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Late baby boomers and early Gen-Xers grew up singing the Gigantor theme song: "Bigger than big / Taller than tall / Quicker than quick / Stronger than strong." Based on a 1956 manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Gigantor was animated for Japanese TV in 1963 as Tetsujin 28-go (Ironman #28). This reedited and dubbed version, which begins with episode 27 of the original series, ran in syndication in the U.S. from 1966 through 1974. Near the end of World War II, a group of Japanese scientists experimented with giant robot-weapons. In 2000 A.D. the son of one of those scientists owns the final prototype. Jimmy Sparks uses a remote control with a primitive joystick to command Gigantor. With scientist Dr. Bob Brilliant, dashing Dick Strong, and comic police officer Inspector Blooper, Jimmy embarks on a series of standard adventures. He battles smugglers, evil scientists, megalomaniacs, and assorted other bad guys, most of whom want to gain control of Gigantor. Unlike the fantastic mecha in later anime series, Gigantor looks like he was modeled after the Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz: pointy nose, hinged jaw, tubular limbs. The animation is extremely limited, with repeated footage, dialogue over still artwork, and static shots in which only the characters' mouths move. These early black-and-white cartoons have campy retro-nerd appeal, especially for adults who watched the series as kids. (Unrated; suitable for ages 7 and older: minor violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon
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