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"I don't know whether I came up with the idea for Robot Wars or the idea came up with me. It happened during a period in my life when a number of things converged in a particular way."
— Marc Thorpe on the genesis of Robot Wars[1]

Marc Allen Thorpe (9 November 1946 - 24 November 2023)[2] was a San Francisco-based mechanical engineer, designer, electronics specialist and artist, best known for founding Robot Wars and the sport of robot combat in 1994.

In the TV show, Thorpe made an onscreen appearance in The Third Wars, handing the trophy to Team Razer at the end of the International League Championship. The moment was initially filmed for and also shown in The First World Championship, which also took place during the same series.

Robot Wars[]

Creation[]

Marc Thorpe first conceptualised the idea for Robot Wars in early 1992, through both his employment at Lucastoys (a former subsidiary of Lucasfilm) and his experimentation with building a 'radio-controlled vacuum cleaner'. The latter device, intended to make the household chore 'fun', essentially involved placing a regular vacuum cleaner on top of a modified radio-controlled tank, which Thorpe had also built himself.[1]

"One day I took the vacuum off the tank and as I looked at it, the 8-year-old boy in me envisioned its potential as a dangerous toy with battery powered tools mounted on it … I had a vision of it cutting its way through a wall. That reminded me of my fighting vehicle toy concept which bought forth the entrepreneur part of me … as it was instantly clear that this was to how to make the idea work: I could stage events and invite competitors to build their own vehicles to compete in them."
— Marc Thorpe, on the moment sparking the invention of robot combat[1]

Recognising the potential for the tank to be modified with 'dangerous' weapons, and aligning this with his idea for 'fighting vehicle' toys, the idea of robot combat - along with the Robot Wars name - was born. Convinced by the competitive and merchandising potential of this new-found 'gladiatorial event', Thorpe began creating concept images of 'fighting robots' he envisioned for the proposed competitions. While not functional, these were intended to showcase potential designs and weaponry, as well as generate interest, 'excitement' and publicity for the emerging sport. Early attempts at promoting and organising an event at the Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, saw up to 70 applications and 17 finalised entries being made for the first competition, though logistical and financial issues delayed this several times.[1]

"Once I had the idea I set about finding ways to make a visual representation and I filed a trademark application. My biggest fear was that the trademark, the brand would not be recognized due to the conceptual stretch implied in the name. How do you define what a robot is or is not? I did not know if people would accept the characterization of what are essentially R/C vehicles as robots. As it is no one has challenged RW as misleading. I feel that people want this so much that they just disregard the issue. So I started to modify my tank putting scary, sinister looking devices etc on it. Literally just putting them on it. None of them worked. It was all for show. Next, I took photos, created rules and advertised. I took out adds in an art magazine and an R/C magazine. I was not prepared for what was about to happen."
— Marc Thorpe, on the concept and initial promotion efforts for Robot Wars[3]

1994-1997 US competitions[]

Robot Wars '94 Flyer

Flyer for the 1994 US Robot Wars event, precursor to the TV show

In early 1994, Thorpe sent a promotional package for the inaugural US Robot Wars event to Wired magazine; a few days later, the magazine contacted him, stating that they wanted to produce photographs and an article on the event. Realising that he did not have a functioning robot ready, Thorpe modified his tank further to incorporate a top-mounted chainsaw bought from a hardware store. Although the chainsaw was not functional, photographer Bill Zemanek was impressed with the robot; both the article and the accompanying photograph appeared in the March 1994 edition of Wired, the former written by Jef Raskin.[4]

The success of this event lead to three further competitions taking place between 1995 and 1997, also at the Fort Mason Center. Approximately one month prior to the first event, Thorpe formed a partnership with New York-based record company Profile Records, with both parties initially sharing joint ownership of Robot Wars Inc.[5]

As well as being the main producer and showrunner for the US events, Thorpe would also be responsible for handing out championship trophies to victorious competitors. Footage of him performing the latter roles at the 1996 event was included in the American Robot Wars 1996 home video release, where he was seen handing the Heavyweight Face-Off trophy to BioHazard's Carlo Bertocchini, and the Heavyweight Melee trophy to La Machine's Trey Roski.

Thorpe's involvement extended to public promotions of the Robot Wars events in the United States and overseas. Examples include a televised 1996 segment in the talk show Crook & Chase - involving a demonstration battle between The X-2 and Attiller (the Hun) - and a multi-day 'Techno/Rave' tour across seven German cities.[6][7][8]

TV Show[]

In 1995, Profile Records partnered with production company Mentorn to produce and televise a Robot Wars event in the UK. Mentorn acquired the worldwide television rights from Profile later that year, and Tom Gutteridge and Steve Carsey created the television format from the original Robot Wars concept. As part of this arrangement, Thorpe was brought on as a consultant for the 1995 UK Open Competition - a proof-of-concept/pilot pitched at BBC executives - as well as Robot Wars: The First Wars, also appearing in publicity materials for the latter. The First Wars proved an instant success, reportedly drawing in as many as four million viewers and resulting in further series being commissioned by the BBC.[5]

Barry

Marc Thorpe with Barry

Marc thorpe team razer

Marc Thorpe handing a trophy to Team Razer

Thorpe was later invited to appear for the filming of The First World Championship and International League Championship, both filmed during later sessions of The Third Wars. He was personally responsible for giving Team Razer the trophy for their victories over Behemoth and Diotoir in each respective tournament, and was announced by Craig Charles as the "godfather and creator" of Robot Wars. Before giving out the trophy, Thorpe was interviewed by Philippa Forrester, sharing his thoughts on Razer itself.

Philippa Forester: "Marc this must be quite a moment for you. Is this [Razer] a worthy first winner?"
Marc Thorpe: "Oh yeah. I fell in love with Razer the first time I saw it and I always thought of Robot Wars as an art sport and this clearly demonstrates, you know, that, how that's clearly true."
— Marc Thorpe's brief interview with Philippa Forrester

Thorpe handed the trophy to Team Razer and shook hands with the team as they celebrated their victories. Incidentally, the trophy seen in both instances was the one produced for the International League Championship, with Team Razer confirming that this ceremony occurred following their triumph in The First World Championship.[9][10]

Marc Thorpe's role as the creator of Robot Wars was frequently acknowledged in merchandise released for the televised UK Series. For example, a short 'Behind the Scenes' passage in the Robot Wars File credits him as the 'godfather of the sport', referencing his 'radio-controlled vacuum cleaner', his earlier profession in special effects, and robots from the original 1994-1997 events (including a 'tape'-wielding robot likely alluding to Triple Redundancy).[11] Thorpe was also interviewed by James and Grant Cooper of Robo Challenge in 2017, extracts of which are featured in their Haynes publication Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot. The latter briefly explained the early history of Robot Wars prior to the TV show, while also including digital reproductions of Thorpe's original 1994 flyer and Jef Raskin's Wired article.[12]

Dispute with Profile Records[]

While both the US Robot Wars events and UK TV show proved successful, the relationship between Marc Thorpe and Profile Records soured as disputes over event organisation, financial distribution and ownership rights began to unfold. Much of these initially stemmed from an agreement, proposed following the conclusion of the 1996 event, for Profile to receive additional shares in Robot Wars Inc., amidst claims by co-founder and president Steve Plotnicki that the earlier US events had proven unprofitable for them. Thorpe, believing that the agreement would hand total control to Plotnicki, did not accept these terms. Attempts by Thorpe to organise the 1997 competition himself were met with legal action from Profile, who placed an injunction to stop the event from taking place without their involvement.[13][14][15]

At some point during the original joint venture, a company responsible for the ownership and licensing of the Robot Wars trademark was formed by Profile, named Robot Wars LLC. This company would oversee future licensing agreements with third parties, broadening the scope and reach of the Robot Wars brand beyond Thorpe's original events. Early mentions of Robot Wars LLC as a corporate name include an official highlights video for the 1995 US competition, and an attribution in the official rules for the 1997 event.[16][17] Ultimately, Thorpe received a licence to run the 1997 event through his newly-formed company, Stickman Presents, though not without a significant financial burden or further disagreements with Profile over their terms for the temporary 'deal'.[13][14][15][18][19]

In December 1997, a new agreement was put forward between Thorpe and Profile, wherein the former would sell his interest in Robot Wars Inc. for $250,000. In return, the deal would allow Thorpe to receive a 10% royalty and a licence to hold two Robot Wars events per year in the United States - one being a continuation of the annual San Francisco competition, due to be held on 14-16 August 1998.[20] Upon reading the documents prepared for this agreement, however, Thorpe declined to sign, realising that the royalties did not cover merchandise beyond toys and games as he was originally lead to believe. Additionally, the licence was found to be 'non-exclusive', potentially allowing Profile to sell the Robot Wars concept on, and enable other parties to stage Robot Wars-branded events at the same dates and venues as Thorpe's. The latter stipulation compounded Thorpe's earlier suspicion, that previous agreement proposals would have only allowed Plotnicki to 'sabotage' the Robot Wars business for Profile's gain. An attempt for Thorpe to receive a temporary licence to run the 1998 US competition, in a similar arrangement to the 1997 event, was also rejected.[21][22]

"I have made it well known to Profile that I wanted an annual event to be held whether it is produced by Stickman Presents or by the Joint Venture. It is just a fact that the event can't be produced by the Joint Venture until there is either a temporary accommodation to let the event proceed or a "global" resolution to the dispute. The RW97 license was a temporary accomodation [sic]. It makes sense that in lieu of a global resolution we use the same mechanism while we continue to seek a global resolution."
— Marc Thorpe, 10 June 1998[15]

On 25 February 1998, another injunction was placed on Thorpe by Profile Records, further stalling plans for the 1998 event.[14][20] Under Profile's terms, the event again could not take place without their involvement. Thorpe's attempts to seek Profile's approval - and to proceed with plans for the event during subsequent negotiations - were continuously rejected, owing to Profile's reluctance to approve Robot Wars '98 within the timeframes given. Support by Trey Roski and lawyer Bob Leppo - including plans to form a new company to obtain the Robot Wars licence - also resulted in the pair being deposed by Plotnicki's lawyers by the spring. In an email sent out to prospective 1998 competitors, Thorpe acknowledged that the ongoing legal battles would result in the event being cancelled altogether if no workable solution could be approved in time.[13][23][24]

"We are still trying to come to an agreement, but Profile has refused to allow me to move forward with the event unless the final documents are signed. That arrangement continues to be unacceptable to me due to the number of unresolved issues and the time required to resolve them . . . if they can be resolved. And, besides, no one benefits by the cancellation of the event in any case. I have worked far too hard and too long and at far to [sic] much personal sacrifice to be bullied into submission by a wealthy businessman and his clever attorneys. Also, I am not one to succumb to tactics of coercion and intimidation. Thankfully, few have suggested that I do. And, fortunately a few individuals have helped me in ways that simple gratitude cannot address."
— Marc Thorpe, addressing builders of the proposed Robot Wars 1998 event while explaining his legal struggle with Profile Records, 20 March 1998[13]

In any case, Robot Wars '98 would end up not going ahead. An attempt by Gary Cline to stage a replacement invitation-only event - Robotica - was also cancelled under legal pressure from Profile. Mentorn, who had originally planned to film Robot Wars '98 for a proposed episode of Robot Wars: The Second Wars, revealed on 3 July proposals for their own televised competition at the original August dates and San Francisco venue. However, this too was shelved following backlash from the US roboteering community, in direct relation to the Thorpe-Profile dispute. In correspondences relating to their proposed event, Tom Gutteridge confirmed that he and Mentorn wished to remain distant from the saga.[5][25][26][27][28]

"All we are is an independent production company which makes innovative TV shows. We have developed a TV format around the Robot Wars concept which is nothing like the live event - and doesn't claim to be - and persuaded the BBC to broadcast the show.

Marc was consulted during this process. He came to the pilot and he came to all the recordings of the first series. He was interviewed on national TV in the UK as 'The Godfather of Robot Wars'. Robot Wars also accepted our royalty cheques. We know there is a dispute between Profile and Marc but we don't want to be involved in any way in this dirty laundry.
"
— Tom Gutteridge, clarifying his and Mentorn's position amidst the Thorpe-Profile dispute, 10 July 1998[5]

At a meeting for the newly-formed Society of Robotic Combat (SORC) in San Francisco - taking place during the same weekend intended for Robot Wars '98 and Robotica - Marc Thorpe confirmed to builders in attendance that he had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This, Thorpe stated, was part of an attempt to end his existing agreement with Profile, which, aside from financial reasons, also allowed the initial hearing to take place in Santa Rosa, California, in October 1998. Attempts were made to 'dissolve' the existing Profile partnership and to put the Robot Wars trademark up for auction. Trey Roski - who had continue to support Thorpe during these struggles - placed the initial $250,000 bid, which, if successful, would have allowed Thorpe to regain control of and 'restart the Robot Wars business afresh' with him. Objections from Steve Plotnicki lead to the auction being delayed, then abandoned at the next hearing in November, when Thorpe's legal counsel was advised that the existing joint venture was 'binding'.[22][28][29]

After further court battles between Thorpe and Plotnicki, a proposed agreement was eventually reached, in which Profile would acquire the remaining shares of the Robot Wars joint venture. Thorpe would receive a single $250,000 payment and a 10% royalty on all income generated by the reformed Robot Wars LLC, with an additional condition to promote the Robot Wars brand name to "his reasonable, best efforts." A reluctant, but exhausted and financially-strained Thorpe signed the agreement on 1 February 1999, despite Trey Roski's opposition and attempt to dissuade him from doing so. In March, the settlement was approved and later confirmed in a press release issued by Robot Wars LLC. Plans were also revealed in the latter for another live event in San Francisco, with the possibility of television deals, and for Marc Thorpe to be retained as a 'roving ambassador'.[28][30][31]

"I informed Gary Pini of Profile Holdings which now owns Robot Wars that when people ask me what the situation is I tell them that I am no longer an owner but that I stand to benefit from the success of the business as a royalty participant in all revenue generated by the Robot Wars property. And, regarding participation in RW 99 I tell people that I want them to do what they genuinely want to do and that I will respect their decisions regardless of what they are. I do have an obligation as part of the settlement to promote the business and I intend to do so when interviewed by the press or if I appear in public. Having created the sport and having seen the wonderful community that has grown around it, I will always have good things to say about it. For clarification insofar as RW 99 is concerned Profile is financing and producing the event and I will not be participating in the production. Circumstances permitting, I will be there. In the meantime I wish Profile the best of luck and success with it."
— Marc Thorpe, responding to the 5 March press release as shared on the Robot Wars Delphi forum, 9 March 1999[32]

Unlike prior years, Thorpe would not be directly involved in the running of Robot Wars '99, which was intended to be organised solely by Profile. However, with the subsequent announcement of the inaugural BattleBots competition at Long Beach - founded by Trey Roski and Greg Munson - he would become embroiled in further disputes with Steve Plotnicki. Plotnicki accused Thorpe of being involved in creating the fledgling rival event, while insisting that he directly contact builders to attend Robot Wars '99 to uphold the new agreement. The former subsequently filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against BattleBots, emphasising the similar rules and formats between the latter and the original 1994-1997 US events.[28][32][33]

"Two things. First, since Trey Roski recently announced that he is producing an event similiar [sic] to RW called BattleBots my attorney informed me that Steve Plotnicki's attorney informed him that Steve believes that I am secretly working with Trey in violation of the non-compete clause of the settlement agreement. I want everyone to know that I have nothing to do with BattleBots or Trey's business in any way. He is a dear friend and I wish him well with all he does but I have no involvement at all with BattleBots. The first I heard about it was the day of the press release. Second, I have also said that I wish Steve Plotnicki the best of luck and success with the event that he is planning this summer. I say this not simply because I am looking forward and not back but because as I said in a previous post I stand to benefit from his success."
— Marc Thorpe, denying claims that he was involved in BattleBots' creation, 12 March 1999[34]

In a Robot Wars Delphi forum post dating from 12 March 1999, Thorpe publicly denied Plotnicki's accusations, confirming that he had no involvement in BattleBots and had only first known about the latter on the day of their initial press release.[34] Despite his attempts to garner potential interest from builders, and later declare his apparent intention to help run the event, Robot Wars '99 only received 21 potential entries according to Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports. The latter condition resulted in the entire event being cancelled, marking the end of the US events Thorpe had originally created.[28][35][36]

As a consequence of Robot Wars '99's demise, the dispute between Thorpe and Plotnicki continued into the new Millennium. A series of court meetings followed, highlighting Thorpe's breach of his agreement - with reference to the 12 March 1999 Delphi post - plus Plotnicki's prior lawsuits against Gary Cline and other roboteers involved in the surrounding legal issues. Eventually, a new settlement was finally reached on 22 April 2001, where Thorpe would receive a one-off payment of $350,000, along with a 10% share of all income generated by Robot Wars LLC. This finally marked the end of the litigation placed against Marc Thorpe, an outcome he confirmed on 2 February 2002 via a BattleBots Forum post.[28][37][38]

"I am happy to announce that the litigation I was embroiled in for so long over Robot Wars has ended. It leaves me free to pursue whatever opportunities may arise. During the years since the first events, Robot Wars 1994-1997, my dream has truly blossomed beyond that of a sport into a new sport industry. I am happy for the great opportunities and rewards that the community of robot builders now enjoys. It is very much as I envisioned. I want to thank all of you who have been so helpful and supportive during this long difficult period. I hope to become involved again in some way.

Marc Thorpe
"
— Statement by Marc Thorpe on the BattleBots Forum, 2 February 2002[38]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Born in San Francisco and spending his earlier life in the East Bay area, Marc Thorpe first received a BA at the University of California, Davis in 1969, then an MFA from Cal State University two years later.[2]

In 1974, Thorpe was involved as the director and co-producer of a year-long Dolphin Performance Project at Marineland, Florida. The project saw him training a pair of young female dolphins - "Betty" and "Eva" - to perform synchronised swimming patterns conceived as a form of 'behavior sculpture.'[39] The Dolphin Performance Project enabled Thorpe to receive a Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts that year, and resulted in the creation of a short film (Betty and Eva) showcasing his work.[40]

Between 1979 and 1994, Marc Thorpe worked at Industrial Light & Magic along with its parent Lucasfilm, initially as a chief model maker/animatronic designer. His work included the creation of special effects for feature films, including instalments of the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies.[41] In 1991, Thorpe transferred to the Lucastoys division, assuming the role of senior designer and inventing various toy ideas until his departure in 1993.[2] Thorpe's attempt to pitch a 'destructive vehicles'-themed toy line for them, 'Danger Zone', eventually helped inspire the development of the original US Robot Wars concept.[3]

Alongside his involvement in Robot Wars, Thorpe also worked as an art lecturer at the San Francisco State University between 1994 and 1995. Between 1996 and 2001, he was part of the Member Board of Directors for public art in Marin County, California, during which time he resumed art installations of his own. Additional roles included conceptual design and mechanical engineering for Stupid Fun Club (2002-2003, 2008-2012), senior mechanical engineer for Electronic Arts (2004-2005) and designer/mechanical engineer at RunBot (2005-2007).[2]

In 2001, Marc Thorpe founded an independent company, Marc Thorpe Designs, specialising in design consultancy services. The initial incarnation of the company was active until 2003, before being revived in 2007-2013 with a similar focus.[2]

On 12 September 2016, an AMA session hosted by Marc Thorpe was conducted on Reddit, where Thorpe answered multiple questions submitted by members of the r/battlebots subreddit. Topics discussed included the original 1994-1997 Robot Wars events, opinions on the televised Robot Wars and BattleBots series, and Thorpe's favourite combat robots, the latter being machines created by Mark Setrakian.[42]

"i am proud of being able to create a new sport that is home to so many great talented and creative people."
— Marc Thorpe, on the legacy left by his Robot Wars endeavour[43]

With help from Team Special Delivery - builders of modern BattleBots competitor Free Shipping - Marc Thorpe hosted a "watch party" for an episode of the current Discovery run in 2019. In a Facebook video documenting the occasion, he would express great appreciation for present-day BattleBots, impressed with the drastically improved standards and power of competing robots in the 2019 season.[44] This contrasted with Thorpe's dislike of the earlier Comedy Central iteration, specifically towards the show's reliance on innuendos and sports parodies, and forced emphasis on the 'eccentricity' of competing roboteers.[45]

In recognition of being the founder of robot combat, Thorpe was inducted into the BattleBots Hall of Fame in October 2022 alongside Mark Setrakian, following the conclusion of filming for the 2023 season World Championship VII.[46] This occasion would later be televised in an episode of the spin-off series BattleBots: Champions II, which also acknowledged Thorpe's creation of the original US Robot Wars events.[47]

Sadly, Thorpe passed away on the morning of 24 November 2023 from Parkinson's disease, a condition that had affected him for thirty years. He was 77 years old.[2][48]

Trivia[]

  • Thorpe was the inaugural member of the Robot Wars Club, having the membership number 000000.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 'Robot Wars', marcthorpe.com
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 'about', marcthorpe.com
  3. 3.0 3.1 'The Robot Wars Story', Robo Challenge (defunct link)
  4. Jef Raskin (1 March 1994), 'Robot War Games', WIRED
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Official Mentorn letter written by Tom Gutteridge, concerning a proposed 1998 Robot Wars US event to be filmed for UK audiences, 10 July 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  6. 'RobotWars on Crook and Chase', US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)
  7. 'ROBOT WARS ® -- Upcoming Events', US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)
  8. Brad Stone (2003), Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.73-76
  9. 'Razer in Robot Wars First World Champs', Team Razer website (archived)
  10. 'Razer in Robot Wars International League', Team Razer website (archived)
  11. Mark Hillsdon (2001), Robot Wars File, p.83
  12. James and Grant Cooper (2017), Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot, pp.6-8
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Letter from Marc Thorpe to Robot Wars builders, explaining the issues with Profile Records and the delay in updates for Robot Wars 1998, 20 March 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 Letter from Steve Plotnicki (Profile Records), 22 May 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 Letter from Marc Thorpe, 10 June 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  16. '1995 Robot Wars (part 2)', Marc Thorpe (YouTube), uploaded 26 March 2011
  17. 'General Rules 1997', Robot Wars US website (archived 18 April 1997)
  18. Fourth Annual Robot Wars (1997) souvenir programme, p.1
  19. 'Credits', Fourth Annual Robot Wars (1997) souvenir programme, p.9
  20. 20.0 20.1 Letter by Marc Thorpe to Robot Wars 1998 applicants, 17 April 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  21. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.119-120
  22. 22.0 22.1 'The Robot Wars Retrospective: A Complete History Of Robot Wars - Part 2 - Low Profile (1/2)', See Jay See (YouTube), uploaded 21 July 2022
  23. Letter by Marc Thorpe concerning the 'motion' to approve Robot Wars 1998, 1 May 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  24. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.121-122
  25. Letter from The Mentorn Group concerning their proposed 1998 Robot Wars US event, dated 3 July 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  26. Letter from The Mentorn Group confirming the cancellation of their proposed 1998 Robot Wars US event, dated 27 July 1998, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  27. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.129
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 'The Robot Wars Retrospective: A Complete History Of Robot Wars - Part 3 - Low Profile (2/2)', See Jay See (YouTube), uploaded 3 September 2023
  29. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.132, pp.136-140
  30. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.138-140
  31. Press release by Robot Wars LLC (Profile Records), confirming the acquisition of Marc Thorpe's shares in the Robot Wars joint venture, 5 March 1999, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  32. 32.0 32.1 Robot Wars Forum comment by Marc Thorpe regarding the 5 March 1999 press release, 9 March 1999, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  33. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.146-150
  34. 34.0 34.1 Robot Wars Delphi Forum post by Marc Thorpe, addressing his distance from BattleBots in response to claims by Steve Plotnicki, 12 March 1999, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  35. Official letter from Steve Plotnicki (Robot Wars LLC) regarding the cancellation of Robot Wars '99, 20 July 1999, scanned and reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  36. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.146-150
  37. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, pp.216-229, pp.231-233, pp.270-275
  38. 38.0 38.1 Public message by Marc Thorpe on the BattleBots Forum, 2 February 2002, reproduced on Robotcombat.com
  39. 'Dolphin Project', marcthorpe.com
  40. Betty and Eva, (Denise Thorpe and Marc Thorpe, 1976), uploaded to YouTube 15 May 2008
  41. 'ILM', marcthorpe.com
  42. https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/52bp0r/im_marc_thorpe_creator_of_robot_wars_ama_one_hour/
  43. https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/52bp0r/comment/d7j9lx4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
  44. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3020390768032429
  45. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.216
  46. https://www.instagram.com/p/CkX16V7u-Ss/?hl=en
  47. 'BattleBots Hall of Fame', Facebook video upload by BattleBots (12 November 2023)
  48. https://www.instagram.com/p/C0CziTPy8pa/?hl=en&img_index=1

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