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CHANNEL ZI UPDATES AND NEWS LAST UPDATED: 12/02/07 |  |
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CHANNEL ZI UPDATES AND NEWS LAST UPDATED: 12/02/07 | |
UPDATE NOTES, 12/02/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
The Invasion is repelled! Yep, for a while there it looked as though those pesky OERs were going to overwhelm us and take over the site. Luckily, reinforcements arrived just in time to turn the tide of battle! But though we have pushed them back this time, I definitely wouldn't count them out...for EuroZoids are crafty devils...persistent too. =X^D
While this is mostly just a site status update, there's lots of great stuff coming up just around the corner! My new killer desktop is finally up and running (thanks Greg!), complete with all the old site files! Once a few minor tweaks are worked out with getting my scanner hooked up to it and running, the next big site update will be ready to rock-and-roll! I've been working on this update in bits and pieces for quite a while, but it's finally all coming together.
Collection-wise, there are a lot of holes being filled here in the last half of 2007! OJR, OER, NJR, NAR, NER...plenty to keep me busy at the workbench for quite a while, and all of which I hope to share with all y'all as best I can. This year, I've also found my previously nonchalant view on OERs and NARs to be refocusing, and I'm really enjoying going back and learning more about these sub-lines that I had previously not spent time researching. I'm also stepping into some previously uncharted territory with the collection lately...a place I would never have expected to go: pre-production samples, AKA, prototypes. O_O I've been reflecting lately, too, on the fact that it's been around 25 years since I first picked up li'l ol' (unnamed) Garius. Wow. The Grateful Dead said it best: what a long, strange trip it's been. =8^) And it ain't over yet!! =8^D
It was my wish when I started Channel Zi for it to be as broad a resource for Zoids outside of Japan as I possibly could create and maintain. With all the crazy limited releases over the last few years, it's been difficult to stay caught up with current things, let alone try to keep up the ongoing search for good vintage critters. With the help of good friends, though, all things are possible...and thanks to them I now feel CZ is ready once again to slide back into the groove and get its Zoid on like it should. >8^D It will still take a little while to get things back to full-speed...there's innumerable Zoids to process and upload, plus there's another big server move looming out there next year...but...one step at a time. Despite the changing tides of life and collecting in general, our mission here remains pretty much the same as it always has. Sure we don't have the most or the prettiest pictures, or the most detailed in-depth analysis of specific Zoids, or flashy animations or the like. What we do have is a love of Zoids, and a desire to share that enjoyment with the general public and the Zoiding community through our unique point of view...all in hopes that those who haven't already will find something positive in the "monster machines with the power to move", and through those positive things, bring the world a little closer together.
That's about it for this round. Until the upcoming big update, I'll give ya a teaser of what's to come in the months ahead... *wink*
UPDATE NOTES, 11/08/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
As some of you may have known, I recently got married! =8^D Now that the wedding is done, the big project that's been taking up all my spare time this year is completed...so it's time to get back to using the hobby-time towards paying a little more attention to the site updates again. =8^)
So what's happening next here at Channel Zi? Best prepare yourself, for The Invasion appears nigh... =8^O
UPDATE NOTES, 08/15/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Update time! Although, not much to add to the site right now. Just a few tweaks here and there, like adding a link to Zoidspoison and changing my email addy on the front page.
The move to mah new residence is complete, and the Zoids are all still packed and waiting to be rebuilt. As I think I've said before, that should start late this year. Lots of work to do at the new place...rearranging things and finding space for it all.
And...I've got some long-term Zoids projects in the works. The nature of those projects will be revealed in time. Suffice it to say, they are unlike anything I've tackled before...and they are a bit scary. But hey, what fun is life without a little risk? =8^)
That's all for this time! Thanks as always for stopping by to check us out!
UPDATE NOTES, 06/06/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Yep, it's an update! The most massive update since...since...well, since getting back online back at the start of the year!
As I write this, the images for the Catalog Scans section are in the home stretch to finishing their upload. Over the last 24 hours, I've restored the 24 Scale, New Zoids, Old Zoids, Robo Strux/Techno Zoids, Blox, and Customize Parts sections... making the bulk (95%-ish) of the old site now back online! Still a few broken links, outdated links, missing photos, etc. floating about...but that's small potatoes now that the bulk of the work is done. =8^) Many MANY thanks to my GI Joe community friend Matthew for graciously achieving in less than 2 weeks what would have taken me longer than 6 months: the full retrieval of all files from certain Iomega ZIP disk doom. =X^D Thanks also to Matthew's (twin) brother Chad for helping get all that set up. Guys, I really appreciate the assistance!
Also as of this writing, all the Zoids are being packed away for the eventual move to a new residence. For those of you with large Zoid collections planning to move, take heed: start disassembling them and packing them way WAY in advance of your move date. I nearly got caught last time...this time I'm getting ahead of the game. Still have five shelves worth to finish, but they've tended to go pretty quickly once I've gotten started on them in previous rounds.
Once the move is complete and we're settled in, I plan to begin slowly reassembling everything and replacing the old individual Zoid images with better ones. Sharp-eyed Zoiders will see where I've aleady started this. ;^) In parallel with that, I'll be adding new pages for the many Zoids that I have yet to document for the site. Look for those to start showing up on the site in the 4th quarter of 2007 (i.e., after the wedding).
Also, I find I'm experiencing something I've since come to call..."The Gilvader Effect". It's difficult to describe...nothing bad by any means, but it's something very noticeable that's reshaping my approach to toy collecting overall. I'll expand on it more in future updates, when I'm feeling a bit more chatty. ;^)
That's all for this round, folks. Thanks as always for stopping by to check us out!
UPDATE NOTES, 03/17/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Well, it's been a big week here for the Channel Zi Zoid collection! Two of my longtime grail items showed up in the mail this week, and it's been a real relief finally checking these two big guns off my hit list. First, OER Zoider Serragengar fixed me up with a Gore The Lord Protector (along with some other great OJR and NJR items, including a Zoids Core Box!). Thanks dude!
Second...well...I'll let the photo do the talking... ;^)
UPDATE NOTES, 01/14/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Nothing much to report, other than the New Japanese Zoids main page, CP main page, and LTD main page are all open again. A scant handful of individual NJR pages are available right now. Also, I've been getting my commentary text on the various main subpages updated, as my comments still reflected a 2003 POV on all things Zoid. Things have changed a bit since then... =8^D And too, I've done some image tweaking on the OJR Diorama Set main page and on the Anime main page.
Some more good news: As of this writing, I should have hardware on the way that will allow me to complete the site relaunch! That will begin no earlier than next weekend. Expect general slowness with that, as I will be reformatting ALL the as-yet unretrieved individual Zoid pages (OJR, NJR, CPs, 24-Scale, Robo-Strux, Techno-Zoids, etc.) to the slightly cleaner format currently visible on the few NJR pages I have up and running right now.
UPDATE NOTES, 01/01/07:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
As I said in my last update message: "good things always come to those who wait". The wait has been long, yes, but the good things have finally come around. Ladies and gentlemen...CHANNEL ZI IS BACK ON THE AIR!!! =8^D
Wow, just over three years since the last update. Gah! O_O A lot has happened in that time. So much, actually, that I won't try to cram it all into this update message. ^_^
As most of you recall, the original site was lost in a server move on our last host. Whether my host intentionally dumped the site during the move or not is debatable. He wasn't too terribly thrilled that traffic to Channel Zi was way outstripping traffic to his main site...and eating up a lot of bandwidth in the process. Either way, rebuilding Channel Zi at that point just wasn't going to work out for me. The site had grown to a pretty unmanageable size, and it really did need a major overhaul/cleaning. And a rest. Work cranked up to a whole new level. LIFE cranked up to a whole new level. Suddenly I found myself focused on all kinds of things that didn't exist when I started this site back in '00.
During the course of that time I tried to keep up with most new Zoid releases from Japan, but ultimately fell behind (and for the record, I'm still behind). A lot of the new stuff coming out was either reissues or just not that cool, IMO. As a result, I focused a lot on OJR stuff, and ended up buying a couple of collections that closed the gap on a lot of OJR stuff I was wanting. I'm STILL sorting through all the Zoids that were part of those collections...
So why return now? *shrug* Frankly, I'm not sure. The time just felt right.
The whole of the old site won't be returning all at once. Things will be piecemeal for a bit until I get a lot of page reformatting done. Yep, there are going to be broken and/or dead-end page and image links all over the place...so don't be surprised if stuff you had definitely seen here once upon a time isn't here at the grand re-opening. It'll be back eventually.
There are a number of things that are significantly changing here at Channel Zi with our relaunch. Among them:
* -- Getting back to basics. I started the site primarily for the Zoids toys. Over time, it grew to encompass a lot of different Zoidy things...so many different Zoidy things, in fact, that it just got to be too big to wrangle by myself. I don't want to go through that again. that means...no more fan art, no more comics synopses, no more anime episode synopses, no more CCG stuff, no more RPG stuff...just toy love and LOTS of attitude.
* -- No more "New US Zoids" stuff roaming about the site. If it was released in Japan and in the US, it goes in the Japanese section. Any US-specific stuff that was released after 2001 that I deemed cool enough to add to my collection will be tossed in with the Robo Strux & Techno Zoids section. Believe me, it's not because I hate Hasbro. I certainly don't. But that's a topic for another page here at the site...
* -- No more RPG or Anime site links pages. The links section has been overhauled. If the old link was dead or the site hadn't been updated in years, I dropped the link (except in a handful of cases). Anything else I felt worth keeping from the various old links pages has ended up in my new links pages.
* -- No more breaking news on pending Japanese Zoids releases. When I first launched the site, I was one of a handful of folks who were riding that wave of new Zoids news. Frankly, Pheno and others do a better job than I can now, mostly because they have the time to keep up with it. I'm distracted by too many other projects. If I hear a news nugget worth mentioning, though, I'll post it.
But...stuff won't just be going away. There are new things too! For instance...
* -- A new page will be added for the OJR Diorama Base, Figure, Remodel, and Custmize Sets! This was something I was planning before the site went down in '03. Really, I didn't want to start on the section until I had all the reference material in hand...and at that time it wasn't looking too favorable that it would happen soon. After a clean sweep of some recent auctions, though, I'm just about ready to get these sets loaded up and documented for everyone to see!
* -- The Son Of The Return Of The Revenge Of The Menace Of The Attack Of Major Kong's Zoids Page! It gives me great pleasure...and it is also a great honor for me...to be able to host the work of one of the most influential Zoids Customizers around, Major Kong! Kong's unholy detailing of windups, Command Zoids, and other smaller Zoids sets really raises the bar for all Zoiders who claim to follow the path of the Dark Side! Many of you have never witnessed the wonders of Kong's work, so step inside and enjoy the Zoid visions of one of the guys who inspired me to delve further into the world of Zoids and eventually create this mess called Channel Zi! Watch this updates page for the official unveiling of Kong's new site!
One thing certainly won't be changing here at Channel Zi, and that's the ATTITUDE. Expect plenty of that same obscure humor, slyness, and smartass opining that I like to think has come to be one of the hallmarks of this site. We're not here to please everyone...that's impossible. We're here to say "Zoids are cool, dammit! Here's why we like 'em...check 'em out yourself and maybe you'll find them pretty cool too!". So yeah, sticking to the toys, maybe a little stuff on a couple of the animes (because I like them)...that's about it for content.
As always, thanks to everyone who takes the time to visit Channel Zi. We appreciate your patronage, and hope you continue to enjoy our visions and interpretations of the world of Zoids. And if you don't enjoy your visit, well...there are a whole lot more Zoids sites out there now than 7 years ago, so...go find one ya DO like. Chances are, we'll still be lurking around here in one form or another long after they're gone. =X^D
UPDATE NOTES, 12/29/03:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Alright, so...what was added this time? Nothing really. This update is purely for informational purposes.
As of right now, due to other commitments and changing priorities, we do not plan to be adding any new material to Channel Zi in 2004. Yep, we're taking a break from site work for (at least) a year. We're spread too thin over too many projects, and there are other far more important things that need attending to over the course of the next year. Most of those things are job-related. We will, however, be sticking around for the foreseeable future. Remember, good things always come to those who wait...
As always, thanks to everyone who takes the time to visit Channel Zi. We appreciate your patronage, and hope you continue to enjoy our visions and interpretations of the world of Zoids (few and far-between as they may be these days).
UPDATE NOTES, 07/04/03:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
With this update, pages are added for Arosaurer, Storch, Diablo Tiger, and Cyclops in the "New Zoids" section, and pages for Mosasledge, Flyscissors, Shellkarn, Diploguns, Demonshead, Boldguard, Lord Gale, Leostriker, Cannondiver, Deantler, and Genius Wolf in the "Blox" section. Images for most of these are ready, and the rest should be up and running here in another couple of days.
US VIDEOGAME NEWS:
Amazon.com has preorder listings for the Zoids videogames for Gamecube (Zoids Battle Legends) and Game Boy Advance (Zoids Legacy). Not a whole lot of info there about them yet, but if you want to reserve your copy with Amazon, I recommend you head over to our Amazon.com Zoids Order Page and click on the direct links to them there.
UPDATE NOTES, 06/15/03:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Just a few things of note for this update...
The gashapon Command Zoids pages have been revamped with the "new" format, and a few include photos of customized versions whipped up by the legendary Major Kong. Step on over to the New Zoids Index Page and check them out. Of course, I still need to get all their stats worked up. All in good time. =8^D
Also, Amazon now has order listings for Gojulas Giga and Pteramander. The Amazon page has been updated, so if you MUST get Giga, then head on over.
US TOY NEWS:
A couple of the new Z-Builders are out (Shell Karn, Flyscissors). Saw these at Wal-Mart. Not much else out there lately. We seem to be in the midst of a dry spell.
UPDATE NOTES, 06/07/03: UPDATE NOTES, 05/26/03:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Back again for YET ANOTHER update. So soon?!? Yep, I's been a Zoid-building fool lately. =8^D
With this update, pages are added for Gojulas Giga, Dimetrodon, and Gorhecks in the "New Zoids" section, and a page for Buster Eagle in the "Blox" section.
I highy recommend Gojulas Giga. He's a ton of fun to build, and even more fun to power up and turn loose. Two walking modes, two different lights, and two different kinds of sounds. He's a hoot, and one of the neatest Zoid designs the great minds at Tomy have cranked out since the line started back up in '99. Should you decide to latch onto one, I also recommend you pick up a set of CP-10 Gojulas Cannons for it, as they make Giga look much more...menacing.
US TOY NEWS:
More of the latest wave of action figures is hitting the shelves (in particular, at Wal Mart), including Sea Striker (aka Sinker) and Shield Liger. Not much has been showing up in the way of new kits though. We should see more kits as the summer presses on.
JAPANESE TOY NEWS:
Sturm Tyrann and Raven Raptor have hit shelves in Japan, as has Storch and Diantler. We should see Diablo Tiger by the end of June, and possibly Cyclops as well, and definitely the Limited Deathpion. Seismosaurus and Gairyuki are currently slated for August release. There is word of a possible Mammoth re-release as part of some type of incentive package deal, though details at this time are a bit sketchy.
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Back again for another update. Two in one month. Man, something must be wrong if the site is getting updated THAT frequently... =8^D
The effect of this update should be pretty obvious. An associate over on one of the message boards alerted me to The Online Fanart Protection Union. Overall, I agree with their mission and what they are trying to accomplish. So, I'm spreading the word by posting their banners around the site.
Elsehwere, I've added pages for Nightwise, Unenlagia, Leo Blaze, Glaive Quama, Guntiger, Saberlion, Megaleon, King Gojulas, Hidocker, Gorgodos, OJR Gojulas, OJR Brachios, OJR Guysack, OJR Godos, and an entire new section for the OJR 24-Scale Zoids! Also have added my sub-section for friends' pics and fanart. May's been a busy month here at Channel Zi, and things don't look like they'll be slowing down soon!
The Artvilla Amazon Zoids shop page has also been updated to include some new additions to the roster (GenoBreaker!). Please stop in at the Amazon Shop Page and take a look at the latest offerings there. Thanks!
US TOY NEWS:
The latest wave of action figures is hitting the shelves (in particular, at Wal Mart), including Berserk Fury and Liger Zero X (blue/gold colors).
In other news, Gravity Saurer and more US-specific Zoids will be hitting shelves sometime in the late summer/early fall, as I understand it.
JAPANESE TOY NEWS:
A couple of new Limited Edition Zoids will be hitting the shelves of certain Japanese shops within the next month...Sturm Tyrann (Storm Tyrant, a red Berserk Fuhrer with CP-27) and Raven Raptor (no, it's NOT for Raven from the anime). Both will feature more of that awesome Yuji Kaida box art. That alone makes them worth picking up. =8^D
Also, it appears that Gorem, Shotwalker, and Roadskipper will be getting the re-release treatment later this year, along with brand new sculpt pilots! There is currently some debate as to whether the scale of the pilots will change from 1/24 to 1/20 or not ...
Beyond those, things are pretty quiet. Let us hope it is simply a calm before a furious storm of more Zoid goodness...
UPDATE NOTES, 05/04/03:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Jeezuz in a birchbark canoe! Yep, it's a real live true-to-life Channel Zi zite update.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally FINALLY broke down and bought a digital camera. Although adding items to the site will be slow (mostly because there is such a huge backlog), it is now more certain to take place on a semi-regular basis. I've already made some adjustments to the OJR Zoids, NJR Zoids, Blox, and LTDs pages to lay the groundwork for some things that may be coming down the pike. And too, I'll be making some slight adjustments to most of the individual pages to make their format a little cleaner and easier (for me) to manage. I'll also finally be adding a sub-section for pics and fan art from my a handful of my close Zoiding friends. No, I don't take submissions...like I said, CLOSE ZOIDING FRIENDS ONLY. For now, anyway.
US TOY NEWS:
Since the last update, there have been a few more new Zoids hitting the shelves. Molga, Grounchar, and Chameleor (Megaleon) are all out as of today. Look for all of these in boxes sporting the new white-border look of the Z-Builders (Blox) and Army Builders packaging. I'm hearing word that there's a Holotech Raynos out there somewhere, but I have yet to see it in my area. Meanwhile, Hasbro has some decent plans for the rest of this year, with Gojulas Giga slated to hit the shelves close to Xmas, among other fresh new kits.
There are quite a few Zoid sales going on at some stores. Toy Liquidators seems to have a good sale going on right now...
JAPANESE TOY NEWS:
Recent Japanese Zoid releases include Arosaurer, Blox Cannon Diver, as well as Limiteds Blade Liger Mirage and Buster Tortoise. Storch should be hitting the street any day now. In addition, Tomy has announced that there will be a limited reproduction run on the classic 24-Scale monstrosity, Deathpion (E24-01). At this time, it is (unfortunately) the ONLY 24-Scale Zoid slated to be re-released.
There's a host of new Zoids and Blox rolling out of Tomy's design shop lately, among them Seismosaurus, Gairyuki, and the two new radio-control Zoids Diablo Tiger (CDZ-01) and Cyclops (CDZ-02). Both the R/C Zoids should prove very interesting to play with.
UPDATE NOTES, 02/07/03:
US TOY NEWS:
There are a few new Zoids hitting the shelves lately as stores gradually rebuild their toy sections after the Xmas shopping season. Irvine's Command Wolf, Black Rhimos, Iguanasaur (Iguan), Gusack (Guysack), Gatordus (Gator), Moonbay's Gustav, and the Holotech Zaber Fang are all out as of today. Look for all of these in boxes sporting the new white-border look of the Z-Builders (Blox) and Army Builders packaging. Most retail outlets now have plenty of Z-Builder and army-builder stock available. Also, the large Electronic Liger Zero Midnight Shield has been released...pretty neat looking, but I'd rather have it in a kit form.
There has apparently been a bit of confusion among some Zoiders about the availability of some chain-exclusive Zoids from last year. Toys R Us exclusive Zoids included Iron Kong, Lightning Saix, Zabat, and (yes) Shadow Fox. Of these, all but the Shadow Fox are still readily available in my area. I never saw many of the SF...so distribution on it must have been fairly limited...or at least, much more limited than the other TRU exclusives. Also, the Deathsaurer was an FAO Schwarz chain exclusive last year. Some FAO stores may still have them...check around if you're still looking to get your hands on this beastie.
ANIME NEWS:
Yes, the rumors are rumbling again...those persistent rumors about a third Zoids anime series. This time, they have some basis in fact. From what I have seen, there is indeed a third Zoids anime series in the works. As best I can tell, it will NOT be based on either Chaotic Century or New Century Zero. It will focus on several new Zoids and Blox critters that are still under development. Liger-Zoid fans won't be disappointed...
JAPANESE TOY NEWS:
As stated above, there are several new motorized Zoids and non-motorized Blox Zoids designs already in the prototype stage that will be tying in to the new anime. We'll be seeing more pics of them in the coming weeks. Some look exceptionally good...some are downright strange, and some are...well...just wait and see. =8^D Look for them in Japan this year for certain...and possibly Stateside next year.
UPDATE NOTES, 12/31/02:
US TOY NEWS:
DeathStinger has arrived! Just saw a few of these a couple of days ago at Target, so they are slowly making their way to shelves during the post-Xmas restock. Strong rumors indicate that Black Rhimos and Irvine's Command Wolf kits are out now as well. Look for all of these in boxes sporting the new white-border look of the Z-Builders (Blox) and Army Builders packaging.
ANIME NEWS:
Most probably know it by now, but just in case...it appears that Cartoon Network & Toonami are finally, FINALLY going to air the last four episodes of Zoids: Chaotic Century! Accoring to ads now airing on CN, the last 4 episodes will be aired in one 2-hour block, from 2PM-4PM EST (1PM-3PM CDT) on Saturday January 4th. Get those VCRs ready, Zoiders...it's going to be one big blade-slashin', claw-slingin', head-bitin', particle-beamin' slugfest! Oh, and all that "Zoid Eve" business will be settled too. =8^D
UPDATE NOTES, 12/26/02:
GENERAL SITE NEWS & MISC.:
Holy shiznit! Yep, it's a Channel Zi zite update...the first in quite a while.
My new job has kept me incredibly busy, which has been the primary reason for the lack of significant updates over the past few months. That's what happens when you work on something you really enjoy...work almost becomes more like play than work...and the line between work-time and play-time blurs. Look for things to stay this way for the foreseeable future.
With a bit of time over Xmas shutdown, though, it was time to get some updates done here. The long-awaited overhaul of my Links Pages is about finished. Lots of dead links out there that needed cleaning out, especially in the RPG section. I've added quite a few links too, as there are a lot of pretty solid new Zoids sites setting up on the Web.
Still lots of updating needed elsewhere here on the site. But...much of that will have to wait a little longer. As I said back in October, I'm in no rush.
US TOY NEWS:
Z-Builders (AKA Blox Zoids...Unenlagia, Leo Blaze, Mosasledge, Nightwise) and Army-Builders (Diloforce, Maccurtis, Demantis) hit the shelves at Toys R Us and Wal Mart just before Xmas. All sport the new white-border packaging first seen on the newest Zoids Action Figures. While not motorized, Z-Builders and Army Builders DO have some really nice designs. Hasbro's been pretty mum on the future of Zoids in the US beyond Z-Builders and Army Builders...but we should know more in a couple of months when they release their new product catalog for 2003.
JAPANESE TOY NEWS:
Despite a slowdown in sales, Zoids are still alive and kicking in Japan. Tomy has been busy cranking out some limited edition items, as well as some really interesting new Zoids concepts like the Diablo Tiger (which can be controlled via your Game Boy Advanced!). Meanwhile, look for Dimetrodon and Gorhecks to be re-released in Japan early in 2003.
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