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Astonishing Astroboy
It all started with a 1951 Japanese comic strip starring a character named Tetsuwan Atomu, or Mighty Atom. Quite a success, the strip was made into a black and white animated feature for TV, which was broadcast from 1963-1966. Soon, over 40 other countries soon became privy to the wide-eyed super darling, called Astroboy outside of Japan. The story goes something like this: it is the year 2000 (then, that seemed eternities into the future). We meet a good doctor, who, desperately grieving after the death of his son, decides to build a robot in his image. Strange, but it gets even stranger. Before long, this robot-boy finds himself trapped at the hands of an evil ringmaster in the circus - a circus where robots fight each other for sport. It is here, in the circus, that he gets the name of Astroboy and begins realizing his considerable superpowers - including laser-beam fingers, search-light eyes, incredible strength, a heightened sense of hearing and constant access to powerful machine guns housed in his hips. Life isn't so grand in the circus, however, and after much complaining, a Robots Bill of Rights is drafted. And once he has his new rights, Astroboy is freed. He is taken in by yet another kind doctor, who creates parents for him (as well as a mischievous little sister named Astrogirl) and gives him a dog. That's when the crime fighting adventures really begin, and Astroboy finds himself faced with everything from wild gangs of thieves to an out-of-control unfinished robot called Colosso. In the U.S., Astroboy enjoyed great popularity on TV - and for a little while, it was even the highest rated show in syndication. Each episode emphasized the importance of good and just behavior in the face of adversity, and reflected the mantra of creator Osamu Tezuka, "Love all the creatures! Love everything that has life!" Astroboy was also unique in that it appealed to emotion as well as adventure, and the struggle our hero felt being half boy and half robot was never lost. He also had a naiveté about him that made him unique from other all-mighty superheroes. Astroboy resurfaced in Japan in 1980, when Nippon TV began airing the series in color. Despite his forays on and off the screen, however, he has always maintained a devoted fan base. And now, in just another week, it looks as if that fan base is about to get even bigger. Go, go, go, Astroboy!
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