Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad (partially found animated series; 1996-1997): Difference between revisions

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(My first edit! Will add infobox and image later.)
 
m (Added link to video???)
 
(23 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''''Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad''''' was an animated series produced by Universal Cartoon Studios that aired as part of Claster Television's syndicated ''Power Block'' from Fall 1996 to September 1997<ref>http://www.inwap.com/mf/reboot/1996/Claster-96.html</ref>, running an unknow number of episodes.   
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad</center>
|image=Vortech.jpg
|imagecaption=Logo for the series.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
}}
'''''Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad''''' was an animated series produced by Universal Cartoon Studios that aired as part of Claster Television's syndicated ''Power Block'' from Fall 1996 to September 1997,<ref>[http://www.inwap.com/mf/reboot/1996/Claster-96.html 1996 Inwap article that has information on "Power Block", includes information on the show.] Retrieved 23 Dec '16</ref> running 13 episodes.<ref name="JG">[http://joeguide.com/interviews/davidcarren.shtml Joe Guide interview with David Carren from 2001 that has information about the series.] Retrieved 23 Dec '16</ref>  


The show told the conflicts between Hudson Roarke and his cade of secret agents, and the evil BioMechs lead by Roarke's older brother Lord Matrix, a madman intend on spreading a virus that turn its victims into biomechanical beings. Both sides waged their battles with ability-enhancing mechanical masks and transforming vehicles.
The show told the conflicts between Hudson Roarke and his cade of vigilantes, the Techs, and the evil BioMechs lead by Roarke's older brother Lord Matrix, a madman intent on spreading a virus that turns its victims into biomechanical beings. Both sides waged their battles with powered armors and transforming vehicles.


While its tie-in toyline is relatively well-documented due to its loose ties to the older and more popular ''M.A.S.K'' franchise (both shows shared highly-similar premises and the toyline for both was produced by Kenner, with the ''Vor-Tech'' toys being lower-quality retools of ''M.A.S.K'' toys<ref>http://www.albertpenello.com/mask/vortech.html</ref>), availability of the animated series is highly limited: as of 2016, the only footage available of the show online is a low-quality rip of its opening sequence and two excerpts on YouTube of an unidentified episode, totalling two minutes of footage. The series has never been released on home media and is not know to have aired outside the United States.  
While its tie-in toyline is relatively well-documented due to its ties to the older and more popular ''M.A.S.K'' franchise (both shows shared very similar premises and the toyline for both was produced by Kenner, with the ''Vor-Tech'' toys being lower-quality retools of ''M.A.S.K'' toys.<ref>[http://www.albertpenello.com/mask/vortech.html A website that has information about ''Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad''.] Retrieved 23 Dec '16</ref> According to writer David Bennett Carren, ''Vor-Tech'' was created as a way to reuse the ''M.A.S.K'' toy. molds<ref name="JG"/>), availability of the animated series is highly limited with the only footage available of the show online are a low-quality rip of its opening sequence and two excerpts on YouTube of an unidentified episode, totaling two minutes of footage.  


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
The show was animated by Universal Cartoon Studios, now called Universal Animation Studios, and various animation cels from the show can be found online.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
 
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvEivF7cnCQ|320x240|center|Opening sequence.}}
Animation professional Andrew King created a Twitter thread on April 22 2018 recalling his experience working on the show as well as various concept sketches he created and a cover page for the script of the episode "The Hunger". King stated he would donate the material to the National Toy Museum of Canada<ref>[https://twitter.com/twitandrewking/status/988212465858154496 "I have a bin for every TV show I worked on...Watership Down, The Undergrads, plus 20 more...anyway, I’m going to donate the Vortech stuff to the National Toy Museum of Canada who have kindly said they’d take it all...if anyone know where I can donate the other shows, lemme know!"]. Andrew King on Twitter. Retrieved 19 Jul '22</ref>
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymROav2MgJw|320x240|center|Excerpt of an unidentified episode.}}
 
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2nXWdFqOkY|320x240|center|2nd excerpt from an unidentified episode.}}
On November 7th, 2019, a full episode of the show "The Hunger" was ripped from a VHS tape and uploaded to YouTUbe by the channel TF Archive. A clip of the Spanish dub of the episode "Fallen Angel Part One" was uploaded on Youtube on September 25, 2020 by the channel Natsume Hibari.
|}
 
The channel "Jeremy Van Duyne" uploaded the partial "Previously On" teaser from the show's final episode, Fallen Angel: Part 2. On May 29, 2022, a Spanish version of the clip was uploaded, alongside the opening scenes of the episode. And on June 10, the full version of the episode was uploaded in English by YouTuber "DragonStarPlanet", alongside various promos of the show.
 
Recently, a website called identi.io has been resurfaced, and appears to allow people to download episodes from the show. However, the authenticity of the website remains to be seen.
 
On February 26th, 2023, the YouTube channel Free Step Argentina / Fc / Retro / Contenido Extra uploaded a video of the show, albeit in Spanish. The Spanish version of the show is subtitled "Los Guerreros del Futuro", which translates to "The Warriors of the Future" in English. Free Step's upload is a compilation of the first six episodes of the show: Initiation, Choices, Team Player, Black Day on White Rock, The Demise of Damien Roarke, and Genesis". However, the original English versions of these episodes still remain lost.
 
==Videos==
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =ZvEivF7cnCQ
  |description1 =Opening sequence.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =k0G7jtCJwkA
  |description2 =Excerpt of the episode "Black Day At White Rock".  
  |service3    =youtube
  |id3          =U1Yxwc1OGos
  |description3 =2nd excerpt from the same episode.  
}}
{{Video|perrow  =3
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =bNXyNC9BhDE
  |description1 =Spanish opening and a short segment of the episode "Choices".  
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =w1iL_wi8BeQ
  |description2 =Full episode "The Hunger".
|service3    =youtube
  |id3          =7-4GC_JVdPc
  |description3 =Spanish clip of the opening and the episode "Fallen Angel Part One".  
}}
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =HPy_K5rEaLI
  |description1 =Full episode of "Fallen Angel Part Two". 
}}
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =z2fiCVpg7WU
  |description1 =Full episode of
"Initiation".
}}
==External Link==
*[http://minionfactory.blogspot.ca/2014/06/1996-vor-tech.html Blog post from a character artist who worked on the show.] Retrieved 23 Dec '16
*[https://identi.io/index.php?topic=591547 The aforementioned website that lets you download episodes.] Retrieved 16 Jun '22
*[https://twitter.com/twitandrewking/status/988206131888705536 Twitter thread by Andrew King] Retrieved 19 Jul ''22


==References==
==References==
<references/>
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Lost animation|Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad (Partially Found Animated Series; 1996-1997)]]
[[Category:Lost animation]]
[[Category:Lost TV|Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad (Partially Found Animated Series; 1996-1997)]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Partially lost media|Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad (Partially Found Animated Series; 1996-1997)]]
[[Category:Partially found media]]

Latest revision as of 06:20, 29 December 2023

Vortech.jpg

Logo for the series.

Status: Partially Found

Vor-Tech: Undercover Conversion Squad was an animated series produced by Universal Cartoon Studios that aired as part of Claster Television's syndicated Power Block from Fall 1996 to September 1997,[1] running 13 episodes.[2]

The show told the conflicts between Hudson Roarke and his cade of vigilantes, the Techs, and the evil BioMechs lead by Roarke's older brother Lord Matrix, a madman intent on spreading a virus that turns its victims into biomechanical beings. Both sides waged their battles with powered armors and transforming vehicles.

While its tie-in toyline is relatively well-documented due to its ties to the older and more popular M.A.S.K franchise (both shows shared very similar premises and the toyline for both was produced by Kenner, with the Vor-Tech toys being lower-quality retools of M.A.S.K toys.[3] According to writer David Bennett Carren, Vor-Tech was created as a way to reuse the M.A.S.K toy. molds[2]), availability of the animated series is highly limited with the only footage available of the show online are a low-quality rip of its opening sequence and two excerpts on YouTube of an unidentified episode, totaling two minutes of footage.

The show was animated by Universal Cartoon Studios, now called Universal Animation Studios, and various animation cels from the show can be found online.

Animation professional Andrew King created a Twitter thread on April 22 2018 recalling his experience working on the show as well as various concept sketches he created and a cover page for the script of the episode "The Hunger". King stated he would donate the material to the National Toy Museum of Canada[4]

On November 7th, 2019, a full episode of the show "The Hunger" was ripped from a VHS tape and uploaded to YouTUbe by the channel TF Archive. A clip of the Spanish dub of the episode "Fallen Angel Part One" was uploaded on Youtube on September 25, 2020 by the channel Natsume Hibari.

The channel "Jeremy Van Duyne" uploaded the partial "Previously On" teaser from the show's final episode, Fallen Angel: Part 2. On May 29, 2022, a Spanish version of the clip was uploaded, alongside the opening scenes of the episode. And on June 10, the full version of the episode was uploaded in English by YouTuber "DragonStarPlanet", alongside various promos of the show.

Recently, a website called identi.io has been resurfaced, and appears to allow people to download episodes from the show. However, the authenticity of the website remains to be seen.

On February 26th, 2023, the YouTube channel Free Step Argentina / Fc / Retro / Contenido Extra uploaded a video of the show, albeit in Spanish. The Spanish version of the show is subtitled "Los Guerreros del Futuro", which translates to "The Warriors of the Future" in English. Free Step's upload is a compilation of the first six episodes of the show: Initiation, Choices, Team Player, Black Day on White Rock, The Demise of Damien Roarke, and Genesis". However, the original English versions of these episodes still remain lost.

Videos

Opening sequence.

Excerpt of the episode "Black Day At White Rock".

2nd excerpt from the same episode.

Spanish opening and a short segment of the episode "Choices".

Full episode "The Hunger".

Spanish clip of the opening and the episode "Fallen Angel Part One".

Full episode of "Fallen Angel Part Two".

Full episode of "Initiation".

External Link

References