If you missed the last one…
The 1980s saw the fruits of Star Wars‘ labor come to harvest. Science Fiction, especially featuring robots, was big again. Film studios like Disney put out Star Wars style films like The Black Hole (1980). Roger Corman had Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) with John-Boy Walton. Starcrash (1978) with Caroline Munroe, Message From Space (1978), Star Odyssey (1979) and other unwatchably bad films.
The comics did better. If this blog is any evidence, the robots were there already. Since the days of the first Superman comic strips to the 1970s, comics had used both the tin robot and the giant robot often. With Star Wars, there was license to use them even more. From kiddie comics like Planet Terry to sexy pieces in Metal Hurlant and its imitators, robots were everywhere. In America, in England, France and everywhere. Star Wars was a world-wide hit.
I should mention some comics that are missing here. I have pulled off the Warren magazines, the Harvey Comics and the Marvel superhero stuff for their own lists. It is surprising how many robots Spider-Man, The Rook and Richie Rich have encountered. So consider this the rest of the 1980s.
“Metal” (Time Warp #2, December 1979-January 1980) was written by Jack C. Harris.
“The Black Hole” (Walt Disney Showcase #54, January 1980) was adapted by Mary Carey.
“Black Legacy” (Doctor Who Weekly #35-38, June 12-July 3, 1980) was written by Alan Moore.
“Union in Steel” (Time Warp #5, June-July 1980) was written by Paul Kupperberg.
“The Ultimate Assassin” (The Unexpected #206, January 1981) was written by Mike W. Barr.
“No title” (Starslayer #3, June 1982) was written and drawn by Mike Grell.
“Impasse” (Doctor Who Monthly #65, June 1982) was written by David Whitaker.
“The Robot Invaders” (Flash Gordon, August 1982) was written by an unknown author.
“Stanley Steel” (Metal Hurlant #79 Special Robot, September 1982) was written and drawn by Luc Cornillion.
“Nostalgie” (Metal Hurlant #79 Special Robot, September 1982) was written and drawn by Paul Gillon.
I, Robot (1983) was adapted by Juanjo Sarto from the collection by Isaac Asimov.
“Backward, Turn Backward, O Time In Your Flight!” (Americomics #3, October 1983) was written by Marty Greim.
“Three Robots” (Silverheels #1-3, December 1983-May 1984) were written by Bruce Jones.
“Invasion, Condition 4” (The Survivors #4, March 1984) was written by Steve Woron.
“The Archies 2051” (Everything’s Archie #111, May 1984) was written by George Gladir.
Transformers #1-80 (September 1984-July 1991) was initially written by Bill Mantlo and Ralph Macchio.
Robotech Defenders #1-2 (January-April 1985) was written by Andy Helfer. The first in a long line of Robotech products.
“A Grey Day to Die” (The Alien Legion Graphic Novel, 1986) was written by Alan Zelenetz and Carl Potts.
Planet Terry #1-12 (April 1985-March 1986) was written by Len Herman, Stan Kay and Dave Manak. One of Terry’s sidekicks is Robota.
Mantech Robot Warriors #1-4 (September 1984-July 1985) was written by Rich Margopoulos.
Starriors #1-4 (November 1984-February 1985) was written by Louise Simonson.
“Night of the Butcher” (Spanner’s Galaxy #5, April 1985) was written by Nick Cuti.
Commandrons #1-4 (1985-1986) Robots from McDonalds! McBots!
Robotix (February 1986) was written and drawn by Herb Trimpe.
“The Destroyer” (Droids #1, April 1986) was written by Dave Manak.
“Metalzoic” (2000 A. D. #483-494, August 16-October 18, 1986) and collected in a DC graphic novel in July 1986. The series was written by Pat Mills.
The Heavy Metal Cover Gallery
Conclusion
We will leave our steely friends in 1986, with the end of the Bronze Age of Comics. Robot comics continue to the present day with franchises like The Transformers publishing multiple titles with the coming of the movies. Doctor Who still features the Cybermen every once in a while.
The 1980s gave us some seminal robotic characters on television and in the movies. 1984 saw James Cameron’s Terminator series begin while on Star Trek TNG, Mr. Data charmed us all through the talents of Brent Spiner. These two were more human-appearing rather than tin robots but when their skin gets ripped off…. Perhaps my favorite of them all was 1999’s The Iron Giant, which harkens back to Superman‘s “Mechanical Monsters” of 1941. CGI gave us Ultron, several new droids from Star Wars programs, Chappie, a new Lost in Space bot, etc. There is no end of sight for new robots. The tin robot will certainly be some of them. I, for one, am always happy to see them.
