My “career” of writing about Eastern cartoons appears to be like to be admire an without destroy repeating cycle of recurring motifs. Every ten years anyone pays me to jot down about Huge title Blazers, and it is never necessary what medium I write in or what title it goes below, I finally discontinue up writing about Prince Planet. The direct impacted my mind at an early age, and likewise you might instruct I’ve been below its influence ever since.
(splash page from a 1965 disclose of SHONEN MAGAZINE)
The direct’s long-established title, YUSEI SHONEN PAPI, ability “Meteor (or Asteroid or Comet, rob your opt) Boy Papi”. It was produced by Television Corporation Of Japan (TCJ) who furthermore produced Tetsujin-28-Trudge/Gigantor, Eight Man/Eighth Man, Yusei Kamen/Asteroid Veil, Kamui The Ninja, Kaitei Shonen Marine/Marine Boy, and Skyers 5. Papi’s long-established Eastern air dates had been June 3, 1965- June 27, 1966, totalling 52 episodes. The direct was basically based on the manga by Hideoki Inoue, which appeared in Shonen Magazine, the ’60’s weekly comedian which furthermore featured Tetsuwan Atomu/Astro Boy, Tetsujin 28-Trudge/Gigantor, Shock Three/Very ideal Three, Eight Man/Eighth Man, and Ashita No Joe/Joe Of The following day. Papi was sponsored by Eastern candy manufacturer Glico, the title of which makes up a chorus on the discontinue of the Eastern theme song.
Spurred by the success of Astro Boy, Gigantor, and Eighth Man, “Papi” was modified into “Prince Planet” and dubbed by Miami-basically based Copri Worldwide Movies, an outfit partially staffed by gun-toting anti-Castro Cubans. The direct was disbursed to just TV stations in The usa and in other locations by American Worldwide Photos, the the same outfit accountable for releasing a complete bunch of low-charge biker movies, most Gamera motion pictures, Alakazam The Sizable, Wild In The Streets, Roger Corman’s Poe epics, and Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robotic. AIP was later sold by Filmways, which was sold by Orion Photos, which in turn was sold by MGM, fragment of which was aquired by Sony/Comcast. At this level nobody at MGM or Sony or whoever appears to be like to be to take note they even enjoy Prince Planet. Two episodes of the sequence had been released on the “Starman” DVDs from One thing Weird, and loads of different gray-market outfits are promoting DVDs of the direct online and thru eBay, at conventions, and so forth.
I first seen Prince Planet on the age of two, and for years afterwards recollections of this direct would impinge upon my consciousness, on the full spurred by the imagery of Tempo Racer or Kimba or whatever Eastern sketch that took place to substandard my imaginative and prescient. 15 years later I’d explore the direct one more time on legend of of tape trading, and in the in the period in-between on legend of of the internets and DVDs the direct is obtainable for folk who REALLY desire to search it; although a legit DVD begin might be good.
So what’s this direct about? Prince Planet is a young boy of about 12 from Radion, planet. He was despatched to Earth on a mission to stare Earthlings and serve them in the battle in opposition to all forms of negative. The organization in the help of here’s known as the Universal Peace Corps, a UN-admire conclave of alien beings inquisitive about retaining galactic peace and justice. As the narrator explains recurrently, Prince Planet’s vitality comes from his pendant, which is able to nearly about the rest and might furthermore very effectively be continuously recharged by a vitality transmitter on Radion. The plan of any given episode on the full calls for the guy working the vitality transmitter to be faraway from his put up, or snoozing, or knocked unconscious, or in every other case incapacitated when Prince Planet surely wants him. Our hero modifications to Prince Planet set by keeping the medallion and shouting “Kazow” or occasionally “Kapow” or occasionally “Kazam” or “Wowee”. Most continuously the distinctive Eastern dialog of Papi shouting “Piiiii-Papi!” might furthermore be heard on this scene.
When Prince Planet first came to Earth, he landed on the ranch owned by Diana Important and her father Mr. Important (occasionally known as “Pops Important”). Prince Planet took the title of “Bobby” and made himself roughly a long houseguest. This ranch is found somewhere almost about town of Contemporary Metropol. Most continuously Contemporary Metropol is close sufficient to scamper to, and occasionally Contemporary Metropol requires a plane time out. All of it relies on what town was in the distinctive Eastern direct, and how inactive the American writers had been in creating with names for cities. Diana is roughly Prince Planet’s age, apparel admire the girl on the Swiss Miss kit, and has a knack for getting in all forms of peril that fully Bobby can extricate her from.
Their mountainous ideal friend Dan Dynamo was an out-of-work studio wrestler who misplaced his job on legend of he was merely too get hold of. He was nearly led valid into a lifetime of crime, nonetheless Prince Planet rescued him and thenceforth Dan Dynamo aided Prince Planet in his mission to battle negative. He furthermore is continuously hungry. He first appeared in episode #2.
Adji Baba is an Arabian wizard from the false Heart Eastern nation of Abadon. He first appears to be like to be in episode #4. Prince Planet and the crowd recurrently experience from set to set along with his magic carpet. At one level a hatch is opened on the carpet, revealing machinery internal, so I’m now now not rather certain what extra or less magic carpet here’s. Adji has all forms of wacky magic powers, and as well they on the full backfire amusingly. He and Dynamo develop now now not get hold of along much. The categorical spelling of his title is unknown, nonetheless he has a son and three grandkids help in Abadon, whom we explore in episode #51.
One recurring foe is Warlock, an negative Martian magician with an negative chuckle, three feet of spiky dark hair, and an extremely high-pitched disclose. His plans might furthermore very effectively be to beat the enviornment, take a secret formula, or destroy something necessary, nonetheless they continuously encompass killing Prince Planet and/or Adji Baba. Naturally, these plans continuously fail. He meets his discontinue in episode #51. The vital villain in Prince Planet, nonetheless, is Krag. Most continuously is called the Master Of Misery, Krag is the negative warlord of planet Kragmire. He’s admire the Godfather of outer set, sending legions of enemies, monsters, and negative gadgets in opposition to Earth and Prince Planet. He has a immense sq. head and apparel admire a deranged undertaker, with a enormous range-pipe hat and a dark suit with a flower in the buttonhole. His favourite weapon is a pocket secret agent with hidden sawblades – he throws it – and when he desires to inch, swish batwings come out of his help. They merely don’t plan sketch tainted guys admire Krag to any extent extra. In distinction to Warlock, Krag has a extraordinarily deep disclose. His discontinue comes when Prince Planet blasts him out of existence in episode #52.
Having first been uncovered to Prince Planet after I was all of two years mild, I’m in a position to in my idea testify to the irregular enchantment this clunky mild direct holds. The animation is sufficient at fully, the dubbing is laughable, and the plots are grade-Z comedian book science fiction, nonetheless Prince Planet has a wacky enchantment that bigger than surpasses its passe points. This combination of SF, delusion, monsters, aliens, spies, and gangsters, blended with weird, dada-esque scripts, villains similar to the Batman TV direct, and heroes that weren’t afraid to blast, zap, or crush their system to justice, distress up congealing valid into a direct that left an indelible mark on many young, impressionable minds.
A Eastern buddy of mine experiences that now now not fully did she secret agent and revel in Prince Planet right thru its long-established depart in Japan, nonetheless she furthermore had a complete Prince Planet costume, complete with medallion, that was received by collecting wrappers from Prince Planet chewing gum. The tips boggles. The Eastern DVD space of “Papi” episodes points two discs of extras that encompass TV ads for Glico “Usei Shonen Papi” candy, complete with all forms of “Papi” themed prizes and giveaways. The direct was a selected hit in Australia, where several other anime shows admire Ken The Wolf Boy got English dubs and broadcast releases denied us here in the States, and where the later adoption of color TV intended B&W programming enjoyed a long lifespan.
The direct was one of the well-known keen sequence to believe a certain foundation and a certain discontinue; in the final episode Prince Planet hops valid into a spaceship and returns to Radion to plan his myth. Characters admire Krag plan their look halfway thru the sequence. Other characters admire Dan Dynamo and Adji Baba enter and exit the sequence. Since most syndicated TV shows on the time shunned continuity, Prince Planet’s continuing storyline is surprisingly revolutionary, in a “stuff that took place in earlier episodes is referenced in later episodes” extra or less system, now now not in a “depicting minorities in non-stereotypical style” extra or less system, there’s masses of that.
Being dark and white damage Prince Planet’s potentialities at syndication in the 70s; stations wished color shows. Purposes admire eighth Man, Very ideal Three, and Gigantor joined Prince Planet on the monochromatic rubbish heap, to be revived fully thru video trading and the tables of bootleg VHS sellers at SF conventions.
Lend a hand in the slack Eighties I started an organization devoted to 60s Eastern cartoons and deliberately space out to get hold of in contact with fans of Prince Planet and other shows. Since then I’ve heard from a complete bunch and a complete bunch of fans who remember the direct and believe a accurate desire to search it one more time. Nostalgic tail-discontinue boomers desire to relive their childhood, fogeys desire to fragment the direct with their kids, and students of goofy kids cartoons continuously believe room on their shelves for one extra DVD field space of obscure 60s goodness. Other dark and white cartoons admire Astro Boy and Gigantor believe enjoyed success in re-begin; why now now not Prince Planet?
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| 90s print version of Let’s Anime, cloak by Paul Younger |
For your future reference and total edification, allow me to mark a Prince Planet episode files, received from that beneficial analysis helpful resource, the Internets. The titles are from the distinctive Eastern sequence; the American version would mention episode titles in the “coming subsequent episode” trailer on the discontinue of every direct, nonetheless there was never an legit title card. I’ve added commentary where appropriate.
1. A Boy From Outer Save
2. Huge on the Issues (enter Dan Dynamo)
3. The Formidable Rival
4. The Arabian Magician (first Adji Baba)
5. The Flying Jelly Fish
6. Dinosaur Men
7. A Huge Showdown
8. Robotic Island (points a cameo by Gigantor!)
9. The Overgrown Lizard
10. Shaberia (aka “Shabiria The Vicious Vegetable”)
11. Love Machine
12. S.O.S. Worldwide
13. Gold Picker
14. Attack of the Radioactive Ants (aka “Atomic Termites”)
15. The Sizable Save Battle
16. The Huge title in Memory
17. The Save Zoo
18. The Stolen Mount Fuji
19. Pirate Devil
20. Planet Of Dread
21. Robotic
22. Staunch-Bye Saturnian
23. The Earth Zero Hour
24. The Ghost Save Ship
25. Strive in opposition to on a Desert Island
26. Secret Below the Sea
27. The Rocket Pilot
28. Gaist the Devilfish
29. The Present From Prince Planet
30. Gollen, the Formidable Foe
31. The Pollen Bomb
32. Operation Rico
33. Rico, the Sizable Detective
34. A Eye From the Necro
35. The Demon Scientist
36. The Younger Spies
37. Pollo The Secret Agent
38. The Magic Glove (aka “Diana Will Deem Rather Noteworthy Whatever Anybody Tells Her”)
39. The Robotic Prince
40. Rico’s Adventure
41. The Lion in the Desert
42. Disaster on the Earth
43. The Awe of a Snowman
44. Revenge in the Valley
45. The Comet Missile
46. The Mystery of a Mummy
47. The Mystery of Organ
48. Awe at 10:10 PM
49. The Birdman Racket (aka “The Birdman Bandits”)
50. Secret Path into the Earth (aka “Invaders From Alkali”)
51. Ajababa’s Grandchildren
52. The Huge title at Home
I am hoping this listing helps those of you accessible with Prince Planet episodes to catalog your findings and amplify your Prince Planety knowledge. Together we are in a position to preserve the recollections of Prince Planet alive till anyone somewhere down deep in anyone’s film archives gets the moxie collectively to throw these items on a DVD for us. With extras.
-Dave Merrill
(on legend of of Meg Evans, Shaun Camp, and Tim Grumbly)
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