April 1990 Pt.1c UK Anime Fandom.

My own recollections Of EastCon'90 are of the late night screenings that had seen the 'word' spread, so much so that there was standing room only. So many wide-eyed people were willing to watch this fresh animation from Japan without narration, or sub-tiles, it was intoxicating!

Film cinematography's camera techniques are liberally used, the long shot, the panning & tilting shots, Dolly & tracking shots, and the close-up, as well as camera\video special effects of split screen, and circling shots that just blew people away and all well before the matrix had an array of cameras to do its time-slice photography of circling around a person (all done by hand with hand-painted cels numbering from 10 to 24 0r 25 or sometime 30 frames per second)!

There was disbelief also that the humble cartoon could display depictions of violence in a realistic manner (NO more of the ubiquitous Tom & Jerry frying-pan in the face, that you just shrugged off), and in horrific detail that would rival any live-action horror movie that went before!

[Note: I do vividly remember people so shocked and ill at ease that they left the auditorium in one of the very late-night adult showings of an episode of “Wondering kid” (you may know the edited together and cut film, under the title “Urotsukidōji”) in it's now legendary tentacle scene.]

In contrast Japanese Animation had a “U” certificate, as Kids Cartoons straight to video in the UK, and the MY-TV label did turn up a t EastCon'90, - recently Helen McCarthy was able to fill me on the details surrounding this company's appearance at the convention.

“MY-TV was a label part-owned by one of the directors at the music and video company I worked for at the time. They re-badged and distributed US material, mostly from Harmony Gold, which is how the UK got releases of some great Anime like Birth and Crushers so early on - short-lived but still there.

I just told my boss about the event and he decided they should show up and try to sell a few tapes.

He had no idea there was a market for "this Japanese kids' stuff" outside the children's market.

Of course this was before Island world/Manga Entertainment started the fifteening of the industry.”

[Note: INTERVISION VIDEO LIMITED was the parent company of MY-TV, the Editing, rewriting\dubbing, and renaming had been done by US company Harmony Gold, and I think video (VHS) distribution licensed though Streamline Pictures. ]

Once Upon a Time (VHS release 1987,1988,1989) 

Original Title 'Windaria' (1986)

Crushers (VHS release1987,1988,1989)

Original Title 'Crusher Joe: The Movie' (1983)

Star Fleet: The Thalian Space Wars (VHS release1987,1988,1989)

Original Title 'X-Bomber' (1980)

 [UK DVD Box-Set released in 2009]

[NOTE: World of the Talisman (VHS release1987,1988,1989) Original Title ' Birth' (1985)] 

 

To be continued..........

Robotech Pt. 2

Robotech comic-books and novels gave us (in the UK); a grasp of the plots of this Science Fiction series called Robotech, that was like nothing else we had come across to this side of the pond.

Comico's 'Robotech - The Macross saga' (Issues 1 - 36).

 'Robotech - Masters' (Issues 1 - 24).

ROBOTECH SPECIAL MAY-1988

(Dana's Story - An ending...And a beginning..of the amazing odyssey of ROBOTECH.)

'Robotech - The New Generation' (Issues 1 - 25).

The flood of these helped maximized the impact, with the simultaneous release of Comico's 'Robotech - The Macross saga' (Issues 1 - 36), 'Robotech - Masters' (Issues 1 - 24), and 'Robotech - The New Generation' (Issues 1 - 25), and add to this the Robotech Novels by “Jack McKinney” from Del Rey Books coming out every month for the first year, to a total of 21 novels, as well as Matchbox Toys. 

The American company 'Harmony Gold' was getting very well known!

[Note: Del Rey Books' Publishers note states that “While the above biogrophy is accurate, it is actually a composite bio of two authors who agreed to merge minds and identities to become Jack McKinney, and reflects the influence of various friends and advisors for the Robotech series.”]

To my knowledge only 3 separate VHS (Pal) video tapes were ever released in the UK in the 1980's showing episodes from the 'Robotech' series; “Codename Robotech” (a promotional compilation of episodes – some looped), Robotech episodes 1 & 2 (this Little Gem, had the wrong graphic on its front cover!), and 'Robotech II the Sentinels' (an all new storyline from Carl Macek & Harmony Gold Animated in Japan, cancelled after only 3 episodes – then edited into a movie). 

 

[Side note: the Robotech Art 1 (1986); has 25 pages devoted to Robotech's roots in Japanese Anime from the 1950's to the mid 1980's, a 2 page introduction on “Harmony Gold” (the American production company) as well another 2 pages listing the staff and their job tiles who work for “Harmony Gold”, and the a comprehensive list of name changes from the Japanese Anime to the American Robotech TV show ( I was able to provide these name changes to Helen McCarthy for an early article she would write on Robotech) – And you will be surprised to know about the days before and after the “Carl F. Macek Gallery” (1982) which sold pencil art & original cels & film posters of animation from around the World.]

There were also detailed Robotech Role-Playing game books and promotional gazettes published by Palladium books that had started to be imported by the late 80's given Mecha fans.

Palladium books also distributed Robotech episodes on VHS (NTSC) tapes in the US & Canada.

The Canadian Official Robotech Fanzine 'Protoculture Addicts' was the first of the irregular publications to hit our shores in the UK, that centred on this much beloved TV show and also hinted at a much wider world of animation that did not dumb-down to its young audience, referred to as Japanimation.

[Note: I have tried to convey the impact to the UK in the 1980's, so I've not lingered on details, and leave it up to you the reader to search for more information.]

In the 1980's without Macross there would be no Robotech, and without Robotech and its Fandoms in Canada and in the USA peeking our curiosity for giant robots and providing us with the springboard to look in to its Japanese origins and other Anime, the UK Anime Fandom would have surely stalled!

Robotech should no longer be thought of as “frankenstein's monster” but a doorway to Anime from a simpler time that reached so many!

Robotech Pt. 1

The late 80's was for a few of us the very start of pen-pals becoming a UK Anime Fandom, with the help of many different American animation fan-clubs. 

With so little in the way of cartoon series on our meager 4 terrestrial Television channels (and Satellite TV was out of reach of so many); that SF Geeks could follow, even such shows as 'Battle of the Planets' and 'G-Force', 'Ulysses 31' (that later would be know as Anime) were episodic in nature, story arcs, sub-plots, and character development were practically non-existent for what was essentially a kids TV cartoon shows.

[NOTE: ROBOTECH was shown on a cable & satellite TV channel called 'Premiere' in 1986 onwards (also known as 'Mirrorvision' from 1985) in the England, at 4.30pm to 5.45pm. (the after school slot). You can find a link to the 1986 'Premiere' channel preview at http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/otherchannels/premiere.html .]

[NOTE: 'Premiere' was the original pioneer in broadcasting subscription premium movies, and to view the channel via satellite you would have needed some expensive equipment and a satellite dish of around 1.5 metres in size! It's largest audience was via Cable TV. ( I have yet to fine the full extent of its broadcast subscription area) -]

[NOTE: Alan Russell Wrote on the 22^nd of March 1990 telling me that “ Premiere HAVE SCREED BOTH 'The Macross Saga' and 'Masters', but not 'New Generation' which as far as I know is unshown over here.” & “ROBOTECH itself does have of course have quite a following in the UK and has been shown on Satellite and Cable courtesy of 'Premiere' and the Super channel”. This may have been more to the south of England as I had not heard or see it in the Midlands in the 80's, or early 90s. - The Premiere channel shut down in July 1989).   Other Cable & satellite channels such as the 'Super Channel' launched its opening night on January 30th 1987 (the station was taken over by American broadcaster NBC in 1993) that I've been told that it to showed ROBOTECH. - but I can not find any more information at this time.]

The 'Robotech' franchise with all its merchandise had gradually filtered down to the UK, to its hobby shops and comic-book outlets, and toy shops with it came one of our main sources of information on Anime. Little by little we learned about how the Japanese animated TV series 'Super dimensional fortress Macross' was reborn and remoulded as the first saga of a generational story arc for an American audience under the title Robotech.

[NOTE: The irrational dislike or hatred of spiders and snakes is at some point a learnt response, so In that vein I will add 'Robotech' & the man most closely associated with it 'Carl Macek' be given a fair hearing and for you the reader an open mind. From my own point of view the Anime series 'Macross', that inspired the start of an American cartoon franchise 'Robotech', that still fuels the debate to this day, on how to edit and dub Japanese animation for a mainstream Western\English speaking audience, more so than the Dub Vs Sub debate.]

[NOTE: I will centre on the first Robotech saga 'Macross' as it was the least altered from its Anime counterpart.]

'Super dimensional fortress Macross' aired in Japan in 1982 and ran for 36 episodes was the brainchild of Shoji Kawamori together with the talents of Kazutaka Miyatake and Shoji Kawamori from of Studio Nue designing the iconic Mecha, and character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto from the Artland animation studio.

What made this kids cartoon stand out was its storytelling that took you along in seeing the characters grow with their relationships with one another in dealing with the situations thrust upon them in a realistic manner. The troubles and emotions of a love triangle, the struggle of civilian and military points of view in the face of conflict, friendship born of battle, and the loss of a comrade, and women’s careers (military & that of an Idol singer) taking their toll on relationships, all taking place against the backdrop of the first Human-Alien war, and the constant threat of the next battle just around the corner. Coupled with this, the action of futuristic battles featuring the recognisable Mecha (from the model kits boom in the 80's) and space battles the like of which had not been seen since Star Wars. The Robotech 'Macross saga' would gain a growing and loyal fan-base for these reasons. 

[NOTE: Very little was edited in the way of story arc from Macross, but the other two cartoon shows Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross ( The Masters) & Genesis Climber Mospeada (The New Generation) were somewhat altered to tie-in the story arc (they were added to meet demands of American television minimum syndication needs of 65 episodes. Robotech's 85 episodes was originally aired in North America in1985).] 

A Harmony of Robot invaders.

It was about 1986 onwards that a new force of merchandise hit the UK shops, not only toy and hobby shops, but comic book stores and the video shelf on high street stores. This too was a re-branding under the trademark “Robotech” now in agreement with 'Revell' the scale model manufactuer that had a range of kits under the title "ROBOTECH DEFENDERS", and the media company 'Harmony Gold' that had acquired the rights to 3 Japanese cartoon shows, 'Super Dimension Fortress Macross', 'Dimensioal Cavalry Southern Cross', and 'Genesis Climber Mospeada'. 

 [More about what happened to these 3 shows, will follow later, Robotech part 1 & Robotech part 2.].                                                                                                        

Printed and released in America;

MACROSS #1, December 1984,

ROBOTECH MASTERS #1, July 1985,

ROBOTECH THE NEW GENERATION #1, July 1985

                                                                                                                        

Living in a village with its Hobby\toy shop and News Agent, I needed to spread the search further afield, to my two nearest cities which where Leicester and Nottingham (in the East Midlands of England) to find more of what looked like Japanese Imports!

[Searching was done on foot, to find printed matter for the information, phone books, Yellow pages, comic books, magazines, fanzines, toy catalogs! Nobody had a smart-phone or mobile\cell phone, there was NO all knowing oracle called Google or Wiki! If you wanted to find something out YOU did the detective work.]

“How to find Japanese Animation Items” back in August 1988!

“ The Magic of Palladium Books” the “Unabashed House Organ” for Robotech Role Playing Games, had these few pages in issue #2.  

An other British Magazine, this time in 1987;

(White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

(White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

Review of Mekton (ONE) Rules, and Roadstriker (Expantion Rules),

by Phil Fances.

(White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

Review of Mekton (ONE) RPG\Wargame Rules,

by Phil Fances.

(White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

Review of Roadstriker - Mekton (ONE) Expantion Rules,

by Phil Fances.

(White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

Virgin Mega Store's Games Centre (White Dwarf magazine, March 1987).

'Battletech' table-top game, and Graphic Novel.

[NOTES: In March of 1987 the reviewer Phil Fances, in that month's issue of 'White Dwarf Magazine, does use the Word "Anime", but in keeping with a lightharted tone, refers to it as "what the Japanese call their giant robot cartoons", and in both the reviews of 'MEKTON' and its Expantion rule set 'Roadstriker', you can note the phrase "in the best possible taste", that to my mind brings up a 'catch-phrase from comedian Kenny Everett.]   

[NOTES: That the 1980's the Retail and mail order Company 'GAMES WORKSHOP' was quite differant than its post 2000 counterpart, and was a haven for Role playing games, Novels, and War games, of Science Fiction, and Fantasy, and other well known IPs, not just its own games and minitures!]

[NOTES: So far I have not found any more writings, or advertisements in regards to Anime, or the American games of Battletech or Mekton in the 1980's issues of White Dwarf Magazine]