While shifting around a few books on my shelf the other day, I stumbled upon these little gems that I had read about a year ago or so. They're Blackthorne Publishing's 1980's reprintings of some mid-40's Steve Roper and Wahoo strips. At first they were a little off-putting, but after a few pages I really started to get the vibe, and it was non-stop enjoyment from that point on.Saunders and Woggon, the creators, had a really great style going. The art is reminiscent of both Dick Tracy and, quite anachronistically, Charles Burns. There are thick, solid blacks flowing between curved lines; not necessarily the angular, jutting corners of Gould's work from the same era.
As for the story, it's pretty silly, really. As I said, I read these about a year or so ago, so I really don't remember them too well. There were some twists and turns, and the overall mood was more akin to Smilin' Jack than Terry and the Pirates. If I'm not mistaken, there might even have been a 'evil twin/lookalike' story; one which plagued comic strips from the Golden Era.
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