Fans of giant robots in general, and Robotech in particular, are no doubt pleased today. During the LA Anime Expo earlier today, Harmony Gold revealed their Kickstarter plans for an all new Robotech series entitled Robotech Academy. The full season order of 22 minute episodes "will continue the legacy of the original animated series and bring the Robotech universe to a new generation of anime audiences."
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The company's Kickstarter goal is $500,000, a figure I have no doubt they will be able to reach in no time. The campaign will run until August 7. "The initial goal at $500,000 which will allow us to create an entire 24 minute pilot episode. This will help us cover character design, mecha design, 3D modeling, 3D animation, 2D animation, screenwriting, sound engineering, music composition, casting, voice acting and recording. This will also afford us a foundation on which to build future episodes."
"We're thrilled to finally be able to tell the world about Robotech Academy," said Tommy Yune, President of Animation, Harmony Gold. "Over the last few years, Harmony Gold has been working hard to answer fan demand for a new Robotech project. The next step involves fans, who will be instrumental in supporting a crowdfunded Robotech project and making series creator Carl Macek's original vision for Robotech Academy a reality."
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Carl Macek died in 2010 while developing the idea for Robotech Academy. Harmony Gold USA is honoring the man's memory by gathering a whole host of series experts, writers and producers to create the latest iteration of the long running Robotech franchise. They are enlisting the help of Creavision, who created and distributed the Robotech: Valkyrie Project fan film series. Considering that just this past January, Harmony Gold's parent company Big West issued a cease and desist order against Creavision, I am glad to see the two groups working together.
The Kickstarter project will offer a wide array of perks and goodies for people who back it. Fans who contribute $70 "will receive the Robotech Academy Blu-Ray, DVD and digital copy, their names in the official electronic program guide and shooting script." Backers with the deepest of pockets can even get immortalized as a background actor in the upcoming film!
While I have never fully been on board with major companies asking for help in producing projects, such as Veronica Mars and Zach Braff's second remake of Garden State, I understand that if the smaller Kickstarter projects to work, the bigger ones will work, too.
Be sure to check out all the Kickstarter goodness at the official site here.