THE (unofficial) ROBOTECH REPORTER

EXAMPLE OF CABLE SUSCRIBERS CUTTING THE CORD

2012-02-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday I posted an article on how its expected that people will begin cutting their cable service. Today, via BigHollywood, I found a article from The Wrap talking about this very thing.

Comcast shares were up more than 5 percent in early trading Wednesday after the company beat Wall Street earnings forecasts, reported that it had significantly cut cable customer losses, and announced a dividend increase and $6.5 billion share repurchase plan.

The country's largest cable company lost 17,000 video customers in the fourth quarter, down from 135,000 subscribers in the same quarter in 2010. It also decreased cable losses for the year by nearly 40 percent over 2010.

Then there is this from the mighty John Nolte.

DHD dismisses this, but I don’t think they understand how tired many of us are of paying outrageous cable bills for television we don’t watch:
Aereo[,] [t]he company, backed in part by Barry Diller, just announced that it will go live in New York City on March 14. Residents willing to pay $12 a month will be able to stream signals from local over-the-air TV channels, and watch their shows on demand with the functionality of a 40-hour, dual antenna DVR. The service will only work as long as users are in the local market — not, say, if they’re on a vacation or business trip. Aereo execs expect lots of people to subscribe, perhaps in conjunction with Netflix, as a substitute for the $65 a month cable or satellite TV package. That could be revolutionary, Greenfield writes today in a blog post: “If Aereo is in fact legal, we find it hard to fathom that the traditional (pay TV) bundle will survive and that retrans payments will continue to scale as broadcasters are expecting them to over the next several years.” If he’s right, then it’s the end of the media world as we know it. The giants make most of their profits from the fees they collect for their bundled channels.
That last sentence is crucial: The giants make most of their profits from the fees they collect for their bundled channels.

And that’s the scam. This appalling reality where neither your local cable company or the two primary satellite providers allow you to purchase only what you want to watch is an unspoken monopoly. Most of us are paying obnoxiously high bills for only a few channels.

As gas prices rise people are not going to pay $60 USD per month to watch 3 channels. If the price of goods continues to rise from high gas prices we could easily see a return of cable subscriber losses of over 100K per quarter again very soon. It's something to watch very closely.

CABLE SUBSCRIBERS CUTTING CORDS UP 23%

2012-02-10T11:15:00.001-08:00

From Studiobriefing.net

Following numerous reports that “cord cutting” did not represent a serious threat to cable television operators, Nielsen said on Wednesday that the number of households that have dropped their satellite TV subscriptions and relied exclusively on broadband Internet access to watch TV had grown 22.8 percent over the last year. While such households now represent fewer than 5 percent of all TV households, the growing number was described by Nielsen as “a development to watch.”

While there has been much discussion of DVD sales in decline the loss of cable and satellite subscribers to online streaming during the recession has not been talked about. It will be interesting to watch the effect this trend of "cord cutting" this has on cable networks.

UPDATE: I've clarified the post.

A RICHARD EPCAR OUTAKE

2012-02-09T11:31:00.001-08:00

WIN A FREE ROBOTECH "WE WILL WIN" EP!

2012-02-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Fans who like us on the Robotech Facebook Page and/or follow us on the Robotech Twitter News Feed will be entered to win a "We Will Win" EP! Fans who follow us at both websites can double their chances!

From Robotech.com

Girge Pablo of Argentina and Holly Letson of Alabama, who followed us on Facebook and Twitter respectively, have each won a new 2012 Robotech Wall Calendar, autographed by members of the cast and crew!

Our next drawing, to be held on Friday, February 10th, will select two other lucky fans to receive the new Robotech: We Will Win music EP!

SEE RICHARD EPCAR AND THE L.A. RIVER BAND PERFORM LIVE ON FEB. 8TH IN LOS ANGELES

2012-02-01T13:11:00.001-08:00

Richard Epcar, the voice of Vince Grant, Lunk & Brn Dixon in Robotech and the LA River Band will be playing at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles on Wednesday Night February 8th at 8:00 PM!

Here is the street address.

Molly Malone's
575 South Fairfax Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036-3128

(323) 935-1577

UPDATE: I clarified the title of this blog post.

ROBOTECH CALENDAR GIVEWAY HAS A COOL SURPRISE

2012-01-26T13:21:00.001-08:00

Tony Oliver signs calendars for the giveaway

The Robotech Facebook Page announced, that as part of their Facebook and Twitter calendar giveaway, that the first two winners will get calendars signed by several members of the Robotech cast! If you like the Robotech Facebook page or follow the Robotech Twitter News Feed you are already entered!

The first two winners will be drawn on Friday.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER CONTEST

LYNN MINMEI COSPLAY FROM SAC-ANIME 2010

2012-01-25T13:45:00.001-08:00

COOL PHOTO OF THE DAY

2012-01-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's not Robotech, but its pretty kick ass nonetheless!

CLICK HERE FOR 20 FACTS ABOUT THE FILM PLANET OF THE APES!

THE END OF A ERA FOR JAPANESE EXPORTS?

2012-01-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

From the Wall Street Journal

TOKYO—One of the world's greatest export engines is running out of steam.

For decades, Japan used the combination of manufacturing might and an export-oriented trade policy to shower markets around the world with its cars and consumer electronics and semiconductors.

No longer.

The Japanese government is expected to announce Wednesday that the country recorded its first annual trade deficit since 1980. If the yen remains strong and global demand weak, economists warn that Japan could run trade deficits for years to come.

This must read article goes to point out that:

- More Japanese companies are moving production offshore. (this has been happening in the anime world for years)

- The country is being impacted by economic forces beyond its control. IN particular China and Brazil are pushing up the costs of raw materials on top of the costs associated with a strengthening currency.

- In the first 11 months of 2011 Japan posted a $30 billion USD trade deficit. A stark comparison to the roughly $90 Billion USD trade surplus in 2010. Even worse the former head of the Bank of Japan, Hiromichi Shirakawa, has stated that as long as Japan Yen remains strong in relation to the U.S. Dollar, Japan will run consistent trade deficits.

- Japan debt burden is already larger than Italy's.

Why is this important to anime you ask? Well it is the economy of Japan that ultimately decides what type of anime gets made.

They called the 1980's the "Golden Age of Anime" for a reason.

ROBOTECH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER GIVEAWAY

2012-01-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Starting this week if you like Robotech on Facebook or Follow the Robotech Twitter Feed you have a chance to win some prizes.

We encourage fans to follow our official Robotech pages on Facebook and Twitter for the latest photos from the convention tour, links to cool merchandise and updates on current projects.

Every fan who "likes" us on Facebook or "follows" us on Twitter will be entered into a drawing to win a special Robotech prize! For the first week, ending next Friday on January 27th, 2012, we will select a pair of lucky fans to receive one of our new 2012 calendars.

To enter, all you have to do is click the "Like" button on our official Facebook page or click the "Follow" button on our official Twitter page. On January 27th, 2012, we will pick a fan who likes us on Facebook and another fan who is following us on Twitter to have their calendars mailed to them. There is NO purchase necessary.

GREG SNEGOFF KXL INTERVIEW NOW ONLINE

2012-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

Listen in to last night's KXL Greg Snegoff's Ground Zero interview via podcast.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE PODCAST

ROBOTECH MEXICO RELEASE WITH ORIGINAL SPANISH VOICES

2012-01-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

In April 2012 On Screen Films will release the first 85 episodes of Robotech with orginal Spanish voices!

CLICK HERE FOR ON SCREEN FILMS FACEBOOK PAGE

CREATE A "LIL" CHARACTER ON THE ROBOTECH FACEBOOK PAGE

2012-01-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

LilOmi has developed a free Facebook tool to allow fans to create a custom avatar of themselves as a little Robotech character. There is no cost to use this feature and there is no limit to how many avatars you can to make for use on Facebook or Twitter.

This is quite a fun tool to use for various social media applications and once again there NO limit on how many characters you can create for FREE. (In a recession FREE stuff is very cool!)

CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN "LIL" CHARACTER FOR FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

TWITTER AND FACEBOOK NOW INTERGRATED INTO ROBOTECH.COM

2012-01-18T17:10:00.001-08:00

From Robotech.com

To allow us to better interact with our fans, Robotech.com now features Facebook and Twitter integration! If you didn't notice already at the beginning of the year, we added links to our official Facebook and Twitter pages on the top bar of the entire website. We also added buttons to allow fans to directly "tweet" or "like" news articles and store items on Robotech.com with a simple click of the button.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PARAMOUNT LOGO

2012-01-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Myfilmviews.com has the inside story behind one of Hollywood's most iconic images.

MORE TIME LASPE GUNDAM FOTAGE

2012-01-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Via ANN for your Sunday afternoon pleasure!

FUNNY THING I NOTICED ON ROBOTECH.COM THIS MORNING

2012-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

Personally I think it is the work of The Demonsheep.

The Demonsheep is watching you...

LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE

2012-01-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

As many of you know a few days ago ANN broke the story of Media Blasters laying off 60% of its staff. This report is on top of the news last week that Bandai is doing a major downsizing regarding its North American operations.

IF you needed any idea of the issues facing our industry in 2012 these two stories are a good example of what I'm talking about. The industry is undergoing a fundamental change in the way it does business (and once again the people who "know this business" never saw it coming) and its not all due to piracy. (to be fair it is a component)

I think this will be something discussed further during a convention panel. HMMMMMMMM

RAND UNWRAPPED – CONFESSIONS OF A ROBOTECH WARRIOR NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND E-BOOK

2012-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

From Robotech.com

RAND UNWRAPPED – CONFESSIONS OF A ROBOTECH WARRIOR is an entertaining and informative look at Catalano’s creation of the Rand character in the popular animated series ROBOTECH – THE NEW GENERATION. The book takes readers behind the scenes to witness how an animated television series was written and recorded. Catalano also shares many of his experiences working on the series and explores the sources he relied upon to create the Rand character. Catalano stated: RAND UNWRAPPED is as much about the Robotech fans as it is the series itself. There could be no Robotech series without such great Robotech fans.”

RAND UNWRAPPED follows Catalano’s successful books Art of the Monologue, The Creative Audience, White Knight Black Night, The Resting Place and Autumn Sweet. His theatre books have been called a “great studies for would be actors or comedians of any type” by Midwest Book Review.

The paperback version is now available from Amazon.com for $16.99 USD

The E-book version for Amazon Kindle is now available for $7.99 USD

ROBOTECH CONVENTION TOUR TO KICK OFF IN COLUMBUS OHIO ON JANUARY 27th

2012-01-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Robotech Convention Tour will kick off on January 27th in Columbus Ohio. Fans at the following conventions will get the latest information on Robotech: Love Live Alive, Carl Macek’s Robotech Universe and the live action film currently in development over at Warner Brothers.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FIRST ROUND OF TOUR DATES!

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON PRE-REGISTRATION OPENS

2012-01-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

From Slashfilm.com

The increasingly difficult process of attempting to attend San Diego Comic-Con began today. Anyone planning on attending the mother of all pop culture conventions, which will take place a bit earlier this year – July 12-15 – should now sign up for a Comic-Con Member ID. This does not guarantee you a badge when they go on sale (a date has yet to be announced but four day with preview night sold out at Comic-Con 2011) but you will need to have a member ID to purchase one.

Basically, they’re forcing you to register for their site to buy a badge and you must do so early. All the links and instructions are below.

The direct link to sign up for one of these ID’s is here but there are some additional instructions, especially for press and professionals, along with FAQ’s and more by clicking here.

Folks if you are thinking of going you should pre-reg ASAP.

UPDATED: RICHARD ALF, CO-FOUNDER OF SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON HAS PASSED AWAY

2012-01-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Richard Alf, left, and Mike Towry outside the San Diego Convention Center in 2009 — Eduardo Contreras

From MSN News

Richard Alf, one of the co-founders of San Diego's Comic-Con, has died from pancreatic cancer at age 59.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Alf joined up with a band of volunteers in 1970 to start the now-annual convention celebrating comic books.

Friend and fellow Comic-Con co-founder Mike Towry says Alf fronted a few thousand dollars to pay for the convention for the first three years and
In 1970, the first Comic-Con was relatively modest compared to the convention that now draws more than 125,000 people to San Diego every summer for a 3-day extravaganza.

Alf also founded the Comic Kingdom shop in the North Park area of San Diego in the 1970s.

Alf was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in December.

Our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Alf.

UPDATE: From the San Diego Union Tribune

In 1970, Sheldon Dorf led a band of volunteers organizing San Diego’s first Comic-Con. The 35-year-old Michigan transplant had the vision and the experience, having run similar shows in Detroit.

But if Dorf was the main man, Richard Alf was the indispensable teen. The 17-year-old senior at Kearny High School possessed two things Dorf did not: a car and cash.
“He was a really good businessman,” said Mike Towry, a friend and fellow co-founder of the Con, which now draws more than 125,000 people each summer to downtown San Diego. “For the first three years, Richard would front the money — and it could have been as much as a few thousand dollars — to the convention and then get paid back afterward.”

As Dorf lacked his own transportation, Alf’s battered 1954 Volkswagen bug was also critical.

“In those early days,” Towry said, “it was all about Richard’s VW.”
Alf, who later founded the “Comic Kingdom” shop, died Wednesday from pancreatic cancer. He was 59.

His death came as some were working to restore Alf to his central place in the Comic-Con saga. He and other founders were saluted at the 2009 Comic-Con. The gesture came none too soon — two key organizers died that November, Dorf passing in San Diego at age 76 and former Ocean Beach bookstore owner Ken Krueger in upstate New York at 83.

FRANCE'S BEEZ ENTERTAINMENT TO STOP RELEASING NEW ANIME

2012-01-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

The contraction continues.

ANN has confirmed that Beez is no longer releasing new anime. Details of how Beez's licenses and currently scheduled releases will be handled in the future has not been officially announced at this time.

Bandai Entertainment, Beez's counterpart in North America, announced earlier this week that it will stop offering new DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and manga releases next month.

MEANWHILE OVER IN CHINA

2012-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Mr. Chen Chu of the Robotech Union China met with Mr.Ni Kang(left),

who was the voice actor of Max/Angelo/Lunk of Robotech and is

the voice director of Shanghai TV Station. (the station first aired Robotech in 1991)

BANDAI KEN IYADOMI SPEAKS ABOUT YESTERDAY'S DOWNSIZING ANNOUNCEMENT

2012-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday news began to spread about Bandai Entertainment downsizing their presence in North America. Today Anime News Network is reporting that:

On January 3rd, the publisher is announcing that it will cease to release new DVD and Blu-ray releases in North America, effectively ending its 13-year run in the market. The majority of the division's contractors and three of their five full-time staff members will be laid off, and all releases scheduled after the first week of February have been cancelled.

In a decision made last October, but only now becoming public knowledge, Bandai Entertainment's corporate parent at Namco Bandai Holdings made the decision to exit the American home video business. Iyadomi says he wasn't privy to the fine details. "The decision was made in Japan by the contents SBU (Strategic Business Unit)." That business unit originally included the video games division, but recently was merged with all of the company's audio visual businesses, including Sunrise, Bandai Visual and Bandai Channel.

The article also explains why:

The physical anime business in North America has shrunk substantially over the last five years, and shows no sign of returning to its former glory. "A couple of times we were hit with huge returns, and the financial result was pretty bad," Iyadomi admits. Still, he believes the division might have been able to keep going for a few more years, had the SBU allowed it.

"The pricing range for our products kept dropping in Western countries, and people tended only to buy sets with very reasonable prices, which we understand is what fans want, but it lead us to a different strategy than what Japanese licensors wanted," he remarked. "So we always had a problem [with licensors wanting something different than what consumers wanted]."

If you want to get a sense of the issues facing our industry this article is a must read.

STEVE BLUM REACTS TO THE BANDAI DOWNSIZING

2012-01-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

From Steve Blums Facebook Page.

Piracy does affect the business - in all areas of entertainment. Those of you who so vehemently dispute this fact are obviously breaking federal law and intending to continue this trend with no regard for the damage you cause real people - some who have sacrificed everything to produce the products you steal. I wish you the best of luck building a career based on entitlement. Please allow us to pay our respects to a company that was one of the primary building blocks for the anime industry in America. Thank you, Bandai, for one helluva ride. Bang.

Click here to read the whole statement.

CHRIS AYERS ON THE BANDAI DOWNSIZING

2012-01-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Via his Facebook Page.

I'm incredibly saddened by the loss of another company in the industry that I love so much. My brother and so many people in the industry for years have been talking about this very thing, it just sad to me that so many people who claim to be fans of something are such a driving force in it's downfall.

Click here to read the whole statement.

KYLE TV ON THE BANDAI DOWNSIZING

2012-01-03T12:32:00.001-08:00

INTERNET DISTRIBUTORS ARE CHANGING THE TV SYNDICATION GAME

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hat Tip: Big Hollywood

The LA Times has a excellent article on how internet streaming is changing the old TV syndication system. (the same system that first brought Robotech to the masses in 1985)

Television production studio executives long have been wary of Hulu and other forms of Internet distribution, fearing they would lead to increased piracy and destroy lucrative secondary markets, including syndication and DVD sales. But video streaming services offered by Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.com are becoming an unexpected boon to the TV syndication market. By writing checks to license library content from networks, the Internet services are injecting new revenue into the TV business and breathing new life into middling shows.

“The introduction of the subscription video-on-demand platform has broadened the opportunities for exploitation of product in a very positive way for consumers and studios,” said Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. domestic television distribution. “You do not need to accumulate 100 episodes of a series because 40 hours of programming is a lot, so many of these shows work perfectly well on these new services.”

John Nolte of Big Hollywood has a great point.

Something the article does miss, though, is how television marathons and DVD have also altered our viewing habits. We like to gorge now, watch more than just a single episode at a time and lose ourselves in that world for hours. This is one reason serialized dramas such as “Mad Men,” “24,” “Breaking Bad,” and the like are such favorites. These shows are addictive — in the best way.

As many of you know Robotech is heavily serialized like the above shows as well.

The Internet is also going to be a new boon for older shows; I’m talking “Wagon Train” and “Father Knows Best” — the kinds of shows studios probably don’t think are worth the investment of printing up on DVD. But today these older shows can be monetized via a streaming provider with almost no cost involved in making them accessible that way.
The real winner, of course, is the customer. The very narrow distribution filter controlled by a very few (most of them out-of-touch Hollywoodists) is going the way of the buggy whip. The choices we enjoy now will only multiply over time and the ability we now have to program and schedule our own “Must-See TV”

Robotech does very well on the streaming services since it has a strong fanbase and long running serialized storyline that feeds right into what these streaming services customers demand. It's also a low cast way to bring in new fans to the show as well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

From cover art of the comic adaptation of Robotech: The Macross Saga #35: Season's Greetings, by Mike Leeke and Mike Chen (published January 1989). http://robotech.com/infopedia/bibliography/comics/archives/comico.php

MORE CALENDAR AND EP PHOTOS ON THE ROBOTECH FACEBOOK PAGE

2011-12-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS

ROBOTECH 2012 CALENDAR AND "WE WILL WIN" EP NOW IN STOCK!

2011-12-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Robotech.com is now reporting that both the 2012 Calendar and the "We Will Win" EP are now in stock and shipping.

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

ROBOTECH EP PHOTOS!

2011-12-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Robotech Facebook Page has posted sveral photos of the newly arrived "We Will Win" EP's that will begin shipping this week.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS

THIS IS WHAT THOUSANDS OF EP'S LOOK LIKE

2011-12-21T14:55:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR EP FROM ROBOTECH.COM

RAND MPC CYCLONE NOW ON SALE FOR $159.99 USD

2011-12-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Robotech.com has put the Toynami/Beagle Rand MPC Cyclone on sale for $159.99 USD! This amazing toy includes the following.

Featuring:
- 1/10 scale
- 7.5 inch tall Rand figure
- Fabric undersuit
- 8.5 inches tall with Cyclone armor
- 2 removable heads
- Several removable hands
- Comes with two handheld weapons
- Comes with display stand

Robotech.com customers also get an exclusive rider "Data Card" containing stats and background info about Rand!

CLICK HERE TO TO ORDER THE RAND MPC AT ROBOTECH.COM

A&E ROBOTECH DVD BOXSET ON SALE FOR $32.99 USD AT AMAZON.COM

2011-12-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com has the entire Robotech complete series with all the new extras for only $32.99 before Christmas! With FREE SHIPPING! That $2.57 USD per episode!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY AT AMAZON.COM

ROBOTECH 2012 CALENDAR AND LIMITED EIDTION "WE WILL WIN" EP AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER IN THE ROBOTECH.COM STORE!

2011-12-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Today on the Robotech.com webiste Harmony Gold announced the 2012 Robotech Calendar and a limited edition EP of the newly restored and remastered We Will Win are available for pre-order in the Robotech.com store.

We Will Win - Limited Edition EP

The "We Will Win" EP includes new restoration and cleanup work on familiar tracks such as the original "We Will Win", and also features all-new tracks mixed together from scratch from the original 24 track recordings. Featured on this limited edition CD are an extended version of "We Will Win" with a never-before-heard third verse, and a never-before-heard Minmei version of "The Way To Love".

The EP contains over 10 tracks and can be pre-rodered $6.99 USD!

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE "WE WILL WIN" EP FROM THE ROBOTECH.COM

STORE

2012 Robotech Calendar

Also new for the holidays, we are proud to announce a new Robotech Calendar! Back in print for the first time in years, the new Robotech wall calendar covers the year 2012. Measuring 11x17 inches when opened, each illustrated month includes notations for common holidays and birthdays of many of the Robotech cast and crew - a perfect way to keep Robotech around all the seasons!

The Calendar can be pre-ordered for $9.99 USD

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE NEW 2012 CALENDAR FROM THE ROBOTECH.COM STORE

RECESSION BUSTING BUNDLE!

The perfect package to ring in the new year: this specially discounted set bundles the Robotech 2012 anniversary wall calendar and the Robotech: We Will Win limited edition music EP, both also available separately.

You can order the EP and Calendar as a bundle for the recession busting price of $15.99 USD.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE BUNDLE FROM ROBOTECH.COM

VOTE FOR A ROBOTECH FAN'S COLLECTION

2011-12-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

Robotech fan Larry Furry is currently in a photo contest over who has the coolest anime collection. Since he's featuring a lot of Robotech memorabilia, you help him out by voting for him here!

TIME LASPE GUNDAM

2011-12-13T15:47:00.001-08:00

Anime News Network had a story about the 1/1-Scale Gundam.

The self-described "Gundam videographer" darwinfish began streaming new time-lapsed footage of the 1/1-Scale Gundam reconstruction at Odaiba. The video features work being done on the upper body and torso. The statue is being rebuilt at Diver City Tokyo, a complex under construction on the island by Mitsui Fudosan and Fuji TV.

MECHACON ON NHK

2011-12-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

From the MechaCon Website.

This is the video from MechaCon that aired on NHK in Japan. NHK covered our charity auction to raise money for the NOLA Japan Quake Fund. Sorry we don’t have a translation for it yet. Including the Platinum Pass raffle everyone helped raise over $4,000 for the NOLA Japan Quake Fund.

ROBOTECH: THE NEW GENERATION RPG - NOW SHIPPING!

2011-12-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays! The New Generation RPG is now available!

The New Generation™ presents the era of the Third Robotech War on Earth, starting with the resistance fighters' struggle to rid their world of the Invid invaders:

• Rules for using mecha, power armor and technology from all four eras of Robotech.
• Kit-bashed mecha and rules for jury-rigging and combining parts from different generations of mecha.
• Freedom Fighter O.C.C.s and resistance organizations.
• Rogues and misfits from the three Robotech Wars.
• New weapons, vehicles, mecha and more.
• Villains, traitors, bandits, Invid henchmen, adventure and adventure ideas galore.
• Written by Kevin Siembieda and Irvin Jackson.
• Printed in standard 8½ x11 sourcebook size.
• 96 pages - final page count may be subject to change.

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FROM THE ROBOTECH.COM STORE!

1/100 SCALE LIGHT ARTILLERY BATTLEPOD SHIPPING FROM ROBOTECH.COM STORE

2011-12-08T14:58:00.001-08:00

Toynami continues their "bad guys" line with the Zentraedi Light Artillery Battlepod!Zentraedi Light Artillery Battlepod is made of a sturdy vinyl and stands about 10 inches tall, compatible with the 1/100 scale of the VF-1 transformable action figures!

Each Light Artillery Battlepod features:

• matching scale with 1/100 VF-1 series
• approximately 10 inches tall
• 11 points of articulation
• rotational cannon joints
• vinyl construction

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FROM THE ROBOTECH.COM STORE

AND NOW A WORD OF ADVICE FROM GORDON GEKKO

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

MEANWHILE SOUTH OF THE BORDER...

2011-12-05T14:35:00.001-08:00

On Screen Films will release the new Spanish version of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles in Mexico on December 9!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RELEASE

En Espanol:

En Pantalla lanzará Robotech: Las Crónicas de la Sombra en México el 9 de diciembre!

PALLADIUM BOOKS GIVES A UPDATE ON THE ROBOTECH: THE NEW GENERATION RPG

2011-12-02T16:05:00.001-08:00

Kevin Siembieda gives fans a update on the new RPG.

UPDATE: Robotech® The New Generation™ Sourcebook ships tomorrow – Friday, December 2. We were expecting the book sooner, but our printer was backlogged and there was a slight delay. We’ll be busy packing and shipping tomorrow afternoon. Anyone who has placed a pre-order will see their book put in the mail on Friday.

We are very excited about Robotech® The New Generation™ Sourcebook, especially that it offers the ability to play mecha and O.C.C.s from ALL eras of Robotech® in one setting against the Invid. Just think about the possibilities of Veritech Fighters, Destroids, Battloids, Hover Tanks, Cyclones, and “Frankenmecha” – giant robots combined with the limbs, weapons and body parts of two or more mecha – all working together to stop a common enemy. Epic. Plus, there is more information about the Invid, rules for creating Frankenmecha, vehicle combat and crash damage as well as stats and descriptions for new weapons, new vehicles, seven new O.C.C.s (including Invid Genetics and Cyborg Experiments, Invid Princes and Princesses and Resistance Fighter O.C.C.s), key characters from the TV show, world overview, great art and more. Ships December 2.

MENTION OF CARL MACEK ON ANIME NEWS NETWORK

2011-12-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

A interesting exchange on The Anime News Network Hey Answerman Column.

Here is part of the question:

If you had an unlimited supply of money, and maximum sway in any negotiation, what would you do to help the North American Anime Industry?

Here is part of the Answerman's response.

And in all honesty, even with all that theoretical money and influence at my disposal, I'd still be just one dude. Certain genres and mediums don't seem to catch on and stay relevant just because of one high-profile endorsement; I can't think of anybody who ran out and learned Coptic just because of George Clooney. As much as I hate sounding like a pretentious twat, I'm going to say it - it's all about hitting the zeitgeist. If something hits at the right place at the right time, it's a sure-fire thing. And some people are great at predicting that; Carl Macek was a visionary in that sense, in that he knew there was an audience that was looking for stuff like Akira and Robotech, but they didn't know what it was yet, and he was the only guy who could give it to them.

It's worth reading the whole thing.

ROBOTECH A&E DVD BOX SET ON CNN.COM HOT HOLIDAY LIST

2011-11-29T16:21:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: I fixed the link.

CNN.com has posted a Hot Holiday list and the new Robotech Box Set from A&E Home Video has made the cut.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE CNN.COM HOT HOLIDAY LIST ARTICLE

ROBOTECH: TNG ROLE PLAYING GAME NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-RODER ON ROBOTECH.COM

2011-11-29T10:42:00.001-08:00

New Generation™ presents the era of the Third Robotech War on Earth, starting with the resistance fighters' struggle to rid their world of the Invid invaders:

- Rules for using mecha, power armor and technology from all four eras of Robotech.
- Kit-bashed mecha and rules for jury-rigging and combining parts from different generations of mecha.
- Freedom Fighter O.C.C.s and resistance organizations.
- Rogues and misfits from the three Robotech Wars.
- New weapons, vehicles, mecha and more.
- Villains, traitors, bandits, Invid henchmen, adventure and adventure ideas galore.
- Written by Kevin Siembieda and Irvin Jackson.
- A standard, 8 1/2 x 11 sourcebook.
- 96 pages - Cat. No. 554. Final page count and price may be subject to change.

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDER ON ROBOTECH.COM

LETS KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH SOMETING THAT ROCKS!

2011-11-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Be sure to listen for the cool gituar solo.

ROBOTECH: TSC IN ARGENTINA

2011-11-23T23:16:00.001-08:00

Sebastian and his daughter found this special collector's package containing the new Spanish version of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles at a store in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

VERY BUSY

2011-11-21T11:06:00.001-08:00

Where are you Kev?

Very busy with Robotech stuff so I hope to be back blogging soon!

PRESS GOES INSIDE FUKUSHIMA

2011-11-13T21:31:00.001-08:00

From the New York Times

The star of Saturday’s press briefing was Masao Yoshida, the manager of the plant and a man now revered for his stamina over months of grueling, and often dispiriting, work.

During the briefing, he mainly stuck to the message that Tepco was hoping to deliver: “I have no doubt the reactors have been stabilized,” he said. But in an echo of the plainspokenness that won the admiration of Naoto Kan, the prime minister at the peak of the crisis, he added a note of caution: “There is still danger.”

That view is shared by many nuclear experts, who say serious challenges remain.

The biggest is the fact that the company does not know the exact condition of the fuel within the No. 1 and No. 3 reactors, whose cores appear to have melted through the inner containment vessels.

“Cold shutdown is an indication that the accident phase is over,” said Akira Tokuhiro, a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Idaho in Idaho Falls, “but the next phase of cleaning up will take more than 20 years.”

During the plant tour, the bus kept moving at the most contaminated areas near the base of the reactors to limit the time there and, thus, the radiation exposure. As it did, a radiation detector on the bus jumped to 300 microsieverts per hour — high enough to reach the annual recommended maximum dosage in just over three hours.

The only humans visible in the plant were groups of workers in white hazmat suits and red or yellow hard hats. They appeared oddly out of place among the quiet pine forests over much of the plant’s grounds, populated still by dragonflies.

One worker, Hiroyuki Shida, 57, said conditions in the plant had greatly improved with new comforts like a workers’ lounge and a place to eat.
“The mood inside Fukushima Daiichi is totally different now,” said Mr. Shida, who monitors contaminated waste. “Now, radiation levels aren’t so high outside the buildings. But they are still high within the reactor buildings. And there are hot spots, so we have to be careful.”

That caution was on full display at the only building within the plant where protective clothing is not needed. Visiting journalists passed through a series of rooms where teams of workers systematically cut off the layers of protective clothing with scissors. The discarding is done in stages to limit contamination; booties come off in one room, the full body suit in another.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

ROBOTECH: THE SENTINELS DIGITAL CLEANUP

2011-11-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

A number of scenes from the Sentinels benefited from improved framing during the digital restoration process, of which this particular shot of Cabell may be the most extreme example.

THE SHADOW CHRONICLES SPANISH DUB UPDATE

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

For our Latin American fans: some alternate bonus scenes from the new Spanish-language DVD of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, now on sale from AVH in Argentina (and coming to Mexico in December from En Pantalla / On Screen Films).

TWO MORE WEBSITES HAVE ROBOTECH DVD CONTESTS

2011-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Two more contests for the Robotech DVD box set from A&E Home Entertainment are online.

SLANT MAGAZINE

Enter for your chance to win a copy of Robotech: The Complete Original Series on DVD, courtesy of New Video. Three (3) winners will be picked at random. The deadline for entering this contest is November 7, 11:59pm E.S.T. Only one entry per person; duplicate entries will be disqualified.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER VIA SLANT MAGAZINE!

EDGE OF PROVINCETOWN, MA

If you already have an account with EDGE, all you need to do is log in; we'll pull your address information from your account and simply ask you to verify it. If you do not yet have an account with us, register now! It's easy and free, and you'll never have to type in your personal information again. If you prefer to enter this information manually, you can use the manual entry link below.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER VIA EDGE

ROBOTECH SOUNDTRACK POLL

2011-11-07T13:35:00.001-08:00

The 25th Anniversary Soundtrack CD is now weighing in at 3 discs and we want your feed back in our new Robotech.com poll. (discuss here)

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE POLL ON ROBOTECH.COM

PALLADIUM BOOKS UPDATES ON THE LATEST ROBOTECH RPG

2011-11-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

Kevin Siembieda takes to the Megaverse forums to update fans on the Robotech: The New Generation RPG.

We have two books in full swing, final production.

Rifts® Path of the Storm – One writer’s vision of the Rifts® Movie is almost done. It is going into layout phase this weekend. ALL we are waiting for is the cover and final art. It should go to the printer next week. This is really a fun product that is a good read, provides behind the scenes info at Palladium Books as well as the creative process, and presents game stats for key characters and ideas for adventure. I think people are going to love this book. 96 pages and only $12.95 retail.

Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook should see final layout and go to the printer by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week. Approvals have been coming in from Harmony Gold all day. We’re not certain if we’ll really see ALL approvals by tonight as promised, but they are coming in at a good clip and we are hopeful.

It is very exciting to have two books get so close to being sent to the printer.

THE END OF AN ERA....

2011-11-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Sunset 5 Theater in Fall of 2006

Five years ago in the fall of 2006, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles screened at the Lammle Sunset 5 as part of the LA Korean Film Festival. The theatre has long been king of the LA indie film scene and often the competiion to get films booked into the theater was fierce. Five years later the LA Times is reporting that a 20 year reign is ending.

It's the end of an era for a West Hollywood movie house that has been a mainstay of the independent cinema scene for the last 20 years.

Laemmle Theatres will stop operating the Sunset 5 at the end of the month after being unable to come to terms with the landlord on a new lease.

Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas will take over the five-screen complex Dec. 1 and will temporarily close it for renovations, with plans to reopen in late spring. This marks the entry of Westlake Village-based exhibitor into the Los Angeles area. Sundance Cinemas operates theaters in Madison, Wis., San Francisco and Houston.

Fans line up for the screening of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles in the fall of 2006.

Although the Sunset 5 will remain operational, the loss of Laemmle as its programmer marks a significant shift for the independent film business in the Los Angeles area. Filmmakers such as Catherine Hardwicke ("Thirteen"), Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects") and Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters") had their films premiere at the movie house on Sunset Boulevard near Crescent Heights.

"I've seen so many inspiring films at the Sunset 5 -- movies you couldn't see anywhere else," Hardwicke said. "Then I got lucky and my directorial debut, 'Thirteen,' screened there. It was a real honor to do a Q&A in this iconic indie theatre. I even had a heckler in a fake beard and mustache and a stalker chick that made her own fliers for the screening. I'll miss the Laemmle vibe, but I'm glad to hear that the theater will reopen in the spring."

Robotech fans pack the inside one of the theatres!

Over the years, the programming for the theater became more of a challenge as first-rate art house titles were attracted to higher-end cinemas in the area, specifically Pacific Theatres at the Grove, which took over the location in late 2002; the Arclight Hollywood, which opened in 2003; and the Landmark Theatres on Pico Boulevard, which launched in 2007.

“Ever since the Arclight and the Grove opened, we lost some attendance,"

said Greg Laemmle, president of Laemmle Theatres. “We still had hit films such as ‘Monster’ [starring Charlize Theron] and ‘Half Nelson’ [starring Ryan Gosling] along the way. But we started seeing fewer and fewer of them. Distributors were under pressure to get into the Arclight.”

While its a good thing Sundance is taking over it is a downer to see this era end. At least we can say Robotech was part of this great era of indie film in Los Angeles!

LINK INSANITY OF ROBOTECH DVD REVIEWS!

2011-11-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

A whole bunch of new reviews have come in for the new Robotech DVD Box Set from A&E Home
Entertainment. Here they are!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE SPILL.COM REVIEW OF THE NW ROBOTECH DVD'S

CLICK HERE TO READ THE JUST PRESS PLAY REVIEW OF THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD'S

CLICK HERE TO READ SHAKEFIRE.COM REVIEW OF THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD'S

CLICK HERE TO READ EMDIV.ORG REVIEW OF THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD'S

PMX TO ROAST RICHARD EPCAR!

2011-11-03T10:35:00.001-07:00

Coming November 11th! The Pacific Media Expo's groundbreaking Anime Nightclub program to host a roast of Robotech’s Richard Epcar with a special discount for Robotech.com members!

ROBOTECH.com fans can get an additional $5 off per person by entering the coupon code Q6TD6 at the start of registration, so $11/person is possible with both discounts.

For more information, go to http://PacificMediaExpo.com/info/nightclub.html

ANDERSONVISION.COM REVIEWS THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a excerpt of a must read review.

Macross isn’t anymore adult than Robotech is. If you believe that Macross is, then your deluding yourself. The same loss of life, love relationships occur in both series. As a watcher of Robotech and Macross, I wouldn’t say Robotech or Macross is more mature then the other. That would be silly. I do say that Macross isn’t as deep as Robotech is. Carl Macek took three series ranging from good to just OK and made them deeper by linking them together on the common element of Protoculture. Macross would have probably flopped here in America if it was released in 1984.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW!

HAUNTEDFLOWER.COM REVIEWS THE A&E ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-11-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

ROBOTECH SPANISH VOICE ACTOR SPEAKS

2011-10-31T13:14:00.001-07:00

Moisés Palacios (la voz original de Roy Fokker) habla sobre el regreso a Robotech como la voz del Dr. Louis Nichols con el director de diálogo Jesús Barrero en Las Crónicas de la Sombra

Moises Palacios (the original Spanish voice of Roy Fokker) talks about returning to Robotech as the voice of Dr. Louis Nichols with dialog director Jesus Barrero in the new Spanish version of The Shadow Chronicles.

SCREENHEAD.COM REVIEWS THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-10-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yet another Robotech DVD box set review and this time it comes from Screenhead.com

And you might think this is simplistic, and you’d have good reason to think so, but this is actually a whole lot more complex than you might think. After all, we’re talking about a series that covers almost a full day and a half of footage, so you know there’s a lot going on in here. It’s a fine piece of anime, and nicely representative of the genre. If you want a good look at where anime came from–and where anime might well go from here–then you’ll want to settle in with this massive chunk of Robotech.

The Screenhead Ten Scale gives Robotech: The Complete Series a full ten out of ten. There’s more than enough action to keep most anyone satisfied, and as a history lesson, it represents a major achievement in anime and is well worth your time to watch.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW!

THENUMBERS.COM REVIEW OF THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-10-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

The-numbers.com has posted a review of the new Robotech DVD Box Set from A&E Home Entertainment.

Excerpt.

There are no extras on the three seasons, however, there's a set of four bonus discs with ten hours of bonus features. Incredible. Disc one starts off with the original pilot, plus clips in various languages. There are image galleries for character and mecha design, a comic book gallery, toy commercials, etc. Disc two has the original pilot for Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, the original Japanese show that was turned into The New Generation. There are also more than an hour of deleted scenes from the original series, some of which were cut for violence. Extras continue with more comic book art, more character art, more international clips, etc. Disc three starts with Carl Macek's Robotech Universe, which is in memory of the show's writer / producer, and all round innovator of Anime.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW

OLDGAMEREVIEWER.COM REVIEW OF THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

OldGameReviewer.com has posted a review of the new Robotech DVD Box Set from A&E Home Entertainment. Excerpt.

Comprised of 17 discs including the complete, three-part series (85 episodes in all), “Robotech” has never looked or sounded better than it does in this digitally restored edition. Transfers have been spruced up from the original broadcasts with truly excellent new 5.1 mixes that are constantly active in terms of their original design; purists will also note that some music that had to be changed for “Robotech”’s previous DVD release has, according to the producers, been restored in full for this edition.

Supplements are housed on no less than four platters of their own. These include a full documentary on the making of the series; music videos; alternate versions of select episodes; “Robotech The Movie” supplementals; a promo reel of the show’s Chinese launch; the original “Macross” pilots and more – all new to DVD. The aborted “Robotech II: The Sentinels” pilot is also included along with edited portions of the failed Cannon production “Robotech: The Movie” and plenty more extras from prior DVD editions, from original opening/closing credits to videogame and toy commercials, deleted scenes and tons more.

Both fans of the series as well as newcomers to the show would do well in checking out this massive set from NewVideo that’s simply outstanding in every facet.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW

ROBOTECHX AT THE LONG BEACH COMIC-CON

2011-10-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

COLLECTORS QUEST REVIEW OF THE A&E ROBOTECH DVD's

2011-10-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

Collectorsquest.com has posted a review of the new Robotech DVD's from A&E Home Entertainment.

Here is an excerpt.

With 17 discs to enjoy, it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of robot and alien fighting anytime soon. While some fans have complained about the release of this on DVD and not Blu-ray, there seems to be a lack of understanding that popping something onto Blu-ray does not automatically make it clearer or”better”. The source material for these DVD episodes has been cleaned up and remastered, but it does not change the fact that these were shot on 16mm film, making a significant grain inherent to the source material, and if I may be subjective, the experience itself. The vague haze which covers a majority of pre-1990s cartoons has a warmth which just cannot be replicated with digitally produced, or remastered, shows.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW

STARPULSE.COM REVIEW OF THE ROBOTECH DVD FROM A&E HOME ENTERTIANMENT

2011-10-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

Starpulse.com has posted a review of the new Robotech DVD box set from A&E Home Entertainment. Here is an excerpt.

The real joy is the bonuses that will surely delight Robotech's legion of loyal fans. A&E did a fantastic job packing this seventeen-disc set with just about everything that they could have, whether it's a gallery of pre-production art or original animations and pilots. For newbies like me, the gem is Carl Masek's Robotech Universe, which is a new-to-DVD documentary covering the "making of" that you'd expect on a series set - but because Robotech is so much more, it's a lot more fascinating than the usual featurette. I watched it and felt like I had a decent understanding of the universe and a desire to learn more.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW

NEW ROBOTECH BLOG

2011-10-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Robotech fan "Lisa" has created a new Robotech blog. The blog has a review of the new A&E Box Set and a moving essay about Carl Macek.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT LISA'S NEW ROBOTECH BLOG!

HOLLYWOOD AND THE JOBS CRISIS - PART 4

2011-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

THE BANK OF KEV HAS MORE

BIG SHINY ROBOT IS GIVING AWAY A ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET!

2011-10-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

The website Big Shiny Robot is hosting a contest where one lucky fan will win a new DVD box set of all 85 Robotech Episodes from A&E Home Entertainment. Here is the lowdown on the contest from the website.

The contest will be open until Friday, October 28th. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 31th.

To enter, all you need to do is shoot us an email at editor (at) bigshinyrobot.com. Make the subject “FAREWELL, BIG BROTHER” (which might be one of the best episodes of the entire series. For an extra chance to win, you can go to our facebook page and invite all of your friends to like us. Or you can ask your followers on twitter to follow us @BigShinyRobot. Just be sure to mention in your email that you’ve done it.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE CONTEST FROM BIG SHINY ROBOT!

THE REALMCAST REVIEW OF THE CARL MACEK'S ROBOTECH UNIVERSE SCREENING

2011-10-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

TheRealmCast.com has a full review of last week screening of Carl Macek's Robotech Universe.

Last night, however, Harmony Gold invited a selection of press, as well as a few lucky fans, to attend a premiere screening of the documentary, Carl Macek’s Robotech Universe, at the theater within their Hollywood headquarters. Quite a few of the original voice actors were on hand, as well as other behind-the-scenes folks from the original production, and current Harmony Gold staffers. It was an honor to be invited, and it was a wonderful evening. I was able to catch up with a few friends that attended, as well as hobnob with the members of the voice cast that showed up, including Michael McConnohie and Richard Epcar, who I’ve previously met at BotCons, due to their involvement with Transformers. There was a reception afterward, featuring a nice spread of food (including by far the best sliders I’ve ever had), and an open bar. Believe you me, Harmony Gold knows how to throw a premiere party!

It's a good review of the film and the screening itself.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE JOB CRISIS - PART 3

2011-10-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO GET PART 3 OF THIS SERIES FROM THE BANK OF KEV

MTV GEEK BLOG REVIEWS THE A&E ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The MTV Geek Blog has posted a review of the new Robotech DVD's from A & E home Entertainment. Here is an excerpt.

I'm speaking to U.S. viewers of a certain age here, I know, but if the Robotech franchise is at all your thing and you're looking to get the series as you remembered it as a kid, make no mistake that this is it, and this brick of DVDs needs to be in your home between your copy of that Criterion Robocop DVD and that copy of Rob Roy which you still insist is awesome. Short of a what would surely be a multi-million dollar HD upgrade, this is the best this probably the best presentation you're gonna get and you'd better like it.

Joking aside, beyond some quibbles with how some of the supplemental material is presented here, I'd recommend this set to practically anyone with an interest in the series that almost singlehandedly popularized anime in the West while telling an epic, surprisingly mature story of the cost of war.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW ON THE MTV GEEK BLOG

HOLLYWOOD AND THE JOB CRISIS - PART 2

2011-10-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Bank of Kev has more on how the Great Recession is impacting the Film/TV industry.

DVDTALK.COM REVIEWS THE NEW ROBOTECH DVD BOX SET

2011-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

The website DVDtalk.com has put up a review of the new Robotech DVD box set from A&E Home Entertainment here is an excerpt.

Robotech: The CompleteSeries arrives on an impressive17 discs, all contained in four single-width keepcases. Those of you that have the original Legacy LEreleases will be happy at the amount of shelf space this saves! Each saga comes in it's own multi-disc,single-width case (4 discs each except for the first saga which comeson 5DVDs) with the fourth case devoted to a whopping four discs worth ofextras.

Audio:

You have the choice of English or Spanish audio, both in 5.1. (Thereare no subtitles available.) Since the show was edited heavilyfrom theoriginal animes, there is no Japanese language track. The soundduringthe frequent battle scenes is very cool. They make full use ofthe soundstage, with planes swooshing from the rear to the front and all overtheroom. There are laser blasts coming from all corners. Thispart ofthe mix is very dynamic and exciting; the audio track really puts youin themiddle of things. Unfortunately, after the battles end, the soundcollapses to what is basically a mono mix. The dialog is centeredoverthe screen, and rarely moves about. Even the music is piped tothe frontspeakers most of the time. I wish they had thrown some of themusic andsound effects to the rear speakers throughout the entire show and notjust theexciting parts.

The audio quality is good. There is no hiss or hums, thoughsome ofthe dialog does sound a little flat. The music is not dynamic,though itdoes sound better than I remember it from television.

It's a pretty cool comprehensive review of the new A&E Box Set so its worth the read.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW FROM DVDTALK.COM

ROBOTECH BUTTONS AT THE NEW YORK COMIC-CON

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

At the A&E booth on the floor of the New York Comic-Con they were handing out free buttons to fans. Here is a photo of one.

THE CON OF WRATH

2011-10-20T11:25:00.001-07:00

HOLLYWOOD AND THE JOBS CRISIS - PART 1

2011-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Bank of Kev Blog has more on how the Great Recession has impacted the Film/Television industry.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE BANK OF KEV

NEW YORK COMIC-CON PHOTOS ONLINE

2011-10-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

With all the interest surrounding the Carl Macek's Robotech Universe screening another big Robotech event took place at the New York Comic-Con. There were hundreds of fans there in one of the biggest rooms of the convention.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW YORK COMIC-CON PHOTOS

REVIEW OF THE A&E ROBOTECH DVD'S

2011-10-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Factpile.com has a cool review of the new Robotech DVD's. Excerpt.

Simply put, Robotech put Anime on the map in America. Yes, there were other series that tried to enter the pop culture of the U.S., but none prior to Robotech were successful.

When A&E provided me the opportunity to review this collection, it was like I had died and gone to geek heaven. Of course, I already owned all the dvd’s for the entire series already, but with this new collection, they’ve been re-mastered and look much better than the first editions that I have.

That alone makes this set worth getting for any fan. But then they include a fourth set simply named: The Robotech Archives.

This is where the treasure of this collection emerges. Being a fan for over 30 years, I thought I had seen and heard about everything there was to know about Robotech. Wow, was I wrong.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE REVIEW!

PHOTOS FROM LAST NIGHTS ROBOTECH SCREENING AT HARMONY GOLD NOW ONLINE

2011-10-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Robotech Facebook Page has posted over 150 photos from last nights premiere screening Carl Macek's Robotech Universe.

Several hundred fans mingled with the original cast and crew in Hollywood inside the Harmony Gold Preview House. After the screening the attendees were treated to a post screening reception in the lobby of the Harmony Gold Building.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOS FROM THE ROBOTECH EVENT OF THE YEAR

SOME ROBOTECH SCREENING PHOTOS FROM YESTERDAY

2011-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Fans line up outside of Harmony Gold a full Two hours before the screening.

Bonnie Stauch and Svea Stauch Macek with the Robotech Style Guide and actors' costumes they made back in 1985

Testing the film in the Harmony Gold Preview House on Monday afternoon. (Note the two battloids standing on either side of the screen.

A LOOK AT THE VOLTRON FRANCHISE...

2011-10-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Riverfront Times has a amazing article on the Voltron Franchise. Here is a brief excerpt.

In 1983, most TV executives in America shunned Japanese animation as shoddy and inferior. But Ted Koplar and his colleagues found themselves titillated by three different animé series on display at an international trade show. They purchased the option to develop them.

That's when an awkward phone call altered the course of KPLR — and, in a sense, the universe.

An employee at World Events phoned across the Pacific and ordered tapes of the first two shows — Albegas and Dairugger — but didn't know the title of the third, Daltanious. So the employee described the show as having a character with a lion on its chest. The Japanese executive on the other end understood only "lion."

When the box arrived from Japan and Koplar opened it, he pulled out the first two shows he'd ordered, but couldn't find Daltanious. Instead, he saw a tape labeled Beast King GoLion.

Folks if you want a glimpse into one of the worlds top anime franchises this is a MUST read.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

ICv2 POSTS IMAGE OF THE NEW PALLADIUM ROBOTECH: TNG RPG!

2011-10-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

ICv2 posted a sneak of Palladium Books' newest Robotech RPG sourcebook, now as a full-sized volume instead of manga size! ICv2 article has got some cool info on the RPG as well.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ICv2 ARTICLE ABOUT THE NEW ROBOTECH RPG

BREAKING NEWS: HARMONY GOLD ANNOUNCES SPECIAL SCREENING OF CARL MACEK'S ROBOTECH UNIVERSE AT THE HARMONY GOLD PREVIEW HOUSE! LIMITED NUMBER OF SEATS AVAILABLE TO FANS!

2011-10-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Harmony Gold will host a special screening of the new documentary Carl Macek's Robotech Universe on October 17, 2011 with the cast and crew of the groundbreaking animated series.

A limited number of seats will be made available to fans who submit a seating request.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN ATTEND THIS UNIQUE ROBOTECH EVENT AT THE HARMONY GOLD PREVIEW HOUSE!

LEGO MOSPEADA RIDE ARMOR IN JAPAN

2011-10-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

The mighty YacoLog has posted some cool photos of a Lego Mospeada Ride Armor. Plus some other Robotech themed photos as well. Hey dont take my word for it go and check em out.

CLICK HERE TO SEE YACOLOG'S NEW PHOTOS

MEANWHILE IN LATIN AMERICA...

2011-09-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Jesus Barrero (also known as the Spanish voice of Luke Skywalker) reprises his role as Admiral Rick Hunter and Scott Bernard in the Latin American Spanish version of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

What is going on I wonder?

MARI IIJIMA AND THE CAST OF COWBOY BEBOP TO HEADLINE A WE HEART JAPAN CHAIRTY EVENT IN LOS ANGELES THIS WEEKEND

2011-09-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Mari Iijima, the cast of Cowboy Bebop will be performing this Saturday at an event for Japan disaster relief! Fans in Southern California come show your support for the country that has brought you so much entertainment over the years!

While I was at MechaCon, Convention Co-Chairman, Jon Russo makde a great point about disasters in general as it relates to the chairty events like this. He said (paraphrase) that "just because the cameras are no longer rolling does not mean the need has stopped." He is 100% right!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT CHARITY EVENT

NEW YORK COMIC-CON ROBOTECH PANEL TIME ANNOUNCED!

2011-09-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Robotech Facebook Page has announced the day and time for the Robotech Industry Panel at the New York Comic-Con.

NAME: Robotech Industry Panel
DAY: Saturday, October 15th
TIME: 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Apple Kissa Stage

The NYCC Robotech panel is a mere two days before the new A&E DVD's hit the shelves so this is one event that will give a comprehensive overview of the A&E DVD's.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE NEW YORK COMIC-CON

MECHACON PHOTOS NOW ON FACEBOOK

2011-09-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Soon the hunt will begin...

Photos from MechaCon 2011 are now up on the Robotech Facebook Page. Photos include the formal, dinner, ball and concert.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MECHACON PHOTOS!

TOMMY YUNE UPDATES FANS ON THE A&E HOME VIDEO ROBOTECH DVD'S

2011-09-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Tommy Yune (center) at the Nan Desu Kan Robotech Panel

Tommy Yune made this post on the Robotech Forums today (Sept. 13, 2011) regarding some questions fans had from the NDK panel. It also has some interesting tidbits about the Sentinels as well...

* A&E has completed authoring the DVDs and is now manufacturing them for release on October 18, 2011.

* Codename: Robotech, the extended version of the "Gloval's Report" recap episode, will not be part of the bonus disc set. However, Carl Macek's audio commentary about the making of Robotech has been adapted for inclusion with the alternate March 1985 version of the The Macross Saga episodes.

* To clarify, the alternate March 1985 version of the Robotech episodes are not the old audio mix that had been previously released on home video up until the ADV Legacy box sets. This is an even older version of the episodes that had been released for the original broadcast only in spring 1985 and had never been released on DVD.

* There are challenges to transferring from the original film reels to HD, one being that the footage was originally filmed in 16mm, not 35mm, so the materials have much more grain which would be pronounced in HD resolution. Therefore, this is something we're still working on -- the ideal is for the restoration technology to improve and costs to come down to hit a sweet spot for consumers.

* For those of you who prefer the older mono sound effects over the 5.1 mix, audio engineer Bob LaCivita has recommended turning down all the left/right/surround channels on your 5.1 surround tuner and leaving on only the center channel. For a little more "impact" to the playback, you can optionally leave on the subwoofer channel.

* An abridged version of Robotech: The Untold Story (the 1986 animated movie first released by Cannon Films) is confirmed to be part of this bonus disc set. Rather than being a loose collection of scenes minus the Megazone footage, it has undergone some editorial work to be a somewhat more cohesive standalone feature.

* An updated version of Robotech: The Sentinels is confirmed to be part of this set. It is a new edit that adds some new footage and trims others (mostly flashbacks) based on advice left by Carl Macek, as well as being digitally remastered.

* The audio of the updated version of the Sentinels is a conservative cleanup and noise removal of the original stereo track with no changes to the sound effects. The Spanish audio track will also be included.

* The English-language Macross television pilots (featuring the Robotech cast) will include both the 30-minute version previously released by ADV and the extended 70-minute version that had last been released on VHS and Beta in 1984.

* Other extras include new galleries, music videos, and other bonus video clips.

ALL STAR ROBOTECH LINEUP AT NAN DESU KAN THIS WEEKEND IN DENVER!

2011-09-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

For 2011 Nan Desu Kan, the largest anime convention in Rocky Mountain West, has put together a all-star line up of Robotech guests:

Tony Oliver - voice of Rick Hunter in Robotech
Tonmy Yune - Harmony Gold President of Animation
Vic Mignogna - English voice of Macross' Hikaru Ichijo
Steve Yun - Harmony Gold Vice President of New Media
Kevin McKeever - Harmony Gold Vice President of Marketing

Robotech fans will get the latest information on the upcoming Robotech DVD release from A&E home Entertainment at NDK this weekend, along with cool prizes from the Robotech Mystery Box. This will be the only time in 2011 that the entire Harmony Gold Robotech Team will be at a convention outside of Los Angeles.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NAN DESU KAN

YURI LOWENTHAL INTERVIEWED BY CNN

2011-09-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles voice actor Yuri Lowenthal has been interviewed by CNN. It's quite a good read.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE INTERVIEW

LEGO SDF-1 PHOTOS ON THE ROBOTECH FACEBOOK PAGE

2011-09-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Robotech fan Maxley C Brooks Jr. has built a Lego version of the SDF-1 and will display it at Matsuricon for fans to enjoy. The Robotech Facebook Page has posted photos of Maxley's work and its quite impressive.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LEGO SDF-1 PHOTOS!

REALLY BUSY

2011-08-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Folks I'm super busy right now working on cool Robotech stuff. I will be back after this weekend.

YET ANOTHER ROUND OF QUANATATIVE EASING IN THE OFFING?

2011-08-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

From Bloomberg.com

The four-week rout in equities has wiped out more than $8 trillion in global stock values before central bankers from around the world prepare to meet in Record-low yields on U.S. Treasuries show traders expect Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke to signal a third round of asset purchases. Libyan rebels captured two of Muammar Qaddafi’s sons in the battle to end his 42-year rule.

“Eyes are clearly pointing to Bernanke’s speech on Friday,” Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Philadelphia-based Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, which manages $54 billion, said in a telephone interview. “People are of the belief that there’s an increasing likelihood of a new quantitative easing program. We hold no expectation that we’re going to see that. The hurdle remains pretty high. I’m a little concerned that if get some rally on that expectation and it doesn’t come through that the equity market would be set for a decline.”

If there is no announcement of a QE3 expect a sell off in the market.

LARGE AREA AROUND FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT TO BE DECLARED UNINHABITIABLE

2011-08-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Broad areas around the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant could soon be declared uninhabitable, perhaps for decades, after a government survey found radioactive contamination that far exceeded safe levels, several major media outlets said Monday.

The formal announcement, expected from the government in coming days, would be the first official recognition that the March accident could force the long-term depopulation of communities near the plant, an eventuality that scientists and some officials have been warning about for months. Lawmakers said over the weekend -- and major newspapers reported Monday -- that Prime Minister Naoto Kan was planning to visit Fukushima Prefecture, where the plant is, as early as Saturday to break the news directly to residents. The affected communities are all within 12 miles of the plant, an area that was evacuated immediately after the accident.

The government is expected to tell many of these residents that they will not be permitted to return to their homes for an indefinite period. It will also begin drawing up plans for compensating them by, among other things, renting their now uninhabitable land. While it is unclear if the government would specify how long these living restrictions would remain in place, news reports indicated it could be decades. That has been the case for areas around the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine after its 1986 accident.

Back in the spring I mentioned that this would be affecting Japan for decades. It is only that now we are only beginning to see the long term impact of the meltdown that occurred at the nuclear plant.

MUSICA COSPLAY FROM MATSURICON 2010

2011-08-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

When I attended Matsuricon last year a Robotech fan named "Autumn" sent us some photos of her Musica cosplay to post on the Robotech Facebook page. Since this happened before I aquired this blog I thought I would post a link to them as the cosplay is very good.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE PHOTO SET