Not bad ... can we do better?: Chicken Walker

The Visual Pun is nice; but is it possible to get a better image for this variety of walking mecha?

StarWars gave us the AT-ST, Robocop featured the ED-209, possibilities should not be hard to come by.

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

Well, the mech it's in is an example, isn't it? I'd have no problem with a good clear shot of the one from Robocop, though.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

I like the image. It's a chicken in a Chicken Walker.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick

I'm pretty much sure this is the only image that is a Visual Pun and an actual example, besides Visual Pun of coarse.

edited 29th Jul '11 8:15:15 PM by nuclearneo577

Probably better to start a thread like this with an example that is clearly better and a reason why they current image doesn't work. I don't see how the presence of the visual pun is getting in the way of it being a good example of the trope.

(Those are reverse-joint or digitigrade legs alright. And the blocks of (reactive?) armor as seen on some modern tanks are a neat touch.)

edited 30th Jul '11 12:28:36 AM by Camacan

The current pic is great. The suggested replacements could go on the Image Links page.

edited 29th Jul '11 10:36:39 PM by Willbyr

I like it. It's both a visual pun, and an actual example of the type. Stuff the ImageLinks.Chicken Walker page though.

And yes, those blocks are most likely based on reactive armor.

edited 30th Jul '11 12:01:30 AM by Deboss

Fight smart, not fair.

I wish I could find a picture of the literal Chicken Walker from the Futurama Video game.

Yes, I'm aware that the current image is not bad and it's mostly one of my artistic muses nitpicking the complaint....

If we look closely at the mecha's legs you can see it is clearly jointed in three segments (thigh, ankle, foot), which although this is how such legs actually work in real life animals, it's actually a minority depiction in fiction — the majority of Chicken Walkers omit the "thigh" and "knee" joint entirely, with the so-called "reverse knee" being the only joint present at all between hip and foot.

[Edit: Moved search results to next post]

edited 30th Jul '11 10:29:09 AM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

It's on the Image Links.

Fight smart, not fair.

ahh, so it is.

^^^ If that's the case, how does the leg move forward from the torso at all? There has to be a pivot at the hip or the entire upper section of the leg is locked in one position. I'll grant you that it's not usually as clearly visible as the one in the page image, but there's always three joints, a hip, knee and ankle.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

For an admittedly contrived comparison, take this◊ mech.
Is it digitigrade? Yes.
Is it a Chicken Walker? No.

Anyway, here's some results from my searching:

• Star Wars AT-ST◊
• Robocop ED-209
• ImageLinks: Futurama◊
• ImageLinks: Donkey Kong Country Returns◊
• Battletech◊
• sketch◊ from Ludstuff blog
• Imperial "Chicken walker"

(And to answer the question, Madrugada, the fact that you can find these sorts of mecha legs in animated media demonstrates they are mechanically possible, even if only by Rule of Cool.)

edited 11th Aug '11 2:59:41 PM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

Are we good with the current pic?

It kinda bugs me that it's not consistent with the majority of examples, but that's me.

edited 11th Aug '11 2:58:35 PM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

I'm cool with it. Now, if Eddie wants to replace this with a Live Action one, we've got meks◊ from Falling Skies.

edited 11th Aug '11 3:05:26 PM by Deboss

Fight smart, not fair.

Is there a different shot of one of those? The dust effect around its legs makes them kinda hard to see.

Most of the GIS images are either something similar or chest high shots. I can go download and screenshot a copy if necessary, but I'd like to know if I should go through the effort.

Fight smart, not fair.

I don't think so. It's a bit too much Conspicuous CGI.

I prefer the current image to the suggested replacements. It's a good quality image, uncluttered with background, and the legs are clear examples of the type.

Star Wars and Robocop are for the most part live-action....

I disagree on that point, but that's more or less splitting hairs right now. They're less an example in the sense of the Trope Codifier, more in the sense of a Reconstructed Trope.

edited 11th Aug '11 7:51:09 PM by Stratadrake

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

I'm okay with it as well, just pointing out.

Fight smart, not fair.

Bump...are we good with the current pic?

Suggested alternatives added to the Image Links namespace. Maybe another time we can have some mech wars.

An Ear Worm is like a Rickroll: It is never going to give you up.

Thanks for doing that. Closing up.