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Streamline Pictures

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Streamline Pictures

Original logo (1989–1993)
Company type	Private company (1988–1997) Name-only unit (1997–2002)
Industry	Anime dubbing Film and television distribution
Founded	October/November 1988[1]
Founder	Carl Macek[2] Jerry Beck[3]
Defunct	March 31, 2002
Fate	Disbanded
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, USA
Products	TV series Theatrical films Original Video Animations

Streamline Pictures was an American media company. Founded by screenwriter Carl Macek and animation historian Jerry Beck, it was one of the earliest distributors of English-dubbed Japanese animation.^[4][5]

Founded in Los Angeles, California, in late 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first North American companies that was created primarily with the intention of distributing translated anime uncut and faithful to the original content.^[6] The founders of Streamline were television writer and producer Carl Macek, who had worked for Harmony Gold USA on the series Robotech, and film distributor Jerry Beck. At one point or another, Gregory Snegoff, Steve Kramer, Ardwight Chamberlain, Tom Wyner, and Mike Reynolds, all of whom served as series staff writers (and voice actors) on Robotech, worked as independent writers and voice actors for Streamline.^[7]

The first high-profile release by Streamline was the film Laputa: Castle in the Sky from director Hayao Miyazaki, premiering at the Roxy Screening Room in Philadelphia on March 24, 1989.^[1] The company was also known for its theatrical release of the film AkiraatThe BiographinGeorgetown, Washington, D.C. on December 25, 1989,^[1] as well as its 1992 video dubbing of The Castle of Cagliostro (earlier screened with subtitles at the Film ForuminNew York City in April 1991).^[8] Streamline also dubbed My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki's Delivery Service, both adapted and directed by Gregory Snegoff, in 1988 for Tokuma Shoten, although these were only used as in-flight films by Japan Airlines at the time. As a fan of Miyazaki's films, Macek did not think Laputa (of which Streamline was the distributor) had received the quality of dubbing that a Miyazaki film deserved. He thought that it could have been done better, so Tokuma Shoten gave him the opportunity to prove his words. For his first project, he asked to dub My Neighbor Totoro, one of his favorite Miyazaki works. The Streamline dub of My Neighbor Totoro was released theatrically in the U.S. by Troma Films in 1993; but its dub of Kiki's Delivery Service appeared only on the 1990s Japanese laserdisc release of that title. (Since then, however, all three afore-mentioned films by Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli have been redubbed by Disney.)

Tokuma Shoten was pleased with the quality of the initial work, and it immediately hired Streamline to produce the English language version of Kiki's Delivery Service. Soon after its release, the film was bought by Japan Airlines, who showed it during their flights between Japan and the U.S. Streamline also licensed and dubbed other popular anime series and movies, such as Fist of the North Star, Wicked City, Lensman, Vampire Hunter D and The Professional: Golgo 13.

Streamline, in being the first company dedicated to making anime accessible to the English-speaking world, was notable for releasing a wide variety of anime that fit in a wide variety of genres, many of which do not fit completely in any genre such as Twilight of the Cockroaches. During the 1990s VHS era, before the common availability of hybrid DVDs, anime distributors released anime via subtitled or dubbed tapes with the subtitled editions being noticeably more expensive than the dubs which were expected to sell better. Streamline is also notable in being the only such company to eschew this practice and release only dubs of its anime. The only exceptions were the later Akira subtitled release and their Robotech Collection, which included episodes of the original Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada episodes on the same tape along with their Robotech counterparts. (Since then, these three titles were re-released by ADV Films through Harmony Gold.)

Because of Macek's notoriety with a certain branch of fandom, Streamline became one of the early catalysts of the sub vs. dub debate.^[9] Macek's philosophy towards anime dubbing, as stated in several interviews, most notably published Protoculture Addicts and Animag, has become largely synonymous with the negative connotation concerning "Americanized dubs".

Streamline Pictures stopped producing new anime releases in 1997, but continued to distribute its complete library in North America. In 1996, the company began to release foreign films under its "Independent Filmworks" label until 2000 when the company closed. The company's Modelworks division was sold in 1998 and the "Streamline Pictures Modelworks" division became a separate company operating under the name, "Avatar Creations."

Today, rights to much of the Streamline film and television library (such as Akira and The Castle of Cagliostro) have either reverted to the Japanese rights holder and licensed to other companies; while others have never been re-released due to licensing issues and lack of demand.

• Streamline Pictures Review Index and Company Info—Akemi's Anime World

• Patten, Fred (April 26, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 2". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved May 5, 2015. A series of columns detailing the history of the company by its first employee (not counting the founders).
• Patten, Fred (May 10, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 4". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved May 11, 2015.
• Patten, Fred (May 17, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 5". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved May 18, 2015.
• Patten, Fred (May 24, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 6". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved May 27, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (AkiratoCrying Freeman).
• Patten, Fred (May 31, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 7". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved June 2, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Dirty PairtoFist of the North Star).
• Patten, Fred (June 7, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 8". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved June 8, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Great Conquest: Romance of the Three KingdomstoLapüta: Castle in the Sky).
• Patten, Fred (June 14, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 9". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved June 16, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (LensmantoLupin III: The Mystery of Mamo).
• Patten, Fred (June 21, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 10". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved June 22, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Megazone 23, Part 1toNadia).
• Patten, Fred (June 28, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 11". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved June 30, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Neo-TokyotoPlanet Busters).
• Patten, Fred (July 5, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 12". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved July 6, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (The Professional: Golgo 13toRobot Carnival).
• Patten, Fred (July 12, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 13". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved July 13, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Robotechto3×3 Eyes).
• Patten, Fred (July 12, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 14 'Twilight Of The Cockroaches'". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved July 20, 2015. Reviews of Streamline's release of Twilight of the Cockroaches.
• Patten, Fred (July 16, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 15: 'Vampire Hunter D'". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved July 27, 2015. Reviews of Streamline's release of Vampire Hunter D.
• Patten, Fred (August 2, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 16: 'Wicked City'". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved August 4, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (Wicked City).
• Patten, Fred (August 9, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 17". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved August 10, 2015. Reviews of Streamline releases (WindariatoZillion: Burning Night, plus the book Tainted Treats).
• Patten, Fred (August 16, 2015). "Streamline Pictures – Part 18". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved August 17, 2015.
• Patten, Fred (November 8, 2015). "Streamline Anime Titles That Never Were". Cartoon Research. Funny Animals and More (column). Retrieved November 9, 2015.