Tranzor Z

Similar in vein to my Gobots posts from last week, I have here another Japanese robot franchise, this one perhaps not quite as remembered as the Gobots--Tranzor Z, originally known as Mazinger Z in the rest of the world.

When I was very young (before school, late 70s), I had a Tranzor Z action figure, complete with ejectable forearms.  I even went out as Z on Halloween one year; it was one of those cheap Ben Cooper costumes made of vinyl and were as poorly made as the boxes they came in.  Years later in the mid-80s, a point in which I hadn't thought of Tranzor Z in years, I came home from school one afternoon, turned on the TV in my bedroom, and there he was, broadcasting into my home.  I was shocked and amazed!  "Oh my God, it's the robot I had years ago!"  I never missed an episode the entire year (or two?) it was on.

I present an episode of that series to you now.  Here is Tranzor Z in "The Devistator."  Enjoy!






Here is the original Japanese version of the show's opening. I love how the difference in theme music and language can make the same footage seem so different.

Peanuts as Pitchmen: Metropolitan Life Part 2

With the news that the Peanuts franchise has been purchased by licensing group Iconix and the Charles Shulz family for $175 million, I'm reminded that I have the Peanuts as Pitchmen feature.  Here are a few quick clips for one of their biggest licensing partners, Metropolitan Life Insurance. 

How do you say "Good Grief" in Chinese?



MetLife should offer VCR insurance.



An animated dog gets more exercise than I do.

I Was Physically Assaulted at My Comic Book Store!

It's true! It happened this past Wednesday, and here's what happened.

I was innocently perusing the comic store shelves when someone, a customer (not an employee) who I will forever call Crazy Guy, started saying something. I'm not quite sure what, and I didn't think he was talking to me at first, when all of a sudden, he pushes me in my face (it may have been an outright punch, but I don't think so) and starts shouting profanities (I'll f*** you up mother f*****! blah blah blah).  I think it had something to do with me picking up some book he had been looking at or something, I don't know what.  Being scared shitless, I ran to another part of the store while Crazy Guy kept going off.  The girl at the cash register, scared herself, was pleading him to calm down.  He then shouts that he wants to pay for his stuff, which the cashier readily did ahead of people in line just to get rid of him.  He pays for his stuff (how do crazy people get to have money?) then storms out of the store threatening to wait for me outside.

The store manager, who had been outside for most of the incident, unaware to what was happening until he came back in, told me that I had a scratch on my face from Crazy Guy (who still had comics in his hands when he hit me) and allowed me to use the employee bathroom to wash up.  I go in and look at my face and sure enough, there is a scratch across my left cheek and part of my nose (which remains as I write this two days later; I'll post a photo this weekend if I get a chance).  Once finished, I waited inside the store for awhile longer in case Crazy Guy was indeed waiting for me (he wasn't).  The manager (who offered me 50% off any purchase I was making, but I didn't buy anything) took a look outside, saw the coast was clear, and back to work I went, eyes wide open and taking a different route back to my office.

And that's what happened.  Should I have handled things differently?  Should the store have handled things differently?

Be careful when you're in the big city, folks.  You might get assaulted by Crazy Guy.

Matisyahu, "One Day"

Just because this is a great song that should be played every day.

Gobots: War of the Rock Lords

Following yesterday's Gobots post, here is the 1986 animated feature film Gobots: War of the Rock Lords.  This film was later released on VHS as Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords.  Enjoy!

Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles, Gobots!

I recently came across a podcast called the Roboplastic Apocalypse, which discusses in detail the history and popularity of toy robots. Two recent episodes discussed the Gobots, the "other" robots-to-vehicles toy line that arrived in stores about the same time as the Transformers. As the Gobots don't seem to be as fondly remembered, I thought I'd give them their due.

Here are a few commercials hawking the Gobots. Unlike the Transformers, the good and evil sides of the Gobots were not tied down to one vehicle type (good guys=cars, bad guys=airplanes); a Gobot was what it was regardless of allegiance.





Here is a Japanese commercial for the Gobots original incarnation as Machine Robo, before they came to America and adopted a new storyline and canon.



And here is an episode of the accompanying TV animated series (no self-respecting toy line was without one in the 80s). From Challenge of the Gobots, here is "Crime Wave."





For the interesting story behind the Gobots, check out the Roboplastic Apocalype podcast episodes here and here.

Holla!

The Entire Decade of the 80s in 1 Minute 13 Seconds

Need a dose of the 80s in a short amount of time?  Watch this clip and you're on your way!