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Red Barry
This little-known strip from the Golden Age of the newspaper strip might have languished in undeserved obscurity if it had not been rediscovered and collected in this handsome volume. Editor Rick Marschall calls Red Barry "one of the most individualistic strips of all time." Realistic action and expressionistic artwork combine to lend truth to that statement, and puts this unique crime strip in a class by itself.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 29, 2016
Don't let the rating fool you. This is a good crime comic strip from the 1930s. Fast moving plot, great illustration, overall a cool thing. Intended as competition against Dick Tracy comics, Red Barry was written and illustrated by Will Gould, who was originally a sports cartoonist.
While the art is really cool and adds a noir feel to the whole thing, and the plots are pretty well thought out, there's a lot left to be desired. But that has to be considered in the context of what this is. Red Barry was a weekly serial in the newspaper. You're severely limited with what you can do in that medium, and Will Gould did it well. But because of the limitations inherent to this medium, some things had to suffer. Writing was quick, short, plots developed maybe too fast without any other kind of development or tension, pacing was rushed, and a lot of the action happened "off screen", meaning we don't see how events play out, but hear about them later through dialogue. Just tons of exposition, and sometimes very little of anything else. Not necessarily what you're looking for when you read this kind of thing, but there's a limit on space, so what can be done? Sometimes this really gives the stuff some nice style and a charming feel that you don't get anymore, or anywhere else. It's very likely a large part of this was due to the newspaper. I imagine Gould (and other serialized comic writers) would have liked to flesh out the ideas more, but was severely restricted by time and space.
In the end, the stories are cool and can keep you turning the pages, with plenty of mild surprises in the frames. But these stories are sometimes pretty predictable, and they feel an awful lot like the "detective stories" I wrote when I was 11 and 12 years old. Far better plots, of course, but some of the twists and action sequences and moments leading up to important points were weirdly similar to the stuff I'd write as a kid. But I chalk that up to something that's no fault of Will Gould. It's neat to see this stuff in print, and almost relaxing to read it. The art almost makes up for the weakness in writing.
There are 4 full episodes in this collection, and I'd actually love to find a complete collection of Red Barry. They're fun reads, and I'd definitely like to read them all.
While the art is really cool and adds a noir feel to the whole thing, and the plots are pretty well thought out, there's a lot left to be desired. But that has to be considered in the context of what this is. Red Barry was a weekly serial in the newspaper. You're severely limited with what you can do in that medium, and Will Gould did it well. But because of the limitations inherent to this medium, some things had to suffer. Writing was quick, short, plots developed maybe too fast without any other kind of development or tension, pacing was rushed, and a lot of the action happened "off screen", meaning we don't see how events play out, but hear about them later through dialogue. Just tons of exposition, and sometimes very little of anything else. Not necessarily what you're looking for when you read this kind of thing, but there's a limit on space, so what can be done? Sometimes this really gives the stuff some nice style and a charming feel that you don't get anymore, or anywhere else. It's very likely a large part of this was due to the newspaper. I imagine Gould (and other serialized comic writers) would have liked to flesh out the ideas more, but was severely restricted by time and space.
In the end, the stories are cool and can keep you turning the pages, with plenty of mild surprises in the frames. But these stories are sometimes pretty predictable, and they feel an awful lot like the "detective stories" I wrote when I was 11 and 12 years old. Far better plots, of course, but some of the twists and action sequences and moments leading up to important points were weirdly similar to the stuff I'd write as a kid. But I chalk that up to something that's no fault of Will Gould. It's neat to see this stuff in print, and almost relaxing to read it. The art almost makes up for the weakness in writing.
There are 4 full episodes in this collection, and I'd actually love to find a complete collection of Red Barry. They're fun reads, and I'd definitely like to read them all.
June 19, 2021
What a disappointment this second reading was. The black and white reproduction of the scans of color Sunday pages is occasionally so muddy that I cannot tell what is happening. There is some verve in the majority of the drawings you can see, but the size is too small for there to be much impact. The casual racism in the strip, however common at the time, is very offensive now. There are things to like about the strip, but these are hard to see in this unworthy reproduction.
June 5, 2014
loved the art, the intros and the first story. the last three were a bit choppy. not chester gould's brother, tho art styles are similar
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews