Print

[MarkWarner]

I am just about to go off to read last week's Big Shot 83 (slacker that I am!). But judging by a quick skim of the reading group's comments I don't think is going to pull up any trees!

However, before I do another week's choice beckons us, and I think this one might just be a corker!

A recent and really welcome addition to the site are 9 pages from Streamline Comics #1 https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=64972 a "down and dirty" UK comic. It is brought to us by mr_goldenage (plus Guy E. Sparkman & Terry Hooper).

I noticed a comment made by paw broon pointing us to a complete Streamline Comics #4. So as we must be due for a non U.S. book here we go! Streamline Comics #4 can be found here. https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=29961. As it is just 20 pages we'll do the lot!

[SuperScrounge]

Streamline - I wish someone had introduced the letterer to the concept of a ruler. Just think how much more readable it might be if all the words in a row were all on the same line?
Was Bryan Berry a famous comic artist? I mean they make a big deal of him drawing this issue, but, well, his art doesn't seem all that polished and professional. It does have a nice enthusiasm to it, though.
The story was a little too simple for me to completely enjoy: hero learns of trouble, visits site, encounters villain, gets knocked out, but awakes soon enough to see villain go into hidden lair, smashes in and beats up bad guys. I think it might have been more enjoyable with a little less coincidence and a bit more brainwork from our hero.

Kid Carter - More crime-solving by coincidence. Not as good as the first story.

Inky - Could have used that eraser 4 panels earlier.  Not very good.

The Search For The Secret City - Okay for what there was of it.

[paw broon]

Here's the info on Bryan Berry from Bear Alley. 
http://bearalley.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/bryan-berry.html
He was friends with both Gifford and Monkhouse, which might explain his appearance in this title.  According to Mr. Gifford's book, Super Duper Supermen, #1 was written and drawn over one weekend by Gifford. The title character was done by Gifford in #'s 2 & 3, with Berry taking over for this last story.
As for the comic itself, I'm a huge fan of the obscure and lesser known heroes and comics and this is at least fast and furious, but it's not really very well done.  Highly collectible for me, though.
How many mad scientists and death rays were there, for goodness sake

[SuperScrounge]

Interesting bio. Odd that he apparently stopped writing for 11 years. Shame he went so young.

You know, I think if you were to add up all the mad scientists and their death rays, you'd probably end up with a world like Phil Foglio's Girl Genius. 

[Mazzucchelli]

I reckon this comic wouldn

[Morgus]

I think colouring would have helped here. Style was unique, I give it that. From what you guys report, this was all done very quickly, and somehow that fast pace seems to me to have come out in the art. There is an energy to it all. Most of the script I just glanced over to get to the next punch or attack. Has that underground comic look to it or those black and whites that were churned out in the 80's before the comic book bubble broke.

[mr_goldenage]

Morgus, my thoughts exactly....I saw this book, and my first thought was Underground comic, except it was during the 1940's. Yes the art is crude, and left to be a lot to be desired. In some ways it reminds me of the Fox Feature titles during the early 40's. Not much on plot, but then again it is a small sized book in the sense that it was only one third of what USA comics was. If it was a 68 page comic maybe the stories could have more room to expand on the plot lines (thin as they were) into a more cohesive whole. But given the limitations put upon the book I think it went as well as could be expected. Art wise it is indeed a precursor of the underground scene of the 1970's-80's, or the small press of the late 80's and 90's such as Silverwolf/Greater Mercury titles. Just my thoughts. Peace Out my friends.

Richard Boucher AkA Mr_Goldenage.

[paw broon]

I hope you don't mind me banging on yet again about British comics.  If anyone does, disregard what follows
This length of comic was the norm in the '40's and 50's and, yes, many of this type were trying to copy or look like American comics and many featured reprints of American stories.  We had paper shortages and though publishers found ways around the rules, comics and newspapers for many years were thin.  Have a look at the other examples of this style of comic that we have on site, remembering that there were a number of different styles, sizes and formats available every week in most newsagents.  Also, American comics just weren't available to most of Britain till late 1959/60.
That's a very interesting thought Morgus and I hadn't looked at it like that but now that Richard mentions Silverwolf/Greater Mercury, I can see the loose link.  Although, Grips was seriously well done, unlike Streamline in this.  Compare it with Gifford's work in Streamline #1.  Thanks.

[mr_goldenage]

Paw I must point out that there was a disparity in the UK when it comes to page count. My point is that "If" the UK comics had the same page count things might have been different. Unfortunately they (The UK Comics) did not have that advantage. Back to the Silverwolf/Greater Mercury, remember that was at the least 40 years later, and, there was a ton of black and white comics of varying degrees of competence in those comics as well, but back to the point that it is ironic that this comic could have come out during the B&W glut and would have been right at home with those comics and a better point could be made that the UK books would have fit right in in the Underground era quite well. In fact one could postulate that the UK comics could have in its own way inspired those Underground books. I know that is quite the stretch, but still an interesting idea. Right On Fight On ( Pink Fairies reference) Y'all.

Richard Boucher AkA Mr_Goldenage.

[narfstar]

I found the book to be a bit of fun fluff. I enjoyed the frenetic art that made me think more of a fanzine.

[MarkWarner]

So after quite some time we are reading a British comic book and judging by the cover, we are in for an interesting ride.

Streamline: Ah! Wha! Wow! OWP! Heh! Unk! The way things are at the moment in this country (BTW I live in England) I believe Dr Du Mar actually has a moral duty to zap the House of Commons. But, I do think that death-raying the rest of us might be a bit too harsh. 

Kid Carter - Yippee!

Presenting Inky - The Imp of the Inkpot: A rather silly artist / subject gag which was excellent.

Search For The Secret City: The only story with any real plot and we just get to read the fourth and final part.

Verdict: A hit. I think the makers spent at least 2 minutes working on the story lines for this. But this was more than made up with the art which was great. It has a real underground feel. I kept expecting a Fury Freak brother or Fat Freddy's cat to make an appearance. It would be interesting to know if any pharmaceuticals were used in the making of this book!

[crashryan]

While I understand people saying this reminds them of underground comics, for me fanzine is the operative word. It reminds me so much of the zines of the late 60s when I first learned about fandom. Except that in that context Streamline would have been printed with a ditto machine. We have  breathless, sketchily-written scripts and hyperactive, crudely-drawn art. Plus giant bylines for the creators (an essential part of vintage stripzines).  But that isn't all bad. Like old fanzines the magazine overflows with the creators' exuberance and enthusiasm for comics.

"Streamline" is your basic superhero punch-up. The editor seems to have insisted the writer put at least one dialogue balloon into each panel. He needn't have bothered. What's important here is Streamline smashing things, not sparkling wit. All the same I enjoyed "Specially prepared for you, Shorty!" When Dr DuMar is about to destroy the House of Commons on page 7 I immediately thought of that Moore & Cook Thunderbirds parody. Finally, I congratulate Streamline for his public service announcement cautioning kids not to try to take over the world.

"Kid Carter" is more of the same without a fancy suit. The final panel payoff makes this strip my favorite in the book. "Who cares about Ramon Housely now, eh, kids?"

"Inky" has the look of a five-minute job. "Hey, Denis, we've got a page to fill!" Zero stars.

As for "The Search for the Lost City," you know it's a lower-rung production when Denis Gifford is the best artist in the book. It's another ridiculously fast-paced story, but how can you go wrong when halfway through the story there's a "Suddenly" panel with an exploding volcano? Want to bet Gifford drew Treadgold's hand on the last page from life? Best drawing in the book.

After reading the ads I'm eager to see the amazing, horribly-named AMPHIBASTRA!!

Bottom line: if you remember stripzines fondly, you can't not like this comic!