Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is an animated television series and an eponymous comic book by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow.The comic book was published in 1996 by Dark Horse Comics, featuring story by Miller and art by Darrow. In the comic, the story revolves around the attack of Tokyo by a giant lizard, and the failure of the newly-commissioned Rusty the Boy Robot to stop the threat. Subsequently, Japan requested the help from the U.S. Armed Forces, whose ultimate robot, the Big Guy, eventually saved the day. The comic book features intricate artwork by Geof Darrow, who worked on various concept art designs for films including The Matrix series. Frank Miller, of reinventing Batman fame, wrote the story as a homage to Godzilla movies (the giant lizard), Astro Boy (Rusty the Boy Robot), and patriotic American films from World War II (the Big Guy).
The animated series, produced by Sony Entertainment, first aired in 1999 and in many aspects is a more matured and established series. Whereas the comic book seems like only an introduction to the robots, the animated series is full-fledged with a strong backstory that links the episodes together. The plot and setting of the series is totally different from the comic book as the whole story is based around New Tronic City, a fictional American city clearly modelled after New York City. Rusty is the most advanced robot with human emotional grid and nucleoprotonic powers that is going to replace the Big Guy, the Earth's last line of defense against all threats alien, domestic, or against the American way. However, Rusty is too inexperienced to stand on his own, so the Big Guy is re-commissioned to teach Rusty the way of trade. Rusty idolizes the Big Guy, regarding him as the best robot ever. However, Big Guy is actually piloted by Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter, who poses as his chief mechanic. Big Guy's secret is known only to a few, and many situations involve Lt. Hunter's clever and impromptu excuses to hide the fact from Rusty so he would not break his heart.
Recurring characters other than the Big Guy and Rusty include:
- Lieutenant Dwayne Hunter - the Big Guy's pilot to a few, the Big Guy's chief mechanic to the world. Often shares some awkwardly romantic situations with...
- Dr. Erika Slate - A scientist at Quark Industries, she developed Rusty's human emotional grid and acts like a surrogate mother to Rusty. She is one of the few who knows the Big Guy's secret.
- Dr. Axel Donovan - President of Quark Industries, a robotics firm. He is a caricature of capitalistic greed and moral cowardness. He often provides comic relief, together with...
- Jenny the Monkey - A monkey who talks and usually sits on Dr. Donovan's shoulder while making fun of Quark's scientists and employees. She has a keen sense of self-preservation.
- Jo, Mack, and Garth - The Big Guy's pit crew. They serve on the aircraft carrier S.S. Dark Horse, which acts as Big Guy's base and stores his airship.
- General Thornton - A U.S. Army general who heads the government's BGY-11 Commission, that creates the Big Guy.
- The Squillacci Empire - Squid-like tentacled aliens who make crop circles, attempt to experiment on cows and other stereotypical alien actions. Their attempts to conquer the Earth have been repeatedly thwarted by the Big Guy.
- Legion Ex Machina - Latin for Legion from Machine, they are an enigmatic group of very advanced robots who aim to destroy humanity and create a robot-heaven of "Robotopia." Their whereabouts and origin are unknown, yet their robotic design and function are very similar to the Big Guy. This presents a intriguing hook that ties the episodes together, with clues to their origin and their creator being revealed one by one. Ironically, they were created by the same man who originally led Big Guy's design.