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A new series was produced in Japan in 1980 and was later shown as ''[[The New Adventures of Gigantor]]'', on the [[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]] from 1993 to 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/gigantor/201660 |title=Gigantor TV Show: News, Videos, Full Episodes and More |publisher=TV Guide |access-date=April 8, 2020}}</ref>
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''Gigantor'' is set in the then distant year of 2000. The show follows the exploits of Jimmy Sparks, a 12-year-old boy who controls Gigantor, a huge flying robot, with a remote control.<ref name=Woolery>{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981 |date=1983 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1557-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenstelevis0000wool/page/120/mode/2up |access-date=March 14, 2020 |page=121}}</ref> The robot is made of steel and has a rocket-powered backpack for flight, a pointy nose, eyes that never move and incredible strength, but no intelligence (although he started to tap his head as if trying to think in one episode). Whoever has the remote control controls Gigantor.
Originally developed as a weapon by Jimmy's father, Gigantor was later reprogrammed to act as a guardian of peace. Jimmy Sparks lives with his uncle, Dr. Bob Brilliant, on a remote island. Jimmy usually wears shorts and a jacket, carries a [[firearm]] and occasionally drives a car. Together, Jimmy and Gigantor battle crime around the world and clash with the many villains who are always trying to steal or undermine the giant robot.
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In 1963, [[Fred Ladd]], while working on the animated feature ''[[Pinocchio in Outer Space]]'' and on the animated TV series ''[[The Big World of Little Adam]]'' had seen artwork of Mitsuteru Yokoyama presenting a giant robot remote-controlled by a young boy. The Tokyo-based artist had designed the robot for a Japanese shōnen [[manga]] series ''[[Tetsujin-28]]'' and later a black-and-white animated TV series called ''[[Tetsujin 28-go]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=377–378}}</ref>
Ladd, who had produced the successful international, English-language adaptation of ''[[Astro Boy (1963 TV series)|Astro Boy]]'', and [[Al Singer]] formed a corporation called Delphi Associates, Inc. to produce and distribute an English-language version of ''Tetsujin 28-gō''. They took only 52 episodes of the black-and-white Japanese series for the American market and renamed the series ''Gigantor''. [[Peter Fernandez]] wrote much of the English script and participated in the dubbing. Delphi then sub-licensed worldwide distribution rights to [[Trans-Lux|Trans-Lux Television]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Gigantor on Television Age|magazine=[[Television/Radio Age (magazine)|Television Age]]|volume=13|issue=5|publisher=Mark Shaw Associates|date=1965-09-27|page=38}}</ref> The series became an immediate hit with juvenile audiences, though adult reactions were sometimes hostile.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
Despite the fact that the ''Tetsujin 28-go'' manga (which debuted in 1956) predates the [[Marvel Comics]] character [[Iron Man]] (who debuted in 1963), ''Tetsujin 28-go'' (which literally means "Iron Man No. 28") could not be released as ''Iron Man'' in North America due to the Marvel character Iron Man appearing in that market before ''Tetsujin'' debuted there, so the series was renamed ''Gigantor'' for the American version.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television cartoon shows: an illustrated encyclopedia, 1949 through 1993 |date=1995 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786400294 |pages=232 & 324 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ACLuAAAAMAAJ |quote=The character names were then "westernized": Dr. Kaneda became Dr. Sparks; his son Shotaro became Jimmy; and finally, since there already was an "Iron Man" on the market (see Marvel Superheroes), Tetsujin 28GO was not translated as Iron Man No. 28 but completely rechristened as Gigantor.}}</ref>
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''Gigantor'' was one of a number of Japanese TV series that enjoyed strong popularity with young viewers in Australia during the 1960s. The first and undoubtedly the most successful of these was the hugely successful live-action historical adventure series ''[[The Samurai (TV series)|The Samurai]]'', the first Japanese TV series ever screened in Australia, which premiered in late 1964. It was followed by a contemporary [[ninja]]-based live action espionage series, ''[[Phantom Agents]]'', and a number of popular Japanese animated series including ''[[Astro Boy]]'', ''Ken The Wolf Boy'', ''[[Prince Planet]]'' and ''[[Marine Boy]]''.
In July 1994, [[Fox Family Films]], a division of [[20th Century Fox]], acquired the rights to "Gigantor" for a live-action motion picture.<ref name="reinvents">Parker, Donna. (July 19, 1994) [[The Hollywood Reporter]] ''Fox reinvents "Gigantor" robot.'' Page 3.</ref> Anticipating that ''Gigantor'' would become a franchise for the studio, Fox tapped screenwriters [[Steve Meerson]] and [[Peter Krikes]] to prepare the script and budgeted between $35 million and $50 million for the film.<ref name="reinvents"/> Executive producers [[Fred Ladd]] and Aeiji Katayama indicated that [[Mitsuteru Yokoyama]] would get an executive producer credit and that the 50-foot robot would be updated and modernized for the 1990s with a 12-foot height and morphed and [[Computer-generated imagery|computer-generated features]].<ref name="reinvents"/> However, the project has yet to come to fruition and Mitsuteru Yokoyama has since died.
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Whimsical English names were given to the show's characters, such as "Dick Strong", a secret agent; a funny policeman named "Inspector Blooper"; and enemies, such as, "The Spider", "Dubble Trubble", and "Dr. Katzmeow". Other characters included Bob Brilliant's teenage son, Button, as well as his housekeeper, Lotus.
Jimmy Spark's voice was that of [[Billie Lou Watt]]. The voice of Inspector Blooper was that of Ray Owens. [[Old time radio]] listeners might find the Inspector Blooper sounds a lot like the Willard Waterman/Harold Peary-voiced character "[[The Great Gildersleeve]]". Gilbert Mack voiced Dick Strong. [[Peter Fernandez]] provided the voices of other ''Gigantor'' characters.
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Below is the list of the English dubbed episodes.
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The 1980–81 ''New Iron Man #28'' (''Shin Tetsujin-nijuhachi-go'') series was created with 51 episodes based on a modernized take upon the original concept art. In 1993, Ladd and the TMS animation studio converted the series into ''[[The New Adventures of Gigantor]]'' and broadcast it on America's [[Syfy|Sci-Fi Channel]] from September 9, 1993, to June 30, 1997.
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An American-made ''Gigantor'' comic book series was released in 2000 by [[Antarctic Press]]. The comic lasted for 12 issues and was later collected in 2005 in [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]] form. The comic used elements from the anime ''[[Giant Robo (OVA)|Giant Robo]]'' as well as [[Marvel Comics]] references, though the later issues became closer to the original animation.
The creators of ''Gigantor'' have unveiled plans for another updated design, a "Gigantor for the New Millennium." This newest form of the giant robot is called '''G3''' and differs from past designs. The new Gigantor is a meld of [[robot]] and [[cyborg]]. According to the main site: "Driven by a complex neuro-system of DNA-impregnated neurochips, Gigantor G3 is a living Cybot!".<ref>{{cite web|title=Gigantor G3|url=http://www.gigantor.com|work=Author Unknown|publisher=Fred Ladd's Official Gigantor and more...|access-date=May 27, 2012|author=Chuck Scholt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030205212849/http://www.gigantor.org/next.html|archive-date=February 5, 2003|year=2001|quote=Driven by a complex neuro-system, Gigantor G3 is a roborg!}}</ref>
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* The title song "Gigantor" was written by Louis C. Singer and [[Eugene Raskin]].<ref name=cd/> A cover version, performed by [[The Dickies]], reached #72 in the U.K in 1982. It can be also found on their re-release of ''[[Dawn of the Dickies]]'' 2000 Captain Oi! Records<ref>Boehm, Mike. (February 16, 1988) Los Angeles Times ''[http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-16/entertainment/ca-43147_1_circle-jerks-lyrics, Punks Make Contact at Lively Dickies/Circle Jerks Show.]'' Section: Calendar; Page 8.</ref> A cover version of the theme song "Gigantor", performed by [[Helmet (band)|Helmet]], is included on the 1995 [[tribute album]] ''[[Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits]]'', produced by [[Ralph Sall]] for [[MCA Records]].<ref name=cd/> The Australian Japanese punk band [[Mach Pelican]] also released a cover of the song on their 1999 self-titled album.
* The ''Gigantor'' theme is parodied in the ''[[Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain]]'' episode "How I Spent My Weekend".
* The [[Gigantour]] music festival, created by [[Megadeth]] frontman [[Dave Mustaine]], is named after ''Gigantor''.
* [[7L & Esoteric|MC Esoteric]]'s 2008 release ''Esoteric vs. Japan – Pterodactyl Takes Tokyo'' extensively samples both the theme song and various episodes.
* In the film ''[[Night at the Museum]]'' and its [[Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian|sequel]],
* In the film ''[[Speed (1994 film)|Speed]]'', a man on the bus refers to another man on the bus as "Gigantor".
* [[Styles of Beyond]] sampled the original theme song for the hidden track "Gigantor" from the album ''[[Megadef]]''.
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