There are some real-life mad scientists working at Micro Magic Systems, a group of special effects artists and roboteers, and they’ve super-sized the hexrobot concept. Even better, they’ve made it ride-able!

For pulp writers and filmmakers, the Mantis Hexapod is an ideal chassis for all kinds of pulp storytelling. Imagine the Rocketeer or Sky Captain swooping down to do battle with an army of these things crawling across the city. For science-fiction fans, add a couple of miniguns and a flamethrower or rocket-pod or two, and you have some cool-looking urban assault vehicles. Yeah, I know they wouldn’t last too long in a fight against a peasant armed with a $200 anti-tank rocket in real life. Still, they would make for a spectacular battle.

And ultimately, that’s a large part of the fun of the classic and even modern pulp fiction – those of us who read and create it enjoy the visual spectacles that we paint. The great joy of taking a Supermarine Spitfire onto the deck in New York City and flying in between skyscrapers. The feeling of awe when you look up and see a giant flying aircraft carrier painted with a huge Jolly Roger on its hull. The desperate fumble for the fifty-round drum of silver bullets for the Tommy Gun to help take down the oncoming horde of Nazi werewolves. Or maybe the sheer joy of strapping on a jet-pack and flying around like Superman, or the Rocketeer, or Commando Cody, or… you get the idea.

The guys at Micro Magic Systems have taken pulp and made it real. That’s just too cool.