tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24007135484877256102024-03-13T14:03:51.257-07:00GatchablogThe latest news from The Home of the White Shadow www.chronicsite.com/gatchamanWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-25461808299822829912011-03-05T06:58:00.000-08:002011-03-05T07:03:24.991-08:00Taking Home of the White Shadow to a new directionI'm struggling with a decision right now. The bill has arrived for the web hosting for my sites, and frankly, I'm wondering if it's worth it. Should I let it go, should I find a new venue for it, or should I just sent out another check?<br /><br />The site has been a source of pride for me (up since 1995, remodeled twice, frequently updated until two years ago), but now, when I look at it, the sheer volume of work needed to update the HTML and get it out of the nineties staggers me. I don't receive a lot of feedback, maybe one email every three months.<br /><br />What do you think?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-78854543789088931052010-08-07T12:41:00.000-07:002010-08-07T13:00:28.329-07:00More about Imagi's Gatchaman Teaser VideoIt appears Imagi Studios is fishing for sponsors for their Gatchaman movie again. They've added a second teaser film to their web site <a href="http://www.imagi.com.hk/web/eng/coming-soon/gatchaman.html">here</a>. Notice the difference in uniforms/armor between the two teasers; each teaser was done at a separate stage. Both of them bear a more than passing resemblance to the NTT Gatchaman campaign commercials done in 2000: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UroGWIY-iKo">here</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkK1j5uys80&feature=related">here</a><br /><br />In another interesting tidbit, <a href="http://www.411mania.com">411mania</a> offered the following as part of their interview with Dave Wilkins (of <span style="font-style: italic;">Splatterhouse</span> game fame):<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeffrey Harris</span>: You did concept art for the new feature Gatchaman movie. Recently a new trailer came online for the movie. Have you seen this new trailer yet?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave Wilkins</span>: I've seen the trailer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeffrey Harris</span>: So . . . is this movie actually going to come out? What is going on?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave Wilkins</span>: It's been up and down. I'm not really sure. I really hope it does because a lot of super talented guys worked on it . . . great, great guys put a lot of great work in there and just being a Gatchaman fan I hope it does.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeffrey Harris</span>: When you were conceptualizing those characters, was your vision of Berg Katse the Berg Katse?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave Wilkins</span>: Yeah and that's exactly what we called him. It wasn't Galactor. It was the original.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeffrey Harris</span>: So was it going to be the transsexual, gender-bending Katse? In the original animation he was both a man and a woman.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dave Wilkins</span>: Right. He was pretty hardcore. In my version, he's more monstrous and alien than anything. But I don't know how he ended up.</blockquote><br />Read the entire interview <a href="http://www.411mania.com/games/features/148266/Splatterhouse-Interviews.htm">here</a>.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-12963364045793657042010-07-16T19:03:00.001-07:002010-07-16T19:21:01.112-07:00The Imagi Gatchaman Movie... Not Dead Yet?Just when we'd written off Imagi, the studio that had been working on the Gatchaman CGI feature film, here comes <a href="http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/07/gatchaman-is-not-dead-first-teaser-says-yes.php">this post</a> on <a href="http://twitchfilm.net">Twitchfilm.net</a>. Also interesting was the fact that a blog referring to an "old" Gatchaman preview on Felix Ip's blog (an excellent source of Gatchaman info) is now deleted....<br /><br />Hmm, I'm still a little skeptical, but if Imagi is indeed rising, Phoenix-like from the ashes of bankruptcy to forge ahead with the Gatchaman film, bravo!<br /><br />Check out the Twitchfilm post: There are five demo/preview reels with Gatchaman action. Is this what might have been, or what could be?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-41425886013469444052010-07-16T18:41:00.000-07:002010-07-16T20:21:56.108-07:00GatchaCon UpdateGatchaCon takes place this year, as it has for the past thirteen years, at the San Diego Comic Con (July 22-25, 2010), and this time, I can make it! The main Gatchafan activities at the con will be our daily lunchtime meetings in the table area in the Sails Pavilion. Look for a group of folks in black GatchaCon t-shirts around noon on all four days. We might also have the "battle flag" with us—a black flag with the bird-head insignia in red. You can't miss it. Come by and say hello. We're a friendly bunch.<br /><br />Unfortunately there's no Gatchaman programming in the convention schedule this year, but Battle of the Planets fans will be interested in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cartoon Voices II</span> panel (Sunday at 11:15-12:30, Room 6A), which will include <span style="border-bottom: 2px dotted rgb(54, 99, 136); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1279331023_2">Janet Waldo</span>, the voice of Princess. Gatchaman fans will be interested in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Horse panel featuring Yoshitaka Amano</span> (who worked as a character designer during all three series). Amano will also be signing autographs at the Dark Horse Comics booth (2615) on Saturday from 11:00-12:00, and on Sunday from 1:00-2:00. You'll need a ticket to attend the signing; someone at the Dark Horse booth should be able to offer more information.<br /><br />While it isn't Gatchaman, other Tatsunoko programs will be shown in the <span style="cursor: pointer; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1279331023_7">Anime Room</span> in Marriott Hall 6. Friday and Saturday, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tekkaman Blade</span> runs at 11:40am and <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1279331023_8">Casshern Sins</span> will run at 5:45pm.<br /><br />A thorough search of the dealer's room always seems to yield some sort of Gatchaman merchandise. Try <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anime Link</span> (Booth 400) and <a style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" href="http://animeed.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1279331023_9">AnimeEd.com</span></a> (Booth G09 and G10) for cels. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alex Ross</span>'s booth (Booth 2419) might have some art he did for the Gatchaman DVDs/Top Cow Battle of the Planets comic covers. It also wouldn't hurt to swing by the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Capcom</span> booth to see if they have any goodies from last year's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom promotion.<br /><br />Hope to see you there, and as always, big thanks to Tatsunokofan for the information.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-35131193782701265852010-06-20T07:10:00.000-07:002010-06-20T07:34:22.722-07:00Reviving Interest in GatchamanSpotted at the June 19, 2010 <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2010-06-19">Hey, Answerman!</a> column on the <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com">Anime News Network</a> site:<br /><br /><blockquote>Fans of old stuff! I'm sure there's a particular old series/movie/whatever that you really love, that the new crop of fans is completely uninterested in. Why is this, do you think? What steps would you take to reverse that?</blockquote><br />To which writer JR Turbyfill replied:<br /><br /><blockquote>I grew up at a time when Anime was not really even called anime and came on either in the afternoons during the week, or early Saturday morning. I remember watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Battle of the Planets </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">Gatchaman</span>) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Starblazers</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Space Battleship Yamato</span>)... Today, with the advent of YouTube, Crunchyroll, Hulu, etc., we now have the ability to watch the iconic stories that really paved the way for anime to be the popular niche entertainment that has inspired a now growing trend of properties in Hollywood, for better or worse. Sadly, these classic stories that I loved were bittersweet to watch again. Alas, even though I watch them as I am being scorned by the new generation of fans, some who are almost young enough to be my children, I begin to understand why "my anime" is different than "their anime."<br /><br />I would say the chief reason the younger / newer fans do not find enjoyment in the shows that made it possible for their shows to be presented as anything more than an import / rarity is the evolution of anime as a medium in general. All the shows I enjoyed as a child were pretty much a Hero, Space epic, or Giant Robot / Mecha show. This is only a fraction of the broad spectrum of anime that permeates through society today. [...]<br /><br />So, how do we get the new school to "give props" to the old school? That's tricky, especially in this volatile time in the industry. There have been several attempts, such as the new <span style="font-style: italic;">Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles</span> or the 3-part modernized OVA of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gatchaman</span>, but these received a lukewarm response outside of their fanbase. Though <span style="font-style: italic;">Gatchaman</span> is / was to be a CG feature, <span style="font-style: italic;">Astro Boy</span> showed that without a major marketing push and great story to back it, the property will die, screaming. There is a possibility of driving interest by doing a live action re-boot, ala JJ Abrams' <span style="font-style: italic;">Star Trek</span> or Nolan's <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Begins</span>. The trick with this being successful would be a HUGE budget, BIG names, and LOTS of marketing. The properties that could be deemed worthy would be small in number. If they were re-imagined in animation, I would think the best avenue for success would be to emphasize another genre that is more marketable these days (<span style="font-style: italic;">i.e. Gatchaman</span> as a <span style="font-style: italic;">moe</span> vehicle, with a possible bishonen relationship between two of the members). [...]<br /><br />The bottom line is, if an old property is to be revived, re-packaged, and re-introduced to the masses in an effort to garner new fans, it's going to need more than the love of the old fans to get it. Some of the older fans don't always find the new stuff exciting, either. Some even find the newer, grittier, more sexual and violent themes to be to much for an animated show. I don't mind it if it makes sense, but I have no intention of letting my child see <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Lagoon</span> when I have <span style="font-style: italic;">Gatchaman</span> to fall back on. At the end of the day, maybe it's better to leave the old property alone, as not to alienate the old-schoolers. Even though I have learned to enjoy new stuff like <span style="font-style: italic;">FMA</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Soul Eater</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">GITS</span>, I still like my old stuff. It was good enough for my generation, it should be good enough for theirs. Now get off my lawn!</blockquote>You can read the entire letter <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2010-06-19">here</a>.<br /><br />The poster is repeating some of my old soapbox points: Lots of marketing, huge budget, strong story (all the latest released Gatchaman efforts, especially the OAV, suffered from weak stories). As for a bishonen love interest between Ken and Joe, while that's not my cup of tea, Gatchaman fans all over the globe have been doing this in fanfic and <span style="font-style: italic;">doujinshi</span> ever since the show first aired. That being said, I would not be that enthusiastic about a <span style="font-style: italic;">moe</span> Gatchaman, and I'd be just tolerant of a grittier and more violent Gatchaman. Maybe this is a show that's better left well enough alone.<br /><br />You don't have to get off my lawn, but don't trample the flowers, 'kay?<br /><br />What are your thoughts?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-58612194007696710112010-06-20T07:09:00.001-07:002010-06-20T07:10:39.263-07:00Gatchaman Concept PostersCheck out the Gatchaman concept design posters over at <a href="http://felixip.blogspot.com/2010/06/gatchaman-concept-posters.html">Felix Ip's blog</a>. Even though the movie is just a fond wish now, the concepts are fun!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-33998691261176397382010-06-05T09:11:00.000-07:002010-06-05T09:22:32.787-07:00More Gatchaman Pachinko GamesJapan has cranked out a few interesting Gatchaman pachinko/pachisuro games lately. Here are some animation highlights/CG bonus footage from the Sammy game, "Gatchaman, the Bonds of Fate":<br /><br /><object height="425" width="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qvTYp5PusSw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qvTYp5PusSw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="505" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />And the footage for the "Gatchaman GR" game from Okazaki Sangyo (<a href="http://www.okazakisangyo.com/slot/gmngr/index.html">http://www.okazakisangyo.com/slot/gmngr/index.html</a>):<br /><br /><object height="425" width="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Tkbwb6MKhU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1Tkbwb6MKhU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="505" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br />For more information about the Sammy game, check out their permanent link at <a href="http://www.sammy.co.jp/japanese/index.jsp">http://www.sammy.co.jp/japanese/index.jsp</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As always, thanks Tatsunokofan!</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-70372249835717514842010-05-30T23:29:00.000-07:002010-06-05T09:10:56.915-07:00Gatchaman Video Games Featured on 411mania.comThere were more Gatchaman-based games than just <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatsunoko vs. Capcom</span>. Check out <a href="http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/140597">this article</a> (WARNING: Scrolling to the bottom of the page might be Not Safe For Work) on <a href="http://www.411mania.com/">411mania.com</a>, which describes and provides videos of gameplay from <span style="font-style: italic;">Tatsunoko Fight!</span>, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Battle of the Planets</span> game for the Commodore 64,<span style="font-style: italic;"> Gatchaman, The Shooting</span> and a preview of the Gatchaman <span style="font-style: italic;">pachisuro</span> game.<br /><br />There are at least two games the article left out. One was a Korean game and the other was <span style="font-style: italic;">Gatchaman Access</span>, which can loosely be called a game—it was mostly a Flash presentation of the OAV character designs that had puzzles, a trivia quiz, and lots of Easter eggs featuring design illustrations.<br /><br />EDIT: I completely forgot about the two Gatchaman pachinko machine games, the online games that were part of the 2000 NTT Gatchaman campaign, and the mid-90s PC9800 computer game. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Tatsunokofan!</span>)Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-59748280263203781442010-05-12T07:44:00.000-07:002010-05-12T07:45:31.915-07:00More of What Might Have BeenJoe and Jun getting to know each other from a 2008 screen test for Gatchaman. Starts at 0:29.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iSbi2gWqt7o&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iSbi2gWqt7o&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><i>Thanks, Springie!</i>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-85270094262956504262010-04-20T21:46:00.000-07:002010-04-20T21:49:40.913-07:00What Might Have BeenNow that Imagi is dissolved, certain things start surfacing, such as this trailer to the Gatchaman film that will no longer happen:<br /><br /><object height="366" width="650"><param name="movie" value="http://ictv-cdn-hw.indieclicktv.com/player/embed/97b1fda2ca43d6c29eaf63ed1ec347c6/4bc8cc1e76a3f/31/0/defaultPlayer-player.swf/embedundefined/embedundefined"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://ictv-cdn-hw.indieclicktv.com/player/embed/97b1fda2ca43d6c29eaf63ed1ec347c6/4bc8cc1e76a3f/31/0/defaultPlayer-player.swf/embedundefined/embedundefined" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="366" width="650"></embed></object>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-1502625668164382082010-03-11T18:43:00.000-08:002010-03-11T18:53:30.640-08:00Isao Sasaki Makes Appearance at Honolulu FestivalIsao Sasaki (the voice of Condor Joe and singer of many anime themes including the themes to Gatchaman II and Fighter) will be making an appearance at the Honolulu Convention Center on Saturday, March 13, between 3:15 and 3:30 pm for the Honolulu Festival. I haven't heard of him making appearances at foreign events before.<br /><br />Wish I could be there!<br /><br />For more info:<br /><a href="http://www.honolulufestival.com/"><br />http://www.honolulufestival.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/whats-new-honolulu-festival/sasaki-isao-who-is-famous-for-anime-songs-will-be-coming-to-honolulu-festival/341933421812"><br />Facebook link</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-83242735630803944652010-03-11T18:32:00.000-08:002010-03-11T18:42:56.444-08:00Zero Da, Zero Da, Zero Da! JT Uses the Gatchaman Theme to Promote CoffeeThe Gatchaman theme song is being used to advertise a new coffee drink, the JT "Roots Triple Free" (triple meaning 0 calories, 0 fat and 0 sugar). The lyrics have been tweaked to promote the song ("Zero da" instead of "Dare da"), though you can see the original lyrics posted beneath the commercial version. They've also riffed off the Gatchaman title type. The commercial features a comedy group called The Neptunes and the song is sung by singer/songwriter Sunplaza Nakano*.<br /><br />You can see the commercial in its entirety on the <a href="http://www.jt-roots.com/triplefree_spcial/index.html">Roots Triple Free Web site</a>. The shorter TV version is <a href="http://www.jt-roots.com/main.html?3?CM">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Tatsunokofan!</span><br /><br />* Sunplaza Nakano = Nakano Sun Plaza, a large mall in Tokyo that's the home of Mandarake, the ultimate anime/manga otaku mecca and a great place to shop for Gatchaman stuff.<br /><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.jt-roots.com/triplefree_spcial/index.html"></a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-60859589567639377082010-02-18T15:25:00.000-08:002010-02-18T15:34:14.947-08:00Gatchaman Voice Actors Earn Lifetime Achievement AwardsFor the 4th Annual Seiyuu Awards, three members of Gatchaman's voice cast will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their work. These <span style="font-style: italic;">seiyuu</span> (voice actors) are <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kazuko Sugiyama</span> (Jun), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nobuo Tanaka</span> (Sosai X) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tessho Genda</span> (various guest characters throughout the first series, including both Masaki and Oniishi).<br /><br />The awards ceremony takes place on March 6th in the UDX Theater in Akihabara, Tokyo.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Tatsunokofan!</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-8551800962508255392010-02-10T20:39:00.000-08:002010-02-10T20:41:37.208-08:00Imagi Shuts DownImagi has officially shut down. There is still a possibility they could farm out labor to other companies, but I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for the Gatchaman movie.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9783555">ABC News</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-64032895116623051252010-02-05T10:19:00.000-08:002010-02-06T20:17:18.748-08:00Bad, bad news from ImagiIt started with news that <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-01-27/imagi-animation-studio-closes-los-angeles-office">Imagi had shut down their LA offices</a>. Now, according to <a href="http://felixip.blogspot.com/2010/02/good-bye-imagi.html">Felix Ip's blog</a>, it looks like Imagi is shutting down and laying off their people in Hong Kong as well. They may find funding and continue with the Gatchaman movie, but right now, it's looking like a long shot.<br /><br />It was fun to follow while it lasted. My condolences go out to the hard-working staff at Imagi.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE</span>: According to <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-06/cg-astro-boy-imagi-studio-lays-off-300+employees">this post on the Anime News Network</a>:<br /><br /><a href="http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/100205/4/gh5l.html" target="_blank"></a><blockquote><a href="http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/100205/4/gh5l.html" target="_blank">"According</a> to the <cite>Ming Pao Daily News</cite> paper, the layoffs are short-term and that the company is still operating on minimal staff as it continues to seek new investments. However, the newspaper also reports that company faces a critical decision next week on whether to be liquidated, depending on the outcome of investment talks. The studio <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-26/imagi-confirms-temporary-production-halt-on-astro-boy">underwent</a> a round of layoffs before the Chinese New Year's holidays last year, only to rehire its animators after <a href="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-29/bridge-funding-arrives-for-imagi-astro-boy-film">obtaining</a> new financing to complete <cite class="e anime">Astro Boy</cite>."</blockquote>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-58628981308589736802009-10-13T18:59:00.001-07:002010-02-05T10:38:39.358-08:00Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Condor Joe DebutsAnnnnd... here he is. Condor Joe is revealed in the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom game in all his roaring glory. Read all about it on ign.com <a href="http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1034545p1.html">here</a>. Better yet, see him in action on the video <a href="http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14281713/tatsunoko-vs-capcom-cross-generation-of-heroes/videos/tatsunoko_trl_joecondorvjunswan.html">here</a>.<br /><br />If they didn't get Isao Sasaki (the original voice actor) to do his voice, they found somebody darned close. All his mannerisms are there, ramped up for 2009.<br /><br />As a Joe fan, I think I'm in love again...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE</span>: Isao Sasaki's name is reported to be in the game credits! <span style="font-style: italic;">Awesome</span>!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-30180402987845307882009-09-12T07:01:00.000-07:002009-09-12T07:08:08.583-07:00Paul Dini and Joe Asakura<span style="font-weight: bold;">Paul Dini Explains What Happened at Imagi</span><br /><br />Some time ago, Paul Dini was chosen to write the screenplay for the Imagi Gatchaman movie. Then, without warning, his name vanished from all mention and mention of Gatchaman vanished from his Web site. In this interview from <a href="http://www.411mania.com/">411mania.com</a>, Dini explains what happened... well, as much as can be explained, anyway:<br /><blockquote>"I was working on it in the fall of 2007, I guess that's when the writer's strike was, and I worked on it from August to December of that year with Kevin Munroe, the director, and a very good art team. And I was contracted kind of a period of around that time, and then we made our presentation to the rights holder and then they said they were undecided on how to go at that point and my deal was essentially up, so they said OK we may call you back, we may go a different way. So I have no idea what if anything of mine is in the movie, the finished picture. I know that Kevin was let go a few weeks after that, and I think the project went into some sort of turnaround development at some point. Toward the end it was getting more and more confused. The more that Kevin and the artists and I were more united in our take on the picture, new producers came in that were less sure of anything and very antsy about everything. So I don't know, the whole thing sort of spun out of control. I left once my deal was up and basically, that was that. We'll see what happens. I think they proceeded with different writers and different producers. Definitely, they got a different director, and we'll see what ultimately comes out of it. I've seen the same trailer that everybody else has seen, and I did recognize some of the same basic setups and scenarios from some of the storyboards that we worked on together, but that's about it."</blockquote>Click <a href="http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/115909/411-Games-Interviews:--Batman---Arkham-Asylum.htm">here</a> to read the entire interview.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Condor Joe Joins the Fray in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom?</span><br /><br />A member of the <a href="http://forums.shoryuken.com/showpost.php?p=7456555&postcount=1063">Shoryuken Forum</a> unearthed a list of filenames for images in <a href="http://www.capcom.co.jp/tatsucap/charactor.html">Capcom's Japanese Web site</a>. In addition to the main characters, there is images/oncharactor_btn_joe.jpg<br /><br />Hmm...<br /><br />The image is not available yet, but I'd keep an eye on the site for when Joe makes his debut.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-78090344803668378872009-09-06T06:57:00.000-07:002009-09-06T07:05:17.432-07:00Gatchaman Episodes and ArtworkI'm posting this from Dragon*Con in Atlanta. There's no Gatchaman news to be found yet, but we're getting a lot of "Where did you get those shirts?" inquiries on our GatchaCon (San Diego) T-shirts from previous years. We're telling 'em to Google the Tatsunoko Fan Club Web site and see if there are any extras for sale. We haven't met any fellow fans from the Gatchamania forum or the fan who was supposed to come dressed as Berg Katse, but it's a very, very big con.<br /><br />A couple of news items of interest:<br /><br /><strong>Gatchaman II and Fighter Episodes Online</strong><br /><br />There is a Korean Web site offering episodes of Gatchaman II and Fighter online. They are in Japanese with Korean subtitles (no English, sorry), but the episodes are complete. Choose the episodes by episode number. There are two episodes missing: G-II #48 and G-Fighter #4, and the site can run slowly if there are a lot of users. But they're free!<br /><br />Gatchaman II: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ksdarp">http://tinyurl.com/ksdarp</a><br /><br />Gatchaman Fighter: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lzx6ew">http://tinyurl.com/lzx6ew</a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Amano Gatchaman Art for Sale</strong><br /><br />If you were wondering what to do with your extra $20,000 inheritance or lottery winnings, you can pick up an Amano Original piece for 1,890,000 yen, excluding shipping and handling of course. If that is out of your price range, you can pick up the "Amano Galaxy Members Cards" for 1,090 yen or the Amano Galaxy Postcard Set for 2,100 yen.<br /><br />New art: <a href="http://amanogalaxy.com/p/html/ag/#go">http://amanogalaxy.com/p/html/ag/#go</a><br /><br />Amano Galaxy Goodies: <a href="http://www.ggood.jp/p/category/top/detail.php?c=top&ca1=amanogalaxy">http://www.ggood.jp/p/category/top/detail.php?c=top&ca1=amanogalaxy</a><br /><br /><br />Also, check out the rest of Amano's links for Gatchaman art he has done over the last few decades.<br /><br /><em>Thanks, Tatsunokofan, for both updates!</em>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-16496681211756582362009-09-01T19:34:00.000-07:002009-09-01T19:38:07.183-07:00ADV is no moreADV, the company responsible for releasing the Gatchaman series in English, is no more.<br /><br />Today, the company posted a notice on <a href="http://www.advfilms.com">its Web site</a> describing the liquidation of its assets. Part a sign of the economy, and part a sign of the times, it's not unexpected, but still sad.<br /><br />News link: <a href="http://www.homemediamagazine.com/studios/adv-films-sells-assets-16906">http://www.homemediamagazine.com/studios/adv-films-sells-assets-16906</a>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-14032690106923831862009-08-04T20:51:00.000-07:002009-08-04T20:59:53.101-07:00Notes from GatchaConSadly, there was no GatchaCon t-shirt for this year was because the person responsible for the shirt design and printing suffered some recent injuries. Hopefully he will recover soon!<br /><br />There were some interesting promotions at the Imagi booth: fans could dress up as Ken and get their pictures taken in front of a Gatchaman-style background. There were also some Gatchaman freebies. There will probably be more at the 2010 Comic Con. Save your money for next year, because from what I've heard, the con (admission and lodging) is getting more and more expensive.<br /><br />Check out the nice Gatchaman G-2 poster as well as the posters of the rest of the team here on <a href="http://felixip.blogspot.com/2009/08/gatchaman-g2-poster.html">Felix Ip's blog</a>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Reboekah!</span>)Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-30241773159910113022009-07-18T12:26:00.000-07:002009-07-18T12:29:26.732-07:00GatchaCon 2009 at San Diego Comic Con: DetailsTatsunokofan added a comment on my last post. I think it needs to be put out in the open:<br /><br /><blockquote>Here's a somewhat more detailed list of the Gatchaman-related things that are going on at the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_1">Comic Con</span> next week.<br /><br />For meeting up with other fans, we'll be gathering for lunch at noon each day of the convention, meeting up at the tables provided in the Sails Pavillion on the top floor of the convention center. Most of us will be wearing GatchaCon T-shirts, though I do know that as least one Jun costume will be be there too...<br /><br />In the Dealers Room, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_2">Imagi</span> will there in booth 3635, next to the Paramount Home Entertainment booth. Most of their booth will be purposed for promoting <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_3">Astro Boy</span>, but if their set-up at <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_4">Anime Expo</span> is any indication, they should have a small space dediated to Gatchaman and will be showing the video clips they showed there. It's likely that they'll have some of those Gatchaman watches to give away as well!<br /><br />Also in the Dealers Room, Capcom will be at booth 5113, across from <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_5">Electronic Arts</span> on the first row of the East Side of the convention center. They'll be promoting many of their upcoming game releases, which will likely include Tatsunoko Vs Capcom. They usually have demos of these games available for people to play, so if you've always wanted to pit Ken or Jun against <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_6">Megaman</span> or Chun Li, this may be your chance!<br /><br />There will also be several sellers in the Dealers Room who usually have some Gatchaman items, including Anime Link (Booth 415), Nichibei Anime (Booth 814), <a target="_blank" href="http://animeed.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_7">AnimeEd.com</span></a> (Booth 5435), and Fantasia Toyz (Booth 701).<br /><br />As far as convention panels go, Imagi is having a panel for Astro Boy on Thursday from 10:15 to 11:15 in Room 6BCF. The panel will feature stars <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_8">Freddie Highmore</span> and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_9">Kristen Bell</span>, as well as Director David Bowers and Producer Maryanne Grager, all there to talk about their film. Admittedly, it is unlikely that Imagi's Gatchaman film will get more than a passing mention at this panel, but you never know!<br /><br />On Friday, there will be a "Capcom: <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_10">Fighting Games</span>" panel from 2:30 to 3:30 in room 5AB. This panel will be focused on Capcom's newest fighting games, and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_11">Capcom game producer</span> Ryota Niitsuma will be on the panel to talk about <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_12">Tatsunoko Vs Capcom</span>.<br /><br />In the Anime Rooms, alas, no Gatchaman is scheduled. On the other hand, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_13">Nurse Witch Komugi</span> will be shown on Thursday night from 11:05 to 11:30 in Room 25AB. The schedule doesn't specifiy which Kogumi story will be shown, so there is a chance (Or perhaps you could ask) that it will be the <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1247945077_14">second story</span>, where Komugi transforms into a parody of the Science Ninja Team in order to fight her foe.<br /><br />So, if there's anyone here who's planning on attending the Comic Con, I hope we'll see you there! Just come up and say, "Hi!" We don't bite -- really.</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks again, Tatsunokofan!</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-42633963765706556942009-07-16T19:22:00.000-07:002009-07-16T19:35:40.968-07:00Got Goodies?<span style="font-weight: bold;">More on the die-cast models:</span> Art Storm has posted some close-up pictures of the die-cast Gatchaman toys.<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/lebg4v">View Set A</a> (G-1, G-2, Red Impulse plane)<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nvoezj">View Set B</a> (G-3, G-4, GodPhoenix)<br /><br />I have to say the level of detail in these is <span style="font-style: italic;">astounding</span>.<br /><br />According to the Art Storm site, these sets run at 24,800 yen per set and are scheduled to go on sale in December 2009. If you have an extra couple hundred dollars burning a hole in your bank account, Hobbylink Japan is accepting preorders, with a 5% discount if you order before August 1. Visit Hobbylink Japan at<a href="http://www.hlj.%20com"> </a><a href="http://www.hlj.com">http://www.hlj.com</a> and do a search for "Gatchaman." I've ordered Gatchaman items from them and been happy with their service.<br /><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Tatsunokofan</span>!)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gatchaman Episodes on Veoh</span>: If you've gone this long without getting copies of Gatchaman on DVD, you can now view all the episodes online at Veoh: <a href="http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/gatchaman">http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/gatchaman</a> I noticed that they also have the NTT Gatchaman commercials with SMAP.<br /><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Fiona</span>!)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GatchaCon News</span>: Sadly, I am missing GatchaCon this year, for the first time since it started. There will be some Gatchaman fans attending, though fewer than previous years. If you are headed to the San Diego Comic Con, check the pavilion under the "sails" (where the lunch tables are) for a group of fans in black GatchaCon t-shirts. Also, since Imagi was there last year, I'm sure they'll have a booth on the dealer's floor this year. Go check out their Gatchaman preview.<br /><br />And let me know how it went!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-12843104779313678042009-07-04T01:13:00.001-07:002009-07-05T11:39:06.469-07:00More Imagi Promotion MaterialsThe Screenweek Blog has some new screen shots of some promotional materials for the Imagi Gatchaman movie, apparently being promoted at Anime Expo 2009 in Los Angeles. In addition to the Joe poster we saw earlier, there's a group poster and a shot of a digital watch that seems to be a freebie. [<a href="http://blog.screenweek.it/2009/07/nuovi-cartelloni-teaser-per-gatchaman-47553.php">link</a>]<br /><br />Also, someone filmed the promo at the booth and put it up on YouTube. EDIT: Better versions have surfaced. Here they are:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DqxIS-oyXwQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DqxIS-oyXwQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vtSYrCJO_rk&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vtSYrCJO_rk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Springie!</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-26465084464392475782009-07-03T12:47:00.000-07:002009-07-03T12:53:03.043-07:00More Tatsunoko vs. Capcom ScreensHere are more screen shots from the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom game, courtesy of Capcom's Web site: [<a href="http://www.gamershell.com/wii/tatsunoko_vs_capcom_ultimate_all_stars/screenshots.html">link</a>]. It's sad that Ken seems to be the recipient of the attacks demonstrated on the screens, but the profile pictures of him [<a href="http://www.gamershell.com/wii/tatsunoko_vs_capcom_ultimate_all_stars/screenshots.html?id=407596">link</a>] are just lovely.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2400713548487725610.post-24762474857409891952009-06-25T22:27:00.000-07:002009-06-25T22:33:34.656-07:00Gatcha-Movie Update<span style="font-weight: bold;">Imagi Update</span>: It has been confirmed that Jun Falkenstein is no longer on the Gatchaman Movie project. According to <a href="http://www.stonefalconproductions.com/">her blog</a>, she is back with Disney.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Live Action Gatchaman Move News</span>: It has been a long while since we've gotten any news on Japan's planned live action Gatchaman film. Apparently, the concept is still alive: On June 19th, it was announced that Takara-Tomy (who now owns Tatsunoko Productions) has purchased 2.83% of the available stock in Nikkatsu, the studio that created the live action <span style="font-style: italic;">Yatterman</span> movie and who has the rights for the live action Gatchaman movie. In turn, Nikkatsu will produce live action films based on Takara-Tomy products such as the Rika-chan fashion doll line, and adaptations of further Tatsunoko animated properties. The plan is to release one Takara-Tomy-based film a year.<br /><br />There was no specific news about the live action Gatchaman film in the press releases. But, since the <span style="font-style: italic;">Yatterman</span> live action movie was a major box office success, hopefully, this will stimulate work on the Gatchaman film.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks Tatsunokofan!</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16060207011109264047noreply@blogger.com0