Squidbillies – Volume 3 (Warner/Adult Swim DVD)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C     Episodes: B

 

 

I’ll tell you what! Dang ol’ Squidbillies has really grown on me.  The redneck squids that oddly live out of water in the Appalachian region of North Georgia have developed into one of the best series Adult Swim has to offer.  In previous reviews I had mild praise for the series, but I have since been immensely impressed with the satirical humor and creative stylings the series has to offer.

 

I believe that the early seasons of the series had a rough start, not quite knowing where they wanted to take the characters, but had a loose general premise.  The animation was crude and the characters demeanors were even cruder, but 5 seasons later the rowdy crew of squids have managed to blend original humor with innovative satire unlike many series on the air today.  With Aqua Teen Hunger Force consistently delivering reruns and Venture Bros being MIA (seriously, what happened?) Squidbillies has taken over as one of the most innovative series the network has to offer.

 

The diehard American squids constantly get themselves into trouble, mostly initiated by papa squid Early.  Early has his own way of thinking, which in its own crude way highlights the ignorance that many people have and pokes fun at it.  Dragged along for the ride are Granny and Early’s dimwitted son Rusty.

 

Volume 3 is the best yet and I expect even better in the future.

 

The episodes included on this set are as follows:

Anabolic-Holic

The Liar, The Bitch and the Boredrube

The Fine Ol’ Solution

Lerm

Confessions of a Gangrenous Mind

The Big Gay Throwdown

Atone Deaf

God’s Bro

Reunited and it Feels No Good

Not without My Cash Cow!

 

 

The picture is presented in a 1.33 X 1 full screen image that once again highlights the innovative animation techniques also used in the previous volume, giving off a gritty, dilapidated backdrop that in engaging rather than detracting from the picture quality. This season, however, I think has made drastic improvements in the image quality.  Whereas in previous releases I thought even the characters were gritty, the creators have stepped it up to make their creations colorful, bold and clear….in a Squidbillies type way.  The picture is clean with colors that are bright and consistent throughout, even with the intended stained appearance of the scenery.  The sound is again presented in a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix with no surrounds, a feature many recent adult swim releases continue to lack.

 

The extras once again do not disappoint, as the creators obviously greatly care for what the fans want and provide a hoedown of features to dance around.  Special features include Art+Music: Ain’t this a Hat, It’s a Ragtop for Sexy Convertible which showcases all 4 seasons of Early’s chosen hat attire.  Also included are Funny Pete Stuff- Bumps (essentially Squidbillies advertisements) and Dragon Con 2009.

 

I highly recommend this dang ol’ set.

 

 

-   Michael P. Dougherty II