Of Mechs, Mecha and Werewolves a.k.a The "Gimme a Prize" post
I was watching the Night of the Living Dead earlier on Cinemax and it made me realised that horror is pretty much a staple in both cinema and video games. You have games about vampires (Vampire: The Masquerade), ghouls (Clive Barkers's Undying), zombies (Resident Evil franchise), crazed computers (System Shock) and not to be left out, skinwalkers (a.k.a. werewolves) (does Twilight Princess count?...just kidding)
But since it's Mech Week, we are not gonna talk about horror here. I know, howl as much as you want at this blogger, but your horror fix will have to wait till Halloween.
I don't suppose you guys know from whence came the insipiration for Mechs in videogames, or sci-fi in general? I don't either. On one hand, you have Japanese-inspired mecha, like that of Gundam and Macross. These tend to be more humanoid in nature, despite being named "mecha", which denotes their mechanical status.
On the other hand, Mechs are more utalitarian and "tool"-ish in their western rendition. Unlike Japanese mecha, animation is not a domain of theirs and they are most often found in books (sci-fi), video games, board games and movies! Go to the sci-fi section of any English bookstore and you'll find that Mechs are quite difficult to miss.
One incarnation that has set itself in western popular culture would be the BattleMechs from the BattleTech universe. The popular franchise does span the above mentioned media (movies, books, games, etc). I don't think I've an answer for the question I asked earlier, but if you do, pray tell. :)
Still want a horror fix? Easy. Drop by a Cathay cineplex near you for a horror movie marathon.
But since it's Mech Week, we are not gonna talk about horror here. I know, howl as much as you want at this blogger, but your horror fix will have to wait till Halloween.
I don't suppose you guys know from whence came the insipiration for Mechs in videogames, or sci-fi in general? I don't either. On one hand, you have Japanese-inspired mecha, like that of Gundam and Macross. These tend to be more humanoid in nature, despite being named "mecha", which denotes their mechanical status.
On the other hand, Mechs are more utalitarian and "tool"-ish in their western rendition. Unlike Japanese mecha, animation is not a domain of theirs and they are most often found in books (sci-fi), video games, board games and movies! Go to the sci-fi section of any English bookstore and you'll find that Mechs are quite difficult to miss.
One incarnation that has set itself in western popular culture would be the BattleMechs from the BattleTech universe. The popular franchise does span the above mentioned media (movies, books, games, etc). I don't think I've an answer for the question I asked earlier, but if you do, pray tell. :)
Still want a horror fix? Easy. Drop by a Cathay cineplex near you for a horror movie marathon.
