Margins
Palookaville book cover 1
Palookaville book cover 2
Palookaville book cover 3
Palookaville
Series · 8 books · 1993-2023
By Seth

Books in series

Palooka-Ville #4 book cover
#4

Palooka-Ville #4

1993

"A comic book written and drawn by cartoonist Gregory Gallant, better known as Seth, and published by Drawn & Quarterly. The first issue appeared in April 1991 and it has been irregularly published ever since. The comics are generally portrayals filled with lost, lonely characters searching for meaning, often reaching back into the past. They are known to be deeply affecting and almost indescribably weighty." (Wikipedia)
Palooka-ville #5 book cover
#5

Palooka-ville #5

1994

Saddle-stapled comic
Palooka-Ville #18 book cover
#18

Palooka-Ville #18

2005

Ovctober 2005 issue. Art and story by "Serh" (Gregory Gallant.
Palookaville #20 book cover
#20

Palookaville #20

2010

Palookaville #20 is the first volume of the seminal comic book series to be published in book form. The expansion into hardcover from pamphlet is a parallel that illustrates Seth's growth into an award-winning cartoonist, book designer, hobbyist, editor, essayist, and installation artist. Seth's first autobiographical comics since Palookaville #2 and #3 will be featured in #20. Drawing in his loose sketchbook style, similar to his book Wimbledon Green, Seth details his trip to a book festival and his awkward struggle to overcome isolation and communicate with the people around him. Seth continues the serialization of his acclaimed Clyde Fans story line, about which The New York Times Book Review aptly noted, "Seth truly believes in his wares—the little meanings of regular lives." This is, perhaps, nowhere more apparent than in the cartoonist's ongoing three-dimensional rendering of his fictional Dominion City, most recently featured in his book George Sprott. Using sketches, photographs, and an essay, the cartoonist explains why the need to conceptualize the fictional city in sculptures was a natural extension from comics storytelling, and how if he had his way, it would have stayed in his basement forever.
Palookaville #21 book cover
#21

Palookaville #21

2013

A lavish volume with all-new autobio comics, from the author of _It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken _ Continuing the new semiannual hardcover format for Palookaville in volume 21, Seth presents two very different autobiographical pieces, and the continuation of Part Four of the ongoing Clyde Fans serial. In the latest dispatch from the beautifully crafted Clyde Fans, Abraham muses further on the ruins of his life. Then, in the first sustained sequence of the two Matchcard brothers, Abraham and Simon finally sit down together and begin to talk. “Nothing Lasts” is the first half of a sketchbook memoir about Seth’s childhood and adolescence in small-town Ontario. It is a wryly self-conscious, often moving visit to the attic of Seth’s memories: from his first attempts at cartooning to the last time he kissed his mother good night, “Nothing Lasts” is a masterpiece of the graphic short story. Finally, the third section of Palookaville #21 consists of entries from the comic-strip diary Seth has been keeping for almost a decade. He employs a mixture of hand-drawn panels and rubber stamps of his own work to tell anecdotes about moments from his life. Nothing from this diary has ever been made public before. This lushly designed collection of stories comprises an anthology of the different types of cartooning work Seth has done over his two-decade-long career.
Palookaville #22 book cover
#22

Palookaville #22

2014

A collection of wry, meditative comics from the cartoonist and Lemony Snicket illustrator In what has become his calling card, the cartoonist Seth lovingly and exquisitely designs Palookaville #22, adorning the cover with green foil, and the interior with gatefolds and ornate endpapers. On sumptuous display is Seth’s continual exploration of the past and the search for resonance in the dusty corners of his consciousness. In three separate sections, this bittersweet reconciliation with the past and bygone eras manifests both in his comics and his non-comics art. Readers will return to the world of Dominion, where Abe and Simon Matchcard of Clyde Fans are engaged in a war of the words over the slow, painful disintegration of their family business. Their disagreement leads Abe to visit an old flame and further ensue in a battle of memories, in the conclusion of part four of Seth’s long running and acclaimed narrative. In chapter two of his autobiographical serial "Nothing Lasts", Seth revisits his small town Ontario childhood. He explores his town's library, drug store, and post office, places whose daily presence in his young life provided comfort and stability amid the school taunts, the many moves Seth’s family endured, and his parents’ unhappy marriage. Each volume of Palookaville treats readers to a new facet of Seth's creative output. Volume 22 features a photo essay of the fictional history he created for the actual Crown Barber Shop in Guelph, Ontario, owned and operated by his wife Tania, complete with a comic on the art of barbering. The Palookaville digest is the grand endeavour of one of Canada’s greatest artists.
Palookaville #23 book cover
#23

Palookaville #23

2017

The conclusion of Clyde Fans, the iconic cartoonist's most famous storyline The most anticipated issue to date of Seth's iconic comics digest, Palookaville 23 marks the culmination of twenty years of serialization: here, Clyde Fans comes to a conclusion. In this final chapter, we return to Simon Matchcard and the year 1957—exactly where we left off at the end of the first Clyde Fans volume. After his disastrous attempt at sales in the city of Dominion, we witness the out of body experience and ecstatic "vision" that sets Simon on his path of lonely isolation in the years to come. But of course that's not all—an issue of Palookaville always feels a bit like coming home—a comforting structure that promises new surprises and updates on old favorites. The next installment in Seth's memoir, Nothing Lasts, follows him from late childhood to his high school years, from innocent crushes to adolescent brooding, all told with what has become Seth's signature anecdotal approach to autobiography. Readers will also be privy to highlights of Seth's exquisite fine-art practice—paintings and drawings from two recent gallery exhibitions which transport us back to an era where style was snappier, moldings more orate. As always, the three-part digest is carefully designed by Seth in a callback to classic 1940s textural book design. From one of Canada's greatest artists, Palookaville 23 offers closure, while evoking excitement about what's to come.
Palookaville #24 book cover
#24

Palookaville #24

2023

An intimate, unforgettable, and exquisite collection, Pallookaville 24 is an essential for your Seth library. Palookaville 24 marks the long-awaited return of Seth’s beloved series, which offers readers an invitation into the world and varied artistic practice of the iconic cartoonist. Beginning with Seth’s serialized adolescent autobiography, Nothing Lasts, we enter the fleeting summers of his late teen years, specifically focusing on his summer jobs―a stint as a gofer at the Ministry of Natural Resources and his experiences as a bellboy, dishwasher, and cook at a local inn. A memoir ruminating on memory and place and the people who pass through his life, this chapter of Nothing Lasts closes with a seminal event in Seth’s young life. An intriguing visual feast, The Apology of Albert Batch is the culmination of ten years of collaboration between the director Luc Chamberlane and Seth―a short film documenting Seth's venture into puppetry. An extensive photo essay detailing the making of the film accompanies a DVD. And lastly, Seth presents, warts and all, an exercise from his sketchbook. A simple Select five names from a list and produce five stories to go with them. Drawn loosely with poster paint and ink, the work is spontaneous, showing a different side of the master artist. Palookaville 24 showcases Seth’s artwork alongside his continually evolving artistic practice with unique elegance.

Author

Seth
Seth
Author · 20 books

Seth is the pen name of Gregory Gallant. Seth is the cartoonist behind the painfully infrequent comic book series PALOOKAVILLE. His novels, which have been translated into 8 languages, include IT'S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON'T WEAKEN, WIMBLEDON GREEN, CLYDE FANS BOOK ONE, and the illustrated memoir of his father, BANNOCK, BEANS AND BLACK TEA. As a book designer, Seth has worked on a variety of projects including the recent Penguin Classics reedition of THE PORTABLE DOROTHY PARKER. He is the designer of the 25 volume series THE COMPLETE PEANUTS and the upcoming two volume series on Canadian master cartoonist DOUG WRIGHT. As an illustrator, Seth has produced commercial works for virtually all of the major Canadian and American magazines. His work frequently appears inside and on the cover of the New Yorker. Seth lives in Guelph, Ontario with his wife and two cats and rarely leaves his basement.

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved