ecn-ec:ecn-pc:swc@pur-ee.UUCP (08/13/83)
Anybody remember some old cartoon show called something like "TOBOR the Eight man"? I remember the TOBOR part since it is just the reverse of ROBOT. It was this HUGE robot that was controlled by a kid with a remote control device. I always thought it was neat (back then) when the kid lost the device or was out of range or something. And here was this building of a robot that no one could move or destroy. Then the kid would be able to wake him up and have the box of wire and servos save the day. Any recollections?? How 'bout CAPTAIN SCARLET? I saw lots of that while living on Long Island, but out here in the Midwest no one has ever heard of it. Finally, I saw someone's STARLOG magazine that showed some pictures of the marionette-charactered show. Anyone else in net.land see it?? swc
marc@pyuxn.UUCP (08/14/83)
You are confusing two cartoon shows. The EIGHT man was actually a ROBOT
reconstructed after some kind of injury. He had super
speed, super strength, and could change his appearence at will. His
alter-ego was a chap named TOBOR, a business man in the big city. TOBOR
had one weakness, sort of like kryptonite for superman. If he got an
electric shock he would lose his powers. He got his power by smoking
a special cigarette. To those who thought the Six Million Dollar Man
was original, The EIGHT man was created first.
The other show about the kid with the remote control device was
called "GIGANTOR". Gigantor was this humungous robot that could
do anything under control of the remote control device, which this
kid (Jimmy?) kept beside his bed at night. I seem to remember at lease
3 shows where the remote control was stolen. This show was a lot of fun,
at the time, but it probably had some serious flaws. The other show
mentioned was Run Buddy Run, which I never heard of, but there was
a show on Saturday Mornings in the early 70's called Run Joey Run,
about an adorable German Shepard running away from it's owner
because it thinks it committed a crime. Sort of like the fugitive, done in
dog. If anyone evr found out how that show turned out, please follow up.
Marc Schare
Bell Labs- Piscataway
oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) (08/14/83)
Actually you are a little confused. TOBAR (the 8 man) was a human looking robot. He was by the same animation company that produced GIGANTOR (which was the giant robot controlled by the little kid.) the main thing that I remember about this particular animation company is that all of their cartoons had obnoxious little kids, usually with monkeys as pets. Ah it brings back memories of watching tv on Channel 11 (WPIX) in NY. Anyone out there remember Officer Joe Bolton (introductin Dick Tracy as i recall) or Captain Jack (not the Billy Joel song, but I recall his introducting Popeye cartoons), or (here you New Yorkers WILL have to stretch your memories) Sandy Fox as the host of Wonderama and Sandy's hour. Gee, where is my TOM MIX decoder ring? You ALWAYS remember the foolish things, OZ seismo!rlgvax!oz
edward@utcsrgv.UUCP (Edward Hsing) (08/16/83)
I think your thinking of Johnny Sako (sic?) or something like that. Tobor the eight man was a robot who masqueraded as a human being. He could do all kinds of super-hero things. That show was always on with another great cartoon Prince Planet. Both these cartoons were Japanese imports. Two other great Japanese cartoons that were shown on this continent were Speed Racer (the driver of the Mark V) and some other superhero kid who swam under water and chewed some special gum for oxygen. And let's not forget Ultraman (definitely a classic). ------------------------------------------------------------ But now onto the marrionette shows. In my opinion these were the best kid's adventure shows on the air and I believe that they were made in England. Some of the titles that I remember are; CAPTAIN SCARLETT- This guy who has some medical condition that makes him immortal. He works for this organization that are fighting these nasties from space who are called the Mysterons. THE THUNDERBIRDS- This rich family that live on an island and have all kinds of secret rockets, subs, and even a space station. They run a secret organization called International Rescue and they save people all over the world who get themselves in shit. JOE 90- This kid whose father sticks him in this computer that reprograms Joe's brain so that he can have the skill's of a spy, a race car driver, an astronaut, etc. There are two or three other shows of this nature, but I can't remember the titles. Can anyone jog my memory. I give just about anything to have these shows re-aired on a Saturday morning or some rerun slot. I hope some programming director in the Toronto area can hear me. And do you remember that British series UFO? But that's another story ...... Ed Hsing (the 60's tv addict)