The Karate Robotty 5-Inch Sticker/Lore Pack
- $20 + s/h
- Four 5-inch premium glossy vinyl stickers. One of each of the following designs: 5TR-1D3 (Stride), R3P-41R (Repair), D1G-B0T (Digbot), BR-UT3 (Brute)
- One 5x7 inch double-sided collector card in wax-sealed envelope. Backside contains condensed history of The Karate Robotty, not to be revealed until at least one week after drop to give time for first packs to be delivered.
Work on The Karate Robotty began in Fall of 2021. I approached Rahadil Hermana about the multi-character concept art project in September and Rahadil began work the following month. It is the most complex concept art brief I have created to date. Rahadil transformed my story into four characters with the intent of creating both pins and also a competitive card game (more details on that to come).
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Tucked safely away in a distant, long-forgotten galaxy there lies a lonely planet. Nameless and unassuming, it appears milky from space due to the fact that it is largely covered in steaming oceanic waters. Indeed, the globe‘s only significant land mass is a huge, long-extinct volcanic island rising above the water at the equatorial line. This island is populated exclusively by immortal martial arts fighting robots.
The robots didn’t always exist there. A space-faring race known as “The Creators” brought them to life after bumping into their planet aeons ago. The Creators thought nothing of the planet until their ship‘s sensors picked up an energy signal from deep below its steamy surface. Additional tests revealed the volcano‘s cone, composed of a strange metallic ore, was shielding a pocket of powerful nuclear material inside its core. No radiation was leaking out. The planet’s environment was entirely hospitable. Metal samples were taken back to the ship for more testing.
The Creators used plasma energy to manipulate the metal into an indestructible alloy, fashioning tools to extract nuclear ore from the planet’s volcano. Successful experiments yielded tiny but awesome nuclear fuel cores protected by indestructible alloy shields. With these advancements the majority of The Creator population transferred to the planet and set up a research-based society. To promote efficiency they crafted 4 models of assistant robots from the volcanic ores, engineering them for specific jobs and further customizing them to suit each working environment, the main 4 being: city, agriculture/forestry, volcanic labor, and oceanic research. These nuclear powered immortal helpers were programmed to be loyal and take absolute pride in their critically important labor. They stayed in their work zones. Travel was forbidden. They were unaware robots existed beyond their barriers.
Many generations passed before a system failure caused the volcano to split open, leaking radiation everywhere. The Creators escaped to their orbiting ship immediately, sustaining no losses but damaging their comm arrays in the process. The environment became so toxic even the drones they sent melted before reaching the planet’s surface. Without a way to contact their subjects, they sailed into the universe in search of a solution to the crisis. They haven‘t been seen since.
The robots, unaffected by the fallout, worked on for ages. One day there was simply no room to build grain silos, or there were no more buildings needing maintenance or constructing (or there was no room to build them), or the power sector was so heavily reinforced additional gains would have been pointless. It was then the droids looked about and realized they were entirely alone.
For a while they did nothing. Ages passed where many sat catatonic. Finally, a handful of the braver bots went exploring and were shocked to discover numerous alternate versions of themselves spread all over the island. Word got around. Mass gatherings ensued. Discussions about their purposes were had. The robots, hard programmed to believe their jobs were the most important on the island, began to argue, prideful and boasting. Two of the larger robots became particularly upset and broke into an outright brawl. Many of the robots ran. Some stared in shock, or yelled in excitement and terror. The big brutes, unable to critically harm much less destroy one another, simply fought until one, or both (the story always changes), gave up.
It was utter chaos, but one thing was certain: it was the most interesting thing to happen in an unbelievable amount of time. When the droids realized it was impossible to grievously harm one another competitive tussles began breaking out all over. It was the foundation for what is now, hundreds of centuries later, the structure of their immortal robot society. For what seems like forever, the highest robot honors have been reserved for those who participate in, and especially win, the recurring tournament known as “The Karate Robotty.” Here are the various competitors:
5TR-1DE (Stride): designed as courier and general helper bots, Strides are light weight fighter specialists. They specialize in flashy moves and unexpected combinations. Rocket boots originally helped Stride maneuver harrowing landscapes but now assist in acts of aerial aggression!
R3P-41R (Repair): made as engineer and repair technicians - don’t let Repair’s brainy nature fool you. They’re brawlers! They know how to fix ‘em and they know how to break ‘em! They’re willing to take more chances and risk damage to get in and land a shot where it‘ll really hurt! Repair can activate wildly flashing sensor light patterns to disorient or temporarily hypnotize opponents!
D1G-B0T (Digbot): created for drilling and working the harsh metal ore that makes up 90% of the island‘s mass, Digbots were essential to the shaping of everything habitable on the island. Their super-hardened drill bits and claws can grab a hold of and manipulate anything. They specialize in feints and distractions while setting up complex combos of throws and submission holds!
BR-UT3 (Brute): Originally a heavy labor/construction/demolition worker. Specializes in “crushinating”. Very large. Very strong. Very angry.