Imagine an alternate reality in which VOLTRON took place as a Space Western, and instead of having human-piloted mechanical lions that formed a mighty robot together, a group of mechanical horses piloted (or ridden) by humans, were accessories to other vehicles that would form a mighty robot. Now imagine that said robot was named Ramrod, and had the exact same voice as Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the Autobots in TRANSFORMERS. Thing is, this isn’t an alternate reality – it actually happened back in 1987, when the makers of VOLTRON launched SABER RIDER & THE STAR SHERIFFS here in the U.S., a series that featured Peter Cullen (also the voice of K.A.R.R. on KNIGHT RIDER) as the voice of Ramrod, complete with a Rawhide-style catch phrase of “Head ’em up, move ’em out!” Next week, the SABER RIDER rebirth begins in an all-new comic series from Lion Forge…
“The new limited series stays true to the adventure, intrigue, and mecha awesomeness of the original while starting completely fresh for new fans. With humanity settling the outer reaches of the galaxy in a new frontier, pioneers are kept safe by the Star Sheriffs, an elite law enforcement agency led by chief weapons designer April Eagle. When top-gun Saber Rider steps in to stop a train robbery, he finds a reluctant new ally in the shifty bounty hunter Colt and a clue to the whereabouts of a notorious traitor who might be helping the enemy Outriders. The action never lets up from there.
Sendol Arts has created a cool new look based on the original style guide for the ‘80s TV show, and fan-favorite writer Mairghread Scott (Transformers, G.I. Joe) pens a page-turning adventure with a dashing female lead in April Eagle.”
You can look for the five-issue miniseries starting on Wednesday at your local comic shop, or order the issues from TFAW.
Curious about the 1980s SABER RIDER? You can get it on DVD from Amazon.
