Armarauders - Toy Line and Comic Launch!
 

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
OVERVIEW

PROJECT TITLE: ARMARAUDERS

MISSION: NEW ACTION FIGURE TOY-LINE WITH WEB COMIC AND MOTION COMIC TIE-INS

LAUNCH DATE: MARCH 07, 2012

OBJECTIVE: STAGE 1 - LAUNCH OF ONLINE WEB COMIC

STATUS: WEB COMIC AND MOTION COMIC WILL BOTH BE AVAILABLE TO VIEW ONLINE FOR FREE

LAUNCH SEQUENCE: ONLINE COMIC WILL BE RELEASED IN WAVES

• EACH WAVE OF THE WEB COMIC WILL CONSIST OF SEVEN PAGES
• MOTION COMIC WILL BE RELEASED IN BETWEEN EACH WAVE OF THE WEB COMIC
• TWO ACTION-PACKED STORY-ARCS ARE CURRENTLY PLANNED
• EACH STORY-ARC CONSISTS OF SIX ISSUES
• EACH ISSUE CONTAINS TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES
• PUBLISHED COMIC BOOK EDITIONS WILL BE RELEASED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOY LINE

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
ARMARAUDERS: THE LAST BATTALION
A PRELUDE TO WAR


The people of Earth had become a hazard unto themselves. The population levels outpaced the food supply, precious resources had been spent, and their planet’s environment was fouled to dangerous levels. Many nations were eying neighboring lands with conquest in mind, and a vicious global war seemed inevitable.

Like an all too convenient prayer, the Runerians came. Although their starships arrived at Earth as broken hulks with the scars of battle, the technology they represented was far beyond that of humankind. A species of pacifists, the Runerians (aka “Runeks”) arrived in the name of peace… but also with a warning—

The Wasters were coming.

The Wasters were an alien species of conquerors. They despoiled planets for resources, technology, and slaves—destroying all which was not of use to them. The Runeks had fled their own planet, Runera, being apparently ill suited to defend against the onslaught. Many Runerian starships—unable to make the voyage—self-destructed rather than allow their species’ advanced technology to fall into such brutal hands.

In exchange for sanctuary and protection, the Runerians shared their knowledge with the humans. Mankind quickly adapted to these new gifts. Mining colonies were established on Earth’s moon—as well as the two moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos—for new raw materials. Machinery capable of turning raw energy into food alleviated the problems of starvation. As to the problem of over-population… the Wasters, themselves, helped solve that.

For the Wasters were soon upon them. The Runerians' more advanced technology allowed them to arrive significantly before the Waster horde, giving Earth enough time to prepare for the impending threat; it was barely enough. Millions of lives were lost. Entire cities were obliterated. Yet, the humans held their ground. Using weapons originally designed to attack each other, humanity held the line, and in a glorious victory, saved planet Earth from destruction.

In a brief span of years, humanity had gone from utter ruin, to a self-sufficient planet able to maintain its current population. But with the Waster armada defeated, humanity shifted its focus to the alien refuges. Some humans, seeing the Runerians as saviors, looked to them as if they were gods. But many more looked upon them with hatred—a focus of blame for the Waster invasion. Some even suggested that the Runerians had visited Earth in the past, and that they had caused mankind to fall into the state Earth was in when the Runerians arrived. The Runerians did little to dissuade such negatively, many actively stating that they looked upon humans as violent, coarse, and uncivilized.

A decision was made, and a pact between nations was formed. Rather than fight a defensive war, waiting for the next attack, Earth would take the fight to the Wasters. Just as Earth had learned peaceful technology from the Runerians, they studied the Wasters’ technology, and learned of war. Giant mechanical assault vehicles were constructed, mimicking the humanoid physiology of its pilots. The first goal of the new mech units was to reclaim the planet Runera for their new allies. But goals are easier stated than accomplished.

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
FULL GEAR BELLEROPHON: CAM’S SPECIAL

Mech fans…your voices have been heard. A new mech action-figure for a new era marches your way. MECHA WORKSHOP presents the Bellerphon Mechs of ARMAURADERS: THE LAST BATTALION!

MECHA WORKSHOP is proud to announce an all-new line of action figures featuring the Bellerphon mech. With a committed attention to detail and included accessories, the highly articulated Bellerphon is sure to impress the most dedicated Mech enthusiasts and scrupulous toy collectors alike.

The first to answer the call to duty is the Full Gear Bellerophon: Cam’s Special. Piloted by Private First Class Cameron Knox, this Bellerophon Infantry Mech represents the core in which to build a Mech army.

In a war against an alien threat that spans the galaxy, a soldier must adapt, alter, and conform as needed in order to survive and prevail. Named after the hero of Greek mythology who slew the monstrous Chimera, the Bellerphon is designed to function as a multi-purpose and highly mobile infantry unit—an ultra-advanced mech that serves as both grunt and warhorse against the onslaught of a relentless enemy. With the addition of specially designed optional equipment, the Bellerphon serves as a “jack of all trades” on the battlefield, and can be called upon to serve on a wide range of specialty missions.

With the Bellerophon Mech serving as the core in which to build upon and modify, special add-on equipment such as armor, backpacks, and weapons, make the infantry unit highly adaptable for any battlefield—be it land, air, sea, or space.

MECHA WORKSHOP will first release the Full Gear Bellerophon: Cam’s Special, and it will come equipped with custom full gear armor. A later release will be the Pegasus Drone. This “triple-change” add-on to the Bellerophon Mech for air combat is designed to provide flight capabilities when attached in Jet-Pack mode, as well as serve as a Drone-Turret or Jet.

The Bellerophon is just one component of a highly versatile Mech army that toy collectors and Mech enthusiasts will want to expand upon. Future releases will see additional Mechs with unique functions and capabilities—such as being able to combine and/or reconfigure into additional Mech designs—to face a wide array of enemies no matter where the battlefield may be.

The Bellerphon mech is the vital key to overcome impossible odds and live to fight another day. Be sure to view the Bellerphon Mech in action and check out the exclusive free-to-view online webcomic and motion comic presented by MECHA WORKSHOP—ARMARUADERS: THE LAST BATTALION.

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
ADDITIONAL TOY DETAILS

TOY: FULL GEAR BELLEROPHON (CAM'S SPECIAL]
PILOT FIGURE: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS CAMERON KNOX
PILOT FIGURE HEIGHT: 4.5 CM / 1.7 INCHES
MECH HEIGHT: 27 CM / 10.6 INCHES

FEATURES:

MECH POINTS OF ARTICULATION

• HEAD/NECK - 2 (X1) = 2
• HANDS - 15 (X2) = 30
• ARMS/WRISTS - 5 (X2) = 10
• BELLY/CHEST - 4 (X1) = 4
• LEGS/ANKLE - 4 (x2) = 8
• FEET/TOES - 1 (X2) = 2
• SUB TOTAL: 56

ADDITIONAL POINTS OF ARTICULATION

• SHOULDER CANNONS - 1 (X2) = 2
• SHOULDER THRUSTERS - 1 (X2) = 2
• WAIST THRUSTERS - 1 (X2) = 2
• HEEL JETS - 1 (X2) = 2
• SHOULDER ARMOR - 1 (X2) = 2
• SUB TOTAL: 10

POINTS OF ARTICULATION

• GRAND TOTAL = 66

MECH LOAD OUT FEATURES & ACCESSORIES

• PLASMA RIFLES (X2)
• PLASMA CANNONS (X2)
• MISSLE / CHAIN-GUN PODS (X2)
• MEDIUM SHIELDS (X2)
• LIGHT SHIELDS (X2)
• HEAVY THRUSTERS (X2)
• LIGHT THRUSTERS (X2)
• HEEL JETS (X2)
• ANTI-GRAVITY MOVEMENT ENHANCER
• PLATE (X2)
• AUTO SLIDING WORKING COCKPIT WITH DETAILED INTERIOR

TOY PACKAGE

• INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE COMIC BOOK (VARIANT OF ONLINE VERSION)
• FIRST RUN WILL FEATURE EXCLUSIVE FOLD-OUT COVER
• FIRST RUN WILL FEATURE EXCLUSIVE TRI-BLADES (X2)

CUSTOMIZABLE LOAD OUTS

• REMOVABLE ARMOR
• ATTACHABLE WEAPONS AND DRONE PACKS

COMING SOON

• PEGASUS DRONE / AIR BELLEROPHON ARMOR ADD-ONS

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
ADDITIONAL COMIC DETAILS

THE COMIC WILL BE PRESENTED IN VARIOUS FORMATS:

• ONLINE WEB COMIC
• ONLINE MOTION COMIC
• PUBLISHED COMIC BOOK

EACH FORMAT WILL FEATURE UNIQUE VARIATIONS SUCH AS:

• EXPANDED SPLASH PAGE RATIOS TO EXPAND AND EXTEND ACTION-PACKED BATTLE SCENES
• COLOR VARIATIONS FOR THE ENEMY "WASTERS"

THE COMIC WILL BE ORIGINALLY AVAILABLE IN FIVE LANGUAGES:

• ENGLISH
• JAPANESE
• KOREAN
• CHINESE
• ITALIAN

MECHA WORKSHOP - ARMARAUDERS
PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

TOY

• PRODUCER: VALENT WANG
• CONCEPT/DESIGNS: DON FIGUEROA
• SCULPOTR: LUCA ZAMPRIOLO
• 3D ARTIST: DANIEL DeENTREMONT

COMIC

• CONCEIVED BY DON FIGUEROA & VALENT WANG
• STORY: DON FIGUEROA & DAN TAYLOR
• SCRIPT: DAN TAYLOR
• ILLUSTRATOR/DESIGNS; DON FIGUEROA
• COLORS/LOGO DESIGN & ADDITIONAL ART: ENRICO GALLI
• LETTERS: THOMAS MAUER
• EDITS: NIGEL BRADLEY & DAN TAYLOR

SPECIAL THANKS

• AARON STATIC DANKS
• CHAN KOK WENG (EARTH X)
• CHRIS GUANCHE (MECHA & ANIME HQ)
• DICK DE GROOT (BE YOURSELF MUSIC)
• ED SANDFORD & CREW (ROBOT-JAPAN)
• EMILY LIM
• JEFFRY ENGLERT (TFW2005)
• JOSEPH TSAI (TOKYO-HUNTER)
• JOSHUA BERNARD (CollectionDX)
• LATENDO CREW
• THE FALCON'S HANGER CREW
• TOM FRANK
• YANJIE (RAPID CULTURE)

MOTION COMIC

• MOTION COMIC DIRECTOR: JOE WHITEAKER (STUDIO 414)
• CONCEPT: DARIUS JULIAN & NIGEL BRADLEY
• MUSIC COMPOSER: ALEX KURILOV
• VOICE OVER: FRANK TODARO, JON BAILEY

TRANSLATIONS

• JAPANESE/KOREAN: PETER KIM
• ITALIAN: ENRICO GALLI & MARCO PALESE
• CHINESE: ATAC (SINGAPORE) & CHINA-LINK (SINGAPORE)

WEBSITE

• BLOG/FACEBOOK/WEB DESIGNER: DARIUS JULIAN

CONTACT

• VALENT WANG - valent@mechaworkshop.com
• PRESS KIT AVAILABLE AT - http://www.mechaworkshop.com/ARMA-Press-Kit.zip

Check out the toys for Mecha Workshop's Armarauders below. There are about 30 more after these 2, just scroll down.

http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...ell-mockup.jpg

http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...st-cockpit.jpg

Check out cover art for the comic book below. More after the main image.

http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...-coverb_tn.jpg

Check out Mecha Workshop's Armarauders Concept Art.

http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...e_armor-01.jpg
http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...-mode_side.jpg
http://www.toyark.com/attachments/11...testudo-01.jpg

And Finally, Check out the first Armarauders Comic from Mecha Workshop!

PHEW!!! There is some GREAT looking stuff in there,how fricking articulated is that pilot figure,given that its only about 2inches tall!!!

this looks... insanely expensive. but really cool.

Also glad to see them wdeveloping something that's truely their own, instead of following the "Third Party" route and just ripping someone else's IP.

Looks good, but will wal-mart buy it?

so into this. Only thing that worries me is the price and that worries me a lot.

If its around 50 to 60 I'll be willing to pick it up, but I'm expecting this to be a way, way more than that and probably way out of my price range.

Definitely a big want though.

Way to go DON!

Considering this thing is close to a foot tall, I'd say it'd be at LEAST 60 bucks. Take that, and the fact that this is being produced by a smaller company and you can double that price. Adding in that articulation, as well? I'd say about 150$ as an estimate. But damned if that isn't cool.

ok, i'm sold.

We'd like to encourage "troop" building, so the pricing gotta be right.
Don't wish to force feed anyone with tons of repaints and whatnot.
And remember, having to finally get your hands on a rare toy and only to have it reissued later on? Thus, screwing up the value of your first run?
Our first run will always be a little more special.

Trust me, Don as a toy enthusiast himself knows of all your burdens.
Both Don and I share pretty much the same experience when we were young.
Having to look into a toy store without being able to afford the toy we wanted (Mine was a DX God Mars) I/We love combiners ;)

Pricing and size have been a much discussed topic, and we'll do our very best to balance both. Trust me when I say that all of us only want the best for the toy community, especially Don. This being his "baby" project, he has no intention of screwing toy collectors/enthusiast up in any way.

We've a few tricks up our sleeves that we cannot reveal as of yet.
It's not because we're playing the marketing game.
It's just that it's still in an early stage of development and might not work.

I'm no robosexual, but those are hot.

And I'm not being bias when I say that his later designs(Story Arc-2) are so awesome that... they're outright freaky.
Some took him weeks to design, some even close to a month.

We're not forcing anyone to buy the comic nor the toy, would really appreciate it if you guys would just give this first issue a chance. And since it's free ;P I'll be the first to say that you'll notice that his artwork improves going further down the pages. This is something new, so he has to "warm-up".

And Enrico is an awesome colorist. Just wait till you see his colors nearing pages 18ish.

Looks Badass! I'm IN!

Wow, these are fan...freaking...tastic!


That being said I really can't afford to start collecting yet even more stuff, but I'll hafta keep an eye out to see how this all progresses.

And, having finally gotten the designs delivered from Don in my email inbox I can't wait to write these bad boys into action. :)

I'd love to buy everything.

I'm so sick of not being able to afford the ridiculously expensive Mech stuff that's made over seas. so it's nice to know this stuff will be handles by folks who know our pain and by "our" I mean us poor folk. :D

holy crap lol I been on this site since 2008 and this is my first post? What's wrong with me? :rolleyes:

Welcome aboard guys! Glad to see this happen, I've seen a number of startups come and go without even a sight of prototypes, but here you guys come already with some decked out and looking pretty far along! Toys like these have a lot of passion behind them. Eager to see more and being that you guys are toy fans as well as DON, I'm sure these will be a joy to handle.

Glad Don has a lot of control too, from what I remember, when he worked with Hasbro for the WWI Titaniums they didn't turn out the way he envisioned.

I ALWAYS enjoy seeing new work from my boy, DON. These look really awesome, and I can't wait to see more!

Also, a big, hearty welcome to valentwang and Dan Taylor :)

Looks damn promising, can't wait to see these released!

The toys are pretty bad ass looking. Will definitely keep my eye on this stuff.

Looking forward to seeing how it develops. Congrats to you guys and best of luck!

Oh, and welcome to the boards! :)

Troop building these things? It's as if you write with pure honey!
IF what you say is true...then these little wonders will be affordable? Bravo.
I hope this succeeds. I really do.