Hey there, gang! 2016 is half over, and I thought it might well be time to check in with a State of the Robotech Universe – at least from where I’m sitting down here in little ol’ Southeast Kansas. Above you’ll see five images that I think cover all the major points worth looking at.
You’ve surely heard by now that, as Tommy Yune & Bill Spangler both alluded to on the convention trail during Q1 & early Q2, a new comic publisher has picked up the Robotech comic book license. The unlikely new home of Robotech comics in the English speaking world is Titan Comics out of the UK. Titan’s been around for thirty-five years, but they’ve been in the periodical comics game for only two or three, having immediately seized the worldwide publishing rights for Doctor Who comic books after IDW’s license expired. In the past year they’ve been diversifying their licensed comics portfolio, picking up licenses to publish comics for NBC’s TV series The Blacklist, Showtime’s recently concluded TV series Penny Dreadful, video games like Assassin’s CreedandDark Souls, and Dreamworks’s movie & TV franchise Penguins of Madagascar. They’re also the English language publisher of the manga based on the BBC TV series Sherlock. It’s been a while since Robotech has been snapped up by a company on the upward swing, and I’m curious to see what will come of this. No creative team or setting for Titan’s first Robotech series has been announced, but the first issue is pencilled in for Q1 2017. Further details may well start spilling out as early as this weekend, since Anime Expo startstoday.
Likewise, you’re probably aware that Sony’s free streaming platform Crackle is now playing host to the entire Robotechtelevision series plus The Shadow Chronicles. They only sent press releases about this to the four corners of the Earth, as well as used that overfamiliar promo piece of Rick in his Veritech as the icon for Crackle to entice folks to install the app on their PlayStations for a while. Of course, the version Crackle is showing is the 2004 Remastered edition. Mercifully, based on what I’ve seen, the ad breaks are at the proper midway act break and before the next episode previews, so they’re only as obtrusive as they would be if you were watching the show on TV in the 1980s or 1990s. (I hate it when streaming platforms start randomly throwing ad breaks in willy nilly.)
Ah, but what if you want to kick things a little more old school? Well, far less publicized is the fact that Amazon Prime streaming started offering up the original broadcast versionsof the Robotech television series on June 13. No remastered footage, no modern sound effects – the TV series as it aired in syndication in the 1980s and on cable in the 1990s. They’ve also got The Shadow Chronicles as well as of the 29th. The official Robotech twitter account is really pushing the Crackle thing but, as far as I’ve seen they’ve said nothing about the original version of the show on Amazon Prime. I expect that’s largely because Crackle is owned by the same folks who are allegedly giving us that Major Motion Picture that’s been in the works off an on for almost a decade now …
As for merchandising, Toynami’s been awfully quiet since the repaint wave of the Toynami/Calibre blind box figures came out. On the other hand, Bandai in Japan have been busy putting out new original Super Dimension Fortress Macross mecha figures (in approx 1/100 scale) every other month or so. The latest release is the Glaug (a.k.a. the Officer’s Battlepod), and the coming months will see the massive Monster Destroid, the “cannon fodder” brown VF-1A Valkyrie andHikaru Ichijyo’s red & white VF-1J (a.k.a.Rick Hunter’s Vermilion One) with TV-series-accurate puffy round hands and a matching pilot beneath the canopy. I’ve got the Glaug myself, but haven’t had a chance to crack it out of the box yet; I’ve got the VF-1A on preorder, but that wasn’t easy. It’s definitely worth noting that preorders for all of these figures on the big import sites (HobbyLink Japan, AmiAmi, Hobby Search) fill up within hours. It’s nice to see such demand for the mecha of the old ‘82 & ‘84 material, but at the same time, it kind of makes me wish Harmony Gold and Big West would kiss and make up so that Bandai’s U.S. distributor Bluefin could carry these things. (Speaking of toys, Harmony Gold and RTUCN have been making a big deal about KitzConcept in Hong Kong doing officially licensed transforming SD versions of Rick & Roy’s Veritechs but A) I’m not a big fan of that VF-1S head sculpt, and B) these are just officially sanctioned rereleases of unlicensed “third party” toys that have been available for about a year now.)
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that back in Japan we’re at the half-way point in the latest Macross sequel television series, Macross Delta. Thirteen episodes in and it’s everything I wanted from a new Macrossseries: a clever shuffling of archetypes (this time the lead character has no aircraft piloting aptitude and no dream he’s striving for at the outset – now that’ssomething new for Macross!), a new twist on the “music as a weapon” concept that’s been threaded through most Macross stories, awesome dogfights with Valkyrie designs that, to me, are a return to form after the boxy, ugly VF-25, and only very occasional overt callbacks to earlier shows (though there’s an awful lot of Macross II andMacross 7 in this thing’s DNA; the former might be a coincidence, but I’m betting the latter is not so much). Alas, as with every Macross series since Macross Plus wrapped,Delta is trapped in Japan until, again, either Harmony Gold and Big West agree to shake hands, or until Harmony Gold loses the rights to Macross (March 2021 at the earliest, assuming they don’t reach a new agreement with Tatsunoko; their claim to the Macrosstrademark would then need to expire or be challenged in court). However, big spenders should note that apparently the Japanese blu ray discs for Macross Delta (compatible with U.S. players!) that start hitting stores this month will feature English subtitles.
With that all said, here’s looking forward to some actual news from AX and/or SDCC. I’m not going to set my hopes too high; really, I’d just like to know what’s happening with the new comic series. I’d also like someone to ask whatever happened to those new art books from Udonthat were announced back in the summer of ‘14. I was looking forward to those …
This might be old news to most, but thought I’d share something I discovered today, just in case… If you’re in the U.S., or can access Crackle, they’re streaming all four seasons of BBC Sherlock, including TAB. Looks like it’ll be available for at least three years.
Uh-oh! Crackle had unknowingly entered the forest of the wicked witch, and now he is cursed to become a part of her personal collection of garden statues.
Another signature update, and for this, I decided to not use my usual VHS filter like some of my previous artworks. Here’s hoping I get all 31 prompts done this year, or at least try to complete more than half of the list.
I love how they are blushing and the fluff written all over this.
I wanted something with black sheep and crackle, and this is what it turned out to be. I know that they thought of each other as siblings, buuuut they have figured it out sooner . I wanted to draw Cleo, she seemed so fun to draw (and she is), and practice drawing. I don’t usually color it in, but I wanted to try. (I didn’t do the skin color cause the colored pencils that I had would’ve worked, but I think it turned out ok.) I might make it digital later
Please ask me stuff in my inbox!! Questions, comments, or something random, I’d love it!
Whats your fave rc moments if you don’t mind me asking
OooOOo, this is a good question.
My favorite rc moments:
The academy
I love how they meet, the development is so cute, with angst ofc. The sibling like relationship in the beginning just genuinely makes my happy because that’s the only time Carmen genuinely laughs with Gray and her friends. And she’s just a goofy kiddo.
Coffee Dates ☕️❤️
The FLUFF
The Crackle Goes Kiwi Caper
This was a GIFT to watch, it came with allll my favorite rc fluff. I still watch it for fun.
Thefailed prison rescue
The Himalayan Rescue Caper
The angst
And how the open up to each other and how they want each other back in their lives.
Last but not least, the Dark Red episode
I wanna cry every time I watch it!
This was a full on breakdown, sorry off this was too much, but oh well.
carmen loves grays jackets. she prefers them to any of her own (excluding her red trench ofc ).
she loves how they have his scent, how comfy they are and how they are baggy on her but not too baggy.
gray thinks she looks absolutely fricking adorable in his coats.
over half of grays coats just mysteriously went missing one night and he only found them when he walked in to carmen’s closet to hang up one of her shirts.
he loves that carmen loves having a tiny piece of him with her, even if it’s just a jacket.
The green of the crackle rod glowed at her ominously, as she looked at her partner in crime, her best friend, the love of her life.
Grays body was in front of her, perfectly still and unmoving. His chest wasn’t rising and falling, his heart wasn’t beating, and his eyes were closed.
Carmens ungloved hands trembled as she made her way over to his limp body, the crackle rod dropped and forgotten a few feet back. She fell to her knees, and put her hands together on his chest, starting compressions.
Her tears were staining his blue and black stealth suit, as she pushed her hands into his chest over and over again, and then breathing into his mouth before starting the cycle again.
“God, please Gray, please,” she whimpered as she stopped compressions for a second and put her ear against his chest above his heart, still not hearing the steady thump she needed to.
Her hands shook violently as her tears spilled needlessly over her cheeks, her body collapsing over Grays.
“No!”, Carmen cried loudly. “Please, please not him! Gray please!” she pleaded, only to be met with no answer.
She could no longer see. Her eyes were so blurry with tears and her brain so clouded with pain and regret that she couldn’t see anymore. She could only taste the iron tang of blood in her mouth, and could only hear her own muffled sobs.
“Carmen,” Someone was shaking her. She only cried harder, not wanting to pull away from Gray.
“Carmen, wake up.” Carmen looked up only to shoot up in bed, tears still streaming down her face but no longer in her torn coat and stealth suit, laying over her lovers body.
Carmen turned her head to the source of the worried whispering, finding the brown eyes she so deeply fell in love with filled with worry and sadness.
“Oh,” Carmen sighed, bringing her hands up to her face and rubbing the tears from her eyes.
“Oh, Carm,” Grays arm wrapped around her shoulder and brought her to his chest, where she curled into his warmth.
She sobbed, she couldn’t stop sobbing. She cried until she had no more tears left to cry, and even then did she stay hidden in Grays chest, fearing that if she pulled away he’d disappear into a million little particles and she’d wake up, alone and cold in her bed.
“Carmen,” Gray whispered, slowing twisting the gold band fit around her ring finger.
Carmen finally pulled away (just barely) so that she could see his face, ready to see the worry and sorrow on his face but instead met by a soft smile.
“Lay down, love,” Gray pulled away from her to lay down, but opened his chest towards her again and gesturing for her to crawl into his arms.
Carmen shifted herself to lay down, cradled in Grays strong arms.
“Are we gonna talk about it, or do you just want to lay here and cuddle?” Gray asked quietly, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head.
Carmen shook her head, not even close to being ready to discuss her nightmare of him dying.
Gray nodded slightly before pushing her head into his chest and curling protectively around her, one of his arms coming to rest around her waist and the other tangled in her crimson locks.
Carmen finally relaxed, the weight of the ring on her finger calming her.
“I love you,” Gray whispered, cradling her even tighter to his chest. “So much.”
Carmen let a breath out, wrapping her arms around his torso.
What way Ipersonallythink certain Carmen Sandiego characters ‘’sway’’ and occasionally ill explain myself as to why:
Coach Brunt: She’s a, Raging, Cajun, Queer woman. You know, like that country song, yee yee. She can definitely operate heavy-duty farm equipment and works out in strictly matching sweatsuits, no straight explanation for that sorry. But I can’t nail anything down specifically, but she is fruity.
Shadowsan: Okay so I’m saying straight under the guide that he physically doesn’t have TIME FOR IT. He FINALLY got some time off after 60+ years?
Chief: exists somewhere out there. And has a cat. *raises brows with suspicion*
Julia: Pansexual because she’s naturally a very analytical and sensing person who likes to find out every piece of information she can before making a properly informed decision and I just feel like she’d need to see the person for who they are, completely, warts and all before she can or wants to FULLY go for it. Such being not a long process because she’s so observant. Also, she can get flustered easily by ANYONE with an ounce of charm. Bless xx.
Le Chev: El topo
Paper Star: Jennifer’s Body. And no, I WONT explain.
Chase: Messy Bisexual or at the very least, 10000% queer in some way. If anyone came up to him, no matter their orientation/presenting and said ‘I think you’re handsome’ or even, ‘Hey, you did a really good job today, I’m proud.’ He’d bat his eyes, press his pointer fingers together while twisting his foot with blushed cheeks going: ‘hehe, reallyyyy???!!! ☞ ☜(◕‿◕✿)’ and you can’t say I’m wrong.
Neal: Has a New Zealander accent and that’s all that matters.
Gray: He an Australian tradie and therefore, by law, he is contractually obligated to be straight. And I know this because I’m Australian.
Mimebomb: Hasn’t told me anything because he doesn’t speak so I don’t know, sorry.
Carmen: Aro/Ace/Bixesual: Either or all. No matter what, she’s miles behind on all that considering her upbringing and her entire focus is really all about self-discovery and assurance, which is what I think is most important to her and would be a long while before she delves into that sort of thing. But she’s also a massive flirt so ;) who did she learn that from, I need answers.
Dash: Gay, but wants to be and be with Cleo simultaneously.
Sheena: An Aggressive Lesbian, as in, she’d throw you against a wall then bite her lip saying: ‘DAM baby that was kinda of hot how you nearly died by my hand and all’. And she uses a lot of puns and word play which is kinda…. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. If you get me.
Player: A child. I’ll let him figure all that stuff out for himself.
El topo: Le Chev
Zack: Too busy filling water balloons and playing real-life hot wheels. I’m kidding, but seriously. He is 100% a party animal with all that new ACME money so who knows tbh. I sure as hell don’t. Tony Stark without the crippling ego
Ivy: Lesbian.
Zari: Lesbian.
Bellum: They/Them Aro/Ace and is an Ipad kid. At the very least would worship someone like Cleo because they fascinate them completely.
