60's Anime
JOHNNY CYPHER IN DIMENSION
ZERO
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This series is about a handsome and brilliant Earth scientist 'Johnny Cypher' who finds
that he has superhumanpowers which enable him to travel through the dimensions of inner
space and combat sinister forces from all corners of the universe.
Zena, a beautiful blond was Johnny's companion and Rhom, a galactic being from the Black
Star also helped Johnny.
Dimension Zero was the name given to Johnny Cypher's ability to cross time and space
barriers. He would turn the dial on his belt to travel inside a tornado. The
characters looked like hand tinted photographs of real people.
The
series was produced by Joe Oriolo for Warner/Seven (Seven Arts), in conjunction with
K.Fujita, the Japanese animation studio- Studio Beez, TV Films [Terebi Doga] and
Children's Corner. Don Oriolo worked on the series with his father, having worked on
the recording and post, mixing etc. with Gus Mortonson at Manhattan Sound Studios. The
series was actually originally done as half hours but later broken down to 5 minute
segments.
Rather than a company taking an existing Japanese series and translating it as it was, the
work was intended to be an original project, sold both to the West and Japan. Indeed, the
design of Johnny himself is extremely reminiscent of that of Oriolo's own version of
Hercules.
Japanese Broadcast info is as follows:
JOHNNY CYPHER, (it wasn't called '..IN DIMENSION ZERO' in Japan). It consisted of *138*
episodes of 5 minutes each and these screened in 5 minute segments 6 nights per week for
23 weeks, (from 21/10/1968 to 29/3/1969), at 6.55pm.
This show as one of those cross-borders type anime series, (like the Transformers;
intended for both markets; not just Japan or not just the US; the Transformers were so
popular in Japan, they
produced more episodes for domestic consumption than were actually syndicated
stateside!)(Info from Kelly Lannan)
The English dubbed version was shown in Australia in the 70's until the early 80's where
it aired on channel 10.
I have been told by Don Oriolo that during the 60's Warner Brothers bought out Seven Arts,
squashing
the Johnny Cypher release in the U.S. as they didn't want more competition. Don tried in
vain to rectify this over the years but to no avail. The series is essentially
"shelved".
According to Don, Johnny Cypher was never broadcast in the U.S. at the time it was
created/dubbed, though Mark Hauck remembers seeing it in the U.S. and has written the
following.
Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero was broadcast in the USA in the late '60's as part of
a program that showed other anime shorts ... like "Rocket Robin Hood". In those
days, it was common to package disparate cartoons into one generic program, with such
titles as "Cartoon Caravan" (I saw "Eighth Man" this way). It was
usually up to the station to format these cartoons into a show, not the distributor,
apparently. Every station did this, as I recall. I grew up in the New York/Philadelphia
area, where the stations bought all of the Japanese anime available.
This has been further backed up by Charles Smith and Reno Fabii from Philadelphia who
wrote the following below. William Coleman remembers seeing it in the Mid West in the late
60's. So contrary to Don Oriolo's belief it was indeed shown in at least one part of
the U.S
Mark Hauck is right about Johnny Cypher. I clearly remember it broadcast on a local
Philadelphia station (CHANNEL 17) as part of the "Wee Willie Webber" cartoon
show in the mid to late 60's. That is also where I first saw Speed Racer, Tobor the Eighth
Man, Marine Boy, Space Giants, Prince Planet and Astro Boy. (Reno Fabii)
Fernando J Montilla from San Juan, Puerto Rico remembers watching it on channel 2 in the
afternoons between 1969 and 1971 in Spanish.
This email came from Spencer Prokop (Dumptrux@aol.com)
I can testify that Johnny Cypher was shown in the Midwest in the mid or late 60s; it
was featured on the "Garfield Goose" program on WGN-TV as one of many cartoons.
Anybody within broadcast range of Chicago should remember the show.
This email came from Bob Cassinelli (markmerlin@ameritech.net)
I was beginning to think that Johnny Cypher was a figment of my imagination until I
saw your site! Thank You! Add me to the list who watched Johnny, along with Rocket
Robin Hood, Clutch Cargo and more on Garfield Goose in Chicago.
This email came from Michael J C Faulkner (pomru@optonline.net)
I lived in Long Island, New York from age 5 (1974) to age 11 (1981), and although the
exact broadcast schedule and time elude me, "Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero"
did indeed air during that time in an "after school" time slot. It was
reminiscing about childhood television with my wife that led me to search for word of it
on the web today, which is how I found this page.
Johnny Cypher aired in it's own time slot, usually several episodes in a row, and not as a
part of an "animated short" collection.
This email was from Steve Thompson Email - Booksteve@aol.com
If you need more proof that Johnny Cypher aired in US, I can verify that it aired in
Cincinnati on WXIX-TV which went on-air in August of 1968. Along with Eighth Man, Prince
Planet and Rocket Robin Hood, Johnny Cypher ran several runs, probably 1969 thru 71. I
also have some cartoon clips of it from USA NIGHT FLIGHT from the early 1980's. This was a
bizarrely edited "cult clips" special that included Toho clips, silent movie
clips,and other stuff, including Johnny C, all running to a hard rock soundtrack.
This email was from Cjinla Pacbell Email - cjinla@pacbell.net
You can add Los Angeles to the list of American cities that aired Johnny
Cypher. Too long ago to remember exact times but it aired weekday
mornings 6 or 7 am on KCOP channel 13 in the early 70's. I believe it
played along with Rocket Robin Hood and The Mighty Hercules (which I
still believe Disney based their resent movie on).
This email was from Clarke Stone Email - stone094@umn.edu
I can also confirm *JCiDZ* was broadcast in the USA. I saw it broadcast from
an independent station (channel 39--can't remember call letters) in Dallas, TX, some time between 1967 and 1969.
I do remember this was bundled with other cartoons as noted by your other
correspondents. My memory of the afternoon show was *Clutch Cargo*, *Speed
Racer*, *Johnny Cypher*, *Hercules*...There must have been others I can't recall. Channel 39 had a similar bundle in the morning (*Space Angel*,
*Dodo, the Kid from Outer Space*, Stooges, Our Gang/Little Rascals, etc.).
We also saw *Eight Man* in this period, but only very early on Saturday
mornings.
This email was from David Collins Email - collins@adobe.com
I just thought I’d chime in and say I distinctly remember “Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero” from my
childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. I don’t remember the call letters of the syndicated station in
was on (KTVU, KTEH or KEMO), but like the others I remember it being in the late ‘60s (probably ’68
and ’69 when I was 5 or 6) and I remember it being associated with other anime imports of the era,
including “Eighth Man” and “Marine Boy”. It was on some or all of these stations that I enjoyed
“Kimba”, “Speed Racer”, “Prince Planet”, “Astro Boy”, and undoubtedly some I don’t remember. Just thought I’d
add another pin to the map.
This email was from Damon Forham - damonfordham@yahoo.com
As a matter of fact, the very first cartoon show I remember watching on TV was a show on WUSN (now
WCBD) TV2 in Charleston, SC called "Cartoon Carnival" with featured "Ko Ko The Clown" (the sixties version) and
"Johnny Cypher." For years, I would occasionally run into people my age (I was born in 1964 and all this
must have been around 1967-68) who remembered "Ko Ko," but nobody remembered "Johnny Cypher" at all, at least
until the invention of the internet. Thanks guys. I am not alone.
Damon Fordham
VOICES
Johnny Cypher - Paul Hecht
Zena, his female assistant - Corinne Orr
Rhom, galactic being from The Black Star - Corinne Orr
Other characters - Gene Allen
EPISODES (four per show) Contains some inaccuracies as there were 138 episodes,
not 130.
1.Rhom, Super Criminal
2. Attack from Outer Space
3. The Menace Of Maroo
4. The Eye Of Ramapoor
5. The Deafening Sound Of Silence

6. The Castle Of Mr. Mist
7. The Butronic troublemaker
8. Menace Of The Flying Saucer
9. The Shockman Of Shardu
10. The Traitorous Dr. Flood
11. Shoot-Out In Space
12. Ten Ton Diamond
13. Invisible Fire Beam
14. Liquefier Gun
15. Seeds Of Chaos
16. Barclays Bullet
17. Zomar The Merciless
18. Johnny Cyphers Twin
19. Ship Of Captain Krool
20. Forget Ray Of Egghead
21. The Deadly Beams
22. The Giant Robot
23. Johnny versus Zena
24. Wild Animal Hunter
25. Invisible Enemy
26. Everything Falls Up
27. The Space Party
28. Endless Zero
29. The World Of Lost Men
30. Johnnys Giant Friends
31. The Doll Invaders
32. The Interplanetary Olympiads
33. The Crystal Cage
34. The Runaway Rocket
35. The Crooked Radar Beam
36. The Rescue Of Robinson Cosmo
37. Stolen Space Station
38. The Mutant Monsters
39. The Gravity Belt Mystery
40. Snarls Sinister Surprise
41. Zero Hour For Glenn City
42. The Robot
43. Song Of Doom
44. Zero Vs Nero
45. The 4 Armed Man
46. Garloch Against The Universe
47. Return Of Frankenstein
48. Mister Mist
49.Mad Magic Of Eerin
50. The Dyre Moth
51. Mystery Of The Missing Pilots
52. The Black Vapour
53. 8000 Degree Farenheit
54. Multiplier Gun
55. The Martian Plague
56. The One- Inch Johnny Cypher
57. The Lost Planet
58. The Torchmen
59. The Thing From The Sea
60. Gothan The Terrible
61. Mission To Jandor
62. Invasion Of The Shadowmen
63. Billion Dollar Robbery
64. Monster Of The Mists
65. The Evil Eye
66. The Wandering World
67. Race Against Time
68. The Red Forest
69. Tidal Wave Of Terror
70. The Stolen Satellite
71. Crisis on Volcos
72. Rhoms Double
73. The Mysterious Signal
74. The Tower Of Majak
75. Giganticus Serum
76. The Abdominable Snowman
77. The Paper perisher
78. The Door To The Future
79. Dangerous Games
80. The Menace From Mercury
81. Space Vacuums
82. The Man Duplicator
83. The Wild Blue Trap
84. The Saturian Triclops
85. The Incredible Sponge Man
86.The Planet Of Little Men
87. The Mothmen
88. The Fear Of The year
89. Mission Miraculous
90. The Pet Collectors
91. Neros Revenge
92. The Circus Of Terror
93. The Elusive Space Monster
94. Time Marches back
95. Space Pirates
96. The Deadly Blossom
97. Magnetic Mayhem
98. Rescue On The Moon
99. Descent Into Peril
100. The Time Warp
101. Space Prospectors
102. The Devils Diamonds
103. Electronic Monsters
104. Planet Of Gold
105. Peril From The Past
106. Farewell Dr. Root
107. Captain Nogo
108. The Glass Giant
109. Expedition To The Arctic
110. 20,000 Dangers Under The Sea
111. The Trap
112. An Element Of Danger
113. Terror In The Toy Shop
114. The Man With The Golden Hands
115. The Hidden Peril
116. Borgos Beam
117. Red Hot Planet
118. The Coreman
119. The Photo Spy
120. The Gigantic Garble
121. The Quick Quake Maker
122. The Vularian
123. Mission Of Mercy
124. Too Many Johnnies
125. Strangest World Of All
126. Operation Freeze
127. The Haunted Planet
128. Mysterious meteorites
129. Evil Mr Esp
130. No More Dimension Zero