RoboCop (1987) concept art by Robert Webb |
Check out RoboCopcar concept art by Robert Webb!
Every Friday I try and feature artwork from a classic of science fiction cinema or television. This week's "Flashback Friday" post is on RoboCop (1987).
RoboCop has a special place in my heart for a few reasons. When I first saw the movie poster for the film in the newspaper I cut it out and hung it on my wall for months. Plus, the RoboCop computer game was the first game I ever played all the way through the end. It was pretty awesome. This movie is one of the classics of our time and the film has spawned a reboot coming out later this year.
The 1985 Ford Taurus that RoboCop drove was actually a last-minute decision by the production team. Originally, RoboCop was supposed to drive a custom vehicle nicknamed the "Robo-Car" or "Turbo-Car." Robert Webb is one of the designers that worked on the custom car design and he shared the original design illustrations from the film on his site.
Final Design
Webb was a professional artist and car builder who's worked on entertainment projects like Knight Rider (1986).
There's more to learn at his site. For example, did you know that the movie title was spelled "Robocop" (all lowercase) until Webb started making notes using the spelling "RoboCop?" Learn more behind-the-scenes facts about the design of the car and the RoboCop production at http://www.robertwebb.com.
Click on the links if you want to see more of Robert Webb's work or RoboCop on my blog.
What do you think of the concept art? Would you have liked to see this car instead of the Ford Taurus?
Official RoboCop Summary
There's a new law enforcer in town and he's half man, half machine! From the director of Total Recall and Basic Instinct comes a "sci-fi fantasy with sleek, high-powered drive" (Time) about an indestructible high-tech policeman who dishes out justice at every turn! When a good cop (Peter Weller) gets blown away by some ruthless criminals, innovative scientists and doctors are able to piece him back together as an unstoppable crime-fighting cyborg called "RoboCop." Impervious to bullets and bombs, and equipped with high-tech weaponry, RoboCop quickly makes a name for himself by cleaning up the crime-ridden streets of violence-ravaged Detroit. But despite his new, hardened exterior, RoboCop is tormented by scraps of memory of his former life, and relives vivid nightmares of his own death at the hands of the vicious killers. Now he is out to seek more than justice...he wants revenge!
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Cinematography by Jost Vacano
Production Design by William Sandell
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith
Release date: July 17, 1987
Official Site: www.RoboCop.com
© Copyright 1987 Orion Pictures. All rights reserved
Follow @filmsketchr