The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 8.5

I was replaying Robotech: Invasion the other day, and you know what part I really hate? That bit with where you're on the back of the truck and firing that turret at the oncoming Invid hordes. I always have trouble with that bit. And what's really annoying is that every time you lose, you start right where that stupid soft-focus flashback bit starts playing, the one where it's obvious that both the soldier and the commander making the speech are Greg Snegoff, only for the commander he's doing a bad "character" voice. I wish you could skip those soft-focus flashback bits. Yes, yes -- the REF's counter-invasion failed. We know. He's hearing Invid voices. We know. Drop it and let me get back to the running and the riding and the shooting, OK?

Also: JHC was right-on in the comments. Not being able to ride your Cyclone through the tunnels is REALLY stupid, especially when most of them have clearly marked lanes.

Twofer.

• The other day, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to buy, off of eBay, an old Robotech coloring & activity book. I got the one with a Cyclone rider and an Invid Shock Trooper on the cover. (See it at Robotech Museum here, eighth item down.) Little did I consider what bizarre horrors might lurk within its pages. I knew there would be the usual bits of overused lineart reproduced weirdly ...
  
  
  ... but the mangled and misinformed nonsense that fills the book on the puzzle pages and captions is enough to drive someone with ROBOTECH canon OCD like myself up a wall. And it's not just the usual, "Oh look, they trusted the loopy stuff in the Style Guide again." No, it's simple things, too. Here's my favorite "whoops" moment in the book. Follow the directions:
  
  
  I think the page speaks for itself.


• On the total opposite end of the ROBOTECH spectrum -- that is, detailed and accurate modern stuff coming out in the franchise's ancestral homeland of Nippon -- the Japanese toy companies have clearly gone Mospeada-crazy. Now Megahouse is getting into the act with this transformable Mospeada Ride Armor (image nicked from Collection DX):
  
  
  This is a non-scale item, not to be confused with Beagle's 1/12 scale transformable Mospeada coming next year -- at least, that's my understanding from what I've seen floating around the web.
  
  So, when does Southern Cross get the love? Oh, that's right, never. Ah well.

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 8

It's here! It's here! The new Roboblog Chronicles is here! This week's topic: ROBOTECH and Macross video games, the one area of true success you can lay at the feet of Harmony Gold in the modern Robotech.com era ... setting aside the arguable success of The Shadow Chronicles, of course. Oh, and let's not forget the fiasco that was the Invasion video game. Or maybe let's. I'm not sure at this point.

In any case, sit back, enjoy the show, and leave your comments on what angle you think should be taken with the next game. Like I've said before, I think ... well, watch and see what I think. (Someone commenting on an earlier show was in agreeance with me ... Tolarin, maybe?)

Aoshima @ Shizuoka - Betas & Cyclones, oh my!

We have previously discussed Aoshima's upcoming (late July) retooled release of Toynami's Masterpiece Collection Alpha Fighters, rebranded as Mospeada Legioss Fighters for the Japanese market. Now, if you will direct your attention to Yacolog, you will find photography from the Shizuoka Hobby Show, where you can see additional missiles strapped to the underside of the Legioss' torso and the central missile pod dangling from the left shoulder.

You will also see a gray prototype of the Toynami Beta Fighter in Battloid mode and the upcoming (November) Toynami Scott Bernard w/Cyclone toy. You can tell it's precisely the Toynami Scott w/Cyclone -- study the photos carefully and you'll notice he's got the Shadow Chronicles dangling bangs.

Matt Alt translating Yaco (originally here at ToyBoxDX):

You can see the improvements in the top photo. I originally wrote that one of the improvements would be that the toy could transform without removing the shoulder sensor, but the Aoshima staff told me that wasn't the case. It has to be removed, just like the Toynami version. Also, they (Aoshima) changed the coloring to be closer to the appearance in the anime, but it isn't clear as to if it's possible to achieve these colors with plastic, so they say they are currently aiming to paint the entire toys. The Tread toy that people the world over have been waiting for has been redesigned by Aoshima and it is almost 100% definite that it will be sold. The Mospeda Ride Armor has to be sold as a Robotech toy first, so its release in Japan remains undecided.

What do you think, sirs?

Roboblog Chronicles tomorrow night, business right now.

• I'm selling stuff on eBay right now -- a hefty stack of comic books and a pile of action figures. No ROBOTECH stuff, but mostly anime-related stuff nonetheless. This is going towards my Anime Expo fund -- got a ticket, got a room, now I just need to be able to eat when I get there ...


• Speaking of which, as I just said, I have booked my room for the Anime Expo '07 weekend, so I'm not looking for a place to hang my hat. Now I'm looking for someone who needs a room and wouldn't mind crashing with me. If you're in need of a spot to crash for AX, drop me a line and we'll work something out.

I'm very sorry about not having a new video up, but I spent the entire evening posting the above eBay auctions. It's the first night I haven't felt all fuzzy in the head all week long, and like I said, the AX fund needs dollars, and I honestly wouldn't mind getting back some of the space that this stuff was taking up, either. But not to worry, after tomorrow I'm off of work for the next two and a half months (barring any change of jobs -- that would surely reduce that figure), so I'll be able to work long into the night on the new Roboblog Chronicles episode if need be. It's just not in the cards for tonight, unfortunately; I gotta be up bright & early in the morning for one last day.

More typing, less talking.

Been feeling a little under the weather the past couple of nights, so no Roboblog Chronicles until maybe tomorrow night at best, but I still found the time to keep working steadily on the Robotech comics site. Read up on the adventures of the 15th Squadron in the post-Masters era in Rolling Thunder Part 1, and Jonathan Wolfe's clashes with the Invid on Earth in #1 and Invid War#4.


Man, all these Macross II songs on my ROBOTECH work playlist have me wanting to write about that sequel comic series Viz did back in the day, The Micron Conspiracy (essentially a kind of Malcontent Uprisings set in the Macross II universe), but I've still got so many actual ROBOTECH comics left in the queue. I always did like that series, in some ways even more than the original anime series itself. Maybe after the pile by the computer has dwindled a bit ...

A long night.

If you will turn your attention to the Robotech Comics Blog, you'll notice I've posted up images for Robotech II: The Sentinels Book IV #13 and Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles #2 and an entry on Robotech: The Macross Saga #36 as well as the second storyline serialized in Antarctic Press's bimonthly ROBOTECH anthology series, Fred Perry's nifty Rolling Thunder, featuring Dana and the 15th Squadron. If I actually wake up with daylight to burn tomorrow, I'm thinking I might crack into Rolling Thunder and do a write-up of the first part of that storyline. But then again, I might do something else with tomorrow. Or I could sleep through all of it. One of those things ...

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 7.5 | Spots of News

Good gravy, this is technically the thirteenth episode of The Roboblog Chronicles! Despite being 7.5, this is actually the comments thread episode for episode 6, where I got talking about Robotech II: The Sentinels. Alas, I only hit the comments of two commenters, so I'm definitely going to pick another night and cover some more comments -- you guys said a lot of interesting stuff I really, REALLY want to address!



Elsewhere:

• Robotech.com has a pair of new polls asking whether you the major boobage on display in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles was too much or not. Yes, kids, Robotech.com is perpetuating the topic that will never die. *sigh*


• Palladium Books has issued a new press release that, among other things, indicates that the upcoming Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles RPG book has not been formally scheduled yet, and may in fact not even come out this year. As publisher Kevin Siembieda says:
  
  

  Can we really get all these books out in 2007?
  
  Probably not. Exactly how many are published will depend largely on the sales of recent releases, online products, and books released throughout the Summer.
  
  While Palladium is doing much, much better than a year ago, we are not out of the woods nor working at full capacity.
  
  Cash flow issues (translation: not enough money) continue to dog us, which is why the first 10 titles on the list, above, are tentative even though the manuscripts are sitting on my shelf. Likewise, there are a dozen key titles that need reprinting, but we don’t yet have the cash to print them.
  
  February through May are always slow sales months for everyone in the RPG business. We’re hoping Summer (and Fall) sales rock, including the sale of specialty items offered only online (T-shirts, prints, greeting cards, etc.). If they sell, we can offer more product and do more reprints. The more we publish, the more money we make and the stronger we get, and that means we can publish more books.

  
  And here's hoping they make that money, because I want that Shadow Chronicles book on my shelf.
  
  For Palladium's full list of upcoming books and new merchandise (the greeting cards and stamps are pretty damn cool), read the whole release. Thanks to Treiz for passing this along!
  
  

A fistful of linkage.

• Reader Syd sends along the SciFi.com review of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. Yes, people are still reviewing it. As an aside, the local Wal-Mart 'round here has flagged their remaining copies with the "going" tag that means they'll be pulling it from the shelves to replace it with something that's actually moving soon ...



• Nenad of the United Earth Group dropped me a line to promote Robotech Genesis, their overly ambitious CG animated fan project. As far as I can tell from the spiffy-keen trailers, it appears to be a fan remake of The Macross Saga with updated/redesigned mecha, uniforms, etc. He says a third, all-new trailer is coming along soon and the finished product should be rolled out in October. Add it to your bookmarks and keep checking back. Lookin' good!



• Singer/songwriter Michael Bradley, of Robotech: The New Generation fame, and his band the RK Project will be performing at the Rhythm Lounge the evening of Sunday, July 1. That's a stone's throw from the Long Beach Convention Center during the weekend of Anime Expo. There will be a cover charge, but y'know, I don't think any force on Earth could keep me away. I am so there.

Help a guy out here.

• So the other day I had an hour or so to kill and I finally cracked out my Robotech Collectible Card Game deck and tried to figure it out. However, much to my frustration, I found the included rule sheet entirely, ah, insufficient. I did a Google search to see if anyone had a clearer rule set, but I came up empty. If you have a clear diagram of play, or a fan-made FAQ, or something to help me figure this silly thing out, please e-mail me.




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• It's confirmed: I'll be making my yearly sojourn to Anime Expo in sunny California this year! I've got my airfare and my admittance to the convention paid for, but as of right now I don't have any lodging secured. This is where YOU, the Roboblog reader might be able to help out. If you're going to AX this year and need a roommate, or have a hotel room secured and wouldn't mind my company for a few nights -- I'll pay my fair share of the cost -- PLEASE drop me a line via e-mail. All I need is a place to crash and drop off my stuff; the floor of a two-bed room will be acceptable. ^_-

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 7

Featuring a discussion of one of the interesting intersection points of the different versions of the Robotech II: The Sentinels story -- the case of the Sentinels' flagship Ark Angel -- and a depressing realization I made about a handful of key characters in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 6

You and I both know that there is nothing more entertaining than the sight of a man rambling at length -- ten minutes straight -- on the subject of ROBOTECH II: THE SENTINELS. So, of course, that's what you get this week. Hey, if you can find me a more interesting and timely ROBOTECH-related topic, by all means, let me know ...

Someone else's memories and overpriced soda.

Exactly what it says above:

• Anyone remember what the television landscape looked like when ROBOTECH originally aired back in the 1980's? I know my recollections are hazy. Well, here on YouTube, someone in Chicago has strung together all the ads and such surrounding an episode of ROBOTECH back in '85. Oh, and here's a second set. Seriously, Tranzor-Z, Voltron, and ROBOTECH all on the same channel? Geez, throw in some Transformers and that'd be just about perfect.



• Someone is selling their Jones Soda Zarayba and 100% Distilled Protoculture from the cast & crew screening of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. Even crazier, someone's buying it for, so far, eight bucks plus ten bucks shipping -- I assume, to make sure that the bottles reach their destination without becoming a sticky, pointy mess. (If there wasn't something else on eBay I had my eye on right now, I'd be bidding on it myself, but you know I'm crazy ...)

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 5.5

Comments thread episode for my little Robotech II: The Sentinels production, a little bit of the "how" and "why." If you've got any other questions about it, ask away on this episode's comments thread.

The Roboblog Chronicles: Episode 5

Two and a half days late. You'll see why.

Apologies for the fuzzy audio mix and occasionally incoherent dialogue. I was kind of learning as I went.