The Robo Machines (comics)

Last updated

The Robo Machines
Robo Machines (GoBots) UK comic advert.png
An early advertisement for "The Robo Machines" comic strip.
Publication information
Publisher IPC Magazines
ScheduleWeekly
Title(s) Eagle
10 November 1984 to 15 March 1985
29 March to 29 July 1985
FormatsOriginal material for the series has been published as a strip in the comics anthology(s) Eagle .
Genre
Publication date10 November  1984  29 July  1985
Main character(s) Leader-1
Cy-Kill
Creative team
Writer(s) Tom Tully
Artist(s)Mario Capaldi
Kim Raymond
Editor(s)Dave Hunt

"The Robo Machines" is a British comic strip, appearing in titles published by IPC Magazines. The story was published in the anthology Eagle from 10 November 1984 to 29 July 1985, written by Tom Tully, with art by Mario Capaldi and later Kim Raymond. Based on Bandai's Robo Machine toys, the story depicts an attack on Earth by evil scientist Stron-Domez and his evil Robo Machines.

Contents

Creation

The comic strip was one of several from Eagle based on a line of toys; others include "Manta Force", "Starcom" and "Roadblasters". The story was written by the experienced Tom Tully, an IPC stalwart best known for his run on "Roy of the Rovers". [1] The Robo Machine toyline had previously been advertised on the cover of another IPC magazine, appearing on the cover of 2000 AD Prog. 329 in August 1983, advertising a competition for the toys. [2] At the time, the Challenge of the GoBots cartoon series had not been shown in Britain [3] and the Eagle strip featured considerable plot differences. [4]

Publishing history

The story was published between 10 November 1984 to 15 March 1985, and 29 March to 29 July 1985 - with a two-week break when Eagle incorporated the contents of the cancelled Tiger . [1] Mario Capaldi drew the first episodes, [5] with Kim Raymond later taking over. [1]

Shortly after the strip ended, one of the Robo Machines characters was later used by artist José Ortiz as a robot in "Dan Dare", also written by Tully. [2] An exhibition of Capaldi's work, including 20 panels from the strip, was displayed at the Dorman Museum in the late artist's hometown of Middlesbrough in 2015. [2] [6]

Plot summary

Robotron is a planet in the Proxima System, where the inhabitants are very scientifically advanced people who through cybernetics are now 99% machines themselves and robots are used in every walk of life. A power-hungry scientist named Stron-Domez the Master Renegade has modified two criminal Robo Machines - Cy-Kill and Tank - so they can transform into vehicles. After an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the President of Robotron, Stron-Domez takes his creations to Earth, which he had identified as being rich in minerals to build more transforming Robo Machines. The Robotron Guardian Security Forces dispatch Ex-El and a group of volunteers in pursuit aboard the spaceship Command Centre, with plans to modify his volunteers in the same fashion. Stron-Domez dispatches Cy-Kill, Tank and new creation Fitor to the town of Cholkham in East Anglia, which they begin to destroy. Ex-El's creations Leader-1, Hans-Cuff and Dozer arrive in time to drive them off, but the town has suffered many casualties, including the deaths of the parents of Charlie Bampton, a young boy who possesses ESP. This skill makes him useful to the Security Forces, and the chance to end Stron-Domez's threat gives Charlie a reason to help them. After a botched contact with the British Army, the Security Forces track Stron-Domez to an electronics factory in Birmingham, where he has taken the workforce hostage and forced them to build more Robo Machines for him. The Security Force robot Truck and Charlie are able to free the humans, and the Security Forces move in and rout Stron-Domez' forces. Stron-Domez is able to escape on Cy-Kill when the police arrive on the scene, though all his other troops are captured and disabled by the Security Forces. [7]

With most of his Robo Machines deactivated by the Security Forces, Stron-Domez experiments upon himself, and is able to modify his body so he becomes the massive robot Zod. This attracts the Security Forces but Zod is able to attack the Command Centre, and force it into retreat. However, the Security Forces robot Carry-All accidentally tracks them to their junkyard base, only to be mortally wounded by Zod. At the junkyard, Zod and Cy-Kill have recruited a group of destitute humans to build them more Robo Machines – Zod's planned Devil Invaders. Carry-All's signals attract the Security Forces with only one Devil Invader - called Casmodon - built. On board the Command Centre, Charlie has a premonition of great danger for the Security Forces, and persuades minder Scooter to follow them. The premonition is correct – the massive Casmodon is incredibly powerful, and in a pitched battle on the edge of London easily holds off the Security Forces attack, inflicting heavy losses on both them and the human population. Casmodon also captures Charlie, but while inside the Robo Machine, he is able to destroy vital circuitry, temporarily disabling his captor. The Security Forces then retreat to the Command Centre and withdraw to Robotron to regroup, taking Charlie with them. Cy-Kill swears to build an army and invade the planet himself. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>2000 AD</i> (comics) British comic magazine

2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic magazine. As a comics anthology it serialises stories in each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. Since 2000 it has been published by Rebellion Developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wagner</span> American-born British comics writer (born 1949)

John Wagner is an American-born British comics writer. Alongside Pat Mills, he helped revitalise British comics in the 1970s, and continues to be active in the British comics industry, occasionally also working in American comics. He is the co-creator, with artist Carlos Ezquerra, of the character Judge Dredd.

Jackpot was a British comic book magazine that ran from the issues cover dated 5 May 1979 to issue 141, 30 January 1982, when it merged with Buster.

<i>Scream!</i> (comics) British weekly comic

Scream! was a weekly British comics periodical published by IPC Magazines from 24 March to 30 June 1984. A horror comic anthology comic, the title lasted for 15 editions before being merged with another title, Eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer Warrior</span> British comic book story

"Computer Warrior" is a British comic strip, appearing in titles published by IPC Magazines. The story was published in the anthology Eagle from 6 April 1985 to January 1994, initially written by John Wagner and drawn by John Cooper. The story followed the eponymous Computer Warrior - a video game expert called Bobby Patterson, who gained the ability to enter computer games. Both fictional and real games were featured in the story, which ran until Eagle was cancelled in 1994.

<i>Tiger</i> (British comics) British weekly boys comic

Tiger was a weekly British comics periodical published by Amalgamated Press, Fleetway Publications and IPC Magazines from 11 September 1954 to 30 March 1985. The title was initially launched in a large tabloid size to mimic newspapers; while it featured some action-adventure stories Tiger contained a large number of sport strips. The most famous of these was "Roy of the Rovers", which debuted in the first issue and was the comic's most popular feature, eventually transferring to its own comic in 1975. Tiger would go on to become one of the company's longest-running titles, notching 1573 issues before being merged with Eagle in 1985. Over the course of its run, Tiger featured columns by numerous famous sports figures, including Ian Botham, Geoff Boycott, Tony Greig, Trevor Francis, and Charlie Nicholas.

GoBots is a line of transforming robot toys produced by Tonka from 1983 to 1987, similar to Hasbro's Transformers.

<i>Albion</i> (comics) Comic book series

Albion is a six-issue comic book limited series plotted by Alan Moore, written by his daughter Leah Moore and her husband John Reppion, with covers by Dave Gibbons and art by Shane Oakley and George Freeman. The series aimed to revive classic IPC-owned British comics characters ), all of whom appeared in comics published by Odhams Press and Amalgamated Press/Fleetway Publications/IPC Media during the 1960s and early 1970s, such as Smash!, Valiant, and Lion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Tully (writer)</span>

Tom Tully was a noted British comic writer, mostly of sports and action-adventure stories. He was the longest-running writer of the popular football-themed strip Roy of the Rovers, which he wrote for much of Roy Race's playing career until the weekly comic closed in 1993. Other notable strips penned by Tully included The Steel Claw, The House of Dolmann, The Incredible Adventures of Janus Stark, The Leopard from Lime Street, The Robo Machines, and Harlem Heroes. During his three-decade career, Tully wrote exclusively for what became known as the IPC line of publishers: Amalgamated Press/Odhams/Longacre Press/Fleetway/IPC Magazines.

Machine Robo: Battle Hackers is a Japanese animated television series produced by Ashi Productions. It ran on TV Tokyo from June 3, 1987 through December 30, 1987.

Robo Machine was a European transforming robot toyline released by Bandai from 1982 to 1988. Robo Machines was a short-lived revival from late 1992 to 1993. The line was initially a European release of the Machine Robo line, before gradually becoming the counterpart to Tonka’s Gobots line. The line appeared in the UK, France and Germany, amongst others.

<i>The House of Dolmann</i> British comic book story

"The House of Dolmann" is a British comic strip published by Fleetway Publications and later IPC Magazines in the boys' comic anthology title Valiant between 29 October 1966 to 11 April 1970, with a brief revival from 7 September to 26 October 1974. Written by Tom Tully and primarily illustrated by Eric Bradbury, the strip centred on the exploits of genius inventor Eric Dolmann and his army of crime-fighting robot 'puppets'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turbo (Gobots)</span> Fictional character

Turbo is a fictional character in the Gobots toyline, and the subsequent Challenge of the Gobots cartoon. The character transformed into a supercar. Turbo was among the main trio of heroes of the cartoon series, and appeared in every episode alongside Leader-1 and Scooter. He also appeared in the Gobots film and made a cameo in a Transformers story after the Gobots characters were purchased by Hasbro. He was voiced by Arthur Burghardt.

MotorScooterMan, or simply Scooter, is a fictional character in the Gobots toyline, and the subsequent Challenge of the GoBots cartoon where he was voiced by Frank Welker. The character transformed into a motor scooter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mytek the Mighty</span> British comic book story

"Mytek the Mighty" is a British comic adventure strip, appearing in titles published by Fleetway Publications. The story revolves around Mytek, a large and powerful robotic ape. The strip first appeared in the boys' anthology title Valiant on 26 September 1964. The story was written by Tom Tully and initially drawn by Eric Bradbury, with Bill Lacey later taking over.

<i>Eagle</i> (1982 comic) British comic

Eagle, sometimes referred to as The New Eagle and known at various points in its life as Eagle and Scream!, Eagle and Tiger, Eagle and Battle, Eagle and M.A.S.K. and Eagle and Wildcat, was a British boys' adventure comic published by IPC Magazines from 27 March 1982 to January 1994. A revival of the famous Eagle, the title was initially a weekly publication until turning into a monthly in May 1991. The title was finally cancelled in January 1994, after 505 issues.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holland, Steve (2002). The Fleetway Companion. Rotherham: CJ & Publication.
  2. 1 2 3 Freeman, John (21 October 2015). "Transformers rivals Robo Machines comic art by Mario Capaldi on show". downthetubes.net.
  3. Robot, Slow (3 April 2013). "STARLOGGED - GEEK MEDIA AGAIN: 1984: EAGLE ROBO MACHINES PREVIEW (IPC)".
  4. "Collecting the Gobots!". CBSI Comics. 7 August 2021.
  5. "Mario Capaldi". lambiek.net.
  6. Love, Laura (19 October 2015). "VIEW: Comic artwork which was a forerunner to the Transformers". TeessideLive.
  7. Tom Tully  ( w ),Mario Capaldi, Kim Raymond  ( a )."The Robo Machines" Eagle (10 November 1984 to 15 March 1985). IPC Magazines .
  8. Tom Tully  ( w ), Kim Raymond  ( a )."The Robo Machines" Eagle (29 March to 29 July 1985). IPC Magazines .