Gobots
Machine Men Toy Comics


In Australia, the Machine Robo line was imported as Machine Men, dsitributed by Bandai Australia. Like the European version, and unlike the American Machine Men line, the toys sold well enough that Bandai opted to keep the Machine Men branding, even after Gobots took off. Indeed, uniquely the cartoon was even retitled Challenge of the Machine Men to fit in with the toys.

To help promote the figures, Bandai Australia did provide catalogues that included short comic strips. Two of these were made, and thanks to Jhiaxus I now have scans of them.

The script is a little bit "look at these toys!", obviously, but the artwork by Richard Rae is actually quite charming. Things to look out for are the only media appearances for Spy-Eye (in prototype colours, no less...), Robot Winch Truck and Robot Helicopter I've seen, an appearance from the Japan/Australia-only Battle Base, Cy-Kill literally stomping Leader One (Robo Machines spelling! Good show!) into the ground, Ace switching sides, the superb lines when the Australian army nuke the city ("Mummy!"), and inarguably the greatest cliffhanger any comic has ended on...


Machine Men #1

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Challenge of the Machine Men #2

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