Lost In Space S1 Ep11: Wish Upon A Star

A few more shreddings and that dress on Marta Kristen would have fallen clean off! Lost In Space would have acquired a whole new audience.
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"Roles were based on the Space Family Robinson characters found in the Gold Key Comic of the same name." -Mark Goddard from To Space And Back-
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"Theory and conjecture. Nonsense and jabberwocky. We have the gift horse let us not examine its mouth too closely." -Dr. Zachary Smith-
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Once again, Lost In Space picks up right where it left off with its pseudo-serial connectivity. Dr. Zachary Smith is relaxing while Will Robinson and Major Don West handle the heavy lifting.

If you don't recall West flipped the smoking fuel cell away and when it explodes he is nearly killed. How Dr. Smith doesn't get his neck rung long before the series ended is something of a small miracle. As always, Dr. Smith denies any responsibility for his negligence with the fuel cell, which he carelessly tossed to the ground. Professor John Robinson intervenes to prevent Don from strangling Smith's and he wants answers. As is often the case, our young friend and sometimes hero, Will Robinson, is quickly placed in the middle and forced to give his take on events that have transpired. All in all, the dynamic between the actors/ characters on the show is the major attraction on Lost In Space. Speaking of major, it's always good to see Goddard in the mix. In fact, it's exchanges between the full ensemble in the series that gave the space drama a certain swagger.


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The camera work is sometimes interesting on Lost In Space. Ground to sky shots for intimate, up close and personal exchanges between our colorful cast of characters offer a visually interesting touch.

John informs Smith he hasn't done his part to preserve the hydroponic garden. That too is lost. Don gives Smith a piece of his mind and expresses his desire to rid the family of him. Smith asks John if those are his feelings and John bites his tongue. Nevertheless, words unspoken speak volumes. Smith gets the message loud and clear. The mere suggestion is amusing as we are quickly discovering Smith is as cowardly as they come. Surviving on a strange planet solo doesn't appear conceivable. John yearns to teach him a lesson. Smith exits with laser rifle in hand. Smith protests that there is nothing anyone can do to keep him at the base camp. Of course, no one is saying anything at all. No one is interested in stopping his departure. Off goes Smith in Lost In Space, Season One, Episode 11, Wish Upon A Star.

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Later in the evening, Will worries for Smith. His father assures him there's nothing to fear. Elsewhere, Smith has a pathetic little fire going. The sounds of a strange creature fills the air and he fires his laser rifle out of fright. A random, strange paper mache kite-like creature with a bizarre little giggle flies at him. The creature even has a painted-on mouth. Later he is awakened by Will who is checking on him. Will suspects Smith needs a new campsite. Smith is more than happy to welcome Will into his journey alone so that he will no longer be alone. Smith is a clever, pathetic, cowardly, little lion man.

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Venturing forward Smith and Will stumble upon the wreck of an old spacehip. The old wreck is covered in spider webs. The webs are apparently the handiwork of space spiders on this strange planet that spin silk-like spider webs just like those on Earth. Go figure. One of the funniest moments comes when Will attempts to open the door to the space vessel. It shakes in all its paper and tin foil splendor. There isn't a single, solid component to be found on the vehicle suitable for space travel. This space thing couldn't fly through the sky like a kite. It's amusing, but the whole vibe of Lost In Space captured a sense of adventure that certainly appealed to the inner child.

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Will is planning on heading back to base camp, but of course Smith pleads with him to stay longer. The twosome stumble upon a strange device. Will, without much thought obviously, places the blinking helmet-like cone on his head. You might imagine the dangers of the new world would influence and inform every decision one makes with a great deal of caution, but not on Lost In Space. This is a fact of life on the series and you have to roll with it and embrace it. The two explorers wish they had some delicious rolls and wah-lah they have them. Well, oddly, they don't actually get the rolls, but they do get some kind of shish kebab.

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Thinking about it, the relationship between special effects and sound effects are so closely connected on Lost in Space it definitely capitalized on the concept in its heyday. The effects are sometimes simple, but with the appropriate application of a given sound effect, an item can appear or disappear miraculously. It was tremendous use of the imagination for the period. It was clean and effective use of the technique and it was used frequently. Neverthless, the incongruous nature of our boy Will's thinking never ceases to amaze. Smith asks him what he'd like. He'd like a bike or a telescope, but then shifts 180 degress to apples. Huh!? Classic! Apples come raining down on Smith and Will. From where did the apples come? The sky? Okay. Well, we need to test them for safety of course. Let's eat them anyway! Okay. Scenes like this become more pronounced and commonplace on the series especially the pairing of Smith and Will with Robot.

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Will brings some apples back home and his Dad discovers them in his room. Dad, the good parent that he is, wants to know about the secret apples. Will says he has to keep them a secret. Don steps in and assures Will it's okay to rat out Smith the rat bastard because he didn't give his word. Don can't stand him! At least Don shows consistently good judgment and is never pushed over by Smith from day one. I like that. Will relents and tells his family he and Smith found a spaceship. Gosh Will, it's a bloody food supply. Why wouldn't you want to tell your folks? It's the difference between life and death on a strange planet brother. Also, The One To Be Pitied wonders why they don't just make a wish to go home to Earth. Of course, the series would be over and where's the fun in that?

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Back at Smith's new makeshift camp, Will informs him he has told his father about the device. Smith is having way too much fun with his new find to care. Don tells Will all Smith cares about is himself. I love Don. He has that bugger's number and damn it all he'll indoctrinate WIll to the ways of the world regardless of his innocence.

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Will worries for Smith and admits to Don he still likes Smith despite his flaws. Smith returns. "What do you want?," Don asks in his usual disgust. To my surprise, the writer was on top of The One To Be Pitied's thoughts about going home. Smith informs everyone he plans on willing his desire to build a complete, second Jupiter 2 so that it may bring them all back to Earth. His wishes don't exactly pan out as the Jupiter 2 that is created before them is nothing more than a model mock-up of the real thing that would fit snug inside the Fancave!.

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Back at the base camp, Robot analyzes the device for the family. There is plenty of snappy, fun dialogue in this brief segment. It's a delight to watch.

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Poor Maureen Robinson, does she actually do anything of a scientific nature on Lost In Space? Apparently it's stay in the kitchen and tend to the garden for her. Well, that, and be the greatest mom in space.

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Judy appears before Don in a new dress and he is extremely excited by her presence. How these two never got things going beyond flirtation I'll never know. Mark Goddard refers to her as his "summer romance" during the show despite the fact he was married at the time. It's not hard to imagine why. I'm surprised they weren't shagging the tar out of each other for three seasons on the show or behind-the-scenes. I'm impressed by his restraint. I mean holy smokes you're on a remote planet with very few rooms and some free time. What the hell are you waiting for? I know I've said it before, but she is one smoking hot, Norwegian tamale and I'm sure Goddard wasn't too shabby to the female set. What more could you ask?

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Will and Penny fight over the device too. Ah, sibling love. Greed is in the air and trouble too. Will goes to get Dad to decide who gets to use it. Penny decided to utilize it for her own desires. Smith indicated earlier the device only works twice a day. I suspect an overuse of the mechanism is in the works. Penny informs her father she has some wonderful new tapes. Tapes! Ha! Yes, the advanced tape technology. Anyway, she has Bach, Mozart, ect.. Her father cleverly points out Lie, Cheat, and Trick are also fine composers and gives Penny a verbal beatdown with his fatherly disappointment. There was a bit of lost opportunity to really explore the theme of greed is the root of all evil here. But the episode does go there in effect.

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Judy and Don arrive from their frolic amidst the stone formations. They are just in time for the family meeting. John is displeased that everyone seems to be shirking their duties and responsibilities in favor of using the "thought machine." Will asks why bother? The thought machine can do it all. John Robinson says it "sows the seeds of discontent, mistrust and indolence." Dreams aren't coming true. "Nightmares can also be dreams" he insists. John prefers the old fashioned methods of elbow grease and hard work. Once again, strong parenting is in full effect for the Robinson children most of the time. Granted Maureen and John were often a little too liberal about Will's time with the nefarious Dr. Smith. Hmmm, that does seem a little inconsistent.

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John returns the machine to Smith and wants it removed or destroyed. Smith refers to it as "the garden of Eden." Smith says he will take it back with him to the "derelict." Remember, Episode 2, The Derelict? He also wants to bring Robot with him. John tells Smith I don't think so.

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This is a pretty priceless image, no pun intended actually, of Smith with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Smith offering a bit of character here with a sweet tooth for the riches.

Back at his own camp he is eating like a king. He also has the Mona Lisa behind him which prompted a question from The One To Be Pitied. If he can have the Mona Lisa why can't he have another real Jupiter 2? It seems a legitimate beef. Smith requests a servant from the thought machine. A mummified creature emerges from the derelict space craft and Smith screams like a girl. Smith demands coffee and the servant is angered and throws aside all of the tea and silverware. It motions to Smith as if requesting something of its own. It wants the machine. It is in hot pursuit of Smith who has run away with the device.

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Meanwhile, all of the items summoned forth from the machine are going to pot. The fruit is going bad. Judy's dress is in tatters. Penny's tapes are defective. John surmises correctly all of the items summoned forth from the thought machine are going bad. John isn't a professor of science for nothing.

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The creature walks swiftly with a driven persistence to retrieve the device. Smith gets back to the Jupiter 2 and activates the force field. The Space Family Robinson asks what thatm thing is outside. Why that's Dr. Smith's man mummy servant. The servant creature is zapped by the Jupiter 2 forcefield. It wants the machine as it moans with hands outstretched. Smith insists all he did was ask for coffee. Ha. Don, thinking on his feet as always, asks the only logical question. Where is the thought machine? Smith has hidden the device. John demands it be returned right now! Looking outside again the creature is missing. The family deactivates the force field and the men head off with laser rifles. The creature appears behind them and then blinks out of existence disappearing before our very eyes. John wants the device returned to the ship where the alien can find it. Good move. The creepy mummy man servant was definitely the kind of things kids enjoyed once upon a time.

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The often interesting camera work of the wonderfully shot Lost In Space.

The monster appears before them. John wants the machine and demands Smith return it to him. Good decision. Of course, Smith tries to pass it off to Will. Hysterical. With it now in the creature's possession it goes back into the derelict craft complete with crazy sound effects. Suddenly everything around them that Smith ever wished for disappears. Will rushes to open the door and there is nothing on the other side of it. Will wonders why. His father tells him it was greed and selfishness because Smith "asked for too much." Greed is the root of all evil indeed. John channels the lesson for us here.

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Epilogue: Robot instructs all to leave the launch pad area. Will is about to launch his own personal toy rocket. It lifts via balloon. The rockets will fire soon after. The space probe is intended to reach Earth. What!? Suddenly it explodes and the next thing you know we have a giant ball of fire heading straight for Penny and Will. Their father is making an attempt to save them. It's another strange, white knuckle conclusion leaving all to wonder what happened to the rocket? The creators behind Lost In Space continue to discover some interesting avenues to take with the antics of Dr. Smith. It's another satisfactory outing. Still, it's vintage-era sci-fi in the form of Lost In Space, which is a bit like eating a bowl of ice cream. You just can't stop eating it and enjoying every lick.

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To Be Continued... Same Time, Same BLOG!

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Wish Upon A Star: C

Director: Sutton Roley

Writer: Barney Slater

To Space And Back

Biographies are endlessly fascinating to me.

"I took a deep breath, took a second look at the image of a wrapped aluminum baked potato, and said to myself, "How the hell did this happen?" -Mark Goddard [looking at himself in the mirror and coming to terms with landing the role of Major Don West for the Lost In Space Pilot]-

Reading autobiographies on the stars we grew up with is always intriguing to me. They never fail to entertain, enlighten and provide us with another side to the people we loved to watch.

So many of these memoirs or biographies rarely focus on the events that made a given star's career. The things that made them famous are often a footnote. At the very least the things for which they are remembered are little more than a chapter in a much larger book painting a much bigger, more comprehensive, more colorful, more three-dimensional and human portrait of the person in question.

Many fans find the lack of coverage on that portion of a star's career, the stuff that made them a star to begin with, a real annoyance. Many would prefer a strict focus on those said events and what happened behind the scenes. I don't disagree that those things aren't equally important or interesting from a fan's perspective, but I enjoy the nooks and crannies of an actor's life and discovering what shaped them. Often it shines the light on human frailties, insecurities, the real life pains and joys of a human being that often ultimately resembles our own lives. It does put things very much in perspective. Perhaps, it pulls them off that pedestal for some and that's the last thing we want.

Either way, a good read is a good read. My grandmother always said, "It doesn't matter what you read, just read something, read anything, at least you're reading."

Well, it's science fiction reference books and biographies that often illuminate and stimulate the old brain waves for this particular fan. A simple book like To Space And Back: A Memoir By Mark Goddard normally engages me and pulls me into the actor's world. In this case, Mark Goddard, formerly Major Don West of Lost In Space, recounts his life in a fleeting, if not entirely thorough and sometimes disappointing examination of his life. At just 106 pages the book is shorter than Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince and of course a literary classic or treatise it's not. Still, it's surely as entertaining.

Reading To Space And Back gives you pause regarding the people you grew up idolizing, because Goddard was clearly a regular kid, a regular young man, a regular college guy growing up complete with all of the hang-ups and confidence issues from which we all suffer. I could surely relate to some of the things that transpired in his life. The writing does have it moments, but can sometimes seem jarring. He moves so quickly his thoughts aren't always fully formed or articulated and thus sometimes I found myself still wondering what happened to him on a particular trial or tribulation. Still, this is a memoir and much less a real, true, researched, fully documented autobiography. There is a distinction.

Goddard spends roughly six pages on recollections of Lost In Space. Fans won't be pleased. Little new or even interesting information is discussed. At the close of his look back at the Lost In Space years Goddard writes, "Maybe Lost In Space wasn't all that I expected for my acting career, but still those years were filled with incredible highs as well as lows. From 1965 to 1968 an awful lot happened in my life. Those three years were crammed with elegant parties, friendships, golf, tennis, motorcycle riding, horse racing and best of all, Melissa's birth." That about sums it up. Unfortunately, after such few pages, we are given very little in the way of examples to bear this out. It feels like a missed opportunity. Outside of the Lost In Space memories, the book takes a more interesting if incomplete turn elsewhere. We're still left with biographical information like the fact his second son was his boy "except biologically," but never indicates anything beyond that point. There a tendency for loose ends as he writes his memoir, but again it's good to see he's released something special about his life.

Ultimately, if you were ever a fan of the series Lost In Space or Mark Goddard, this book is worth a check. It offers some good insights into the man and the events throughout his life [in brief]. It's clearly Goddard's style. He's not looking to be precious or pretentious in any way. In a way the book offers the published snapshot and equivalent of the kind of regular fellow Goddard was and still is and it doesn't pretend to be anything more. It fails to offer the detail of a book like From Sawdust To Stardust, a biography of Star Trek's DeForest Kelley, and sometimes To Space And Back suffers for its brevity, but Goddard isn't interested in getting into the same level of intense coverage for his memoir that a fan or biographer might be willing to take a subject. Ironically, both Kelley and Goddard spent a bit of time in Western roles. That's certainly not too surprising given the popularity of the genre in the 1950s and 1960s. But honestly, Goddard comes off pretty down to Earth actually and he's giving his take on it all straight up.

For a small book it does a fitting job of painting a real picture of a seemingly decent man making his way in the world from the humble streets of Massachusetts. For some Goddard's approach may be a bit too cursory and succinct amidst all of the name-dropping, but these are his memories. Did you know he was good friends with the late Aaron Spelling? Peter Fonda? The almost rapid fire succession of his life can seem just a little too quick and dirty. Placing events of his life in their proper context to maintain the affecting emotional trials of his opening words can seem a little rushed, because the memoir really has its moments.

Take this touching excerpt that really moved me with Goddard's honesty and sincerity.

"I was born Charles Harvey Goddard at St. John's Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts on my parents tenth wedding anniversary. I was raised in Scituate, a picturesque harbor town in Massachusetts. The traditional gift for celebrating the tenth anniversary year is tin. My dad used to say I was a 'diamond in the rough.' But I turned out to be closer to the tin man from the Wizard Of Oz. Like him, I wasn't complete. This has bothered me for most of my life. My imperfections kept cropping up at crucial times. Everything was almost. I was almost a good student. I was almost a good athlete. I was almost a good husband. I was almost a good father. I was almost a good actor. I was almost a good Catholic. Almost led to quitting. Quitting led to goodbyes."

Goddard added self-critically, "I quit on myself. Where did almost come from? Where did quitting come from? I'm not sure, but they were with me for most of my life."

Offering one example of his frustration Goddard recalls his desire to compete and be the best when he entered his teens. Like any of us all of the good memories are often overshadowed by those painful, significant, singular moments that we never shake. Goddard had them too. He recalls the pressure he placed on himself at one swim meet when he went up against a fellow swimmer that gave him the feeling he was going to lose that given day based on the look in his competitor's face and build. It got the best of him. It speaks to the almosts of his entire life.

"I knew I was going to be beaten. I wanted to quit right there, but the pistol wouldn't wait for me to quit, and the shot rang out." All of the pressure of that day got into Goddard's head and he flailed about in the pool "slapping" the water rather than swimming. The whole thing fell apart and all he could remember was his father pulling him up out of the pool. "What the hell happened?" Goddard recalls, "I was in shock. I didn't have an answer. I felt terrible. I had left my former-self drowing in that pool."

The next few weeks Goddard prayed for rain each Sunday until he remembers the prayers of Boston Red Sox fans getting their sunny Sunday. Running away worked for only so long, but then faced with another event Goddard ran away again. "I crossed the street and kept walking. I arrived at an overgrown field and shuffled through it. I layed down and stared at the cloudless sky. Time passed when finally, I heard a shot. I counted all the shots until I heard the shot that started my race. I felt relieved at first, and then shame blotted the clear sky above me. I was a coward, and cowards quit. I had swum my last race." The heart just breaks for the young Mark Goddard, because damn if we haven't all been there with failure riding our backs like a monkey you just can't shake, while it seemingly grows heavier and heavier with each passing step. You are not alone out there.

You certainly get the idea where Goddard was emotionally and he infuses his book with a balance of joys and just as many disappointments as he traverses the points of his life's timeline with great speed. To Space And Back certainly doesn't rank among the best bios, not even close, but it does offer insight into the regular guy we grew to love as Major Don West. Futility is certainly a fuel that informs this book throughout his personal journey. He's an actor and a family man with an interesting life worth supporting.

Again, the book is a mere 106 pages and 15 of those pages are photos. Is there any reason I shouldn't have read this book in bed before falling to sleep? Well, speaking of almosts - have you ever read a book from cover to cover in one sitting? Damn if I have. I love reading, but I simply don't have it in me nor the time to plough through a read that quickly no matter how great the material is. I know so many people who can read from beginning to end in a shot, but unfortunately I'm not among them. Are you capable of pulling it off? With To Space And Back I almost did, but sleep happens. I'll keep trying. Tomorrow's another day.

Star Blazers Theme

Next to Battle Of The Planets, Star Blazers was my second favorite initiation into the world of anime. Yes, those were the days.
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Star Blazers [1979-1984; Three Seasons-The Quest For Iscandar, The Comet Empire, The Bolar Wars; 77 Episodes], the English translation of Japan's Space Battleship Yamato, received the Battle Of The Planets edit treatment to reach the states.
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Star Blazers did receive far less editing apart from some nudity or fan service and references to World War II including the series name change away from the battleship Yamato.
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Still, as a young boy StarBlazers was a mighty space opera. It was more of an ongoing epic saga with much greater continuity than the more stand alone style of Battle Of The Planets.
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I've certainly taken the time to check them both out recently. It is my personal opinion that Battle Of The Planets holds up better today as far as animation goes. I think Star Blazers offers an engaging story and one that still plays well. Substantively Star Blazers may have the true edge. If held at gunpoint, I would easily pick Battle Of The Planets as my animation of choice.
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Both anime were incredibly influential on our young minds, but I must admit watching Battle Of The Planets definitely gives me a more nostalgic feel than Star Blazers, which probably speaks to the fact that the Sandy Frank series connected with me on a different level than Star Blazers. Nevertheless, they are both classics, but which do you prefer?
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I will say I have a nasty, filthy Soul Of Chogokin mock-up of the Argo battleship. The ship is something sweet and is the main reason I look forward to seeing the live action film, Space Battleship Yamato, that was released in Japan in December 2010. It should be available in America soon. For the uninitiated and those simply revisiting here is the infinitely singable Star Blazers theme song.

Gatchaman Theme & ADV Series

The original Gatchaman was revisited and re-dubbed in English by ADV with artwork by none other than acclaimed comic book artist Alex Ross to give it a new shine in 2005.

I took some time to give the 2005 ADV translation of Gatchaman a chance. The original Japanese series was released in a set of nine [9] gorgeous Collection Boxes complete with eighteen [18] Volumes in total complete with extras galore. As I mentioned in my earlier post on Battle Of The Planets, I purchased the whole set at one point. They are pretty good size boxes too. I was thrilled about them, but they ultimately sat on the shelf collecting dust and in a moment of complete and utter irrationality I decided to sell them on ebay. WHAT!? Someone got a great deal! I shouldn't have done it, because they are now out of print, but, in a moment of weakness, I opted to avoid life as hoarder, a condition many collector's battle and make every effort to keep in check.

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To be honest, the new Gatchaman dub- well, it's okay. I'm quite torn really. It would take some getting used to especially because I was weened and spoiled by those tremendous voice talents [Casey Kasem, Janet Waldo, Ronnie Schell, etc.] hired for Battle Of The Planets. Admittedly, the nostalgia factor [or blinder] is always strong, like the force, and getting passed my love for the original dub on Battle Of The Planets is a major obstacle personally. Yet, the original Gatchaman, uncut and unedited, is preferable on a visual level. It was just really hard for me to be open to the new English dub. ADV retains those Gatchaman originals in their uncut and unedited video form, but part of me enjoyed and prefers the Japanese audio track even more than the new English dub. Perhaps it interferes far less with my loyalty to the original, far superior English voice track of Battle Of The Planets. I know it's not fair to compare, but sometimes it's hard to break from those classics and my bias is showing here.

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ADV, in my humble opinion, did not voice cast this series well. Some of the voices seemed miscast to their parts especially the voice of Berge Katse [a.k.a. Zoltar]. The voice of the enemy was exceptional on Battle Of The Planets, performed by Keye Luke [another tremendous voice asset on that aforementioned series], but this is just one example of my inability to accept the new offering. Honestly, the level of talent on Battle Of The Planets complemented the Tatsunoko animation in such a way that it truly elevated Battle Of The Planets warts and all. The voice cast selected by ADV simply can't compare. Although my inner ten year old may be exhibiting or demonstrating some real bias here, seeing them both recently I still consider Battle Of The Planets the superior dub on voice actors. Those with no built-in predisposition for the Sandy Frank classics should indeed hunt down the ADV set. It'll be a bit like living in a small town in a freedom-choked country with no Internet access. Watching it will be just fine because it'll be all you know.

The cover art on these ADV releases is impressive by Alex Ross [a big fan of Battle Of The Planets] and as much as the original Gatchaman is a thriller it's hard for me to fully make the embrace.

In the meantime, I took time to record the original Gatchaman theme in its untouched, unedited form. The new ADV translation utilizes the classic Gatchaman theme in its beautiful, original form. It certainly matches the Hoyt Curtin number recorded for Battle Of The Planets. Visually, with it, you get a real flavor for the original Gatchaman series minus 7-Zark-7 and all of the added American footage found in the Battle Of The Planets theme. This is truly how Gatchaman was intended. Enjoy.

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The ADV Gatchaman releases are now out of print along with the Battle Of The Planets Rhino releases. Sandy Frank lost the Battle Of The Planets license in 2007. Unfortunately, all of it is becoming quite scarce. It's a sad commentary on the much bigger anime picture and the state of finding quality, legal anime in the USA. Of course getting rare copies beats Polaroid-only snapshots of my favorite scenes from my youth or frosty VHS. Be prepared for tough finds. I realize today that, for me, I can never really replace the feeling of what that version of Battle Of The Planets meant to be growing up. No dub or reissue of any kind can supplant the adoration and love I had for that Sandy Frank version called Battle Of The Planets. Quite simply, nothing will replace it or those childhood dreams. The complete series was issued in the United Kingdom, but never came to fruition stateside. And to think, the likelihood of seeing the 85 episode series officially released one day in its entirety in the USA as a distinct impossibility is a sad fact of this adult's reality.

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There's a planned Gatchaman CGI feature film by Imagi [Astro Boy] near completion. Perhaps that will be the fuel that sees Battle Of The Planets see the light of day, but somehow I suspect that window may be closing. My inner ten year old will keep hoping that one day our favorite blue Phoenix will rise again.

Battle Of The Planets

Transmute!

As a kid rushing home from school over a river and through some woods in a hurry was a major deal. There were significant things happening in the world of television in the 1970s and one of those significant things was the arrival of Japanese cartoons stateside. Gatchaman [1972-1974; 105 Episodes] by Tatsunoko Productions was one of those cartoons in an altered incarnation. I never actually saw Gatchaman as a child. In fact, I didn't see Gatchaman until the turn of the 21st Century. You see, in America, Gatchaman was re-cut, re-edited, re-dubbed and given additional animated footage via American studios to form Battle Of The Planets [1978-1985; 85 Episodes]. Behold one of those themes that you simply never forget thanks to late American Composer Hoyt Curtin [1922-2000].



The modifications to Gatchaman included: the Ready Room, rote ping-pong scenes, 7-Zark-7 [an explicit R2-D2 creation to connect the series with the Star Wars explosion], robo-dog 1-Rover-1 and sexy, sultry, artificially intelligent Susan. These unnecessary elements were more or less a distraction from the highlights of Battle Of The Planets, which were clearly the strength of its original work, Gatchaman, the heart of the American adaptation. And of course, G-Force never actually travelled to other planets, that was an American device. The characters of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, in Japan, were less science and more ninja when it came to the percentages, but damn that crazy team name sounded cool. The animation was far more violent in its original Gatchaman form too. The watered-down Battle Of The Planets was notable.

Battle Of The Planets was blessed with some amazing voice talent in Casey Kasem, Ronnie Schell, Alan Dinehart, Alan Young, and Janet Waldo. Many know Waldo's vocal attributes through her association with Judy of The Jetsons, Josie of Jose And The Pussycats as well as her popular Princess character on Battle Of The Planets. Waldo has had tremendous success in animation. She spoke of the issue and the producers of Gatchaman's American counterpart, Battle Of The Planets, desire to edit down the violence in the now defunct Animerica magazine with Patrick Macias.

"We were all kind of shaken by the violence, [Laughs] you know, they were pretty violent! But Jameson [Brewer; writer/ executive producer] really calmed it down and made it more innocent. I loved the animation. I thought the Japanese animation was superb and it still is one of my favorite forms of animation."

These additional animated American segments were an unfortunate, but potentially necessary misstep, which clearly altered the already superior Japanese product. The American animation was also lower grade in quality and that distinction was notable. It was intended to supplant Japanese footage containing violent imagery to satisfy the censors. American producers were looking to alter Gatchaman into a kind of space opera to catch the wave of excitement and popularity Star Wars had stirred in science fiction fans all across the country. Sandy Frank, who imported the show in 1978 to the US, certainly loved the Gatchaman product, but had to concede to certain requirements by corporate to sell this new anime to a virtually virgin American audience. It was certainly a landmark period for anime. While, Battle Of The Planets may have been diluted Gatchaman, it's probably the single biggest reason [with Starblazers] why I love anime today.

This image of Mark pays homage to Tatsunoko Productions' own Speed Racer [1967-1968].
When you come right down to it, the word anime hadn't even remotely entered my mind or vocabulary upon first introduction, but stylistically Battle Of The Planets, in retrospect, was my first lesson and discovery of the art form that is anime. It was like no cartoon I had ever seen. Tatsunoko's beautiful hand-drawn 2D animation was breathtaking. It may not have been as fluid as today's animated works, but it was easily more artistic in its detail complete with thick, black lines and pencil markings. Cel stills were like lovingly detailed paintings. It mesmerized this young boy enough to traverse some pretty rough terrain to make it home on time.

I was fast, cunning and ever so effective at becoming more and more evasive of trouble in order to get home in one piece to see shows like Battle Of The Planets. Heck, I moved like a member of the Science Ninja Team. Of course, in my mind, I was one of them. I was less afraid of the confrontation than I was of having some ass cut into my time with Battle Of The Planets. I didn't want to miss a second of it. Remember, back then there were only something like four TV stations and at that time a show like Battle Of The Planets was transmitting through to my questionable color television with plenty of snow. Fidgeting about with those metallic rabbit ears was a tricky business. The antennae had to be just right to get the best possible picture. I needed every second I could muster to establish contact with the only station worth watching and get a clean connection to the outside world. I didn't have a second to spare back then.

Thankfully, Sandy Frank saw something special in the animated series and had the foresight to give it a shot. It certainly didn't hurt that the influence of Star Wars put science fiction on the map. Don't believe me, just note the credit scroll rolling across the screen in Battle Of The Planets. Does it look familiar? Still, Frank made Gatchaman accessible and a possibility for the ultimate in kids' after school entertainment and I'm forever grateful. Latch key kids back in the day were simply over the moon to catch their latest fix of science fiction cool. We played our favorite heroes. G-Force was led by Chief Anderson [Chief Nambu in Gatchaman; a surrogate father figure to the team], head of the International Science Organization [ISO]. The team was comprised of five fearless teammates: the level cool leader Mark, the hot-tempered Jason with an itchy trigger finger, the sweet, leggy, but ever so lethal science officer Princess expert with explosives and a good panty shot [early fan service as its referred in anime], muscle guy Tiny capable of evasive action with a penchant for the daily siesta and big-hearted, but impulsive Keyop.

On top of the ultra-cool assassin-like characters, they were complemented by equally thrilling mecha designs. The Phoenix, G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-4 were recurring favorites in a world of seemingly limitless imagination. All could be neatly housed inside the mothership that was The Phoenix. Tiny handled the mothership. The G-1 jet belonged to Mark, the G-2 race car was in Jason's control, the G-3 sonic cycle was handled by Princess and the G-4 space buggy was in Keyop's care. Yes, a generation of dreamers was born. Backyard stunt fighting and vehicle power [in decorated makeshift wooden vegetable boxes] was never more fun.

In fact, anime, at this point, was significantly more akin to Marvel superhero teams in my mind than the traditional anime concepts of apocalypse, robots and teenage pilots I would discover later. These teenage character studies were about the mechanics of a team and as superhero teams went, Battle Of The Planets offered one of my favorites that easily ranked and stacked up well against the likes of the Uncanny X-Men back in the day. It was a close call.

Thinking about it now, it may have been my earliest childhood memory of my obsession with images. It was also my earliest form of blog training. I spent many a chance with my mother's Polaroid taking pictures of screenshots from Battle Of The Planets. I tried desperately to get a shot of the G-2, Jason's blue race car. Sadly the images were often abysmal, truly horrible and blurred. Thank God for technology and the evolution of the television, camera and computers. The TV wasn't up to snuff. The camera sucked, but I do love the classic look of those family photos and computers, well, what computers? It was all bad, but I still loved it. I loved every last bit of it. Ignorance is bliss as they say. We definitely weren't spoiled back in the day and yet what chance we had to see something so alien, so interesting and so beautiful as the art form that is Japanese anime for the first time was worthwhile anyway you could slice it. So, yes, my first experiences of image taking took place with Battle Of The Planets and that's the truth. How far we've come!

Much later, decades really, for a period, I was so hungry to see Battle Of The Planets again I resorted to the purchase of a Region-free DVD player from someone speaking in a Middle Eastern tongue. I did this so I could purchase every volume of Gatchaman directly from Japan. All volumes were available with each disc sporting roughly three episodes from the 105 classic stories. The sleeve art was worth the price of admission alone filled with vibrant, full color images from the enclosed installments. All 105 episodes were uncut, but in Japanese. The One To Be Pitied would walk into the room and see me watching Gatchaman and listening to the Japanese audio track with not a stitch of English. "When did you learn to speak Japanese?" I didn't care. I searched the Internet and found the entire Gatchaman series in chronological order. The print out offered an episode by episode synopsis and summary of all 105 classics as my guide. Let's face it, the series didn't require a great deal of intellect, but the characters were special and it was a visual masterpiece and I really wanted to see the series again. So, Battle Of The Planets be damned, I was watching Gatchaman in Japanese. It was an eye-opener to see these delicious works of art 7-Zark-7 free. Sadly, I got through about 45 episodes of Gatchaman before my jury-rigged Region-free DVD player went belly up. To this day, I have yet to see the entire Gatchaman series and how it all ended. Off my collection of Japanese Gatchaman went onto ebay. I lost my shirt on those DVDs. I quit. I just didn't have it in me to buy another region-free player.

For a time Gatchaman was released in its entirety here in the USA by ADV. Crazy enough I bought them all [again], but they sat, so I sold them on ebay [again]. Argh! I had moved on or so I thought. With a desire to revisit the series again, they were no longer in my Fancave and they were now out of print. Bastards! My timing has been absolutely disastrous. Ultimately, the original voice cast [see above] of Battle Of The Planets really added something special to my memories of the American version of the Gatchaman series anyway. Once again, with a seemingly endless run of bad luck, Rhino has done a horrible job stateside of releasing this American classic, Battle Of The Planets, in its entirety [85 bloody episodes]. Their efforts are just unconscionable, and I like Rhino, but what a shame really. Needless to say, I just can't cut a break and I'm partially my own worst enemy and bear some responsibility here. Nevertheless, Battle Of The Planets has never seen the light of day in its entirety. Wow. Can you believe it!? Again, I say, bastards! It's pure frustration on my part.

The true art of the series animation has continued to inspire. The likes of comic artist Alex Ross brought the series back to comic book form via Top Cow [2002-2003], years after the earlier Gold Key Comics releases [1979-1980]. Those five special characters truly captured a lot of hearts. All of the astounding action sequences aside there were special moments like this in the series.



The deceptively simple stories were always layered with complex character moments. The in-fighting and character interactions were always intense and often filled with real emotional power. The raw emotion was palpable and even as kids we could taste it. A sequence like the one above resonated with us. We could relate to those moments. Complex emotions like insecurity as portrayed by Keyop were genuine. It was great stuff for the day and for a cartoon. These little segments continued to build on some genuine insight into the character's personalities.

The classic urgent smash through glass plate!
Writer Patrick Macias noted some of the complex character studies within Battle Of The Planets in Animerica.

"They were orphans, all except for Tiny, with emotional scars and neurotic afflictions rarely seen before on TV, let alone kiddie TV. Yet even a child could perceive a lot going on beneath the costumes and colorful battle scenes. Jason was always in an ill-tempered "shoot first" mood, probably because he wanted to wrest control of G-Force from Mark, which might put him in better standing with Princess. Meanwhile, Mark and Princess were clearly meant for each other, yet they could never ever bring themselves to admit it; a great love affair in denial. Besides, Mark was too busy conducting a tortured search for his long lost father, a storyline whose emotional payoff rivals anything in The Empire Strikes Back for paternal trauma. But despite the petty quarrels and selfish motives, G-Force stuck together. Heck, they had to. The team was the only real family that Mark, Jason, Princess and Keyop were ever going to get."

Macias nicely articulates the general vibe of Battle Of The Planets. Anyone who followed the series was clearly aware of the relationship tensions that threaded the stand-alone adventures into a cohesive work. All of this happening while the young orphans battled the mecha adversary of the week sent by Spectra. Hopefully an opportunity will present itself to detail some Battle Of The Planets or Gatchaman up close in the future.

Battle Of The Planets certainly inspired me into a unique, new world of exciting, dynamic, animated science fiction. Mark, Jason, Princess, Tiny and Keyop. G-Force. Fearless young orphans protecting Earth's entire galaxy. Always five- acting as one! Dedicated. Inseparable! Invincible!

Battle Of The Planets: "BIG 10!"

Characters:
Mark [The Eagle]- G-1- Jet/ Sonic Boomerang
Jason [The Condor]- G-2- Race Car/ Harpoon Pistol & Shuriken Feathers
Princess [The Swan]- G-3- Sonic Cycle/ Yo-Yo
Keyop [The Swallow]- G-4- Space Buggy/ Bolas
Tiny [The Owl]- G-5 or The God Phoenix [sometimes The Fiery Phoenix]

Gatchaman Incarnations:
Gatchaman [1972] [105 Episodes] [Japan original]
Battle Of The Planets [1978] [85 Episodes] [variation on Gatchaman]
G-Force [1986] [85 Episodes] [variation on Gatchaman]
Gatchaman II [1978] [52 Episodes] [sequel to Gatchaman]
Gatchaman F or Gatchaman Fighter [1979] [48 Episodes] [sequel to Gatchaman II]
Eagle Riders [1996] [65 Episodes] [variation on Gatchaman II and Gathcaman F]
Gatchaman [2005] [ADV English translation]