The LOST Dragon Ball English Dub BEFORE Harmony Gold (Frontier Enterprises, 1987)

A Possible Early English Dragon Ball Dub

The video investigates a possible English-language Dragon Ball dub that may predate the better-known Harmony Gold version. Although Harmony Gold’s 1989 dub is often considered the first, the narrator points to an earlier clue: voice actor Dick Niskens said he worked on a Frontier Enterprises production he remembered as Dragon Ball Z.

Frontier was a Tokyo dubbing studio founded by William Ross, known for producing English-language versions of Japanese films and animation. Since Dragon Ball Z had not yet begun airing in Japan when Niskens worked there in 1987, the video suggests he may have been referring to Curse of the Blood Rubies, the first Dragon Ball movie. If so, Frontier’s dub would predate Harmony Gold’s.

Evidence and Uncertainty

The evidence is tantalizing but thin. Niskens reportedly discarded his old scripts and later said he couldn’t remember much. His interview and now-inactive LinkedIn page are among the few public references to the project. Potential colleagues have also been difficult to contact, and some Frontier staff—including Ross and voice actor Cliff Harrington—have died.

One theory is that the dub was shown only on Japan Airlines flights to the United States, which could help explain why fans have never found a recording. That remains speculation, as does the possibility that project materials might survive in Toei’s archives.

The narrator believes the dub existed while acknowledging that Niskens could have confused it with another production. For now, it remains an unverified and possibly lost piece of Dragon Ball history.

Personalities Mentioned

Dick Niskens, William Ross, Jeff Manning, Cliff Harrington, and the video’s narrator.