Rand Unwrapped (17 page)

“Hear me mister and hear me good! We're giving the orders around here and not you!”

Paper Hero – Episode 7

I am a
Robotech
fan just as much as anyone who watched the show when it first was released on television. I will admit that my experiences with
Robotech
might be different because I had the opportunity to become involved in the production of the television series. But anyone who has become intimately involved in the
Robotech
story and characters in any way shape or form has no choice but to become a fan. I am not just talking about
The New Generation
. I am talking about the entire series. We have all had the
Robotech
experience and then have somehow found ourselves drawn to the characters and story. Yes it is true that the
Robotech
was put together by an amazing group of creative talent including its writers and voice talent. Also, Carl Macek was an integral part of the creative force that made the series come to life. There would not be a
Robotech
without the creative talent of Carl Macek. He had the creative vision to be able to imagine what we all could not readily see when we were working on the production of the series. Frank Agrama's creative vision and the Harmony Gold company were also catalysts in creating the framework and resources so the series could come into existence. The coming together of this diverse group of imaginative, talented people and perhaps timing, resulted in a
ground breaking series that set the standard for all the animated shows that would follow. But, there was something else at play that we should never forget.
Robotech
has an equally diverse and talented audience.

There would be no
Robotech
(as we have come to know and love it) without its audience. This is a simple truth that sounds more like the cliché hypothetical question,
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
If there were no audience would
Robotech
the series ever achieve its unique place in animation? Of course, anyone will tell you, if a television show has no audience, it gets cancelled. However, that's not what I'm getting at.
Robotech
has always had a unique audience that has stayed with it beyond television syndication. No matter what trials and tribulations
Robotech
has been through both on and off the screen, the audience has been there with us. No matter what new turn the
Robotech
saga takes, the audience has always been there to support the show. In many ways we have all become
Robotech
warriors.

When we view
Macross, Robotech Masters
or
The New Generation
, we witness the characters at their own peril, stand up and fight for what is right. We find ourselves compelled to follow their story because we see ourselves in them. They are heroes but not so different from us that we could not be there with them doing what they do. I have always admired the ability of the
Robotech
characters to do extraordinary things even though they were just ordinary people forced into extreme circumstances. But the quality that makes them just like us, is that they are flawed characters that possess an intellectual, emotional as well as physical reaction to the world around them. They fall in love, they get jealous, and they experience grief, are often afraid and sometime do things that are wrong. But they are also loving, just and brave. This is the reason we are drawn to them because they are a mirror of our own aspirations and fears. You may be thinking, you are totally out of it, there are no Invid in my life. I would agree with you if you were making a literal comparison. But are there any individuals that function in your life just like the Invid did to
The New Generation
? Do you have any one around you that wants to control everything you do? Suck the very life out of you? Who wants to draw the very life force out of your universe? Think about that for a minute. What about the person sitting next to you right now? If the answer is yes, then you are face to face with your own version of the Invid. What has
Robotech
taught us? One thing that you don't run away from the forces that are against you. You hold your ground and stand up for what you believe in. Your Invid, can be a boss, a friend or a even a purported love one. I'm not suggesting that you should quit your job, have no friends, break up with girlfriend/boyfriend or get a divorce. But ask yourself this question. What if
your
life was an episode in the
Robotech
story and you were a character in it? What would you do? Would you just sit idly let your universe be destroyed? Would you run away and hope that everything would be better someplace else? Or, would you stand and fight for your own freedom, your planet and what is right? Now think about your life right now? If you had a challenge like this, what would you do? If you're a
Robotech
fan (at least the ones I know), I think you would stand and fight.
Robotech
has taught all of us to take our space, do what is right and be counted. Ultimately, we are all
Robotech
warriors fighting the fight. Let's not ever forget that.

1.
Never start a fight you can't finish.

2.
Keep your friends close.

3.
Take care of your ride… especially your cyclone.

4.
There's nothing like a good wisecrack in a tense situation.

5.
Get a Job! No really… always have something to do.

6.
Don't be afraid to ask what you don't know.

7.
Never hit on your best friend's girlfriend.

8.
Life is full of little surprises… enjoy them.

9.
When you're in a new town… always find a good deli.

10.
If it's big, looks like a crab and moving toward you… shoot it.