Sat 15 Jan 2011
Reviewed by Michael Shonk: CRIS HAMMOND – Speed Walker Private Eye.
Posted by Steve under Comic Books, Cartoons, Comic Strips , Reviews[6] Comments
CRIS HAMMOND – Speed Walker Private Eye. Pinnacle, paperback original; 1st printing, August 1984. A collection of the United Features comic strip, “Speed Walker Private Eye,” from May 2 through November 25, 1983.
On May 2, 1983, a different kind of PI joined the comics page, “Speed Walker Private Eye.” Speed may not have been as smooth as Rip Kirby (King Features, 1946-1999) or as tough as Mike Hammer (Phoenix Features, 1953-1954), but he was funnier.
The comic strip features three main characters: Speed Walker, a bumbling loser who solves mysteries no one else could; Sally Gelata, his secretary, a single woman with an attitude; and Lt. Lou Arches, the overweight idiot homicide detective and Speed’s friend.
The art has a nice cartoony style with enough detail to help establish the theme, but the strip lacked action, rarely giving readers more than a picture of characters talking.
The writing had its moments. But to try to tell a murder mystery with three months of daily gags, each needing to advance the story and have a punchline was more than anyone could expect.
This book collection features “Speed Walker Private Eye” at its best. It contains two murder mysteries:
In “The Simpson Case,” E.R. Lowman finds his partner dead with the victim’s wife holding the gun, just as Lowman had found his first partner thirty years earlier.
Sample gag (June 3,1983): Speed is questioning psychiatrist Rinn as they sit on her office sofa:
RINN: I’m so glad such a great private eye like you has taken on the Simpson Case. Now I know poor Valerie will get justice.
SPEED: Thank you, Dr. Rinn
Panel Two:
SPEED: Tell me about Valerie Simpson.
RINN: Well, Mr. Walker. She is a raving nut, of course…
Panel Three:
RINN: …and a crack shot.
Panel Four:
RINN: But I didn’t think she would actually kill anyone.
In “Chinese Cooking Class Murder,” Speed falls for a cooking classmate who is poisoned by Speed’s won ton.
Sample gag (September 10,1983): Speed is sitting at his office desk as Lt. Lou Arches consoles him.
SPEED: Just last night we were slicing and dicing — Wok partners, Lou — and now, (sob!) she’s gone.
LOU: Tough, her gettin’ bumped off like that.
Panel Two:
SPEED: (sob!) I don’t think I can go on, Lou (whimper…)
LOU: How long did you know her?
Panel Three:
SPEED: About ten minutes.
Panel Four:
SPEED: But they were ten happy minutes, Lou.
LOU: Well, you can’t argue with happiness.
“Speed Walker Private Eye” would end August 26,1984. There is a second book collection of this strip, Speed Walker Private Eye – Totally Fearless!! (…Within Reason),” published again by Pinnacle as a paperback original, December 1984.
This second selection of strips features the search for the missing pearls stolen by Merle Searles and a run for President of the United States by a new character, Butch the sea gull.
Samples of “Speed Walker” are available to view at cartoonist Cris Hammond website: http://www.crishammond.com/Pages/strips.html.
Thanks to fellow member of google group rec.arts.comics.strips Charles Brubaker for providing the start and end dates for “Speed Walker Private Eye.”
January 16th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Michael, Thanks so much for reviewing my book. I hope to see those Amazon ratings shoot up. Also thanks for introducing me to this site.
Cris
January 16th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Hi Cris, and welcome. Thanks to Michael’s review to urge me on, I’ve found copies of both books online, and I’ve ordered them. Unfortunately I bought them from a couple of ABE dealers. I hope that it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?
— Steve
January 16th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
PS. Neither Al Hubin nor I knew about the books before, but they certainly qualify for inclusion in his CRIME FICTION IV. Once I told him about them, “In they go,” he said. They’ll appear in the next installment of the online Addenda.
July 30th, 2011 at 3:53 am
Cris – Loved your comic for years and have 2 copies of both. BUT … if you loved the loyal fanbase at all, you’d make a speed walker comic app in the app store on itunes because i know I want it.
Make some cash lad … do eet … you know you want to.
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Just found your review of Speed Walker today (June 22, 2012) via a link from Bill Crider’s website. I bought the 2 paperback collections when they came out and loved them, but I never saw the strip in a newspaper. The stories may not be great as mysteries but they are great as humor.
June 22nd, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Richard, you may have read my comment at Bill Crider’s website. Thanks for the tip, I read the forgotten book group and was honored Bill mentioned my review.
The strip was in 150 newspapers and he was getting bored and finding it hard to write a gag a day mysteries. He stopped the strip to take a job with Lucas Films Industrial Lights & Magic to design special effects where he made lots of money doing something he enjoyed.
He was doing a weekly web comic called “Rainbow’s End” but it has not been updated since April and my link may be out of date.
http://www.bargephaedra.com/index.html
Thanks for dropping by and hope you stick around.