This pop-realism drawing by Mike Pitzer brings to life a vivid homage to mid-century toy robots, rendered with precision and a burst of energetic color. Measuring 36 inches wide by 58 inches tall, the artwork presents a stylized robot that balances clean geometry with playful detail. Its striking red hue immediately draws the eye, while the contrasting blue and yellow concentric eyes add a spark of mechanical personality. The robot’s boxy form—square head, rectangular torso, and segmented limbs—honors classic 1970s design, offering a nostalgic nod to vintage tin toys.
Intricate panels adorned with gauges and dials decorate the chest, inviting closer inspection and highlighting the meticulous layering of Prismacolor pencil and graphite. The simplified metallic silver feet ground the figure, lending it both weight and a sense of readiness. Throughout, smooth shading and precise lines bring a polished realism that accentuates the robot’s cheerful presence without compromising its retro charm. Pitzer’s artwork captivates through its joyful blend of pop culture imagery and detailed craftsmanship, evoking a timeless fascination with the mechanical marvels of a bygone era.
From the Artist:
This was my first, 1970s Metal House Star Strider Robot. I was ECD of Hakuhodo Advertising America in Los Angeles, and I'd picked it up at the airport in Tokyo. I sold it a few years later, along with my other robots, on eBay after we’d moved to the Bay Area during the dot-com bubble. Sometimes you gotta sell the things you love to pay the bills for the ones you love — that's called life. I think I got $95, which was amazing to me at that time.
I still love toys and memories like these; it’s just now, this one is 6 feet tall. =-)
This pop-realism drawing by Mike Pitzer brings to life a vivid homage to mid-century toy robots, rendered with precision and a burst of energetic color. Measuring 36 inches wide by 58 inches tall, the artwork presents a stylized robot that balances clean geometry with playful detail. Its striking red hue immediately draws the eye, while the contrasting blue and yellow concentric eyes add a spark of mechanical personality. The robot’s boxy form—square head, rectangular torso, and segmented limbs—honors classic 1970s design, offering a nostalgic nod to vintage tin toys.
Intricate panels adorned with gauges and dials decorate the chest, inviting closer inspection and highlighting the meticulous layering of Prismacolor pencil and graphite. The simplified metallic silver feet ground the figure, lending it both weight and a sense of readiness. Throughout, smooth shading and precise lines bring a polished realism that accentuates the robot’s cheerful presence without compromising its retro charm. Pitzer’s artwork captivates through its joyful blend of pop culture imagery and detailed craftsmanship, evoking a timeless fascination with the mechanical marvels of a bygone era.
From the Artist:
This was my first, 1970s Metal House Star Strider Robot. I was ECD of Hakuhodo Advertising America in Los Angeles, and I'd picked it up at the airport in Tokyo. I sold it a few years later, along with my other robots, on eBay after we’d moved to the Bay Area during the dot-com bubble. Sometimes you gotta sell the things you love to pay the bills for the ones you love — that's called life. I think I got $95, which was amazing to me at that time.
I still love toys and memories like these; it’s just now, this one is 6 feet tall. =-)
Image 1 of 9
Image 2 of 9
Image 3 of 9
Image 4 of 9
Image 5 of 9
Image 6 of 9
Image 7 of 9
Image 8 of 9
Image 9 of 9