New Bot Day! I got the standing Astro Boy at the last Comic Con but never gave him a new bot day. The one with his internal robot parts exposed I acquired in 2014 but never realized he opened up! Astro Boy is awesome and was created by Osamu Tezuka in 1952!
New Bot Day! KITT: “Knight Industries Two Thousand” is a tricked out 1982 Pontiac Firebird. From tv show “Knight Rider (1982-1986)” & voiced by William Daniels. Talking cars were amazing! Fighting crime, getting in adventures! David Hasselhoff! #TalkingCar #PontiacFirebird
New Bot Day! Conky 2000 was designed by Wayne White for Pee Wee’s Playhouse in 1986. Conky delivers the secret word and is made of 80s electronics! WW is an inspiration to me. Check out the documentary “Beauty is Embarassing” for more about WW. #peeweesplayhouse @waynewhiteart
New Bot Day! May 4th is an odd Star Wars Holiday so… Welcome FX-7 Medical Assistant Droid. Hails from The Empire Strikes Back, 1980. It joins 2-1B, IG-88, BB-8, R2-D2, Gonk & L3-37, already in my collection. #MayThe4th #StarWars
New Bot Day! Welcome T-Nature! @cup_o_teag gave this special homemade robot to me at Christmas and wrote a biography: “a nature spirit…a guardian from some distant planet to protect your creativity and passion”—but there’s a warning “water of the sea might disrupt her circuitry!” I love her!
New Bot Day! This is Ash, the synthetic android science officer who conspires to save the xenomorph and expend the crew of the Nostromo. Ash is a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2 android, played menacingly by Ian Holm in 1979’s Alien. #AlienDay
New Bot Day! Bring in the FEMBOT! The ultimate weapon: the latest word in android replicant technology: brutal, lethal, efficient: no man can resist their charms. They are armed with machine guns and knockout gas and feminine wiles. They seduce the spy Austin Powers but are disabled by Powers’ seductive striptease mojo. Silly greatness from 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
New Bot Day! Teddy is a Super-Toy first seen in 2001’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He originated in 1969 science fiction short story by Brian Aldiss, “Supertoys Last All Summer Long.” Teddy is doleful and wise and a companion to the films’ protagonist: artificial boy David. The movie is visually ambitious but ultimately more failed fairy tale than classic SF. Teddy is Jiminy Cricket to David’s Pinocchio.
New Bot Day! Voltes V! A new, taller vinyl edition! Voltes Five inspired my collection. The tv series ran 1977-1979. My family lived in the Philippines at that same time. Even under Marcos’ repressive regime, Japanese pop culture, especially robots, filtered to Metro Manila. The robots inspired me! I went to school at a massive Catholic school called La Salle Green Hills. Mostly Filipino but a few expat kids too. Many could draw so well. My classmates were my age: 7, 8, 9– but they could do shading and perspective! I learned a lot. 40 years later I’m still inspired by Voltes 5. Stay inspired. Stay safe! #voltesv
New Bot Day! Number Six is a model of human-appearing Cylon from the Battlestar Galactica universe reboot. Subtly and brilliantly played by Tricia Helfer from 2004 to 2009. Lionized by the Cylon people for infiltrating Earth’s defenses, the “main” Six was a hero. There were several copies of Six throughout the series which if you’ve not seen are a worthy watch. Caprica Six is featured here with my chrome toaster as well as an original 1978 “toaster” model. #bsg #numbersix
New Bot Day! Welcome to defiant and brilliant Elthree (L3-37), comrade and confidant of Lando Calrissian; key to the success of the Kessel Run that made Han Solo notorious! She was introduced in 2018 in the under-appreciated Solo: A Star Wars Story. Be like L3–don’t take any crap!
New Bot Day! Alicia is a robot from a 1959 Twilight Zone episode entitled “The Lonely” written by Rod Serling. Alicia is given in pity to convicted murderer Corry, marooned on a remote asteroid. It’s an incredibly sad meditation on loneliness and isolation with a side of musing on whether a robot can serve the emotional needs of a person. Watch it and feel sad!
New Bot Day! It’s Robo Gari (ロボガリ)! Weird hard times require weird robots. Robo Gari is weird and comedic and from the Japanese comedy tv show Ganbare!! Robocon which ran from 1974 to 1977. It’s about goofball Robocon (the red guy with heart on his chest, not to scale) and friends at Gantz’ Robot Academy. I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be heartwarming and goofy and everybody learns lessons and it’s all weird. Stay weird and safe everybody!
New Bot Day! Several years collecting and only now do I welcome Bender! (fullname Bender Bending Rodríguez). Bender se hizo en Tijuana, México en 2996. Debuting in 1999, he’s from Futurama. My favorite quote of his: “I guess a robot would have to be crazy to want to be a folk singer.”
I added lights to a third shelf because my robot cup is very full.
New Bot Day! Yes I got another Mechagodzilla (メカゴジラ, Mekagojira) who first appeared in 1974 and has had multiple incarnations. I’ve had that superdeformed (aka chibi) MG for a few years but I saw a deal and jumped on it.
New Bot Day! “Gonk. Gonk. Gonk.” says the GNK power droid the first time we see it in Star Wars. Welcome to my toy robot collection Gonk! Lovably goofy. Perfect to close out Birthday Bot Week! Happy Birthday to me!
New Bot Day! Gekkoku 2 (月光機 弐号 Gekkoki No. 2) – I got him at @billygalaxytoys in Portland last year. As I understand it he’s a mech from a series called “Tekkouki Mikazuki” in the year 2000.
New Bot Day! Welcome Machine Man aka Aaron Stack aka Mister Machine aka X-51! Created by Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics in 1977 for Jack’s 2001: a space odyssey adaptation. His sentience is partially thanks to A Monolith! Birthday Week of Bots has been a great comfort in this time of isolation and uncertainty. Be safe out there.
New Bot Day! Welcome Big Boss Robot (in black)! I was gifted purple in 2018 by @hellokellykuhl and recently black by my pal Eric L. @GiantRobot Magazine started making these in ~ 2010 based on their logo! The magazine has covered Asian and Asian-American culture since the 90s!
New Bot Day! We welcome Rosie (Rosey for a few seasons) the Robot Maid! She comes from 1962 in the prime-time animated sitcom The Jetsons. Jane Jetson hired her for all domestic tasks. Hanna-Barbera produced the Jetsons as a follow-on to their successful show The Flintstones. Rosie was voiced by Wilma Flintstone voice actor Jean Vander Pyl. The Jetsons is a mixed bag but it did predict video calls, domestic robots, and pushbutton food.
New Bot Day! From 1978’s Battlestar Galactica tv series it’s a Cylon Centurion! Never went to court Universal and Fox contested just how much of a Star Wars ripoff BSG was. Cylons like this one have been referenced across the culture; Wikipedia notes Futurama, The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Robot Chicken… men my age loved these silver baddies!
New Bot Day! Welcome Doublas M2 (ダブラスM2) — a terrifying mechanical robot beast from the Mazinger anime series—He’s from the 1970s—like me!
It’s New Bot Monday! Welcome Red Tornado! Emerged in 1968 though has earlier roots (1960) DC Comics backstories are notoriously complicated and this android is no different. He joins Data and my other bots discussing becoming more human!
It’s New Bot Monday! Welcome to Twiki who hails from 1979 by way of the year 2491 on the tv show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He’s an “ambuquod” helper robot, carrying on his chest an artificial intelligence: Dr. Theopolis. Twiki is kinda funny, and was mostly voiced by Mel Blanc, famed Warner Bros cartoon actor.
New Bot Monday! This is Gir from Invader Zim. Acquired at SDCC but robot posting has been less a priority what with comics making and beach time and work and all.
I love that @verbatim.books has a toy robot corner.
I’m pretty sure this is my second medical robot, the first was Baymax. 2-1B first appeared in the Star Wars universe in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, caring for Luke post-wampa attack and then post-Darth Vader duel. Welcome! #NewBotDay
We found robots! (Working and industrial) #ubm
Doublas M2 is an enemy to Mazinger Z and originates in the early 1970s! Picked up this little guy at @super7sandiego the other day! Hooray new bot day!
New Bot Day! SP//dr is a robot/mecha piloted by Peni Parker which HAVE YOU SEEN SPIDER-MAN: Into The Spider-verse yet because you SHOULD.
I was very happy to see Gigantor yesterday when I went to Baton Rouge and my bag went to New Orleans!
Ho Ho Ho! Look out it’s Robot Santa—who hails from the tv show Futurama and first appeared in 1999. He weighs four tons, and his standards for who is naughty or nice are too harsh. Robot Santa mostly decides you’re naughty and need to be blasted by his terrifying arsenal.
It’s a good feeling when a friend gives you 3 robots in one day. Look at these little ones! Thanks Chris!
Dave Pressler
Bot update! Have a great weekend everybody.
+2 Robots on the work robot team. Heads down working hard. #botfriday
Friday Bots Assemble! #walle #mechagodzilla #toyrobots
Getting the bot band back together. #toyrobots #voltesv #astroboy
It’s new bot Wednesday! Welcome Robot Spirits RX-75-4 Guntank! This fellow was a gift from my friend @hellokellykuhl from WonderCon and it’s a beaut!
Robot Music Box Anniversary/Christmas gift from Leah. Very intricate assembly. Lots of pieces. 20 solid hours effort. Two major backtracking to correct errors of building. Thank you Leah!
New Bot Tuesday! Not for me tho. :)
Nephews AND Robots. Not sure there’s many better situations than this.
Starting the week off right with a new bot! Daitetsujin 17 (大鉄人17) is a battle robot from a 1977 tv show who defends Earth from Brain: Earth’s supercomputer that went rogue. Yes, we’ve been scared of computers a long time. Welcome Daitetsujin One-Seven!
Long time, no bot! New Bot Thursday brings us Maximilian from Disney’s film “The Black Hole” (1978). He’s silent, he’s murderous, he scared me as a kid!
Sketchbot by @stevetalkowski joins the collection. Pencil-wielding with a bit of attitude. Got him in AZ @lulubell_toys
NEW BOT MONDAY: Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V. My most favorite Bot of all. ボルテス are the first Japanese ideograms I ever copied onto paper. Predates Voltron, with which it is confused, by 6 or 7 years. Famously banned by the dictatorial Marcos regime because of revolutionary ideas. Beloved by Filipinos of a certain age. Voltes V is the bot that made me fall in love with bots. Those toys are too highly priced to buy, but this one is a fine interim purchase.
This week has been rough. What better balm than new bot Friday? GoShogun (ゴーショーグン) hails from 1981 anime and film. The toy is from 1999 and I dig it.
Me, Raideen (sic) & Mazinga (sic). North of $200 each and too tall for the collection. Oceanside Antique Bots!
New Bot, Trek’s Q & #imwithher
Kikaider (キカイダー) hails from 1972. Oftentimes I get suggestions from friends on bots I never heard of and I finally found an affordable Kikaider. Thanks @james47ag for inspiring today’s New Bot Monday!
Just talkin’ bout Mechagodzilla, Hello Kitty, BB-8, wind-up toys, and robot collecting with Summer.
New Bot Tuesday! Gort made his debut in 1951 in the classic film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Pictured with fellow 1950s-era robots. Klaatu barada nikto!
Any trip I take may contain robot shopping. It seemed like our Virginia/Outer Banks trip would be an exception until on a whim I took us to the Virginia Beach Antique Mall where “The Toymeister” has a huge toys and collectibles section upstairs. Many robots and other toys, well curated, well cared for. Star Wars, vintage, TMNT, sports, action figures, dolls, Marvel, DC, it’s an impressive store well worth a visit.
Of course I miss working with my bots. Luckily there’s a robot or two belonging to my nephews here.
Major question of the weekend is whether I’m going to buy the Black Power Droid (Gonk!) and/or The Beastie Droids from DKE Toys. Handmade, funny… #sdcc
TRIPLE ROBOT SELFIES! #sdcc is a big win so far.
Throw your hands in the air, if youse a true player #bots
Sisterhood.
New Bot Monday! Venus A [ビューナスA] is from the Mazinger universe circa 1975-ish. She’s a giant robot driven by biracial (Japanese/African-American) heroine Jun Hono. She drives the Venus Scrander that flies into the back of her head. Her hands-on-hips pose exemplifies her power!
Libraries with Makerbot 3-D Digitizers are 21st Century Libraries.
Stopped into @super7sandiego — super awesome shop but did not buy today. But I’ll be back! Any store with Jumbo Machinder is okay by me!
Current Bot Cuteness Corner
HELLO KITTY CHOGOKIN (look it up) — New Bot Wednesday features ハロー・キティdriving a giant robot of herself. The paws really shoot!
Tomorrow’s bot will exceed all cuteness expectations. #Mecha #Jaeger
Cousins
It’s another big week for bots! This is “ZnDc Missler” made in the 1970s by Yonezawa.
Acquired at Planet Books in Long Beach. Don’t know the name or the age but I sure like this bot.
New Bot Wednesday! Another Q Pop acquisition. This is Mad Baron! He was designed by Zollmen and hails from Japan. Vinyl Artist Gacha series 3.
New Bot Day! Raideen (勇者ライディーン) hails from 1975 Japanese tv. Like many of my bots I first encountered him in the Philippines. When I saw the Shogun Warriors back in the States I was happy they brought him over but mystified why they changed the spelling of his name to Raydeen. I picked up this superdeformed rendering of him at Q Pop Shop @qpopshop in Little Tokyo. #Raideen
Scarcely a visit to Little Tokyo without a bot photo. Astro Boy is sold out.
Just because I’m not taking him home doesn’t mean I don’t love him. Farewell little plush robot.
The Big Guy & Rusty are my jam. This week.
SPACE BATTLE SPACE ROBOT was too tall for the collection, regrettably. Pretty good for a drugstore robot though. I believe I’ve made it clear I’m always low key robot hunting. Thankfully the rules for collecting are strict and I’m picky.
Now here’s a good omen: I was driving down Mira Mesa Blvd and caught this little robot out of the corner of my eye. Love it!
Getter Liger & the other Getter Bots all have great machinder designs but I have a hard time keeping their names straight.
Birthday mug. Birthday robot. Getter Liger acquired this weekend.
Also not purchased but quite nice: A Fembot from Austin Powers & Bishop from Aliens.
Blast From The Past in Burbank sure has some fun stuff for the middle-aged toy nerd. I walked out with the fellow on the left: Getter Liger. A late birthday gift to myself and quite nice. I already have an Iron Giant and for the price that little Cylon didn’t bowl me over. Such nice things!
Here’s to cuties.
Yesterday was tops. Tomorrow’s even better. 46 here I am.
Second String Bots of the Week
Today’s Top 9 Bots. Next time I see them I’ll be 46.
Me, WALL-E & Doreamon wish Diana a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Bad Guy Day with Bots: ED-209, King Joe, Terminator, Imperializer & chibi Mechagodzilla!
B-9 Class M-3 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot joins other 50s & 60s style bots for New Bot Tuesday!
Enforcement Droid 209 comes from RoboCop (1987). ED-209 is incompetently designed and hilariously deadly. New Bot Monday has never been scarier.
Buddies! New Bot Wednesday includes BB-8 meeting Artoo.
Time to go to work. #bb8
Data joins the bots! One of the most asked-about absences from my collection has been added. #StarTrek
New Bot Monday! Planet Robo Danguard Ace (惑星ロボ ダンガードA (エース) who I met in 1978 in the Philippines and became a Shogun Warrior in the US when I got home. Great design.
Seattle bound in the morning. See you in a week bots!
I consider buying Mazinger Z & Great Mazinger every time I see these but they’re not my style. From yesterday.
Captain BB-8 by local artist Mark Kessler. Lovely sculpture showing at Villanous Lair!
New Bot Thursday! It’s Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba who I learned about from Godson Archer. Let’s go to work!
Really not a vacation until I take a selfie with a robot. #bb-8
