Star Blazers was first in many of the accomplishments that many people attribute to Robotech - serial story - non-episodic, deep character portrayals, epic space opera. So no - Robotech wasn't original in all those things. What DID set it apart from previous efforts was promotion and merchandise tie-ins. And that's what KEPT it alive, as opposed to Star Blazers. Which ran a few times and then languished for the better part of a decade or more.
Aside from just producing the show itself, the parent company of Star Blazers (at the time, Westchester) didn't DO anything else to promote it.
There's one thing that many people tend to forget.
He-man and the Masters of the Universe.
Think I'm daft? You forget that the marketing of toys via the He-man franchise was HUGE at the time. It changed a lot of things. Shows that followed it like G.I. Joe and Transformers - would you remember them as well if not for the toys? All the marketing that promoted those shows? I doubt it.
What Carl did was unique at the time. He was not only an importer, but he saw the marketing angle. Not only did he help supervise bringing the material over (cut and paste and somewhat bastardized as it was) he PROMOTED IT. With toys and model kits and novelizations and role-playing games and even some of the first CD soundtracks available.
THAT is why we remember Robotech. That's why it was huge and paved the way for everything that followed. Because unlike Star Blazers (an arguably superior story) it was supported and promoted and had the merchandising tie-ins that kept it alive.
Kept it going long enough for fans to notice other anime. For other companies and producers to get the idea that maybe anime is commercially viable to produce and distribute here in the west. For conventions to form (Project Akon, Animecon. Anime Weekend Atlanta, Anime Central, Otakan) and promote things further. And Macek was there promoting Streamline releases (Akira, etc. ) at those cons as well.
And that is what we have to thank Carl Macek for. Without all that, where would anime as a presence in the west be? Maybe someone else would've had the idea in the same time period. But it happened to be Carl.
And that's why we will remember him with respect.
Aside from just producing the show itself, the parent company of Star Blazers (at the time, Westchester) didn't DO anything else to promote it.
There's one thing that many people tend to forget.
He-man and the Masters of the Universe.
Think I'm daft? You forget that the marketing of toys via the He-man franchise was HUGE at the time. It changed a lot of things. Shows that followed it like G.I. Joe and Transformers - would you remember them as well if not for the toys? All the marketing that promoted those shows? I doubt it.
What Carl did was unique at the time. He was not only an importer, but he saw the marketing angle. Not only did he help supervise bringing the material over (cut and paste and somewhat bastardized as it was) he PROMOTED IT. With toys and model kits and novelizations and role-playing games and even some of the first CD soundtracks available.
THAT is why we remember Robotech. That's why it was huge and paved the way for everything that followed. Because unlike Star Blazers (an arguably superior story) it was supported and promoted and had the merchandising tie-ins that kept it alive.
Kept it going long enough for fans to notice other anime. For other companies and producers to get the idea that maybe anime is commercially viable to produce and distribute here in the west. For conventions to form (Project Akon, Animecon. Anime Weekend Atlanta, Anime Central, Otakan) and promote things further. And Macek was there promoting Streamline releases (Akira, etc. ) at those cons as well.
And that is what we have to thank Carl Macek for. Without all that, where would anime as a presence in the west be? Maybe someone else would've had the idea in the same time period. But it happened to be Carl.
And that's why we will remember him with respect.