Robotech Art 1 is one of the best additions to my fanboy collection. Not only does it have synopses of every episode, it also gives general details of the various vehicles and equipment that you see in the series. It also has character biographies of the "stars" as well as some of the second-stringers, though not as in-depth as I'd prefer. It's also well illustrated with 'stills' from the series as well as production sketches.

Art 1 also details Robotech's creation and evolution. It tells you about how three totally unrelated Japanese anime series were re-worked and edited into the legendary saga. It discusses the future plans of Robotech projects that ultimately failed.

But to me the best part of this book is the last chapter. It's a brief history of Japanese anime from the fifties to 1985, as well as myriad attempts to adapt and edit various anime series for U.S. viewing, many of which met with varying degrees of success or failure. You also get a glimpse of how an anime series is made, and the fundamental differences between the Japanese and Western styles and methods of animation.

Unfortunately, the one thing that Robotech Art 1's got going against it is that it's been out of print for several years, and has become extremely hard to find. It took me several months to track down a copy of it, but in the end it was worth it.

Sometimes, the thrill is in the chase...


Ample artwork, indespensible guide to show   April 12, 1997
While the book is called "Robotech _Art_ I", the meat of it is actually a 138-page episode guide, summarizing each of the 85 installments with crisp writing and ample detail. These summaries are set against well-reproduced original cels from the series (or, when necessary, promotional artwork or even screen-shots [see p. 95]).

Also included are three chapters with character biographies set against animators' model sheets, some mecha designs, and a final chapter tracing "Robotech"s origins both as a shining example of Japan's "anime"... and as a case of US TV business expediency (the "show" is actually THREE Japanese programs, edited and rewritten to appear to be one huge saga). For this latter reason, anime purists will balk at the book, just as they dismiss the series as a bastardization.

Nevertheless, if you like "Robotech", this book offers a nice memento, and a glimpse into its unique background. If you can find it, grab it


Robotech Art 1   February 8, 2008
This is it, this is what jump started my interest in Anime. I lived in a small town as a kid, with very little access to anything cool, and no comic shops, not even a mall. My only exposure to anime was voltron, and robotech. Because I didn't know what they were, and we didn't have a vcr, I couldn't really follow them, only faint memories. Then I moved to the big city, and in the 9th grade someone brought this book to class. I borrowed it, and....well he didn't get that book back for a long time. That became my Robotech bible. Toward the end of the book it would give you just enough of a hint that there was so much more than Robotech, and from there on the rest is history. I consider myself very fortunate to have seen such an awesome book at such an early age, and since the video tapes were super scarce (block buster only had the 1st 3 video's). For Robotech it's great, it gives reviews of every single episode, the artwork is fantastic, the back has great character sketches and descriptions. Then a history of the series and how it was brought over to the U.S. I highly recommend this book to old and new fans alike. Buy it now, they don't make them anymore!