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2. Local News
ASTAR THE ROBOT TURNS 30: WAR AMPS SAFETY ICON WAS BORN IN OTTAWA
For 30 years, the memory of an androgynous golden robot who lost an arm each
Saturday morning has been ingrained in my mind.
Author of the article:
Andrew King
Published Aug 16, 2014 • 2 minute read
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an account.
Astar Storyboards for story by Andrew King
ARTICLE CONTENT
For 30 years, the memory of an androgynous golden robot who lost an arm each
Saturday morning has been ingrained in my mind.
The robot’s name was Astar, an impish golden acrobat from the Planet Danger.
Exuding incredible dexterity, Astar would pass through a series of spinning
blades, only to have one errant saw slice off its arm. Astar would quickly
reattach the dismembered limb and stare out from the TV screen with its hypnotic
black eyes back to offer a chilling message: “I’m Astar, a robot. I can put my
arm back on, you can’t. Play safe.”
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Article content
Saturday mornings would never be the same.
Article content
A fixture of 1980s Saturday morning television, the iconic public service
announcement from the War Amps of Canada was in fact created here in Ottawa in
1984.
It was the brain-child of the late Hugh Clifford Chadderton, a Canadian Second
World War veteran and chief executive officer of The War Amps.
Cliff Chadderton, then War Amps CEO. Ottawa Citizen
Astar was brought into our world at The National Headquarters of the War Amps.
The character was envisioned by Chadderton as the spokesman for the Playsafe
program that had been initiated in 1978 — a program that continues to this day.
Rob Larman, current director of the Playsafe/Drivesafe Program, says Astar was
born to “creatively illustrate a strong message” and was meant to be “a
captivating character who had much in common with the increasingly popular
science fiction personalities of the time,” most notably Star Wars, whose C-3PO
character had a similar golden robot appearance.
The storyboards of the Astar the robot safety campaign. Ottawa Citizen
From the War Amps Ottawa offices on Riverside Drive, Astar moved into production
with detailed storyboards drawn up that outlined action sequences for a
30-second TV spot. Using conventional early-1980s special effects techniques, a
gold formed robotic suit was fabricated. It was worn by a gymnast actor
interacting with a bluescreen set of full-scale prop saw blades in order to
bring Astar’s safety message to life.
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Article content
Larman explained that Astar from the Planet Danger “related to kids and warned
them of the dangers that exist here on Earth.” According to an original War Amps
1984 Astar promotional brochure, the finished production was screen tested in
several classrooms and children’s homes to determine the impact of
its “innovative message.”
The results were overwhelming: Youngsters were fascinated by Astar.
The robot continued to build its legacy outside of television. The character
participated in parades and in-classroom programs, spreading the play safe
message until the late 1990s. Astar was later resurrected in 2000 using computer
animation techniques, but its robotic duties came to and end when the War Amps
decided to go with different kind of spokespeople: real kids who had lost limbs.
Called “Champ Safety Ambassadors,” these children now speak directly to
audiences of their peers, making them aware of the potential dangers that Astar
once related.
Astar endures as a memorable piece of Canadian pop culture for the many of us
who witnessed the robot putting its arm back each Saturday morning between
cartoons and bowls of sugary cereal. This year Astar celebrates his (or her, I’m
not sure if Astar had a definitive sex) 30th birthday, an icon of Canadian
culture that I hope will safely blow out the candles on its birthday cake,
wherever he or she is.
TheTimeWinders@gmail.com
Twitter.com/TimeWinders
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