Tubi, an American ad-supported streaming television service has announced RoboForce: The Animated Series, inspired by the eponymous 1980s robot action figures, will premiere in April.
The new series is the work of The Nacelle Company (The Toys That Made Us) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions (Red One), for April.
Robo Force was the creation of the Ideal Toy Company back in 1984, unwittingly pitting them head-to-head with the Gobots and Hasbro’s Transformers. The line was revived in 2013 by Toyfinity, who then sold the line to The Nacelle Company in 2021. They licensed the characters for a three-issue mini series comic published by Oni Press last year, written by Melissa Flores (Power Rangers, The Dead Lucky) with art by Diogenes Neves (Realm of X, Suicide Squad) and covers by Dustin Weaver.
That mini series, along with a Nacelleverse #0, still available digitally, launched the “Nacelleverse” comics line, which includes further series featuring properties such as Biker Mice from Mars, Sectaurs and Power Lords.
Nacelleverse Volume 1: Biker Mice from Mars & RoboForce, collecting NacelleVerse #0, RoboForce #1–3, and Biker Mice from Mars #1–3 will be released in May, followed by Volume 2, Sectaurs and Power Lords, collecting Sectaurs #1-3 and Power Lords #1-3, in October
RoboForce: The Animated Series, written by Gavin Hignight (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012, Transformers: Cyberverse) and Tom Stern (Freaked), is set in 2089. The latest version of Soraya Aviram’s RoboForce debuted with plans to assist a new intergalactic society on Earth. Unfortunately, the same day as the announcement, Soraya’s rival, Silas Duke, revealed his new Utopia Aegis 101 line of bots, which made RoboForce immediately obsolete. RoboForce split up and was forced into menial jobs for 15 years without hope of ever being heroes… Until mysteriously, a rogue code infected the Utopia Aegis 101’s to turn on humanity, and no one else besides Maxx 89 and the rest of RoboForce has a chance to stop them.
Inspired by the eponymous 1980s robot action figures, the series is executive produced by Brian Volk-Weiss, who also directed the episodes, who also serves as executive producer alongside Cisco Henson, Matt Kravitsky and Michael Goodman for Nacelle and Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Brian Gewirtz for Seven Bucks Productions.
Cartoon Conrad (Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go, Netflix’s Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie) served as the lead animation studio for the series.
The series features music composed by Matt Margeson (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Rocketman) and Andrew Brick Johnson (Star Wars Young Jedi Adventures).
Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Brian Gewirtz will serve as executive producers on behalf of Seven Bucks Productions.
When we started working on RoboForce almost three years ago, it never dawned on me that we’d be able to partner up with the best-in-class companies like Tubi and people like Dwayne Johnson,” Volk-Weiss said. “All of us have worked hard to make a show that the audience falls in love with, and as MAXX 89 says, ‘Let’s proceed!’”
“I’m so excited for this series to be released on Tubi in April,” commented Hiram Garcia, president of production at Seven Bucks. “We’re pleased to have another collaboration with Nacelle, resulting in a nostalgic yet fresh story about a group of funny, persevering robots with a second chance to achieve greatness and save the world. I was a fan of RoboForce as a child and look forward to captivating new and old fans alike while building upon the strong momentum of our animation division.”
The Nacelle Company, founded by Brian Volk Weiss, is an American diversified media company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Established in 2017, they’re a leader in the pop-culture space through scripted and unscripted production, podcasting, publishing, records, distribution, development, marketing and management divisions.
Co-founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, Seven Bucks Productions is a multi-platform production company pioneering original content for television, film, emerging technologies, and digital networks.
Tubi is online at tubitv.com
• The “Nacelleverse” comics line
• Oni Press is online at onipress.com
• More about the original RoboForce line on SignalNoise
“Ideal put a huge amount of marketing muscle behind Robo Force for its initial launch, with a one-shot cartoon special, commercials, story books, board games, lunchboxes, a magazine…and that’s just the short list. There was even a Maxx Steele telephone and an official Robo Force fan club. They really went all out, unfortunately it just wasn’t enough to overcome the toys inherent shortcomings.”
• The Old Robots “Robo Force Page” – a guide to all the original toy
NacelleVerse Collections
• NacelleVerse #0 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
When his planet is annihilated by a cosmic disaster, the great alien Garloo must begin a galaxy-spanning search for a new home . . . only to discover a bold new universe of champions waiting amongst the stars! From the genetically modified Sectaur warriors of the planet Symbion to the rabble-rousing Biker Mice from Mars, Garloo’s quest for safe haven will hurdle him on a one-way collision course toward 22nd century Earth, where the obsolete robotic wrecking crew called RoboForce is about to forge a new destiny . . .
In partnership with the Nacelle Company, Oni Press is proud to present a comics milestone three decades in the making as a new universe of toy and animation icons rockets into action from blockbuster writer Melissa Flores (Power Rangers, The Dead Lucky) and artistic powerhouses Diogenes Neves (Realm of X, Suicide Squad), Francis Portela (Green Lantern, Faith), and more!
• Nacelleverse Volume 1: Biker Mice from Mars & RoboForce (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
The beginnings of comics’ newest shared universe kicks off in this exciting volume that will redefine what it means to be a hero. Enter: the Nacelleverse! After the cataclysmic destruction of his homeworld, the diminutive alien Garloo must seek out a new planet to call home. With the help of the alien smuggler, Lepaa, Garloo’s travels will bring him into contact with the mysterious Power Lords and the alien Sectaurs before his journey ultimately brings him to 22nd century Earth – home of RoboForce, an obsolete robotic wrecking crew who seek to forge a new destiny for themselves. But when an important cybernetic chip is stolen from RoboForce’s inventor by futuristic tech-pirates, it’s up to Maxx ‘89 and his teammates to retrieve the item. But will their mission end in triumph, tragedy . . . or both?
Meanwhile, a planet away, on Mars, best friends Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo aka the Biker Mice From Mars, find their way of life – and the safety of their loved ones – threatened when the alien, fishlike Plutarkians invade their beloved homeworld and begin strip mining it of its precious resources. Are our intrepid heroes ready to fight for their right to freedom? It’s the age-old tale of buddies, bikes, brotherhood, and lots of stuff blowing up (with a bit of romance) when “Mars War” erupts!
This volume collects NacelleVerse #0, RoboForce #1–3, and Biker Mice from Mars #1–3
• Nacelleverse Volume 2: Sectaurs & Power Lords (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
The Sectaurs and Power Lords, the Nacelleverse’s iconic toy line heroes from the 1980s, are the stars of a new, senses-shattering volume from the imaginations of writing duo Dennis Culver (Unstoppable Doom Patrol) and Matt Hotson (Power Rangers) ably abetted by hotshot artists Ramon Bachs (Star Wars: Bounty Hunters) and V Ken Marion (Green Lanterns).
While King Markor the Mighty lies comatose, his son, Prince Dargon of the Shining Realm, must rise to the position of leadership over the kingdom and its subjects, but the evil Empress Devora of the Dark Domain has other plans in store as she sends the ruthless General Spidrax, cunning Scorpia, and an elite team of warriors to infiltrate thed Shining Realm and plunder its deepest secrets! Meanwhile, across the galaxy, space smuggler Adam Power is on a quest to find the Power Gem, the means to transform into a Power Lord and defend the universe against the Extraterrestrial Alliance who threaten to impose an interstellar dictatorship. His enemies intend to do all they can to prevent him finding it, but will his friends also stand in the way?
Collecting Sectaurs #1-3 and Power Lords #1-3
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Animation, Comics, Digital Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Licensing, Merchandise, Other Worlds, Television, US Comics