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.
of course i like to say hello!
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