September 15, 2004

{ MECHABOT by Go Hero }

MECHABOT has old-school giant-robot cool to spare! This hard-vinyl figure is the first release from US-based Go Hero, a robo-obsessed design studio prepared to unleash their sci-fi meets kaiju vision upon the world. They've distilled the entire history of Japanese pop-robot-culture into a brilliant collector-oriented vinyl figure, creating a piece whose design is strikingly original and yet also the perfect homage to those giant robots who have come before him. MECHABOT is cast in 1/32 scale, standing 8.5 inches tall with 12 points of articulation. His rounded features give him a look that calls to mind classic giant robots such as Mazinga and Shin Getter Robo. The fins that rise from his torso add to the nostalgia, though in a much different way, recalling the grandiose American automobile designs of the 50's. His poseability mimics a kind of "rubber-suit" feel, and it's easy to imagine a six-foot tall version of MECHABOT duking it out with arch-enemy Tentikill in a miniature city-set replete with crumbling buildings and lots of well-orchestrated explosions. Go Hero have conjured an instantly iconic design for their title character- his head sculpt combines a classic boomerang "crown" with deep-set glowing eyes and an intimidatingly expressionless mouthplate. I detect a little Optimus Prime influence, though MECHABOT retains his own immediately identifiable image. His story is similarly unique, and threaded through with diverse influence and inspiration. It's the kind of thing you wouldn't be surprised to see showing up on Saturday morning TV, it's appeal is truly that wide. MECHABOT has been released in 3 colorways: A sold-out Super7 Magazine exclusive gray-scale version, the standard metallic paint job and a limited edition matte-finish of the standard scheme. The matte-finish piece is included as part of a Debut Kit which includes a poster created by Super7's Mark Nagata; Hi-Fi-Sci-Fi, an original MECHABOT music CD; a mini art-comic and a mini-figure of Zing Takemitsu, the young man who controls the awesome power of MECHABOT. Go Hero has plans to issue a plethora of monstrous bad-guy figures for MECHABOT to beat-up on, and their evil kaiju designs are a must-see, so be sure to click the links below to scope out the prototypes and backstory. You can find some sharp Flash motion-video pieces featuring Mechabot on the official website, and can order your own figure while you're at it. Whether you're a hard-core vinyl collector or a fan of the giant robot/kaiju genre in general, Go Hero's looking out for you.

» MECHABOT
» Go Hero!

By Adam in Toys