ComicBook.beer - The Podcast
Episode 2: Shogun Warriors: Invincible Guardians of World Freedom
Take a trip back to 1979 with ComicBook.beer to learn all about how awesome the Shogun Warriors comic book series was and how much fun it is to collect today.
Created in 1977 by Mattel as a series of toys based on unrelated Japanese robot franchises, Marvel Comics published 20 issues of the incredible Shogun Warriors giant robot action series five years earlier than Transformers. Written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Herb Trimpe, Shogun Warriors remains one of the most creative and exciting toy-based comic book series in history.
Mark talks about the joy of reading Shogun Warriors, his love of the 1970s, and discusses what beer pairs well with enormous robot X space monster action. All of this and more on ComicBook.beer - The Podcast!
Shogun Warriors: Invincible Guardians of World Freedom Podcast Transcription
0:00
Welcome back to Comic Book dot Beer, the podcast where today I'm talking about one of the greatest comic book series in the history of the entire universe, Shogun Warriors, published by Marvel Comics that started in 1979, The Invincible Guardians of World Freedom, an amazing comic book series that like many others, just ended too soon for whatever reason.
0:35
I can't believe that Shogun Warriors couldn't find a market.
But then again, people are idiots.
Unless those people like Shogun Warriors, then they're not idiots.
Those are people who have refined taste in their giant murderous robots.
0:52
Those are those are my kind of people.
Are you that kind of person?
If you're listening to this, I suspect you are, because who doesn't like Shogun warriors?
That's a rhetorical question.
You know who doesn't like Shogun warriors?
People who don't know about Shogun warriors.
1:09
Because once you see it, it's like, impossible to not want these things because they're basically like the precursor to the Transformers.
But there's a lot more to the series than just that.
And I'll be talking about this.
1:25
The the history of Shogun Warrior is a brief history, pretty much whatever I can find online.
There's really not a whole lot of history out there about these things.
I'll be talking about the comic book series, obviously, and I'll be discussing what kind of beer compliments A Shogun Warriors reading experience, What beer pairs well with giant murderous robots.
1:49
There's there's so many to choose from, robots and beer, and I put some thought into this one, but it's it's not, it's not quite 5 yet, even though it is technically 5 somewhere.
Not like that's ever stopped me before.
But but, but hang in there.
2:04
I'm going to I'm going to get the beer here in a moment.
I'll also be talking about why I think this is just one of the greatest comic comic book series that's just sadly underrepresented in in the market today.
Like we get so many reboots.
Where's the Shogun Warriors reboot?
I mean, if if they're out there making stuff on like Silverhawks again and and the Herculoids, and I just saw there's a Speed Racer comic book like where's Shogun Warriors?
2:31
Come on.
And if you're going to make it, for the love of God, put the creative team that you're using that that Image and Skybound are using on Transformers these days.
Just Can you imagine how amazing that would be like Dan Mora doing Shogun Warriors, Daniel Warren Johnson doing Shogun warriors.
2:50
How about Jeff Darrow?
I mean, come the the world is so screwed up now give me this much.
Just give me a new Shogun warriors and make it awesome.
All right, well, let's get started here.
3:09
Little bit of update, some updates on comic book dot beer.
Hopefully you have all been listening to the short daily comic book missions, which for the most part I've been producing daily.
They're fun, They're short and it's it's fun to talk about recommended books.
3:27
I'm giving daily recommendations that you must read.
They're they're really mission assignments that you have no choice but to accept.
And they're on the website Comic Book dot Beer, the greatest website in the universe.
If I could have got, if I could have figured out a title that also like shoehorned giant murder robots into it, like Comic Book dot giant murder robots dot beer.
3:51
I mean, I probably could do that.
I don't need to, though.
Comic Book dot Beer pretty much sums up the vibe I'm going for here.
Is it 5 yet?
What beer goes well with Gobots?
I'm going to go with Zima.
That's not a compliment.
This is the second Comic Book dot Beer podcast and the the third one should be a lot of fun for those of you who want to know what it's like to run a comic book store because I am speaking to a real live comic book guy, the guy who owns a comic book store.
4:24
Probably a dream job for so many of you, right?
Well, we're going to find out, is it, is it a dream job?
What are the perks?
What's changed in the industry over the past 40 years or so?
I don't have a title for this yet, but basically running a comic book shop, how many stars does that get?
4:43
I don't know.
It's, it's, it's always challenging when you combine a hobby with a job.
I've done this and I can assure you the hobby suffers, which is why I'm only taking comic book dot beer half seriously because I love this hobby and I don't want to screw this one up.
But on the other hand, how, how seriously can one really take comic book dot beer?
5:02
I'm, I mean, I'm about to drink a beer and talk about giant robots for an hour.
It's living the dream.
I haven't started on it yet, but you will see some stuff on the website and you will hear me starting to talk about a new book series I'm writing, which I think should appeal to a great many of you.
5:20
And this actually works well, sort of this sort of dovetails right in with the the classic game room stuff.
Basically I'm writing a book series on 1980s nostalgia.
So you know, comic books, cartoons, and video games.
If it doesn't have wood grain and switches or giant robots, it sucks.
5:38
Unless it's the Vectrex which does not have wood grain, but it does have a lot of spaceship games that makes up for it.
Also, it's the Vectrex if you don't know what that is.
Wow, I'm sorry.
So many great things lost in the 80s like the AMC Eagle.
5:53
I mean what the hell, why can't we have nice things?
I'm thinking about how many cases of beer you could fit into the back of an AMC Eagle and you could go off road with it.
I really kind of want one.
I have a feeling though that the the AMC Eagle market is probably pretty, pretty expensive because the people who want an AMC Eagle are most likely crazy and will spend a lot on an AMC Eagle.
6:18
So I mean, I'm crazy, but I'm not sure I'm willing to spend a lot on an AMC.
I don't really know how to fix a car, so that might be a problem.
Anyway, I'm not talking about AMC Eagles today, but I.
Am looking at that clock.
It's close enough.
OK, so I like to pair beers with comic books specifically because it's fun to talk about.
6:37
I mean, really, this is subjective.
You don't even have to like beer to like a good comic book, obviously.
But you know, it's fun to pair a beer with a comic book.
And what beer pairs well with Shogun Warriors?
And and then there's some, there's some method to my madness here.
6:54
Like, like I've said before, like GI Joe pairs well with Iron City beer because of Steeler, who was from Pittsburgh.
He's the guy that drives the tank.
Conan the Barbarian pairs well with whatever will make you blind because that's just how Conan rolls.
7:11
So really there's just a, a, a lot of, you know, big Ipas that work well with Conan the Barbarian.
Shogun Warriors.
Now, I was thinking about going with a Japanese beer because it's based on Japanese robots, but Shogun Warriors is an American creation and I've got plenty of manga stuff scheduled in the future.
7:32
So there'll be, there'll be, there'll be opportunities for some Japanese beer.
But I, I, I just don't think about an American beer when I look at Shogun Warriors, because it doesn't really look like an American thing because it's, it's, it's not, it's like Robotech.
It's like they took all these different Japanese franchises and mashed them together and, you know, and Americanized them in a comic book form where they just made-up this ridiculous story to tie together these unrelated series.
7:58
And like what beer says that the invincible guardians of world freedom, giant robots that look impressive and they look to be well built.
These are reliable machines.
8:16
Well, this got me to thinking about Front Mission, the Front Mission video game series, which is Japanese, but they drive these giant robots, these giant murderous robots called Vonzers, which sounds German, even though I think this whole thing was it was all Japanese, I think.
8:33
But anyway, it sounds German and the Germans make nice machines.
BMW good car.
It's not an AMC Eagle, but you know what is?
8:53
So by this logic, I'm thinking that Shogun Warriors pairs well with Hofbrauhaus beer from Germany.
Also, I happen to have a crawler of Hofbrau beer in the fridge, so I'm going to go and pour that into my giant one liter ceramic German crafted classic game room 2085.
9:14
The Beerstein.
Can you see that's solid and well built, just like one of the Shogun Warriors.
And it's made in Germany, says so made in Germany right there on the bottom.
Made in Germany.
Sadly, this does not transform into a giant robot, but you know, one can dream.
9:35
So excuse me as I go and grab my Comic Book dot Beer, the beer that's going to pair with Shogun Warriors beer for this episode of Comic Book dot Beer, the podcast.
This is going to be a big deep beer cracking sound.
9:53
This is a a mighty can for a mighty robot, the craft beer of Bavarian kings.
And apparently if I'm pregnant, I should not drink this.
So I think I'm all right.
Here we go checkpoint.
10:10
Congratulations.
Now I'm going to pour this giant beer into my giant beer Stein.
That's a great sound.
Not sure I ever recorded this before things.
10:27
This is like weightlifting.
Another reason beer is good for you.
It's got to be like 5 lbs almost.
Almost goes to the top of the beer Stein.
So close the leader glass.
The leader stein's a little bit bigger than 32 oz.
10:43
It's like 34.
I don't know whatever a leader is when you go to the Hofbrau house.
Or, of course, I also have a beer Stein.
They fill it right up to the top, so you know, you're getting the full liter of beer.
Just love Hofbrau beers.
OK, let me stop less talking.
10:59
We're having a beer.
Oh, damn, that's good.
That tastes like the invincible guardians of world freedom right there.
Oh, yeah.
You should use that for marketing.
So like Hofbrau beers are are brewed and like the what the German purity law or whatever, they're like the three main beers they just did.
11:22
There's just like a handful of ingredients and they're just, they're all just delicious.
The lager.
I want a Dunkle today really for no particular reason.
And their bison is also just terrific.
But the Dunkle is a little roast, got a little more of a roasty flavour is if I have to fight Mauerkhan using a giant transforming robot.
11:42
I think the Dunkle is the appropriate beer to have beforehand.
Oh yeah.
OK, so let's take it back to the 1970s and talk about the history of Shogun warriors, which started in the early 1970s in Japan, where before they were called Shogun warriors.
12:04
They were adapted from the Japanese super robot characters produced by a Japanese company called Poppy, which is now a division of Bandai.
I think I made some notes.
So if it sounds like I'm reading something which is unusual for me, I actually AM and I like Robotech.
12:20
The characters came from popular Japanese anime and they were like all mashed together or like some of the live action series like kind of like a Power Rangers, whatever that there's a term for that.
Anyway, I believe that these characters came from this series of Mazinger Z Radin, get her Robo and Guy King.
12:39
No, I am not personally familiar with all of these, but Mattel later rebranded them as Shogun Warriors and released the action figures of the giant robots in 1977.
Of course, one of the greatest years in history, because that's the year Star Wars came out and Shogun Warriors.
12:59
And while I tend to think of the 80s as like the decade of giant robots like like Voltron and Robotech and Transformers and Gobots and stuff, they were pretty popular in the 70s.
Cartoons were making their way to the US and stuff.
And then came along Star Wars.
13:18
And Star Wars just changed the game on many levels.
Obviously the movie was amazing and sci-fi suddenly is popular.
But also with merchandising, Star Wars just like raised the bar with the action figures with the toys.
Like nobody imagined how popular these Star Wars toys were going to be and then later, I guess not later.
13:39
Sorry, I just did a quick Sega Dreamcast web search on this.
We we don't say those other companies anymore.
If you're going to go to the Internet, you're going to use the Sega Dreamcast or the Sega Saturn netlink.
Nothing else will will do anyway.
I didn't realize that it's a Star Wars comic book series actually predates the movie.
13:57
Oops.
Those are my reading glasses.
They were being held by a Gomorian Guard.
But well, I guess 3 sips of beer and look what happens.
14:28
Anyway, Star Wars was obviously huge in a popular comic book series and it's, it was, it was what you might call a licensed property.
So not like a not like a traditional Marvel or DC superhero series, but like Marvel obviously licensed Star Wars from where?
14:44
A Lucasfilm or whatever and the late 70s started to see more licensed properties now this became like the whole thing in the 80s like Transformers GI Joe, all that stuff but in the 70s like this was just just emerging certainly by the late 70s and that's when we got Shogun warriors and even ROM space night I just learned was based on an action figure.
15:03
I didn't know that.
And if you're curious what any of these things look look like, obviously just go to your use your Sega Dreamcast web browser or the only other acceptable alternative if you don't have a Sega Dreamcast is the Sega Saturn netlink and search online.
15:18
You can see some pictures of these things.
Go to eBay and look at the prices of Shogun Warriors and then go look at the price of the USS flag in a box from GI Joe.
It's like buying a house, but it's better than a house because it's GI Joe and it launches F4 tinks and I think I had like a little microphone.
15:35
I never had this thing, never had any Shogun warriors either because this predates me.
I'm from 1975 proving once again that everything from the 70s is great.
Could do without the cigarette smoke but I have fun memories of the clouds if not necessarily being unable to breathe.
15:51
But you know the the trade off is everything was plastered with wood grain and also the AMC Eagle and also the Bond films from the 70s were just awesome and most where was I?
OK, so 1979 February according to the front of the cover here, I guess I'm not sure that maybe it came out in 78.
16:09
I don't know.
Sometimes the dates are a little off on these, but February 1979 I'm holding it in my hand right now.
The first issue of Shogun Warriors.
It's a great comic book series.
I'm not just like being har har funny.
I like robots and beer, which I do like robots and beer, but this is a really good comic book series.
16:32
And and from what I understand watching like, you know, various TV shows on these things, it sounds like they created the storyline by just locking the like the writers or the writer and the artists in a room and just like go make it up.
And like like they did with Robotech combining 3 different anime series into one story with Shogun Warriors, they combined all these unrelated franchises into one completely nonsensical, just ridiculous plot line.
17:01
And then it's just absurd.
And that's part of what makes it really good.
Also just they're well drawn, they're well written, they're funny, the robot designs are just amazing.
They're every bit as good if not better than Transformers.
It's hard to be better than Transformers because you know, Soundwave does raise the bar pretty high.
17:21
It's a Bumblebee does lower it pretty low.
And so we got, let's see here, the first issue, Doug Mensch, Mensch MOENCH.
He's the writer.
He did a lot of stuff.
He's really good.
Herb Trimp is the artist on this issue.
17:38
And Herb Trimp was awesome at like the toy comics.
I'm not as familiar with his superhero work.
I'm not.
I'm just not as familiar with superheroes in general.
I always like I like the licensed comics.
Let's probably figure that out by now, but Herb Trimp did the GI Joe some First issue at GI Joe is at least the one I know he did for sure, and I think he did some Transformer stuff, but I'm not entirely sure.
18:05
I Anyway, Herb Trimp is just dynamite at drawing this kind of stuff, and Dan Green does inking Jim Novak, one of the main letterers at the time.
Andy Yankus does the Yankus does the coloring.
Al Milgram's editor and Gym Shooter editor in chief.
18:21
The first issue is titled Radine, and I think I shot a video of this a while ago, maybe on the 80s comics series might still be on YouTube.
If not, it will eventually be over on the website.
Since we're moving everything but the 80s comic stuff belongs with Comic Book dot Beer.
18:37
It's the same thing, just it predates it.
Could, you know, eventually I thought the series was going to go way beyond the 80s and then I figured out I could get comic Book dot Beer and it's like, oh, well done.
It's pretty.
This, this is this is what I want to be known for in life, mixing comic books and beer.
I mean, if you got to do something, you may as well pick something cool, right?
19:02
OK, so cover of the first issue is gorgeous.
Just a giant mighty robot.
First issue, collector's item, jets, explosions.
And there's like the ghost of two other robots.
Like they're hinting at two other robot.
Like there's three main Shogun warriors.
19:18
The first issue only like reveals the first one, Radine, I love how it just jumps right into a battle the first couple pages of pages of this book, it just jumps right into a battle where Radine is battling this monster called rock core and it's kind of like Godzilla and that they're like just they're they tower over this city.
19:44
There's people running away from them.
They're like stepping on buildings and firing lasers.
And Herb Trent was really good at drawing this stuff.
And it seems like the battle is not necessarily going in Ray Dean's favor, you know?
20:03
Oh, here's an ad for the Micronauts.
I should talk about the Micronauts too.
Maybe I should.
I'll save that one for a different issue.
Micronauts were also very 70s licensed toy product from the set, late 70s.
Anyway, the first couple pages here are definitely made to draw you in.
For the action, when you're a kid, it's 1979 or you're a full grown adult drinking beer in the future, it's 2026.
20:25
And the best thing that you can do about 2026 is literally just to forget the year exists and go back to 1979 and you're sucked in.
And it's like these these these creatures are incredible.
Like the robot's really cool, these monsters really cool.
They're firing missiles and there's things exploding, and it's just an action-packed introduction to Shogun warriors.
20:48
But then they shift gears sort of back, backtrack a little bit in time here, go back a little bit in time and explain the plot line, which is literally complete nonsense.
Like, I'm trying to think of anything more absurd than this and I can't.
21:08
But this works.
It works because the characters are really good and the premise is just it.
It's nuts.
I think Doug Mensch may have had a couple liters of beer while writing this.
Let's see here.
I'm going to read.
I'm going to read this, too.
We got plenty of time.
It's a podcast.
I could go all day.
21:33
We're at the hearts of a secluded mountain range sprawls a hidden base equipped with the technology, equipped with.
See, this is the problem.
When I knocked over my reading glasses, they're not where I thought they would be.
There it is.
OK, stupid for Morian Card now I got my reading glasses on.
21:51
Now I can see we're at the heart of a secluded mounted Oh boy we're Truth be told, it's hard to use the reading glasses through the windscreen on the microphone.
It's like if you could see this, it's it's ridiculous.
22:09
Like holding the comic up to the back of the mic while smashing my face into the mic shield.
We're at the heart of a secluded mountain range sprawls a hidden base equipped with technology of the future, but designed and shaped an antiquity.
It is known only to four people as Shogun Sanctuary.
22:30
And then we meet Doctor Tambora.
We're directly over the subterranean chamber where they have lain in suspended animation for eons.
It should somehow awaken them.
So this volcano went off and awoke the forces of evil.
Yes, I feel, I fear, the ancient vow of her ancestors have pledged generation after generation.
22:51
The same vow we have pledged will soon face its first Test since the Great Chaos Wars.
Was Doug Mensch laughing out loud when he wrote this stuff?
I hope so.
I hope it seems like he had fun.
So we need to talk about this volcano going off.
23:07
And then just this morning, a monster calling itself rock core spelled appropriately R OK Dash Korr burst forth from the ground like a demon rising from the depths of hell.
There is our proof, fellow followers of the light, Lord Mauer Khan and his dark agents have awakened.
23:30
So what Doctor Tambora does is he goes into this giant chamber where there's this huge like satellite looking thing or whatever.
And they, they have a fix on three current warrior prospects because they need their, they need human warriors that I guess are not part of the Followers of Light.
23:48
So then they have the orbital satellite is ready as always, to summon them.
Oh, they've done this before.
So then there's a picture of the orbital satellite, which herb shrimp does, you know, does a nice job drawing.
24:03
But then here comes the good stuff.
Now we get to meet the characters.
I love the characters of Shogun quarters because there's three main characters and there's this great spread where you might they might see it in one of my videos or, or check the website, but there's this wonderful page where it just introduces the three.
24:21
We've got this this airplane taking off and she's like a pilot and subject 1, Genji Odashu, female, 22 years of age, Japanese pilot.
All right, let me get a shot of, I guess under this underwater bathysphere thing and it's subject to Elongo Savage, male, 24 years of age, African marine biologist.
24:48
OK, awesome.
And then there's Target 3, Wyoming.
There's cars like crashing over, crashing through a fence and then like diving in, diving into a ravine.
Subject 3 Richard Carson, male, 22 years of age, North American test driver.
25:06
Wonder if he did some work on Dukes of Hazzard.
Someone had to jump the generally.
And then there's a great shot where they're all in this all in that like futuristic science lab together.
And we get to see for the first time the three human heroes of Shogun warriors.
25:23
Now the morons of the future who have had their minds warped by social media and influencers and just garbage would call this woke.
But at the time, this would be progressive because we have 3 human beings of different races all working together.
25:42
Imagine that we, we might take this for granted today in in media.
But at the time, this was this was progressive.
You know, we had a black guy, an Asian girl and a white guy.
It's like the Power Rangers, except better because it's Shogun Warriors.
25:58
And I'm sorry for those of you who like the Power Rangers, who grew up on Power Rangers.
Shogun Warriors is better than Power Rangers.
Yeah, I said it.
You know why?
Because it's true.
Power Rangers weren't bad, but you know, it's really only only because of Pink Ranger.
Yeah, whatever.
26:15
I'll cut that out in editing.
You try drinking around a microphone stand with a giant building sized ceramic beer Stein.
It's fun.
Anyway, issue 1 gets issue one just breezes right through the storyline and it's it's considering how ridiculous it is, it it's it Doug Mensch and and Trim tie this together really well to give some back story on Earth and you know, from it's very creation Earth has had been marked as God damn it.
26:50
Where am I reading glasses again, my trusty Costco readers.
I'm old, I can't see well.
I can still operate a beer Stein.
Where was I?
From its very creation, Earth had been marked by evil.
27:09
Upon the first appearance of non sentient life on this virgin planet, it was investigated, then explored and finally declared right for conquest.
The ancestors of Marcon lost little time in launching their program and thus for a period of time evil ran rampant, holding sway over the defiled planet Earth.
27:32
Gosh, writing is so good with a shot of dinosaurs and there's like space people with space helmets and fangs pointing.
And then then there's the humans that don't have the fangs or the, the, the point, whatever they're, they're coming out of a UFO.
27:48
The balance had been tipped the gauntlet throne.
And so our ancestors, the first followers of the light, took up the challenge contesting Earth's conquerors.
It doesn't matter why they're why they're fighting.
I just want to see the giant robots smashing things.
That's what we're all thinking.
28:04
Then it goes on to explain who Maricon is.
And oh, the puddle of goo.
I forgot about this thing.
There's, there's just, there's so much dialogue here and it's just, it's great.
I feel like I can't, I can't read the whole thing to you because it's going to take like 1/2 an hour.
But there's this great shot of like UFOs, volcanoes erupting.
28:21
And you know, things get real when Doctor Tambora removes his Costco Raiders.
This predates Costco, though.
He must have gotten those either at JC Penney or Sears.
Let's see here.
To create through.
To create through their perverted alchemy of sorcery and science, monstrous servants of evil.
28:39
So they're all standing around like this puddle of lava.
And each generation of our ancestors has taken a vow to watch and wait and guard against evil's second coming.
All right, so basically, you're going to need to take this giant robot and go fight things.
28:55
Cool.
All right, I mean, what are we?
Page 23 here?
I'm in 100%.
And so are you.
If you're reading this, trust me.
This.
It looks great.
So there's Genji, Ilongo and Richard all standing around like, oh, no, do these things.
I remember.
29:11
What she means is yes, Doctor Tambora, we'll handle your giant robot.
And Carson says, yeah, even if this isn't real, you can't get hurt in your own dreams.
I'm game trying to find the kind.
He must have been drinking by noon.
29:27
Oh, that does track anyway.
And so after a starting startlingly brief training session, like 5 minutes.
Harry, can you use the giant robot?
Good, now you're you'll fight that thing.
They're like pushing, but they're randomly pushing buttons.
Elongo Savage is like he's got giant headphones on and like it just it just brings back that amazing scene from Enter the Dragon where Jim Kelly's just sitting there listening to music like you, you, you, you, you, you.
29:52
I'm sorry if I forgot anybody.
I'm a little tired.
And not the Shogun warriors, though, they run let's go and race to the rocket cycles.
What are these things called?
This is just issue number 10.
30:08
There's an ad from Master of Kung Fu.
I God, what drugs do I need to take to just go back to the 70s and stay there?
Did I say that I did?
No, I don't do drugs, but I do have fish.
OK, where are we here?
30:24
Oh, we get back to the battle where Radian is now.
Now that we've learned, the Shogun warriors have trained for like 5 minutes in a computer lab.
This is a really well made comic book when you figure how much they packed into it.
30:46
And like the 70s comics were really good because they they did pack a lot on onto each page.
There's a lot of dialogue, the panels are generally smaller and more detailed than what you'll you'll get today.
I mean, modern comics have their own strengths, but spending a long time reading it are not usually them.
31:02
There's this great shot of rock core, like barfing rocks into ratings face.
The Shogun Warriors are flying all over the cockpit.
And then they, oh, that's right.
They eventually they retreat in the first issue.
I forgot about that.
That's the second.
31:18
Well, yeah, well, whatever.
I'll tell you.
The second issue is when we meet the other two robots.
I've got that issue right here.
Shogun Warriors issue #2 from March of 1979, titled Warriors 3 where we get Kombatra, Dangard, Ace, and raiding.
31:42
And I like how they split up these these first, they're basically they're two introduction issues.
The first one really introduces the premise and the the humans.
The second one, we meet the other robots.
And by now you should be like, I need to go to Children's Palace or wherever they sold these things, Sears and buy all of the Shogun Warriors.
32:02
Was Children's Palace a Pittsburgh thing or was that Children's Palace?
That's what the store was called.
They, they probably wouldn't do that today.
Children's Palace.
And it looked like a, you know, a palace on the outside.
It's like a Toys-R-Us.
32:19
But I only, I barely remember these things, the, the Children's Palace.
Instead there's I have a lot of memories of Sears, as I assume everybody else does from the 70s.
The Sears were awesome because you know what you could do at Sears is you could go and shop for Atari games.
32:39
They probably had comic books too.
I don't remember that specifically, but I do remember the electronics section in Sears.
And once again, magic drugs need to go back.
Then please take this horrible future away from me and replace it with wood grain and cigarette smoke and AMC Eagles and giant robots.
32:57
In Shogun Warriors issue 2, the training continues, which is basically just a giant advertisement for the toys.
Like look at what all these things could do.
So I guess one of the one of the things with the Shogun Warriors toys is they had a lot of like spring loaded missiles and stuff.
33:14
Probably poked out a bunch of eyeballs back in the day.
But you know, totally worth it I think.
Did they make fire?
That would have been even better?
Probably.
Probably not.
Anyway, so there's like this huge action scene in the beginning of Issue 2 where we just, we get to see all the powerful things that each of these giant mighty robots can do.
33:32
And there's an ad in here, Farrah Fawcett.
Most people don't remember she was in Logan's Run and literally the worst actress in that movie.
There's a shot of Mauer Khan just screaming.
I love the scene when they're like cutting up the doctor and Logan's Run with lasers and she's standing there looking frightened, but really she just looks wasted.
33:52
Go watch it again.
It's it's truly amazing And what I totally get what I cast her, but she sucks at that movie.
OK, issue 2 is the one with the jet cycles.
I just read.
I just read these all not too long ago.
I've got a few of them mixed mixed up here.
Jet.
The jet cycle launch sequence is a lot like Voltron.
34:11
I'm, I'm not, I'm I could, I suppose I could do some research on this, but I'm not going to do it right now.
I'm not sure which one came first.
The, the shots of Voltron, because you know how they rode like these little, these tubes to get into Voltron?
Well, they do the same thing here in Shogun Warriors that they, they, they shoot, they, they ride jet cycles to these tubes and then they're like shot up these pneumatic tubes into like a 1970s bank teller machine or something into the giant robots.
34:39
It's a lot like Voltron, which of course I also love.
Was there a Voltron comic book series back in the day?
I don't think there was.
Anyway, issue 2 is the one where we see that these things before Transformers.
You know, I'm getting excited when my voice starts to change.
34:55
I'm only 50.
It's got to happen one of these days.
Then there's the supersonic afterburners kick into full force.
The awesome conversion is complete.
Radine has become fire.
Hawk transforms from a robot into a jet plane.
35:12
Yes, please.
I want one of these things.
Yeah, I thought, I thought the Transformers really invented the whole transforming thing with like, the more you go back into the 70s Japanese stuff.
I know they did not.
That was bad.
Of course, that honor goes to the Gobots.
It does not.
The Gobots did get a name drop in Lethal Weapon.
35:48
Now issue 3 is great.
Love these covers, beautiful cover art, and the word balloon.
You're doomed.
Kombatra 1 Shogun alone cannot defeat Rock Core after Rock Core splits into three monsters and issue 3 titled The Elements of Destruction.
36:06
We've got a fire monster, an ice monster and an earth monster, a rock monster, and the three Shogun warriors have to battle this thing and save a train because the rock monster is about to destroy a train.
And we learned that Lieutenant Magar, 1 of Maur Khan's servants does not approve of his use of computers and science and instead wants to go back to the old ways of sorcery.
36:31
And they they this disagree.
This internal disagreement starts to spill over while the Shogun warriors are fighting this thing.
And the action scenes are just incredible.
If you're just looking for like a really fun, well illustrated giant robots fighting monsters book, this is it.
36:50
Shogun Warriors and issue #4 picks up or issue #3 leaves off as its combaturate times. 5 Menace of the Mech Monster.
Another really creative and just imaginative fun issue reminding us that 1979 was the time to be alive and reading comic books.
37:12
Thankfully you can still do that today in the future, which sucks ass.
So to take it back to 1979 when we can, you know what never gets old is giant robots comprised of smaller robots or or vehicles or robot lions like Voltron or Devastator Predaking.
37:32
Well, how about Combatra?
Same thing.
Compatura like turns into five smaller robots that all fight the the monsters.
37:49
And there's the the pool is it's like the pool of evil in the hunt of evil or, or is it the liquid goo of bad intentions?
And I wish I could have written this stuff back in the day.
Liquid goo of bad intentions.
Oh wait, in issue 4 we've got some like schematic diagrams of Radine and Danguard Ace.
38:11
These things all transform and Combatura turns into five smaller vehicles.
So it's kind of like the Voltron that turned into all the different vehicles.
Remember that one was that Voltron defender of the near universe?
And oh, OK, I forgot Issue 4.
38:27
You really need to read these.
I hope if anything I turn at least somebody on to this series.
Issue 4 is the one where we learned that the mech monsters this is Maher Khan is shouting about mech monsters constructed by my techno mages, but Lieutenant Magar is very opposed to this.
38:44
This is the one where they launched this monster out of a giant puddle of goo which is called the Pool of dark life.
So the Shogun Warriors lit in lit in issue 4 are fighting what kind of looks like a cross between Mothra and one of the Decepticons a a horrible monster that is created by sorcery and science.
39:12
And this gives the Shogun Warriors a challenge.
But we also get a sweet ad for Iron Man, who's Hawking Hostess fruit pies.
On the back cover we get Battlestar Galactica.
If I figure out what drugs can send me back to the 70s, I will let you know, because I'm pretty sure an awful lot of you will want to join me.
39:44
So in the days before everything had to have like a six issue story arc.
Shogun Warriors kind of gives us a six issue story arc that runs through the 1st 6 issues where the this horrible mech monster flies away and leads the shoguns.
40:02
Or at least it leaves Genji to the volcanic island with Maura Khan.
She eventually gets herself captured.
And then then we get this cool issue #6 here, which is Shogun against Shogun as the Shoguns have to fight each other.
And then who wins?
40:19
The readers, of course.
But it just keeps getting better because the nonsense and the just the sheer scope of just absurdity continues.
And in many ways, it's elevated with issue #7 where this is the one where this is just a giant Shogun warrior on the cover, and there's a bunch of people on a beach pointing at it and running away.
40:43
Doctor Tambora gives each of the Shogun Warriors pendants which are like pagers from the future but the past that alert the Shoguns to to dangers and I guess teleport the giant robots to them where they are.
So once again, complete and absolute nonsense.
41:00
If you can teleport the Shogun Warrior to the human pilot when the human needs the Shogun Warrior, why can't you teleport the Shogun Warrior inside the enemy space monster and just destroy it from within?
Clearly I should have been one of the Followers of the Light, but I'm not.
41:19
I'm just a schmuck talking about 1970s comics in the future, which is a good thing because that means I'm doing my part to save the future.
And issue 7 is just terrific because the Shoguns all return home to their previous lives and like nobody believes them.
41:35
Genji's arrested and then Richard Carson, who's whose girlfriend dumps a glass of wine on him after he tells her this nonsensical story, ends up fighting this enormous monster that rises from the sea.
And this is, that's the issue where he picks up the battleship.
41:52
Like the Coast Guard ship.
Actually, no, that's number.
That might be number #8 but there's like a couple issues.
They're just wonderful.
Where all this where like there's more monsters just like raining from the sky, falling into the ocean.
And we, we get to learn, learn more about each of their personalities.
42:08
And Ilongo Savage, who's sensitive but awesome and a scientist.
And he's he's witnessed to this meteor falling into the ocean, which then sends him and his girlfriend into, into an undersea grotto.
And I look, I just love the term grotto.
42:23
I feel like that's not used enough.
And that brings us to Star child.
The war beneath the waves where they're fighting this huge giant tentacle space monster from the ocean that hatches from a meteorite.
Then he has to save a school bus full of children when this thing makes its way to land.
42:41
Which one is that?
Is that dangar?
I I get there.
I get the robots confused, I think.
I think Elongo Savage pilots Dang guard ace.
That's right.
Richard Carson is Ray Dean and Ginji Odashu pilots combaturate.
And this monster flies away and it's like Godzilla just transforms into an even bigger monster.
42:59
It's like one of the Godzilla monsters.
The other Godzilla.
Like it's like, what's the one?
One of my favourites.
Why am I asking you?
It's my brain that's that's cluttered with nonsense.
Destroyer.
43:17
That's right.
It's like Destroyer turns into an even bigger monster and flies away.
And that brings us to issue #10 the five heads of Doom.
The five heads of doom.
This thing looks like a glove.
It's like 5 fingers of space monsters trying to grab one of the Shogun Warriors.
43:34
And it just, it just doesn't let up.
Now, previously, I think previously I mistakenly said that Shogun Warriors ran for 17 issues.
I don't know why I thought that.
I'm flipping through issue 10 here right in front of me.
I love this.
43:50
There's like a two page spread on pages two and three of just this, this, this the space monster hand glove just reaching people and oh, that must be, that's Combatra there, isn't it?
That's yes.
Genji leaps into here we go leaps into the now horizontal shimmer tube, knowing that the flow of its gravity vacuum will carry her to Combatra's entry portal.
44:13
Where do you get stuff like this today?
You know where you don't get it is on social media.
Morons.
You do get it in in Shogun Warriors.
Oh, the giant fist is flying around punching things.
Oh, and you're probably wondering, maybe you thought this.
44:29
Who flies the other parts of Kombatra when Genji Odashu is can only fly just one of them, right?
Well, there's like little robot things.
They're called Centron.
Centron Skies, Centron Skyskater, 2 ready.
Centron Earthmover, 3 ready.
44:45
Centron Turbo Streaker, 4 ready.
Centron Ground Rover 5 ready.
So Genji's fighting the five fingers of flying monster.
Awesome.
With the five parts of Kombatra.
It's in issue 11.
45:00
I love the cover for issue 11.
And you know, one of the cool things about Shogun Warriors that sets it apart from the 1980s licensed comics like toy based comics, is that they is that the series didn't go overboard in trying to shove new characters and new robots and new vehicles and new playsets into each issue because these were basically just giant ads for the toys.
45:25
So, you know, to to their credit, Transformers and GI Joe were pretty good at that, but I like the Shogun warriors focuses on the three main Shogun warriors and the the robots.
Now they're adding new space monsters and stuff here.
45:41
Issue 12 gives us meteors from space.
Of course, I guess where else would meteors come from?
And the moon menace where we get see Dina in her underwear for what reason?
I guess Herb Trump wanted to draw that, and she's jealous because Genji's, I guess, just got a bigger role in the comic book than she does.
46:01
And Longo wants to go back to work.
But you can't because the Earth is in chaos and all hell is breaking loose and everything is being destroyed.
And we could use the Shogun warriors today, that's for sure.
We've got some shots here from the The Followers of the Light.
46:19
A city is crushed by a small fragment of meteor.
Earthquakes caused by the impact.
Floods are caused by the earthquake and an ad for ROM Shogun warriors are called into action using their magic super pendants and there's a two page spread.
46:38
A2 page ad for Star Wars toys including a radio controlled R2D2, the Star Wars creature cantina, Star Wars Imperial troop transporter.
An all new star starting to get so excited.
46:55
It's time to change.
New Star Wars Land of the Jaw was to see.
We got the power Droid, Star Wars death threats, Boba Fett, Snaggletooth, Greedo, and Jar Jar Binks.
I made that one up.
Wait a second.
If I made it up in 1979, that means I created Jar Jar.
47:12
That's a future I can't handle.
Let's forget I said that.
I'll cut that out in editing.
The Shogun warriors fly into space.
Just when you think it couldn't get more awesome, they find a way to make it more awesome.
47:38
With issue Issue 13 brings us demons on the moon.
Issue 14 we have you now Dr. Demonicus. 2 late shoguns.
I've already launched my giant meteor at Earth.
Honestly you'd be doing us a favour and it just, it just keeps going. 20 issues though, that's all we get. 20 issues of Shogun Warriors, presumably because the toys stopped selling as well and it's always licensing things like that.
48:07
You know, the series was great.
It, it should still be running today.
Shogun Warriors versus influencers trying to sell you fake medicine.
Can they defeat an AI generated misinformation campaign with laser fists?
You'll find out.
And Shogun Warriors issue #792 you see, I would argue that if that was the future we're living in where Shogun Warriors continued, then perhaps it would be a better future like the one from Logan's Run.
48:37
Sure, you got to ride on Carousel, but have an issue of Shogun Warriors as you spend your death and explode.
The music in that movie is really good, by the way.
Check out the soundtrack.
It was one of the first uses of synthesizers in a major, major motion picture sound soundtrack.
Jerry Goldsmith, I think.
48:53
And anyway, so since I originally screwed up and thought there were only 17 issues, because I have 17 issues of Shogun Warriors, that means that I need to go out now and collect the fund.
The last three issues I actually don't know how it ends.
So it's like I have something to look forward to, as I suspect many of you do as well.
49:11
What do I think?
I think that you all, everyone of you listening, even if you're a robot, everyone of you needs to go out and start reading Shogun Warriors.
If you like Transformers, if you like Godzilla, if you like Ultraman, if you like Power Rangers, any of that stuff.
49:28
I think you'll love Shogun Warriors because in a way I think it it it, it either influenced all of that stuff or was influenced by, oh God, I used the word influence.
I hate that word now.
Inspired by all of the same stuff that inspired those other franchises.
You know, just.
49:43
Giant monsters, robots transforming things, robots built from smaller robots and vehicles, and just the human drama with the three characters that's just, it's all just nonsensical and so perfectly woven together by Doug Mensch, who did at least most of the writing.
50:00
I guess I don't have the final three issues, but issue 17 gives us a fun story where a kid takes control of one of the Shogun warriors and it's impossible to just not have a great time when you're eating these.
I mean, the beer is optional, but you know, when you have, you're not drinking a Stein of beer alone when you're drinking your Stein of beer with the mighty Shogun Warriors, or at least Genji.
50:22
And they don't cost that much.
So for less than the price of a protein bar that you don't need, you can buy an issue of Shogun Warriors.
In fact, you can probably buy all the issues of Shogun Warriors.
See the price of that crap, It's ridiculous.
This future is dumb.
50:38
We need the Shogun Warriors to save us from ourselves now that's there's so many enormous omnibus collections out there on various franchises, you know, like Mike Gronauts and ROM and and Conan's on like there's this second series of omnibuses now they switched publishers.
50:56
Like will we ever get a, a Shogun Warriors omnibus?
I don't know.
Probably all licensing nonsense, which is too bad because it's, it's just such a wonderful series.
But thankfully it is not out of reach for the average person or Dolphin or whatever.
Whoever wants to read Shogun Warriors, just grab a bunch of 20s, go to your local comic book shop and ask them for Shogun warriors.
51:20
Now before I talk about the next issue next, the next episode of this podcast, I will mention that that I, I did, I, I have actually found figured out which drug you can take that does does take you back to 1979, but it's not completely effective.
And that drug is a Stein of beer and 17 issues of Shogun warriors and a whole bunch of Star Wars ads because mentally, mentally, I'm there and I'm pretty happy.
51:44
So giant robots fighting space monsters that look like gloves with fingers that have mouths.
It just it just doesn't get much better than that.
Now the next episode of this podcast is going to be is is a lot of fun.
And in fact, I actually broke this podcast into two parts.
52:01
So you probably can't even tell ran out of time, but I have already recorded it and you will learn all about what it's like to run a comic book shop in real life in the future.
So you excited about that?
Get to hear all the details about what comics are hot, how to what what what the comic market is is like these days, how the comic book market has changed, how the comic book industry has changed in 40 years.
52:24
And it's a lot of fun.
So stay tuned for that.
Same giant murderous robot channel, same murderous robot time.
I think I got that backwards, but you get the idea.
Thank you for listening.
I was going to say Shogun Warriors, the podcast.
Now that's something we could also use.
52:42
If I could find the time to dedicate 52 episodes a year just to Shogun Warriors, I could do it.
That's a challenge I might have to accept one of these days.
But I've also got a whole bunch of other comic books to talk about and hopefully some side missions as as well.
52:58
Some side quests as well.
Here on Comic Book dot Beer, the podcast.
See you next time.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening.
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