St. Louis Wing Week Returns April 8-15, 2024

Newspaper to Readers: Sorry We Mistook Voltron for Optimus Prime

Nov 23, 2011 at 8:30 am

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard - Inline - Content",
            "component": "41932919",
            "insertPoint": "5th",
            "startingPoint": "3",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "3",
            "maxInsertions": 100
          }
          
        ]

Newspaper to Readers: Sorry We Mistook Voltron for Optimus Prime

Image via @iatetheinternet

Extra! Extra! The people running the St. Louis community weekly, West End Word, do not know the distinction between their animated Japanese robot warriors! As the paper admitted in a November 16 correction:

The character Voltron was misidentified in the Nov. 4 issue of the West End Word featuring coverage of the Central West End Halloween celebration. The costumed figure was indeed Voltron, and not Transformer Optimus Prime, as indicated.

Yesterday, Daily RFT caught up with the West End Word's managing editor, Fran Mannino, to understand the scope of the paper's tremendous gaffe.

"We got a couple phone calls, an email and the people who put on the Halloween event also told us we got it wrong," Mannino acknowledges. "I wouldn't call it outrage, but they definitely wanted us to know we got it wrong."

So, what -- exactly -- is the difference between Voltron and Optimus Prime!? For that we turn to one of the foremost experts in the field, Jeff Albertson (a.k.a. "Comic Book Guy" on The Simpsons.)