Robotech and HG License Debates

[VF5SS]

As for a department that does that, no. It's just those 3 as of now. A number of years ago, it was 5, with Alan Letz, and Tom Bateman. But now it's just the 3 unqualified, so there's why what you've seen is what you get.

How were Tom Bateman and Alan Letz qualified? Bateman ran a fan convention and Letz was a PA on an Abbott and Costello documentary? Clearly nobody is qualified to run this show.

[Garou Kuroryuu]

I already posted my opinion on both videos. Definitely worth a puke

----------

You suck, dude!

Posting ORIGINAL material and passing it out as Robocrap???? Guess you all Homotech-fans are so envy because the lousy ass movie you got from Shadow Chronicles.

This is MACROSS FRONTIER.

Period.

[Einherjar]

I already posted my opinion on both videos. Definitely worth a puke

----------

You suck, dude!

Posting ORIGINAL material and passing it out as Robocrap???? Guess you all Homotech-fans are so envy because the lousy ass movie you got from Shadow Chronicles.

This is MACROSS FRONTIER.

Period.

Kind of unnecessary, but the intent was in the right place.

Sometimes it's best to do nothing, let the work speak for itself and let the video poster look be an idiot by him/herself. But what do I know, things are different on the Internet.

[Einherjar]

As I said, I think Robotech III: Not Necessarily the Sentinels is HYSTERICAL, because taking something like Gunbuster and saying that Noriko is Annie, Amano is Minmay, and the Coach is Rick is sublimely ludicrous (my favorite, however, is Noriko's friend, "Vanessa Prime"). But there are a lot of people who wanted (and some who still want) Macross II to become RT. Some were also fantasizing about Frontier.

In tradition of Robotech III, here's another parody that works. It's vulgar, but it works.

Made by, I kid you not, Pinesalad Productions.

[Ginrai]

Did anyone ever make digital versions of Not Necessarily the Sentinels and Khyron's Counterattack?

[Einherjar]

Did anyone ever make digital versions of Not Necessarily the Sentinels and Khyron's Counterattack?

http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category...6991197DKyHqgMB

You need an account.

[Gubaba]

How to we know your really not Robotechfanplus? Maybe your suffering from MOP (Multiple Online Personalities)? For all we know you could be a A.I. that has gone emotional and suffers from a Fan Love Triangle between Macross and Robotech as you plot to take over the world.

SERIOUSLY not my style.

Now, about a year or so ago, I was an OBSEQUIOUS TOADY OF HARMONY GOLD for a little while, but it got old fast.

Besides, I already have a youtube account.

I already posted my opinion on both videos. Definitely worth a puke

----------

You suck, dude!

Posting ORIGINAL material and passing it out as Robocrap???? Guess you all Homotech-fans are so envy because the lousy ass movie you got from Shadow Chronicles.

This is MACROSS FRONTIER.

Period.

Classy, dude. REAL classy.

What did you accomplish? I mean, BESIDES making Macross fans look like assh•les with no sense of humor?

[RavenHawk]

SERIOUSLY not my style.

Now, about a year or so ago, I was an OBSEQUIOUS TOADY OF HARMONY GOLD for a little while, but it got old fast.

Besides, I already have a youtube account.

Classy, dude. REAL classy.

What did you accomplish? I mean, BESIDES making Macross fans look like assh•les with no sense of humor?

Don't forget homophobes too

[Gubaba]

Don't forget homophobes too

Oh. I thought the "Homo" in "Homotech" referred to the three original series being homogenized.

Anyway, yeah...remind me never to share a link on this thread ever again.

[anime52k8]

As I said, I think Robotech III: Not Necessarily the Sentinels is HYSTERICAL, because taking something like Gunbuster and saying that Noriko is Annie, Amano is Minmay, and the Coach is Rick is sublimely ludicrous (my favorite, however, is Noriko's friend, "Vanessa Prime"). But there are a lot of people who wanted (and some who still want) Macross II to become RT. Some were also fantasizing about Frontier.

how about we give them Macross II and in exchange they allow Macross frontier in the US?

(don't be angry seto, it's for the greater good )

[RavenHawk]

how about we give them Macross II and in exchange they allow Macross frontier in the US?

(don't be angry seto, it's for the greater good )

If we add in Plus, can we get Zero too?

[Einherjar]

Forget compromises, let them feel the pressure of mediocrity a little longer until the inevitable happens.

[Freiflug88]

In tradition of Robotech III, here's another parody that works. It's vulgar, but it works. laugh.gif

How Drugs Won The War

Made by, I kid you not, Pinesalad Productions. laugh.gif

This parody is absolutely hilarious!

SERIOUSLY not my style.

Now, about a year or so ago, I was an OBSEQUIOUS TOADY OF HARMONY GOLD for a little while, but it got old fast.

Besides, I already have a youtube account.

All of us who found Robotech fans before we lost our Macross virginity were obsequious toadies of HG.

Now about that Youtube account. We all know that for evil A.I. programs capable of taking the form of singing idols can hack anything, except the joystick to the hero's jet. We all saw the animated movie and read about it on the Internet so we know its an indisputatble fact . So creating another youtube account would be piece of cake for an A.I. that hides behind an avatar of THE IDOL Minmay!

[Moly_Sigang]

how about we give them Macross II and in exchange they allow Macross frontier in the US?

okay, if (that's a big IF ) Macross II get shoehorned into the Robotech storyline, how will they explain the Mardook? And where will they put it in the timeline? (I know for certain they can't put this event between Macross saga and Masters saga because it will conflict with the established storyline. And it couldn't take place between Masters saga and Invid saga either since the Invid came several months after the defeat of the Masters). And there's going to be alot of editing just to make it workable.

But in my own humble opinion---- Leave Macross alone! Those so called 'hardcore Robotech fans' must stop daydreaming and kindly ask Tommy Yune to get his head out of his Alien Star Ship-1

[Einherjar]

News from the Robotech panel at Super-Con, May 16 2009. Regarding the LAMR:

There is no cast set and they are still working on the script. Expect more toys with their signature quality.

The rest was probably another history lesson and housekeeping for the series. Oh, and the same guests you get to see in every panel almost every year. So what's the point in going to these panels again if there is nothing to write about?

[Jasonc]

How were Tom Bateman and Alan Letz qualified? Bateman ran a fan convention and Letz was a PA on an Abbott and Costello documentary? Clearly nobody is qualified to run this show.

Tom Bateman ran the store, so that doesn't take any excessive qualifications. As for his work with conventions and all the work he did with that for HG, the success of his "fan convention" that you mentioned speaks for that. As for Alan Letz, I don't know much about him, so I couldn't tell much more about his background. He could've been qualified for his position, could've been a fluke as well. who knows. Steve may be qualified as his job is web site admin. But I would agree on the point that what is left now, there is nobody decent enough to do what needs to be done.

Sometimes, talent doesn't doesn't come from "being qualified" as well. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, with something. Then again, people also need to know when to bow out with at least a little face.

[Einherjar]

Sometimes, talent doesn't doesn't come from "being qualified" as well. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, with something. Then again, people also need to know when to bow out with at least a little face.

Would that mean Robotech was supposed to be a mid to top-tier franchise to work on before the recent crews came then? Because from the comics, novels, and etc. after the TV series it's like they just hired anyone.

[Seto Kaiba]

Steve may be qualified as his job is web site admin. But I would agree on the point that what is left now, there is nobody decent enough to do what needs to be done.

He isn't... as far as anyone has been able to ascertain, he's a glorified moderator responsible for posting news articles and policing the message boards. The only education his profile mentions is a BA in Creative Writing. By the look of things, all the actual site hosting and design is contracted out.

Would that mean Robotech was supposed to be a mid to top-tier franchise to work on before the recent crews came then? Because from the comics, novels, and etc. after the TV series it's like they just hired anyone.

Well, Robotech's creators would certainly like to imagine the show is a mid-to-top tier franchise. The reality of the matter is somewhat different.

[Freiflug88]

Well, Robotech's creators would certainly like to imagine the show is a mid-to-top tier franchise. The reality of the matter is somewhat different.

Correction, Robotech's Editors would certainly like to imagine the show as a mid-to-top tier franchise. The real Robotech creators from Japan know that the 1st third of the show is a top tier because of all the hard work they put into expanding the franchise.

The sad thing is I bet all HG would really have to do to bring alot of new fans to Robotech is simply convince Cartoon Network, Disney, or Nickelodeon to show Robotech along with other classic cartoons and market the crap they sell on Robotech.com with several commercials.

[Einherjar]

The sad thing is I bet all HG would really have to do to bring alot of new fans to Robotech is simply convince Cartoon Network, Disney, or Nickelodeon to show Robotech along with other classic cartoons and market the crap they sell on Robotech.com with several commercials.

Back in the 90s Robotech was shown on Cartoon Network during the Toonami block. Now that it's gone, CN can always bring it back on the Boomerang Network (the cartoon oldies channel). The other option would be sticking it with the other anime on the network really late at night (1:00 A.M. - 4:00A.M.). It might be too violent/mature or something for Disney and Nickelodeon. However, I heard it still runs on the 24 hour AnimeNetwork.

Besides, they've made sure it's readily available in every format possible multiple times that it would be redundant (besides laserdisc?). It's even on itunes. How much more can they saturate the medium for Robotech?

Edited May 20, 2009 by Einherjar

[Jasonc]

Would that mean Robotech was supposed to be a mid to top-tier franchise to work on before the recent crews came then? Because from the comics, novels, and etc. after the TV series it's like they just hired anyone.

I wouldn't go that far. As far as I've always been concerned, Robotech has, and always will be, a novelty franchise. While it was creative how they were able to mend unmatching series together for syndication, original Robotech's creativity really only seemed to stem from the original plots. Robotech vs. the original 3 series was different, but for the lameman, there's not much. Thus, the reason why every attempt at producing a new Robotech has been either unsuccessful, or a piece of crap feature.

He isn't... as far as anyone has been able to ascertain, he's a glorified moderator responsible for posting news articles and policing the message boards. The only education his profile mentions is a BA in Creative Writing. By the look of things, all the actual site hosting and design is contracted out.

My statement there was an attempt at at least giving someone some credit over there. It is comical if you are indeed correct in this statement.

[Wanzerfan]

And another thing, Palladium is the worst RPG ever. Nobody wants to play some sucky skillfest crap.

A lot of good roleplaying games are skill based. At least Palladium's skill system is percentage based (I have most of the Robotech Line, five or six of the Rifts line, and a few from their fantasy line, as well as the trifecta of Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas and Superspies, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Srangeness).

It's the combat engine that needs a freaking overhaul. Damned thing's misfiriring six out of eight cylanders (sp.?).

Edited May 20, 2009 by Wanzerfan

[sketchley]

(...)

It's the combat engine that needs a freaking overhaul. Damned thing's misfiriring six out of eight cylanders (sp.?).

I think he's referring to the Palladium Fantasy RPG, and not the game engine per se.

[Freiflug88]

Back in the 90s Robotech was shown on Cartoon Network during the Toonami block. Now that it's gone, CN can always bring it back on the Boomerang Network (the cartoon oldies channel). The other option would be sticking it with the other anime on the network really late at night (1:00 A.M. - 4:00A.M.). It might be too violent/mature or something for Disney and Nickelodeon. However, I heard it still runs on the 24 hour AnimeNetwork.

Besides, they've made sure it's readily available in every format possible multiple times that it would be redundant (besides laserdisc?). It's even on itunes. How much more can they saturate the medium for Robotech?

I remember Robotech being shown on Toonami all too well back in the late 90s, but there is always adult swim. True it would be out of place on Disney and Nickelodeon channel, but it could work on Disney XD next to the Batman and Spiderman shows. While Robotech is already available in every format my point is that HG isn't throwing Robotech out to new potential fans. Robotech's phenomenal success back in 85 was all thanks to its syndication, broadcasting the show all over the USA for every kid with a TV to see. Now how many kids today do you think have a credit card to subscribe to Boomerang, Disney XD, Anime Network, or Itunes?

The medium is saturated with plenty of Robotech stuff. The problem is that Robotech's popularity is running on empty because HG doesn't try to fill the tank with new fans. Most Robotech fans are in there 30s and find Robotech toy ads ONLY from Robotech.com. While HG cannot produce a "Macross" the least they could do is make the most of what they got. Back in 1985 kids were delighted by the change of pace with a mature action cartoon. Fast forward to 2009 I am sure many kids would be ecstatic to watch a handdrawn mature action cartoon amongst CG crap for a change.

Just imagine HG could redirect all that negative Jackass behavior they pull on Big West and direct it towards Network executives for CN and Disney for showing crap like Drama Island and Aaron Stone over classics like Robotech and Gatchaman.

[Seto Kaiba]

My statement there was an attempt at at least giving someone some credit over there. It is comical if you are indeed correct in this statement.

According to his staff bio on Robotech.com, Steve's only prior experience in anime was a brief stint as a digital animator, after which he earned his BA in Creative Writing at U of C Riverside. It makes no mention of him having any role in the development of Robotech.com. Tommy's staff bio mentions that he got admitted to UCLA to study engineering, but he dropped his enrollment there to attend the ArtCenter College of Design, and says that he "helped design" Robotech.com, though it's unlikely he had any real involvement in the development of the software (maybe he specced out the layout or did the graphics).

Robotech.com itself wasn't designed in-house, the whole thing (including the store) was farmed out to a studio in West Hills, CA, called Bold New World. It's fairly likely that Bold New World also handles site maintenance and developed the few new features that've popped up since 2001. It looks like their domain registrar's a low-cost choice... NetworkSolutions. The IP resolves to a NS-owned server farm in Boise. Their choice of meta keywords was pretty shameless too... it includes Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada.

Don't go giving them credit, because (as usual) it looks like Harmony Gold's taking credit for work they didn't do.

Hell, don't even give the writers and editors credit... Sentinels was a Star Trek clone without shame, and the only thing that changed between Sentinels and Shadow Chronicles was the name of the show they're ripping off... (namely, Battlestar Galactica)

Edited May 21, 2009 by Seto Kaiba

[Gubaba]

According to his staff bio on Robotech.com, Steve's only prior experience in anime was a brief stint as a digital animator, after which he earned his BA in Creative Writing at U of C Riverside. It makes no mention of him having any role in the development of Robotech.com. Tommy's staff bio mentions that he got admitted to UCLA to study engineering, but he dropped his enrollment there to attend the ArtCenter College of Design, and says that he "helped design" Robotech.com, though it's unlikely he had any real involvement in the development of the software (maybe he specced out the layout or did the graphics).

ArtCenter's just a few miles from me, and I've known a lot of students there. It's a excellent school...they're VERY selective about who gets in, and they work you like a dog. Within a month, freshmen get that hollowed-out, dazed look that means too much time doing schoolwork instead of eating and sleeping.

If he graduated from there, my respect for Tommy Yune just jumped up by quite a margin.

It still doesn't make me like Shadow Chronicles, though...

[Xeros]

I wouldn't go that far. As far as I've always been concerned, Robotech has, and always will be, a novelty franchise. While it was creative how they were able to mend unmatching series together for syndication, original Robotech's creativity really only seemed to stem from the original plots. Robotech vs. the original 3 series was different, but for the lameman, there's not much. Thus, the reason why every attempt at producing a new Robotech has been either unsuccessful, or a piece of crap feature.

My statement there was an attempt at at least giving someone some credit over there. It is comical if you are indeed correct in this statement.

I was thinking the same thing until I remember this show aired here in south America

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_de_los_Robots

quick translation

The Festival of The Robots, it was a kids program that was transmitting cartoon of the Mecha genre from ends of the 70's and during the decade of 1980.

The Festival of the Robots, distributed by the American company ZIV International, Inc, was consisting of the summary and adjustment for Spanish America of the following 4 series of Japanese animation produced by Toei:

* El Vengador (Steel Jeeg - 1975)

* El Gladiador (Great Dragon Gaiking - 1976)

* Supermagnetrón (Magne Robo Gakeen - 1976)

* El Galáctico (Starzinger - 1978)

These independent series were alternated between them and were not emitted in sequence.

THAT WAS ORIGINAL

Edited May 21, 2009 by Xeros

[Gubaba]

I was thinking the same thing until I remember this show aired here in south America

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_de_los_Robots

quick translation

The Festival of The Robots, it was a kids program that was transmitting cartoon of the Mecha genre from ends of the 70's and during the decade of 1980.

The Festival of the Robots, distributed by the American company ZIV International, Inc, was consisting of the summary and adjustment for Spanish America of the following 4 series of Japanese animation produced by Toei:

* El Vengador (Steel Jeeg - 1975)

* El Gladiador (Great Dragon Gaiking - 1976)

* Supermagnetrón (Magne Robo Gakeen - 1976)

* El Galáctico (Starzinger - 1978)

These independent series were alternated between them and were not emitted in sequence.

THAT WAS ORIGINAL

They did a simlar thing in the U.S. (with some of the same shows, even) with Force Five.

[EXO]

...but for the lameman, there's not much.

haha... I guess it would be lame if they didn't know...

Layman?

[VF5SS]

Force Five was a much better way to get around syndication by presenting the shows as one package without wholly rewriting them as one show (although they were still edited).

[Protoculture]

But with the fans trying to add other series into the mix to make new Robotech (or even just fantasizing about it)...well, if its done humorously (like Robotech III: Not Necessarily the Sentinels), I usually like it. But if someone thinks about doing it seriously (like a member here was a few pages ago), then I think it's just kinda...well, imagination-impoverished.

Ahhh well, Gubaba, let's face it, Robotech is a ripof ... uhhh ... "adaptation" of 3 different anime & re-butch... uhh ... "reedited" animation into one animated saga.

Its strengths have always being to rely on borrowed themes of the original Japanese series, nothing more, nothing less. Attempting originality for resulted in craps like RT: Sentinels & RT: Untold Story (atleast HG claimed it was original, given a new footage added to Megazone 23 & splices of SDC:SC scenes). Atleast RTSC was a mixed result, attempting new look at the franchise & the storyline, but still reliant towards GC: Mospeada & that Rick Hunter from Makrossu ... uhh ... RT Macross Saga.

Am I (as a Robotech fan) serious about the opinion to adapt Macross II into RT ... yes, it would atleast give the fanchise a kick of life it desperately needed. But as a Macross fan, I've mixed feelings due to craptastic RT: Untold Story (the original Megazone is a blast!).

So, RT needs to go the RTSC way, new ideas for storyline, pilfering on unused Mospeada & Southern Cross aesthetics or, adapted an anime into RT-verse. Rebooting with new original ideas & new mecha designs is way to risky for the dying franchise (HG is not WB, Disney or even to BigWest standard).

Atleast Carl Macek attempted with half-arsed all CG RT 3000, well, that tanked pretty quick. But, Rt.com started showing newly designed pre-production character Suzy Kramer & some guy - in revamped anime art. That design showed some promise (I can't seem to find the original art anymore from RT.com - although Jasonc might have one) for a new RT series (revamped RT 3000 with new storyline), atleast in terms of originality. By the time Yune onboard, that design & the new idea for anime-version of revamp RT 3000 got canned too.

Ahh well, not that I'm complaining, since RT pretty much used up its nine lives (or is there more?) ...

[Protoculture]

Thank you, google!

Here is the pre-production character art for newly revamped RT 3000 (the CG version pretty much suck donkey's arse) series, & was up on RT.com gallery from 2001 to 2007, if I'm not mistaken. This was when before Yune get onboard, I believed.

For awhile, before Yune was around, RT.com pimped these art for the new upcoming RT project, an animated series in style of anime replacing the CG RT 3000, but after Yune kicked around with RT: Mars Force (corny, ain't it) that later transformed into RTSC, Suzy Kramer simply faded just like that.

Suzy Kramer:

Brent Hawkins:

[RavenHawk]

Shadow Chronicles may be terrible... just... just terrible...

But, without it cannibalizing other, more creative, people's old designs, we wouldn't be seeing new animation with MOSPEADA designs. See, silver lining.

[Protoculture]

Shadow Chronicles may be terrible... just... just terrible...

But, without it cannibalizing other, more creative, people's old designs, we wouldn't be seeing new animation with MOSPEADA designs. See, silver lining.

For me, not that terrible, just mediocre, even by Japanese or American standard. I've seen much worse anime than RTSC (if we can called it as anime).

But atleast it is pretty decent on its own, when not compared to other series. I pretty much considered RTSC in the same league as those B-movies, modest budgets, good for rental only or for TV showings.

Edited May 21, 2009 by Protoculture

[Gubaba]

Ahhh well, Gubaba, let's face it, Robotech is a ripof ... uhhh ... "adaptation" of 3 different anime & re-butch... uhh ... "reedited" animation into one animated saga.

Its strengths have always being to rely on borrowed themes of the original Japanese series, nothing more, nothing less. Attempting originality for resulted in craps like RT: Sentinels & RT: Untold Story (atleast HG claimed it was original, given a new footage added to Megazone 23 & splices of SDC:SC scenes). Atleast RTSC was a mixed result, attempting new look at the franchise & the storyline, but still reliant towards GC: Mospeada & that Rick Hunter from Makrossu ... uhh ... RT Macross Saga.

Am I (as a Robotech fan) serious about the opinion to adapt Macross II into RT ... yes, it would atleast give the fanchise a kick of life it desperately needed. But as a Macross fan, I've mixed feelings due to craptastic RT: Untold Story (the original Megazone is a blast!).

So, RT needs to go the RTSC way, new ideas for storyline, pilfering on unused Mospeada & Southern Cross aesthetics or, adapted an anime into RT-verse. Rebooting with new original ideas & new mecha designs is way to risky for the dying franchise (HG is not WB, Disney or even to BigWest standard).

Atleast Carl Macek attempted with half-arsed all CG RT 3000, well, that tanked pretty quick. But, Rt.com started showing newly designed pre-production character Suzy Kramer & some guy - in revamped anime art. That design showed some promise (I can't seem to find the original art anymore from RT.com - although Jasonc might have one) for a new RT series (revamped RT 3000 with new storyline), atleast in terms of originality. By the time Yune onboard, that design & the new idea for anime-version of revamp RT 3000 got canned too.

Ahh well, not that I'm complaining, since RT pretty much used up its nine lives (or is there more?) ...

Hmmm... I can't share your enthusiasm for RT, and thus I can't see where any good could come out of adapting Macross II (or anything else) for RT.

I wonder...do Voltron fans ever see, I dunno, Zambot 3 or something and think, "Man, I wish they would dub this into a new Voltron series"? I really don't know, but it seems like a strange impulse to me.

Macross II exists. It's finished. There's a subtitled version and an (admittedly terrible) English dub. Why take it and screw around with it so that they'll talk about "Veritechs" fueled by "Protoculture"? What's the gain? There would still be no Rick Hunter (unless Hibiki is his grandson), no Dana Sterling (unless Sylvie becomes her daughter), and no Scott Bernard (unless...I dunno, let's say Mash is his nephew). For what purpose? Just to have another DVD that says "ROBOTECH" on the front?

You've seen Macross II. You know the story, you know the ending. I suppose they could REALLY hack it up in order to generate a few surprises along the way, but why? What's wrong with Macross II as it is?

Now, I admit that when I was a kid, I wished HG would pick up DYRL and release that, but that was just so I could get a legal VHS tape of it in a language I could understand ("Clash of the Bionoids" wasn't available in the U.S. yet). I knew they would slice it up, cut out a lot of scenes, and change everything to Robotech-isms, but I figured that was a necessary evil for getting it over to the Western world.

That's no longer true. Macross II has been around in the States for more than fifteen years now, and unedited anime is the norm on DVD. And I think that's something to be applauded.

As it stands, the story of RT is incomplete, which I guess is one of the things that keeps the fanbase going. Scott Bernard has to find Rick Hunter, right? But for a variety of reasons, it's probably never going to happen. You could re-edit and incorporate every robot anime in the history of Japan into Robotech, but it wouldn't do anything except create more loose ends, and make everything more confused and confusing.

Personally, I think the time for RT has really passed...it was kind of a transitional work between the heavily edited and kiddified English anime series of the '70s and early '80s, and the unfiltered anime boom of the '90s. As such, it has its place in history, but as a living, breathing continuing story...? No disrespect, but I just don't see it.

So I'll ask you...you called that idea a "wet dream" for RT fans. Why? Why is Robotech-ized Macross II a good companion piece to the actual Macross II? And why is continuing RT a good and noteworthy project?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I'm genuinely curious.