Robotech Memories: Drawings II

Here's another sketch (and with color). I do have some memories about this one. I know I drew this in the 7th grade (which would be late 1985 or early 1986). I think its partly traced from a book. I colored it with color pencils and its drawn on regular typewriter paper.




if you look close at this one, you can see the holes where staples had fixed this to my bedroom wall. Its funny what you keep from childhood. I kept almost all of these little pieces of art...

Robotech Memories: Drawings

Let's say I was pretty much obsessed with Robotech from the time of the 7th grade through High School. To be honest, I don't think the obsession ever ended. Yet, during those early years, I not only would watch the show every chance I could get but I would also sketch characters and mecha. Here's a couple drawings. The first one was completed in early 1994. This just shows you that I was still obsessed in college...

Pencils on 11x14 art paper -


Pencils on 8x11 photocopy paper -


The Rick Hunter was completed in 1990. (Junior Year) I look back on these drawings and really feel nostalgia. I think I remember drawing them. They aren't great and some of these drawings actually have small holes as I remember pinning and stapling them to my bedroom walls back then.

Robotech Memories: Robotech Letters

As I've mentioned in my last post, I wrote letters to KTTV and my local cable provider when Robotech was canceled. I also wrote letters to Harmony Gold. I don't recall what the letters specifically said, but I know it was most likely a fan-gasm sort of letter. While looking through my files and Robotech processions recently, I came across this post card. I thought I would share it here. I've kept it for the nearly 25 years in the front of my Robotech Art I book. I know I wrote several letters to several entities back between 1986 and 1987. According to the post mark on the card, it was sent sometime in April 1988. If memory serves, 1988 was the year Sentinels came out on VHS via Streamline. Like current Robotech projects, The Sentinels, was originally scheduled for a 1986 release yet we didn't get anything until 1988. Yet that's a story in itself.




-more little archive items coming soon.

Robotech Memories: Robotech Returns!

February 1986

-take note that most of the accounts below are that from a perspective of a 13 year old boy from 1986. 25 years have past and much as been learned. Yet, this is what I thought back then. Stay with me and I'll show you how it changed my life...

Or it could have been early March 1986. It was still a very important time. My seventh grade year was coming to an end. The long months of Fall 1985 and Early 1986 with no Robotech was nearly over. In the months prior to March, I had learned to live without Robotech. These were the years before On-Demand or Hulu. Christmas 1985 had delivered us with our first VCR. Unfortunately, Robotech wasn't out on VHS. At least not anywhere I knew. But it wouldn't matter.

While watching a typical afternoon lineup of cartoons, most likely Voltron or Thundercats, there was a fast station commercial and an advertisement for Robotech airing Monday at 4:00 pm. My heart stopped. Not more than a few milliseconds or I would have found myself unconscious on the floor, mind you.

At last, Robotech had Returned!

Things were back to being a great time. I remember talking to Chris Lester in Mrs. Field's English class about the latest episodes. I doodled battles of Hovertanks and Bioroids. All the while it never dawned on me to use the fancy new VCR to record the episodes until one day I was going to miss one due to a school activity. I set the VCR to tape and it hit me like a sock full of pennies. I could tape it every afternoon and watch it whenever and as often as I wanted. The first episode taped: Robotech, Second Generation, episode 10 (46) Stardust. It was then that I started working on my own home video library of Robotech. Everyday I was at the VCR at 4:45 (remember it started an hour later in the Roswell area - LA was an hour behind us) waiting to punch the record button. I remember Gumby was on before it (and I had to watch the claymation while I waited) and Thudercats would start immediately after just as I hit stop on the VCR. Allowance went to blank VHS tapes.

I was so angry at myself that I hadn't started taping it before. I prayed that KTTV would rerun the show at least one more time so I could catch all the episodes I missed (Ep #1 Booby Trap through Ep #45 Metal Fire ). I was so focused on recording the show, I even remember running (literally running) from my mother's work (Chewning Footwear) to our house in under 20 minutes. Not bad for the 2 or so miles. I don't remember all the details but somehow I recall my grandmother was suppose to pick me up around 4 pm and take me home. When 4:30 had rolled around and still no ride, I told my mother, I going to run home. She was so shocked that I literally took off running, she didn't stop me. I remember opening the door with 5 minutes to spare. I loaded the tape and hit record.

I would continue to record and watch all the episodes right up to episode 60 (the 24th episode of Robotech Masters). Then, horror struck. KTTV had canceled broadcast of Robotech. We didn't' even get a full run of the show. My hopes of seeing New Generation to completion had been robbed from me again! I waited thinking it had to be a mistake. Yet, when 1 week turned into 6 weeks and no Robotech had returned to TV, I knew I had to live without Robotech once more. But I wasn't going to like it nor sit quietly. It was this time that I started writing not only KTTV in Los Angeles but my local cable provider requesting, no demanding, the return of Robotech. I told my friends to write. I'm not sure how I got the information (remember the internet wouldn't be invented for another 10 years) but I had heard rumors KTTV had been pressured to remove Robotech from the afternoon lineup due to the realistic violence in the show. Here was a show that taught us that war meant people died. Not everyone safely escaped an exploding Rattler or Skystriker with a pearly white parachute. It was a show that had real emotions, character growth and development and kick-ass robots! I don't have copies of the letters I sent, but I know I sent more than a few. And when all hope was gone, the day came. Robotech would return once again!

By late June 1986, KTTV had won the battles with the Robotech Fans and the mothers that hated it. I even remember the ad stating "returning due to popular demand." Yes, Robotech was back on the air starting July 1986. KTTV had picked the show up right where it had left off with episode #61 The Invid Invasion. Life was good again. Then, I was told I had to go to my grandmother's in Alamogordo. You know, the grandmother that had no cable. So, I asked a friend, Rob, to record the show while I was gone. I gave him a couple tapes and left from grandma's house. When I returned, I quickly took up the duties of recording the show every afternoon. I finally got to see how New Generation ended and a part of my life had been filled. I can still feel the excitement of the last episode when the narrator said, "join us where it all began. Reacquaint yourself with Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes and Lynn Minmei." I bought a new tape and was ready to start recording the First Generation of Robotech. Soon I would have a near complete run of the show. Yet, Robotech disappeared from the lineup once again. Without warning it was gone. Not sure why. But it would not air again on KTTV nor any other channel until the early 1990s (when the Sci-fi Channel aired it).

-The dark times of no Robotech would haunt me once again. But during that time I had something just as good. The only difference was, I had to read it instead of watch it...

Robotech Memories: The Screenplay

The below script is my attempt to write the first Robotech Live Action Movie. I started writing this sometime in the early 1990s. If I remember correctly, I started writing it on an old Brother Word Processor and once I got my first PC in 1996, transferred it into Microsoft Word. Over the next 5 - 6 years, I would add a little or revise it. Like many projects, it was never completed.

Now the below excerpt comes from a much longer version that was re-edited and saved in Microsoft Word sometime in 1998. Although I don't recall working on it past the 1990s, this copy is time stamped as being saved in September 2000. Thus, I must have preserved it into a new document around that time.


Ext. Space-Starfield

We soar through the dark vastness of space and enter a solar system on the
far side of the Milky Way Galaxy. The solar system is dominated by a
large red star, orbiting that red giant is a system of 8 planets. We soar
over the outer three planets and approach the fifth planet in the system.
This is the planet of

Fantoma.

A gas giant with 22 moons. As we soar past, and around the gas giant,
a small blue green moon,

Tirol,

comes into frame.
The moon slowly fills the entire frame, and finally we break the atmosphere
and soar through the clouds. The clouds are a thick milky white.
Eventually we soar through them to see a lush green country side. This
country side is full of Tyrolian trees, plants and grass. Soaring through
the Tyrolian air like a blue winged Lupin, we fly over a large city. This
city is a grand city of fine architecture and culture. Similar to fine
Renaissance combined with Greek architecture. We soar over and pass the
grand city back to the country side, a country side dominated by grassy
hills and rivers. The hills break and we approach a plain, this plain is
dominated with hues of pink and green. As we fly closer and closer, we see
the pink color of the landscape is created by thousands and thousands of
flowers, The Flowers of Life. We fly over a vast field of these flowers,
so close it appears we are just inches above the luscious flowers. Our
flight ends as we reach the edge of this crop and see a lone man standing in
a purple uniform of Tyrolian leadership. His name is Zor. He is the
chief scientist among the Tyrolians and the discoverer of Protoculture and
the inventor of Robotechnology. But today, he is destroying all that he
has built, destroying it in the hopes of redemption and common good. The
betterment of Tirol.

A large mecha (a mechanized robot of utility or war) flies over the field
and sprays a defoliant over the flowers. In seconds, the flowers wilt, die,
and fade to dust.

Zor's face is cold. He is emotionless. He knows this is for the better.

An aid to him approaches, his name is Cabell.

Cabell: Sir, why are you destroying the Central Protoculture Plant's
primary Flower of Life fields?

Zor: It is something I must do to rectify the past.

Cabell: But, why destroy all that you have founded and created.

Zor: To end the terrorany of evil men. The newly formed triumvirate
council is using this power to enslave and dominate civilizations. That was
never my intention with Protoculture.

Cabell: I agree with you, sir. But perhaps there will be a day when
Protoculture will improve our society once again.

Zor: It will. This must be done now because the Invid are close to
destroying our way of life because of an injustice I committed.

Cabell: I understand sir.

Zor: That is why, Cabell, I want you to continue to study the Flower of
Life. Do not let our research die here. I have prepared you a secret
laboratory under the Grand Statue. Continue our work. And perhaps one
day, Protoculture will improve our society. I foresee a great many changes
in our galaxy because of my actions of the past and of today.

Cabell: I don't understand. What are you-

Zor: In time you will. As we speak, Dolza has carried out my wishes.
The Zentraidi are simultaneously destroying all Flower of Life cultivating
fields on Karbarra, Orion, and Sepheria. The Protoculture Matrix on Haden
has been also destroyed. The only matrix left is aboard my flagship. I
personally make sure it will remain secure until I contact you. Until
then, stay on Tirol and continue the research I have given you. Now go,
Cabell

Cabell: Yes, Zor. May the Gods grant you speed and safeness.

Cabell leaves.

Zor continues to watch as the last Flowers are destroyed by the red and
black mechas.

A landing craft lands behind Zor. Several armored troopers step out and
escort Zor back. He boards the landing craft and the ship takes to the air.

Ext. Space- Super Dimensional Fortress-Zor's Flagship

Zor's flagship hovers in Tirol orbit. The ship is enormous, measuring over
a mile long. The ship has an organic look to it yet the metallic angles are
still present. This is the Super Dimensional Fortress or SDF-1. One of
the first ships in the Zentraedi Fleet to pocess super dimensional
properties. And the only place in the galaxy to have a protoculture
matrix aboard.

Int. SDF's Main Hold

Zor's shuttle lands.

Zor exits and is greeted by several Tyrolian aids. They escort him to the
bridge.

If you want to read the full version of this artifact of my past with Robotech, please go to the Incomplete Robotech Screenplay or http://www.knighthartkastle.com/RobotechMemories.html. There you will find PDF versions of all the Robotech Memories posts and the incomplete Robotech Screenplay.

Robotech Memories: The Original Run - Part II

-take note that most of the accounts below are that from a perspective of a 12 year old boy from 1985. 25 years have past and much as been learned. Yet, this is what I thought back then. Stay with me and I'll show you how it changed my life...

Although I was upset in missing the conclusion of the 3rd Robotech War, I was confident I would see it within the next couple months. Then by that time, I would be consumed by the second season of Robotech. My imagination had already started working overdrive. The story and every generation so far had an enemy of the previous enemy attacking the Earth. So, I could only imagine what the enemy of the Invid would be like. The Invid were the scariest alien to attack our Robotech defenders so far. Thus anything that would be feared by the Invid must be totally horrific. (To note: years later and after reading and realizing that the Invid mentioned in the New Generation that they feared the Children of the Shadow, I figured this would have been the villain of a 4th Generation Robotech had it been done. Funny thing, that was the plot of the Robotech rebirth sequel, The Shadow Chronicles. Now back to 1985!) I thought the Summer of 1985 would be one of me watching Robotech every afternoon, drawing veritech fighters and finally seeing what happened to Scott Bernard. Well, I thought wrong.

As I returned home from my visit to my Grandmother's house, I was informed from my mother that the local Cable Provider had decided to nix two of the four Los Angeles affiliates. I found this very disconcerting. These stations were my life bread of after school programing. Outside of watching Knight Rider and Riptipe and a various few other shows in primetime, I watched KCOP, KTTV or KTLA (I mentioned before that I rarely watched the KHJ [later KCAL] as it played an odd format of older movies and 70s sitcoms.) The only saving grace to this sad news was that the Cable Provider had placed a subscriber poll of which two channels would get the axe. My mother allowed me to pick the channels. So we sent in our ballet with the order of channels (top being the most liked and the last being the least): KCOP, KTTV, KTLA and KHJ. The letter said that the results would be sent out in two weeks. I was confident that my channels would make the cut. Again my confidence was misplaced.

The results were in. The channels staying: KTTV and KHJ. The channels leaving: KCOP and KTLA. So that meant that my afternoon fix of Robetech was ending. The cable provider had placed a the date of the channels departure: August 1, 1985. And this date would arrive much sooner than I would see the 3rd Robotech War rebroadcast. If I could have stayed home in my PJs and only survived on Twinkies and Ding Dongs as my sorrow festered, I would have. Yet, I was only 12 and my mother forced me to get dressed, go outside to play and eat my sustaining dinner every day.

As my anger for the old farts of the Roswell community (as it must have been the retirees that wanted KHJ over KCOP-dang them and their old black and white movies!), I had to cope with no Robotech in my life. This was the first tragedy of my Robotech fandom.

If our Cable Provider had kept the channel lineup unaltered, the original run of Robotech on KCOP would have ended sometime in October 1985. See, I would learn a couple decades later while reading an article on Robotech, KCOP only played the show through two cycles of the 85 episodes. Since KCOP was one of the original broadcasters and they had giving Robotech 150 week days, we in fandom call this the Original Run. It would be months and sometimes years before Robotech would be back on television.

But back in 1985, the 12 year old version of me, was dismayed and disappointed he was missing the second season of the coolest show ever. Just as he never got get closure on the Invid Invasion. My only hope was to find another way to watch Robotech. But how to do it???

-stay tuned, as the tale of how the Second Run of Robotech would magically appear and then disappear....

Robotech Memories: The Original Run

-take note that most of the accounts below are that from a perspective of a 12 year old boy from 1985. 25 years have past and much as been learned. Yet, this is what I thought back then. Stay with me and I'll show you how it changed my life...

March 4, 1985

That was the premiere of the regular run of Robotech on KCOP out of Los Angeles. Three days earlier, I had watch the pilot, Codename: Robotech, in awe and fascination. I feel honored that I can truly say I was there from the beginning and didn't discover this show via reruns or DVD. Years later, and with many, many hours of research (mostly done in the last decade), I found that Robotech only premiered in a few large markets back in March 1985. The two big areas was New York and Los Angeles. Many other stations wouldn't get the show until much later in 1985. I guess I can call myself lucky that I happened to live in a small New Mexico town that transmitted several Los Angeles affiliates on its local cable provider. I still remember the four channels we'd get from L.A. There was KCOP, KTTV, KTLA and KHJ. I recall that I mainly watched KCOP and KTTV. These two channels boasted a large afternoon lineup of cartoons and other after-school shows. KTLA and KHJ mostly played movies and old re-runs of sitcoms from the 1970s.

I made a point to be on our gold couch every afternoon at 4:30 (I think it was 4:30, I have dug in my memories the best I can so forgive me if that is wrong. I know the show would be on at 4:30 on another network years later). UPDATE: After endless hours of research on the interwebs and finding some old newspaper TV listings. Robotech on KCOP was on at 4:30 pm Pacific, thus it was 5:30 pm Mountain. Roswell was in the Mountain Time Zone. So, deep down in my memories I remembered the announcer and commercials stating it was on at 4:30 – which was right yet it just aired one hour later in our area. Now that I know this, it brings back even more memories of when and where(s) of me watching Robotech. After every episode, I would eagerly anticipate the next one. I couldn't get enough of Robotech.

After watching nearly 36 episodes of what fans would call the 1st generation of Robotech, I had grown quite fond of it. Each day I wondered if Rick would be able to be with Minmei or if he would choose Lisa Hayes instead. I daydreamed about Veritechs. I would doodle large battles between Zentraedi Battlepods and Destroids. Nearly a month and half later, a sad day happened. April 22, 1985. This was the final episode of what would be called the Macross Saga. When the episode ended. I had no idea that it was really the last episode with Rick, Lisa, Minmei and Max. Like the conclusion of Force of Arms, I figured they would leap a few years into the future and we'd see the new SDF-3 going off into the stars. Perhaps this journey through space, like the Vehicle Team Voltron, was some of the mecha and characters I recalled from the opening credits. See after watching those opening credits 36 times, I was starting to analyze every component. There were motorcycles and a lovely blond girl in really cool battle armor pointing a rifle at the audience. I had no clue how these images or characters would fit into the overall story of Robotech.

I was wrong. On April 23, 1985, the first episode of (what we would dub the 2nd Generation) of Robotech began. It was titled, Dana's Story. At first I didn't mind it too much. They had spear headed it with lots of scenes from the previous episode. An unknown speaker spoke of the first Robotech War and how a new generation was ready to defend the Earth. It was Robotech so I watched. By the second and third episodes, I found myself not liking it. I think I was too attached to the original characters of Rick, Lisa and Minmei. Yet, the mecha was cool. I really liked the new samurai looking battle armor. So I stuck with it. (I'm glad I did, because in the long run the Masters Saga would end up being my favorite of all three generations of Robotech. Mostly because of the armor and mecha designs. The show also felt more militaristic vs the Macross counterpart.)

Yet, like all good things, even this version of Robotech would come to an end. The final episode of the 2nd Generation was on May 24, 1985. I remember school was nearly over. Sixth grade was coming to a close. In a few short months, I'd be at a new junior high and in the seventh grade. Yet first I had to prepare myself once again that my show was ending. Except this time, I wasn't so shocked that it had. The end of Robotech Masters had given us the fear and anticipation of an invading Invid army. I was really interested in watching this unfold. Again, at only 12 years old and knowing nothing of the production of Robotech, I thought we'd see Dana and a new band of Robotech fighters go off into space to divert the invasion. Or at least see, the Armies of the Southern Cross defend the earth from the Invid Horde.

I was wrong again. Instead we got a whole New Generation of Robotech defenders. As I said before, I wasn't so shocked that the show had taken another turn and jumped ahead. I embraced it with open arms. Watching Scott Bernard and the 21st Mars Division attack the Earth in a D-Day like invasion to free the Earth from crazy Invids hooked my attention and imagination. Unlike my unwillingness of the first few episodes of Masters, I was ready for this New Generation. Watching a motorcycle transform into a miniature battloid and fighting the crab-like Invid was incredibly cool. I couldn't wait for more episodes.

Then some bad news happened. My mother told me that school was out and I was scheduled to spend a few weeks at my Grandmother's house in Alamogordo. This wouldn't have been the bad news as I took it if my grandmother had cable. Since she didn't have cable, I knew that I would miss over two weeks of this new generation of Robotech. But wait, my mother had mentioned she had scheduled cable installation at my grandmothers. (see the reason my grandmother didn't have cable was she didn't want to pay the $15 a month for it. My mother was offering to have it installed and pay it each month so my grandmother would have something to do and watch.) Now, I was possibly only going to miss a couple of episodes in the time it would take to get there and have the cable man install the channels.

Well, as plans go, they never go as planned. The cable installation was delayed nearly 2 weeks. By the time my grandmother would get cable, the New Generation would be over. Yet, I tuned into Robotech like a hungry dog. I was shocked and dismayed to see they were showing episode 4, The Long Wait. I was now confused. Yet, my 12 year old mind raced to find an answer. The show must have gone back into re-runs because the season was over. I wasn't sure how everything ended but I hopefully would be able to catch up in the next few months. And by then, a new season of Robotech would be on the air for more awesome interstellar combat and transforming veritechs.

Well, not exactly how it would go...

-Stay tuned as I tell you how my life with Robotech would hit its first road block and how I would cope...

Robotech Memories: The beginning

-take note that most of the accounts below are that from a perspective of a 12 year old boy from 1985. 25 years have past and much as been learned. Yet, this is what I thought back then. Stay with me and I'll show you how it changed my life...

March 1, 1985. Codename: Robotech had just premiered on KCOP channel 13. A new era in my life had begun.

For the 12 years before that moment, I had been a kid that enjoyed only one thing more than G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. And that was Star Wars. After Return of the Jedi, had left the theaters in 1984. Star Wars had been forgotten by the coolness of G.I.Joe. By 1984, I had watched two G.I.Joe TV mini-series, rushed to buy the toys and anticipated the next TV commercial advertising the next issue of the Marvel Comic book. Yet, on March 1, 1985 that would change. It was the day that G.I.Joe stopped being my fanatical hobby and the day a new show- Robotech would take over my imagination.

I can still remember the apartment (Valle Encantada on Sunset and Poe). The burnt gold sofa that I had sat comfortably. The old Zenith television dialed to channel 13 (KCOP). Not truly understanding the story unfolding before me, I knew this was the coolest show I had seen in my entire life (of 12 years). Up until now, I would have said the coolest cartoon ever was Battle of the Planets. At 12, I would still contour my arm in a sideways "V" and yell, "trasmute!". The summer before 1985, I would say the coolest cartoon of the last year was Voltron: Defender of the Universe. I would watch it while drawing at the coffee table. Drawing battles between the ships of the Drule Empire and Earth or Zarkon's Fleet invading Arus. But those days were now gone.

The best part of watching Codename: Robotech was the advertisement to tune in Monday for the series premiere of Robotech! The 90 minute special was not the end. Now Monday seemed so far away. After watching Codename: Robotech, I wish I could watch it again. Wished to see more of the space battles. See more of the transforming Veritechs. And to see if I could understand it more with a second viewing. But this was the days before we got our first VCR. We wouldn't get that until Christmas 1985. Until then, I would have to settle on the replay in my mind.

Monday would eventually come and I spent most of the day anticipating the bike ride home. I remember Robotech started at 4:30 right after The Flintstones. Since I had Robotech on the brain for the days prior, I remember being very alert and attentive to the opening credits that first day. At the time, I had no clue this show would span three generations and three sets of characters. So, I had wondered when I would see the other mechs and characters that were in the brief scenes of the opening credits.

I don't recall the exact feelings I had after watching Booby Trap (episode I of the Macross generation). I do know that I was hooked. I wasn't confused anymore. A giant alien spacecraft had crashed on Earth. It contained the secret to Robotechnology. And now some 50 foot tall Zentraedi wanted the ship back. There was a character named Rick Hunter who had rescued a young girl named Minmei. The invasion of Macross Island had started and Rick was left in shock. I know I subconsciously connected this show with the likes of Voltron and Battle of the Planets. Again, I was unaware of the true origins of the show (and what would then be referred to as Japanimation). Instead, I just assumed that the creators of those other shows had a hand in drawing and creating this new show!

-With only a week and 5 shows under my belt, I knew this show had changed my life. It would influence how I would participate in fandom for the next 25 years...

TV: Robotech (1985)

-a recent debate on a geek forum has inspired me to spend sometime on one of my favorite franchises and universes, I will recount the history, the analysis and the story of how it shaped my life-

March 1st 1985.

My sixth grade year was within a few months of ending and the summer before middle school was about to begin. I have vivid memories of that time. I give some credit to this as it was the start of a life changing event. Not only the date itself but the time period I was about to embark - a new school and new friends. I also believe that in my 12 year old’s mind – although excited – I was innately frightened by the big world of a junior high school.

The date was a Friday. I remember the day precisely. Everyday, I would ride my bike home and flick the TV on and watch the afternoon cartoon lineup on KCOP. That line-up varied but consisted of The Jetsons, Flintsones, He-man and Masters of the Universe or Voltron. While watching an episode of the Flintstones in the days prior, an ad played during the commercial breaks. The TV spot was for a special broadcast of a new show. At the time I didn’t think it would be a series but perhaps the “pilot” of a future show. Something similar to the original G.I.Joe and Transformers broadcasts. The G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero TV mini-series and its sequel, The Revenge of Cobra had happened in 1983 and the year before and now there was a new show starting in the fall. Like it, Transformers originally was broadcast as a mini-series and now had a regular series. So, I wasn’t thinking – even at 12 years old – if the show got good ratings perhaps this afternoon special would become a regular series. The ads played for the entire week. I took note of the time. It would air that Friday Mar 1st 4:00pm to 5:30pm (if memory serves- but have a vague thinking it was 4:30 to 6:00).

I couldn’t wait for the week to end. I thought it would be the perfect ending to the week-along with the excitement of the weekend (mainly because I loved watching cartoons on Saturday morning- Spider-man and his Amazing Friends and Super Friends and Smurfs.) I’ve made no denials, I was a TV geek and a sci-fi nerd. I’d rather watch Voltron than play football with the neighborhood kids. I was the kid that got up at 6 am on Saturday to watch cartoons. Yes, 6am!

The show was called Codename: Robotech. If I had a VCR, I would have set it. Yet, the TV was on. Snack and soda was on the table. I was ready to watch.

As the TV spot had run during the week, I thought the show was exactly like G.I. Joe and He-man – cartoon advertising a toy line. The name Robotech was not new to me. Although, the world lacked the internet back in 1985, I was a kid that liked going to Kmart, Alco or TG&Y. I was always on the look out for cool sci-fi toys or comics. In the plastic model kit section of the toy isles was a model kit line called Robotech—model kits of giant robots. My first impression of these kits was they were incredibly detailed and cool. Nothing like Transformers. So, with hearing the show called Codename: Robotech and seeing planes transform into giant robots, I was like “they are giving a story to those robots”. Although, I wasn’t a massive model builder, I had built a few kits like an Airwolf and Japanese Zero. Thus, I figured this show would now mandate I redirect some of my allowance dollars to those model kits. It was nothing new. I had already redirected monies to G.I. Joe comics because of the TV mini-series and shows like Go Bots and Transformers got me into buying Cop-tur and Bumble-bee.

I remember the show starting and I recall watching the iconic film frames crawl up the screen. I was hooked. 90 minutes later the show was over. Yet, I will be totally honest, I didn’t understand it. This awesome show had flickered on my TV for nearly two hours yet I thought there was too much story for the time allowed. I had trouble following it. It wasn’t until later that I figured out that it was an extended version of Episode 14 Gloval’s Report-an episode recounting the SDF-1’s journey up to that point in the show. And it wasn’t until years later—when the DVDs were originally released—that I got to see this “pilot” again. I do know that when I turned the TV off, I thought it was the coolest cartoon I had ever seen. I didn’t care if I hadn’t understood it. It was already rivaling Battle of the Planets, Voltron and G.I. Joe.

-what’s next? Hear the accounts of the TV show’s regular run. My original thoughts and feelings along with the road bumps I would encounter with enjoying this show-

Has it been that long?

Has it been since Sept 2009 since I've posted a story here?

I apologize to anyone out there that RSS feeds to this or has this in their Google Reader.

I promise more stories this month and in the future. Perhaps a snippet of a larger work.....