Speed Racer’s New Merchandise
We all know that Speed Racer is one of the most successful anime franchises in the USA- the ancillary marketing of Speed Racer merchandise has been very successful, as well. From DVD’s to comics to toys, video games and now, a feature film, people want to own a piece of the Speed Racer legacy. So what Speed Racer merchandise is out there?
Artisan/Lion’s Gate Entertainment have released the first 5 seasons of the series on DVD, comprising a total of 52 episodes. DC Comics have released issues of the Japanese comic book series that started it all as Speed Racer: The Original Manga. In 1985, NOW Comics released The New Adventures of Speed Racer, which lasted for about 40 issues and included the phenomenal airbrush work of artist Ken Steacy. In 1991, Wildstorm productions also released a new Speed Racer series, and IDW is re-releasing this series as well for the new movie.
So, what non-comic-book Speed Racer Merchandise is available? Well, Lego has released toys, and Mattel holds the master license for the new film. JADA toys has the rights to reproduce die-cast models of the Mach 5 and have also released plastic model sets of Speed’s ride. Barbie Collector is also releasing Trixie and Speed dolls to coincide with the live action movie. Toynami is releasing large-scale reproductions of the cars (also timed with the release of the movie) and Art Asylum is also releasing a set of Mini Mates!
Speed has also made numerous appearances in video games, from 1992’s Speed Racer in the Challenge of Racer X in DOS format (by Accolade), and the same company released Speed Racer in My Most Dangerous Adventures for the Super Nintendo. Namco also created an arcade game in 1995, and Jaleco produced a Playstation Speed Racer game in 1998. There will also be a game based on the live action 2008 movie that will appear on Wii, Nintendo DS and Playstation platforms, with the stars of the movie reprising their roles for the film.
As for apparel, there is lots of classic Speed Racer merchandise available to purchase. T-shirts, hats, ties, boxers, and all forms of Speed Racer merchandise are now available, both in classic form and “re-imagined” for the new live action movie.
Tags: Movie and TV