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My question exactly. Unless you're thinking of the prototype from "Rainy Night". Anyway, almost everyone thinks a canon fodder is most likely. Why didn't you ask which is most UNlikely, since that's what you wanted to know? If that's what you really meant to ask, I'd say a Roy VF-1A is least likely, followed by a TV Kakizaki.

I'd just like to point out that this statement in itself really doesn't mean anything, given HG's track record. They've maintained all along that All Your Macross Are Belong to Them, so these DYRL toys may be no different. Heck, by their logic they could produce Macross Zero toys next week, and they would be "properly licensed" because HG already owned the Macross license. Or so they'd have us believe, anyhow. Yup, that's basically what I said after the quote. Except that as far as I know, HG has never made clear exactly what their claim is on Macross as a whole. It's important to distinguish two different kinds of rights to Macross. Until now, HG has only attempted to use their claimed exclusive right to create and distribute derivatives. On that basis, they've made a bunch of stuff using the original TV show, and they've blocked others from making Macross stuff for the U.S. market. But until now, HG has never done anything to suggest that they have they have the right to use any Macross derivatives created by others, aside from the original TV show--which we know they paid for. So, again, either HG has obtained permission from BW, or HG has just made a big leap in terms of what they're claiming to own on the basis of the 1982 BW/TP memorandum. An interesting comment comes from Nightbat, who offers another possibility: Assuming BW didn't put any special conditions on ARII's license (such as restricting distribution to Japan), this might be a way for HG to indirectly obtain a license without BW's cooperation. By taking this path, HG would be able to maintain their exclusivity claim, although they would be admitting that they don't own DYRL by virtue of the BW/TP memo. Then by releasing these superposables, I'm guessing they might be able to expand their U.S. trademark claims. I haven't any idea how valid their trademark tactics have been, but they could provide yet another obstacle for BW to overcome.

I got an answer from Tom Bateman over on RT.com. I originally posted Tom replied Not much there, but it at least gives us some of HG's perspective. We can take "legitimately licensed" to mean either that HG is relying on their existing license from TP, or that there has indeed been a deal with BW. (I very much doubt that the US merchandising license was part of the DYRL/CotB video distribution license, so the idea that HG tracked the latter down doesn't appear likely.) If HG is relying on the TP license, it must reflect an expansive interpretation of vague language. Otherwise, I doubt that BW would have represented the same license to Yamato/Toycom as definitely not including DYRL. I followed up with

More likely, FASA got a license to distribute some of the model kits, but not for the lineart. IIRC they were sued for copyright infringement because they used the lineart (or derivatives thereof) in their books. Here are a couple of places you can learn more about it: http://www.rpg.net/forums/phorum/rf08/read...144&i=5&t=4&v=f http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&...l.com&frame=off

Thanks for posting that letter, Southcross. Looks like the Air Force has a good customer service department!

I may have sent you the pic, but I definitely didn't send you the toys. I regret to say that all I've ever sent you is the booster from a Chinese 1/55 plastic carded bootleg. I did send a tip on a Spacegandam with intact box... One place to look at a bunch of boots is at http://mospeada.free.fr/collection_macross_autres.shtml Some of the pics are screwed up on my computer, don't know if they show up on PC's. The pics will show if you fix the links (change the backslashes to forward slashes). Anyway, there's a Hergoss VF-1S and a Robotec (PC Toys/Popeye) VF-1J. Here's what the text for each says. "Hergoss VF-1S. Made in Macao (in China) around the 80's/90's [i guess this means around the turn of the decade], it has the distinction of having been sold only in France! You can read "H.S. Espace" on the legs. I suppose that a company wanted to take advantage of the interest in space and in the Ariane projects in France at that time... "Note: Contrary to what the american site VF1X.COM supposes, it has the same design as a Bandai! and not like a Joon's. (This is certain, I have 2.) Evidently, it's only found in France and not elsewhere; however, beware, the models which can be found at auction or elsewhere are rarely in good condition." [AFAIK VF-1X.COM is defunct. Also, we had a thread on the Hergoss not too long ago.] "Robotec VF-1J Variable Fighter (exists in red and green). It's a clone with the quality of a Joon's. Made in Korea." I don't think the page shows any other obscure 1/55 boots, but the Hawk Fighter is a boot of theTakatoku 1/100's.

It does look very nice. And it's brush-painted! Congrats!

I don't know why they list his blood type but it seems that in Japan it's always (almost always?) included as a "vital statistic" for people. If they list a woman's measurements, they also have the blood type. I'll bet they do it for baseball players along with height, weight, bats and throws.

English vs. military jargon. HEAT punches through armor using a shaped charge to focus the energy of an explosion onto a small point on the armor. AP punches through armor by being a dense chunk of metal and hitting the armor really hard. Here's a really nice discussion of many of the forms of ammo, including several types of AP and HEAT: http://www.battlefield.ru/guns/defin_2.html And on reflection, I note that several kinds of AP and HEAT have ballistic caps or other elements which "squash" when they hit armor--so I've changed my mind and now think that bit is okay.

Okay, I posted a polite note over on RT.com explaining why I thought it was strange for HG to be releasing DYRL merchandise, and asking Tom Bateman how this has come about.

Correct. Well, almost. Early reactive armor is only designed to interfere with HEAT ("high explosive anti-tank, a.k.a. "shaped charge") rounds. Newer reactive armor can also interfere with AP. And in case anyone's wondering, it's been around since at least 1982--there are pictures of Syrian tanks in Lebanon which have it. It gives them a texture kind of like The Thing from Fantastic Four. The U.S. uses it too. That part in M0 where Roy's 1S has reactive armor doesn't strike me as particularly accurate, by the way, but since I've never seen a super slo-mo of a round hitting reactive armor, I could easily be mistaken.

You're welcome! Check out the sequel here: http://visioncrew.com/commframe.htm?CommBo...ials.htm#Nissan Not quite the class of the original because they used computer animation instead of stop-motion (at least in parts). But still quite good. P.S. When "Joe" checked himself out in the rearview mirror...I thought of you

It was for the Nissan 300 Z Thanks! Found two sources for clips: http://members.aol.com/KarlWS/zmain.html about 40% of the way down the page. 5.7 meg .AVI but reasonably fast server, so good if you have broadband. http://www.yadamnfool.com/Z_Commercials2.htm 8.4 meg MPEG but slowish server. The MPEG is a little higher quality. Commercial is from '96. Mattel sued Nissan in '97, but I don't see anything about how it was resolved.

Somewhere I read someone's reminiscences of playing with his GI Joes when he was a kid in the 60's--he burned scars onto his Joe's back with a soldering iron to show where he was tortured by the Commies, and he stole his sister's Ken so that Joe could interrogate him as a "subversive". I also remember jokes in elementary school about why the new Joes had Kung Fu grip--it had something or other to do with Barbie. (Use your imagination...) Does anyone remember that excellent commercial where a Ken-clone is jilted by a girl doll who runs of with a "man of action" type doll driving a hot sports car? I forget what it was for. My Joes are all from the "Adventure Team" era--when everybody looked like Ed Bradley. Still got 'em.

Coupla pics here, including one that clearly shows it's not a 1A: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...=blue,and,vf-1s Elsewhere in the scene, you can see it's a 1S, but I don't know offhand where to find screengrabs/scans.

Man and Wo-man together! It must be Protoculture!

Sure, because by doing this, HG simply has PROVEN to Bigwest that they must have the rights to all of Macross outside of Japan. And therefore, BigWest must cower and allow Yamato to work with HG, because we all know that Yamato SO DEARLY wishes it could. I'm sure you know this because you've heard so many stories about Yamato's exec's crying in their hot sake because evil BigWest won't let them play with the superior American companies. According to VEX, Toycom did put forward a proposal which would have had them paying both BW and HG to allow the Mac Plus toys to be released in the U.S. See http://www.valkyrie-exchange.com/newsarchive.html News entry for October 30, 2000. Whether Yamato had an opinion of this action by their partner is not recorded. The M7 Trash situation was probably similar. On the other hand, I don't think BW was remotely mistaken to scotch either deal--assuming they did. It's one thing to prevent Macross derivatives from coming into the U.S. But I doubt HG are dumb enough to think they can "pressure" BW by stealing BW's intellectual property.

"Introduction" topics are discouraged. Usually, when people see a new face, a low post count, or a n00bish attitude somebody will say "Welcome". So, welcome! Don't forget to check out the pinned topics...

In case anyone is still wondering: Spotted here. He also corrects another RT.com member who thinks that Max didn't have a 1S in DYRL. To me, that's a very gentle hint that a Max 1S is planned for the SP line.

I'd love to blame PC's, but I don't see under any Mac browser I've tried. Just tried Camino, Firebird, and iCab. In iCab, I was able to copy the URL for the photo itself. And when I paste the URL into a browser, I get the error "The requested URL /mwf/uploads/photo-179.jpg was not found on this server." Which seems to mean the server is reacting funny, not the browser. Very weird! Here's the full URL, by the way: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/uploads/photo-179.jpg

M+, because regardless of whether I'm a pilot, civilian, or whatever, I probably get to live. Also, even though my nose will be extra pointy, I'll be animated better.

All right, I will try to refrain from posting more legal crap here. Some time back, somebody suggested that discussion should be moved to the legal thread and they were right.

Yup. No go with Netscape 7.1, Safari, or Internet Exploiter 5.2. (All under Mac OS X 10.2.8.) My pics up, by the way. Sorry, no boobs, round, hexagonal or otherwise.

Incorrect. The ruling of February 25, 2002 does not state that. In fact, it expressly refuses to provide an injunction against HG using the designs in a new animation. The rationale given by the court is that it does not see a possibility of Tatsunoko making a new anime based on the designs, or causing a third party (i.e., HG) to do so. It appears that the court is applying a principle whereby you don't issue an injunction against activity that hasn't been threatened. Oh, and the line art ruling does cover the images of the characters. If the issue is the personalities and story, that's a slightly different subject. The court ruling explicitly affirms Big West/Studio Nue's ownership of copyright on all the designs. In no way does it assign or affirm the right of TP or HG to make and distribute Macross toys internationally. Only through the memorandum contract with Big West did TP obtain the right to make and distribute merchandise for SDF Macross internationally. There's no evidence at all that TP obtained the right to sell DYRL toys either through the court cases, or through the memorandum contract. Harmony Gold may now have some DYRL merchandising rights, but if they do, it's either because a settlement has been reached or because the memorandum gave away more than we've supposed up to this point. (Actually, if there hasn't been a settlement, I'm guessing the memorandum was written sloppily and HG is trying to press the language as far as possible.) This is highly speculative. Awaiting comment from Graham. Again, it is possible that he misspoke. It's also possible that Yamato's stance has changed in the wake of a settlement--to which they would very likely be a party, incidentally. This is even worse than speculative. How do you know what BW would "likely" attempt to do? And why would they do it? Edit: many edits. (AgentONE--TOUGH! )

The pictures look fine on my monitor here, but I think mine tends to be a bit on the dark side.