste of time.  On a cosmic scale, even Shakespeare means nothing, so don't sweat it, Seth.

*Seth apparently went on a signing tour in 1996 for the graphic novel version of the story.  I've visited many of the comicshops/bookstores he signed at such as Quimby's in Chicago, The Beguiling in Toronto, The Million Year Picnic in Cambridge, and the Virgin Megastore in New York.  He was signing at some cool places.

*Seth's Kalo hoax  even goes so far as to include a purported photograph of the man.  I wonder who is really in the photo.