Speed Racer was the first of the Japanese anime (see entry under 1990s—TV and Radio in volume 5) cartoons to succeed in the United States. The show became a fixture of children's television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3) for years after its release in the United States in 1967. The half-hour show followed the adventures of a young race-car driver named Speed Racer, who drove every boy's dream car: the Mach 5. The streamlined Mach 5, the fastest car on the racing circuit, was equipped with a variety of gadgets. Buttons on the dashboard released super gripping tires, buzz saws to chop through obstacles, a canopy that allowed the car to operate underwater, and a remote-control homing bird to get help if Speed was in trouble. Assisting Speed in his adventures were his girlfriend, Trixie; the designer of the Mach 5, hot-head Pops Racer; and Speed's...