Pat Payne

I BEG TO DIFFER!!! I hand-paint a lot of my models (sometimes I'll use spray cans -- an airbrush is just too much of an investment for me at this moment) and unless I'm using certain paints (PollyS yellows for instance which are total crap), I have absolutely no problems. I've got 2 P-51D Mustangs, one done by spraying on Testor's Metalizer (Highly recommended, by the way) and one done by bottle-brushing on Tamiya aluminum. No real difference. In the end, it comes down to what you're most comfortable with, but that's my 20 yen. I do agree with Mech9TB though -- Tamiya is THE best of the acrylic paints. You can hardly go wrong with Tamiya bottle paints. I have had some problems with their spray cans, but that may be a problem of technique.

Just a thought on the Animeigo announcement (which is making me want to find a legit, non-modchipped region-free player even more :angry ) : The way Robert Woodhead was phrasing it was that it may have been not just the HG/BW thing (althiough that's not a help), but companies here stateside that are mucking up the works. I'm thinking (and it's probably too optimistic right now) that this might be a staring contest. All sides know that there is a significant number of anime fans who are chomping at the bit for a R1 release of DYRL in the States. They also know that getting into heavy litigation over the movie could financially be akin to running around their homes with blowtorches. Therefore, they quite possibly could be waiting it out until one side blinks and tries to release it -- at which point, the hammer -- or gives up and relinquishes their share of a license that is, at this moment, a net money drain (To paraphrase an old Chinese warlord: Having the rights to a good movie and not releasing it is like having a beautiful silk robe and not wearing it in public--who's to know?).

Theoretically, maybe. That depends on how you define "original footage." Does that mean only the animation itself, or does it mean the soundtracks (minus the music, which has never been under dispute) as well? If it means just the animation, than BW can do just that. Call it the "George Lucas Edition" or something . (We are, though, reckoning without the wishes of the Hoary Froating Head, who might have to give an OK to it) If not, then nobody could, since TP would have to do it, and they don't have control of the original designs necessary to make new animation artwork that's recognizably Macross.

Actually, it'd be kinda cool to see some of the VF-1 series in real-world markings. I'm not really thinking of the "low-viz" set, but putting a VF-1J, for instance in JASDF, USN, RAF or other real-world air force colors. I'd love to see a Valk in the markings of the Sundowners or Jolly Rogers.

And lest we forget, The Hoary Froating Head ain't gonna tell us either way...

Calling all Japanese speakers, Calling all Japanese speakers...

She also did Hoquet in Mospeada, Naoko Akagi in Evangelion, Jet's ex-girlfriend in Cowboy Bebop, and many many others. Don't forget Megumi Takani in Rurouni Kenshin.

CGI animation Nah. They were clones of the originals. Nope, it was Lupin III and Jigen...they're really good masters of disguise

One question about the DYRL? license: Hasn't any of the interested parties (Robert Woodhead et.al) asked Toho? Toho has international distro rights granted direct from Big West. If anyone's able to at least shed some light on who has what in the international arena, it should be Toho.

I think you're right. I just saw that sequence a few days ago, and it looked like a 1J with Hikaru's colors.

Well, I know I got the Cowboy Bebop Movie about two weeks before its street date at a Fred Meyer department/grocery store in Springfield, Oregon. I don't know if my local Suncoast (in Torrance, CA -- the Del Amo Mall) had it that early, but he told me they'd never release it before the street date, for fear of the studio embargoing future releases.

Yeah, why not? It's not like they'd be competing with Hasegawa, Revell, Tamiya, Italeri, Airfix, and others. And since the F-14's design is technically in the public domain, there's no problem with having to get a license to make the kit. (of course, woe betide the person who tries to build a real F-14 without the OK of Northrup-Grumman: They'd sue [that IS like making a bootleg, as opposed to a model kit] and the US Navy'd probably blast the builder's derriere from here to Mars ) I'd love to see a VF-1 toy in the same scale as the 1/48 valks in UN Navy markings. And, since it'd be non-transformable, it'd be a fair sight cheaper, I'd guess.

It has nothing to do with the head. In the Macross Universe (natch), DYRL is a history docufilm (kind of like Saving Private Ryan, Patton, or The Longest Day). The filmmakers in DYRL used VF-1X Valks to sub for the VF-1. The VF-1X was an upgraded VF-1 that outwardly looked very much like the original VF-1 but has upgraded engines, avionics, cockpit avionics and engines. Think of the differences between a 1976 F-14A and the latest upgraded SuperTomcats.

It's the head for the VF-1S on a VF-1A body. Simple, ne? it means that the VF-1B has the outward appearance of the -1S, but doesn't have the upgraded engines.

It all depends on your definition of "is"... :P :P

I doubt it. It's probably that the Roy -1S was the "hero" mecha of the show, and since they're releasing a Hikaru TV -1J in the forseeable future, they wanted to give everyone a second crack at Roy's as well. For all we know, they just might even put the TV stickers and hands in with the Roy -1S.

Not really, although I have been interested in getting a Norman or Saxon or Viking sword...Or a katana. Can't go wrong with a katana... B)

Excuse me sir, but then I must ask...how tall are you, so that we're sure to have the right size stake...

One of my non-Anime passions is history. Right now, I am deeply engrossed in reading about the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the development of Mythology in Europe, the French Revolution, and the development of alphabetic writing all over the world -- did you know that the alphabet we're reading right now is a direct descendant of Egyptian? I also build models and write fiction. If I ever actually get a story finished, I'd be willing to let y'all take a look over it.

I'm gonna get the VF-1S Hikaru. Already got the pre-order in. For me, the Hikaru colors look the best. Besides, with a 1S Hikaru and Strike pack, I can put it in that cool pose from DYRL... "Protokultoraaaaaaaaa!!" Maybe later, I'll get the Roy, if more disposable income goes my way.

AFAIK, here are all the money streams that a show/movie/whatever can expect now: 1)TV Broadcast (network) 2)Syndication (the real gravy for a TV show -- after two seasons, any series becomes profitable in syndication) 3)Cable broadcast 4)Pay-per-View 5)Theatre re-releases 6)Internet Broadcast (That's LEGIT broadcast, not Kazaa, guys... ) 7)DVD, Laserdisc, VHS, Beta (wait a minnit... ) 8)Soundtrack albums 9)Merchandising licences 10)Licences for books, comics, other media tie-ins That is all the ways I can think of that a media property can make money. For SDF Macross, Realistically, Tat/HG have claim to 1-7 for the series itself. 8 has always been the province of JVC-Victor Music Industries-Victor Entertainment (and nobody seems to be questioning that). For 9 and 10 the jury's still out, and will be until someone can clear up the question of line art v. copyright to the show to satisfaction of a court.

Aren't you undercutting your own premise there? If "TP cannot make animation based on those images," then who can? BW would seem to be the logical answer, if they own the rights to the line art. And say what you will, DYRL and the other shows were original stories. Set in the same universe, yes, but original stories. Tat does have the rights to SDF Macross, that is pretty much granted. But still -- how far do those rights go? Raise your hands if you've seen this memo -- I sure haven't. Same problem. There's a kind of logical inconsistency with what the tone of discussion has been ("HG owns Macross, get over it" is how I see your point of view [and I apologize if this is an unfair abstraction, Wrylac]) and this statement. They have said, and I have heard you and a few others reiterate exactly that HG outright owns the outside-of-the-Japanese-Archipelago rights to any anime property that has the Macross name on it. Gaaaaaaaahhhhh-- WDC-- you said everything I was going to say on this topic, and said it better

Sarcasm, right? It's gotta be sarcasm? You are being sarcastic, no?? PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING!!!! Seriously, I can barely watch the animefriend episodes. Gawd are they execreble.

The point is, though, what "compensation" are they due for products based on DYRL and Mac 7 and Mac Plus? and how was it about compensation anyway when they claimed to own everything connected with Macross, even projects that Tatsunoko had no part in? The original complaint that launched 300+ pages of yelling and backbiting still stands: what is in the memo that gives any credence to HG's claims of owning all Macross properties? Where is the contract that says that HG can claim rights to DYRL, Macross 2, Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross Dynamite 7, and any other Macross production outside of Super Dimension Fortress Macross?

Even though everyone else has pretty much said what I'd liked to have said on this, they're right. DON'T. It's unfortunately HG's site and they can do whatever the hell they want. Going in there and starting trouble is just going to start another round of M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction). They want to play the part of B.B's Minitrue, let them. 'Sides, I've seen the RT.com boards. Too many slack-jawed yokels there for my taste (especially in the Warzone -- there, you can almost HEAR the mullets... )