Special Features – Page 6 – Lions and Pilots and Bots… Dot Com!

Out of Order: Voltron vs. Golion and Dairugger

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Greg Tyler

When I first watched Voltron: Defender of the Universe in weekday syndication between 1984 and 1986, I had no idea that the show had been adapted from the anime programs Beast King Golion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. I first learned this in the late 1980s, in an issue of Starlog magazine, in an article about what was then called “Japanimation.”

When Media Blasters released the Voltron: Defender of the Universe DVD box sets, I noticed something as I thumbed through the episode synopses that had been packaged in the box sets: the episode numbers and the original air dates often seemed… off. For example, Lion Force episode eight, “The Stolen Lion,” originally aired eight days after episode seven, “The Lion Has New Claws.” This seemed odd, since the program ran in weekday syndication. Barring reruns, I would expect two consecutive episodes to air no more than three days apart — the earlier episode airing on a Friday, and the later episode airing on the following Monday.

But things got even weirder. Lion Force episode 14, “Yurak Gets His Pink Slip,” originally aired ten days before episode 13, “The Witch Gets a Facelift.”

As a Star Trek fan, I knew that many episodes of the 1960s television series had originally aired out of production sequence. The first episode to air, “The Man Trap,” was the eighth episode to have been produced. Still, with Voltron: Defender of the Universe having been adapted from two already produced programs, it seemed strange that its episodes would have been adapted out of sequence.

It turns out that the episode numbers in the Voltron DVD box sets correspond to the original air date sequences of the original anime programs. Episodes 1-52 correspond to episodes 1-52, respectively, of Beast King Golion. Episodes 73-124 correspond to episodes 1-52, respectively, of Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. (Episodes 53-72 are the 20 Lion Force episodes that had been animated specifically for Voltron. The “Fleet of Doom” feature episode was sold as a separate DVD.)

For this article, I decided to see just how out of order Voltron: Defender of the Universe is with respect to Beast King Golion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV.

Here is a comparison of the original air date sequence of all 52 Golion episodes with the original air date sequence of the first 52 Lion Force Voltron episodes.

As you can see…

The first eleven Lion Force Voltron episodes originally aired in the same order as the corresponding Golion episodes.
The last three Lion Force Voltron episodes originally aired in the same order as the corresponding Golion episodes.
The episodes between the first eleven and the last three are a jumbled mess!

Here is a comparison of the original air date sequence of all 52 Dairugger episodes with the original air date sequence of all 52 Vehicle Team Voltron episodes.

From this graph, we can see that…

Even the first several Vehicle Team Voltron episodes are out of sequence with respect to Dairugger.
The only long stretch of Dairugger-sequenced Vehicle Team Voltron episodes are episodes 42-51, which correspond to Dairugger episodes 43-52, respectively.
The final Vehicle Team Voltron episode was the 15th episode of Dairugger!

Even this isn’t the whole story of how out of order Voltron was compared to the original anime programs. Let’s put all of the data together, but first, let’s keep in mind that:

The first 52 Lion Force episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe are considered the program’s “first season.”
The 52 Vehicle Team episodes are considered the “second season.”
The “extra 20” Lion Force episodes — that is, the episodes that were animated specifically for Voltron — are considered the “third season.”
“Fleet of Doom,” the feature-length, animated-for-Voltron episode that often aired in two parts, is generally considered an “extra” episode. (It is not shown in the chart below.)

The first several Vehicle Team episodes originally aired scattered throughout the first 52 Lion Force episodes! It’s likely that these Vehicle Team episodes were repeated again at the beginning of the long stretch of Vehicle Team episodes. There’s a large enough time gap after the first 52 Lion Force episodes for this to have occurred. Still, this is kind of strange.

So what happened? Here is my guess:

The first several Voltron episodes to be produced were Vehicle Team episodes. This is only speculation, but the pilot episode screened at the NAB conference in February 1984 featured Vehicle Team Voltron (then called Voltron I), and much of the early Voltron marketing materials featured only Vehicle Team Voltron.
Sometime before Voltron debuted on television in September 1984, someone at World Events Productions decided that the Lion Force episodes adapted from Golion were better than the Vehicle Team episodes. A decision was made to air the Lion Force episodes first.
After several Vehicle Team episodes of Voltron had been produced, the show makers transitioned into producing all 52 Lion Force episodes adapted from Golion.
When Voltron premiered in September 1984, Lion Force episodes were broadcast.
Unable to produce Lion Force episodes quickly enough to keep up with weekday airings, occasional, already completed Vehicle Team episodes were broadcast from time to time.
After production of all 52 Lion Force episodes adapted from Golion had been completed, the remaining Vehicle Team episodes were produced.
The Vehicle Team “batch” of episodes aired first with reruns of the already aired Vehicle Team episodes, followed by the ones that had not yet aired.
After production of all 52 Vehicle Team episodes had been completed, 20 all-new Lion Force episodes, plus the “Fleet of Doom” special, were produced.
After all of the Vehicle Team episodes had aired, the all-new Lion Force episodes, plus “Fleet of Doom,” were broadcast.

As for why the Voltron episodes aired out of sequence relative to Golion and Dairugger, I suspect the writers did not recognize the serialized nature of the anime programs. This is understandable, given the frantic pace of production, coupled with the anime episodes being in Japanese and lacking English subtitles. In addition, the Voltron episodes might not have been aired in the order in which they had been written or completed. Since the show’s original head writer, Jameson Brewer, died in 2003, we will likely never know for certain.

What are the take-aways from all this? First, it takes a lot of time to produce an animated television series — even one for which the animation was pre-produced. Second, creative and logistical decisions are made at all points in the production process. Third, the popularity of Voltron in the 1980s, and even today, is a testament to the dedication and ability of everyone who worked on Voltron, Golion, and Dairugger. Finally, it took a bit of work to be a Voltron fan in the 1980s, but I already wrote about that, didn’t I?

Voltron Legendary Defender – Original Paladins Visual Reference

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Greg Tyler

While rewatching “The Legend Begins,” the final episode of the third season of Voltron Legendary Defender, I created this image so that Voltron fans such as myself could better remember the original five Paladins of Voltron. Enjoy!

Interview: Sesinio Ampongan, Jr. – Voltron Force

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Greg Tyler

It takes many skilled and talented people to create a television series like Voltron Force. In that series, Sesinio Ampongan, Jr., is credited as a CGI modeling, rendering, and compositing artist. Here is an exclusive interview with Sesinio.

How did you become involved in 3D art and art in general?

I took up Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts in one of the universities here in the Philippines. I, later on, enrolled again in another university and took up Bachelor of Science in Digital Illustration and Animation and got a degree. So it merely was a traditional/non-digital in the beginning and later on evolved to digital.

Is computer graphics your primary artistic medium? Do you also work in non-digital media, such as pencil, ink, or paint?

I can do traditional art using pencil, ink, watercolor and oil paint. It indeed is a big help if you at least know the traditional art if you want to do computer graphics.

What are some of your favorite digital and non-digital tools for your art?

For non-digital, I prefer pencil, ballpen, and paper. For digital, if you are referring to computer applications/software, I usually used Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and Zbrush.

Who or what are some of your sources of inspiration?

Anyone who wows me through their crafts especially if it’s something new and unique.

What are some of your favorite works of art, books, TV programs, animated programs, movies, etc.?

I’m a fan of Dragon Ball Z and any movies equipped with kick-ass visual effects.

How did you become involved in Voltron Force?

I was part of the studio (Toon City Animation, Inc.) who WEP and Kickstart Productions outsourced it to. I was the lead 3D modeler back then.

What did you know of Voltron before you worked on Voltron Force? Would you call yourself a Voltron fan?

I really am not a fan of Voltron since I grow up from a place with almost no access to television. It was only during my teenage years that I learned about this comic character that it is a huge robot transformed from 5 lions.

What were your roles on Voltron Force? What kinds of things did you do? What specific elements of the show did you 3D-model?

I was the lead 3D modeler during the process. I was the one responsible for the creation of the main characters like the Voltron itself(including the blue, green, yellow and red Voltron), the 5 lions, some of the Robeasts, vehicles, weapons, spaceships and a lot more.

Which software tools did you use while working on Voltron Force?

I used Autodesk Maya.

Are the models meshes, or are they based on splines such as NURBS?

They were all modeled using polygons.

Who were the main designers of the Voltron Lions and the Voltron robot itself?

I have no idea who the main designers are because from my recollection, the designs were already provided by our client.

When you created the 3D CGI models of the Lions and Voltron for Voltron Force, what were your initial references? Did you have designers’ sketches, or rough 3D models, or physical maquettes, or something else?

My initial references were the sketches provided by the client. It includes the orthographic views of the designs, the front, side, back and profile views. Sitting beside me during the process is our technical director/rigger discussing with me on how the model will work once rigged and how the body parts will move.

Did the designs of the Lions or Voltron change as a result of them being given three-dimensional form? For example, did anything that looked good on paper not translate well to 3D?

After almost tracing the designs verbatim on the 3D software, our creative director altered some parts of the designs because yes, some of them didn’t translate well and don’t look good in 3D.

Were there parts of the Lions or Voltron that had not been well defined by the designers? Did you have to “fill in the gaps” as you created the models?

Yes, there are some. This is normal and understandable especially that almost all of the parts of the robots are moving since they’re mechanical so we need to adjust and “fill in the gaps”. But we made sure that overall look of the models still matches the designs.

As you were modeling the Lions and Voltron, did you take into consideration things such as rigging and range of motion, or were those things figured out after the models had been completed?

Yes, of course, I have to consider those. While I was modeling, I need to always consult our rigger and lead animator for rigging and animation and deformation issues. It’s a practice we often follow and is part of our production pipeline.

Can the 3D models of the Lions “really” convert into the 3D model of Voltron, or were the models of the Lions and Voltron completely different? Were any parts of the Lion models used directly on the Voltron model?

Yes, the Lions can convert into the model of Voltron but not completely and perfectly. We added some “cheats” and camera tricks to make the transformation look flawless, 😀

In Voltron Force, the Black Lion can switch places with any other Lion to form a different configuration of Voltron, so Voltron has five configurations: Black Center, Red Center, Green Center, Blue Center, and Yellow Center. Were these five Voltron models based on the same “skeleton?” Did they have the same proportions, rigging, etc., or were they different?

Yes, they basically have the same skeleton setup. Their proportions too, are the same. On the other hand, there is a small difference on rigging side, especially on the back of each robot where lies different weapons/parts where there is a need for additional controllers.

Since you created the 3D CGI models of the Lions and Voltron, you are probably more familiar with them in a “physical” sense than anyone else. How well do you think they could have been made into toys?

I actually saw my models turned (it was 3D printed I think) to toys by Mattel if I’m not mistaken. Toys were a bit small and I saw that some of the details were lost.

If you were designing transformable Voltron Force lions, how might you go about making lions that could form all five of Voltron’s configurations? (I imagine this would be a fun design challenge!)

If in 3D, I imagine my design of the lions composed of hundred of parts and each one moving and rotating while transforming into a Herculean kick-ass Voltron.

Were you happy with the look of the show? What things, if any, might you have done differently if given the chance?

Yes, I was. But it could have been better if we did it in full 3D including those 2D characters manning the lions/Voltron. That could be more exciting and challenge on the 3D part.

How did you feel about Voltron Force being canceled after just one season? Would you have liked for the show to have continued for more seasons?

I feel sad of course, especially for the thousand or I would say millions of avid fans of Voltron out there.

Have you watched Voltron: Legendary Defender? What do you think of it?

I have watched a portion of it and looks nice! The new designs of the lions and Voltron itself look better.

What would be your “dream” job as an artist?

How about being part of the 3D team to create Voltron Movie? 😀

Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to become a professional modeler and/or work in the animation industry?

If 3D animation is your passion, don’t stop practicing and hone your skills whether it’s modeling, animation, rigging, lighting, and rendering. Furthermore, don’t stop and rely on just one software because almost every year, lots of new 3D software are being introduced. Practice and innovate, otherwise, you’ll be left behind.

For people who would like to see more of your artwork online, what are some links that people can check out?

You may check some of my works on my website. It’s http://sesinioamponganjr.wixsite.com/lordczy and https://www.artstation.com/czy

Thanks to Sesinio Ampongan, Jr., for sharing his talents in the creation of Voltron Force, and for participating in this interview!

Book Review: Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Greg Tyler

I’m a junkie for what I call the “meta-fiction reference” book — that is, a fictional universe reference book that treats that universe as if it were real. As a long-time Star Trek fan, I’ve considered the gold standards for such books to be Bjo Trimble’s classic Star Trek Concordance and Michael and Denise Okuda’s Star Trek Encyclopedia. These books tend to be hundreds of pages in length, with glossary-like alphabetized, illustrated entries, containing cross-references to other entries.

Books of this nature that are written for child readers tend to contain more illustrations and less text, and they tend to cover material with less depth. They’re also more casual and less formal in tone. In their own way, these books can be just as enjoyable to the adult reader as the larger works that tend to cater to an older reader base.

DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender: The Paladin’s Handbook (ISBN 978-1-5344-0903-3) is an example of the child-oriented category, and I’m pleased to say that it’s a good one. At 96 highly-illustrated pages, the book contains just enough information to satisfy most younger readers, and it has an attractive design that encourages a reader to read the book from cover to cover. It’s a decent primer to many people, places, and works of technology within the fictional universe depicted in the first two seasons of the television series Voltron Legendary Defender.

Strangely, this book has no credited author or illustrator. The only credited person is Julie Robine, who bears a “Designed by” credit, and you have to read the mice type on the page opposite the table of contents to find this credit.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, this book is an example of what I call a “meta-fiction reference.” It covers the Voltron Legendary Defender universe, and it’s written as if that universe were real. The book is written from the perspective of Princess Allura, Coran, and the five Paladins as of the end of the series’ second season — Shiro, Keith, Pidge, Lance, and Hunk. To lighten the tone, the book’s “real” text is often accompanied by notes that are designed to appear hand-written by individual characters. The “hand-written” notes of a given character are rendered in a distinct color and type face that, for the most part, gives an authentic hand-written feel.

The book is laid out as follows:

Welcome, Young Paladin!

This is a single-page introduction to the book, written by Princess Allura. It explains the motivation for the book — to explain what it’s like to be a Paladin of Voltron, in order to guide a reader on his or her Paladin journey. The page is also signed by all seven heroes, establishing the color and style of each character’s “handwriting.”

Meet the Lions

This section provides a brief, two-page description of each Lion. This section is light on hand-written notes, sticking mostly to facts.

Meet the Paladins

This section gives two-page coverage to Shiro, Keith, Pidge, Lance, Hunk, the Bayards, and Voltron. Hand-written notes can be found in plenty here. Highlights include:

Next to the Shiro “Fun Fact” that “Shiro returned to Earth with a streak of white hair and a scar across his nose,” the words “white hair” are circled, and there’s a note from Shiro that reads, “Stress can do some pretty terrible things.”
On Keith’s page, there is hand-written banter between Keith and Lance, concerning Keith’s mullet.
On Pidge’s page, there is hand-written commentary from Hunk and Pidge explaining that “Katie Holt” is Pidge’s real name, and “Pidge Gunderson” is just an alias.

The Team

This section covers King Alfor in a single page, and it devotes two pages to Princess Allura, and two to Coran. The only hand-written note in this section is a lengthy one on the Coran pages, written by Coran himself. Needless to say, it’s a funny read.

The Galra Empire

This section gives a two-page description of Emperor Zarkon, Haggar, and the Druids. It devotes a single page to each of Commander Sendak, Commander Prorok, Robeasts, and Prince Lotor. Very little information is given about Lotor, since this page was written as of the end of the second season, and Lotor makes his debut in the third season. Amusingly, there are notes from Lance on the Lotor page, mostly concerning Lotor’s hair.

The Blade of Marmora

This section gives an overview of the Blade of Marmora as an organization, as well as the Trials of Marmora, which are undergone by would-be members. It also gives single-page descriptions of Kolivan, Ulaz, Thace, and Antok.

Explore the Universe

This section describes the Castle of Lions, the planet Arus, the Balmera, the Baku, the planet Taujeer, the Space Mall, the planet Altea, the Galaxy Garrison, and what the Galaxy Garrison knows about the ill-fated Kerberos Mission, which had led to the disappearance of Shiro, as well as Pidge’s father and brother.

Learn to Speak Altean

This section gives a run-down of the very few Altean terms that have been revealed in the TV series. It also covers the Galra phrase “Vrepit sa,” and it covers various Altean time units.

Important Information for Your Paladin Journey

This section could just as easily be called “Miscellaneous.” It covers quintessence, the teludav, the weblum, and Fraunhofer lines. The Fraunhofer lines page feels extraneous, but the other pages feel appropriate to the book.

Quiz: Which Lion Will You Pilot as a Paladin of Voltron

This is a short, ten-question, multiple-choice quiz that is supposed to give the reader an idea of which of the five Voltron Lions would be the best fit for the reader, if he or she were to become a Paladin of Voltron.

Overall, this book is a fun read. I do have some minor nits to pick with it, which I’ll cover in the near future, but as a primer or refresher, this book would be great to add to the collection of any fan of Voltron Legendary Defender, and it might even be a good gift for an old-school-only Voltron fan, to give him or her a taste of what he or she would have in store if he or she were to try watching this fun new series. I highly recommend this book for Voltron fans of any age.

Name Reference: Lotor’s Generals (Voltron Legendary Defender)

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Greg Tyler

Here is a simple reference for the names of Lotor’s four generals from Voltron Legendary Defender. The generals were introduced during the program’s third season.

The spellings of the names are based on the English subtitles of the episodes. Pronunciations are based on how their names are pronounced in the episodes.

(Click the image to full it at full size.)

Fan Website Spotlight: Voltron Image Archive

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Greg Tyler

In a social media-filled Internet, an argument could be made that fan websites — or personal websites of any kind — are obsolete. Since I created Lions and Pilots and Bots… Dot Com in January 2017, I’m of the mind that fan websites still have a place in cyberspace.

This article is a Fan Website Spotlight — an examination of a Voltron fan website that has piqued my interest.

In this Fan Website Spotlight, we’ll take a look at three related websites which were created by SGB. I’ve known SGB for years by way of the legacy Voltron.com forums, where I have posted as Dudley Drule Right.

Voltron Image Archive

First is the Voltron Image Archive. This website offers a unique look at the Voltron phenomenon.

The site hasn’t been updated in about five years, but I can vouch for how difficult it can be to update a website when a pesky thing called real life keeps getting in the way. It doesn’t matter much that the site hasn’t been updated lately, because the content is solid, informative, and entertaining.

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice when you visit the Voltron Image Archive is that SGB collects animation cels from Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Collecting these cels is a challenge. Voltron is over three decades old, and it was animated in Japan. For those who don’t already know, 104 of the 125 episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe were adapted from one of two anime programs: Beast King Golion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV, both of which were animated by Toei Animation. The remaining 21 episodes were also animated by Toei, but they were newly animated for Voltron, rather than reused from prior anime productions.

Image Gallery

The Image Gallery page contains links to:

Lion Voltron: That is, the 52 Lion Force episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe that had been adapted from Beast King Golion
Vehicle Voltron: That is, the 52 Vehicle Team episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe that had been adapted from Armored Fleet Dairugger XV
Voltron Force: The 26-episode Voltron program that premiered in 2011

All three links lead to screen captures organized by episode. The Lion Voltron link also has screen captures organized by character — meaning character, Lion, Robeast, or Voltron himself. Here is a screen capture of the page that highlights the Yellow Lion:

(Incidentally, from my online interactions with SGB, I can tell you that he has unparalleled knowledge of the visuals of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. From a single screen capture, he can often identify the episode that featured it.)

Voltron Shows

This section of the site offers an incredibly detail-oriented look at the Lion Force and Vehicle Team episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. For each set of episodes, you can access series notes, a voice cast list, and — the best part — a deep dive into individual episodes. Each episode page contains a brief synopsis of the episode, writing credits, a handful of screen captures, trivia, deleted scenes and dialogue, and dialogue that changed between when the script was written and when the voice actors were recorded.

There’s a page for each of the first 20 Lion Force episodes, and a page for each of the first 20 Vehicle Team episodes. Detailed analysis of television episodes is incredibly time-consuming, so I appreciate the work that SGB has put into each page.

Voltron DVDs

This section of the Voltron Image Archive covers the numerous Voltron DVD releases from around the globe. Each DVD release has a dedicate page which describes technical details, special features, menus, screen captures, and other notes.

Voltron Comics

This section covers many Voltron comic books, with the strongest focus on the short-lived but fan-loved releases by Devil’s Due Publishing.

Features

The special features section includes images of SGB’s impressive collection of Voltron animation cels, video clips, wallpapers, scans, and much more. You could spend hours browsing this great content. The Dairugger XV stickers are a favorite of mine.

Links

The links page is a bit outdated, as over the years, many Voltron websites have come and gone.

Hundred Beast King Golion and SGB’s Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV Site

SGB’s other two Voltron-related fan websites are Hundred Beast King Golion and SGB’s Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV Site. These sites focus on, respectively, Beast King Golion, the 1981 anime program that became the basis for the first 52 Lion Force episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe, and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV, the 1982 anime program that became the basis for the 52 Vehicle Team episodes of Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

As much as I love the Voltron Image Archive site, I actually prefer SGB’s Golion and Dairugger sites, because they cover in depth many aspects of these programs, neither of which is well known to many Voltron fans.

Each of these sites is organized into the same sections:

Cut Pics

This section of each site has a page for each examined episode, with well described images of scenes that were cut from the anime program when it was adapted into Voltron: Defender of the Universe. If you’re familiar with Voltron: Defender of the Universe, but unfamiliar with Golion and Dairugger, then you would be amazed by what was shown in Japan. Some of the imagery could be quite disturbing to younger viewers.

Differences, Episode Guide, Multimedia

These sections were taken down at some point for overhauls that have not yet been completed. As I’ve said previously, real life has a knack for getting in the way of maintaining and updating a fan website.

FAQ

This section of each site covers a handful of basic questions about Golion and Dairugger.

Summary

SGB’s Voltron Image Archive, Golion, and Dairugger fan websites are among my favorite Voltron-related websites. It’s my hope that SGB will someday complete the Voltron Shows section of the Voltron site, and the Cut Pics sections of the Golion and Dairugger sites. The sites are entertaining sources of information that you won’t find anywhere else.

Voltron Force Kids’ Readers by Vizkids (2012-2013)

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Greg Tyler

Although Voltron Force lasted for just one 26-episode season, in 2011-2012, and the show didn’t have much in the way of tie-in merchandise, some of the tie-in merchandise that was made was pretty cool. Among these items were six Voltron Force childrens’ readers.

Published by Vizkids between 2012 and 2013, each of the six readers was basically a mini-graphic novel. Each was a self-contained story, and each was a fun read. The books were marketed to kids aged 7 and up.

Listed below is information about each of the six Voltron Force readers. If you are a fan of Voltron Force, then I recommend tracking down and buying these now out-of-print books!

* * * * *

Voltron Force Volume 1: Shelter from the Storm

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Jacob Chabot
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4153-2
First printing: April 2012

Synopsis (from the back cover):

The mighty robot Voltron is back! And three cadets — Daniel, Larmina and Vince — are training to become defenders of the universe.

But King Lotor and his villainous minion Maahox have other plans. They’ve unleashed a horrifying storm, churning with evil energy. When Daniel, Larmina and Vince are sucked into the vortex, their worst nightmares come true!

My Thoughts: This story is surprisingly creepy, as the cadets face their fears head-on. Vince discovers a zombie-like Green Lion and a possessed Pidge. Larmina finds an Arus conquered by Lotor, and a beheaded Voltron. Daniel faces an evil duplicate of himself, in a sort of foreshadowing of the events of what would be the television series’ final episode. The ending features a welcome surprise: a cameo of a classic Voltron character. Good stuff!

Voltron Force Volume 2: Tournament of Lions

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Dario Brizuela
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4154-9
First printing: June 2012

Synopsis (from the back cover):

When a cargo ship in deep space sends out a distress signal, it’s the Voltron Force to the rescue! But without warning, Daniel, Larmina and Vince find themselves fighting the greatest warriors in the galaxy for the right to pilot the Voltron lions!

My Thoughts: Both the story and artwork are less impressive than in Volume 1. The art on the first page has some bizarre issues with perspective, and this image is featured again later in the story. Having said that, it is interesting to see the characters rendered with a different, more juvenile look. The story, while not as engaging as that of Volume 1, does raise an interesting question: Should the universe at large have more say in who operates the Defender of the Universe?

Voltron Force Volume 3: Twin Trouble

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Horacio Domingues and Pedro Pablo Perez Valiente
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4155-6
First printing: October 2012

Synopsis (from the back cover):

Now that Daniel’s a Voltron Force cadet, he can’t wait to show off in front of his former Galaxy Alliance Flight Academy classmates. He owns the skies in Black Lion, but not for long! Out of nowhere, two unknown ships appear and put Daniel’s flying lion to shame. Who are these mysterious new pilots? And is their presence at the academy an act of peace or an act of aggression?

My Thoughts: This is a fun tale. Lotor’s nieces, Zora and Roza, are a fun addition to the Voltron lore. But where do their loyalties lie?

Voltron Force Volume 4: Rise of the Beast King

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Alfa Robbi
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4156-3
First printing: October 2012

Synopsis (from the back cover):

No one knows for certain how Voltron was formed, but one ancient legend claims the mighty robot had a sixth part: a terrible warrior spirit called the Beast King. According to the story, the Beast King was separated from the five robot lions and forced into a deep slumber.

Now, an ancient evil is stirring. Has the Beast King awakened to rejoin its destructive spirit with the Voltron Lions?

My Thoughts: I’m of mixed minds about this story. The “Beast King” myth of Voltron’s creation is unique and enjoyable, but it feels too different from what was suggested in the television series to feel like a good “fit.” The Beast King’s visual design is cool, and the term “Beast King” is a fun reference to Beast King Golion, the anime program on which Voltron: Defender of the Universe was based. I’d almost prefer this story to be a tie-in to Beast King Golion rather than Voltron Force. Overall it’s a great read!

Voltron Force Volume 5: Dragon Dawn

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Albert Carreres Guardia
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4157-0
First printing: December 2012

Synopsis (from the back cover):

On Planet Doom, there’s a horrible species of dragon that hatches every hundred years. It’s just about hatching time, and Maahox orders the Drule army to ship thousands of dragon eggs off to Planet Arus! Will the dragon dawn be too much for the Voltron Force?

My Thoughts: This is a straight adventure story. I like it on those terms, although it doesn’t really offer anything that makes it stand out. The artwork has a bit of a Teen Titans vibe.

Voltron Force Volume 6: True Colors

Story by Brian Smith
Art by Jacob Chabot
ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-4158-7
First printing: February 2013

Synopsis (from the back cover):

All of the Voltron Force’s enemies from past battles — the Drule twins Zora and Roza, Daggor, Kai-Borg and Prince Nebulax — have joined forces with King Lotor for the ultimate battle of good versus evil. And this time, Lotor is in command of something he’s never had before — the Voltron Lions!

Could this be the end of the Voltron Force?

My Thoughts: This story is framed as the “finale” of the children’s readers. The events of the previous five books pay off here. The story also takes place just before what would be the final episode of the television series, as Allura, Pidge, and Keith have already stepped down from being pilots in the Voltron Force. Jacob Chabot’s artwork is as strong here as it was in Volume 1. This story is a big finish to some fun stories, and with this book having been published almost a year after the premature cancellation of the television series, in many ways, this book feels like the final goodbye to the Voltron Force characters.

* * * * *

Surprisingly, in 2014, Brian Smith and Jacob Chabot would team up once more with a comic book-style “sequel” to the Voltron Force TV program. The epilogue of Voltron: From Days of Long Ago: A Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration (ISBN-13: 978-1-4215-7540-7) provides a sneak peek of what might have unfolded in the TV show if a second season had been produced. The narrative becomes darker — darker than I suspect that the TV show would have actually gotten. Interestingly, the show’s viewpoint character seems to have changed from Daniel to Vince. Given the events of the story, the shift makes sense, and I rather like the change, since I had found Vince to be a more interesting character than Daniel. Unfortunately, the epilogue reads more like a visual outline of a couple unproduced episodes rather than an actual story, and it ends on a cliffhanger that it almost as frustrating as the one in the TV show — perhaps more so, since it’s almost certain that this cliffhanger will never be resolved.

Voltron Force was a fun show to watch, and these readers from Vizkids are fun, too!

Get the Lead Out: Voltron Toy Recall of 1986 (NOT Modern Toys)

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Greg Tyler

In the mid-1980s, Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a big thing. The TV series was popular, and so were the toys. The first Voltron toys to hit retail shelves were sold by Matchbox Toys.

It seemed that nothing could stop Voltron — either the robot in the television episodes, or the toys on toy store shelves. Unfortunately, the luster of some 1980s Voltron toys would face a foe that would prove to be more formidable than a Robeast: lead paint. On November 12, 1986, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning that some of the Matchbox Voltron toys made in 1985 and 1986 had paint which contained levels of lead that exceeded what was allowed by law.

Here is a link to the actual 1986 warning from the Consumer Product Safety Commission: 1986 Voltron Toy Recall Warning

This warning, issued in 1986, pertained only to some toys manufactured in 1985 and 1986. All other Voltron toys are fine… and fun!

The Consumer Product and Safety Commission used these images to describe which Voltron toys from 1985 and 1986 were included in the recall.

I’ll say it again: This warning, issued in 1986, pertained only to some toys manufactured in 1985 and 1986. All other Voltron toys are fine… and fun!

100 Episodes of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast!

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Greg Tyler

Today marked the release of the 100th episode of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast! Four special guests joined us in celebrating, an announcement was made about a certain Blue Lion pilot’s date of birth, many listeners shared their thoughts about the podcast, and we gave away some great prizes, thanks to World Events Productions (the owner of the Voltron intellectual property) and DreamWorks (the studio behind Voltron: Legendary Defender)!

On behalf of podcast host Marc Morrell, and co-host… me… thanks to each and every one of you who has listened to the podcast. Here’s to 100 more episodes! Let’s Voltron!

Happy 1st Anniversary, Voltron: Legendary Defender!

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Greg Tyler

On June 10, 2016, one year ago today, Netflix dropped the eleven-episode first season of Voltron: Legendary Defender, and Voltron was back. The program instantly became a hit with many longtime Voltron fans, as well as a new generation of fans that had not previously heard of Voltron.

The title of the feature-length premiere episode, “The Rise of Voltron,” was appropriately named on multiple levels, because even in the real world, this episode helped to raise Voltron from relative obscurity to being back in the pop-culture spotlight, where it remains today. As of today, two seasons — 24 episodes — have dropped on Netflix, and it’s almost certain that there will be more.

As co-host of Let’s Voltron: The Official Voltron Podcast, I’ve been privileged to have met and spoken with many of the creative, skilled, and talented people who have brought Voltron: Legendary Defender from idea to reality. To everyone who has worked and continues to work on this great program, thank you, and happy first anniversary!

In the days leading up to the June 10, 2016, premiere of Voltron: Legendary Defender, I posted a few “promo images” that I created to help excite longtime fans about the new show. I’ve decided to share them below.

To celebrate the first anniversary of Voltron: Legendary Defender, I encourage you to think about how much you’ve enjoyed the program, the cool tie-in merchandise (I love the toys… the hats… you name it… and did I mention toys?), and most importantly, the relationships that you have formed (like Voltron’s Sword!) or enhanced through mutual enjoyment of the show. And if you’re so inclined, enjoy a slice or two of vrepizza. (Say it out loud. I think it’s clever…) Let your fellow members of the real-world Team Voltron — fellow fans — how much you appreciate them.

Form Voltron!