Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Robotech Episodes 31 - 36

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Episode #31 Khyron's Revenge

The animation looks pretty rough. I know these last episodes were tacked on but it does look unusually rough here at the beginning.

In the second scene the Masters decide on their ultimate fate: to spend the 15 years to travel to Earth (meanwhile developing one of the Zor clones along the way). This major story point was probably above the heads of kids back then but what did they care?!

The mechanical animation of this episode is rough but the character animation is really good.

Rick is a short dude but the Mayor of New Detroit looks like a midget compared to him!

Oh crap, there's Kyle again! What, Khyron is wearing the same clothes? Sheesh.

New Detroit gets EVERYTHING it deserves! Ha!

Rick's Left Wing pilot looks funny.

With every one's use of the term Protoculture (i.e. Protoculture chamber) it seems the populace knows about this mystic material.

Gloval goes on this imaginary tale about how Protoculture came about. It's totally wrong but whatever. Now I realize that as far as the cartoon goes, that is the story and it was only additional materials that turned that story on it's head.

I find the whole conversation by all the RDF guys pure speculation and totally unnecessarily. It seemed like a lot of time filler.

When Kyle takes off in the car with Minmei in the back seat he hands something to her and says 'here, hold this'. I wonder what that was...

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #32 Broken Heart 

The battle scene a the beginning is kinda strange. They use strange terms and Lisa looks different.

What the heck is Lisa doing right there in the middle of the action?

The Zentraedi riding on the Battlepods look cool.

When the bad guys attack the concert hall why don't the Zentraedi in the audience fight back? They are warriors. It appears that if you give up the warrior lifestyle you become a weak and feeble.

Khyron talks about wanting to leave the planet while in the comic he longs to rejoin the Masters.

When Rick jumps into his jet during the Star Saver operation the cockpit is WAY over sized! It's huge!

Where did Khyron get chicken legs THAT big?! I wonder if you could put a regular sized chicken leg in a sizing chamber... That would solve the world's starving masses!

Those forks that make up Kyle's and Minmei's cage have gaps big enough to crawl through.

The lighting of the cigarette with the auto cannon is great. However that Zentraedi is waring a completely different uniform.

Azonia rides her mecha like a true lady; side saddle.

I can't believe that Khyron's little troop could hold up against that many MAC II Monsters.

Rick's Guardian takes the lid off Minmie's prison but then a few moments later we see him rip if off again.

At the end Minmei has to run a looooong way to get to Rick. She seems to be running forever.

Rick super leaps into his Guardian.

What's with Lisa's look at the very end of the episode? Strange...

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #33 A Rainy Night

Sure Claudia... tea... sure it is... lol.

I freeze-framed the shot where Rick is climbing out of his Veritech. Something didn't look quite right. What looks like the 'head' lasers are way too high on his plane. They are on the side of the body. In fact his debarking ladder goes between the lasers... strange.

Vanessa's thought about Lisa being hung up on Rick is very perceptive. Rick seems genuinely surprised when Vanessa tells him Lisa is in love with him. Is he THAT dense?!

Rick's curtains are very transparent, he better not run around the house naked.

Lisa sure puts that Burgundy away. This is a very adult scene in a kids show. I wonder if any parents just happened to be watching when this scene happened (and I wonder what they thought)?

Claudia (in her remembrance of her waiting for Roy when he shows up with a carload of girls) looks at her watch in a strange way. She looks at the inside of her wrist. This is how I used to wear a watch (back before phones took over). I didn't wear them because of Claudia! My brother used to wear his that way and I did followed his lead)

When Claudia remembers giving Roy back his presents you can see the 'under construction' SDF-1 in the background!

When Roy meets Claudia outside in the rain he seems to have grown up from earlier in the day when he looked WAYYYYYY younger.
Claudia and Lisa are both earring fuzzy green house slippers.

It seems in the future phones got bigger, Claudia's is pretty big.
Rick's uniform changes color while he and Lisa walk home... its Robotechnology!

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #34 Private Time

I always thought that when Lisa is chewing that little squiggle line looks funny.

I'm sure that map she looks at can clue me in to where the show's creators placed New Macross but I can't bother to find it out.

Rick is such a BUTT HEAD! Why would you do that??!!!! The book makes Rick a bit less jerk-like with his thoughts of quickly getting back to Lisa, but the Rick from the show just ditches Lisa... jerk!

Lisa has the patience of a rock! I'd have left a half hour after Rick didn't turn up.

The piano player just replays the same song after we come back from checking in on Lisa.

Oh no... Kyle! Rick just lets him be an ass to Minmei, what a wimp.

When Rick drinks he is the kind of person who is a 'sad drunk'.

Communication officer Mitchell is the Velma of Robotech.

The Zentraedi shooting at tiny humans is gruesome!

The Zentraedi shoot at Rick's Gladiator and the bolts do nothing! It's like Rick has the power to make the useless Gladiator a real fighting machine.

The character art changes in this episode from shot to shot. It looks like different companies worked on this episode.

Cooking?! Lisa made sandwiches... that is not cooking.

Rick has the AUDACITY to wrap his new 'cheater scarf' around Lisa! J E R K!!!

Kyle says Minmei is going to sing her latest hit 'We Will Win'. Uhhhhh 2 issues:
1.) The music that starts up is Stagefright.
2.) We Will Win was first performed over 2 years ago! Latest hit?! We call that 'A HAS BEEN'.

Kyle finally leaves! Woooohoooo! Its sad but at the same time... its party time!

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Episode #35 Seasons Greetings

How is it Khyron started in the snow and now he is in the Amazon?

Zentraedi working on the ship? I thought they couldn't fix anything?

Evil Santa giving out black balloons!

Whoa, it's a black pilot! The RDF finally stopped being racist (or something)...

You can tell this animation team did the first episodes. The character's have their original looks.

Rico, Konda, and Bron's booth is labeled Toys, Plastics. Which brilliant marketing minds thought that would entice kids? Perhaps the former spies did it, they might not know what might work.

What's up with Rick's apron? And look, he is wearing those popular fuzzy slippers.

In Rick's apartment you can see that little radio he used to have back on the SDF-1, remember when he was in the hospital and he was listening to Minmie on it?

Claudia runs to the bar to drink to Roy's memory... Ut oh, Lisa runs into relationship problems and hits the bottle!

Minmie in Rick's shirt, sitting in bed looks HOT!

The animation is great in this episode!

Hey, the store clerk has the same radio as Rick.

The radio report (which takes place 'late into the night') says that the first attacks took place six hours earlier. If you remember they attacked on Christmas morning... Its Robotechnology!

The moment of spirituality in this episode WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED in a cartoon now-a-days.

There's the SDF-1 (being lit up with Christmas lights), but where o where is the SDF-2?

PROTOCULTURE ADDICTS BITS:
Bloopers:

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Robotech (Comico Comics) #31-36

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Robotech #31 (Comico 1988)

At the beginning of the comic the Masters and the Elders talk about the mission to send themselves on a twenty year trip to Earth. It's a nice band-aid to bridge the gap between the Macross Saga and The Southern Cross parts of Robotech. Although the decision to make this massive journey seems really rushed!

The Masters talk about Khyron being their last hope meanwhile on Earth, Khyron seems to still be obeying the Masters... I find that silly since we all know Khyron was just power mad, why would he still do the Master's bidding?

I am noticing as the series progresses the art is getting better. The artist are starting to get a handle on the look of the characters.

On page 15 we get to see the male power suits. I am not sure I have even seen them in the comic series so far. Maybe, but I can't be sure.

The bottom frame of page 16 has Minmei look daggers at Kyle, I love it!

On page 18 a Spartan is getting it's ass handed to it (as usual). Too bad, it's such an awesome mecha.

On page 20 Goval talks about the Masters discovering the secret of Protoculture 500,000 years ago... hummm. It was supposed to be only like 30 or 40 years ago. Maybe this is what Harmony Gold has kicked the comic series out of canon...

The last frame on page 25 looks great, excellent hero shot.

Robotech #32 (Comico 1988)

The back cover of this comic is kinda rough by showing us a Zentraedi getting gunned down by a Gerwalk.

On page 5 Rick just shoots first and asks questions later, not very hero like.

The last frame on page six is the inside of Rick's Battloid. This is a cool shot, we never see this!

On page 14 there is this RDF person who looks very hairy!

In this whole issue Rick looks very different. It's like they gave his drawings to someone new to the character. He looks... cartoonish (if that even sounds right).

Rick continues to treat Lisa like crap. What a turd.

I don't remember Kyle 'sacraficing' himself in order to save the SDF-1 from the hands of Khyron but on page 21 that what he basically says. That doesn't fit his character.

On page 23 there is a tribute to Markalan Joplin who worked as writer on the majority of the Robotech Comics (including all the rest of the series that had not been released yet). He died in 1988 of an AIDS related illness.

In the diversion scene (on the show) the Battliod pilots lights the Zentraedi's cigarette with his cannon... it is not in the comic. I always thought that was funny.

I never understood how any force could hold up against being absolutely surrounded by MAC II Monsters. That should have blown Khyron and his guys to crisps.

On page 29 the Zentraedi says 'Macek's Eyes!', lol.

Robotech #33 (Comico 1988)

On the ad for the Sentinels episodes it says at the bottom, 'VHS only, no Beta'... lol!

I don't know what's going on in the last frame of page 7, It looks like they blurred out part of Lisa's face on purpose but I don't know why.

On page 12 the women get their Lush on...

I know I have pointed this out in the past but I find it funny that uniforms the old Internationalist Army had very similar the RDF ones years later.

I like the enemy fighters on page 18.

How can Lisa not see Roy Fokker as a playboy... talk about blind!

So you assume that once Rick has his epiphany about Lisa loving him he would really do something about it, make sure it happens. Shortly after this comic he seems to give up again. What's with that dunce!?

On page 34 in the letters column they talk about Protoculture Addicts! Awesome! You know how much I love that mag!

Robotech #34 (Comico 1988)

 I doubt very much that Lisa would be singing a Minmei song.

Page 2, featuring 'Macho-Man' Hunter.

Rick is a selfish sob!

The character art in this issue is hit and miss. Sometimes the characters look great, sometimes they look like... herp-a-derp.

At the top of page 11 is Janus-Rick.

I'm super confused at what is happening. I always thought that the restaurant was at the airport but Rick is driving a car back to the airport to head back to New Macross. I won't even bother with the fact that Rick got a car out of nowhere!

Rick is so versatile. He has never been shown to drive a Destroid and poof! there he goes. What a guy!

At the bottom of page 16 we FINALLY see a Spartan being USEFUL!

Ouch! Minmei has some harsh words for Kyle on page 26. This marks the exit of Lynn Kyle (for now... mwa ha ha ha).

Robotech #35 (Comico 1989)

They almost got this comic out in time for Christmas. Too bad. The cover shows a kinda goofy looking Khyron holding a Christmas bag with some of the women of Robotech.(god I love those commercials!)

How is there a Zentraedi worker (working on Khyron's engines)? I thought there weren't any of those guys.

On the 2nd frame of page 5 there's a dwarf! Also, it appears the former spies have ditched the dry cleaning business for retail...

On the last frame of that same page they appear to be standing in front of some toys from Astro Boy, the Argo from StarBlazers and something else I can't figure out.

On page 9 we see Rick wearing some lovely house slippers.

What in the world say people would give up (on page 10)... their 'eyeteeth'?????

So Lisa shows up at Rick's and somehow on a snowy, cold night Rick leaves the front door open?!

At Dr. Watson's Pub the bartender Frankenstein will be glad to serve you. Geeze, there goes Claudia again, drinking it up!

On page 23 Max seems to 'hate to admit' that Rick is right. What a jerk! lol.

At the bottom of page 24 we see the side of the SDF-1 and the Prometheus. It is at an angle but I though it was always sitting correctly and being used. Probably just an oversight on the artists part.

AWESOME! On page 25 we FINALLY see the SDF-2 back to back with the SDF-1. This is the ONLY time I have ever seen this!!!!! WOW!!!!!!

Robotech #36 (Comico 1989)

Lisa looks strange at the bottom of page 4, also I see some color-changing uniforms again...

On the next page Gloval says that they 'let' Khyron have that Protoculture he stole last time he raided New Macross. This is new to me.

FINALLY! Lisa gets it out (on page 8). It has taken YEARS but it happened, sheesh.

How in the world did Khyron get so close to New Macross and no one pick him up on radar or something?

Another shot of the SDF-2 back to back with the SDF-1.... ahhhhhhh.

On page 16 Minmei is in a shelter with some familiar faces... including the NEVER AGING Jason. He should have aged 8 years since we first saw him on Macross Island. Must be all that space travel that stunted his growth.

Nothing of the final assault makes sense (physics wise). Since (in the series) the SDF-2 didn't exist on screen it was easy to miss but in the comic here Khyron shoots the SDF-2 first but somehow he is in front of the SDF-1... how can he be in front of both ships? Did he fly around in a big circle to get a shot of the SDF-1? On page 14 the ships are back to back then on page 17 the SDF-1 is rising out of the water in front of the SDF-2. So confusing. Must be Robotechnology!

Ok, the final scenes on page 25 are awkward. I like the show's version better, more bittersweet less talking.

Oh man, the last couple of pages are really strange. Not sure we really needed them.

And that is it for the Macross Saga (comic book style)! On to more Robotech!