Proper respect to creator Tatsuo Yoshida (b.1932-d.1977), whose Tatsunoko Productions seahorse logo of was inserted into dinnerware patterns and racing flags throughout the cartoon, and Peter Fernandez, quite possibly the man responsible for the initial importation and translation of now-ubiquitous anime. This alone makes "SR" a watershed.
We can also posit that "SR"'s re-broadcast on MTV in the 1990s may have helped popularize the local Southern California import street racing scene to national prominence. In May 1998, hip-hop journal Vibe Magazine publishes Ken Li's article "Racer X", directly inspiring 2001's "The Fast and the Furious". "F&F" features an undercover cop who infiltrates L.A.'s car culture to bust some thieves, which is essentially what Racer X was up to.
Contrary to the shallow critics who kneecapped the live-action film's theatrical release, the 2008 meisterwerk requires no apologies. "The Matrix" might be considered the Wachowskis' "The One"-hit wonder, yet the story of the young race car driver who must use his burgeoning talents to change the fundamentally corrupted reality he operates in is instead painted in a stunning palate of neons accompanied by just enough metaphysical implications but without the same level of obvious didacticism.
Placed in a far more tech-oriented world where racing at the 1900s became a global touchstone, and tracks evolved into free-form roller-coaster spirals, turnpike butterflies, jumps and vertiginous drops, the directors designed a glorious context for such hyper-action. While all four racing sequences are CGI (production designers only built three of the 80 cars and the scale models don't actually run) it's far above Tron-esque as the actors' cockpit expressions all mesh with the external mayhem, and their performances reinforce the believability of the incredible action.
There's a problem with all stories that feature competition: The hero's slated to win, which is the payoff, but anyone can call that from the preview. The writer's trick is to play the adversity so high that as a viewer you doubt it on an emotional level, or at least can't logically see exactly how that victory's to be obtained without a surprise or spectacle that appears to supercede the narrative's foregone track. The Wachowskis did this in the Matrix Trilogy to an extent, while in the animated SR Speed had to do it nearly every episode with its freeze frame cliffhangers and nearly omnipotent supervillians. The movie only amplifies the soul of the show to dizzying proportions.
In terms of metaphysics, one has to more than suspect Yoshida integrated occult ideas given the use of an influential character named Prince Kabala. Tatsunoko Productions, the studio that did "SR", will later do animation on the kabalah-laden "Neon Genesis Evangelion". There's a partial Tree of Life and all the chakra points subscripted beneath the seven members of the Racer Family itself:
- Pops is intellect, mind, and the Willful (Keter)/wrathful god-designer at the Crown.
- Speed is the indefatigably Victorious (Netzach) spirit and newly opened 3rd Eye.
- Spritle is energetic Intuitive (Chokmah) innocence, ever over-expressive Throat.
- Sparky constructs mechanical Splendours (Hod), a forger from the fires in the Solar Plexus.
- Trixie, the Adornment (Tiferet) of the divine feminine, the gendered Sacral with the strengths of both.
- Rex/Racer X, the hidden baser element and Foundation (Yesod), the Root.
- The Mach 5's the physical vehicle or whole body itself, the result of creation and Kingdom (Malkuth).
Also, in "The Most Dangerous Race" (episodes 9, 10, & 11), Spritle and Chim-Chim disguise themselves as distinguished gents (top hats and monocles, near to Victorian masons) and drive their go-kart jalopy far off into a spooky hinterland, encountering totem animals bear and owl, to find the deathly Captain Terror and his Car Acrobatic Team holding a mystical ceremony to bind the elements to themselves for victory. The otherworldly and dreamlike sequence mirrors the hero's journey into the underworld, and was the first in a few pointedly nightmarish passages in the course of the show.
"The Fastest Car on Earth" (episodes 20 & 21) opens in a graveyard. A sinister hearse parked by some headstones robs a grave, not of a body, but of a long-buried engine wrapped in its own death shroud. At the track, when Pops recognizes the GRX from the distinct beat of its muscley sub-bass throb, he warns Team Go to stay away: "There's something supernatural about that car. It might even be a ghost! I've heard of people ghosts, so it's perfectly sensible that there might be ghosts of certain cars." Against his father's odd warning Speed steals his way into the house of witch-like Oriana, to drive off in the golden car. The ultimate joyride nearly proves his last as Speed enters "Another dimension! A dimension born of Speed!", and passes out as the world bends and breaks around him. Pops' assessment and Speed's transcendent GTA testifies to the idea of the GRX's resurrection & undeath, that it's "cursed" condition ultimately claims its would-be driver with its inhuman speed.
Numerologically the East Asian traditions ascribe Speed's number 5 to be the sum of all the elements (water, fire, earth, wood & metal) which correspond to the five visible planets. On the other hand, the Japanese consider Racer X's number 9 unlucky as it's a homonym to the word for pain or distress. The Japanese Yakuza have imbued the number 9 as a losing number, particularly in gaming and in their penitential ritual of removing one finger to leave nine. However, these negative associations for Racer X's number could be an inversion as he both brings bad luck and pain to the criminal element.
As the family's hidden foundation, Racer X serves as a protective buffer for Speed. It's X's amoral necessity that affords Speed his boy scout purity. At times X even admonishes Speed for having too much empathy for other racers, but still admires Speed for it at the same time. X is the pragmatic and mercenary version of what Speed's in danger of becoming should Speed continue to aid Inspector Detector. Take off the mask and Speed would find a near-possible older & darker self.
Mom Racer, who in the above familial equation is the Heart and Compassion (Chesed), sums up what the act of living gracefully is: "When I watch you do some of the things you do, I feel like I'm watching someone paint or make music. I go to the races to watch you make art. And it's beautiful, and inspiring, and everything that art should be."
Reaching from the initial 10-story manga, to the series, to the 1985 Now Comics' "Speed Racer" & "Racer X" titles, to Wildstorm's "The Origins Collection" & IDW's "Chronicles of the Racer", here follows a rough fanon (not canon) sequence (spoilers included) of creative influences and insightful story points to construct a multisourced continuity:
- 3100 B.C.E. In the kingdom of Nubia, a runner with an M-like design painted on his chest is chased by a masked slightly-older figure with an X-ish design on his chest.
- 49 B.C.E. Swiftus Romulus races his Marcus V chariot at Circus Maximus.
- Medieval Prince Sprint Rackham and his horse MacFife receives jousting aid in the form of Mage V armor from his friend Sparkinton's father, the inventor Myrddin. Enemy to King Pellinore's reign is merry archer outlaw Robin Ecks.
- 1680 C.E. Jamaica's Port Royal is ruled by Governor Cruncherbloque. Captain Reed Saber's pirate crew races across the Atlantic in the SS Marque, improved by the mechanically apt Swabby. Rival Wretched Rex crosses swords with Saber.
- In the Old West, Indian outlaw Sleek Raven and his younger brother Little Spirit live outside the Arizona town of Mahfoon, which hosts sharpshooter Lil' Trixie Sureshot, horseless carriage Model 5 creator Reginald Krenz, and the masked Sherriff Tex.
- Scientist Bent Cranium develops the superpowerful RX tank engine under duress for the Nazis.
- Speed's great-grandfather Spitfire flies for the allies in WW2.
- Post-WW2, Cranium will become disabled and wheelchair-bound while testing later versions of his RX engine. (The 1998 movie "RPM" features a wheelchair-bound car engineer. The injured Cranium appears in DC/Wildstorm's 1999 "SR" comics.)
- Rapid Ronnie Racer, Pops' grandfather, does midnight moonshine runs, taking part in the nascent days of racing and starts up the modern Racers' family passion.
- Pa Racer, Pops' father, drives in the demo derby circuit.
- Pops wrestles and becomes champion of the West Side Grunters and Groaners. He later meets Mom during his stint as vicious champion exhibition wrestler Dragon Racer.
- The 1964 film adaptation of Ian Fleming's "Goldfinger" includes a tricked-out Aston Martin DB5 (note the "5") armed with interhub extending tire slashers & oil slicker, which later is improved on by Delila's deadly and fully articulated wheel cones and Snake Oiler's rear-mounted road slickerator in the live-action SR. Also, villainous Goldfinger's Rolls Royce is made of smuggled gold hidden by a paint job, which will later inspire the plot for the anime's Mammoth Car.
- Elvis Presley's "Spinout" features a young race car driver with a dollop of frontal hair curl who wears an ascot, knows martial arts and follows his own star in a streamlined Shelby Cobra. A rich and jealous doe-eyed love interest tries to crash her convertible coupe into his heart. Sound like a couple we know? The King continues his racing theme in a few other films, but the seed for Speed's planted in 1966.
- Older brother Rex Racer coaches tween Greg (ergo the G on his polo) "Speed" in the Mach 3.
- Rex Racer crashes in a dazzling near-victory. Rex blames his father's car, Pops blames Rex, and all communication between Rex and his family is severed by the fallout.
- While racing for another motor company Rex meets his apparent demise on the track during a crash and burn. Still alive, Rex hides out from saboteurs in the racing industry that have ties to the international underworld. The Racer family thinks Rex dead.
- Hank Racer, Pops Racer's nephew, drives for Racer Motors.
- Aircraft company heiress Millicent (ergo the "M" on her top) Patricia "Trixie" Shimura and Speed attend school together, beginning a lifelong friendship.
- Rex spends time in the island nation Kapecapek under the tutalage of Prince Kabala, royal heir and crazy-mad driver. An also thought-dead Bent Cranium appears in Kabala's employ and develops the ARX, the second generation of RX engines. (In 2007, Honda names an Acura racing engine the ARX-01.) Rex's training car bears the number 9 as he's Kabala's 9th opponent in the intra-volcano Fire Race.
- Kabala dies, but his demise is disguised by his younger sister Princess Sylvana and Rex, who dons Kabala's hood to stop a coup.
- Rex leaves Kapecapek to later join espionage outfit GAS (Global Arms Security) as Agent X. He soon re-enters the world of racing as the mysterious Racer X. (If Marvel Comics' "X-Men" [which premiered in 1963] did cross the Pacific, it may be that Cyclops' costume with its "X", fitted mask, and wraparound eyevisor influenced Racer X's disguise.)
- Racer X runs a mission with a genetically intelligence-enhanced talking chimp named Randy, who gets damaged by electrocution while saving the world. Instead of destroying the now non-speaking animal as per GAS orders, X ensures it ends up in the care of an unsuspecting Sparky.
- Hank Racer crashes in the Mach 4. The accident costs him his ability to race.
- Unshaven bohemian Sparky comes back to support the Racers in the wake of Hank's accident, introducing an all-too familiar chimp into the Racer household. Mom cleans Sparky up as best she can.
- Hank later recovers enough to continue young Speed's training behind the wheel of the new Mach 5.
- Pops Racer quits his factory carcitect job at Mishida Motorworks, taking the design for his revolutionary new engine with him.
- Here's where all the events of the classic 1966 to 1968 TV series go. Note the freeze and turn in the intro which the young Wachoskis will later emulate in the now common Matrix shot. Recurring and recycled adversaries include Alpha Team, gold thief Cruncher Block and his Mammoth Car, skullishly faced Captain Terror with his star driver Snake Oiler and their Car Acrobatic Team. The world's fastest car, the gold pointed GRX, would appear, now a seventh generation of the uberfast RX motor.
- Near the end of the series, Speed will call Racer X on his masquerade. Racer X sucker punches Speed in the gut to knock Speed out and avoid answering the question. X quits racing to go even further undercover as Special Agent 10 (note: Roman numeral X = 10).
- The show ends with Speed winning the Race Around the World, proving that he is indeed the best racer on earth.
- Starting in 1981, artist Jaime Hernandez in "Love & Rockets" features pomp-haired world-class celebrity mechanic Rand Race and his ballcap wearing assistant Yax.
- Only based in name on the classic arcade game, CBS cartoon "Pole Position" (1984) has teen brother & sister stunt drivers, a little sister character who owns a troublesome raccoon/monkey for a pet, and a wheelchair bound doctor of engineering.
- The indie publisher Hurricane Comics produces the short-lived "Chassis", a comic based in an alternate history art-deco world where WW2 never occurs, Rocket Car racing is the most prominent international sport, and the eponymous naturally talented woman racer rules the track despite saboteurs and espionage. The homages to SR are prevalent (and the retro-futuristic setting must be considered as possible influence on The Wachowskis live action adaptation).
- Young Magazine will launch the "Wangan Midnight" serial in 1992 and the "Initial D" serial in 1995, both featuring young men out to be the best street racer. "Initial D" becomes an anime in 1998, and "Wangan Midnight" animes in 2007. The latter features the midnight blue Fairlady Z (S30), an allegedly cursed race car, which semi-parallels the Now Comics' GRX storyline.
- 1993's "(The New Adventures of) Speed Racer" wasn't a continuation but a remake produced by the same folks who animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". Enough said.
- An article entitled "Racer X" by Ken Li from Vibe Magazine's May 1998 issue helps popularize the Southern Californian import racing scene. Its coverage directly inspires the 2001 film "The Fast and the Furious".
- A Subaru racing enthusiast comes up with the concept of the "Trunk Monkey" in 2000, a monkey used to help distribute weight during high-speed handling. In 2003, a series of hilarious commercials for a car sales group feature a live-action "Trunk Monkey" chimp who emerges at the press of a button to fix drivers' automotive dilemmas. The obvious parallel is the original simian ex machina Chim Chim.
- "Speed Racer X", an updated US-style animated version with a flying ("aero-jack"ed) Mach 5 appears in 2002. The Racers live in an hi-tech island compound, and have a mutant looking scientist enemy who is after their automotive designs so he can supply them to terrorists. Speed sports a ball cap and light brown hair, while Trixie's a blonde reporter.
- An obscure tabletop RPG called "Wushu" will include an add-on called "Car-Fu: The Ancient Art of the Car Chase" in 2003, an idea later used in the feature film, though it's possible the term came about independently. Before its car fighting supplement "Wushu" did make an adaptation of "The Matrix"'s setting.
- Tatsunoko Productions posts a short flash movie called "Mach Girl" featuring a very cutesyed-out character with the Mach logo on her pink cowboy hat and three-wheeler.
- In the recent Nicktoons series "Speed Racer: The Next Generation", Speed's namesake son, an orphan who doesn't know his origins, goes to an exclusive racing academy run by a now wizened Master Spritle! A later iteration of Chim-Chim appears as an equally-mischievious and precocious robot chimp. The elite drivers are headed up by cool bad boy student "X".
- The Wachowskis unveil the 2008 major motion picture, with a cameo by the original cartoon's U.S. scripter & animated Speed's voice Peter Fernandez to play the local announcer at Thunderhead Raceway, and Gennie wears a seahorse pendant as a refer to Yoshida's Tatsunoko Productions logo. Formula racer Milka Duno cameos as Gearbox, and soon after "Go, Milka, Go!" her biography written for children is released.
Given all the mythos above, the legacy entertains with a feeling we all know: Damn near everybody's hands touch a wheel, our right foot pushes down on the gas, and we accelerate toward a destiny. That's the track Speed Racer takes us down, pursuing our internal horizon of potential. We are touched by the excitement of the race as we live through Speed vicariously, who shows us that it's more than just mere race -- that it's both greater than the metaphor and ourselves, the white checkers of enlightenment and the dark squares of destruction waving for us when we make it happen.
See you at the finish line, you demons on wheels.
[Mach 4 vs. Prince Kabala!]
# # #
While a mostly happy bookstore fixture for over two decades, Guillermo Maytorena IV is currently willing to entertain your serious proposals for employment as a literary/cinema critic, goth journalist, castellan, airship pilot/crewperson, investigative mythologist, or assisting in a craft brewery. Should you be connected to any of the above or equally interesting endeavours, do contact him via LinkedIn or G+.
