MetaFilter posts tagged with cartoon and robot

OMG Bunnies.

oneswellfoop — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:08:16 -0800

"Usavich" (Season One video) is a series of 90-second CGI cartoons made for MTV Japan about two Russian rabbits. It begins in a Soviet-era prison where Kirenenko*, a mob boss sentenced to death is sharing a cell with Putin (yes, that's his name), a common worker imprisoned on a trumped-up charge and counting the days until his release. And then it gets weird. (contains extreme cartoon violence, scatological gags, Russian stereotypes, transvestite chickens and shoe fetishes) Kirenenko only wants to lay back and read his magazine but shows off incredible strength when annoyed while Putin does a stereotypical Russian dance on his cot and panics very easily. We meet Leningrad, a frog living in the cell toilet and Comaneci, a transvestite chicken discovered while Putin was sorting chicks by gender (and who is frequently eaten but not digested by Leningrad). By the end of Season One, Kirenenko has survived all attempts by the prison to execute him and, upon discovering a pair of expensive tennis shoes he wants, breaks himself and Putin out of the prison. Season Two shows the duo on the run and on the road in a klunky Russian sedan while pursuing police escalate the assault on them, interrupted only when Kirenenko mindlessly drives the car into a deep crevasse. Putin shows his worth in his ability to repair and even upgrade the car, often in motion. In Season Three, (First Episode, the Rest of the Episodes), the rabbits work their way up a 13-story building as Kirenenko tries to buy his coveted tennis shoes and get retribution from a rival boss who tries to stop him and take his surprisingly large stash of money. When Kirenenko appears dead, Putin builds a 'Mechanenko' robot to scare the boss's minions which turns out almost as formitable as the original. Kirenenko defeats the boss, after destroying all but the top story of the building. In Season Four (First Episode, the Rest of the Episodes), things have calmed down somewhat as Kirenenko rests comfortably in a hole in the wall while Putin tries various upgrades to the Mechanenko robot. But when Mechanenko tries on the coveted tennis shoes, a battle ensues... The cartoons feature an electronic musical score except at the climax of each episode, when J.S.Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is heard. The fifth episode of each season is a 'musical' episode featuring rhythmical beat-boxing by the characters and props. *note: since the toons have little understandable dialogue (except a few bits in Russian not intended to be understood by the original Japanese audience), names are from the series promotional materials as translated by Wikipedia.

From Days of Long Ago...

zarq — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:22:13 -0800

"From days of long ago... from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend: the legend of Voltron, Defender of the Universe!" WEP, who originally created the show way back in the early 80’s, has released the full first season of the series (Lion Voltron) to Hulu and on their YouTube channel (official playlist / videos are unrestricted). Only the first two-part episode of Voltron Series Two (Vehicle Force) is currently available to view for free online: 1, 2. However, many of the episodes are available for purchase at Amazon Prime and iTunes. A Voltron: Fleet of Doom movie aired after the first series ran in the US (Parts: 1, 2, 3), to introduce viewers to changes to the show that would take place in series 2. Background i09: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About the Big Cat Robot Voltron Includes a link to this fun fan vid on YouTube: Best Voltron Moments In 1983, Ted Koplar and Peter Keefe (RIP - he passed away in 2010,) took footage he had licensed from from two different Japanese cartoons: Beast King GoLion (which can be seen in its entirety at Crunchyroll,) and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV (video clips), to create an entirely new show. The producers couldn’t translate the original Japanese shows into English, so they guessed at the plots, created completely new dialogue and storylines, and bowdlerized the more violent scenes (including all the character deaths) into a show they could release into syndication with minimal controversy. Wikipedia: Changes from the Japanese Version lists the differences in detail. Caution: the GoLion show is not safe for young children. Rebooting Japanese animation into American shows had been done before -- with Gatchaman / Battle of the Planets and others. But by carving an entirely new show from existing footage, Voltron paved the way for shows like Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Per Mr. Keefe's NYTimes obit, the show became one of the top children's programs in syndication in the mid-1980s. Initially, there were supposed to be three "Voltrons": Voltron I of the Near Universe was the "Vehicle Force", which appeared in Series II. Voltron III was the "Lion Force" of the Far Universe. Voltron II, from the Middle Universe, was to be based on a Japanese show, Lightspeed Electroid Albegas (Footage: 1, 2), and would have featured three humanoid robots that combined into one multi-armed fighter; this version was never shown in the US (though toys based on this show were released). Spinoffs In 1998, Voltron, The Third Dimension was released. (Wikipedia) The 3D, all-CGI show lasted only a single season -- 26 episodes, but starred Tim Curry as Lotor. Nearly all of it can be seen for free on YouTube: 1: "Escape from Bastille" 1, 2, 3 2: "Red Lion Breaks Loose" 1, 2, 3 3: "Building the Forces of Doom" 1, 2, 3 4: "Lost Souls" 1, 2, 3 5: "A Rift in the Force" 1, 2, 3 6: “Shades of Gray” 1, 2, 3 7: "Bride of the Monster" 1, 2, 3 8: "Dominus" 1, 2, 3 9: "Voltron versus Dracotron" 1, 2, 3 10: "Descent into Madness" 1, 2, 3 11: "Pidge Gets Iced" 1, 2, 3 12: "Dark Heart" 1, 2, 3 13: "The Big Lie" 1, 2, 3 14: "The Trial of Voltron" 1, 2, 3 15: "The Troika Moons" 1, 2, 3 16: "Biography: The Voltron Force" 1, 2, 3 17: Missing 18: “The Voltron Force Strikes Back” 1, 2, 3 19: "Stealth Voltron" 1, 2, 3 20: "Gladiators" 1, 2, 3 (Not Online) 21: Not Online 22: Not Online 23: "Consider the Alternatives" 1, 2, 3 A live-action feature-length film has been in the planning stages since 2005: Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Concept Art. Recent announcement from Relativity Media In June 2011, for the 25th anniversary of the original series, WEP announced a new show: Voltron Force. Trailer. The last six episodes to air are available at Nicktoons. Video from before the show aired last year. Miscellany * The fan site Voltron Universe has some old Voltron games available to download. (Haven't downloaded any of these, so your risk and mileage may vary.) There is a Voltron: Defender of the Universe game for XBox and PS3. Review. * Earlier this year, MetLife included the big 'bot in a commercial that aired during the SuperBowl. They also released a fun "behind the scenes" video of him doing "the robot." * Fan Film (Live Action): Voltron: The End (Previously on MeFi)

"Wanna be a member, wanna be a member?"

obscurator — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:28:37 -0800

Bimbo the Dog never had it easy. First, he was forcefully initiated into a sadistic, subterranean, won't-take-no-for an-answer, candle-headed cabal. Then he was punched in the face by his own creation (among others), and summarily run out of town, where he was taunted by tombstones and other undead entities. *all YouTube links* Bimbo the Dog would soon come to meet his 'pal' Betty Boop, and take a backseat to her cartoon stardom. Bimbo, Betty and others were creations of Fleischer Studios (Max and Dave). Max invented the rotoscope, and together the Fleischers went on to animate Superman (previously).

Dad's Home and Walk Smash Walk

jonson — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 07:20:53 -0800

Sakupen is the online name of a musician/artist who made two of my favorite flash music animations (warning: first link goes to artist's myspace page w/audio). The first one, "Dad's Home" is a mayhem filled coffee buzz set to Cab Calloway's Reefer Man, and the second, "Walk, Smash, Walk" is about a robot whose job is to Walk and then Smash and then Walk some more. Wildly different styles, but both are captivating; large versions of both cartoons can be viewed here.