aark (10/11/82)
Thanks for all the mailed and posted responses to my Speed Racer cartoon trivia questions. Here are the definitive answers (at least as I recall them): 1. What was Speed Racer's car called? The Mach Five. 2. How many buttons did it have on the steering wheel, and what wondrous things did each one do? It had five buttons (hence Mach FIVE). They did the following: a. Release a flying robot that looked and acted like a homing pigeon. The robot had a TV camera, and the car had a TV receiver screen. This allowed Speed to scout out danger ahead. b. Lower a set of four built-in jacks. Originally intended to facilitate repairs during races, Speed tended to hit the jacks when driving 100 miles an hour and about to smash into something. The recoil sprung the Mach Five into the air, thus handily vaulting the obstruction. (I never questioned it at the time, but I wonder what kind of material would be tough enough not to shred at first impact?) c. Extend two horizontal rotary saw blades from the front of the car. These were so sharp, and their supporting struts so tough, that Speed could saw through ten-foot tree trunks while going 100 miles an hour, without even slowing down. Very handy for off-track racing and other tight spots. (Even my adolescent credulity balked at this one.) d. Convert the Mach Five into a submarine. This involved closing a glass bubble over the cockpit, sealing off the engine, switching over to internal oxygen tanks, etc. e. Raise/lower a periscope while in submarine mode. The periscope was tied into the TV monitor mentioned above. In one episode the Mach Five was also equipped with retractable wings, operated by a separate button, that converted it into a glider. 3. What was the name of Speed Racer's girlfriend? Trixie. She was a stereotypical timid, empty-headed female. (This was pre-1970, remember, before the women's movement gained strength.) 4. What was the name of Speed Racer's obnoxious kid brother? Spridel. He was a stereotypical bratty kid brother, always getting into trouble. 5. What kind of pet did the kid brother have, and what was its name? Spridel had a pet chimpanzee named Chim-Chim. Chim-Chim was as bratty and trouble-prone as his owner. The two of them provided the show's comic relief - Speed himself provided drama and suspense as he tried to race his way out of various dangerous adventures. 6. What group of people did Speed Racer consider to be his nemeses? The Car Acrobatics Team. This group dressed all in black, with hoods, and the leader's hood was painted like a skull. Reputed to be dirty players and operate on the wrong side of the law. Others have brought up the following additional questions. 7. What was Speed Racer's father called? He was known simply as Pops Racer. It was he who designed and built the Mach Five - Speed only drove it. Pops was a blustery, roly-poly sort of fellow. 8. What was the secret identity of Racer X? Racer X was Speed's older brother. He had had a bad falling-out with Pops Racer sometime in the past, and had been disowned. He continued to race cars, but only under his secret identity, not wanting Pops or Speed to know who he was. Alan R. Kaminsky ...ihps3!ihuxv!aark
rs55611 (10/11/82)
Another bit of Spped Racer info: The cartoon was created in Japan or Taiwan, I believe. This accounted for the strange (to English-speaking ears, at least) pacing and spped (speed, rather) of the dialogue. The characters all spoke incredibly fast, with no pauses between clauses or sentences. This was due to the scripts being dubbed from the original Japanese (Taiwanese ?). Also, the grunts and groans when people got punched out by Speed always sounded a little funny to me.
claus (10/11/82)
In response to the questions about Speed Racer, I believe there were 7 buttons on the panel labeled a - g and that in addition to the already mentioned features there was one button that gave the tires super tread so that the car could drive up the wall of a cliff(another believable stunt) and another did something else. I believe Racer X's name was Rex Racer and that his car was called the Shooting Star. Is this right? Dave Claus BTL / Indy
reid (10/12/82)
Trixie wasn't so dumb, really. She could fly a helicopter, after all... Also, the kid's name was Spritle, not Spridel... Glenn Reid