Writer David Pepose and artist Davide Tinto will chart a new path for Speed Racer, as Mad Cave Studios launches a new ongoing series for the popular character from Tatsunoko Production’s classic anime Mach GoGoGo in July
Mad Cave and Tatsunoko announced last year their plans to reboot Speed Racer as a comic series, following their partnership on Gatchaman comics. Pepose and Tinto will be joined by colorist Rex Locus and letterer Buddy Beaudoin.
“Buckle your seatbelts, comic fans… we’re putting the pedal to the metal with the return of Speed Racer,” Pepose said. “I couldn’t be more excited to launch this brand-new series based on the classic cartoon — think of Rocky in a race car, as we push Speed to his absolute limits and beyond in the high-octane Formula X Championship League. As he drives the legendary Mach 5, can even Speed move fast enough to save his family and bring justice back to the tracks? Starting this Free Comic Book Day, get ready for more action, heart and car chases than you can imagine in the pages of Speed Racer!”
Mad Cave shared more details on what to expect from the new series:
Speed Racer lives for the thrill of the race, but on the underground circuit, the rules are anything goes. Dodging bullets, explosions, and dirty tricks, he’s got one goal: to prove he’s the best. But when a dangerous syndicate targets his family, Speed’s greatest challenge won’t be on the track…it’ll be on the streets. With the police closing in and a masked racer lurking in the shadows, Speed is about to learn that some races can’t be won with horsepower alone.
“I am grateful to Tatsunoko and Mad Cave for choosing me to draw this new run as the main artist,” Tinto said. “It’s amazing to be able to work on one of the longest-running, complex, and most exciting stories in entertainment, and I am very happy to have contributed to the aesthetics of this splendid new version of the Speed Racer universe. I can finally say that my name is on this great story that has been driving fans crazy and stimulating collective imaginations for over 50 years.”
Here’s a look at the first issue’s variant covers by Sean Galloway, Paulina Ganucheau, Nicolette Baldari, Sebastian Piriz, Chris Batista and Ken Niimura.
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. in the late 1960s. 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.
Mad Cave’s Speed Racer plans will take off in July, but they’ll actually hit the tracks on May 3 for Free Comic Book Day. Speed Racer #0 will preview the new series, as well as an upcoming Racer X miniseries by Mark Russell and Chris Batista that launches in September.
“I’ve loved the Speed Racer cartoons since I was a kid,” said Russell. “But as an adult, I feel like Racer X is the character who speaks to me the most. So while I’m thrilled to be working in a universe I’ve loved for so long, getting to write a character with the mystique and gravity of Racer X makes it a truly unique opportunity. I hope readers not only enjoy the new direction in which I’m taking Racer X, but sense the love and respect I have for the character as well.”
Mad Cave will release a third series, Speed Racer: Tales from the Road, but haven’t revealed a release date or creative team for it yet.