I don't know who Joe Beatnik is. Apparently I'm an ignorant bastard.
Needless to say, that didn't help with me getting the joke.
I'm not sure if I like what you're saying in your second comic. If I don't, the joke won't be funny enough to stave off the immense hatred I will have toward your opinion. :-)
It's a bit hard to get the joke, which hinges on the first and third backgrounds. I have trouble figuring out what you want to depict in these two panels.