I can remember coming home
from Junior High every afternoon and rushing to deliver my papers in order to catch
Robotech at 4:30pm every afternoon. I didn't know at the time that this series was adapted
from 3 completely unrelated Japanese series. All I knew was that I could spend half an
hour of each afternoon watching Rick, Lisa, Minmei and company in an epic story of love,
war and the problems of growing up.
Finding the novelizations by Jack McKinney in a local bookstore was a blessing since the channel that was airing Robotech got about 6 episodes into The New Generation before looping over and starting again. These 21 novels allowed me to find out what happened. The proposed reading order by the author is:
The Macross Saga (First Robotech War)
Robotech 1-6
The Malcontent Uprisings
The Sentinels
Robotech: The Sentinels 1-5
Robotech Masters (Second Robotech War)
Robotech 20: The Masters Gambit
New Generation (Third Invid War)
There are shows for the 85 episodes of the original series plus 3 of the ill-fated
Sentinels project.
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One of the images that everyone associates with Robotech is that of the
transforming robot. It's a stereotype in some ways, but it's a good symbol in others. As a
series, Robotech has gone through more than it's share of changes.
Robotech began life in America as a syndicated TV series. But, even before that the
characters and mecha from the show were familiar to Japanese viewers.
The story we know as Robotech actually comes from three different Japanese shows : Super
Dimension Fortress Macross; Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross and Genesis
Climber Mospaeda. These shows were turned into a continuous storyline by Harmony Gold
Productions, then led by Carl Macek.
A commonly-asked question about Robotech is whether the three original shows were
actually connected. The short answer to that question is: not really.
The long answer to that question goes like this: "Macross" and "Southern
Cross" were part of a trio of shows that were designed to have a similar look and
similar transforming mecha. (The third show was called Super Dimension Century Orguss).
But these three shows all had separate plots. "Mospaeda" was not even part of
that set.
The folks at Harmony Gold tied these three stories together by saying that they took
place at different times in a decades-long war. Two alien races -- the Robotech Masters
and the Invid - were fighting for control of the Protoculture Matrix, a source of great
power. And the human race was lodged squarely in the middle.
You can blame Zor, the renegade Robotech Master, for that. He was trying to cripple the
tyrannical empire the other Masters built by sending his exploration ship, the SDF-1 (jam
packed with alien technology and cosmic secrets) out into the void of space. But all he
really accomplishes is attracting the rival races to Earth due to the fact that the SDF-1
crashes on the small South Pacific Island, Macross.
The three components of the original Robotech are usually called "The Macross
Saga", "Robotech Masters" and "The New Generation".
In "The Macross Saga," humanity learns enough about the alien technology in
the SDF-1 to build the first generation of Veritechs and to launch the starship. But the
Robotech Defense Force will need all that information and more to defeat the Zentraedi,
the giant warriors created by the Robotech Masters. The Zentraedi are on a mission to
retrieve the lost vessel at any cost.
"Robotech Masters" takes place roughly 15 years after "The Macross
Saga." The lead character is Dana Sterling, the daughter of two characters in the
first part. Dana and her squad of hovertank jockeys face a direct attack from the Robotech
Masters. Events during this war attract the Invid (the Robotech Master's hated enemies) to
Earth, sparking the third part--
--"The New Generation." In this story arc, humanity learns what the Invid
want with the Protoculture and what they are willing to sacrifice to keep it away from the
aliens.
The Robotech television show ran during the mid-1980's. It was accompanied by a line of
novelizations; a series of comic book adaptations; a line of toys and even a theatrical
film (although that appeared only in a few markets). Harmony Gold intended to add a fourth
part to the series, "The Sentinels," but various factors kept that from
happening. Only three episodes of this new story arc were ever produced.
However, enough scripts and story outlines were written that Eternity Comics, an
imprint of Malibu Graphics, were able to publish the Sentinels as a comic. Jack McKinney
also adapted these scripts into the novel
form.
Eternity Comics has also published a significant number of new stories set in the
Robotech universe. This was the point when I got involved with the series. For Eternity, I
wrote The Malcontent Uprisings, Cyberpirates and the first year of Return to Macross. I
also scripted and co-plotted Invid War with Tim Eldred.
Along with these stories, Eternity published The Legacy of Zor by John and Jason
Waltrip and Invid War Aftermath by Bruce Lewis and David Lanphear.
The powers at Malibu have decided to channel their energy in different directions but Academy
Comics Ltd will be picking up where they left off. [Note: There are no new Robotech
comic issues currently being published- DA] And Academy is joining the game when more
people are discovering Robotech.
The original Robotech episodes are running on the Sci-Fi Channel as part of its Cartoon
Quest each weekday morning (check local listings). Many video chains and comic book stores
are carrying these episodes on tape. (The animation created for The Sentinels is also
available on tape). Del Rey is reprinting the Robotech paperbacks and is planning to add
at least two new novels to its line. [The Zentraedi Rebellion, The Master's Gambit and
Before the Invid Storm have been released.]
Academy's plans start with reviving The Sentinels; Return to Macross and Invid War
Aftermath.
The Sentinels features Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes and many of the other stars from
"The Macross Saga." They are leading an expedition to the Tirol system, in an
attempt to make peace with the Robotech Masters. Once there, they encounter the Invid, and
the Sentinels, a group of aliens fighting to wrest control of their various worlds away
from the Invid. This story is set between the events of "The Macross Saga" and
"Robotech Masters." John and Jason Waltrip are continuing as the creative team.
Invid War Aftermath follows the cast of "Next Generation," as they struggle
to rebuild the Earth, after the Invid depart. The first storyline in the new
"Aftermath," by Rosearik Rikki and Tavisha Wolfgarth, will focus on Lancer and
the adult Annie Labelle, as Annie's life is threatened and they uncover a secret cabal of
scientists which might be able to save her.
Further down the road, Academy is planning to add at least two new titles: Robotech
Warriors, featuring Breetai and the Zentraedi fleet, and Worlds of Robotech, a supplement
to the Sentinels. Plus a real big surprise at the end of '94.
It may seem off to print a Robotech #0 comic when the series has been around for 10
years, but we think it's a good way to mark the beginning of a new chapter in Robotech's
continuing saga. Welcome to the beginning.
Ten Years ago, a revolutionary animated series called "Robotech" premiered on
syndicated television in the United States. Robotech captured the imagination of people
across the world, and started a revolution that continues to this day. The series has been
credited with engendering a heretofore unexpected appreciation of Japanese Animation, and
also creating a phenomenon known as "Protoculture Addiction" among it's die-hard
fans.
And as many fans of Robotech are aware, Carl Macek was the man at the wheel of
developing the series that would become Robotech. While many people were involved in the
creation of Robotech at Harmony Gold, it was Carl Macek who ultimately became the driving
force behind the series. He had they heavy task of taking three unrelated Japanese
animated series, and linking them in such a way that they appeared as one contiguous
series.
Somehow, he pulled it off. His engineering of the three plotlines from
"Macross", "Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross", and "Genesis
Climber Mospaeda" into a single plotline for Robotech has been able to stand the test
of time. Evidence of this can be readily found by just observing the fandom that has been
built around the series. Fan appreciation of Robotech continues today and is perpetuating
itself in many ways. It can be found on paper in the form of comic books and novels;
electronically in the form of fan-based fiction stories, Internet newsgroups and list
services, and FidoNet discussion areas; and some lucky individuals can still catch the
series on TV today. And it is because of all this that fan appreciation continues to grow
with no end in sight.
As we approach the 10th anniversary of the original series debut, new items for
Robotech are being brought forth in recognition of that milestone. New toys, comic book
series, novels, videotape releases, the eagerly awaited Veritech Simulator video game, etc
are finding their way into stores and the hands of fans across the planet. It was in light
of this occasion that I took it upon myself to give Carl Macek a call. He gave me an
audience, and here's the result of what we discussed.
Some time ago, I had been privy to the fact that Harmony Gold and Streamline were in
negotiations to have the soundtrack released again. Then a week prior to this interview, I
finally received official word on the status of their negotiations. As many people are
aware, this is VERY important because the original CD soundtrack for Robotech sold out
several years ago and went out of print. Only a very wealthy few could get their hands on
what was left of them. To this day, auctions on the Internet quote prices of at least $100
per CD.
Q: Did Streamline Pictures obtain the official license to produce the soundtrack for Robotech?
A: Yes.
Q: Will the CD be released under the Streamline label, and if so will it have a different format than the original release that was done by US Renditions?
A: Yes, it will be marketed directly from Streamline. And the format will be
different from the previous release of the soundtrack.
Q: What are some details of what is planned for the soundtrack?
A: The soundtrack would have the same songs as the original CD, plus a LOT more,
and in a different order. The ultimate goal for the soundtrack is to have a 2 CD set
release. Also, the tracks would be stereo re-mastered, due to the fact that the original
tracks were done in analog mono.
Q: Is there a firm release date?
A: Not really. The goal, however is to try to get it out by the summer so it can
get out by Anime convention time and make the deadline of the 10th anniversary of
Robotech.
Q: Will this soundtrack include songs from "Robotech the Movie; The Untold Story?"
A: At this time, no plans have been considered to include any of the songs from
the movie in the soundtrack.
Many enthusiasts of Robotech know about the video collection produced by Streamline
called the Perfect Collection. After some initial problems, Streamline is now planning on
continuing the Perfect Collection. For those unfamiliar with it, the Perfect Collection
showcases 2 episodes of Robotech, and then the coinciding episodes in subtitled format
from the original Japanese series.
Q: Why was the Perfect Collection put on hold?
A: Streamline had to put a hold on the series for a while in deference to
another manufacturer who also produced episodes of Robotech for videotape. But Streamline
now has regained the ability to produce the Perfect Collection, and we intend to go full
steam ahead. We are currently at volume 6 on all 3 Perfect Collections for Robotech.
We started talking about "Robotech II: The Sentinels." I told him about
the many debates that people would get into regarding what is officially part of the
storyline, and what wasn't. Whenever inconsistencies crop up in the storyline or timeline of Robotech from any of
the varied works of Robotech and The Sentinels, people have always deferred to the Macek
version of the storyline as 'canon' (primarily the TV series for anything concerning
content in the original 85 episodes, and what was outlined in Robotech Art III and the
Sentinels OVA for anything regarding Sentinels content).
In a conversation that I had with representatives at Harmony Gold following this
interview, they bolstered this position by stating that should there be a move to complete
the Sentinels series, it would be done under the storyline as given by Carl Macek.
Q: Is there a completed and detailed set of your version of the storyline of the Sentinels?
A: Yes, I have over 1000 pages of material for the Sentinels series alone. This
includes a complete synopsis of the series (most of which is detailed in the Robotech Art
III graphic novel) as well as a thorough rundown of every episode of the series.
Q: Would we ever get the chance to see your entire version of the Sentinels in a printed format?
A: In the future I would like to publish a scrapbook which would be a
compilation of material that I have for the Sentinels.
Q: Would we see such a thing happen in the near future?
A: No plans at this time.
Many people that I've spoken with on the electronic conferences have mentioned that
they were puzzled at the character design changes that occured between the Macross series
characters from Robotech and the way they were depicted in the Sentinels.
Q: Why were the characters from the Sentinels so different in appearance from those of the Macross series?
A: The reason that the characters look as they do in the Sentinels animation was
simply that Harmony Gold could not use the character designs for the existing characters.
Also, we didn't want to commision Haruhiko Mikimoto (character designer for Macross) to
create a bunch of new designs for all of the new characters that appear in the Sentinels
series.
Q: If Harmony Gold approached you concerning the completion of the Sentinels animation, would you participate in it's completion?
A: Probably, yes.
Another project to which Carl Macek had participated in while working at Harmony
Gold was Robotech: The Movie; The Untold Story. However, the movie never made it into wide
distribution, and was shelved shortly after completion. Many people have asked if it would
ever be released on videotape.
Q: Has Streamline ever thought about pursuing a license to market Robotech: The Movie; The Untold Story?
A: Streamline has absolutely no intention to ask for the rights to release
"The Untold Story." The reason being that we have been granted the rights to
release the original MegaZone 23 #1, and will be releasing that in its entirety in the
very near future. (For those that don't know, the majority of footage for Robotech : The
Movie came from MegaZone 23 #1).
Q: Does this MegaZone 23 license prevent some other company from ever marketing the Movie?
A: It does not make it impossible for someone else to release Robotech: The
Movie in the future. I just don't want to be the one to do it.
Q: Do you consider the movie to be a part of the timeline of Robotech?
A: I don't consider it to be a part of the timeline of the Robotech era
whatsoever. Really, I'd like everybody to forget about Robotech: The Movie; The Untold
Story altogether.
Q: Is it true that you were against the production of the movie in the first place?
A: Yes this is true. I did NOT want to do the movie in the first place, and I am
not anywhere near impressed with it.
Q: Ironically, Jack McKinney's book the THE MASTER'S GAMBIT (#20) chronicles some of the material that is covered in The Untold Story. That leads me to my next question; In what way do you feel that the McKinney series has contibuted to Robotech?
A: I feel that the McKinney novelizations of Robotech have helped to expand the
realm of Robotech, and I appreciate what the books have done for Robotech. While it's true
that I wasn't available for the authors to pick my brain for the entire time they were
writing these books, they did consult with me in the beginning for two weeks, and
occasionally after that. In fact, minor inconsistancies not withstanding, the novels,
comic books, and RPGs are all representative of Robotech. I don't discount the validity of
any of these works. Also, each work has its own place within the overall realm of
Robotech.
Q: What is your opinion of the many fan-fiction writings that have been undertaken by people to furthur define the Robotech realm?
A: I don't mind that fans take the time to express their appreciation of
Robotech by enhancing it in story. In fact I find it all fascinating.
Q: Have you had the opportunity to read any of the works?
A: I have not had the chance to read many of them. I don't encourage people to
send them to me. I try to discourage that, in fact.
Q: Why discourage the authors from submitting their works to you?
A: Don't get me wrong. As I said, I appreciate that people write fan fiction
stories for Robotech. However, I'd prefer to avoid any potential lawsuits from writers
that could crop up if somone sends in a fan fiction story which may contain parts similar
to some future project we may have in the works for Robotech. So it's not a matter of not
liking fan fiction, but it's a matter of not liking lawsuits.
Q: So you do encourage writers to continue creating their works?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Continuity has been an issue that plagues fans of Robotech endlessly. People have been trying to establish a timeline and a storyline synopsis that will act as the 'canon' backbone of the whole Robotech saga. This is particularly true of fan fiction writers, who love the series and they want to make sure that they are not crossing the line of continuity when they write their stories. We already know about your collection of material on the Sentinels, but do you have some sort of 'master plan' for Robotech on paper?
A: Well, the only complete plan for Robotech is in my head. It would take too
long for me to give more than a cursory explanation of it here. As far as the debate over
what is 'canon' in Robotech goes; all of the material out there for Robotech should be
considered valid, because it is all a part of Robotech. An example from my own work is in
the Art book for the Sentinels. The events detailed in "Robotech Art III" were
far away from what I had actually planned for Robotech at the time. While the Sentinels do
fall within the realm of Robotech, the series itself was more animation-intensive than
plot-intensive. In essence, no one should look at my contibutions alone as "THE"
Robotech.
Q: Would you be against someone establishing standards for the plotline and timeline of Robotech?
A: Not really.
Q: Was there any truth to the rumor that there was supposed to have been a series called "Robotech III: The Odyssey?"
A: I did have plans on a third series of Robotech back in its heyday. 'Odyssey'
was supposed to have been a series which tied together all of the story elements of the
previous 2 series. Particularly, 'Odyssey' was to have picked up where Robotech and The
Sentinels end, with the disappearance of the SDF-3.
(Ed Note: Unfortunately due to time constraints he did not go into detail concerning
the content of the Odyssey series, but he did say that it was supposed to be the largest
of the 3 series. In fact, if you were to add up all the episodes of Robotech I, II and
III; you should get 260 episodes in all. That would allow for a 30 minute episode of
Robotech to occur every weekday for an entire year!)
Also, I wanted to have a big plot 'gotcha' for 'Odyssey' by portraying Lynn Minmei as
the mother of Zor. By doing this Minmei would become the focal point in the entire series,
in essence making Minmei the mother-creator of Robotech.
And I envisioned the very last scene of 'Odyssey' to be the crash landing of Zor's
battlefortress on Macross Island, with the next episode shown being 'Boobytrap.' Doing
this would create the effect of a Mobius loop for Robotech, where a viewer could start
watching the series at any point, and be able to get the whole thing in about a year's
time.
Q: With Minmei becoming Zor's mother, does this imply that the crew of the SDF-3 become the Robotech Masters?
A: Absolutely not. The timeline
wouldn't work like that. The Masters are a different part of the puzzle.
Q: Then is there some other fate that awaits Rick, Lisa, Max, Miriya, Vince and Jean?
A: (Chuckles) I guess we'll have to wait for the release of Odyssey to find that
out.
Several participants of The Robotech Echo and alt.tv.Robotech made the assertion
that the Exo Squad series may have been incorporated with the Robotech universe (or
vice-versa). This assertion was made because Playmates Toys is marketing the Robotech line
of mecha under the Exo Squad line.
Q: Have you been told or otherwise approached concerning the possibility of tying together Exo Squad and Robotech?
A: I have absolutely no knowledge of a plot tie in of Exo Squad and Robotech,
and I do not endorse one. The only part that I acknowledge is the fact that Robotech is
being sold as part of the Exo Squad toy line.
Q: Will you be attending Robocon 10?
A: Yes I will be there.
Q: Do you have an Internet e-mail address?
A: No, I do not have an e-mail address.
Me: Well, that ends the interview for now. I would like to thank you for allowing me time to speak with you, and I hope that we can talk again in the future.
Carl: Not a problem.
And thus ends my short interview with Carl Macek. If anyone needs clarification on
any parts of this interview, I can be reached through the following means:
Internet: [email protected]
FidoNet: The Tachyon Express BBS (803)-356-3522 Fido Address 1:376/190
Postal: 335-H West Main Street Lexington, S.C. 29072
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you want to talk to Carl in person, try
to attend a nearby Anime convention. He has been known to attend several a year. (and he
WILL be attending Robocon 10 in Anaheim this year)
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Last modified February 15, 2000. This page was created by Darren Andrews.