Astro's shorts

[jarvic]

So, did anyone notice how baggy Astro's shorts are in the new series? It also seems like the only time he's dressed is for school, except for when he was nominated for Best Robot 2003. He reminds me of Lenny Loosejocks.

I figure they're so baggy so Astro can get them on over his boots, because in the new series, Astro's boots are built-in and permanent. In the 60's and 80's, they weren't part of the original design - he got them at the circus (both series) and he could take them off anytime.
We only see that happen once in the 80's series though, and not even actually in an episode (Nikki ep). In Lilly from Peligro, Astro is dead tired in gym class and you can see he's wearing gym shoes and socks when he tries to get over the pommel horse.

Also in the episode Return of Cleopatra, he doesn't take the boots off but he does keep a sceptre or cane hidden in one of his boots, there's a scene where he's researching at the museum and you see him dig around in his boot and pull it out.

The red boots seem to be the only large footwear that have been, uhm, adjusted to work with his rockets. Lets just say Astro liked them so much he had them "fixed up". "Stylish, and terrific durability!" No kidding, from the edge of a volcano, to Antarctica...

Ok for starters the little red loafers/slippers in the 1st episode are small so there's no problem, the shoes just withdrew in along with the feet.

In the episode Girl from Alsoar, however, when he's wearing the ski suit, let's just say Astro wasn't expecting to have to use his rockets that day, so he was wearing a regular ski suit not one "fixed up" to work with his rockets. So when he ended up having to, his feet retracted inside the boot but the boot itself did not retract and the rocket exhaust ended up blasting through the soles of the ski boots.

So in review, my theory, in the 80's series especially, Astro can and does take the boots off (just never seen on camera). Lets say he takes off those boots so he can get dressed in the morning at least. Hey, let's see you try to put a pair of pants on while wearing steel-toed work boots! In the newest series, the boots are a permanent fixture and cannot be removed without removing the whole leg, so the lower clothes he wore tended to be baggy... the shorts he wore to school, the sweat pants in the Boon Unit episode. There are a few exceptions to the rule though, like those shorts astro wears in the Forest Dragon ep...

Just rambling...

J

[jeffbert]

Here is my own post on the snowsuit:

Originally posted by jeffbert@Aug 23 2003, 01:08 PM

[b]I just noticed something weird. When Astro is first created and he gets off the table, he has bare feet. You can see his toes. But between then and when he gets his boots in the next episode, his feet are covered by these small red shoe things. We don't get to see his toes ever again except when he gets Niki's legs at the end of episode 4. Even when his clothes are ripped off from splitting the iceberg in the first episode, he keeps the little red shoes on.

I also noticed something weird as I was viewing the pics that Anapan submitted in the zip files. When Atom is lying on the table in ep 1, there is a view that shows the soles of his feet. The strange part is the circular holes in his soles, seemingly to allow for the jets' exhaust. However, when he flies, his feet always retract...









Except in "The Girl from Alsoar". The pic clearly shows him in the air, jets blazing, and feet in place. I think its number 49 of the pics. What is more, he is wearing blue snow boots! :wahah: Yay for inconsistencies! :wahah:





:wahah:[/b]

Atom pics, page 2

[DrFrag]

Originally posted by jarvic@Jan 17 2005, 04:21 PM
The red boots seem to be the only large footwear that have been, uhm, adjusted to work with his rockets. Lets just say Astro liked them so much he had them "fixed up". "Stylish, and terrific durability!" No kidding, from the edge of a volcano, to Antarctica...

Not to mention surviving atmospheric re-entry heat as he pushes the Carolina 3 out of low orbit. Cathy said she wore them the first time she stepping into the circus ring - must have been a ring of fire!

I think all the inconsistencies help us to not take the show too seriously. Tezuka always loved throwing in gags when things got to heavy.

How about his chest panel? Doesn't seem hindered by his artifical skin that goes over the top. Survives the pressures of deep oceans (The White Planet) and deep space (The Anti-Proton Gun), yet causes him concern when he has a natural spring bath because the sulphur might be bad for him (The Human-Faced Rock). Stays closed during battles with robot sea-serpents, deep sea monsters, giant killer robots, berzerk robot tanks, and reincarnations of the Sphinx, yet can be opened quite simply by Daddy Walrus when he needed repairs (A Robot President).
And one shot to his open chest panel by Mayor Ballast puts him out of commission. Why did the bad guys never think of that before? Not even Atlas could come up with that one!

Then there's his energy cassette...

BTW, when I was little I dreamt I had a pair of Astroboy boots. I started wondering how they worked, so I looked inside them. Turned out there was a cigarette lighter in the heel of each boot. You just pushed your heel down on it and fire came out the bottom!

[jeffbert]

Originally posted by DrFrag@Jan 17 2005, 10:22 PM

And one shot to his open chest panel by Mayor Ballast puts him out of commission. Why did the bad guys never think of that before? Not even Atlas could come up with that one!

Not to mention the incident with the birds on Red Cat.

[DrFrag]

Good call

[adrian _68]

I believe Astro's boots was not permanent in the 2003 series because in one episode, the one with the robots trying to build a golden dragon. In one scene there Astro was shown in his pajamas and actually he was barefoot.

[super_kim]

Wowee, I never noticed that. I must have seen that episode a whole bunch of times, and I never picked up on that. I never notice little details like that, I always get caught up in the story and forget details. I'll watch out for it next time and when I find it I'll point it out to people like I found it all on my own. lol.

[jarvic]

I have that episode on tape. (I taped it because I am in college when the show is on.) It is kinda hard to tell, but I must say that he is still wearing the red boots, even though he has pj's on. It took three or four replays to be sure, as Astro is quite small in the frame and the light is quite dim. But what gives it away is, if he was barefoot, then his feet would be the same colour tone as his arms. In ths shot though, the feet appeared much brown-er than his arms, the pale moonlight turning the bright red to a dull brown tone. So unless he went walking through a mud puddle before going into that kid's bedroom, I must conclude that he's still wearing the boots under those pajamas. (I guess that kid is a prince, it is the french version I have so I'm not sure)....

J

[jeffbert]

Originally posted by jarvic@Jan 19 2005, 08:06 PM
I have that episode on tape. (I taped it because I am in college when the show is on.) It is kinda hard to tell, but I must say that he is still wearing the red boots, even though he has pj's on. It took three or four replays to be sure, as Astro is quite small in the frame and the light is quite dim. But what gives it away is, if he was barefoot, then his feet would be the same colour tone as his arms. In ths shot though, the feet appeared much brown-er than his arms, the pale moonlight turning the bright red to a dull brown tone. So unless he went walking through a mud puddle before going into that kid's bedroom, I must conclude that he's still wearing the boots under those pajamas. (I guess that kid is a prince, it is the french version I have so I'm not sure)....

J

You must be referring to the scene when the little boy awakens him to show him the dragon flying outside. I looked at that, but his feet were in the shade. If we assume that his squeaking comes from his boot, then we might also assume that he was wearing them. If we assume that they do not come off, then we must conclude likewise. However, as was discussed elsewhere, we thought the same thing about his brief. Look just below his knees. Are there any buldges there? If so, then these are from the rims of his boots.

[Thylacine 2000]

Bumping up a really old thread as I look back through this archive:

In the NOW comic series, Astro's red boots are definitely just clothing, not part of his body. When first created he goes barefoot or wears slippers.