Lil Formers #154: Robo-Film
As I have mentioned before, I am really hoping when/if the Robotech film gets made, that they tell a great story and show that a giant robot movie can also be a good movie.
Also on the subject of Go-Bots, even if anyone wanted it there could never be done really. Most people know that Hasbro gained the rights to the Go-bots property when they purchased Tonka, but all they really got in that deal was the name ‘Go-Bots’, and the character names. Probably the basic plot as well (though it’s possible that’s owned by the animation people). Anyways, they actual toy designs are owned by Bandai in Japan (as part fo the original Machine Robo toy line that Tonka built the Gobots from), so I don’t see them ever teaming up with Hasbro to make a Gobots-anything these days. For the same reason, you’ll never see Go-bots re-release toys. Sorry.
Oh also note, the robots with pilots have round speech balloons. Attention to detail!
July 13th, 2009 at 3:00 am
They already made a live-action gundam film, G-Savior, sucked beyond measure. A Macross/Robotech film would be cool and a Voltron film would not translate well enough to modern audiences. Transformers worked because it has constantly been around since the original series, one way or another, so everyone knows the idea. Gobots? No way. Another great Lilformers, rock on!
July 13th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Yay, Robotech and Gundam!
July 13th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Off the subject-
Can you do a comic about the NEW confirmed Mechwarrior game?
July 13th, 2009 at 3:07 am
And for this comic… My vote goes to Robotech!
July 13th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Wouldn’t Jetfire do double duty on the Robotech movie then?
July 13th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Lil-Voltron Yay!
July 13th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I’d go with Gundam.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:10 am
We need a link to the life-sized Gundam in Japan. Also, great comic!
July 13th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I reckon they should do a movie on Tranzor Z! That would be awesome cuz there’s a girl robot in it too! She’s pink, though… Ah well! LOL
Ha ha, that’s so true for RoboTech. I loved that when I was a kid, but I don’t think it’ll work well in this decade. I think a lot of people were turned off robots and music after watching RahXephon (yeah, don’t watch it… Real trippy).
LOL Yeah, I saw that life-sized Gundam. It’s pretty cool! It’s got steam vents, its head moves and I wanna see it step on some poor mannequin! I don’t think it can move its legs, though…
July 13th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Just to be nitpicky, the Tonka line is GoBots (like in my name, one word, one letter in the middle capitalized for whatever reason) and Go-Bots is either the Gen2 precursor to the Spychangers or the Playskool “Go-Go-Go-Bots” figures. (And Gobots was a G2 character of his own.) It’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Oh, and a friend of mine was disappointed about the reports of Voltron’s cancellation as a live-action movie, but I’m not. They would have messed that up as royally as every other “cartoon/nostalga” live movie Hollywood shoves out their tailpipes.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:21 am
RE: Voltron’s script writer…I just watched the Chun Li movie yesterday…I thought it was killer! So did my wife. I don’t see what everyone’s problem is with it. It seems like someone told everyone it wasn’t right, and everyone locks step behind them so they don’t look foolish or something.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Wow^^
Robotech the Movie
That’s sad because they don’t cast Mari ijima for the role Lynn Minmay…
*Waiting for a movie of Macross or Captain Harlock XD
July 13th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Scary thought–not a Macross movie, but a *Macross 7* live-action movie…possibly used as a vehicle to puss Guitar Hero or Rock Band stuff.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
You guys do know they ARE making a Robotech movie right?
July 13th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Yes we do, they have been working on it since Transformers came out two years ago. I just hope it’ll be a continuation to robotech season 3 (the new generation) and the animated movie (Robotech Shadow chronicles). For those who didn’t know macross is just the japanese name for Robotech. My vote goes for another live-action of Gundam.
July 13th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Don’t forget about Southern Cross and Mospeada! Those 2 also merged with Macross to become Robotech.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I would like Armored Core movie, and for this comic Macross and Gundam.
@Jean-Sebastien no, Robotech is just the american name for Macross, not the other way.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
i hope that if/when a roblowtech movie gets made its not by harmony gold.
Macross undubbed for some reason flowed VERY differently and worked out much better than the butchershop roblowtech did.
i mean come on, Mac 0, Mac7, Mac Plus, and Mac Frontier were all very well done sequels.. well prequel in the case of 0, and mac 7 was sub par, but still.. it whomped the butchered and utterly crushed southern cross and Mospeada dubs.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
well i actually like “Bay”formers…
July 13th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Leader-1’s bit is pure win/genius/whatever else y’got.
July 13th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I make a rpg system with Macross universe.
The job of Nekki Basara are called Instrumental Hero, and Lynn Minmai are Song Idol.
July 13th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
GrimCW
Macross Plus came before of Macross 7.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Well, there has been talk of a live action Evangelion movie. If that ever comes to pass, I’m sure live action Robotech or Gundam movie in the US will not be too far behind.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Gundam RULES! Burning Gundam over rated, Master Gundam RULES!
July 13th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
P.S. feel free to debate this or give me angry comments, but I will read them.
July 13th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Erm, can we have icons off of this artwork? ^_^ thanky
July 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Gundam’s response to the question of a movie made my Dad crack up. Believe me, that is no small feat as he doesn’t even like anything to do with robots.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
The Robotech movie HAS to be Macross Saga (AKA first storyline). The movie guys only make something everyone can understand (which half the time feels like a “screw you” to the fans), starting at the beginning accomplishes that.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
How can you say TF2 was a success? It was a biggest load of cinematic crap that i ever seen.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
a hollywood done live Gundam could easily work. this is a series where every incarnation has vastly different Gundams and casts. It could be done from scratch as its own universe easily.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
oh and one more thing, you forget about Patlabar?
July 14th, 2009 at 2:17 am
Me saw SF (Street Fighter) and thought it was good. But me do know about another mech/robot game/show… Heavy Gear.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:22 am
They should make a Mazinger live action movie…
And to those who know me… BE GLAD I DIDN’T SAY GETTER ROBO!
In all seriousness though, it’s all about the oldskool.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:25 am
i would love to see a good gundam movie but i doubt they would be able to fit everything required into the time they have. suppose i’ll have to stick with 00.
maybe one day in the future we can get a beast wars movie.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:59 am
@ Jean-Sebastien
Robotech: The Macross Saga, The Masters and the Next Generation are actually three different anime series in the same Genra. Harmony Gold who published these as Robotech had the script completely redone for each series so that they could flow from one to the other and be billed as one big series they called “Robotech”. However in doing so they butchered the original story and gave many things different meanings.
In Robotech: the Macross Saga Lynn Minmei often introduces the titles of new and interesting songs, before the same dubbed song is once again repeated. This shows just how cheaply they tried to do it.
The reason that we don’t get any of the other Macross series (Macross Plus is excempt) is because Harmony Gold and the producers of the various Macross series are locked in court over publishing rights.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:11 am
No love for Battletech? It’s the 25th anniversary, after all!
Kerensky will return! Long live the Star League!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Same here, 1337W422102
I Love Battletech!
@Matt
What’s wrong with Battletech and Mechwarrior?
July 15th, 2009 at 10:26 am
I don’t believe BattleTech and Mechwarrior have anime series. All those in the strip have anime series.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Iheard a rumor about new saga of robotech, in the last year.
Tha Gold Harmoy will get the license of Macross Frontier and, rewrite to a new Robotech: Shadow rising.
I glad besauce are only romurs^^
July 15th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
the 1/1 scale gundam in odaiba tokyo is awsome. i plan on going back with my camra to get some shots of it. and hopfully hollywood stays away from gundam im sure they would mess it up.
July 15th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
@Rhuen
But Battletech has a CARTOON show in back in 1994, not anime though.
July 15th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
oops I meant *had a cartoon show back in 1994, not anime though.
July 15th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Here’s a new one from the Disney Label:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK10941&mode=retail
July 15th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
@Anubis_Necromancer from Brazil
i wasn’t being in any specific order :p
was just sayin that the REAL macross was much better than the cheaply done dub (they took out the beer can missiles! grrr heh)
July 16th, 2009 at 2:37 am
“Oh also note, the robots with pilots have round speech balloons. Attention to detail!”
would be more noticable if not for only one in that strip not having a pilot.
Also I would love a Gundam movie, something based around Gundam Wing would work, do something more with the Wing Zero psychic psycho thing in the actual suit.
and by the way not much could be worse than the Gundam Wing movie, the only reason to watch that was for the fancy new designs on the Gundams, except Zero, seriously a giant robot with feathers is just too weird. and destroying the Gundams at the end? like that would accomplish anything, someone else would just later re-figure our how to build them again.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
He was talking about the circle shaped speech bubbles.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Wait, why not go really old school. I know Astroboy’s getting a movie, so why not Tetsujin 28 (known in the U.S. as Gigantor)?
July 17th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Acctually, they did make a live-action Gundam Movie called G-Savior some time ago, from what I heard it wasn’t that good.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
O well.
They get the live scene in the Gundam from sp1 and msake a movie from thesse scenes^^
July 17th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Chad - Oh, I don’t know… because it made truckloads of cash? That’s generally the idea of “success” in a capitalistic society, I believe.
Autobotspitfire - I didn’t think G-Savior was THAT bad. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve seen much worse. Watch the Sci-fi… er Syfy… channel sometime.
GGG - I’d love an Armored Core movie.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
And here’s a link to a story about that life sized gundam that has an imbedded video link of it and another similar project. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41596
July 17th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
uh, Sapphire Wolf I know, I said that. I was qouting what Matt wrote, and saying that it would have been something more noticable in the comic if not for the Go-bot being the only one in the strip with out a pilot. Like had their been two with piloted ones and two with out in an A-B pattern of displacement it would have been picked up on with out need to read the description.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Sorry, I was mondo-confused there.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I give it a go for Gundam. XD
July 19th, 2009 at 1:27 am
HAHA! Bayformer! ROTFLOL. I’ve got to show this page to my bro since it mentions The Legend of Chun-Lana. And if Robotech’s secret weapon is Music, I have definitely GOT to check out that series, even if it does have a jetfire wannabe.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:05 am
@DitzyMusicLover
hate to burst your bubble.. but Macross (a.k.a Robotech) came first, and jetfire was an illegal toy using the Macross molds hence it was such a limited figure.
the name def works for you.
but FYI do NOT waste your time on robotech if your looking for the music.
find the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (subtitles only) or any of its pre/sequels (well.. 0 had less emphasis on music than the others, Frontier was a spectacle though!)
July 19th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
And don’t get Macross 2^^
July 19th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
ahh yes mac 2… its not even considered canon :p
mostly as the original artist/designer/writer has blown it off as he had nothing to do with that project.
but also cause it’d destroy his nicely progressing time lines.
July 19th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
yea can u get the comic or what i live in nz so i dont know
July 19th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
@GrimCW: While you are right that Macross came first, Jetfire was in no way an illegal toy. They definitely had permissions to use the Macross mold created by Takatoku toys. Just another one of the many Asian to lines that were combined to make the early Transformers years figure line.
July 19th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Y’know, I can totally imagine Gobots as a fully CG, less ambitious kids’ movie.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:39 am
I’m not very mainstream, so I’m hoping for Zone of the Enders or Vandread!! Gundam or Robotech would be cool actually!
July 20th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
@Matt Moylan
meh i read up some more.
it was a legit figure in japan, but since harmony gold was, and still is, a bunch of a-holes, its production within the states is/was deemed pretty much illegit from the sounds.
maybe i’m reading wrong. i dunno.
also says takatoku was “absorbed” into bandai on wikipedia..
alls i know is the figure was short lived due to licensing issue between the 2 series :p
i still have 2 of’em (no armor, 1 gun) and all in all i still prefer my Macross figures (especially the Yamato ones!) to that sucker :p
he was nice, but the fact he’s a Valkyrie still bugs me to no end, so its hard to place him as a TF without looking oddly at him and then over to my Mac figures.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:51 am
YEAH!!!! GUNDAM. They should make a new live action Gundam movie.
July 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
WHAT, No BattleTech.
I am shocked and appalled.
July 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Aff,
I wish that Matt would do a comic on Battletech
(Okay, I better stop requesting him to do that)
July 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
My guess is that Matt likes Transformers and Anime Mecha rather than non-anime mecha when it comes to giant ‘bots.
July 25th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
gundam!
July 27th, 2009 at 12:55 am
I vote for Gundam too
July 31st, 2009 at 12:51 am
Bayformers sucks. Get it? It’s funny because it’s a true fact it’s crap and anyone who thinks that it’s good is a total idiot. (Seriously, this string of swipes at the live action film series is starting to get very old very fast.)
Gundam bit was good. I can see it. Bit dissapointed about a lack of Evangelion, though.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:23 am
GUNDAM FTW i has liek over 9000!!!!… nooo… i has 60+ models
August 8th, 2009 at 12:29 am
to GrimCw: Thanks for the advice. I told my husband that after I finished watching every episode of Transformers, I wanted to start on Gundam, but he suggested I see Robotech first. (I had no idea anime even existed until I got married, but I grew up on Voltron and Go-bots, Transformers was just too boring back then, and Power Rangers I liked, but I used the excuse that Billy was hot, which he was, cause that was on when I was in high school… you get the idea.)
And I was gonna comment on Jetfire/Robotech, but Matt beat me to it. BTW, if you couldn’t tell by the smiley, I was kidding calling him a wannabe. They might be the same toy, albeit different paint jobs, but they’re still different characters. If I could get either toy, I’d be exstatic.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:30 am
oh, forgot to mention: I’d actually preffer watching the subbed version. Prime example of bad dubbing: Transformers Headmasters.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Have you seen a picture of that gundam statue in japan? it’s insane!
August 13th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Nice!
Speaking of Gundam, I think that of all the various incarnations of the series, 00 might work best in such a format. The various bits of politicking and intrigue between the three main blocs over the smaller fry, and the efforts of Celestial Being to show up and do something about it, could be an option.
Plus, there are already all sorts of side-stories, like 00F and 00I. One of them could be done, if one didn’t want to re-tread the anime’s storyline.
Or, perhaps, a work showing the rise of CB as an organisation itself?
October 21st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
only you can prevent go bots GO ROBOTECH
June 12th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Hi Matt!
I recently discovered your site and I must say aside from bringing a smile to my face, it brought back memories of my childhood :). Thanks. This comic with reference to the Robotech movie had me scrambling to find and share the youtube links for the advertisements of a Macross Pachinko in Japan with some transformation footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8shPs5Y9bIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWFbxobiMsE