New Container, Same Contents (mostly)
Robotech.com has posted pre-orders for the new printing of the Robotech Masters novels omnibus edition (first published almost twelve years ago) and the newly compiled New Generation novels omnibus edition. These will be released "at the end of February," the website tells us. This, of course, is part of the merchandising push that will follow the release of the Shadow Chronicles DVD earlier that month -- old books in new covers for the new fans that the new animation hopefully will hook into the wonderful world of the war for Protoculture.
God, I sound like such a shill. Ugh!
Well, in order to reestablish my fair and balanced cred, here's something for those of you in the anti-HG contingent to chew on, if you haven't already -- Anime News Network has picked up that story that's been circulating about the FBI investigating Harmony Gold CEO Frank Agrama, at the request of the Italian government, about some allegedly shady international distribution deals he made in Italy. Yikes!
posted by Captain JLS at
00:54
6 Comments:
Interestingly enough, although the ANN article claims Agrama is facing a fraud indictment in Italy, Variety Magazine's writeup says, "Agrama, as an American citizen, can not be tried in Italy for any alleged misconduct." And none of the other articles I found via Google News state that Agrama's been charged with anything either.
By
Chris Meadows, at 03 December, 2006 02:23
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-agrama29nov29,0,327637.story?coll=la-home-headlines
"Last week, prosecutors in Milan opened the trial of Berlusconi, Italy's richest man, and 11 others, including Agrama, on various criminal charges."
http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/2006/12/01/ap3221137.html
"Agrama is one of the defendants in the Milan TV rights case, but has not been charged with wrongdoing in the United States."
Agrama has not been charged in United States, but he is facing charges in Italy. Variety's assertion that Agrama can't be tried in Italy as an American citizen is untrue. There is a 1984 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Italy. The same is also true between Italy and Great Britain. That is why a British national, David Mills, was also facing charges.
http://travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial_653.html
That might be why Robotech.com removed all mention of the FBI investigation thread after locking it. Steve Yun initially wrote that he locked the thread partly because Agrama was not charged. Had the thread stayed locked but visible, it would have been a clear example of misinformation on Robotech.com's part.
By
Anonymous, at 03 December, 2006 02:55
Variety has corrected itself. It now says that Agrama is standing trial (even if in absentia), and agrees with the other news sources:
"Berlusconi and a group of business associates, including independent Hollywood producer distrib Frank Agrama, stand trial on charges of embezzlement, false accounting and tax fraud in connection with allegedly inflating the price of TV rights on U.S. movies for Berlusconi's Mediaset empire."
By
Anonymous, at 04 December, 2006 13:05
I seem to remember that the authors of the novels did some revision and updating for the omnibus released back in the 1990's. I am wondering if Masters and New Gen novels will be getting the same treatment?
They may not simply becuause the Macross saga was brought up to date to coincide with the Sentinels novels. But now that Harmony Gold has retconned out the Sentinels (for the most part), the next gen novels may be left as is.
By
Anonymous, at 05 December, 2006 14:26
That's a shiny cover! I like!
Also, Brian Daley - half of Jack Mckinney - is dead. And James Luceno is involved in the Star Wars universe now and has said in interviews he has no plan to revisit Robotech (at least, with new stories I guess).
By
kevbayer, at 05 December, 2006 19:47
I thought I read someplace that Luceno was being courted to pen a novelization of The Shadow Chronicles. That true?
By
Anonymous, at 06 December, 2006 16:05
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