Zoids

[Noisybast]

Found a site containing scans of the complete (I think) run of Zoids from the "Spider-Man & Zoids" comics from the 80's. Spot the 2000AD creators...

Link: http://www.geocities.com/cheezelordmaxwell/UKcomics.html" target="_blank">Zoidzilla!

[Bico]

Yeah, I checked out this site ages ago, and some of the issues are missing, and he doesn't have the very first story - the creator credits are missing on most episodes, too.  But there's some top artwork by Geoff Senior, Steve Yeowell and Ron Smith to be found there.  And CHRIST, isn't it a depressing read for a toy tie-in aimed at kids?

These days, Zoidzilla goes by the name 'Gojulas' - much more frightening, I'm sure You'll agree.

Link: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/fish1000/index/lostandfound.htm" target="_blank">hard to find

[Mr C]

Grant Morions very first work there.

[Generally Contrary]

Zoids a depressing read?  I don't know about that, but I do remember getting the sabretooth tiger for my birthday, building it and setting it running on the kitchen table.  My little brother then slammed his hand down on the robo-cat, breaking its legs.  My birthday present lasted a full 30 seconds.

[IndigoPrime]

I think, like Transformers, the comic was aimed at a broad readership. The UK back story also pisses all over every other one, including the ludicrous Japanese ones, which largely deal with Zoids as evolving metal lifeforms.

I was gutted when Zoids monthly was cancelled, although #51 of the weekly was a good place to leave it.

As for Zoidzilla/Gojulas, he was always called the latter in Japan. Many of the Zoids had different names and colours there. Unfortunately, in the current run of Zoids, the UK was rather short-changed, getting few of the good models, and almost zero marketing. This is a shame considering the quality of some of the models. Gojulas Giga, for instance, is excellent - see http://www.pheno.zoids.org.uk/gojulasgiga.htm for pics.

[Bico]

I used to watch the anime show they had on Sky one, as it was well-timed to catch me just after I'd gotten out of bed and was trying to wake up before work.  I don't know why, but I was expecting something along the lines of the British comic, and the cutesy nature of kids playing with giant war machines was a tad dubious to my half-awake mind.  (And if you think the show was bad, you should try reading the manga)
Still, the reason the British comic turned out the way it did was because it was a BRITISH comic, with a different storytelling sensibility than might have been expected from an American treatment of the same subject matter.  This was still the hayday of the British comic-book, after all.


There also seems to be artwork from the Morrison/Yeowell monthly knocking about the internet that suggests that there was material ready for publishing before the plug was pulled on the book...

Link: http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v291/theboy/zoidsbw.bmp" target="_blank">http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v291/theboy/zoidsbw.bmp

[IndigoPrime]

Some of the first issue was completed, but most of it's lost, apparently. One might speculate as to what the contents would have been, but Red Scavenger turning Mammoth's battered remains into Ultrasaurus Red would seem like a good bet. (And that'd also have been the first time the reds had a truly unbeatable Zoid that could have whupped Zoidzilla.

[Waddie]

the art may be dated and pales in comparison to the wonderfull work in the New japenese manga

The hell it does.

Thanks for finding this.  I still regret selling my Zoids Annual at a carboot sale when I was twelve.

[Pyroxian]

>but Red Scavenger turning Mammoth's battered
>remains into Ultrasaurus Red

  Ooh, that would've rocked.

  I still don't have an Ultrasaurus though :( Our local toy shop has a Zoids 1/2 price offer though :)

   Steve

[Pyroxian]

BTW: Which comic was Zoids originally in, as I wouldn't mind tracking down the original story.

It wasn't that depressing a read, but was very cool. Mr Morrison did rip of Alien/Aliens and Terminator quite a bit, but as I hadn't seen those when I was 12, it made the comic so much cooler.

Yes, and Gojulas Giga is a fantastic Zoid (Although it took me about a day to build)

    Steve

[IndigoPrime]

:: I still don't have an Ultrasaurus though :( Our local toy
:: shop has a Zoids 1/2 price offer though :)

Probably because the new Zoids line's been canned in the UK. Our local shop's doing a 3 for 2, although they still work out way more expensive than the Japanese or American releases.

As for Ultrasaurus, it's a beast of a Zoid. It also has the 'skeletal' look of old that I generally prefer. Recommended, if you can import one at a decent price. Leoshop has then for $40 (although shipping can be a bit of a monster on these items!)

http://tinyurl.com/5qyxw

:: BTW: Which comic was Zoids originally in, as I
:: wouldn't mind tracking down the original story.

Secret Wars and then Spider-Man and Zoids. However, you'll pay through the nose for copies of the original issues. Your best bet for the first arc, which was in Secret Wars, is to look out for Zoids Collected Comics 1 (with Zoidzilla on the cover) on eBay, and try can snag one cheap.

:: It wasn't that depressing a read, but was very cool. Mr
:: Morrison did rip of Alien/Aliens and Terminator quite a bit,

Well, the whole Silverman thing was very Terminator, for sure. However, every comic borrows from movies anyway, so it never bothered me.

I was rather hoping Titan would collect all the old Zoids stuff a la the Transformers TPBs, but I guess it's not going to happen - even less so now Zoids are being cancelled in the UK and USA.

:: Yes, and Gojulas Giga is a fantastic Zoid
:: (Although it took me about a day to build)

I just moved, so my entire collection is in bits in various baggies. Lots of rebuilding ahead! :)

[Pyroxian]

>although they still work out way more expensive
>than the Japanese or American releases.

  Yes - I was lucky to get over to the states when KB were having their mega-sale, and was buying up Zoids from $2 - $10...

   Steve

[Bico]

Is leoshop reliable for postage to the uk?  That Gojulas Giga looks tasty.

[IndigoPrime]

When I was in Iceland, I bought a whole load of stuff from Leoshop, so I doubt he'd be any worse at getting stuff to the UK. When I was over there, he also agreed to dispense with an invoice and ship the package as a "gift", so I didn't get hammered for fees.

http://pheno.zoids.org.uk/ has information about other online stores for Zoids. Generally, buy from the East and only from reputable sources. Although I've not used them, http://www.toy-wave.com/ also comes recommended by many.

[Bico]

Cheers!

I bought a bunch of Zoids on the cheap from our local toyshop and got a bit of a hankering for the cooler ones - which never got released in the uk, it seems.
Still, would've been nice to see the Morrison comics run finished off, even by fans online.