Speed Racer is an English adaptation of the Japanese manga and anime, which centered on automobile racing. Mach GoGoGo was originally serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen Book, and was released in tankōbon form by Sun Wide Comics, re-released in Japan by Fusosha. Selected chapters of the manga were released by NOW Comics under the title Speed Racer Classics, later released by the DC Comics division, Wildstorm Productions under the title Speed Racer: The Original Manga. Under the name of its Americanized title, Speed Racer, Mach GoGoGo, in its entirety, was re-published in the United States by Digital Manga Publishing and was released as a box set in commemoration of the franchise's 40th anniversary. It was published under the title Speed Racer: Mach Go Go Go as part of the company's DMP Platinum imprint. The series is an early example of an anime becoming a successful franchise in the United States.

Background

Plot

Although the series was full of action, technology, and danger, the plot of the original series was pretty simple. The plot follows the adventures around the world of an ambitious young man who falls in love with racing and becomes a professional racing car driver. In every episode, the plot is backed up by perilous story lines and intense action, putting the show's main characters in a deep predicament, leaving viewers at the edge of their seats and making the show notable to many to this day. The plot is also backed up by several other back stories, such as the story of Speed's older brother.

Mach GoGoGo manga

The characters and story lines originated in Japan as the manga and anime series Mach GoGoGo, from the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.

Mach GoGoGo was first created and designed by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida (1932–1977) as a manga series in the 1960s and made the jump to TV as an anime series in 1967. The actual manga was inspired by Yoshida's earlier, and most popular automobile racing comics, Pilot Ace. Pilot Ace's main storyline would be lifted onto Mach GoGoGo, which followed the adventures of an ambitious young man who would soon become a professional racer.

When Yoshida had plans for a newer project, he took the popularity of Pilot Ace to his advantage. The characters' designs in Pilot Ace would set the main ground for the character design in a newer project entitled, Mach GoGoGo. Yoshida got his idea for his story after seeing two films that were very popular in Japan at the time, Viva Las Vegas and Goldfinger. By combining the look of Elvis Presley's race-car driving image, complete with neckerchief and black pompadour, and James Bond's gadget-filled Aston Martin, Yoshida had the inspiration for his creation. Soon enough, Mach GoGoGo hit shelves in the early 1960's. The central character in the anime and manga was a young race car driver named Gō Mifune (Mifune Gō).