Robotech and HG License Debates

[Gubaba]

They don't count as reboots, but there have been many attempts to make the Macross Saga their own in the past, but not in animated form. I think that part has had at least three reinterpretations so far that were official at one time while adding new stuff to the universe; the Comico comics, the McKinney novels, Eternity comics, Antarctic Press comics, and Wildstorm comics. Maybe that's why I know at least one person online who isn't excited about Macross: The First is coming out. And that's despite the fact that the original character designer is finally doing what others have been trying to imitate for far too long in the West.

Anyone who isn't excited about Macross the First clearly hasn't seen it.

[Einherjar]

Anyone who isn't excited about Macross the First clearly hasn't seen it.

Whoops, I read the heading wrong this whole time. He was somewhat excited about it. My bad.

Eighty pages of Mikimoto Macross manga is nothing to sneeze at.

Guess that leaves dougbendo by default.

[Keith]

Ever since Harmony Gold announced the existence of the live-action movie project, they've been focusing on that and nothing else. In the resulting brouhaha, Robotech: Shadow Rising seems to have fallen off the fanbase's radar until recently. Now, one of the most popular topics of speculation on Robotech.com and elsewhere is WHY Harmony Gold seems so reluctant to get Robotech: Shadow Rising done and out the door.

Perhaps the most interesting theory yet proposed, and the one which seemed to offend Kevin McKeever the most, was the suggestion that Harmony Gold put Shadow Rising on the back burner with the intent to broom it along with the rest of the dated, legally-problematic "original" continuity in favor of a new animated series only loosely based on the original if the live-action movie is a success. (In short, the Transformers Animated business model)

Focusing on it how? Does anyone honestly think WB would let any of their staff, let alone Yune anywhere near an official studio production? Licensing is just that, far more likely than not, WB is/would be putting together their own team to work on things, while the HG gang hang out & decide how to spend their sweet sweet check. There's no reason for a production hold up right now, they just have no idea how to put out anything better than Shadow Chronicles, which was pretty freakin' gheto by animation standards (not even getting into writing, acting, etc).

Let me put it this way, what usually goes on when say an X-Men movie is announced. Almsot without fail, there's a new animated series in the works to make sure to cash in on the hype. HG on the other hand seems to be taking the complete opposite approach with "We'll hang out and wait unitl this live action production gets finished, then we'll do something, because we're soo busy with our tranny prostitudes with fake boobs."

At this point, I'd guess at one of two scenarios:

-The deal with WB cost them a little something more than usual, likely due to the risk involved for WB. That being WB either wanted no competing media out there while they work on their movie, or WB wants to profit share should HG release anything.

or

-Tommy Yune just can't figure out how to write himself out of the hole he created with Shadow Chronicles, since not only are the bulk of the Mospeada cast MiA, & "Rick Hunter" sucked into a mystery hole, but he left his main cast roaming through space on a lightly armed (if that) ship that has no crazy nukes, no huge beam cannons, and apparently not much of a fighter escort either (not that it would matter since most of their pilots were killed off). Hell, they didn't even seem to leave with much in the way of food or supplies (unless they hung a u-turn back to Earth to stock up). Likely he was hoping to find something in Frontier that he could rip-off, but since he left Yellow in the Abyss of rewrite plot holes, he has no way to incorperate a cross-dressing ace pilot main character. Not to mention Robotech has played the ancient superpower alien race card a few too many times.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Keith

[anime52k8]

-Tommy Yune just can't figure out how to write himself out of the hole he created with Shadow Chronicles, since not only are the bulk of the Mospeada cast MiA, & "Rick Hunter" sucked into a mystery hole, but he left his main cast roaming through space on a lightly armed (if that) ship that has no crazy nukes, no huge beam cannons, and apparently not much of a fighter escort either (not that it would matter since most of their pilots were killed off). Hell, they didn't even seem to leave with much in the way of food or supplies (unless they hung a u-turn back to Earth to stock up). Likely he was hoping to find something in Frontier that he could rip-off, but since he left Yellow in the Abyss of rewrite plot holes, he has no way to incorperate a cross-dressing ace pilot main character. Not to mention Robotech has played the ancient superpower alien race card a few too many times.

It wouldn't be THAT hard. All they have to do is have the colony ship they left in pick up all the people they left on earth (they don't need to explain how, it's not like they explained anything else), rescue Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 with more techno-babel and fly off into the galaxy to find a new home while being chased by the Cylons Mooninites Hadonites. Copy the rest of the plot from BSG and you've got yourself Shadow Rising. The story Just rights itself.

[Keith]

It wouldn't be THAT hard. All they have to do is have the colony ship they left in pick up all the people they left on earth (they don't need to explain how, it's not like they explained anything else), rescue Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 with more techno-babel and fly off into the galaxy to find a new home while being chased by the Cylons Mooninites Hadonites. Copy the rest of the plot from BSG and you've got yourself Shadow Rising. The story Just rights itself.

Just replace "All Along The Watchtower" with "Protoculture." PERFECT!

You sir have a bright future at HG. Hell, if I had the resources & time, I'd actually consider doing a dub edit of BSG into a Robotech Live Action Movie. The comic value alone would be worth it.

Universe get someone on that!!

Edited August 7, 2009 by Keith

[Einherjar]

At this point, I'd guess at one of two scenarios:

-The deal with WB cost them a little something more than usual, likely due to the risk involved for WB. That being WB either wanted no competing media out there while they work on their movie, or WB wants to profit share should HG release anything.

Now that would be irony. How does it feel to be the BW in a relationship for a change?

Plus, they're guaranteed to be hemorrhaging money while they wait indefinitely.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Einherjar

[jenius]

Who would be hemorrhaging money? In business, if you're not actually working on anything, you're usually not hemorrhaging money.

[Einherjar]

Who would be hemorrhaging money? In business, if you're not actually working on anything, you're usually not hemorrhaging money.

How about the total cost of doing stuff like the Robotech Convention Tour every year? There's food, hotel accommodations, transportation rentals, airplane flights, panel room expenses, paying special hosts that might appear, etc.

Is it also possible that they lost potential money by putting Shadow Chronicles on Hulu for free? I really don't know how that works.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Einherjar

[Keith]

Who would be hemorrhaging money? In business, if you're not actually working on anything, you're usually not hemorrhaging money.

Does Toynami sell enough toys to bankroll the HG staff? I can't help but assume Robotech DVD sales have all but dried up now, and the few novelties they sell off their site couldn't possibly finance their payroll roster.

[Freiflug88]

If they still have some relationship with ExoSquad they might be able to reboot the franchise and replace the first Robotech war largely with plot elements from ExoSquad. Have a spaceship crash on Earth then have humans create and abuse Neosapiens until the Neosapiens turn on them, that's the first Robotech War. Then the Masters come looking for their crashed ship... then the Invid come.

I had a similar idea about combining ideas from ExoSquad for a Robotech reboot. The Zentradi could easily be renamed and rewritten as engineered clones designed to assist with spaceship and mecha construction before they turn on their creators and leave to build their massive armada in another solar system. Years later the humans unlock the secrets of "Robotechnology" and create nano-robot assemblers to build smaller more sophisticated ships, cultivate Protoculture into a powerful biofuel for nuclear fusion, and of course repair the SDF just in time for Captain Gloval and crew to fold out before the massive Zentradi fleet bombard the earth at the start of the first Robotech War.

Focusing on it how? Does anyone honestly think WB would let any of their staff, let alone Yune anywhere near an official studio production? Licensing is just that, far more likely than not, WB is/would be putting together their own team to work on things, while the HG gang hang out & decide how to spend their sweet sweet check.

I think that WB would be crazy not to put Yune and the HG Staff as advisers for the film. By agreeing to produce a Robotech movie WB must make a Robotech movie while avoiding infringement upon BW's Macross copyrights and like or not the guys at Harmony Gold are only people in the US that have all the details and fine legal print surrounding the issue.

Let me put it this way, what usually goes on when say an X-Men movie is announced. Almsot without fail, there's a new animated series in the works to make sure to cash in on the hype.

I think there is more to it though. The animated series are always made to loosely tie-in to their Live Action counterparts in some way and the Robotech LAM is just a rough draft so far. No animation studio in their right mind would decide to start actual work on an animated series tie-in with no clue as to what the Live Action counterpart will even look like in the end, not to even mention the legality of Robotech elements that are likely still in question.

HG on the other hand seems to be taking the complete opposite approach with "We'll hang out and wait unitl this live action production gets finished, then we'll do something, because we're soo busy with our tranny prostitudes with fake boobs."

That is total BS. The guys at HG never waste that much time with prostitutes. They blow their cash and fire their blanks faster then a gunpod and are always gone in 60 seconds.

It wouldn't be THAT hard. All they have to do is have the colony ship they left in pick up all the people they left on earth (they don't need to explain how, it's not like they explained anything else), rescue Rick Hunter and the SDF-3 with more techno-babel and fly off into the galaxy to find a new home while being chased by the Cylons Mooninites Hadonites. Copy the rest of the plot from BSG and you've got yourself Shadow Rising. The story Just rights itself.

Your right the story would be much better as Robotech Shadow Gallatica. No need to even rescue the SDF-3. They will just show Lisa, Minmay, and Mira awaken nude in a Hadonite bathtub filled with protoculture goo and imply the same thing happened to Rick and Max before the Robotech Master Coval reveals himself as the true leader of the Hadonite's and asks them, the Final "Super Dimensional Five" to give him the knowledge for creating a new more powerful resurrection machine to resurrect Zor in exchange for a truce. After they start to exchange memories Rick sees the memories of Mirya shooting at Roy and starts choking her death which leads to a chatotic death brawl as Max kills Rick and points out the obvious that Roy could have been brought back to life with resurrection as well.

Meanwhile all of the Ark Angel crew minus Louie and Janice decide they are tired of fighting in a stupid war and to just go back to nature on the new Earth-like planet they found after Captain Grant is hailed as a chief by humanoid aliens that resemble African tribesmen. As for Louie he tried out his new teleportation device and disappears into thin air never to be seen again leaving a heartbroken Janice to pilot the Ark Angel and the rest of the RDF fleet into the sun.

Fastword 10,000 years Zor Prime and Dana "Six" Sterling in a red dress are seen reading a newspaper article about the discovery of "Mitochondrial Minmay," the human-invid daughter of Scott and Ariel. Then in a flash of light the SDF-3 is seen crashing out of the sky and onto a remote island.

Zor: "So the circle continues. Protoculture sure works in mysterious ways"

Dana: "Yeah, why the hell did God decide to work though a plant of all things."

Zor: "Well you know he does know a bit about farming."

Dana: "I forgot, quess I was too busy remembering love."

THE END.

[Wanzerfan]

I had a similar idea about combining ideas from ExoSquad for a Robotech reboot. The Zentradi could easily be renamed and rewritten as engineered clones designed to assist with spaceship and mecha construction before they turn on their creators and leave to build their massive armada in another solar system. Years later the humans unlock the secrets of "Robotechnology" and create nano-robot assemblers to build smaller more sophisticated ships, cultivate Protoculture into a powerful biofuel for nuclear fusion, and of course repair the SDF just in time for Captain Gloval and crew to fold out before the massive Zentradi fleet bombard the earth at the start of the first Robotech War.

The Exo-Squad storyline was supposed to be what happened to the SDF-3 and the Invid Regis' troops when they crossed into that universe.

Too bad Harmony Gold got pissy and nixed Season 3 of Exo-Suqad. Universal Cartoon Studios was doing a bang-up job with the series. Incompetent Harmony Gold pricks.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Wanzerfan

[Keith]

I had a similar idea about combining ideas from ExoSquad for a Robotech reboot. The Zentradi could easily be renamed and rewritten as engineered clones designed to assist with spaceship and mecha construction before they turn on their creators and leave to build their massive armada in another solar system. Years later the humans unlock the secrets of "Robotechnology" and create nano-robot assemblers to build smaller more sophisticated ships, cultivate Protoculture into a powerful biofuel for nuclear fusion, and of course repair the SDF just in time for Captain Gloval and crew to fold out before the massive Zentradi fleet bombard the earth at the start of the first Robotech War.

I think that WB would be crazy not to put Yune and the HG Staff as advisers for the film. By agreeing to produce a Robotech movie WB must make a Robotech movie while avoiding infringement upon BW's Macross copyrights and like or not the guys at Harmony Gold are only people in the US that have all the details and fine legal print surrounding the issue.

I think there is more to it though. The animated series are always made to loosely tie-in to their Live Action counterparts in some way and the Robotech LAM is just a rough draft so far. No animation studio in their right mind would decide to start actual work on an animated series tie-in with no clue as to what the Live Action counterpart will even look like in the end, not to even mention the legality of Robotech elements that are likely still in question.

That is total BS. The guys at HG never waste that much time with prostitutes. They blow their cash and fire their blanks faster then a gunpod and are always gone in 60 seconds.

Your right the story would be much better as Robotech Shadow Gallatica. No need to even rescue the SDF-3. They will just show Lisa, Minmay, and Mira awaken nude in a Hadonite bathtub filled with protoculture goo and imply the same thing happened to Rick and Max before the Robotech Master Coval reveals himself as the true leader of the Hadonite's and asks them, the Final "Super Dimensional Five" to give him the knowledge for creating a new more powerful resurrection machine to resurrect Zor in exchange for a truce. After they start to exchange memories Rick sees the memories of Mirya shooting at Roy and starts choking her death which leads to a chatotic death brawl as Max kills Rick and points out the obvious that Roy could have been brought back to life with resurrection as well.

Meanwhile all of the Ark Angel crew minus Louie and Janice decide they are tired of fighting in a stupid war and to just go back to nature on the new Earth-like planet they found after Captain Grant is hailed as a chief by humanoid aliens that resemble African tribesmen. As for Louie he tried out his new teleportation device and disappears into thin air never to be seen again leaving a heartbroken Janice to pilot the Ark Angel and the rest of the RDF fleet into the sun.

Fastword 10,000 years Zor Prime and Dana "Six" Sterling in a red dress are seen reading a newspaper article about the discovery of "Mitochondrial Minmay," the human-invid daughter of Scott and Ariel. Then in a flash of light the SDF-3 is seen crashing out of the sky and onto a remote island.

Zor: "So the circle continues. Protoculture sure works in mysterious ways"

Dana: "Yeah, why the hell did God decide to work though a plant of all things."

Zor: "Well you know he does know a bit about farming."

Dana: "I forgot, quess I was too busy remembering love."

THE END.

LOL, I'm loving tihs fandub/re-edit more and more.

The Exo-Squad storyline was supposed to be what happened to the SDF-3 and the Invid Regis' troops when they crossed into that universe.

Too bad Harmony Gold got pissy and nixed Season 3 of Exo-Suqad. Universal Cartoon Studios was doing a bang-up job with the series. Incompetent Harmony Gold pricks.

I can't tell if you're joking or not, but I'm pretty sure absolutely none of that is true. The only remote hint of cross-involvement was the toyline.

[jenius]

Does Toynami sell enough toys to bankroll the HG staff? I can't help but assume Robotech DVD sales have all but dried up now, and the few novelties they sell off their site couldn't possibly finance their payroll roster.

They don't need big checks rolling in, just lots of little ones. Honestly though, a few guys touring conventions and keeping a website going doesn't cost a significant chunk of change in the business world. Sure, there are probably more employees toiling away on other logistical issues but their whole operation is probably very slim. Heck, some companies could keep an operation like that alive just on the return of various investments. HG probably also enjoys having a few private investors but after this many years of creeping along I'm sure they've developed a good cash neutral plan.

[Duke Togo]

I love the two sides of it. Go to RT.com for ridiculous complacence in the face of mediocrity, come here for the baseless hate and rampant pessimism.

I don't get the baseless hate part, I think most of us here are just tired of their bullshit. We'd rather they just go away. And I can't speak for everyone else here, but what do I have to be pessimistic about here? I have Macross Frontier in HD with english subtitles, access to all the toys I could want... really, its a great time to be a Macross fan, where ever you live.

[DarrinG]

I can only hope that I'm seeing no new production work from HG because they're readjusting their focus from 14 year olds over to 30 year olds.

They have a myriad of good options before them (even with the legal constraints) but with they choose one?

I nominate myself, Jenius and JasonC to their board, and maybe some others here.

HG need fresh perspective from a few passionate souls.

I firmly believe we can help them continue their 'gangbusters' sales, but with critical acclaim from a broad range of fans this time for their next effort . . .

[RavenHawk]

The Exo-Squad storyline was supposed to be what happened to the SDF-3 and the Invid Regis' troops when they crossed into that universe.

Too bad Harmony Gold got pissy and nixed Season 3 of Exo-Suqad. Universal Cartoon Studios was doing a bang-up job with the series. Incompetent Harmony Gold pricks.

No it wasn't. Numerous interviews with the ExoSquad writers all say that Robotech was never actually mean to have anything to do with season 3. The toys were marketed together, because they looked a little like they could fit in the same universe. The cartoon, sadly, had nothing to do with the other, and, fortunately, had NOTHING to do with Harmony Gold.

[Duke Togo]

I wonder, in their heart of hearts, what they were all thinking when they first saw Macross Frontier compared to the pile of shite Shadow Chronicles was.

[Freiflug88]

LOL, I'm loving tihs fandub/re-edit more and more.

Then you'll love Battle Macross Star Gallactica even more! Its got everything: Captain Gloval and XO Saul Breetai smackdowns, Gaius Basara trading his guitar for an assault rifle for once, Grace Roslin conspiring with Leon Adama to become Madam President, and Miria Thrace getting 7 daughters each from a different drunk ace!

It was really sad though when Claudia shoots her brains out after looking at an old picture of her and Roy after returning from a date with Ozma "Apollo" Lee Adama .

Fortunately their was a happy ending in the end when Gaius Basara and Sivil Caprica "Six" get back together and realize they are literally embodiments of Christ and the Anti-Christ before solving everything with a song that revealed the fold coordinates to the the missing Megaroad!

I wonder, in their heart of hearts, what they were all thinking when they first saw Macross Frontier compared to the pile of shite Shadow Chronicles was.

Probably something like: "F#*k another Macross to make us look bad!" I can't remember exactly where I found it, but I swear I saw a quote of Kevin Mckeaver somewhere on Robotech.com months ago saying something like "They just keep never stop making these dam Sequels. The Franchise just needs to die out already."

Edited August 7, 2009 by Freiflug88

[jenius]

I don't get the baseless hate part, I think most of us here are just tired of their bullshit. We'd rather they just go away. And I can't speak for everyone else here, but what do I have to be pessimistic about here? I have Macross Frontier in HD with english subtitles, access to all the toys I could want... really, its a great time to be a Macross fan, where ever you live.

My comment was in regard to HG/Robotech. I can't think of a reason why anyone would be pessimistic about Macross, things are going great. From the Robotech perspective though some people think things are going great and RT is about to blow up while it's more common on this board for people to expect HG to be shuttering their doors... and of course there are people on both boards who occasionally nail the extremes.

[Duke Togo]

My comment was in regard to HG/Robotech. I can't think of a reason why anyone would be pessimistic about Macross, things are going great. From the Robotech perspective though some people think things are going great and RT is about to blow up while it's more common on this board for people to expect HG to be shuttering their doors... and of course there are people on both boards who occasionally nail the extremes.

I don't see, amongst the people I know, the people I associate with, or any of my friends, any interest in Robotech. Day in and day out, with the exception of this message board, I generally don't ever hear or see the words "Robotech" or "Harmony Gold". If HG and Robotech are going gangbusters, its escaped the northeastern corridor of the US.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Duke Togo

[Moly_Sigang]

They should change their company's name to 'Hemorrhage Gold'

[Einherjar]

The Internet is international, somewhere out there it might still appeal to someone around the world, regardless of the drought of information. Like Palladium Books forums. Unless it's the same damn people popping up in those places.

I wonder, in their heart of hearts, what they were all thinking when they first saw Macross Frontier compared to the pile of shite Shadow Chronicles was.

"Wow, that's some pretty nifty stuff. But uh oh, it will never get out of Japan without our consent. And we have Hollywood! Too badz."

They probably got the crew together to make a strategy to downplay it in their yearly outings. Maybe even start the blame game again if anyone asks about it.

Remember when Frank Agrama almost got in trouble with the law with connections with Silvio Berlusconi? Maybe for a time HG was funded in part by dirty Italian political money.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Einherjar

[jenius]

I don't see, amongst the people I know, the people I associate with, or any of my friends, any interest in Robotech. Day in and day out, with the exception of this message board, I generally don't ever hear or see the words "Robotech" or "Harmony Gold". If HG and Robotech are going gangbusters, its escaped the northeastern corridor of the US.

I think you missed the entire context of the conversation. To paraphrase: "It's fun to see how happy the people at RT.com are ignoring the things that should bother them versus how focused we are on MW on those bothersome details." I really wasn't trying to involve your friends in the conversation... unless they're hanging out on the RT.com message board.

Here is the original quote again but with emphasis:

I love the two sides of it. Go to RT.com for ridiculous complacence in the face of mediocrity, come here for the baseless hate and rampant pessimism.

If it requires further explanation feel free to send me a PM.

Edited August 7, 2009 by jenius

[Einherjar]

When someone decides to invest money into a company, do they expect something in return, depending on the agreement, eventually? It could be money, shares, etc., but HG is a small company. Won't they have to pay the investors back sometime in some way?

EDIT - Not the Italian government, I mean the other investors.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Einherjar

[Freiflug88]

When someone decides to invest money into a company, do they expect something in return, depending on the agreement, eventually? It could be money, shares, etc., but HG is a small company. Won't they have to pay the investors back sometime in some way?

EDIT - Not the Italian government, I mean the other investors.

It also claims that Agrama sent certain executives from Berlusconi's Mediaset "kickback" payments of nearly $6.5 million.

I would say Frank Agrama was paying backing back his "investors" very well.

[jenius]

When someone decides to invest money into a company, do they expect something in return, depending on the agreement, eventually? It could be money, shares, etc., but HG is a small company. Won't they have to pay the investors back sometime in some way?

EDIT - Not the Italian government, I mean the other investors.

With private companies investments are often just like loans. A person investing in HG might just expect an annual return of say 8%. If HG is able to consistently pay that 8% the person may continually up the amount invested. Investments can be structured many different ways though and HG may be able to live quite comfortably just having a good year every few years apart. Heck, they may have made enough off Shadow Chronicles and their work with WB to sit pretty for a long time... hence no need to try to push out the next item.

[Duke Togo]

I think you missed the entire context of the conversation.

No, I did not.

From the Robotech perspective though some people think things are going great and RT is about to blow up while it's more common on this board for people to expect HG to be shuttering their doors.

I quoted this again, to re-emphasize what I was responding to. It was really not so much of a response as it was an addition to your commentary on the state of Robotech and how the sides view it.

[Seto Kaiba]

Investments can be structured many different ways though and HG may be able to live quite comfortably just having a good year every few years apart. Heck, they may have made enough off Shadow Chronicles and their work with WB to sit pretty for a long time... hence no need to try to push out the next item.

Well, Tommy Yune has always maintained that Robotech: the Shadow Chronicles was a resounding financial success, and once he gave us an approximate figure for the show's budget, it wasn't hard to see why. If Tommy can be taken at his word, Harmony Gold spent less than $1 million (USD) on Shadow Chronicles. It's the business model many have come to see as typical of Harmony Gold... develop the product as cheaply as humanly possible and then turn around and sell it to the devoted (read "fanatical") fans with a ridiculously huge markup. That, combined with the forced scarcity of many of their products, means that their sales are almost all profit. From an objective standpoint, it shows that they understand their target audience perhaps a little better than they should...

[Keith]

I wonder, in their heart of hearts, what they were all thinking when they first saw Macross Frontier compared to the pile of shite Shadow Chronicles was.

I imagine Tommy Yune ripped up all his fanart design proposals for "Shadow Rising" through him in his little desk trash can, then quietly walked into the bathroom to cry in a stall. And now that we've stumbled upon the genius of taking Battlestar Galactica & re-writing "Shadow Rising" to reflect a not so subtle riip-off of that, he's likely doing the same thing.

Of course I also like to imagine that someday Gedde Watanabe will walk into the HG offices and

and then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx_UJxuQGXo

Edited August 8, 2009 by Keith

[Einherjar]

Let's go back to 2007, when MacF was in production. I think this was an example of the first time a U.S. based website ever reported about it.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-...for-new-macross

Then, two months later the first announcement of the LAMR.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-...ech-film-rights

Coincidence? It was strange that news of both came about at around the same time. So I'm thinking the first response HG ever had at just the news of a Macross series in production was to try and upstage it with a Hollywood movie.

While I'm on it, can someone clarify when the Macross Zero OVA and Robotech: From the Stars comic books began? Were the first chapters of both released around the same time as well? When thinking about it, were the vague similarities between both as coincidental?

Macross Zero (OAV)

Robotech: From The Stars (WildStorm/DC Comics)

[terry the lone wolf]

While I'm on it, can someone clarify when the Macross Zero OVA and Robotech: From the Stars comic books began? Were the first chapters of both released around the same time as well? When thinking about it, were the vague similarities between both as coincidental?

Macross Zero (OAV)

Robotech: From The Stars (WildStorm/DC Comics)

If there were similarities it was very very vague. From the Stars was sort of an origin story for Roy and have him battle the terrorists of the anti-UN. Now Macross Zero, the UN forces are still battling anti-UN but it's more about how the protoculture affected Earth's development. It seems in Robotech that Earth's first exposure to protoculture was the arrival of SDF-1 but in M0 the aliens had multiple contact with early humans. To be honest I think Zero has more similarities with Smallville than From the Stars.

[jenius]

I think the timing of the LAMR announcement after Frontier came out is pretty much a coincidence just like I don't think the release of Shadow Chronicles had anything to do with the development of Frontier. The Zero/To the Stars thing is also somewhat coincidental if you look at the bigger picture. We were in the middle of an old franchise revival as the kids of the 80s got money... everyone wanted to start cashing in on that. For the LAMR, HG probably made just a big enough splash with Shadow Chronicles to get chats going with the studio and they went public when they could. I'm pretty sure at this point HG knows they can't really compete with BW, they're just doing what they can to try to make a dollar.

[Duke Togo]

I think the timing of the LAMR announcement after Frontier came out is pretty much a coincidence

I would assume so, but the quality of the two productions is so disparate.

[Radd]

I think the Robotech movie idea came to be more from the 80's remake mania on the part of Hollywood than it did from HG or Frontier. Everyone is trying to find a Saturday morning cartoon they can turn into a blockbuster motion picture right now.

[Freiflug88]

Coincidence? It was strange that news of both came about at around the same time. So I'm thinking the first response HG ever had at just the news of a Macross series in production was to try and upstage it with a Hollywood movie.

I think its more then just a mere coincidence, but I don't think HG goal was to upstage the news of Macross Frontier's pilot film with news of a Hollywood movie that might be shown in theaters years from now. I think HG figured that while fans are already thinking of new Valkyries and revisiting Macross thanks to the news of Frontier would be a perfect time to advertise their own Robotech franchise.