There are a few anime companies that have left their mark on the anime industry in America: Funimation, Crunchyroll, Pioneer, ADV, 4Kids Entertainment (despite a lot of controversy). While anime is fully mainstream now, it took pioneers to make it that way, as for many years anime was seen as little more than a genre that mostly revolved around giant robots and pretty girls.
Though many companies worked to break these stereotypes in America, it could be argued that Streamline Pictures were the true pioneers in bringing anime to America, and may just be the single most important anime distributor in America.
RELATED:What Was the First Anime to be Released on DVD?
Who Was Streamline Pictures?
Streamline Pictures was a company that specialized in anime distribution and localization. Founded in 1988 by Carl Macek, Streamline played a significant role in introducing Japanese animation to Western audiences (particularly in North America). The company was based in Los Angeles, California.
Carl Macek, known for his work on the English adaptation of the animated seriesRobotech(which was distributed by Harmony Gold), saw the potential for anime to appeal to a wider audience beyond Japan. After working onRobotechwith Gold, Macek had a vision of bringing over other high-quality anime to Western viewers, and he established Streamline Pictures as a means to achieve this goal. The company was founded as a result of personal loans and private investors, but once everything was set in place it was time for Macek to make anime history.
How Did They Release Anime?
Streamline primarily focused on licensing and distributing anime films and series in the United States. The company’s early releases included influential titles such asAkiraandLupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro(which had to be renamed due tounforeseen legal hurdles). These films - along with others likeBarefoot GenandWicked City- helped introduce Western audiences to the depth and diversity of Japanese animation.
One of Streamline’s notable contributions to the localization of anime was its approach to dubbing. Rather than providing strict translations, Streamline often adapted the dialogue to better suit Western sensibilities while striving to maintain the original work’s essence. Though this was controversial for fans at the time (as it meant dialog would be re-written rather than translated), this approach allowed the English versions to resonate with a broader audience, helping to popularize anime in the West.
Their biggest claim to fame was selling anime titles in catalogs with a ‘Not for Kids’ label. Back in the eighties print catalogs were all the rage, with Macy’s and Toys R' Us being some of the most notable catalog’s in circulation. As a result, magazines such asVideo PreviewandHome Viewerwould sell videos directly to the consumer through the mail. It is in these catalogs that these ‘Not for Kids’ tapes were initially bought. The promise that these cartoons weren’t suitable for kids ended up being a savvy marketing technique, and the tapes were a minor hit through the catalog.
Since these were the first VHS releases that acknowledged that animation could be geared towards adults, the gimmick worked, and soon these tapes would become infamous when they started beingsold in stores like Suncoast and Sam Goody. Streamline Pictures also released anime films in theaters, a practice relatively uncommon at the time. This allowed fans to experience anime on the big screen, further expanding the reach and impact of the medium.
What Happened to Streamline Pictures?
While Streamline Pictures made significant strides in popularizing anime in North America, the company faced financial difficulties and ceased operations in the mid-1990s. While the ‘Not for Kids’ label was moderately successful, titles were hit-and-miss in sales, and were never able to consistently pay the bills. While releasing films likeAkirain theaters helped the films gain a fanbase, these releases were rarely profitable and usually expensive (film prints would have to be printed and shipped across the country, as digital projectors weren’t prolific back then). Even when Streamline tapped into franchises that could have gained a small audience (likeLupin III) there was really no market for animation for adults at the time (this was beforeThe Simpsonspremiered on Fox if you can believe it).
At the end of the day, all these minor issues became major issues, and the company was never able to fully overcome them. They were always one flop away from shuttering, and at one point they just couldn’t continue with their operations. Despite these problems, the influence Streamline Pictures had on the anime industry paved the way for subsequent anime localization. The work done by Streamline laid the foundation for the growth of anime fandom and the eventual establishment of anime as a mainstream entertainment medium outside of Japan, and it’s fair to say that if it weren’t for Streamline Picture and Carl Macek, there may not be an anime industry in America today.
MORE:How One Bad Decision Prevented Tokyopop from Being an Anime Distributor
