Wikipedia
Robotech is a science fiction franchise. The franchise began with an 85-episode science fiction anime TV series adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985. It was adapted from three original Japanese television series. In the series, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island. With this technology, Earth developed robotic technologies, such as transformable mecha, to fight three successive extraterrestrial invasions.
Robotech is a shortened version of robotechnology, in context of a science fiction media franchise that includes:
- Robotech (TV series), the 1985 animated television series that debuted in North America
- Robotech: The Movie, the 1986 Cannon film that was shelved after poor test screenings
- Robotech art books, published by Starblaze Graphics and Stonebridge Press
- Robotech Collectible Card Game, published by Hero Factory
- Robotech comics, from various publishers ranging from Comico to DC Comics
- Robotech music, created by Ulpio Minucci and other composers
- Robotech (novels), written by Jack McKinney
- Robotech (role-playing game), first published by Palladium Books in 1986
- Robotech live-action film, see Robotech#Proposed live-action film
In 1987, the Robotech animated series was adapted into novel form by authors James Luceno and Brian Daley and published by Del Rey Books. Having previously collaborated on the animated series Galaxy Rangers, the pair's Robotech novels were released under the unified pseudonym of " Jack McKinney". Using fictitious epigraphs in the style of Dune, McKinney's novels escaped the limitations inherent in the dubbed cartoon and fleshed out its chronology in greater detail; most significantly, by adapting the storyline of the aborted sequel project, "The Sentinels". The entire series lasted for twenty-one books, the first fifteen of which were later collected into five three-book omnibus compilations in the early 1990s.
The original twelve novels were written to a tight twelve-month deadline, so that the books could be released one per month. Under this deadline, Daley and Luceno divided the Robotech timeline into twelve segments and worked on different segments simultaneously (i.e. Daley wrote Book 1 while Luceno wrote Book 2), then traded completed manuscripts for revision and style adjustments. As part of the research project, they watched the TV series many times, and consulted heavily with Carl Macek.
The first two omnibus collections, comprising the entirety of the "Macross Saga", were reissued in 2003 to tie in with the release of the Robotech: Battlecry video game. Then, in 2007, the next two omnibus collections, covering the remainder of the television series, were re-released as tie-ins to the animated movie, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. However, a revision of the Robotech timeline made by Harmony Gold alongside the release of the movie caused some continuity clashes with the McKinney novels, which were relegated to a "secondary" position in Robotech canon. To work around this, the Southern Cross and Invid Invasion collections contain new appendices written by Robotech fan Jonathan L. Switzer correcting any newborn mistakes.
Robotech comics first officially appeared in print in 1985, though Comico published the first issue of its license from Harmony Gold USA under the Macross name.
When Harmony Gold was releasing the first few episodes of its original Macross dub in 1984, it was discovered that Revell already had a Robotech Defenders line of scale model kits that included the transformable Macross mecha. The potential for brand confusion caused concern that Harmony Gold would have problems selling its own transformable Macross toys. Fortunately, Harmony Gold and Revell were able to come to a co-licensing agreement — when producer Carl Macek had the idea to combine Macross with Southern Cross and Mospeada to create an 85-episode television series, he chose to use Revell's pre-existing Robotech name and logo to strengthen the title's brand recognition.
The Robotech Role-Playing Game, based on the Robotech and Robotech II: The Sentinels series, was originally published by Palladium Books from 1986 to 1995 (and reprinted until 1998). A new series based on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles was released starting in 2008.
Robotech is an 85-episode adaptation of three different anime television series made between 1982-1984 in Japan; the adaptation was aired in 1984. Within the combined and edited story, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island. With this technology, Earth developed giant robotic machines or mecha (many of which were capable of transforming into vehicles) to fight three successive extraterrestrial invasions.