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Off-Topic => Off-Topic Discussion => Topic started by: TommyProductionsInc on August 07, 2019, 03:00:07 PM

Title: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on August 07, 2019, 03:00:07 PM
I plan on making a webcomic series called "Bot Wars". It's a satirical parody of both Battlebots AND Robot Wars, featuring many similar elements such as the idea of house robots, the fight-night tournament format, arena hazards, and most importantly robot designs.

The idea is that I would take a real-life design, modify it and rename it, and list it as either a homage or a parody of the real life competitor that inspired it, and have it compete in the series.

For example, there's a competitor named Tin-Head. It HAS to be like Mauler from Battlebots. I won't explain why, but literally the entire series is dependent on this. Tin head is a robot with many different versions, just like Mauler, with a similar evolution in design: A lid/fullbody spinner with a monster face on it as well as the robot's name. It too is run by a crazy family of rednecks called the Gilford Family (parody of Mauler's creators, the Tilford Family. This is probably the ONLY time a real-life team is ever parodied. Usually, it's just the bots.) Tin head is different from Mauler for consistent reasons:

Tinhead's design is asymmetrical (not in shape, but in coloration, armor material, decorations, weaponry) has a consistent yet different monster design on it and has a different base color, as well as design aesthetics like a painted lobster claw, painted wings, and 2 different types of antlers. They might even protrude out the top of the robot like a self-righting poll.

I don't plan on stealing ANYTHING. In fact, I think I'll have a small counter in the background counting every single reference the comic makes to real-life robot combat, and then have a big long list at the end of every chapter explaining what each reference is connected to.
(You can't be accused of stealing someone's creative work if you don't take credit for it, but rather credit the creator, right?)

I've already attempted to contact both Battlebots and Robot Wars about this, but have had no luck in getting ANY response. I've also studied copyright laws as well as what the standards are for something to be considered an official parody, and what's considered copyright infringement. Sadly, it seems to be heavily based on a case-by-case circumstance of what is and isn't considered illegal.

The nature of the homage/parody elements are simply a crude, yet light-hearted take on common tropes, cliches, and phenomena in general robot combat. It doesn't attack any real-life individuals and barely references any to begin with. The bots homaged/parodied are treated with  what I consider as a reasonable amount of respect and I whole-heartedly believe that this won't damage combat robotics, but rather STRENGTHEN it by reaching out using comedy and introducing people to the basics of how robot-combat works.

I'm deathly scared of being sued, but I absolutely refuse to give up on the idea of implementing real-life tried and tested designs from real teams and tournaments into my series.

What's your guys' thoughts on this? Do I have a chance at succeeding with this plan or at least viably defending it in court, or am I totally screwed if I proceed with this? Do ya'll need  more examples of what I'm talking about or something? Please let me know.
Title: Re: I plan on making a robot combat webcomic, but...
Post by: Badger on August 07, 2019, 03:14:06 PM
lmao you're not gonna get sued.

Even if their company gave half a sh** about your webcomic (they won't, guaranteed) they would send a cease and desist first, which is a legalese way of telling you to stop before they sue you. They won't sue you without that. But it won't even get that far, I guarantee you.
Title: Re: I plan on making a robot combat webcomic, but...
Post by: F1Krazy on August 07, 2019, 03:19:35 PM
There are plenty of webcomics that do just rip off other people's characters, mostly from video games (I'm personally quite fond of Nerf NOW!), and none of them get sued into oblivion. "Fair use" should cover you - your work is intended as an affectionate parody and it's not like you're trying to make money off the RW/BattleBots brands. If you were trying to make money off the Robot Wars brand, it'd be more than the BBC ever did, but that's besides the point.

I see no issues here. Go for it! I'd read it.
Title: Re: I plan on making a robot combat webcomic, but...
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on August 27, 2019, 12:05:44 AM
Alright, cool.

Here's concept art for the bot meant to represent Razor, literally named "OMG IT'S RAZZOR!"

In initially called Razzor, this bot's shtick is that no matter how unique of a design it's team makes it, every crusher that came after it, no matter how different in design, was considered a rip-off of it.
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Title: Re: I plan on making a robot combat webcomic, but...
Post by: Thrackerzod on August 27, 2019, 06:18:48 AM
OMG IT'S RAZZOR!!
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on August 29, 2019, 03:29:57 PM
Parody Robots #2: Gravestone

"Sorry about your floor...and your lights...and the walls...oh, and the house robots. I don't have to pay for this, do I?"

These are the words commonly spoken by the builder and driver of Gravestone, the batsh** crazy spinner of death I based off of, you guessed it, the almighty Tombstone.

Due to the strength of modern armor, most high kinetic energy spinners tend to send themselves and their opponents flying with every collision.

No bot in Bot Wars knows this better than Gravestone, one of the deadliest, if not THE deadliest, heavyweight spinners in Bot Wars history. If he could just stay on the god damn floor for more than 2 seconds and not knock itself out, this bot would be just as successful as Tombstone.

But, sadly, this bot parodies the aspect of Tombstone revolving around insane weapon recoil and literally break-dancing in the middle of the fight. For a robot not designed for break-dancing, he's pretty damn good at it. If only this thing could win more fights like Tombstone...

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Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: Hoppin on August 29, 2019, 04:06:27 PM
I can hear the DMCA's rushing to your mailbox

Cool drawing tho
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on August 29, 2019, 05:48:16 PM
I can hear the DMCA's rushing to your mailbox

Cool drawing tho
Thanks!

And yeah, this COULD get me sued maybe, but this should fit the legal definition of a parody. I studied the general criteria and was at least able to work that part out. Add a few legal disclaimers and have a good argument on the legitimacy of this parody and I should be able to dodge some of these copyright bullets.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 02, 2019, 12:22:50 AM
Parody Bots REJECTED Edition #1: All American Redneck.

Parody of: Hypnodisc

The original idea for this parody of out beloved pioneer of destruction Hypnodisc was a version of him with a slightly different design and a totally different, patriotic american theme. However, after continuing my much-needed research on parody laws, this  alone is not enough to fit the criteria of a "parody", thus this will be rejected. It's not a commentary and it has no real connections to Hypnodisc other than the design. As such, this will NOT be featured in my project, unlike the previous two bots I've shown (Gravestone and OMG IT'S RAZZOR having sufficient commentaries IMO)

Luckily, I've found a new way to get Hypnodisc parodied properly, and I'll show that next time around. For now, here's the concept art of the now rejected idea of All American Redneck's first design. I'm thinking of giving him a custom original design that sorta resembles this, but with very different proportions. Hypnodisc meanwhile will be parodied/represented by a different competitor.

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Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 06, 2019, 12:53:16 PM
Parody Bots #4, Math Dethruction

Parody of: Hexadecimator.

So many props you may not even recognize him. Hexadecimater was a flipper from the Comedy Central Battlebots era that was given a clever name based off the word Hexadecimal, which is a mathmatic term I was never taught in school, not even in College...

...so clearly it's for nerds, and thus the parody begins. Take Hexadecimator's clever, nerd-driven name and make it the basis for an entire robot parody. Thus, Math Dathruction is born.

Built by a skinny nerd with a lisp, Math Dathruction is a parody of not just Hexadecimater, but it's own creator (specifically the Bot Wars version, not Team Whoopass. They aren't even getting parodied, just their bot.)

Armed with a fierce flipper and with custom-made protractor roll-bars, this bot is actually harder to take down compared to good ol' Hexy D. It may look silly with it's giant nerd glasses accessory, but once they come off, your bot might get thrown out of the arena.
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Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: KidDelta on September 06, 2019, 12:58:54 PM
Convenient for me to be awake at 2 am to see this bad boy
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 07, 2019, 07:40:31 PM
For the first time in this project, I came up with a parody bot design that actually made me burst out laughing, and it just happens to be the parody counterpart of the notoriously brutal forklift Vlad The Enabler-Er, I mean Impaler.
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But first, I need to finish up my first house robot, that's not a house robot...but is...yet it isn't...

...it's complicated.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: Reier on September 08, 2019, 01:53:15 AM
I can hear the DMCA's rushing to your mailbox

Cool drawing tho
Thanks!

And yeah, this COULD get me sued maybe, but this should fit the legal definition of a parody. I studied the general criteria and was at least able to work that part out. Add a few legal disclaimers and have a good argument on the legitimacy of this parody and I should be able to dodge some of these copyright bullets.

hes kidding

i really dont think you have to worry at all about parodies that aren't for profit and have no chance of hurting the profits of the IP. you have nothing to worry about bud. even if you did, unless you get a waaaay bigger following RW/BB wouldn't even notice anyway.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 08, 2019, 10:32:05 AM
Thanks Reier! I'm not good at internet sarcasm...or sarcasm in general (It's an autism thing)

Parody Bots #5: Gruntilda
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Parody of: Matilda

Imagine if the boar-like Matriarch of Mayhem house robot Matilda was an actual competitor? And had a heavier animal theme? And could have WAY more stuff fitted inside her ass?

Meet Gruntilda. She takes the animalistic part of Matilda to the extreme, making pig noises, being cuddly towards her creator, attempting (and failing) to eat random stuff, etc. She's also much cuter, but also much harder to take seriously. The purple ribbon on her head and fuzzy ears don't help either.

Formerly part of the short-lived weight class between the heavyweights and superheavyweights, known as the megaheavyweights, which I made mainly for the house robots and oversized heavyweights that didn't fit the standards for superheavyweights.

She also gets sexually harassed by british commentators and competitor robots alike. (Don't ask why, it's less painful to not know the details.)

Lastly, although she starts off with just a rear chainsaw, she's later upgraded to have interchangeable booty weapons, including a spinning bar (instead of a flywheel) a pick-axe, and a comical rainbow featherduster for when she works as a makeshift "maid" and dusts her creator's house.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 11, 2019, 08:20:17 PM
Parody Bots #5: Ivan The Terrible
Parody of: Vlad The Impaler
Often considered the most EVIL competitor in Bot Wars history, this bot lives up to the Classic Battlebots legend that inspired it: Vlad The Enabler-er, I mean Impaler. The main aspect of this parody bot is that it exaggerates a common aspect between itself and it’s inspiration: They’re based off of notoriously cruel European rulers. Whereas Vlad is based off the real-life Wallachian ruler Vlad III Dracula, AKA Vlad the Impaler, Ivan here is based upon the Russian Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich, AKA Ivan the Terrible. The exaggeration from original to parody should be evident in just the naming alone: Vlad is known for impaling people, but Ivan is known overall for just being straight-up TERRIBLE.
And there is NO robot more evil and terrible than Ivan here. Much like how Battlebots competitor Vlad The Impaler ruled over the Battlebox for 2 straight seasons with back-to-back championships and sheer brutality, Ivan The Terrible was ALSO a notoriously brutal, and highly successful, competitor. However, the amount of EVIL in Ivan is far greater than Vlad, and it can be easily seen in the fact that Vlad The Impaler is only brutal and evil to fellow opponents. Ivan The Terrible…is just straight-up awful to everyone and everything, both inside and outside the arena.
Not only does he mistreat his fellow competitors, the house robots, and even the Robo-Ref (Ref-bot parody coming soon) he also commits total atrocities outside of the arena. Unfortunately, Facebook’s general community standards and the rules of this group will forbid me from mentioning most of his crimes against both humanity and robot-kind, but there is one incident in particular worth mentioning…
It all happened in a Californian Starbucks in the year 2001. Ivan drove over and brought them a piece of paper stabbed through one of his impaling lifting forks. It was a note describing 2 drinks he’d like to order, JUST FOR HIMSELF (evil greedy bastard): A Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato (One of the most dreaded things a person could possibly order at Starbucks) and a Pumpkin Spice Latte (which didn’t even exist at the time). The employee, who was already confused by the notion of a combat robot ordering a non-fat drink specifically (They don’t make combat robots any heavier, as was evident by the 13 other competitor robots who ordered drinks in that local area), asked what exactly a Pumpkin-Spice Latte even was.
Ivan responded by shooting his self-righting piston out, startling a nearby customer. He then gave an EVIL, COLD, DEAD GLARE to the employee, causing her a full-blown case of mild anxiety. He ended up only getting the first drink. He took the drink in a cup holder that perfectly fit in between his lifting forks. He paid for that one drink and went on his way (The money wasn’t very usable since that was also stabbed through one of his forks, but the employee didn’t object. She must’ve been too terrified by what had just happened.)
After it was all said and done…Ivan left that Starbucks a 1-star review on Yelp…(which also didn’t exist at the time. However, when the website first came online, there was already an entry on it: A review from 3 years ago…FROM IVAN HIMSELF.)
SEE HOW EVIL HE IS?! HE TRANSCENDS TIME AND SPACE WITH HIS DOUCHEBAG BEHAVIOR!  PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES AND YELP! HE’S A COMPLETE MONSTER!
When will it end? When will some spinner with an extremely loud death hum come over and kill this evil bastard?! Only time will tell…only time will tell…
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Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: KidDelta on September 12, 2019, 07:39:24 AM
He Vlad

He Dad

But most importantly........

He MAD
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 18, 2019, 09:38:29 PM
Parody Bots #6: Mayhem II
Parody of: Chaos 2
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So, what’s the joke here? It’s so PAINFULLY based off of Chaos 2 yet there doesn’t seem to be any basis for a legal parody argument…until you look at it’s fight history.
I haven’t decided yet whether or not this bot will be a champion in Bot Wars, but I do know one thing for sure, and it’s the entire basis of the parody:
The design never ****ing changes. New internals, new armor, same old shape. For 4 straight years this bot has looked the EXACT SAME as when he was first built. There were some internal changes, but this robot REALLY suffers from something I call “Old Fartbot Syndrome”.
A robot that qualifies as what some would call “an old fart” (slang for old person or thing) this bot’s overall design slowly ages and becomes less and less effective over the years. The slow, gradual decline of this robot is too painfully real to look at, and by the time it’s 2003, it was obsolete. The design was great back in the day, but as robot combatology evolves, so must the robots.
Otherwise, you get Old Fartbot Syndrome.

(DISCLAIMER: I understand that the reason Chaos 3, 4, 5, and even 6 was never created was due to George Francis’ lack of a large enough budget. It’s a real shame too, because I would’ve LOVED to see what those bots would have looked like. In fact, after it’s complete destruction in a certain match, this bot DOES get rebuilt into Mayhem III, a robot who’s design is an approximation of what I think George Francis would’ve done if he made Chaos 3 and beyond…)
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 23, 2019, 11:22:57 AM
Parody Bots #7: Dismantler
Parody of: Diesector
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Ya’ll know about Diesector, right? A fun superheavyweight robot with a unique yet effective design, from the Comedy Central era of Battlebots? Clamping/lifting jaws, 360 degree hammers/pickaxes, and a wedge in the back that nobody notices?
And here, we have the same thing, but with a lame version of the original’s name: Dismantler. With the same weapons, googly eyes, and bushy eyebrows, you may think this is a cheap attempt at making fun of a legend, but that’s not the case.
You see, Dismantler is like the classic Bot Wars era’s version of HUGE: The most expressive robot on the field. Diesector could emulate many expressions and moods through his wild hammers and adjustable jaws. However, Dismantler has a pair of googly eye, dorky eyebrows that somehow change position without being on actual motors (Like HUGE’s eyes) and a possible addiction to crystal meth.
Yup, Dismantler is one of several parodies of Donald Hudson’s creations, and while Donald’s bots were known for being life-like, weird, and just straight up bad ass, Dismantler’s yet-to-be-named creator is known for making crazy, erratic, somewhat alive but still pretty cool robots (that happen to have googly eyes for character.)
In the end, Dismantler is an exaggeration of Diesector’s lively nature and expressive design, and even it’s personality. Hell, he even has the same victory dance. Difference is that Dismantler also does this dance at nightclubs in front of people who are reasonably confused as to why a 325 pound combat robot just took the floor.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: 090901 on September 23, 2019, 12:59:48 PM
i ship OMG ITS RAZZOR!!! and Mayhem II  :heart_smiley:
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on September 26, 2019, 12:02:12 PM
i ship OMG ITS RAZZOR!!! and Mayhem II  :heart_smiley:
Hot.

Parody Bots #8: Killinator
Parody of: Killertron
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This one’s kinda on the nose: It’s a vicious, aggressive, potent robot with a pickaxe and a set of decorative spines. Edge name, edgy bot, everything looks great! Seems like an intimidating bot to me…
…but it’s pink. Seriously? Pink isn’t considered an intimidating color these days, so why go out of your way with the deadly weaponry (at the time) and edgy name, and even add spike accessories for extra coolness, and then make it ****ING PINK?!
(Must be some kind of joke)
This is literally all I could come up with as a parodic commentary for Killertron, a British pioneer in the field of axe-bots who was pretty potent for his time. I NEEDED to find a way to get him in my series, so I went with a pretty un-creative parody theme. This question is constantly asked to the creator’s of Killinator in Bot Wars, and the builder simply shrugs.
Unlike Killerton, who was who only had the wheely-bin portion of his body (the curved shell), Killinator is just chock full of exaggerated girly colors, like a Barbie Doll Playhouse. The colors don’t show too well in this pic, but Killinator is just a bunch of the girliest, least intimidating colors I could think of that are related to pink. This was the result.
Still counts as a parody, due to the exaggerations and commentary behind it, so that’s another bot added to my collection of parody-bots for webcomic.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: J on September 28, 2019, 10:50:01 PM
NOT-Vlad should be renamed to Glad to Meet You, and the word “Loosfit” should be written on his side.

And “Math Deduction” works better for Hex- include that he makes dad-level math puns while he fights.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 01, 2019, 10:46:42 AM
NOT-Vlad should be renamed to Glad to Meet You, and the word “Loosfit” should be written on his side.

And “Math Deduction” works better for Hex- include that he makes dad-level math puns while he fights.

Nice ideas! I'd like to keep the Ivan name, but Loosefit is brilliant. Sounds like a clothing brand.

Dad level math-puns sound game too.

Anyway, on to the next parody, this time featuring a bot that fought in both Battlebots AND Robot Wars.

Parody Bots #9: Maniac
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Parody of: Frenzy
This bot’s commentary on the original is pretty spot-on: It spazzes out like crazy whenever it uses its weapon. However, to further exaggerate the crazy undertones of this bot, Maniac is painted in an acid-trip color scheme and has googly eyes on springs that wiggle around hilariously when the robot swings around. This bot spends as much time on the floor as my previous bot parody Gravestone (AKA, he barely stays on the floor)
This bot’s schtick of being a crazy over-head swinger would soon be competed with by a British axe-bot with a similar spazzy movement pattern, and it’s based of a real-life British axebot that also pummeled Panic Attack at some point, just like frenzy, the bot Maniac takes after…

Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 04, 2019, 03:57:26 PM
Parody Bots #10: Provectus
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Parody of: Mortis
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Going 2-for-2 with robots that competed in both Battlebots and Robot Wars, here we have Provectus:
There’s two different interpretations on this robot, it’s team, it’s traits, and other stuff: There’s the producers’ list of “factual” information on this robot used for TV, and then there’s what’s really going on behind the scenes.
I’ll start with what the Producers wanted to convey as reality with this robot overview for Provectus used for TV:
“Made by the most prestigious technological education institution IN THE WORLD, and costing the US equivalent of over a MILLION dollars, it’s the most advanced and powerful combat robot EVER: Provectus!
Built over the course of 5 YEARS, this robot is named rather quite cleverly and intellectually after a word from a now long lost ancient language that translates to “advanced”, which is a true understatement!  Armored in a high-end industrial titanium alloy coated with a top-secret material that makes the robot as hard as a DIAMOND, this machine of destruction is practically ENTITLED to the championship due to it’s objective greatness!
This robot also possesses the finest military-grade robot combat weaponry on the PLANET, with a ancient knife-blade axe weapon based off an ancient, long lost mystical Asian country, created by the last sword-smith of that region high up on asia’s tallest mountain, and with the ability to hit 60 times a SECOND, and with the force of a tank gun at point blank range, DESTROYING any opponent! Also, it’s lifting arm can lift a SCHOOL BUS, and is literally indestructible! Powered by a cold-fusion cell and using a new futuristic type of motor never before seen until now, this bot is power incarnate!
Needless to say, the brilliant professor who created this machine along with his two prodigious students totally think they can win this tournament, and rightfully so! Intellectual elites, this team isn’t afraid to say they’re BETTER than EVERYONE else, and that nothing can stop them from winning EVERY tournament we’ll ever have from here on out! And will most CERTAINLY look down upon you and your pitiful entry into Bot Wars.
Love them or hate them, these guys are so ahead of everyone else, they even made a state-of-the-art hands-free operating device they can mount their controller to, amplifying controlling abilities so much that even an amateur can drive an RC Car to victory using it!”
Phew, what a load of bullsh**. Ok, here’s the reality of this bot, inspired HEAVILY by the reality of it’s inspiration Mortis hidden by early Robot Wars producers as per their producer shenanigans at the time:
The robot (named after the latin word for “Advanced”) was built in 3 months by a regular English technical college professor and some students using mainly donated second-hand parts and scrap, only costing around 500 British pounds ($616), The robot ran on electric brushless motors (the first bot to use them, but not the first thing brushless motors were used on), its armored in regular aerospace materials including silicon carbide (which may allegedly be like being diamond-coated, but diamonds actually make for sh** armor from what I’ve heard), has a pickaxe inspired by a Japanese tanto blade that can hit 3 times a second and can do decent damage to opponents, roughly the same as a point-blank gunshot from a .38 Magnum Rifle, a lifter made of salvaged scrap-metal that can’t hoist even a car, but still works as a sri-mech and on fellow heavyweights, and overall a decent but exaggerated bot with an average level of performance and ALL the producer bias for its first few years.
As for the hands-free device, they built that out of spare parts and it only can help lower the stress on a person’s thumbs when operating the controls. You can’t turn into Gary Gin however. Sorry. At least your thumbs will appreciate it.
Perhaps the worst, most toxic exaggeration by the producers about Provectus was its team. Sure, they were smart, but they weren’t the snobby elitists that producers made them out to be. They were confident in their bot surely, maybe a little conceited, but they weren’t total assholes about it. In the end, their reputations were nearly ruined by the TV producers as these so-called “facts” stained their reputations until the original team quit and the robot exchanged hands with some other people.
In the end, this robot is a case of producer meddling, from trying to rig fights to spreading false facts, early televised Bot Wars was like the earlier days of televised robot combat. The basis of this parody is the exaggeration of the sheer level of misinformation and bias the producers had when discussing this bot and presenting it on TV, along with its unfortunate team.
And, much like how the music industry takes promising young musical talent, milks them for all the music and merch they’re worth, throws them away and go on to the next big teen heart-throb, so did Provectus, being the producer’s favorite bot to win tournaments…
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: CodeSilver23 on October 04, 2019, 05:21:08 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: Hoppin on October 04, 2019, 05:41:41 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

No wtf, its spawn again
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: CodeSilver23 on October 04, 2019, 06:07:18 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

No wtf, its spawn again
Isn’t Spawn Again a flipper?
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: Hoppin on October 04, 2019, 06:10:16 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

No wtf, its spawn again
Isn’t Spawn Again a flipper?

What are you smokin? Can I have some?
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: CodeSilver23 on October 04, 2019, 08:02:13 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

No wtf, its spawn again
Isn’t Spawn Again a flipper?

What are you smokin? Can I have some?
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I think my work here is done...
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 04, 2019, 09:19:53 PM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

Ye
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: CodeSilver23 on October 05, 2019, 07:35:50 AM
…but then came along a certain new shell spinner…
Typhoon?

Ye
Mic drop.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 10, 2019, 02:59:41 PM
Parody Bots #11, Fighting C*ck
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Parody of: Killerhurtz
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And here we have yet ANOTHER parody of a robot that competed in both Battlebots and Robot Wars. That’s the third time in a row.
Here we have Fighting C*ck, it’s name being a parody of the phrase “Fighting Talk” (also, it's a chicken). It’s basically Killerhurtz, but painted to look like a chicken, exaggerating the chicken-like axe-head used for Battlebots. But that’s not the only exaggerated trait this bot has that makes it legally count as a parody: It’s hyper aggressive and proud to be British. And yes, like any good axe-bot or hammer-bot, he will ALWAYS wait for a good hit.
Expect more John Reid jokes in my eventual parodies of Beta and Terrorhurtz.
(The fun thing is that while Killerhurtz, Terrorhurtz, Beta, and Tanshe are all built be John Reid IRL, in Bot Wars their respective parodies will be built by different people and different competing teams. That means the possibility of fights like Killerhurtz VS Terrorhurtz or Terrorhurtz VS Beta are very likely to be represented by these parodies. (I always try to make the parodies perform EXACTLY like their IRL counterparts, and the fights being the only real serious aspect of the series.)
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: pokebro14 on October 10, 2019, 03:08:35 PM
Nice Hanky Pancky
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: Hoppin on October 10, 2019, 05:29:38 PM
Doesnt a comic need... a story?
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 10, 2019, 10:38:02 PM
Doesnt a comic need... a story?

Indeed, and I am in fact working on a story. First I'm collecting bots that are worth parodying/can be parodied, and then I'll come up with the best fight combinations and figure out the tournament bracket. The story of the series plays out like a television show, with occasional stuff going on behind the scenes. I'll build the story around the tournament brackets I come up with for each weight class of each story.

All the while, crude sh** and inside jokes will be rampant. Commentary on the various aspects of Robot Combat being on TV and how show business can both damage and sustain a robot combat tournament, producer bull-sh**tery and silly teams which are occasionally based on real-life ones.

It'll be lots of fun.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 20, 2019, 03:27:38 PM
Parody Bots #12: Anxiety Attack
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Parody of: Panic Attack
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Yet ANOTHER robot that’s competed in both Battlebots and Robot Wars, here we have a Welsh machine known for the perpetually terrified look on its face. Although comical, make no mistake: This bot is a fearsome machine…who also fears some competitors.
While Panic Attack is designed to look like something that would CAUSE a panic attack (spooky spider and angry face), Anxiety Attack looks like he’s HAVING a case of what he’s named after: An anxiety attack. Whilst panic attacks leave you motionless and frozen in fear, from my own personal experience anxiety attacks make you restlessly pursue a solution to the problem at hand causing you to have an anxiety attack in the first place, at all costs. In the case of Anxiety Attack the robot, he pursues a solution by killing his robot opponents.
The commentary of the robot that makes it a legal parody is kinda mundane: It has an embarrassingly sh**ty scrimech. Everything else works fine, but it almost never self-rights. On top of that, this robot has a well-known rivalry with a certain front-hinged flipper with a shnazzy paint-job…
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on October 27, 2019, 07:24:15 PM
Parody Bots #13: Muhammad Alu
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Parody of: Cassius
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“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let’s get ready for a roooooboooooot ruuuuummmmbllleeee!
In the red square, weighing at 81.3 kilos, this British-born competitor with a middle-eastern fighting name and based off an African-American boxing legend is armed with a pneumatic rear spike and it’s iconic “flip-up paddle” which doubles as a srimech! Ready to kick ass and take names, here’s-oh, there he goes again, attacking the house robots. Yup, he did it again…go figure…”
-Your typical intro for Muhammad Alu.
Yeah, in case you couldn’t tell, this bot is a parody of classic Robot Wars legend Cassius, and based off the same guy, but to a much more extreme degree, even having props like a towel, boxing gloves, and the same haircut. Based off the boxing legend called “Muhammad Ali”, as well as being based off a robot based off the SAME person…

Like…bruh….

The “Alu” in Muhammad Alu stands for “Aluminum”, which ironically wasn’t really used in it’s original form.
The basis of this bot’s parody factor is two-fold: in case the boxing undertones and Cassius Clay themes weren’t exaggerated enough, there’s also the fact that this competitor, Muhammad Alu, tends to attack house robots constantly. Ram em’, tip em’, poke em’, even flip em’. This bot gives no ****s, even as it’s being thrown into the pit by his mortal enemy, the boss of the house robots, “Mr.Massacre” (who I’ll show off some day).
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on November 05, 2019, 03:15:05 PM
Parody Bots #14: Death Dish Pizza Series.
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Parody of: Backlash
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This one took a while to make, after failing at 3 separate attempts. (I blame the medication I was given after my oral surgery.)
Anyway, Mike Stropovic I believe made the joke about Backlash being a pissed off pizza cutter. I was initially gonna go with that, but decided to do something slightly different.
There’s been many versions of Backlash, from 1999 to 2004, with 6 total versions. Although only 2 of them are directly parodied in this pic, I can assure you individual version of Backlash will be represented throughout the series.
Anyway, what’s the story with this bot? Well, it started off as a joke entry with an experimental weapon at the time, based off a heavyweight named Big Black Disk (which will be revealed eventually). Initially named “Death Dish Pizza” and with a flywheel decorated to look like one, (Known as the “Death Disc Pizza”), and an Italian chef’s hat to boot (to make the producers like the robot even more than before, guaranteeing it’s multiple televised appearances and crowd approval.). After 3 events and 3 versions under this guise, it became clear Death Dish Pizza was no longer a silly joke bot, but a serious competitor.
Thus, starting in Bot Wars Season 3, 2001, Death Dish Pizza was rebranded as Death Dish Pizza Cutter, now with a flashier, edgier design. It had a new disc, paint-job, and theme. This version also had it’s revisions, eventually leaving the boxy design for a sleek contemporary invertible design (pictured above). The audience was split between whether or not they liked this new version. Some felt like it was needed, as this robot was clearly no joke, but others felt like it should’ve stayed with the original silly them, being a rarity amongst silly robot designs as one that actually works.
Ironically, it had less success under this edgy, more competitive guise, never winning another championship. Rip.
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on November 16, 2019, 10:12:12 PM
Ok, so INITIALLY I was going to show off my parody of Diotoir, called Shamrock Rabbit. It would be Diotoir, but colored plain green and designed to look like a derpy bunny based on the lepidae species known as the Irish Hare. I wasn't sure if that would be ok since the commentary would be an exaggerated caricature of Doitoir's Irish heritage...

...what I knew WASN'T ok was having Shamrock Rabbit dress up as a leprechuan, complete with a ginger beard and eyebrows, a smoking pipe, and a giant green hat with a clover and belt buckle on it.

Thaaaaat...might be kinda racist. Sure, I'm white and a 1/4 Irish, but I'm still an American-born yank. I don't think I have the credibility for that kind of joke. It's a shame too, since the design is arguably more iconic looking than Diotoir. It's absurdity is just...the stuff of legends IMO.

(I'm better off sticking with special ed jokes.)

With that said, I WILL be tackling Inertia Labs flipper bots, with a corporation-consumerist twist made just for the sake of one stupid meme based off one of the robots.

See ya then!
Title: Re: ROBOT COMBAT WEBCOMIC PARODY SERIES WIP
Post by: TommyProductionsInc on November 17, 2019, 05:59:43 PM
Parody Bots #15: Demon Cow
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Parody of: Toro
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“INTRODUCING DEMON COW JERKY!
IT’S THE TOUGHEST, CHEWIEST, GREATEST JERKY IN THE WORLD, brought to you STRAIGHT FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL!
If you wanna be a REAL MAN, you BETTER ****ING EAT THIS!
Packed with an incredible 30 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER BAG! IT’S THE BIGGEST, BADDEST JERKY YOU’LL EVER FIND!
And, in an effort to keep up with modern times, we’ve ventured into the new fighting sport of robot combat to bring you the mascot of our jerky, the SUPERHEAVYWEIGHT KILLING MACHINE DEMON COW!
Watch him in action at Bot Wars, 9:00-10:00 PM on Humor Central!”
Ok, so that was a little script for a TV commercial that you could only find approved in the world Bot Wars takes place in. ECB, or Extreme Consumer Brands, was a new brand of various foods and beverages with over-the-top themes and commercials. The most popular ones ended up getting metallic fighting mascots that would compete in Bot Wars, all of them flippers, as a means of representing the kick-ass attitude they had.
Their first mascot competitor: The 325 pound Demon Cow, the Bot Wars parody/equivalent to Classic Battlebots SuperHeavyWeight champion Toro.
Unlike Toro, Demon Cow was not the flipper pioneer of his respective series. I’m not even sure yet if he won any championships. What I DO know is that the robot was a heavy-hitter and favorite to win even during it’s debut (initially it was for financial and promotional reasons, but after his first season it became clear he was a top-notch competitor.)
The parody basis of Demon Cow that makes him a proper, legitimate parody of Toro is the exaggerated bovine behavior. Toro fought like an actual raging bull, box-rushing the opponent, flipping them, and going ack to his square. Simple. Brutal. Efficient.
Demon Cow has the same strategy, but he (she?) also had some other traits: Kicking up dust with it’s rear drive in preparation for charging, aggressively exhaling at the same time like an angry bull (through one of the holes in the flipper. It would always be a different hole each fight.) and some…other things…
This wasn’t actually a built-in feature or intended act though. The robot wasn’t built to exhale through it’s flipper and had no mechanism for it either. The driver doesn’t control the dust kicking either. And to top it all off, not only does it make raging bull noises in battle despite having no means to do so, but…
…the robot can make milk. I’m dead serious. They don’t even how it's created, but it leaks from the bottom wheel slots of the robot when it's in the pits sometimes. As weird as this is, it’s just one of the MANY strange things that happen casually in the world of Bot Wars. Since 1983, the universe took an odd turn. But that’s a whole other story...
Expect more Inertia Labs robot parodies in the future. I’ve already got a few waiting to be colored in…