VoltCon! — a fan-run, Voltron-themed convention, is coming to Indianapolis, Indiana, on October 19-20, 2019. More information will be revealed during the next Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast, but registration has already started. Check out the VoltCon website (voltcon.org) for the latest information and to register.
Among the guests announced so far are The Shake-Ups — and Marc Morrell and I, as host and co-host of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast. Marc and I will present at least one panel at the convention. We hope to see you there!
Neil Ross, best known to Voltron fans as the voices of Keith and Pidge in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, has written a new book called Vocal Recall: A Life in Radio and Voiceovers. As described on Neil’s website, NeilBook.com:
How does a kid who survives the rain of V-2 rockets on London in the waning years of World War II, end up in Hollywood announcing the Diamond Jubilee of Oscar? Veteran Hollywood voice actor Neil Ross tells the amazing story of his life, and fifty-plus year career, in two exciting, highly competitive professions in his autobiography: Vocal Recall A Life in Radio and Voiceovers.
Check out NeilBook.com for a full description of the book, plus sample pages. The book can be ordered as a paperback, a downloadable audio book read by Neil Ross himself, a downloadable eBook in Kindle format, and as a downloadable e-Book in PDF format. You can also order a custom autographed bookplate to personalize your book.
Ross’ many other Voltron voices include but aren’t limited to Jeff, Chip, Bandor, and Commander Steele from Voltron: Defender of the Universe, and Keith and Amalgamus from Voltron: The Third Dimension.
Today Netflix released the seven-episode sixth season of Voltron Legendary Defender! To celebrate, here are some of the fake spoilers that I tweeted on Twitter in the days and weeks leading up to the release. For all of these tweets, plus many more by many fellow Voltron fans, click here.
#FakeVLDS6Spoiler The new big bad is an astrophysicist who destroys non-spherical planets with rational thought. The big bad will be defeated by one loud swoosh of Voltron's Blazing Sword, in space, where there's no sound or oxygen. @Voltron@LetsVoltron@VoltronStore
The Shake Ups, a band that specializes in pop culture-themed “power pop” music, is releasing a Voltron-inspired album on June 1, 2018. Entitled The Shake Ups – Legendary Defenders, the album features 15 tracks that cover Voltron Legendary Defender and Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The tracks cover a variety of topics in Voltron lore, from Shiro, Haggar, and even the Space Mice from Voltron Legendary Defender to the Voltron Vehicle Team from Voltron: Defender of the Universe.
In a Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast episode scheduled to be released on June 1, Marc Morrell and I spoke with band members Patrick O’Connor and Savannah O’Connor about the upcoming album. The Shake Ups were kind enough to allow Marc and I an early listen to the album, and… well… it’s a lot of fun! There’s something to like in each of the tracks. My personal favorites are “Space Mice”, “Quiznak!”, and “Team Punk.”
If you like Voltron and music, you’ll like Voltron music — and you’ll like this album, so check it out!
It has been reported on social media that Playmates Toys has decided not to produce Voltron Legendary Defender action figures of Pidge, Princess Allura, and Hunk. Although Playmates Toys released twelve action figures in its basic assortment, only three were of characters from the show — Shiro, Keith, and Lance. The other basic figures consisted of the five (non-transforming/combining) Lions, three Voltrons, and Robeast Myzax.
At various toy fairs, Playmates had teased figures of Pidge, Allura, and Hunk, as well as King Zarkon and Robeast Drazil. Zarkon and Drazil were not shown at the most recent toy fair, February’s New York Toy Fair 2018, which suggests that by that point, Playmates had already decided not to proceed with making those two figures. Other no-shows at NYTF 2018 that had appeared at previous toy fairs were a super-sized, non-transforming/combining Red Lion, which would have been bundled with an exclusive variant of the Keith figure, and a super-sized, non-transforming/combining Blue Lion, which would have been bundled with an exclusive variant of Lance.
This Voltron collector is saddened that only half the Paladins of Voltron are represented as action figures.
The link below is to the toy review video of Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Cannon Fire Voltron basic action figures, which I made for the Let’s Voltron YouTube channel.
Now until March 5, Han Cholo is offering 20% off their upcoming Voltron Legendary Defender Stainless Steel Lucky Yellow Lion Paw Pendant — and all other Voltron merchandise — if you use promo code LETSVOLTRON at checkout on their website.
On TeePublic, you can win a $100 swag bag of merchandise from the Let’s Voltron store! Here’s how to enter. The promotion ends March 5!
(Neither Han Cholo nor Let’s Voltron are sponsors of or are sponsored by this website or its author.)
On December 13, 2017, shortly after Marc Morrell and I recorded the (not yet released) 4th-anniversary episode of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast (Link), I had the idea of celebrating the holidays Voltron-style, by creating a holiday carol video. One week later, Marc and I have just released the video on the Let’s Voltron YouTube channel (Link)!
Voltron’s in a Winter Wonderland
(Inspired by “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”)
I wrote the lyrics, edited the video using screen caps from Voltron Legendary Defender, and added some visual effects. More on this later.
Cast
Five fellow Voltron fans sang the lyrics while doing their best impressions of characters from Voltron Legendary Defender.
Shamus Kelley – Lance, Zarkon, Slav
Mel Meiko – Allura, Haggar, Shay
Marc Morrell – Matt, Voltron, Laika, Galra commander
(Allura) The princess sings
(Allura) Are you listening?
(Coran) I’m youngish
(Coran) though I’m glistening
(Pidge) The Castle’s in space
(Lance) with Lance’s hot face
(Hunk) Voltron’s in a winter wonderland.
(Keith) Gone away
(Keith) is Galra Keith
(Kolivan) Blade of Marmora
(Kolivan) stuck in its sheath
(Bi-Boh-Bi) Bi-boh-bi boh-bi
(Slav) in this reality
(Allura) Voltron’s in a winter wonderland
(Galra commander) On the cruiser
(Galra commander) we can build a Kuron
(Galra commander) We’ll pretend that
(Galra commander) he’s the real Shiro
(Galra commander) He’ll say, “Do you trust me?”
(Galra commander) They’ll say, “Yeah, man!”
(Shiro) ‘Cause I look just like their beloved hero.
(Zarkon) I’ll be your boss
(Zarkon) at Central Command
(Lotor) I’ll pursue
(Lotor) my plans which are grand
(Haggar) I’ll cast evil spells
(Haggar) and ring Paladin death knells
(Laika) Yup-yup yup yup yup-yup yup-yup-yup.
(Hunk) In deep space
(Hunk) we all can have a snow fight
(Pidge) They’re not snowballs,
(Pidge) they’re Olkari spores.
(Shay) I have never seen
(Shay) a single snow fight
(Matt) You know, I really ought to
(Matt) find some mistletoe
(Allura) Our Lions
(Allura) contain quintessence
(Lance) But I still
(Lance) want holiday presents
(Shiro) We’ll fight as a team
(Allura) To restore Alfor’s dream
(Allura) Voltron’s in a winter wonderland
(Pidge) With family, there’s nothing
(Pidge) we can’t withstand
(Allura) Voltron’s in a winter wonderland
(Voltron) Yes, I am in a winter wonderland
The Snowflakes
The snowflakes were a visual effect that I made using Adobe After Effects, following this tutorial video: Link
Rather than use just any old snowflake, I decided to create one that was Voltron-themed, even though it’s impossible to notice this in the finished video. Here is a close-up of the snowflake:
I made the snowflake from a drawing that I made a few years ago:
That drawing was based on a logo that was featured on much of the 1980s Voltron: Defender of the Universe merchandise that pertained to Vehicle Team Voltron. (Yes, I had to work Vehicle Team Voltron into this video somehow!)
Happy holidays to fellow Voltron fans across the universe!
ToyWiz.com has released official product photography of the upcoming Voltron 84 Classic Legendary Lions. ToyWiz has opened pre-orders for the toys, which have estimated shipping dates of January 2018.
The toys look amazing. I will be all over these when they are released!
In response to a tweet asking how to watch Voltron: Defender of the Universe programs, here is a current guide to how to get more Voltron TV in your life.
