Showing posts with label dvd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dvd. Show all posts

Thursday, May 31, 2012

My Robotech Stuff

by Nathan Stout (of According To Whim.com)

While we all wait for the next part of my 2012 Robotech Experience (I'm up to the cartoon episodes 7-12) I ran into a little bit of a road bump. This last weekend I was down at my mom's lake place and took the book (Battlecry)... yep, I left it... well at least I think I did. I am still searching. Anyway I decided to have a filler post since I was going through all my collectibles and ran across the Robotech stuff. Today's post is all about my Robotech collectibles. I don't have a tons but I do have a bit. Let's take a look, shall we?
First off is a little shadow box with some Macross pewter (or some such similar metal) figures. I have Rick, Lisa, Roy, Max, and Gloval (who you can't see at this angle). I have a couple of the little Mospeada riders from the Gakken Alpha and some Battletech miniatures from the 80's (when they used the Macross designs for their stuff). There is also a 1/144 scale Super Battloid model there. Just in case you were wondering there are some D&D minis, Ral Partha minis, D&D game pieces that were painted, Warhammer 40K minis, and some Jurassic Park Lost World micro figures. Oh yeah, there are some Star Wars minis there too. Oops, I almost forgot, there are some Heavy Gear minis on top. Now on to the bulk of the collection:
Here we see some toys and a pile of sad model kit parts. In the back is the insanely huge Master Piece Beta, a Gakken Cyclone and some Macross Models still in the box (more on those in a minute). There are bunch of the 90's re-release of Matchbox Robotech toys (from the Exo-Squad line). There is also a super poseable and a smaller Gakken Alpha (which only transforms from Armo Solider to Armo Diver), a super deformed Valkyire from the 80's and the rest are model parts. The 1/72 gray colored Veritech is the oldest model I own and has so many layers of paint on it you can't use it for anything but maybe a wrecked plane. There are many different kits here from 1/144 to 1/72 kits as well as some tiny deformed kits I got years ago and I can't remember where.
As for the new/sealed model kits... you may know (or may not) that I have a business where I sell import model kits. The site is RenegadeAnime.com and I have a bunch of stuff there. Macross models are one of the main 3 lines I carry (along with Gundam and Yamato). I am almost out of all my Macross models but thank goodness Bandai is re-releasing most of the old kits for the 30th anniversary of Macross! That means I will be getting a LOT of kits for sale. I might have to even make a few myself (although I am not very good at it).
I also have the Robotech Legacy edition DVD set as well as the Perfect Collection CD set. The Legacy DVD set is the first DVD set they released (not the remastered one). As you may have read from me I don't like the remastered versions with added crap. I prefer they older set. As for the CD set, you can read about it and the other stuff I used to have (like the F.H.E. VHS set) at this post from earlier in the year.

Finally I have some of the comics, fanzines, and all of the original RPG books. At one point I had probably 90% of the comics but sold them. Now I have very few since I can get what I need online. I have the first 10 issues of the only Robotech Fanzine out there: Protoculture Addicts. What a great mag! I will post a blog about it one day soon. Also, I love the Pallidum role playing books. They were my real re-introduction back into Robotech in early 90's. The artwork is great and I had lots of fun playing the game. Last year (at our other blog) we had an RPG week and I talked about my Robotech RPG fun there. Check it out. It's very entertaining!

I have had other Robotech collectibles over the years that I got and sold or what-not. Out of all the Robotech stuff I have had I would have to put the following at the top of my 'favorite list' (in no order): RPG books, Protoculture Addicts Fanzine, and Soundtrack. Those are my favs but I like it all!

What do you have? Anything cool or unusual? Leave a comment!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

What’s So Special about Special Editions?

by Chris McGinty (AccordingToWhim.com)

Nathan handed me some DVDs one night. It was some sort of re-mastered versions of the Macross portion of Robotech.

“I hate this!” he said.

Ok, it wasn’t that drastic. What he said was that he felt that maybe they overdid the audio portion of the re-mastering. He told me to give it to my 18 year old daughter, who became a Robotech fan when I sat down and watched it with her back in 2005. I told him that she has a better collection of the shows than I do. He said do with it what I would then. I figure that I’ll use it for my run through of all the Robotech material, and then give it to my daughter after that.

This got me to thinking about special editions, and why it is that people can’t just leave the perfection through imperfection alone. There’s really nothing wrong with the material as it was. It’s a little dated, but that’s because it was made almost 30 years ago. What do you expect? It’s like when Ted Turner thought it was a good idea to colourize black and white movies. Why?

I spoke with my brother about this. He is another one who is a bigger Robotech fan than I am. He took a drag of his pipe and said, “Holmes, old chap…”

He doesn’t smoke a pipe.

He said, “This is a lot like the dub/subtitle debate. Do you dub the material to make it easier for the English speaking audience to watch, or do you create subtitles for the English speaking audience to read?” This was an interesting point that I had to take under consideration.

Last year, I watched a Korean horror film called “The Host.” It was pretty good, and I would recommend it for most horror fans, but I would recommend that you watch it with subtitles. The English overdub was terrible. I don’t know if it was the fault of the voice actors, or the people directing the voice acting. I just know that I wish now that I’d just read the dialogue.

My brother made many good points that got me reconsidering the nature of the Robotech discs Nathan handed me. I soon realized that I had something to write:

Robotech Itself – Robotech was a reworking of three Japanese cartoons. The reworking was to accomplish two things. The first was to make it more appealing to the American audience. The second was to adhere to a strict TV scheduling process that required them to have thirteen weeks of episodes for a five day a week schedule.

Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, etc. – I guess the thing that made me realize that re-mastering isn’t all bad was when during the course of the discussion with my brother, I thought of the fact that many of the old analog recordings from bands of the 1970s and before (maybe even some after the 70s) had to be re-mastered into a digital format as part of better archiving, and as part of moving the music onto the CD format. The truth is that while some people might prefer the old analog versions, I don’t think my enjoyment of the music has ever suffered.

Updated Editions – The truth is that even in the realm of books, we sometimes see updated versions of books. If the book discusses money or finance, the totals might be adjusted for inflation. If the book discusses laws or procedures, those may be updated to give more accurate information. Even Steven King’s really, really long book, “The Stand,” was released as a really, really, really long version at one point, with much of the material that was cut from the original printing. This was an update of hundreds of pages.

John Ford – I read about the film director John Ford recently, and I was somewhat saddened to learn that of the 60+ silent films he directed, only a little over a dozen still exist. The archiving process was practically nonexistent at the start of moviemaking. I guess if we can be more assured that Robotech will be around for new generations as well, thanks to re-mastering efforts, maybe it isn’t such a bad thing.

I’m probably like the people who still own “Dark Side of the Moon” on vinyl with some things. Sometimes the flaws that gave the original release of something personality are hard to let go. In extreme cases, like the original Star Wars trilogy, it can feel like maybe people should leave well enough alone. Maybe in the case of Robotech they should have left well enough alone too, but while I was a little opposed before, I’m at least willing now to watch it to see what I think.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Robotech 2012 Reading/Watching Order

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

So it came to me that I would need to create a list of what I would need for this year-long Robotech binge. I would need to know which comics/books covered which parts of the story (chronologically). This is fine and all when it comes to the books and shows but there are a LOT of comics. I did a Google search and found this chronological listing from MegaSciFi.com. This is a complete list of everything in proper reading order. This guy REALLY went way beyond the list you see below, he actually has a more complex list that points out any flashbacks in the comics / books and it borders on the obsessive (which he confesses to). It really shows his love for this series! He has a little more readable version and that is what I have put below. It's just what I need! Thanks to the creator: Triple-Super Mecha 8.

I will stick as closely as I can or want to this timeline. Sometimes I might stray but for the most part I will try to read / watch in order.

* The (L) means last entry for that particular title.


GENESIS: THE LEGEND OF ZOR #1-6 (L)
GRAPHIC NOVEL (L)
RETURN TO MACROSS #1-13, 19, 14-15
WARRIORS #0 (#0 featured in RETURN TO MACROSS #15), #1-3 (L)
METAL SWARM #1 (L)
RETURN TO MACROSS #16-18, 20
ACADEMY BLUES #0
RETURN TO MACROSS #21-25
ACADEMY BLUES #1-2
MACROSS TEMPEST #1 (L)
ACADEMY BLUES #3
RETURN TO MACROSS #26
ACADEMY BLUES #4
ROMANCE #1 "Two Beers with a Skirt Chaser" story – NOTE: Contrary to the date printed in the story, the date is May 2005.
ACADEMY BLUES #5 (L)
RETURN TO MACROSS #27-33
CIVIL WAR STORIES #1 (L) – NOTE: Contrary to the date printed in the story, the date is July 2005.
RETURN TO MACROSS #34-37 (L)
ROMANCE #1 "When the Going Gets Tough..." story (L)
BREAKING POINT: CADET LISA HAYES SPECIAL #1 (L)
MACROSS (video series) "Boobytrap" to "Blue Wind" - Episodes 1-13
MACROSS MISSIONS: DESTROID #1 (L)
MACROSS MISSIONS: EXCALIBUR #1 (L)
MACROSS MISSIONS: EXCALIBUR - QUAKING THUNDER #1 (L)
MACROSS "Gloval's Report" - Episode 14
VERMILION #1-4 "Vermilion" story
MACROSS "Homecoming" to "To the Stars" - Episodes 15-36 (L)
THE MALCONTENT UPRISINGS #1-12 (L)
THE SENTINELS (video) (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK I #1-6
THE SENTINELS WEDDING SPECIAL #1-2 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK I #7-16
FINAL FIRE #1 (L) – NOTE: Circa 2022 is when the narrator tells his account of events that occurred in 2012.
CYBERPIRATES #1-4 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK II #1-21
THE SENTINELS BOOK III #1-9
AMAZON WORLD - ESCAPE FROM PRAXIS #1 (L)
INVID WORLD - ASSAULT ON OPTERA #1 (L)
MECHANGEL #0-3 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK III #10-18
SMITH WORLD - SABOTAGE ON KARBARRA #1 (L)
CYBER WORLD - SECRETS OF HAYDON IV #1 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK III #19-22
THE SENTINELS BOOK IV #1-8
FERAL WORLD - NIGHTMARE ON GARUDA #1 (L)
CRYSTAL WORLD - PRISONERS OF SPHERIS #1 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK IV #9-10
STAR RUNNERS: CARPENTER'S JOURNEY #1 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK IV #11
THE SENTINELS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 (L)
THE SENTINELS BOOK IV #12-13 (L)
ROBOTECH ANNUAL #1 "The Science of Law" story
ROBOTECH MASTERS [a.k.a. SOUTHERN CROSS] (video series) "Dana's Story" - Episode 1
THE MISFITS #1 (L)
ROBOTECH MASTERS "False Start" to "Catastrophe" - Episodes 2-24 (L)
INVID WAR #1, 5-6, 2, 7, 3-4, 8
FIREWALKERS #1 (L)
INVID WAR #9-12
THE NEW GENERATION [a.k.a. MOSPEADA] (video series) "The Invid Invasion" to "The Lost City" - Episodes 1-2
ROBOTECH ANNUAL #1 "Shop Talk or Why You Should Never Ride Without a Helmet" story (L)
THE NEW GENERATION "Lonely Soldier Boy" - Episode 3
INVID WAR #13
THE NEW GENERATION "Survival" to "Hard Times" - Episodes 4-6
CLASS REUNION #1 (L)
THE NEW GENERATION "Paper Hero" to "Eulogy" - Episodes 7-8
INVID WAR #14
THE NEW GENERATION "The Genesis Pit" to "The Fortress" - Episodes 9-12
INVID WAR #15
THE NEW GENERATION "Sandstorms" to "The Midnight Sun" - Episodes 13-17
INVID WAR #16
THE NEW GENERATION "Ghost Town" to "Frostbite" - Episodes 18-19
INVID WAR #17
THE NEW GENERATION "Birthday Blues" to "Hired Gun" - Episodes 20-21
VERMILION #2-4 "Unsung Heroes" story (L)
THE NEW GENERATION "The Big Apple" to "Symphony of Light" - Episodes 22-25 (L)
INVID WAR #18 (L)

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Robotech for 2012!

by Nathan Stout (of AccordingToWhim.com)

Welcome to the Robotech Now blog! Why Robotech Now? Why not? Well, Robotech 2012 was taken and so was Robotech. Strangely enough there is nothing Robotech related on either. Anyway, I just picked something that sounded current so I picked Robotech Now.

This blog will run all though 2012 and will cover my binge of Robotech in the coming year. My intent in 2012 (starting in late 2011) is to begin reading these novelizations all over again as well watching the corresponding episodes and reading the comics which take place at the same point in the story, and reading articles from the fanzines. I am going to attempt to give myself the 'total picture' of the Robotech saga and see what it's like.

This means I am going to have to drag out my comic collection and figure out what I need to get ahold of (since I don't have many of the comics anymore). I have the books and the DVDs as well as the fanzines so I am almost ready to rock and roll.

As far continuity in the Robotech Universe I am going to just let it ride. I don't care what's canon and what's not. I am going to enjoy all facets of Robotech and take what I want and leave the rest. I will check it all out (read, watch, etc). For instance, I don't give two farts about Robotech the Movie or the Shadow Chronicles but I will watch them so I can complete my 'total experience'. I think it's easy to get wrapped up in 'this is canon' and 'this is not' when you are so invested in something like this but I am going to accept it all in goodfaith and enjoy Robotech to its fullest.

So join me if you want. I will post thoughts I have when reading or watching. I will write little articles when I find something to write about. I will attempt to write some reviews and synopsis for the mateiral I am checking out as well. I have planned it all out (below) and will follow this schedule as close as I can but I'm sure I will be adjusting it several times during the year. If you have something to say about what I've written, or some little factoid I missed, please leave a comment on that post. If you have something more siginifant to say perhaps I can have you guest-blog for me. Drop me a line.

Chris has decided he will join me in certian aspects of this 2012 project (I'm not sure to what extent) but I am sure we will have a good time doing it. You will see posts from him here as well. *Chris waves at all of you*