Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rochester.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!rochester!ciaraldi From: ciaraldi@rochester.UUCP (Mike Ciaraldi) Newsgroups: net.comics,net.sf-lovers,net.tv Subject: Re: Robotech Message-ID: <12769@rochester.UUCP> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 21:57:08 EST Article-I.D.: rocheste.12769 Posted: Wed Oct 30 21:57:08 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 05:01:29 EST References: <149@lmef.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept. Lines: 92 Xref: watmath net.comics:2219 net.sf-lovers:10899 net.tv:3451 > Salutations! > > Has anyone ever heard of Robotech? > It just recently started playing here in the afternoons, and.... > I'm hooked. > > Some questions I have: > > 1. Is it new > 2. Does it come in comic-book form (if so, where can I > get it?) > 3. Does anyone watch it beside me...has anyone HEARD of it > besides me? > > I would love to hear from anyone having ANY info on this > animated sf series. > > A lonely Micronian & Centratti fan....(sp may be wrong) > > *susan* Aha! Robotech strikes again! This has shown up in net.comics before, but the basic answers to your questions are the following: 1) Robotech is actually three Japanese animated series from the same company, reshuffled somwhat and dubbed into English by an American company, Harmony Gold. The three Japanese sereis were called MACROSS, SOUTHERN CROSS, and MOSPEADA. Two were in the same "universe" and the other wasn't, but has been rescripted to make it compatible. They are considered quite good examples of Japanimation. Each of the series has roughly 30 epsiodes, for a total of about 90. As rescripted into English, the 3 series relate like this: Macross is the first. It concerns an alien spaceship which crashed on Earth a long time ago. Earthlings finally figure out how to run it, and are just getting it ready for its first flight when the Zentraedi arrive. The ship (called SDF-1 for "Space Defense Fortress", I think) comes to life and attacks the aliens, and the Earthlings are plunged into battle. 20 years later, aliens attack again, and again Earthlings in battle armor and convertible vehicles defend the Earth. I don't know whwere the term "Southern Cross" fits in, but I remember a reference to "The Army of the Southern Cross". Another 20 years later (I think), there is another invasion, and the Earth is overwhelmed. As Mospeada opens, our hero crashlands in Central America and has to make his way to the former USA and Earth HQ. As I understand it, there is less space battle in this one. 2) Comico--The Comic Company is publishing the entire Robotech series in comic book form (there is a line in the closing credits to that effect). They are publishing it as three interlocking series. ROBOTECH--The MACROSS SAGA covers the first set of episodes, ROBOTECH MASTERS is the middle set, and ROBOTECH--THE NEW GENERATION is the final set. Because the whole series is so long, and being shown at different rates in different parts of the country, the comics publishing sachedule is a little funny. Each of the 3 series publishes a new issue every 6 weeks (nominally, anyway), staggered so a new episode hits the stores every 2 weeks. Each series does its 30 or so consecuitve epsiodes in the same number (i.e. 30 or so) of issues. So, Macross Saga has about 6 issues out so far (the very first issue was called simply MACROSS, without "Robotech"), adapting the first 6 episoded. Masters has about 3 issues, adapting the first 3 episodes of Southern Cross, or what appears to the unsuspecting TV viewer as episodes 31-33 of Robotech, and New Generation similarly has aboyut 3 issues out. So, where do you get them? Comico I think sells only throughj comics stores and certain magazine stores, not regular newsstands or 7-11's. All three series are also avaialble from Comico by subscription, or from comics stores that sell mail order. If your local comics shop doesnt have back issues, try a biggie like Bud Plant in CA. 3) Does anyone else watch them? I habve been reading all the issues, but finally last week saw my very first episode, discussed in the next news item. I hope this was helpful, and I hope I didn't get too many facts wrong, since I did this all from memory. Mike Ciaraldi seismo!rochester!ciaraldi