96:). It is not known how many of the episodes were actually recorded, or how many of them were rebroadcast, since so little of the Springbok Radio archive exists. There appear to be parts of scripts, sound bytes and several mixed episode recordings from different storylines available, and a number of archivists have attempted to preserve the work.
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The first Jet Jungle Mego figure to appear on the internet was in 2003 on
Megocentral.com. Laurie Halbritter, the then owner of Megocentral.com, purchased one on an auction from Italy. Photos were sent to various collectors but the identity of the figure was not confirmed until the boxed one surfaced
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In 1971, Martin Abrams began purchasing the license rights to popular movies, comic books and television shows for Mego Corp., a toy manufacturing company. Mego produced a variety of dolls in the 1970s and 1980s until the company went bankrupt in 1983, whereupon the rights to produce the Jet Jungle
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Since television broadcasts only came to South Africa in 1976, the country had followed the Apollo Moon missions on radio. The series thus fed the popular imagination about outer-space and children's delight in hearing what would become a virtual retelling of the saga in the form of a fairy-tale.
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was used to promote these South
African products. Jet Jungle attributed his enormous powers of persuasion to the use of special ingredients, and his mastery of time, caused as a result of exposure to the Star Master, a mysterious entity. They appeared in several episodes similar in vein to the
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became the lead writer and created all episodes from the second year onwards. He also took over the role of voicing 'Jet Jungle' for the duration of the show on
Springbok Radio. It is known to be one of the longest running radio shows created for the youth at the time (1972-1985).
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The long-running show had a children's fan club with regular newsletters featuring a one-page black-and-white comic strip serial, which was syndicated in various publications such as
Personality. A short-lived full colour Sunday newspaper comic strip followed. A Jet Jungle
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Africa's participation in the event, which sent Jet Jungle and
Jupiter as far out as Andromeda, told of things to come. In Project Far Star, Prof Spaghetti voices his concern about defeating the forces of Einsteinian space-time, "going out young and coming back old".
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There is only one boxed example of the Jet Jungle figure known to exist in the World today. Since its discovery in 2005, this sole example was reputed to have exchanged hands privately at the staggering price of $ 20,000 us. A price record for a single Mego figure.
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Words to the Theme tune are: When your world is in trouble / and you need a fighting friend / who will come on the double and keep fighting to the end /Get Jet! Get Jet! / Jet Jungle is the man to get! Jet Jungle. Jet Jungle Jet Jungle is the man to get! / Get Jet!
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The show was broadcast every weekday late in the afternoon on South Africa's radio service, Springbok Radio from 1972 continuing until the station's close, with the last episode broadcast on
December 30, 1985. It was also broadcast on
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and now recreated by loyal fans, listeners and readers could purchase the "Jet Jungle
Bicycle" from OK Bazaars, a South African home furnisher. A fan-club image posted online in a Mego forum shows a boy riding an orange chopper.
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In advertising images, Jet Jungle was portrayed as a muscular white man in his prime with a full head of neatly cropped white hair wearing a jet-black superhero body suit with boots leaving only his hands and face
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is the name of an early seventies scifi adventure hero, who appeared in a hit radio play: "The incredible adventures of the most amazing man of our time" broadcast on South Africa's
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Voices heard on the radio programme include Jeff
Shapiro, Diane Wilson, Victor Melleney, Hal Orlandini, Brian O'Shaughnessy, Diane Appleby, Erica Rogers, and Gordon Mulholland.
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The Jet Jungle theme tune is probably the most striking and distinguishing feature of the series, aside from the all-in-one black suit, vertijet and black leopard.
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There are several digital images of the weekly b&w comic available online. Other examples may be viewed in any one of South Africa's legal deposit libraries.
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A $ 15 "Limited-Edition 8-inch figure of only 500 produced" was released by TJ Toys sometime after the winning bid. The figure was bagged not boxed.
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variously, a good guy and bad guy. Jet's contact in a cloak and dagger government department with links to international intelligence agencies.
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The Jet Jungle Mego figure, a complete boxed edition still with its original packaging, sold for $ 5,713.98 after 11 bids, on eBay in 2009.
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In 2009, Radio
Researchers uncovered several episodes of this program. These are twenty episodes of a storyline entitled 'Project Farstar'.
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For the Silver
Jubilee in 1975, Springbok Radio produced a once-off one-hour comedy show titled 'The Great Gong Robbery' which featured (
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at the behest of their government liaison "the Minister", to battle criminal masterminds and the occasional extraterrestrial menace.
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and Black Cat Peanut Butter in 1972. The advertising agency developed the script for the first series on Springbok Radio.
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Red haired lady, initially portrayed as wearing a green one-piece short sleeved legless jumpsuit and green boots.
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of the same name. The main character Jet Jungle was created by the advertising agency of the sponsors,
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149:) a parody of Jet Jungle, who ultimately solves the mystery and exposes Jupiter as the thief.
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Jet Jungle appeared with his black leopard Jupiter, red-headed lady friend Samantha Muller (
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as 'Samatha "Sam" Muller' and Victor Melleney as 'Professor Giuseppe "Spaghetti" Villetti'.
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8:
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71:). The team would routinely fly off from their island headquarters, Orion's Peak, in a
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67:) and scientist and faithful friend Prof. Giuseppe "Spaghetti" Villetti (
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was the first actor to voice 'Jet Jungle' in the first year with
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Springbok Radio Sound files including the Jet Jungle Theme!
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The Astrals (1991 to 1992, 118 episodes, different format).
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The Time Bender (first year, second story, five episodes);
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The Water Madness (first year, first story, five episodes)
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The Sun Gliders (second year, second story, 20 episodes);
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figurine would ostensibly have reverted to its creator.
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Project Farstar (second year, first story, 20 episodes);
372:"Mego Museum News: Mego Museum Spotlight on Jet Jungle"
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253:Jet Jungle on Radio South Africa (1991 - 1992)
104:The enormously successful show, sponsored by
356:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
436:Jet Jungle action figure at the Mego Museum
231:Jet Jungle on Springbok Radio (1972 - 1985)
120:Sample of the weekly magazine b&w comic
65:Diane Wilson, Diane Appleby, Erica Rogers
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138:in the 1970s and "rediscovered" by the
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464:, appears to be run by the Mego Museum
303:Besides the action figure produced by
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16:Early seventies scifi adventure hero
509:Radio characters introduced in 1965
404:"Mego Central Presents - the Vault"
192:a time-lord of the fourth dimension
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519:Radio programs adapted into comics
457:Old Time Radio Researchers Website
178:Prof. Giuseppe "Spaghetti" Valetti
69:Victor Melleney, Gordon Mulholland
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248:The Cave Man (1979, 20 episodes).
386:"Jet Jungle(so far) - Mego ONLY"
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489:South African radio programs
23:the fittest man in the world
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514:1965 radio programme debuts
452:Project Farstar 20 Episodes
342:Rock, Robert, Alan (2007).
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504:South African comic strips
474:A fan remembers Jet Jungle
346:. Author House Publishers.
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113:Project Farstar episodes.
468:Jet Jungle Facebook Page
443:Link to the voice of Sam
186:, American space expert.
462:Jet Jungle Myspace Page
106:Black Cat Peanut Butter
344:Quo Vadis Advertising?
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408:www.megocentral.com
204:, an 8-year-old boy
52:Brian O'Shaughnessy
374:. 6 February 2007.
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499:Radio superheroes
414:on 1 October 2011
285:Kung Fu contract;
92:(the present day
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410:. Archived from
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388:. Archived from
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294:Operation Omega.
136:Mego Corporation
134:was produced by
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190:The Star Master
172:Samantha Muller
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32:Springbok Radio
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392:on 2008-12-19.
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271:Comic Episodes
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86:Radio Rhodesia
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263:Comic history
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416:. Retrieved
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79:Presentation
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48:Diane Wilson
44:Jeff Shapiro
36:Sunday comic
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299:Merchandise
279:KGB Affair;
140:Mego Museum
110:Jungle Oats
100:Sponsorship
40:Jungle Oats
483:Categories
418:13 January
330:References
288:Doomsgate;
159:Jet Jungle
153:Characters
147:inter alia
28:Jet Jungle
352:cite book
326:in 2005.
142:in 2005.
162:exposed.
94:Zimbabwe
90:Rhodesia
73:Vertijet
59:Synopsis
166:Jupiter
125:Tie-ins
184:Dr Ket
420:2022
358:link
305:Mego
202:Zack
108:and
88:in
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354:}}
350:{{
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