I really like this guy...


Photo taken at VTN and shamelessly stolen from toybotstudios.

this guy is looking awesome.....

but robert says not an enemy....2nd good guy mech in the series!

Good guy, nice. I need to pick up one of the combat r's. Did he have any more designs with him? Curious to see what he has for an enemy.

He had a milky white proto at VTN that I liked. Said he might put it out with an color insert.

The drawing is indeed a good guy as Kirkland said. His name is Panzer Ace. We are shooting for a way smaller run (200 pcs) with the original and a second colorway when it makes it's first appearance light years from now (not really that long). Many request for bad guys it seems.

As for Combat R Zero we had on display a clear CRZ that is slated as part of the next colorway with a possible machine innards.

VTN was a bit dissapointing. There wheren't many attendees as was anticipated but we did have fun and met lots of great folks. I met some skullbrainers like my bud Kirkland, as well as Carl (Muton) Scott (HMS) Plastic Hunter, and Tavaro.

You guys, HMS really is a nice guy in person so don't let his online persona fool you.

Love the catapiller tracks on the feet.

very cool. i didn't realize there were going to be more robots in the series.

i need to get cracking on my entry for the art contest.

Robert, PLEASE give us a GID colorway of Panzer Ace (and, well, pretty much every toy you produce in this line! )!!

A clear CRZ with machine innards would be HOT.

Panzer ace rules hard. Why is there a number '1' on his left arm ?

we need some monkeys/apes as enemies!

Robert, my intentions here are to be constructive. I really feel that this design is so similar to the first as to be virtually indistinguishable. Are you sure you want to go ahead with producing a design that looks so much like your first one?

I think you have some cool opportunities to build on the original design. The backpack on Combat-R Zero is removable, right? Do you have any plans on producing additional backpack attachments for that socket? Maybe a "big brother" flying robot that he docks with to get around?

Roger, Very observant and I'm glad you asked this question. They are similar because of the back story. Combat -R Zero was an un-expected part of what was supposedly three robots built by my fictional organization named SHI (Shugato Heavy Industries). When SHI got a warning that an Alien Armada with intentions to invade was headed for Earth. SHI scrambled to make a weapon system to defend the Earth. With the time they had before the Aliens arrival SHI calculated that at least three Robot defenders can be developed. CR-3 "----" was the first followed by CR-2 "-----" and last CR-1 "Panzer Ace". I don't want to go into the back story too much because I'm planning on a comic book for it but Combat-R ZERO was developed in secret and unknown to the developers of the first three. Also I wanted to design the Robot with a certain look and style distinguishable from others. Design elements like the eyes are and will be carried through all the hero (good guy) robots . Think about Dragonball Z and how all the characters have that distinct eye style that makes them instantly recognizable as DBZ and you get my point. The big fists is a feature and a design style that is/will be seen on almost all the robot (good and bad) through out the comic series. If you watch Tetsujin (Gigantor) you'll notice how all the Robots have very similar design styles that tie them together. Heck even Gundams are like that and what about Evangelion? I can design robots in all styles from a 60's style black and white Gigantor types to hyper detailed Gundams where all the joints make sense but my bots will just get lost in the mix of soo many robots already out there. I think Panzer Ace has a good balance of uniqueness (izzat a word?) and similarity to CRZ and my other bots. I take a LOT of time developing these designs with thousands of head spinning tweaks to strike that fine balance so believe me I worry about the things you've mentioned. I wish I can show you all the Robots in the werks but I can't so you guys will just have to keep your eyes peeled on Atomic Mushroom. I also hope we are around long enough to see these guys into production.

To answer the second part of your question. CRZ and PA packs are interchangeable. I also have specialty weapons variants like the "Zeus Cannon" version CRZ in my portfolio. We have LOADS of projects for CRZ and other toys but we need to be selective cause we can only do a little at a time being a new company with a limited budget. Like I said before if you could only get a peep at our design portfolio you'll see all the cool stuff we got lined up. We're not about to neglect our first bot. Many great things are in store.

i was just afraid that your brother would kick my ass in front of a bunch of KR/western pansies

The big dude beside me? That was my wifes causin. He actually thought you where cute. Kicking ass was prolly not what he was thinking.

Robert, I think this will look great next to the CRZ's!

Good luck. I hope these come out sooner than "light years..."

Hi, Robert, thanks for the explanation. The issue I'm presenting isn't so much about the design itself, but rather the direction that the line seems to be taking.

Let's see if I can articulate this: If I bought an SOC Mazinger-Z, I'd be less likely to buy the Great Mazinger next because it was so similar. I'd be more likely to buy something like Boss Borot or Doublas M2. Like you said, they share a similar design sensibility but the essence of the characters are very different from one another.

I see this as a similar situation. This second design (and now that I know the backstory, I understand why) has nearly identical design elements and proportions to your first one. If I glanced quickly at both designs, I'd probably think they were the same robot. I think you would be better served by doing something different.

To point to someone else as an example, Onell Design started off with their hero figures, then they did alien figures that were half the size of the hero, and now they're going to continue with a robot that's more than twice the hero figure's size. Interoperability of the parts aside, I think the variety of their product offerings is a major part of keeping people going back to them to buy more toys.

GoHero and Marusan's TEDEROS lines are similar examples of what I'm talking about.

Again, just opinion, and this is admittedly based on my own buying habits and preferences, so you may want to get opinions from others. Or not. It's your vision, go with it!

damn... why couldn't your wife's cousin be the cute girl with the chest tattoo that was sitting behind that VTN table

HAAha! I know who you're talking about..She was hawt!! I wish she was sitting beside me too. I'd prolly wouldn't have been soo damn sleepy.

Carl BTW looked like some famous musician according to a customer that stopped by and asked . She was trying to place him but couldn't recall where? Carl did look like he had an entourage tho

He is a famous musician. He's the frontman for Muton And The Mu-tones.

pics?

I can see what Roger is talking about and as far as Mazinger goes, I feel the same way. As for CRZ and PA, I think there is enough of a difference between the two. CRZ stands up straighter while PA is a little hunched over. The feet are obviously different (PA's treads remind me of Getter3). PA also looks a little shorter than CRZ but might not be. The visual language is the same and this is where Roger is having an issue. When you think about it, they are military robots which is why it makes sense that they should have the same visual language. If you look at something like a series of F-4 Phantoms, it is basically the same thing. Until one year, pilots demanded to have a Vulcans added as a standard instead of an optional pod or pods used for strafing (since they were not standard, they had no aiming software and were not useful in dogfights). Even from Phantom to Phantom II, you'd have to be a pretty hardcore military buff to see any difference. When you look at various GM suits in Gundam, they are all the same but have slight differences depending on their useage. Same with Macross. The only real visual difference in VF's are the heads.
It is good the hear both sides from Roger and Robert. Me, I lean towards Robert (not cause we're both Filipino). I can see why there are similarities to the CR robots and after reading the little back story, it does make sense for them to look very similar.

and that's my dollars worth (since 2cents doesn't really amount to much anymore)

I remember when CRZ was something I could only visualize in 2D. When it was finally a fully realized 3D toy it had a new life of it's own. Here's both Panzer Ace and Combat R Zero side by side in 2D. Imagine when PA becomes a 3D toy as well. I don't know Rog, I just don't see how they're virtually indistinguishable.

I like the look. It reminds me of some of ironman. How he had various forms of armor etc.
I can't wait to see the next one.

I'm digging the Panzer Ace.
Especially in that color also.