Dynamite Announces The Return Of VOLTRON To Comics

Source: Dynamite Entertainment

This December, the pop culture phenomenon known as Voltron is returning to a comic book store near you! Under a series of amazing covers by master painter Alex Ross, and written by Dynamite's own up and coming writer Brandon Thomas, the series is destined to be a sure fire hit! Dynamite will present all new adventures of the classic robot super-hero! Originally released in 1984, Voltron: Defender of the Universe quickly skyrocketed to be the number one children's program in the United States. Merchandising rapidly followed and more than 100 different Voltron products were on shelves around the world.

"Voltron is one of the most well-known cartoons of all-time," says Dynamite President Nick Barrucci. "Classic Media and World Events Productions are working with a wide-range of licensing partners to ensure Voltron's success. With the upcoming cartoon and a feature film in the works, now is the perfect time to launch a Voltron comic book for a new era, which will feature amazing Alex Ross covers! Our acquisition of this incredible brand is another step in Dynamite's exciting growth and builds on the ongoing success of our line."

"I grew up loving the big robots from Japan," says legendary artist Alex Ross. "And Voltron is one of the coolest-looking of them!"

Voltron featured a team of five young pilots commanding five robot lions which could be combined to form Voltron. In an undefined future era, the Voltron Force was in charge of protecting the planet Arus (ruled by Princess Allura) from the evil King Zarkon (from planet Doom), his son Lotor, and the witch Haggar, who would create huge Robeasts to terrorize the people of Arus.

"We've been given a lot of latitude by our partners at Classic Media and World Events," said Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. "Nothing is off the table and if you've followed our releases featuring pop culture icons, you know that we take the best and add the new and create something unique and special on its own. Expect no different from Voltron."

Founded in 1982 to meet the ever-growing need for the development of quality television entertainment, World Events Productions has continued to be a leader in technological innovation and programming excellence ever since. Headquartered in St. Louis, WEP has been on the cutting-edge of top quality entertainment production and international distribution.

World Events' more recent program, Voltron: The Third Dimension, was the first full 3D CGI series produced solely in the United States. However, classic Lion Force Voltron remains the general favorite among fans. And fans have much more to look forward to in the future as the Voltron Universe continues to expand.

Stay tuned for more news on Voltron!

Giant Robot Fans Unite! MORAV Needs A Kickstart

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources : Fon Davis / Todd D'Amario

For the past three years I have been talking off-and-on about an amazing giant robot series called M.O.R.A.V. ((Multi-Operational Robotic Armored Vehicle) which has been a pet project of Hollywood effects master Fon Davis. The series has been a true passion for Davis along with a team of movie and television effects veterans who have devoted hours of spare time and money to create a unique sci fi showcase that is heavily inspired by the Japanese anime classics, "Patlabor" and "Macross".

As is the case with any effects heavy project both time and money have been issues that have plagued "M.O.R.A.V." since its conception, yet Davis and company believe in their vision and have kept the giant mechs marching over most obstacles in their path.

Now three years down the pike Davis is so close to his goal of getting a pilot episode that he can shop to networks completed he can taste it. All he needs is another 40 grand and the episode can be completed.

Like many projects I have talked about in the past Davis has created a "Kickstarter" page where fans can donate what they can to help raise the needed funds to move forward.

Now I understand that one cool photo (above) and my word isn't going to cut it. You need a little more before you open up your check book. I got ya. Check out the clip and the synopsis below:



The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.

If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.

The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.

Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.

As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war.
But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.

Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.

Do I have you now? Go to Kickstarter - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/morav/morav-missions-live-action-series-pilot?ref=emai

Actor Adds To PACIFIC RIM Hype With Monster Comments

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Bloody Disgusting

The thought of a movie where giant monsters fighting giant robots is a concept that will get even the casual fanboy (or fangirl for that matter) all worked up. Raised on the works of Honda, Tanaka and Tsuburaya the giant monster genre is something that most of us view as something sacred and something to be savored like a fine aged wine.

Yes, I just compared Godzilla and Ultraman movies to fine aged wine.

Anyway back to my thoughts. As of late giant monster and giant robot flicks have come back into favor with new Godzilla, Robotech and Shogun Warriors films in the works as we speak. Another such film is Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" a film that will feature both big beasts and big bots to combat them. With del Toro's ability to create some really memorable monster genre films the project sounds like a slam-dunk. Add to that the film makers bold statements about the project and you have monster hype of monstrous proportions.

Now adding to the frenzy comes new statements from "Rim" star Charlie Day who obviously has bought into del Toro's game plan and is jazzed to be a part of the monster mayhem.

Day recently told Bloody Disgusting, "What's always exciting about Guillermo del Toro is that's justifiable excitement because he's a really unique and talented director.

"It's nice to see people who have such strong, creative and playful visions to get to make want they want to make.

"I'll tell you, it's a monster movie of massive scale.

"I don't know what to expect, I'm just looking forward to being one of Guillermo's creations."

"He's made some bold statements and I'm not going to sit here and back them up," he said.

"I don't doubt he has the ability to make something truly terrifying based on previous body of work.

"I'm not sure what's in Guillermo's mind and there's a lot that could be left to creative interpretation.

"It will be frightening, but I think it's also his goal to make it fun.

"It will be something we haven't seen in a world that's completely new."

Interesting statements for sure. Though giant monster movies are always fun they are hardly ever terrifying , aside from the original "Godzilla", so it will be interesting to see how del Toro approaches "Pacific Rim".

Idris Elba Joins The Cast Of Guillermo del Toro’s Giant Monster Epic PACIFIC RIM

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Source: News In Film

Idris Elba (The Wire) has just become the latest casting addition to Guillermo del Toro's giant monster epic "Pacific Rim". Elba's character will be a giant mech pilot named Sensi, who according to the script, is (a) “black Briton whose face is the very picture of confident serenity.”

At this point Elba joins fellow actors Charlie Hunnam and Charlie Day (Does del Toro have a thing for Charlies ?) on the film which is starting to look like the ultimate upcoming movie project ...... well next to Legendary's "Godzilla" reboot that is.

Check out this plot outline from News In Film:

However, not much is known about Pacific Rim yet, other than it’s about giant monsters and will allow del Toro to create a “new world” of beastly creatures. That’s only halfway accurate. This project will give the Hellboy filmmaker the opportunity to create two worlds.

The first is an alternate version of Earth in the near future, decades after a historic date in November 2012 when the first kaiju, a towering Godzilla-like beast, emerged from a hole in the Pacific Ocean and attacked the city of Osaka, Japan. The second is “The Anteverse,” another universe on the other side of that gaping portal, 5 miles below our ocean’s surface.

Since the first attack, the rim has been “spitting out” a variety of gigantic monsters at an increasing rate, which then stride out of the ocean and begin destroying sea-bordering cities, like Tokyo and Los Angeles. In order to combat these monstrous, otherworldly menaces, the military developed the “Jaeger” program, which trains teams of two pilots to jointly operate massive, building-sized mechanized suits of armor and high-tech weaponry.

Within the first act alone, we are given enough detailed background on the god-like Jaeger systems, its shared neural piloting system (called “pons”), and the relentless beasts. But Beacham is an absolute master at immediately establishing characters and their conflicts.

The central character is Raleigh Antrobus, 23, a skilled Jaeger pilot still wrestling emotionally with the loss of his co-pilot and biological brother, Yance, during a mission a year earlier. The ordeal has wreaked havoc on his mind spirit, leaving him with ghostly nightmares of the battle from the shared “pons” experience. After the initial setup, the damaged hero is recruited to re-join the task force in Tokyo, where pilots are in demand, and team with a fellow “leftover,” 22-year-old female Japanese pilot Mako Mori. Naturally, the language barrier (among other things) presents an issue for the out-of-sync duo, meaning an even steeper learning curve for the unprecedented pairing.

Meanwhile, Felicity “Flick” Kincaid, a journalist and Yance’s former fiancée, circles the globe (ours) to discover answers about this mysterious rift and the origins of its intensifying threat.

Without ruining any more surprises (past the first act), there are several different species of towering kaiju, each with their own unique characteristics, and the clashes between monster and machine are epic in scale. Beacham has even developed his own glossary and lingo for his characters, a blend of scientific and military jargon used to describe the elements of this fully fleshed out reality, much like the shorthand in Cameron’s Avatar or the developing mecha-warrior versus aliens movie All You Need is Kill.

Now if that doesn't get all of you giant monster maniacs all worked up then nothing will.

As it looks today "Pacific Rim" should hit theaters in 2013.

Honestly ... I can't wait!

See Also: Is Legendary Pictures About To Hand GODZILLA Over To Del Toro? / Del Toro Ready To Begin Makeup Tests For FRANKENSTEIN

GODAIZER - A Giant Robot And Monster Orgasmotron

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Hillary Yeo

Last December I posted an article about a great new animated giant robot short called "Godaizer" which has been a three year labor of love for film maker Hillary Yeo. Today, thanks to Yeo, I was able to view the finished product and let me tell you I was left nearly speechless. What Yeo has been able to capture is the pure essence of both the giant robot and giant monster genre in one amazing 20-minute film.

Think of "Godaizer" as "Tetsujin 28-go", "Mazinger", "Ultraman: The Next" and "WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3" all assembled together to mash up in a perfect union with a bow on top.

There is no way that any fan of either Japanese anime or Tokusatsu could walk away from this one without feeling totally satisfied. The animation is beautiful and seamless, the robot design for "Godaizer" is timeless, (as if it jumped off the screen from a 70s Japanese cartoon) the monster is a nasty looking as can be and the combat sequences look pure Tsuburaya/Tanaka/Honda.

Here is a short synopsis of the plot:

An independent computer animated short about a robot repair warehouse run by a old man and his grandson where old decommissioned giant robot Godaizer is kept.

When a giant monster is awoken, its time for Godaizer to rise again and defeat it. But at what cost is it going to take to take down the monster?

At this time Yeo has entered "Godaizer" in a few festivals, including the Long Island International Film Expo. The film maker is also trying to get the word out there about his short film, which I am more than happy to aide him with, and has found the process to be a little harder than he first anticipated. True, it is hard to get noticed in this modern age where entertainment is literally at your fingertips, but I am more than confident that when people are able to see "Godaizer" the word will spread like wildfire.

Yeo has created something special here so don't be surprised if his career takes a major step forward after this.








See Also: More Robot Mayhem In Hillary Yeo's GODAIZER