Brenden Fletcher Is the DJ Behind Titan's Robotech Remix
Aug 09, 2019
Robotech Remix #1 (AUG192222) kicks off a new era for the sci-fi anime classic, packed with human drama, blistering action, military tension, and (of course) transforming mecha-jets!
Hopping into the creative cockpit for this radical reimagining is writer Brenden Fletcher (Isola, Motorcrush, Batgirl, Black Canary) and artist Elmer Damaso (Robotech/Voltron, Speed Racer).
PREVIEWSworld caught up with Brenden, to see what this ‘80s remix has in store for fans old and new of the Titan Comics series!
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PREVIEWSworld: Robotech Remix – is this a reboot? A continuation? A whole new series Yes, yes to all of the above! But seriously, Robotech Remix IS a little bit of everything.
It’s a whole new series, starting with a new #1, that picks up one of the most compelling story threads left hanging in Simon Furman’s Robotech series. I’ve always been a fan of Simon’s storytelling and his big ideas, so needless to say, I feel like I’ve got some monster shoes to fill.
And in this new timeline that’s splintered off of the classic ‘80s anime, we DO find some rebooted versions of familiar characters. It’s a great device, allowing us to remain faithful to the original show continuity while reimagining things for modern readers.
PREVIEWSworld: Can new readers start here? What about people encountering Robotech for the first time?
Brenden Fletcher: Anyone can pick up and enjoy Robotech Remix #1! Like any good story, there’s evidence of past events informing what our characters are going through now, but the inciting incident of our plot takes place in the pages of our first issue, kicking everything off in a fresh, new direction.
PREVIEWSworld: What's your history with Robotech?
Brenden Fletcher: I’ve been a fan of Robotech nearly all my life! I caught the initial broadcast of Episode 1, “Boobytrap”, when it first aired on WUTV 29 out of Buffalo, New York all those years ago. It wasn’t on Canadian TV at all back in the day but we were lucky enough to live so close to the border that the “rabbit ears” we had plugged into the back of my family’s old tube TV picked up the signal. I was an immediate and passionate fan.
My family bought me the toys in middle school, I played the Palladium D20 roleplaying game through high school, and later, applied the myriad influences of Robotech to my professional life as a storyteller. I’m not ashamed to say that I attempt to shoehorn transforming robots and pop idols into nearly every comic project I work on!
PREVIEWSworld: Who's your favorite Robotech character? Is there anyone you're particularly excited to write?
Brenden Fletcher: This is a tough one. I can confidently say that my favourite characters have changed through the years, as I’ve grown and my tastes shift. I definitely wouldn’t have said it years ago but the characters I’m loving most today are the Sterlings - Max, Miriya and even (maybe ESPECIALLY?) Dana Sterling! There’s always been an underlying complexity to them that I’m getting a chance to bring to the surface in Robotech Remix.
PREVIEWSworld: What's your favorite aspect of this reimagining?
Brenden Fletcher: Aside from allowing older characters to finally shine (DANA STERLING!), I’m really enjoying bringing some new blood into the Robotech universe! This will be one of the most diverse casts with the coolest new mecha the series has seen in a long time, all designed by the incredible Elmer Damaso!
PREVIEWSworld: Elmer Damaso is the new Robotech artist – what strengths does he bring to the series?
Brenden Fletcher: Oh, man, where do I even start? Elmer is a godsend. Not only are his designs absolutely stunning, his storytelling spot-on, and his knowledge of Robotech characters and lore comprehensive, but oh my crap can this guy draw mecha!!
I’ll never forget the email I got from him last week with scans of what appeared to be some napkin sketches he’d done with a pen at the breakfast table, when inspiration for a transformation sequence struck him. The designs came along with profuse apologies for their rushed and sketchy nature, and holy cow, let me tell you these transforming robots were incredible! Even while downing his pancakes and eggs, this guy brings his A-game!
Elmer might be one of the most talented, hard-working and humble artists working in the biz today and I count myself super fortunate every day I get to work with him on this series. I can’t wait to show his work off to the world!
PREVIEWSworld: Do you have any sneaky hints at where the series might be going?
Brenden Fletcher: There’s a sequence in Issue #8 I haven’t told anyone about yet, but it’s pretty much the reason I accepted the gig! Let me just say it involves a concert, some mecha and… OK, I can’t tell you the rest, but trust me, it’s gonna be gorgeous on the page!
As to where the series is going, I feel it’s fairly safe to say that this is the Dana Sterling story we’ve all been waiting years to read. Dana’s a woman who travelled back in time to save the universe and in doing so, has managed to stop her parents from falling in love, getting married and giving birth to her. It’s an examination of where she belongs in the Robotech universe, if she belongs there at all. It’s kinda like Back To The Future with transforming robots, alien invasions and pop idols!
PREVIEWSworld: Any final words for the fans?
Brenden Fletcher: Robotech pretty much invented the remix, if you ask me. It’s a story built from jamming on the content of some of the coolest Japanese animated series of the early ‘80s, combining them in innovative and imaginative ways to create something new, the success of which paved the way for the anime explosion of the ‘90s.
I think about this a lot (probably too much!) in terms of what the series meant to us as kids growing up in the ‘80s, the nostalgia we have for it now, how it influenced western anime culture and the role music could play alongside it. As you can imagine, I’ve got some things to say, things that’ll find their way onto the comics page. I hope you guys come along for the ride and chime in with your thoughts about remix culture, music, the ‘80s, mecha anime and what Robotech means to you!
