Roger

It seems like a unique situation, but wow, BMF for $32.50? http://action-figure.com/index.php?name=Ne...e&sid=23709

For those of you who have already watched 9 and 10:

The SDF-1 isn't so attractive to toy makers because they can't re-use the tooling over and over again like they can with a Valkyrie (or to a lesser extent, the Q-Rau or some of the Destroids). Most Macross toys are "Malibu Stacy with a new hat" - change the color of the main body, change the markings, and slap on a different head. Voila, now you have one more toy to sell.

Cool. Now that we know the answer to that, my next questions are: 1) Did Matsushiro know about HG's acquisition of Macross, and 2) Why did they file the patent for the Valkyrie and the Calibur? (I realize that there probably aren't any answers to these questions, but I wish there was someone I could ask.)

Interesting that Matsushiro filed that patent. I wonder if it was before or after Harmony Gold's release of Macross on VHS.

It's not perfect in terms of scale. The fighter is huge compared to the ring, but you can still fly the fighter through it. Also, there's no easy way to display it. It comes with a clear plastic dixie cup type thing that's somewhat frustrating to use. It's fun, though. If you're looking for something "movie accurate" the proportions of the Titanium starfighters with the ring are closer to what was on the screen. I'm hoping that the newer Clone Wars fighter (the one with the astromech socket in the center) can dock with the ring, and that it's a wee bit smaller.

I believe most of them moved over to Bandai in the 80s after Takatoku folded. A friend of mine worked at Bandai around 2001 when the last round of Valkyrie reissues was released, and he said that most of those guys were retiring just as their old "baby" was being reincarnated. Regarding the similarities between the vintage Valkyrie toys and these other ones that have been cited, it's really not much of a surprise. Many of these toys were designed by a relatively small group of people, using very similar equipment in a small group of factories during a very short product development cycle. A reliable method that was developed to make a good elbow joint, or fold one piece inside another, or whatever, was probably reused for many different products. At the end of the day, a toy isn't that different from many other manufactured items. I'm sure that if you did an analysis of shaving cream cans across multiple brands you'd see that there are many similarities there, too. A question regarding patents: didn't Hasbro patent the VF-1 design in the US?

Harmony Gold isn't making this movie, Warner Brothers is. Actually, I'd say the results were pretty favorable for them. By demonstrating the success of the original series and Shadow Chronicles on DVD, they were able to generate enough interest to sell the movie rights to a production company that, in turn, got the interest of a major studio. Whether or not this movie gets made, Harmony Gold still got paid for the option to make it.

Or, it could go the complete opposite direction from that, and they attempt to make a movie using the biggest-budget, most advanced CGI possible. Who knows?

Yes, there are a couple of oni covered in the book. Macross fans will be happy to know that the Nue has an entry, too.

IMDB says 2010: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103173/

Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt's new book, Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, is now available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/4770030703/ It's an English language field guide to the millions of unusual small creatures lurking everywhere in the wilds of Japan. Strongly recommended for yokai, kaiju, kaijin, and kaibutsu fans everywhere.

I'd like to hear a definitive answer from the Hasbro designers, but the fighter that the new Falcon comes with reminds me just a tiny bit of the aborted clip-on mini-rig that Kenner planned back in the 80s: http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_i...p;item_id=50980

Huh, guess I was wrong. Hadn't played with my Legioss in years. Eriku, I might have an extra around here somewhere.

The pilot is removable. It's a cool little "army man" type thing that's fun on its own. Carry him around in your pocket.

What makes you think that I believe that? And put your money where your mouth is. Demonstrate that anything I'm doing is "illegal."

From the MW Forum Rules & Guidelines, #4: I don't think I've done anything but criticize peoples' opinions, not the people themselves. If I ever personally insulted here or called someone a name I probably used the phrase "silly goose". Not once have I called someone "dumb" or "stupid." But if you think I'm wrong, don't threaten to moderate me, moderate me. Point out where I violated MW rules and pull the trigger. And if you want to keep any credibility, then don't threaten to break the rules yourself by saying that you should personally insult me. And yes, I think it does warrant a response from danth, especially when he's accusing me of doing something that he thinks is "illegal."

Please show me a post where I called someone "dumb." Please cite an instance where I did this. Please demonstrate how anything I've ever done with that artwork is "illegal" and how I'm holding it for "ransom," and why asking people to take down my photos that were distributed without my permission is something I shouldn't do. I aim to please. Thanks!

Ask Jenius. Is there a rule around here saying that you can't modify peoples quotes? If so, please moderate, Mr. Moderator. He's portraying me as someone who can't spell.

And: Macrossworld griping aside, what makes you think that collectors in Japan aren't buying this toy as a result of the price point?

Also: Since when was having a heavier robot toy a bad thing? The world's turned upside town.

I find this amusing. First, the pessimism: Then, immediately after that, a burst of optimism: So basically what you're saying is, "I think the MOSPEADA toys that are out there are overpriced, so I'm not buying them, but I know that other companies are encouraged enough to make more MOSPEADA toys." Does this make any sense? In Japan MOSPEADA is seen as a show with very limited appeal. Thankfully, there's a company there crazy or stupid enough to make a Tread, but unfortunately the costs of each piece are high because the production runs are low. There's only so much risk you can take with a license like that. So even if CM's toys sell okay, I think it's unlikely that a lot of other companies are going to start jockeying for the license. If there was that much interest in MOSPEADA, we would have been seeing toys for years before the 25th anniversary, like VOTOMS. If most Japanese collectors are like you, and consistently skip on buying the MOSPEADA toys that are being put out there, then there will definitely be no more MOSPEADA toys from anyone. That's a guarantee. I like to think that the people who are as crazy/stupid as the people at CM's spent the cash, and are happy with what they got. I am.

Takara's 1/18 Scopedog, Rabidlydog, and Strikedog are pretty different from one another. As far as I know they don't share any (or many) parts.

Where was that $250 figure floating around?

What's so funny about articulation?