Robotech II: The Sentinels
Encyclopedia
Robotech II: The Sentinels was an attempt by Harmony Gold USA
to continue the original 1985 Robotech television series
. Only three episodes were ultimately animated before the project was canceled in 1986, and a feature-length film was released from footage taken from the completed episodes. The aborted 65-episode Sentinels series would have followed the ongoing adventures of Rick Hunter
and Lisa Hayes
and the rest of the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) during the events of The Robotech Masters and The New Generation series.
or the Invid
. The significant events in the film include Lynn Minmei making peace with Admiral Lisa Hayes
well enough to sing at her wedding to Major General Rick Hunter
and the Invid's brutal invasion of the Robotech Masters
homeworld of Tirol.
Being a sequel/spinoff to the combined series, The Sentinels featured characters from all three Robotech sagas, including Rick Hunter
, Lisa Hayes
(later Lisa Hayes-Hunter), Max Sterling
, Miriya Parina Sterling
, Exedore
and Breetai
from The Macross Saga, Dana Sterling
and Bowie Grant from Masters, and Jonathan Wolff, Scott Bernard
and the Invid Regis
of The New Generation. Among the newly-created characters were young cadet rivals Jack Baker and Karen Penn, whose early love-hate relationship mirrored Rick and Lisa's; Vince Grant, brother of Claudia Grant
, and father of Bowie Grant; and the Invid Regent
, the villainous leader of the Invid. Dr. Emil Lang, a supporting character in the Macross Saga, would return as a main character. The story also introduces a human adversary in the form of T. R. Edwards
, who was first introduced in Comico
's Robotech: The Graphic Novel.
aboard the SDF-3 which was launched in 2022 in search of the Robotech Masters
. The mission soon became preoccupied with the liberation of worlds under the control of the Invid Regent
. In June 2030, the final battle of the Second Robotech War caused a release of the spores of the Invid flower of life across Earth, which soon attracted the Invid. In 2031, the Invid under the control of the Regis, invaded Earth. The United Earth Forces (including the elite Army of the Southern Cross
) had been severely weakened by the Second Robotech War and were only able to offer limited resistance. In less than a week, the Invid seized control of the planet, and began utilizing the human population for slave labour and scientific experiments. In 2038 and 2042, the REF sent the 10th and 21st Mars divisions to try and retake the planet, but both ended in complete failure. It was only with the third attempt in 2044, which involved all available REF forces (now equipped with new technology obtained from the Haydonites
) that the Invid were dislodged from Earth.
animation studio assigned the first script drafts to writers Sukehiro Tomita (Macross, Mospeada) and Hiroshi Oonogi (Macross). According to director Carl Macek
, the Japanese animators initially tried to relate the project to the original versions of Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada, until Harmony Gold explained the differences made in Robotechs adaptation with diagrams and charts. When the animators focused on new characters instead of Rick Hunter and the other characters derived from the original Macross
series, Macek ended up reassigning the scriptwriting to American writers, headed by script supervisor Kent Butterworth to refocus the project.
Upon viewing the completed animation, Macek felt that scenes featuring new characters (such as Jack Baker, Karen Penn and The Invid Regent
) had received much more care and attention by the animators than those with the original Macross
characters (Rick Hunter
, Lisa Hayes
, Max Sterling
). Macek believed that Tatsunoko secretly intended to re-use this higher-quality footage for a Japan-only sequel
to Genesis Climber MOSPEADA
- one of the Japanese series that had been adapted into the original Robotech
series.
in the mid-1980s, which caused toy partner Matchbox to withdraw from the project due to the increased cost. Since Harmony Gold lacked the funds to produce the series on its own, production ceased after only three episodes.
in 1987 by Robotech RPG publisher Palladium Books
. Macek's own Streamline Pictures
released it again in 1992.
The Sentinels feature was included on DVD
as an extra with the third volume of the Robotech Legacy Collection and the complete Protoculture Collection, from ADV Films. The disc includes the option of a voiceover commentary by Macek (mostly read directly from the comprehensive Robotech Art 3: The Sentinels
), in which he discusses some of the aspects of the production.
In 2011, a "remastered" version was released on the A&E DVD set, ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES DVD. This version has opening titles resembling those found on the "Robotech Remastered" DVD's, as well as a new ending with text explaining the fate of the SDF-3. Also, all of the flashback footage used from "The Macross Saga" has been removed, along with re-used footage from the episode "Wedding Bells."
.
completed a series of novels
of the Sentinels storyline in paperback.
Robotech #14 - The Sentinels: Dark Powers
Robotech #15 - The Sentinels: Death Dance
Robotech #16 - The Sentinels: World Killers
Robotech #17 - The Sentinels: Rubicon
Robotech #18 - The End of the Circle, although not technically a Sentinels novel, did wrap up all of the outstanding issues from both the Sentinels and the first 12 books.
adapted the novels into comic books
, though they diverged from the novels as the story progressed. The Sentinels comics were published by Eternity Comics
, then Academy Comics
. The storyline abruptly ended when Academy was unable to renew their license with Harmony Gold. The comics license passed to Antarctic Press
, who published The Sentinels: Rubicon, which draws its name from the title of the fifth Sentinels novel. However, the Rubicon comic, instead of completing the Sentinels story, is set years after the end of the Sentinels Campaign, and was not illustrated by the Waltrips. It was not popular with fans, due to the poor artwork and the lack of connection to The Sentinels. It was cancelled after only two issues.
The Waltrips returned in 2005 to adapt elements of the last McKinney Sentinels novel into Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles
, a comic book miniseries which also serves as a prequel
to the animated 2006 feature film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
. This prelude miniseries, while picking up roughly where the previous Sentinels comics ended, also acknowledges the official 2003 rebooting of the Robotech Universe. While the events of Sentinels are still seen to have happened, it is now agreed that certain events and situations have been retconned both before and during the events in Prelude.
adapted the Sentinels material into its Robotech RPG II: The Sentinels role-playing games.
broke the curse in November 2006, when it was released in US theaters, and on February 6, 2007, when it was released on DVD. However, there is concern among fans that the curse may have revived itself with the announcement in mid-2008 that production of Robotech: Shadow Rising, a planned sequel to The Shadow Chronicles, has been indefinitely postponed. The proposed live-action adaptation of Robotech, which is to be produced by Warner Bros.
and actor Tobey Maguire
's production company, is speculated to face the same fate.
Harmony Gold USA
Harmony Gold is a television production and distribution company established in 1983. It is best known as the “creator” and main distributor of the anime series Robotech. It also partially dubbed the Dragon Ball series in the late 1980s....
to continue the original 1985 Robotech television series
Robotech (TV series)
Robotech is an 85-episode adaptation of three different anime television series made between 1982-1984 in Japan, the adaptation was aired in 1985. Within the combined and edited story, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific...
. Only three episodes were ultimately animated before the project was canceled in 1986, and a feature-length film was released from footage taken from the completed episodes. The aborted 65-episode Sentinels series would have followed the ongoing adventures of Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus...
and Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes is one of the fictional characters in the first Robotech anime television series. She is known as Misa Hayase in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech.- Biography :...
and the rest of the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) during the events of The Robotech Masters and The New Generation series.
Background
The feature-length pilot is composed of the first three (and only) episodes that were produced for the series. It introduces the SDF-3, along with its crew, and gives an overview of their new mission. The title refers to the Sentinels, an alien resistance movement encountered by the Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) that consists of races subjugated by the Robotech MastersRobotech Masters
-Robotech:In the fictional Robotech universe, the Robotech Masters are a species of humanoidswho mostly appear as triumvirates, native to Tirol, a moon of the planet Fantoma. According to the Jack McKinney novelizations , a Tirolian scientist named Zor discovered the Invid homeworld, and the...
or the Invid
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
. The significant events in the film include Lynn Minmei making peace with Admiral Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes is one of the fictional characters in the first Robotech anime television series. She is known as Misa Hayase in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech.- Biography :...
well enough to sing at her wedding to Major General Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus...
and the Invid's brutal invasion of the Robotech Masters
Robotech Masters
-Robotech:In the fictional Robotech universe, the Robotech Masters are a species of humanoidswho mostly appear as triumvirates, native to Tirol, a moon of the planet Fantoma. According to the Jack McKinney novelizations , a Tirolian scientist named Zor discovered the Invid homeworld, and the...
homeworld of Tirol.
Being a sequel/spinoff to the combined series, The Sentinels featured characters from all three Robotech sagas, including Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus...
, Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes is one of the fictional characters in the first Robotech anime television series. She is known as Misa Hayase in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech.- Biography :...
(later Lisa Hayes-Hunter), Max Sterling
Max Sterling
Maximillian Sterling, voiced by Cam Clarke , is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He is a young fighter pilot assigned to Rick Hunter's various commands along with Ben Dixon...
, Miriya Parina Sterling
Miriya Parina Sterling
Miriya Parina Sterling, voiced by Edie Mirman, is one of the fictional characters in the anime television series Robotech. She is the self-styled "finest combat pilot in all the Zentraedi forces." She is distinguished by her slim figure, green eyes and her long green hair.-First Robotech War:Miriya...
, Exedore
Exedore
Exedore is a fictional character in the Robotech Universe. In the original Macross version, he was called Exsedol Folmo.Exedore is a Zentraedi who serves as adviser to Fleet Commander Breetai during their search for Robotech Master Zor's missing battlefortress...
and Breetai
Breetai
In the fictional Robotech universe, Commander Breetai is second in command of all Zentraedi forces, after Supreme Commander Dolza himself. Breetai was one of the original creations of the Robotech Masters, and has lived for over 500,000 years. Breetai has shown himself, a true military genius, time...
from The Macross Saga, Dana Sterling
Dana Sterling
Dana Sterling is a fictional character from the Robotech anime television series. The character was adapted from the originally unrelated characters Komilia Maria Fallyna Jenius in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Jeanne Francaix in Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross...
and Bowie Grant from Masters, and Jonathan Wolff, Scott Bernard
Scott Bernard
Scott Bernard is a fictional character from the third Robotech Series: The New Generation. He is a young man, who is somewhat reluctant but a leader at best. He is a skilled pilot and was set to marry the woman he loved Marlene Rush. However, Marlene is killed in the battle with the Invid...
and the Invid Regis
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
of The New Generation. Among the newly-created characters were young cadet rivals Jack Baker and Karen Penn, whose early love-hate relationship mirrored Rick and Lisa's; Vince Grant, brother of Claudia Grant
Claudia Grant
Claudia Grant is a fictional character from Robotech, specifically the part of the anime series known as Macross .Born in 1983, Claudia is distinguished by her blue eyes and short dark brown hair...
, and father of Bowie Grant; and the Invid Regent
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
, the villainous leader of the Invid. Dr. Emil Lang, a supporting character in the Macross Saga, would return as a main character. The story also introduces a human adversary in the form of T. R. Edwards
T. R. Edwards
Thomas Riley Edwards is a fictional character from the universe of Robotech. He would have been a main character in the storyline of the aborted animated sequel series Robotech II: The Sentinels, which was later realized as both a series of a novels and comic books.-Concept and creation:T.R...
, who was first introduced in Comico
Comicó
Comicó is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina....
's Robotech: The Graphic Novel.
Storyline
The Pioneer Expedition was a mission to confront alien forces in space to prevent interplanetary war on Earth. It took place concurrently with the 2nd and 3rd Robotech wars. The expedition was led by Lisa HayesLisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes is one of the fictional characters in the first Robotech anime television series. She is known as Misa Hayase in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech.- Biography :...
aboard the SDF-3 which was launched in 2022 in search of the Robotech Masters
Robotech Masters
-Robotech:In the fictional Robotech universe, the Robotech Masters are a species of humanoidswho mostly appear as triumvirates, native to Tirol, a moon of the planet Fantoma. According to the Jack McKinney novelizations , a Tirolian scientist named Zor discovered the Invid homeworld, and the...
. The mission soon became preoccupied with the liberation of worlds under the control of the Invid Regent
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
. In June 2030, the final battle of the Second Robotech War caused a release of the spores of the Invid flower of life across Earth, which soon attracted the Invid. In 2031, the Invid under the control of the Regis, invaded Earth. The United Earth Forces (including the elite Army of the Southern Cross
Army of the Southern Cross
The Army of the Southern Cross is a fictional military organization in the Robotech universe. In the series´ second part, "The Robotech Masters", the ASC is the force tasked with defending Earth from the Robotech Masters, who came to retrieve the Protoculture Factory, following the failure of the...
) had been severely weakened by the Second Robotech War and were only able to offer limited resistance. In less than a week, the Invid seized control of the planet, and began utilizing the human population for slave labour and scientific experiments. In 2038 and 2042, the REF sent the 10th and 21st Mars divisions to try and retake the planet, but both ended in complete failure. It was only with the third attempt in 2044, which involved all available REF forces (now equipped with new technology obtained from the Haydonites
Haydonites
The Haydonites are a fictional, highly advanced cybernetic race that appears in Robotech and made their first appearance in the comic Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles. They are also seen the subsequent movie, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles...
) that the Invid were dislodged from Earth.
Production history
The Tatsunoko ProductionTatsunoko Production
, often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. Founded in October 1962 by acclaimed anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida along with his brothers Kenji and Toyoharu...
animation studio assigned the first script drafts to writers Sukehiro Tomita (Macross, Mospeada) and Hiroshi Oonogi (Macross). According to director Carl Macek
Carl Macek
Carl F. Macek was an American writer and controversial anime pioneer and producer of the 1980s and 1990s.-Robotech and Harmony Gold USA:...
, the Japanese animators initially tried to relate the project to the original versions of Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada, until Harmony Gold explained the differences made in Robotechs adaptation with diagrams and charts. When the animators focused on new characters instead of Rick Hunter and the other characters derived from the original Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
series, Macek ended up reassigning the scriptwriting to American writers, headed by script supervisor Kent Butterworth to refocus the project.
Upon viewing the completed animation, Macek felt that scenes featuring new characters (such as Jack Baker, Karen Penn and The Invid Regent
Invid (Robotech)
The Invid are a fictional alien race in the Robotech storyline. They appear in the New Generation portion of the series, which uses the animation of the unrelated Japanese series Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, so their on-screen behavior and appearance matches the antagonists of that series, called the...
) had received much more care and attention by the animators than those with the original Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
characters (Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter
Rick Hunter, voiced by veteran voice actor Tony Oliver, is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He begins the series as a naive and headstrong nineteen-year-old civilian pilot, having flown for his father "Pops" Hunter's world-class flying circus...
, Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes
Lisa Hayes is one of the fictional characters in the first Robotech anime television series. She is known as Misa Hayase in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, the series which was adapted into the first saga of Robotech.- Biography :...
, Max Sterling
Max Sterling
Maximillian Sterling, voiced by Cam Clarke , is one of the fictional characters in the Robotech anime television series. He is a young fighter pilot assigned to Rick Hunter's various commands along with Ben Dixon...
). Macek believed that Tatsunoko secretly intended to re-use this higher-quality footage for a Japan-only sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Genesis Climber MOSPEADA
Genesis Climber Mospeada
is an anime science fiction series created by Shinji Aramaki and Hideki Kakinuma. The 25-episode television series ran from late 1983 to early 1984 in Japan...
- one of the Japanese series that had been adapted into the original Robotech
Robotech
Robotech is an 85-episode science fiction anime adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co., Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985...
series.
Cancellation
Macek blamed the cancellation of the series on the crash of the Dollar/Yen exchange rateExchange rate
In finance, an exchange rate between two currencies is the rate at which one currency will be exchanged for another. It is also regarded as the value of one country’s currency in terms of another currency...
in the mid-1980s, which caused toy partner Matchbox to withdraw from the project due to the increased cost. Since Harmony Gold lacked the funds to produce the series on its own, production ceased after only three episodes.
Home video release
Macek collected the usable footage from the aborted Sentinels project into a feature film that was first released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in 1987 by Robotech RPG publisher Palladium Books
Palladium Books
Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
. Macek's own Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures was an American media company that was best known for its distribution of English dubbed Japanese animation. -Founding:Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first North American companies that was created primarily for the intention of...
released it again in 1992.
The Sentinels feature was included on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
as an extra with the third volume of the Robotech Legacy Collection and the complete Protoculture Collection, from ADV Films. The disc includes the option of a voiceover commentary by Macek (mostly read directly from the comprehensive Robotech Art 3: The Sentinels
Robotech art books
Robotech art books are a series of publications made up of the artwork, designs, and sometimes the production background of the Robotech television series and its spinoffs. Robotech Art 1 through Robotech Art 3: The Sentinels were published by Starblaze Graphics, an imprint of The Donning Company...
), in which he discusses some of the aspects of the production.
In 2011, a "remastered" version was released on the A&E DVD set, ROBOTECH: THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL SERIES DVD. This version has opening titles resembling those found on the "Robotech Remastered" DVD's, as well as a new ending with text explaining the fate of the SDF-3. Also, all of the flashback footage used from "The Macross Saga" has been removed, along with re-used footage from the episode "Wedding Bells."
Petition to finish the series
In 2001, an online Petition to Finish The Sentinels was started by a Canadian fan for Harmony Gold to animate the rest of the planned episodes. In spite of Harmony Gold's statements about not planning to do so, the petition had received 6,911 signatures, as of September 29, 2007.Adaptations
Despite its cancellation, Harmony Gold provided the unfinished Sentinels source material for adaptation by several different parties, resulting in several different versions of the same continuity. Macek's original outline and notes for the series were published in Robotech Art 3: The SentinelsRobotech art books
Robotech art books are a series of publications made up of the artwork, designs, and sometimes the production background of the Robotech television series and its spinoffs. Robotech Art 1 through Robotech Art 3: The Sentinels were published by Starblaze Graphics, an imprint of The Donning Company...
.
Novelizations
Author Jack McKinneyJack McKinney (writer)
Jack McKinney was a pseudonym used by American authors James Luceno and Brian Daley before the latter's death.As well as adapting Robotech into novel form, they were also responsible for the Sentinels series which continued to expand the Robotech Universe...
completed a series of novels
Robotech (novels)
In 1987, the Robotech animated series was adapted into novel form by authors James Luceno and the late Brian Daley and published by Ballantine Books. Having previously collaborated on the animated series Galaxy Rangers, the pair's Robotech novels were released under the unified pseudonym of "Jack...
of the Sentinels storyline in paperback.
- Robotech #13 -
Robotech #18 - The End of the Circle, although not technically a Sentinels novel, did wrap up all of the outstanding issues from both the Sentinels and the first 12 books.
Comics
The Waltrip brothersWaltrip brothers
Jason Waltrip and John Waltrip are identical twins who comprise a comic book art and writing team, known for their work on Robotech comics and in webcomics.-Comics career:...
adapted the novels into comic books
Robotech (comics)
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....
, though they diverged from the novels as the story progressed. The Sentinels comics were published by Eternity Comics
Eternity Comics
Eternity Comics was a California-based comic book publisher active from 1986 to 1994, first as an independent publisher, then as an imprint of Malibu Comics. Eternity published creator-owned comics of an offbeat, independent flavor, as well as some licensed properties...
, then Academy Comics
Academy Comics
Academy Comics was an independent comic book publisher based in Indiana and founded by Mark Paniccia . It was originally founded as Pyramid Publishing in 1986, and transitioned to New Century Comics by 1990, which served primarily as a vehicle to publish Paniccia's own sword and sorcery comics...
. The storyline abruptly ended when Academy was unable to renew their license with Harmony Gold. The comics license passed to Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
, who published The Sentinels: Rubicon, which draws its name from the title of the fifth Sentinels novel. However, the Rubicon comic, instead of completing the Sentinels story, is set years after the end of the Sentinels Campaign, and was not illustrated by the Waltrips. It was not popular with fans, due to the poor artwork and the lack of connection to The Sentinels. It was cancelled after only two issues.
The Waltrips returned in 2005 to adapt elements of the last McKinney Sentinels novel into Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles is a five-part comic book mini-series written by Tommy Yune along with the Waltrip brothers, who were previously the art-and-writing team of the Robotech II: The Sentinels comic series. It was published under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint...
, a comic book miniseries which also serves as a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the animated 2006 feature film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
. This prelude miniseries, while picking up roughly where the previous Sentinels comics ended, also acknowledges the official 2003 rebooting of the Robotech Universe. While the events of Sentinels are still seen to have happened, it is now agreed that certain events and situations have been retconned both before and during the events in Prelude.
Role-playing game
Palladium BooksPalladium Books
Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
adapted the Sentinels material into its Robotech RPG II: The Sentinels role-playing games.
The "Sentinels Curse"
Because of the consistent problems plaguing new Robotech releases, especially animation, there has been a joke among fans regarding a "curse" towards further Robotech projects. The curse has also applied to Sentinels-based works that ended prior to completion. Not included on this list are projects that were planned but never reached any stage of production, such as Robotech III: The Odyssey, which only existed as a vague idea in Carl Macek's personal notes during The Sentinels production. Robotech: The Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
broke the curse in November 2006, when it was released in US theaters, and on February 6, 2007, when it was released on DVD. However, there is concern among fans that the curse may have revived itself with the announcement in mid-2008 that production of Robotech: Shadow Rising, a planned sequel to The Shadow Chronicles, has been indefinitely postponed. The proposed live-action adaptation of Robotech, which is to be produced by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and actor Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire
Tobias Vincent "Tobey" Maguire is an American actor and producer. He began his career in the 1980s, and has achieved his greatest fame for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films.-Early life:...
's production company, is speculated to face the same fate.
- The Sentinels animation (aborted after three episodes)
- The Sentinels comic seriesRobotech (comics)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....
(cancelled in 1996 when 80% complete, continued in 2005 through Robotech: Prelude to the Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: Prelude to the Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles is a five-part comic book mini-series written by Tommy Yune along with the Waltrip brothers, who were previously the art-and-writing team of the Robotech II: The Sentinels comic series. It was published under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint...
) - The Sentinels: Rubicon comic seriesRobotech (comics)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....
(unrelated to The Sentinels story, aborted in 1998 after two issues) - Robotech: The MovieRobotech: The MovieRobotech: The Movie is a 1986 American-Japanese science fiction animated film based on the Robotech TV series and Robotech franchise created by Harmony Gold USA...
(wider release aborted in 1986 after failed test-screening in Texas) - Robotech: Crystal DreamsRobotech: Crystal DreamsRobotech: Crystal Dreams was a canceled Robotech video game for the Nintendo 64. The developer, GameTek filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy before the game could be completed, and was subsequently liquidated...
video game (cancelled in 1998, when developer GameTekGameTekGameTek was a video game publisher based in North Miami Beach, Florida well known for publishing video game adaptations of game shows in the early 1990s. GameTek was a trade name for IJE, the owner of electronic publishing rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune...
went bankrupt) - Robotech 3000Robotech 3000Robotech 3000 was Harmony Gold's attempt to reboot the Robotech franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third Dimension and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, a new Robotech sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason...
(cancelled in 2000, after negative feedback towards trailer and bankruptcy of developer Netter DigitalNetter Digital'Netter Digital Entertainment was a company created by Douglas Netter in 1995. The company produced the show Hypernauts before moving to digital EFX work and replacing Foundation Imaging in the final two seasons of Babylon 5 as the sole producer of CGI special effects for that series as well as...
). - Robotech: The Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: The Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
(several delays in release, released February 6, 2007 by Funimation). - Robotech: Shadow Rising (production has been postponed indefinitely).
External links
- Robotech Timeline - Sentinels at Robotech.com