Warner Archives revives “Marine Boy”

Alongside Astro Boy, Giagantor, Eighth Man, Prince Planet, Speed Racer and Kimba: The
White Lion, MARINE BOY was one of the pioneering handful of anime television
series to be syndicated to the U.S. in the 1960s. Warner Archives has just announced that it is releasing the first 26 (of 78) episodes, newly restored, on DVD. 

Marine Boy was the second anime series produced in color (the first was Kimba) and production was handled by animation studio Japan Tele-Cartoons. It was originally sold outside of Japan by Warner Bros / Seven Arts Television. In an unusual twist, the US version aired two years before the show was telecast in Japan! 

From the press release:

Produced in Japan but intended for first-run
syndication in the United States during 1966-67, Marine Boy was one of the
first color cartoons to come from Japan. A teenager with some amazing
inventions at his disposal, Marine Boy battles evil on and under the seas on
behalf of the Ocean Patrol, aided by his father, Dr. Mariner, and the brilliant
Professor Fumble. Joining Marine Boy in his missions are his white dolphin,
Splasher, young mermaid friend Neptina, and fellow Ocean Patrol agents Bullton
and Piper.

 

The series even shared some pedigree with Speed Racer, most notably featuring several
members of the rival series’ voice cast – like Corinne Orr, the voice of Marine
Boy, Neptina and Clicli (as well as Trixie on Speed Racer); Peter Fernandez as Piper and Dr. Mariner (and the
original voice of Speed Racer) and Jack Grimes as Professor Fumble and Splasher
(Chim-Chim). Jack Curtis provided the voice of the narrator for both series.