Figure 1.--. |
Starman (USA versions late 1960's) aka SuperGiant (Japan, circa late
1950's). The series starred Ken Utsui as Satman (Super-Giant, the man of steel).
Japan's first cinematic super-hero influenced by the American television
show, "The Adventures of Superman," and created by the Toho Studio's rival
Shintoho Studios. Imported to the US by Walter Manly Enterprises, re-edited
and re-titled into four Starman features which aired on American television
from late 1960's through the 1970's. Staman was the creation of The High
Council of the Emerald Planet from the Marpet Galaxy, being a lone agent for
the High Council to intervene in the affairs of Earthmen when disaster
threatened Earth and the universe. Little is known about Starman, the
character, except that he was literally a "man of steel" created by the High
Council, but being a robot, android of some organic sper-creature is
unknown. Starman is an excellent fighter with the strength of a thousand
mortal men, and is equipped with The Globe Meter. The Globe Meter is worn on
the wrist and has three functions: to fly through space, to detect
radiation, and to translate all Earthly languages. Starman wears a simple
costume of white tights and boots, an open-faced cowl equipped with a single
antennea, and a rounded cape which is attached to his sleeves fluttering
like wings when he flies; he also has a black waist belt with a large
crystal as a buckle. Like the gigantic flying turtle called Gamera, Starman
is the friend to all earth children.
Starman (USA versions late 1960's) aka SuperGiant (Japan, circa late
1950's). This was Japan's first cinematic super-hero influenced by the American television
show, "The Adventures of Superman," and created by the Toho Studio's rival
Shintoho Studios. Imported to the US by Walter Manly Enterprises, re-edited
and re-titled into four Starman features which aired on American television
from late 1960's through the 1970's.
Starman was the creation of The High
Council of the Emerald Planet from the Marpet Galaxy, being a lone agent for
the High Council to intervene in the affairs of Earthmen when disaster
threatened Earth and the universe. Little is known about Starman, the
character, except that he was literally a "man of steel" created by the High
Council, but being a robot, android of some organic sper-creature is
unknown. Starman is an excellent fighter with the strength of a thousand
mortal men, and is equipped with The Globe Meter. The Globe Meter is worn on
the wrist and has three functions: to fly through space, to detect
radiation, and to translate all Earthly languages. Starman wears a simple
costume of white tights and boots, an open-faced cowl equipped with a single
antennea, and a rounded cape which is attached to his sleeves fluttering
like wings when he flies; he also has a black waist belt with a large
crystal as a buckle. Like the gigantic flying turtle called Gamera, Starman
is the friend to all earth children.
The series starred Ken Utsui as Satman (Super-Giant, the man of steel).
Starman's adventures are as follows( all, except The Evil Brain from Outer
Space were originally two part serials, edited together for the USA
Audience, dubbed by the same studio/team as the children's cartoon Speed
Racer, and released solely on American televison).
A warrior race from the Sapphire Planet in the Marpet
Galaxy attack Earth. Only Dr. Yamanaka, his son and daughter, and Starman
stand in their way! Act 1 clothing discription: boy (12 years old): black
long pants, white gym shoes, white knitted turtleneck sweater with
horizontal stripes across chest and sleeve cuffs. Sister wears a sailor suit
style black dress and long stockings. Act 2: boy: black baseball (school)
cap with emblem, black dress pants hemmed just at the ankle, black leather
oxfords and black socks, black military style jacket with closed tab collar
and two pips on left collar at throat (white shirt hardly noticable beneath
jacket), large bronze buttons. Bother he ans siter wear bomber-style coats.
Act 3: space suits for everyone.
The Salamander Men from the Planet Kulamon invade Earth
and threaten sudden death to anyone who opposes them. Act 1: 2 brothers wear
matching outfits of belted and pressed khaki shorts, white and "red"
checkerboard long sleeve shirts buttoned at collar, and white ankle socks
with ascending multi-colored stripes. Act 2: children are evacuated. 2
brothers wear black short shorts with black military style jackets with
bronze buttons, but with regular collars; off-white baseball style school
caps with logo/crest/letter and black bill. Act 3: brothers: belted black
long shorts, white ankle socks, off-white school cap with black bills, long
sleeve button down shirts with cargo style pockets on both breasts; one
white, one khaki.
Leaders of the Meropal Nation plan to take control of Earth
by planting nuclear devices around the world. The seek the surrender of all
the nations unless Starman can stop them. But a lone boy had inadvertantly
intercepted one of the nuclear devices, and it's a race against time to save
the world and one kidnapped orphan. Orphans: some of the orphan boys wore
Americanized clothes of long and short jeans, ankle socks and gym shoes,
black shorts and button down shirts or striped T shirts. Hiroshi, the
kidnapped boy wears long jeans rolled up to ankles, dark ankle socks, and a
long sleeve dark plaid shirt with collar.
Originally 3 separate 55 minute movies
entitled: Space Mutant Appears; The Devil Incarnate; and Kingdom of the
Poison Moth, re-edited into one 78 minute film for the USA. The Brain of
Balazar of the Marpet Galaxy leads an invasion force against earth from
hidden based at the Earth's core, using an army of aliens and evil mutants
like the deadly ghost witch whose very touch burns with atomic waste, or the
moth demon whose razor claws are deadly even to our man of steel! Act 1:
scientist's two daughters, both wear simple skirts and long sleeve sweaters;
son wears black short shorts, a knitted turtle neck sweater with horizontal
snoflake pattern across chest, and white ankle socks. Act 2 concerns a
brother and sister who are caught in the Alien invaders trap. The sister
wears a skirt and sweater top, and cat-like black rimmed eyeglasses. The
young boy, Harada, wears very short black shorts and black tights, Converse
high top sneakers, and a gray checkered suit jacket, white polo like shirt
with yelow stars on the soft collar.
Children play integral parts in most, if not all, of these episodic
films, although the main protagonist is an adult alien, the children usually
uncover the plot to invade Earth. Not serious films, but unlike American
adventure shows of the past which offer a hero to look up to, but doesn't
include characters the kids can identify with, Starman utilizes both;
Starman also only entrusts the children with a way to signal him if danger
threatens, a glass sphere that when tossed on the ground, alerts the hero of
to their needs, like Jimmy Olsen's signal watch from Superman comic books.
The children sport everyday outfits for the time period depicted, the 1950s
and 1960s.
A truly horrific children series, Starman frightened me as a child. I could
still recall the faces of the evil witch, the moth demon, and the eerie
Salamander men. A bizarre mixture of super-heroics, science fiction space
opera, nuculear holocaust angst, and horror, blended with a children's
adventure series, Satman is unique, both in it's Japanese original versions
(never seen, even on DVD, to this day in America), or the bastardized US
edited versions. The Starman series spawned countless children's sci-fi
adventure serials and television imitators, such as the Super-Giants (robot
protectors of earth, one able to assume the shape of an Earth boy), and even
the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
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