Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, was a CGI animated cartoon based around the Starship Troopers movie and novel. It follows the exploits of the Mobile Infantry squad "Razak's Roughnecks" during the SICON-Arachnid war, and focuses mainly on the small actions in which the squad participates, rather than addressing the larger war. It originally aired on PAX in August 1999 and in syndication in the US and Canada. It was later picked up by the SciFi Channel in the US, and Teletoon in Canada. It was called Starship Troopers: The Series in the UK. 3-D animation is used. The series borrows elements from Paul Verhoeven's film Starship Troopers. However, it incorporates more elements from Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the original novel the film was based on, such as the "Skinnies", powered armor suits, and drop pods. Some elements are original; e.g. the war starts on Pluto. The controversial politics of the original book are left out.

Campaigns

The show is divided into seasons based around the military campaigns the Roughnecks fight in. The campaigns are, in order: Pluto, Hydora, Tophet, Tesca, Zephyr (Ice Asteroid), Klendathu and Homefront (Earth).

There is an error in the DVD edition, with Tesca listed as Volume 2. It should be watched after Hydora and Tophet.

Below is an outline of each season.

Pluto: SICON first battles the Bugs on Pluto. Razak's Roughnecks learn to trust and rely on one another. SICON discovers that the Bugs aren't native to Pluto but come from elsewhere.

Warriors, Cliffmites, tankers (flamethrowers), Hoppers, and plasma bugs are introduced

Hydora: The Roughnecks battle across the oceanic world of Hydora, encountering two new breeds of Bug - Ripplers/Kamikaze Ripplers and Water Tigers - and discover the existence of Brain Bugs. Rico and Brutto bond after a near-disaster. Carl Jenkins uses his mental powers to destroy the Brain Bug, but suffers mental damage. Brainbugs, charioteers, ripplers, mother ripplers, water tigers, and the transport bug (a living starship) make their first apperances

Tophet: The Roughnecks land on the methane-atmosphered desert world of Tophet, discovering an indigenous race which they dub "Skinnies". At first believed to be friendly, the Skinnies are revealed to be allied with the Bugs (not by choice). Carl and Brutto bond after being captured and then escaping from a Skinny prison. The first of the Cybernetic Humanoid Assault Systems is assigned to the Roughnecks. Dubbed CHAS, he is at first received with hostility but is eventually regarded as a true Roughneck- posthumously, sacrificing himself to save the other Roughnecks (the CHAS units are deemed cost-ineffective, so he is never replaced). It is discovered that the Skinnies are being controlled by mind-enslaving Bugs, Carl is mentally shattered during the event and is quickly spirited away by Intel. The Bugs - Control and otherwise - are driven off, with one transport bug destroyed in the process.

Control bugs, blister/blaster bugs and skinnies are shown

Tesca: In the wake of the Tophet Campaign, the Skinnies are now allies with SICON, but need to sign up as SICON recruits because they lack Faster-Than-Light drives. Colonel T'Phai, the leader of the Skinnies - and indirectly responsible for Carl's loss - is assigned to the Roughnecks, which leads to hostility, though he is eventually accepted by the squad. Johnny Rico suffers from a horrific wound given by a spider bug while his friends desparately keep him alive. Spider bugs, pitworms/tankerworms, nursespiders and minions are introduced as part of the swarms' masses as well as the Arachnid ability to use DNA from other creatures as a basis for a new form of bug depending on the DNA used. This amalgamation of DNA to create new bugs was later realized when Lt. Barcalow became a Hybrid Human/Arachnid.

Zephyr: The Roughnecks land on an 'Ice Asteroid' in order to recover a toxin deadly to the bugs when in fact the asteroid is really a giant bug itself, and fight to survive with limited oxygen and ammunition. Lt. Barcalow becomes infected by bugs and becomes the first "infiltrator". Rico is promoted to Corporal.

Firefries, Ice slugs are introduced

Klendathu: The Roughnecks assault the Bugs' homeworld and given a chance to destroy the Queen Bug. Sergeant Brutto is paralyzed, therefore making Rico the acting Sergeant. Barcalow's infection got significantly worse, aligning him with the Bugs. During the final assault, Rico decided to let the Queen live and save his friend Carl, who was recently brought back into action.

queens. royal Centurions, Royal Guard, infiltrators(real ones), rhino bugs, Nurses, workers are all introduced

Homefront The Bugs attack Earth, forcing the Roughnecks to fight on their home turf. Razak is killed and Rico promoted to Lieutenant after convincing General Redwing to not split up the unit. Brutto's son Max joins the Roughnecks; T'Phai promises Brutto he will look after him. The campaign is un-resolved due to fund shortages from the studio.

Characters

Lieutenant Jean Razak the leader of the Roughnecks, a seasoned veteran who has been decorated 10 times for meritorious service. Described as having "broken the mold" of trooper officer behavior. His left arm is a mechanical prosthetic, the legacy of his first command, where the entire squad was ambushed and only he survived. Dies a heroic death to save Rico in the Homefront campaign.

Voiced by Jamie Hanes

Sergeant Francis Brutto a somewhat ruthless task-master, very outspoken and aggressive. Originally something of an antagonist for the rest of the squad, he eventually becomes easier to get along with during the Hydora campaign. His son Max Brutto is 17 and an All-Star Fullback. Brutto is crippled before the Klendathu campaign, and his son Max (who apparently joined the Mobile Infantry in the aftermath of the Pluto campaign) is assigned to the Roughnecks after his father is crippled. Like all the Roughnecks, he originally was distrusting of T'Phai, but eventually became his best friend, prompting Higgins to remark "Are those two actually bonding?"

Voiced by David DeLuise

Corporal Richard "Doc" LaCroix the team's medical officer, Doc is laid-back and patient. He and Goss act as the comedy relief of the show at times playing off each others jokes admist a folly of bug drones. He is the assigned pilot for the Long-Range AKA "Chickenhawk" Marauder

Voiced by James Horan

Corporal Jeff "Goss" Gossard an ambitious Roughneck who wants a distinguished career. The elder of two siblings, Gossard is a technological master, adept with any form of machinery. Invented the "TALC Box", which was intended to translate Bug shrieking into human language, but was used to translate for Skinnies instead. Assigned pilot for the Assault aka "Kingkong" Marauder. Gossard had a short relationship with Dizzy Flores starting since the Pluto Campaign, but broke up with her feeling responsible for Rico's near-fatal wound, and knowing that Dizzy still loves Rico during the Tesca Campaign.

Voiced by Bill Fagerbakke

Private/Corporal/Sergeant/Lieutenant Juan "Johnny" Rico "Little Johnny" the main focus of the series, a good soldier but a little distrustful of technology "I couldn't stand being in one of those tin cans" and a bit over-reliant on his instincts. Best friends with the psychic Carl Jenkins and with Isabel Flores. Carries a torch for a space-pilot - Carmen Ibanez - for most of the series but eventually admits he's in love with Flores. Last of the Roughnecks to accept T'Phai. Is promoted first to Corporal during the Zephyr Campaign, then Sergeant in the Klendathu campaign as a result of Brutto's paralysis, and then to Lieutenant during the Homefront campaign carrying on Razak's legacy.

Voiced by Rino Romano

Private Isabel "Dizzy" Flores an old friend of Rico's from high school, has a crush on him which is unrequited for most of the series, figures they'll sort out their relationship problems after their tour of duty. Had a relationship with Corporal Jeff Gossard in order to make Rico jealous which ended in the Tesca Campaign. Flores then started having an affair with a Major Zander Barcalow for the rest of the Tesca campaign and the entire Zephyr campaign, which was shattered as Barcalow became an Arachnid during the Klendathu campaign. She eventually redeems Zander in the Klendathu campaign. Is claustrophobic, but lied about it to be accepted into the Mobile Infantry but it was remedied by Carl who gave her a post hypnotic suggestion.

Voiced by Elizabeth Daily. (credited as E.G. Daily)

Lieutenant Carmen Ibanez a pilot in the SICON fleet. Johnny Rico joined the military just because she said that she wanted to be a pilot, and Rico blindly attempts to follow her. She's smart, calm, and rarely lets the emotions get in the way of her tasks. Whenever a dropship she's piloting is crashlanded due to whatever circumstances, she often helps the Roughnecks carry out their missions. While reminiscing about the past, Carmen admits that she had a big crush on Rico during the 6th grade, but didn't tell him. It is not clear if Carmen feels the same way about Rico after Dizzy Flores tells Carmen that she's the reason Rico enlisted.

Voiced by Tish Hicks

Lieutenant/Major Zander Barcalow A former football player in high school, Zander Barcalow joined the SICON fleet as a pilot and was ranked Major at the start of the Pluto Campaign. He started off as Ibanez's flight instructor in a dropship. Other than transporting troops, Barcalow occasionally flies the air fighters to provide air support for the Mobile Infantry. Personality-wise, Barcalow is arrogant and pompous, being second to Brutto in terms of being a jackass, which somewhat explains his constant change between Major and Lieutenant ranks (SICON doesn't like mouthy Majors). During the Tesca campaign, Barcalow started to have a relationship with Private Dizzy Flores, which was lasting until the end of the Zephyr campaign. During the Zephyr campaign, Barcalow suffered from an unknown virus, which made him have a Jekyll-and-Hyde complex. Things went worse during the Klendathu campaign when Zander mutates into an arachnid and nearly has the Valley Forge crash-land on Klendathu. Barcalow dies a noble death saving the Roughnecks after Flores reminded him "to play on her team."

Voiced by Nicholas Guest

Special Operations tactitian Carl Jenkins a psychic friend of Rico's and Flores's from high school, the other Roughnecks avoid him like the plague (his telepathic powers give them the creeps). He destroys the Hydoran Brain Bug with a Mind-Bomb but suffers mental trauma in the process. He grows weaker and his powers become less stable during the Tophet campaign, when T'Phai's Control Bug breaks loose it attempts to attach to Carl. He destroys it with a telekinetic blast, but falls into a coma and is spirited away by Intel. He returns later on in the series, the mental experimentation performed on him by the Intel neurosurgeons has increased his powers but made him cold and harsh. What was left of what made Carl his old self was re-kindled when Rico saves him during the Klendathu campaign.

Voiced by Rider Strong

Private Robert "Paperboy" Higgins A FedNet reporter assigned to the Roughnecks, Higgins is something of the trademark outsider. His inexperience and degree of military incompetence makes him something of a liability on occasion. Usually shoots with a camera instead of a gun. He is able to stay in the squad only because Rico gave him training. Is the voice-over/narrator for the series.

Voiced by Alexander Polinsky

Private "Colonel" T'Phai the former military leader of the Skinnies, T'Phai was an enemy for most of the Tophet campaign under the influence of a Mind Control Bug. Was indirectly responsible for Carl's extended medical leave, which didn't help matters when he was assigned to the Roughnecks during the Tesca campaign. Not accepted initially, he receives the acceptance of all Roughnecks bar Rico in the end of the first episode, not receiving Rico's until the end of the second episode. Rank is Private within the Mobile Infantry, but he is still referred to as Colonel (his Skinny rank) by the Roughnecks. T'Phai is considered a father figure since he had a wife who was also in the military and two children. He believes in fighting a war so that his children wouldn't share the same fate as him.

Voiced by Steve Staley

Bugs

Shown in non-chronological order

Brains A bug that’s a moving, telepathic node. They have a slit-like mouth with a spike/sucker organ. This organ extends from the mouth to enter the brains of an enemy and to control them. It can also be used to eat the enemy’s brain and to add the gained information to the hive mind collective. Discovered on Hydora.

Chariot bugs They bear resemblance to common Earth roaches. They are the bugs that brain bugs lay on to be moved about. They were discovered on Hydora with the brain bugs.

Warrior The bulk of the arachnid armies. They scuttle around on four spindly legs and attack with two spiked razor limbs and their razor-edged mandibles. Relatively weak against standard-issue weaponry. First encountered on Pluto.

Tanker Massive bugs that can breathe fire and tunnel underground. Impervious to everything except high explosives such as mini nukes and plasma rockets. First encountered on Pluto.

Plasma Bug Bigger then Tanker, with the rather nasty ability to fire huge volatile globs of plasma from their rear ends at airborne or distant targets. First encountered on Pluto.

Hoppers Basically, warrior mosquitoes with razor wings. Attracted to laser emissions like mosquitoes to a bug zapper. First encountered on Pluto.

Transport Bug Creatures used for interstellar travel. Fuelled by water and can make planetary landings. They proved that the bugs weren't native to Pluto. First encountered on Pluto.

Kamikaze Ripplers Flying bugs that can shoot spines from their mouths. Spines may be coated in corrosive venom. Produced by an oversized version Higgins coined 'Ripple mom'. First encountered on Hydora.

Blisters Smaller then a tanker but bigger then a warrior bug. Basically, they are walking tanks of corrosive acid. Encountered on Tophet.

Blaster Similar to Blisters, but take in heat from the surrounding environment and focus it into a wave of energy capable of burning through powersuits. Encountered on Tophet.

Spiders Though looking more like crabs then actual spiders, they are 8 eyed and 8 legged with web-spinning capabilities. They are used to capture enemies for "interrogation" by brain bugs. Encountered on Tesca.

Firefries Bugs similar to fireflies, except that they are actually on fire (biological fusion reactors). As they age, they grow larger but lose some of their fire abilities. First encountered on Asteroid Belt near Harvok in the Zephyr Campaign

Water Tigers A pale species that can swim quickly in water, but are never seen on the land. First encountered on Hydora.

More coming soon

Production

Sony contracted Foundation Imaging to do the episodes. It was originally planned that the show be made with 2D animation. Some other companies also helped with the production of certain episodes. Some of these companies include Flat Earth Productions (Eps 1X12 and 1X13), Hyper Image (Eps 1X20 to 1X22), and Rainbow Studios (Eps 1X23 to 1X25).

The series was to end with a titanic battle (in a larger scale than any previous episode) against the Bug forces on Earth, but the series was cancelled before this arc was produced. In order to fulfill Sony's 40 episode order, clip shows were produced because they could reuse old footage.

40 episodes were originally scheduled, although only 35 episodes of original material were eventually produced due to production problems. Each week was to be a separate campaign with five daily episodes.

There is also a compilation DVD available called Trackers, which consists of episodes created from clips of previous episodes and some new material.

The show was produced by Columbia Tristar for daily television syndication and ended its intended run of a single season, with a cliffhanger but without a proper series finale. Both the war and the personal history of most of the characters is 'left hanging' without any clue as to what will come next.

Most of the original episodes can be seen on DVD. Be warned that there is an error in at least the UK edition of the DVD. Tesca is listed as Volume 2, which it still is at Amazon UK. It should be watched after Hydora and Tophet.

In the Homefront Campaign, there was one episode aired on TV, but never made it to the DVD, which was Episode 33: Homefront. Homefront focused on Rico, Flores, and Jenkins looking for their parents in Buenos Aires.

Fan Campaign and DVD Releases

With a fan campaign begun by the now defunct Roughneck Chronicles website, the "Pluto" campaign was released on DVD. Based on sales, the other 'arcs' were released on DVD. However these subsequent DVDs were released in order of popularity, not in chronological order. The last DVD released was called "Trackers" containing the episode missing from the "Homefront" campaign DVD and the clip shows that were produced in order to fulfill Sony's 40 episode order. Unlike the other DVDs, "Trackers" did not have any cast or crew commentaries.

Given the success of the earlier DVDs, it was hoped that the sales would encourage Sony to produce a final DVD movie to complete the original story-arc. However, other than a recent box set release of the series (which are stripped down versions of the individual releases, removing the cast and crew commentaries), there have been no announcements regarding the Roughneck Chronicles series. Also, the original production company, Foundation Imaging, has since gone out of business, so prospects of a final DVD movie are perhaps non-existent.

It is worth noting that while the series ends on a cliffhanger, the writer of the final story arc outlined his plan for the final three episodes on the crew commentary of the "Homefront" campaign DVD.

External links

TrooperPX.Com - photos, concept artwork.
Roughnecks: STC Archive - photos, episode guide, fan fiction.
Roughneck Ramblings, forum of the defunct RoughneckChronicles.com fan community
A resurrection of Roughneck Ramblings