Mad Cave Studios and Tatsunoko Production will expand their partnership next year with a comic adaptation of Speed Racer, the popular manga-turned-anime that aired in the United States in the late 1960s.
No details have been shared yet on when a comic (or comics) will launch or who the creative team might be. Tatsunoko owns the license for Gatchaman, known to some as Battle of the Planets here in the U.S., and Mad Cave has been working with them on their new line of Gatchaman comics that debuted earlier this year.
“Speed Racer is one of Tatsunoko’s most beloved properties and we’re excited to partner with Mad Cave Studios to bring new and original stories to fans of all generations,” said Mari Yamauchi from Tatsunoko Production in a press statement. “Tatsunoko is incredibly happy with Mad Cave’s work on Gatchaman and we look forward to continuing our journey together with Speed Racer.”
Speed Racer first debuted as a manga in the 1960s by Tatsuo Yoshida. In Japan it’s known as Mach GoGoGo, and it quickly was adapted into an anime series that aired in Japan and was first syndicated to the U.S. circa 1967-68. It proved popular enough to remain in syndication over here for years and inspired subsequent American-created remakes. The manga has been released in the U.S. as well, and several publishers have also created original Speed Racer comics, including the defunct Now Comics, DC/Wildstorm and IDW. There was even a short-lived Speed Racer comic strip by Mort Todd that was syndicated to newspapers. The Speed Racer movie released in 2008 was a box office failure, but it’s excellent (don’t @ me) and has become a cult classic since then.
“We’re honored to work alongside Tatsunoko Production to bring new Speed Racer stories to the fans,” said Mark Irwin, president of Mad Cave Studios. “This is a dream project for us, and we’re excited to explore the rich history and timeless appeal of these characters while delivering new stories that will thrill both nostalgic fans and those discovering the world of Speed Racer for the first time.”
I’m a fan of what Cullen Bunn and Chris Batista have been doing in Mad Cave’s Gatchaman comic, so I look forward to seeing what Mad Cave does with Speed Racer. Hopefully we’ll learn more soon about their plans.