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Terry Teo and the Gunrunners
56 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 6, 2019
Oh the nostalgia! Just as good as I remember it
March 18, 2024
Great stuff. Enjoyed revisiting the old classic from my childhood. Love the little Tintin cameo, and those kinds of clever details.
November 6, 2015
I received this book recently from Booksellers NZ to review for their blog. After unpacking it, it was left on the table and my husband came in and saw it. "Is that your copy of Terry Teo? Sweet!" Turns out he remembered it from his childhood - it was first released in 1982 and became something of a cult favourite. At that time it was also a TV series (staring Billy T James, amongst others) and spawned two sequels. Now, it has been remastered and re-released in preparation for the new, much darker, television series.
Terry Teo is a 12-year old boy who loves his skateboard. Entirely by accident, he stumbles upon three gunrunners. He manages to escape - but not before they see him and come after him. What follows is a complicated series of occasionally slapstick and chaotic events that would make Tintin proud (he even gets a cameo!), involving Terry; his two siblings, Polly and Ted; a gang of motorcyclists; the evil businessman, Ray Vegas, and his two bumbling sidekicks. It's all jolly-good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations - including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like traveling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures - because the adults are too oblivious or bumbling to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and would especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader.
At the end of the book there are three bonus chapters, explaining the Kiwiana/cult background of the tale and plans for the new TV series. Whilst this book can be enjoyed by fairly young readers - probably 10 plus - the TV show looks to be darker and intended for a more teenage market. It has Terry aged 17, and focuses somewhat on gang culture. It may not be well suited for the younger viewer.
Terry Teo is a 12-year old boy who loves his skateboard. Entirely by accident, he stumbles upon three gunrunners. He manages to escape - but not before they see him and come after him. What follows is a complicated series of occasionally slapstick and chaotic events that would make Tintin proud (he even gets a cameo!), involving Terry; his two siblings, Polly and Ted; a gang of motorcyclists; the evil businessman, Ray Vegas, and his two bumbling sidekicks. It's all jolly-good nostalgic fun, with a distinctly kiwi flavour to the illustrations - including the charmingly-named small town Kaupati (say it aloud) with its tiny police station and A&P show. This is truly like traveling back into a time before cellphones, before the internet, into a world where kids get to have the adventures - because the adults are too oblivious or bumbling to solve the problems themselves. With its fast pace and humour, this graphic novel can now be enjoyed by a new generation, and would especially be embraced by the more reluctant reader.
At the end of the book there are three bonus chapters, explaining the Kiwiana/cult background of the tale and plans for the new TV series. Whilst this book can be enjoyed by fairly young readers - probably 10 plus - the TV show looks to be darker and intended for a more teenage market. It has Terry aged 17, and focuses somewhat on gang culture. It may not be well suited for the younger viewer.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews