can't believe it still isn't 1985

[davemerrill]

This week STUPID COMICS takes a long look at an anime-inspired comic that not only was a little too anime inspired, it was about five years too late to be anything other than a atavistic throwback.



Wow, a motorcycle that turns into a robot? I wonder where they came up with THAT idea? Actually I KNOW where they came up with that idea and you will too when you read STUPID COMICS! To be honest, I'll venture you know where they came up with that idea even BEFORE you read this week's Stupid Comics.

I feel kind of iffy about this one; I don't know any of the people involved but I know people who know them. And I've done my share of fakey anime ripoff comics in my time. But hey, I was very upfront about my anime ripoff comics and I wasn't selling them in comic book shops as my own original creations, either. I may be poor but I'm honest! As opposed to the millionaires we're talking about here, right? Actually one guy involved with this comic did make a great deal of money out of one of his comics that wasn't a particularly original creation. It's a long story and it involves Mothman, and if you talk too much about it, mysterious men in suits show up to tell you to keep quiet. Perhaps I've said too much.

Comments

[childings.livejournal.com]

YEAH
THAT'S WHAT I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

[dave-iii.livejournal.com]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Flattery is often the most annoying way to show appreciation.

Stop liking Japanese cartoons so much, guys; seriously.

[sobieniak.livejournal.com]

That's what I did!

[frustratedpilot]

I used to have a copy of that. I forget what happened to it. I think either I sold it or I sent it into the creators to be autographed and never got it back from them.

[frustratedpilot]

PS: Bill Spangler is on Facebook. I just Joined his Comic Con fan page and Friended him.

[x-expat.livejournal.com]

Wow, those were the days.

Though I didn't realize that about the motion and reading direction. Heh, the more you know...

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

It's kind of an obvious "tell" that somebody, some American somebody, is leaning a little too heavily on their Japanese resource materials. The eye can be trained to go in the other direction - plenty of nonflipped manga out there that's enjoyed by people reading the dialog left to right - but it takes time, more time than a 32 page comic can dish out.

But seriously, this comic feels like it had been on the shelf since 1987 and only got dusted off when the Robotech license expired.

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

1994, wow. i mean, i remember being into anime in 1994! it was all about RANMA! get with it, guys.

[warpig1979.livejournal.com]

There's a joke to be made about the relative merit of being hailed as "comics' foremost Robotech author" but I'm possibly too kind (no, just too tired) to make it.