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HG and Robotech Debates


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With all the Mindless CG movies out, or coming out, I held out little hope that an large scope, adult oriented sci-fi flick could be pulled off well anymore.

Saw District 9 last night. SHEESH - not perfect but very awesome.

Get THAT team on any Macross or RB live action movie please! License debates be darned!

Toby - if you can hear me:

it should look wayyyy more like District 9 than Transformers; harsh, real, not over produced or over refined. NOT with pretty models or a Zoolander cast - REAL looking, or obscure actors PLEASE!

And I heard it only cost 30 mil - even more amazing . . .

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Is it so hard to create a plane mech with 3 modes of transformation that doesn't look like a Macross design? Even with the Mac characters they could've tweeked them a little (like in Sentinels) so they wouldn't conflict with the legalities.

Mospeada did it and that happened only a year after Macross.

If they don't try to make it look "Macrossy", the RT crowd will come out crying bloody murder. But the animation designs aren't something that would translate to the big screen as well. Making modern jets look like a something decent without them turning into Bayformers can be done. This fanart did it, so it can't be THAT hard.

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Is it so hard to create a plane mech with 3 modes of transformation that doesn't look like a Macross design? Even with the Mac characters they could've tweeked them a little (like in Sentinels) so they wouldn't conflict with the legalities.

It would be hard for HG with no experienced mecha or CG artists of there own and little money to pay for outside help. With WB producing the LARM they have all the money they need to hire all the experienced designs they need though. Tweaking transforming mecha is harder then tweaking charater designs, but it should be possible indeed. If Kawamori could legally design a VF-1 that looks similar to F-14 with unique design cues and not infringe upon Grumen's F-14 copyrights, then whoever WB hires should by all means be able to create their own unique F-14 inspired VF that doesn't infringe upon either BW's or Grumen's copyrights.

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They always had Tommy Yune. He could have done something in a comic book after all these years. It's not like his career as an anime director/writer and creative director for a franchise is keeping him busy.

I forgot about the comics. Tommy could easily draw some generic VFs in a comic book or two, but HG seems through with making Robotech comics to me. HG probably realized long ago that it is much easier and profitable to just sell overpriced and repackaged Macross toys that fans would have to physically buy rather then pouring resources into creating new comics that will end up being digitally distributed for free on the net.

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I forgot about the comics. Tommy could easily draw some generic VFs in a comic book or two, but HG seems through with making Robotech comics to me. HG probably realized long ago that it is much easier and profitable to just sell overpriced and repackaged Macross toys that fans would have to physically buy rather then pouring resources into creating new comics that will end up being digitally distributed for free on the net.

Where did you get the idea that Harmony Gold made comics? DC made comics.

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Where did you get the idea that Harmony Gold made comics? DC made comics.

They should have made a deal with DC while they were waiting for Shadow Rising, but before the LAM news came out. The franchise would have appeared more active than it really was.

EDIT - Okay, maybe just the Wildstorm part of it. They still have the comic book license they haven't been using, right?

Edited by Einherjar
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I thought fans rewatch "teh original 85 episodes" enough times to memorize it these days. MEMO is into this a lot more than I, but even I know that crap.

http://www.robotech.com/infopedia/characte...racter.php?id=9

I haven't watched RT in nearly four years and even I still knew Dana was from SC

:wacko:

Is it so hard to create a plane mech with 3 modes of transformation that doesn't look like a Macross design? Even with the Mac characters they could've tweeked them a little (like in Sentinels) so they wouldn't conflict with the legalities.

Personally, I don't see why Robotech has to have mecha that transforms at all. Also I don't know why its style needs to be that of "anime". I'd like it to be original for a change, and don't even get me started on the abortion that was "The Shadow Chronicles". what a farting joke.

Edited by HappyPenguins
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If they don't try to make it look "Macrossy", the RT crowd will come out crying bloody murder. But the animation designs aren't something that would translate to the big screen as well. Making modern jets look like a something decent without them turning into Bayformers can be done. This fanart did it, so it can't be THAT hard.

It's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation for Warner Bros and Harmony Gold. If they make the live-action movie Macross-y, they run the risk of being sued into next week by Big West, and if they don't, the fans will crucify them with big, blunt, rusty nails shaped like the SDF-1.

They always had Tommy Yune. He could have done something in a comic book after all these years. It's not like his career as an anime director/writer and creative director for a franchise is keeping him busy.

It's not like he didn't TRY... I mean, we have that spectacularly ugly, unused VF-13 Gamma Fighter design of his, and that equally hideous transforming jeep with the big railgun on top, and it looks like he took a stab at trying to come up with his own transformation for the VF-X-4 but couldn't make it work, so he had to weasel out of it.

Yeah, so DC's license probably ran out and they didn't renew it since the '80s nostalgia boom in comics died.

I don't think so... one of the biggest bullet points in Tommy's powerpoints these days is that they're releasing a trade paperback version of Prelude, and that was a Wildstorm release.

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I think so, yes.

Wildstorm Publishing is owned by Time Warner, so you can say that the comic is being published by DC Comics.

MEMO1DOMINION's avatar is most likely his brains smoldering on the grill. :p

Edited by Wanzerfan
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Fair enough. Maybe it's just not profitable to put out a NEW comic.

Since all of the "new" comics published by Wildstorm have all been done as limited series with extremely limited print runs to make sure they sell out, there's no doubt that if they did another comic on that business model, it'd still be profitable. Heck, some of the dumber and more devoted fans would happily buy it twice... once on a per-issue basis and once as a trade paperback.

I'm betting the reason they aren't trying to fill the void between Shadow Chronicles and Shadow Rising with comics is because they don't have a damn clue what the story of the Shadow Rising movie is going to be. It looks like they realized they've exhausted the potential of comics based on the "original 85" too... they're trying to stay away from Macross (which is the most popular), most of the fans HATE the Masters Saga (Southern Cross), and they've exhausted the few interesting characters in the New Generation (Mospeada). Unless they want to re-do the Robotech II: the Sentinels comics, they've run out of ideas.

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Since all of the "new" comics published by Wildstorm have all been done as limited series with extremely limited print runs to make sure they sell out, there's no doubt that if they did another comic on that business model, it'd still be profitable. Heck, some of the dumber and more devoted fans would happily buy it twice... once on a per-issue basis and once as a trade paperback.

Are you serious? The American comic book industry is in a death spiral. The last two years have been especially bad.

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Are you serious? The American comic book industry is in a death spiral. The last two years have been especially bad.

They'll probably have to do it anyway to keep interest in Robotech high. So they could lose money investing on comic books again, at least they're stalling while everything else they want is slowly progressing. They might even go back to novelizations again if it gets really bad. Half of McKinney is still alive after all.

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It's not like he didn't TRY... I mean, we have that spectacularly ugly, unused VF-13 Gamma Fighter design of his, and that equally hideous transforming jeep with the big railgun on top

It's amazing to think that compared to the Japanese Macross franchise, very little effort was made to create anything new with Robotech.

Are you serious? The American comic book industry is in a death spiral. The last two years have been especially bad.

I heard that mecha comics heyday (sometime 2001), properties like Robotech and Transformers comics sold as high as 40-50k. Nowadays it'll be lucky to sell 10% of that. Seto's right though: a limited print run = sold out from hardcore fans. When that happens, maybe Harmony Gold can finally finish putting all that hideous Comico stuff in a trade.

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I heard that mecha comics heyday (sometime 2001), properties like Robotech and Transformers comics sold as high as 40-50k. Nowadays it'll be lucky to sell 10% of that. Seto's right though: a limited print run = sold out from hardcore fans. When that happens, maybe Harmony Gold can finally finish putting all that hideous Comico stuff in a trade.

Yeah, the top selling comic that's not a superhero comic is Buffy which is not even cresting 50k. http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssale...09/2009-06.html

The best selling comic is only selling 168,539, which is pathetic compared to what comics were selling when we were kids, but the point is that was not mecha books having a boom, it was '80s nostalgia books having a boom, and that particular ship has long since set sail.

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Yeah, the top selling comic that's not a superhero comic is Buffy which is not even cresting 50k. http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssale...09/2009-06.html

The best selling comic is only selling 168,539, which is pathetic compared to what comics were selling when we were kids, but the point is that was not mecha books having a boom, it was '80s nostalgia books having a boom, and that particular ship has long since set sail.

Yeah, the whole Buffy thing is something of an anomaly for me in the comic world. Maybe if Harmony Gold hires Joss Whedon to write a Robotech comic, there might be hope!

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Where is Kevin McKeever and his STHU speech for the week in a topic like this? This would be around the time he comes in and does damage control.

I really wonder about HG's hiring practices. The last time I saw anything from McKeever (formerly known as bankofkev), he wasn't exactly a shining example of human intelligence. Though compared to CAPS boy, he's like a freaking genius. If a team is only as strong as its weakest link, I'd hate to be on HG's team.

I used to try and reasons with these people until I realize how stupid it was to do so. Who's the bigger idiot? The idiot or the person arguing with the idiot?

Here's my prediction: the RLAM will be a minor success with most reviewers giving it a C to -C rating. Enough to warrant a sequel that will be so craptastical that the series will be buried.

Not that I really care. I have important things in my life now.

vinnie

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Is it possible to send memo a dictionary? Or take up a collection so he can learn to type and buy a dictionary?

He's like the Bizzaro Seto.

I was thinking that a new keyboard might be more appropriate. ^_^

MEMO does have his quirks, but I don't think that he's actually a bad guy. To all those posting about it, MEMO's avatar pic is actually of some grilled carne asada, which he very kindly prepared for the attendants of a past MW Con. No, I was not there.

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Are you serious? The American comic book industry is in a death spiral. The last two years have been especially bad.

Why yes, yes I am. It's a different business model than the conventional one used by the American comic book industry. Instead of printing as many copies as you need to meet the demand, you do an inexpensive and extremely limited print run insufficient to meet demand for the book, and that forced scarcity not only lets you run the price up for the initial sale, it also guarantees that you'll meet your sales targets, which, all other things being equal, means you turn a profit on the book. Of course, any reprintings after that, you only have to cover the printing and binding costs, so that's almost all profit if your target audience is still willing to buy.

Like everything else Shadow Chronicles, Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles looks like it was done on the cheap, which, like most of the RTSC merch and the movie itself, it probably was.

It's amazing to think that compared to the Japanese Macross franchise, very little effort was made to create anything new with Robotech.

Tying in to what I said above, that seems to be Harmony Gold's business model... producing new products as cheaply by sacrificing quality wherever possible, and putting only minimal effort into the creative process. Rather than develop new characters and stories, they just keep recycling old ones, which served two purposes... keeping production costs down, and appeasing the most fanatical fans... those who thought Robotech II: the Sentinels was something other than a massive turd.

Is it possible to send memo a dictionary? Or take up a collection so he can learn to type and buy a dictionary?

He's like the Bizzaro Seto.

Does that make Robotech.com Bizarro World from the old pre-crisis Superman comics?

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Tying in to what I said above, that seems to be Harmony Gold's business model... producing new products as cheaply by sacrificing quality wherever possible, and putting only minimal effort into the creative process. Rather than develop new characters and stories, they just keep recycling old ones, which served two purposes... keeping production costs down, and appeasing the most fanatical fans... those who thought Robotech II: the Sentinels was something other than a massive turd.

And those that are capable of handling such a conundrum, HG won't even give them a passing glance.

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Rather than develop new characters and stories, they just keep recycling old ones, which served two purposes... keeping production costs down, and appeasing the most fanatical fans... those who thought Robotech II: the Sentinels was something other than a massive turd.

The crazy thing is none of these people are suffering from ending fatigue, or the lack of an ending. They expect this to keep on going without any kind of closure for the various loose ends they've neglected over the years, now even bigger with most of the material released out there glossed over. It's like the Lost effect years before Lost even came out; it's difficult for newcomers to understand what's going on if their first introduction is somewhere in the middle of it. They're forced rather than motivated to buy the rest of it to know what's going on. But that's a good strategy to make money off newcomers. Meanwhile, recent stuff is supposed to make perfect sense to older fans.

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