Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot

How could I ever forget Johnny Socko and his flying robot! I started watching the show when in 1979 at the age of 6. I remember it being on TV for a couple of years, I suppose when I was about 8 or 9 – would have been the last time I watched the show.

Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot was my favorite TV show growing up then as a child. Among my other list of favorites (at that age of 6ish to 8ish years old): Batman, Lost in Space, Superman, Leave it to Beaver, G-Force, Incredible Haulk, Greatest American Hero, and yes even Dallas…. Put at the top of that list: Johnny Socko and his flying robot! I remember I had my own fleet of Socko Robots that I made out of Legos. I wanted my own giant robot so bad! There is one episode that seems to stick out…and that is the one where the Giant Robot loses his eyes… or they get messed up real bad and the poor giant robot can’t see anything… and he’s thrashing about knocking over any thing his arms hit. And wasn’t there a show where the Giant Robot turned on Johnny and all the good people of the world? Ha ha ha…. I remember when the Robot lost his eye sight, Johnny was crying over it. Amazing the things you remember from when your child.

I keep looking for VHS copies of this TV show to no avail. It would be nice if the SCI FI channel would re run this TV series! Also, the actor that played Jonny died in 1997.

Giant Robo was a comic which was first featured in a weekly comic magazine "Shonen Sunday" in the late '60s by comic artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama, then turned into a TV series. Yokoyama drew another comic featuring a giant robot under a boy's control; the "Gigantor" (Tetsujin Nijyuhachi-go) which also became a TV series (four times). Giant Robo was supposed to be a weapon for the bad guys, but because U7 (Disuke Kusama) first spoke into the wrist watch remote control, it only obeyed his command. Like Gigantor, its first incarnation to TV was acted by a real live actors, then the second series was animated. I have memories of this series like many people who wrote here including having a crush on U5. I don't know what it is about these classic Japanese TV sci-fi but there's something that leaves a lasting impression on people. Yokoyama has another comic with giant robot obeying master's commands (Babyl II or Babyl Nisei) which also became a TV series. He is considered along the likes of Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), Ishinomori Shotaro (Kamen Ryder, Kikaida, Go Rangers, Cyborg 009), and Fujiko Fujio (Obake no Q-taro, Doraemon) as a founding father of genre we now call "Manga", and has legion of fans around the world. Just a great show from a great comic artist.

This was one of 3 shows I first remember watching, from the age of 2-6 years, and was my absolute favorite. The other two shows were Speed Racer and Batman.

I have not seen an episode of Johnny Sokko and His Giant Flying Robot, (as I remember it called), since I was about 8 years old. Through the years,I have mentioned it in conversations with others and surprisingly have never run across anybody who remembers it. Sure was cool to find it on this sight along with a couple positive comments! Let's hear from more!

P.S. Batman was campy and Godzilla's special effects were just as dated as 'Johnny Sokko' but look at the legends they've become. In my memories, Johnny Sokko is right there with them.

This is a weird one, from back in the late 60s you have this Japanese import, about a kid, a Casio-watch controlled 100 foot flying robot, a guy in a real bad Squid/jellyfish papier-mache mask who shakes a trident alot(he's the evil villain, Emperor Guillotine!), fakey rubber suited monsters, a group of terrorists who shoot plastic machine guys, and intend to take over the world with their 9 inter-changeable members, a '58 Bel-air and some godawful monsters.

You have to see it to believe it-the dreaded Nuclion, a bowling ball/landmine/baby toy from outer space(!!) which rolls downhill and crushes an onslaught of plastic tanks before being hauled up by Giant Robot, who then drops it onto the '58 Belair that the 'Gargoyle Gang' have helpfully piled into(actually, the last guy diving for cover dives UNDER the car...oh its a scream...)...

You have these villains...fanger, silver-faced DrBotanus, who is some kind of Evil Plant wiz, a panther-griffin cross who likes eating toy trains whole, a giant eye Opticus(oh that one is a scream!), and this short guy with a peg-leg, who is sposedly a master of disguise(!?)...God, WHAT were they thinking??

Guys get killed and come right on back without explanation. Take 'Beatnik Man'-one of the head Gargoyle Gang guys. Has the shades, bad greasepaint beard(troweled on by the looks...) and beret. I think he winds up quite dead at least 4 times-shot up by a plastic machine gun, caught in an atomic cherry bomb explosion(don't ask), flattened by Nuclion, etc. At the end, he is now wearing a goatee, but its our guy, Beatnik Man in the flesh...

Bad models, bad acting, bad dubbing--and as a kid, I loved every minute of it! People Do remember it, not from its name but from the content, of seeing Giant Robot(who looks like a silver George Washington in a King Tut get-up...),who flies, shoots missiles outta his fingers, etc.

It is kinda fun in a MST3K way, but not more than that.

I give it *** stars outta **** on the hilarity scale, *1/2 in the actual quality scale. Its a hoot. Yes! See it if you can or dare.

I loved this show when I was a kid. The robot was incredible (keep in mind that there was very little stuff like that for kids back then, you kids today are very lucky...now get off my lawn!) especially with the finger rockets, the pharaoh's headdress, and the pre-flight cheerleader moves.

I recently sought and found a VHS copy (albeit poorly recorded) of the show and realized that you did have to be a kid, uninhibited with today's inundation of CGI and advanced cartooned robots, to enjoy it. But it was a wonderful trip back down memory lane. Now, too find a collection of the old (rubber suited and flashing chest light) Ultra-Man series.