--Started: 12/11/2021 || Last Updated: 4/11/23 --
I'm a fan of the movie series Tron, and I find all the disparate depictions of its eponymous character very amusing. So, I started ranking the different Trons I come across in my travels. For a series that, until recently, was considered pretty niche I continue to find new, weird depictions of this little guy. So this list will be regularly updated for years to come. This list is part lighthearted silliness, part genuine effort on my part to document and preserve some of Tron's history. I hope it gets a chuckle and perhaps you'll learn something new!
All the entries below were originally posted on my fan twitter (@trong_legacy), but the list quickly grew too long (and the history behind some entires quite complex!). So, I've moved them to this webpage!
What's the criteria for this list? A Tron is eligable for this list if it has been depicted in some sort of "official" capacity. This means it needs to have either been sanctioned/commissioned by Disney (ex. Tron's official video game depictions, merchandise, concept art) or is a parody that was released with the deliberate intention to emulate Tron (ex. the Vidiot Magazine cover, Funny or Die's 2010 Tron Holiday Special). Occasionally I will make exceptions for things I find particularly charming or amusing, like the chainsaw because at the end of the day, it's my list.
Do you know of a Tron that isn't on this list? Let me know! DM me on Twitter or Tumblr @fltwoodsmonster, or shoot me an email.
Ranking from 1-10
10 = Perfect depiction, captures the vibe effortlessly, I love him!
1 = Oh dear
Tron (1982) - The Original Tron
The guy in weird spandex that started it all! I love original Tron. He's cute as a button, he's got that youthful shounen "I fight for my friends!" energy.. I mean he literally says "I fight for the users!" Love that so much. At the same time, he still has that android/robot naievety and innocence that makes him so endearing. He's such a great character, I'm rooting for him through the whole movie. On the design itself: the influence of Moebius and Syd Mead are utterly iconic. The unique, yet of-its-time spandex + hockey helmet fashion. The dizzyingly intricate circuitry design. The FRISBEE. It sounds silly when describing it, and all of these disparate parts shouldn't work... yet when it all comes together, they do. And of course, Bruce Boxleitner is a fantastic actor that really sells Tron as a hero among his fellow programs and a protagonist the audience admires. I just love Tron so much. Once, while under the influence of a startlingly strong edible, I remarked he reminds me of a baby cow. I still don't know what this means.
Rating: 10/10
Tron Uprising (2011)
I love this design. I think Robert Valley's interpretation nails what a mature Tron would look like, while fitting in to Legacy's aesthetics. He captures the vibe of the original Tron, while conveying he's hardened and more jaded. He's a mentor, he's a survivor, he's angry, he's hurt, he's still trying, and most importantly he's a bit of a bitch and I love that about him. I think this design is my favorite simply because of how spot-on it feels to the character and the role he plays in the show. Or maybe it's because I have a huge soft spot for bitchy old men. I'll admit it. He's my poor little meow meow.
Rating: 10/10
Kingdom Hearts II: Volume 3, Chapter 40: Space Paranoids (2014)
Oh my god, looking at the KH2 manga Tron activates the same part of my brain that releases a flood of dopamine whenever I see a hamster. He's just so cute. His design is a simplified version of his depiction in the original Tron, which is insanely impressive to me. I've tried to draw those circuits myself before. They're compelx and a pain in the ass... so to adapt it to manga? Wow. Very nice. Anyway I can't stress enough how cute he looks in the manga. I just want to pick him up and put him in my pocket. He's got even more infectious shounen-optimism in this one, and they don't shy away from poking fun at how silly the whole concept of Tron is. This is my baby boy, this is my son, and I love him.
Rating: 11/10.
Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
Somebody at Square Enix understands the appeal of Tron. I'm mentally shaking that person's hand and thanking them. They made him quirky too. That was so cute. AND they got Bruce Boxleitner to voice him WOOHOO! Though, I must say, It's hilarious to see baby-faced young Tron speak with the voice of a 55 year old man. Deeply enjoyed hearing Bruce say KH gibberish lines about "darkness" and "Ansem" and whatever, that was great. Anyway, when I marathoned KH2 simply to get to the Space Paranoids level and saw the special combo move he does with Sora, I had to put my fucking controller down because I was overwhelmed with how cute it was. Like it was SO anime, yet fit the aesthetic and vibe perfectly. AND THEN when Sora, Donald, and Goofy leave, he makes them this cute little custom pixel "Thank You!" message. Oh my god. I'm going to throw up from joy. I need to go lie down.
Rating: 10/10
Tron RUN/r: Original
Hm. So. Costume? Good. Great, even. But that face? ........... That's not Tron... His jawline is way too square and swollen. When I orignally made this ranking, it was the first in a long line of Tron depictions in spinoff media that are close-but-not-quite in the face department. I've since found out this may be due to companies not wanting to pay Bruce Boxleitner for likeness rights. So, I'm a little less down on this design than I once was, especially since the costume IS quite good and it looks a lot better than some of the other shit on this list we will get to later. Like, they def tried. It's also my skin of choice when playing RUN/r.
Plus, you can make his circuits pee-yellow. It looks quite bad and I find it very funny.
Rating: 7/10
Tron RUN/r: Uprising
Kind of a disappointment TBH. My love for Tron's Uprising design is well stated. It's a bummer to see it wasn't translated very well to 3D. [EDIT FROM FUTURE LEOTA AFTER WRITING THIS: WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT, HIS DESIGN WAS ALREADY IN 3D IN THE SHOW. DUH. Kinda makes this one worse in retrospect!!!] Specifically the face. Why can nobody get his face right...
Rating: 5/10 Could be worse
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Hoo, okay. I know the besties no Tumblr might be heartbroken over this one. But this looks bad. I think it's a bad Tron. I know they used the same uncanny-valley de-aging CGI technology that was used for Jeff Bridges but I think it looks even worse here. It looks more like Tom Holland than Bruce, and Tom wasn't even born when this movie came out. This is a changiling that replaced my son during the night. Because this is my list and I can do what I want, I will add that I vastly prefer the Uprising interpretation of Tron on the Grid than this. And, tragically for lovers of bitchy old characters like myself, this is probably the Tron we're going to keep getting if they ever make the dreaded Tron 3.
Rating: 6/10
Tron: Betrayal (2010)
H-hey.. Uh... Why did they draw him so STACKED like that... Listen, we all know Tron has cake, this is a long running joke. And we all know the outfits in the Tron-universe are very.. shrink-wrapped. But they really thotted up our boy in this comic, I will not lie. This is the same comic that has a very obvious foot-fetish scene (I'm not kidding) so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of this art style, nor his face, nor his HAIR in this one. I hate the hair. Overall, he's fine.
Rating: 7/10
Tron: Evolution (2010)
PS3 LOOKIN ASS MOTHER FUCKER. I don't care if its 2010 and on Sony Corporations Play Station Tres, they made a very cute Tron on the PS2 so this is inexcusable. He looks like a sickly victorian child. He looks like he has jaundice. He looks like he's going to reply to me on twitter to say UMM ACTULLY. BITCH! This is not my boy. BEGONE!
Rating: 4/10
Alan Bradley as Tron in Tron 2.0 (2003)
Originally, I was super harsh on this design. I still kind of am because it looks a bit hokey, but returning to it now.. it's kinda cute! I think it's cute that Alan is made to look like Tron when he's digitized to the Encom grid. It doesn't make up for the fact that Tron himself is not present in the game, though :(
Rating: 5/10
Tron Evolution: Battle Grids (2010)
THIS AIN'T TRON. COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote from one Gecko Geckerson: "STOP THE BATTLE OF THE GRIDS ONE LOOKS LIKE JERMA"
Rating: 3/10
Tron: Deadly Discs (1982)
So tempted to give this a 10/10 because it looks like shit. But it looks like shit. This is my sleep paralysis demon.
Rating: 1/10
Adventures of Tron (1982)
Oh no no no no no no no
Rating: 0/10
Tron 2.0 Killer App (2004)
OK so here's an example of what I mentioned in an earlier entry- Buena Vista Interactive weren't able to license the likeness to Bruce Boxleitner for this game so they had to stick a helmet on him. That aside, I fuck with this design. The helmet's really cool, and maybe, juuust maybe, even inspired the Legacy aesthetics.. but this is just a theory. Otherwise, this is the same Tron from 1982. Yay!
Rating: 7/10
Tron Classic Heroes Statue (2011)
This one utterly breaks my heart because of how much potential it has. The pose is fantastic, the base is stellar, and the glow effect is stunning. But that face is just awful. That's not Tron. Certain angles make him look too bulky and like.. his crotch looks weird okay. I know its hard to design for a character in skin tight suits but like it just looks WEIRD. This is especially disappointing for reasons that will become clear in the next entry...
Rating: 2/10
Tron Classic Heroes Statue, Concept art by Ruben Procopio (Date unknown)
THIS CONCEPT ART LOOKS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's such a shame the face wasn't translated as well to 3D. Seriously, looking at this I just get so bummed by the thought of what we could have had.
Rating: 8/10
Disney Tron Big Fig (Possible name? Date unknown)
This is a weird one. I THINK this is a legitimate figurine that exists. But I'm not sure. I've been scrounging the internet to find info on it and coming up blank. It seems like it may be a limited release figurine possibly through disneyshopping dot go dot com (disney's online shopping service from the early 2000s) I got no clue. I think it lights up too. Pretty neat! I would love to know more about this if anyone has info.
Rating: 7/10
Tron 25th Anniversary Disney Pin (2007)
IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE TRON??????????????????? ????????????????????????????????
Rating: -10/10
Tomy Tron Figurine (NECA re-release 2002)
Basic. But passable.
Rating: 5/10
Tomy Tron Box Art (NECA re-release 2002/1982 Release)
My sleep paralysis demon.
Rating: 1/10
Diamond Select Tron (2020) and KH2 (2019)
Combining these since they're pretty much the same sculpt, except the 2020 release is slightly larger. A great Tron, especially for a low-end toy line! I could have sworn these have existed at every Walgreens for time immemorial but I guess not. Regardless, there's a good chance if you got to your local Walgreens you'll find figures from this line in the toy aisle.
Rating: 7/10
Diamond Select SDCC 2020 Exclusive Tron Delux VHS Figure
I'm summoning the power of the few braincells left in my frontal lobe to keep myself from buying this. Sculpt is the same as above, but apparently it glows nnder UV light! Cool homage to the opening of the original movie. And in a cute VHS clamshell box.... I want this....
Rating: 8/10
Diamond Select SDCC 2021 Exclusive Tron (Retro) Delux Action Figure Box Set
Diamond Select is single handedly keeping the Tron fandom alive.
Rating: 7.5/10 (sorry I like the VHS one more)
Funko Pop Tron (2017)
LOOK i KNOW Funko Pops are a plague upon popular culture and niche weirdos everywhere but this little fucker is cute as hell.
Rating: 8/10
Fall Guys Tron Costume Pack (2021)
Shockingly, one of the better Tron themed skins in any video game simply because it ACTUALLY includes Tron. I'm looking at you, Fortnite :|
Rating: 5/10 If we were ranking Quorra or Rinzler it'd get a lower score, their skins look pretty bad
Disney Read-Along Adventure: The Story of Tron (1982)
Right. Again. The face. Nobody knows what to do with his face. He looks scary.
Rating: 4/10
I'm not even sure what this is from but it was probably made in 1982
Man, what the fuck.
Rating: 0/10
Disney Series 1 D-Formz Tron
Another from Diamond Select. Not... the worst. But not great. Paint is bad. Little scary.
Rating: 4/10
Tron: Betrayal Issue 1 (2010)
First comic in this limited series was a retelling of the original movie. So we see Tron! He's not lookin too bad here, though they did jock-ify him for some reason. Everyone wants to make his jaw so damn square and wide.
Rating: 6/10
Bally Midway Discs of Tron Arcade Cabinet (1983)
Proportions are funky, but it gets extra points for the bisexual lighting.
Rating: 6/10
Bally Midway Discs of Tron in-game sprite (1983)
he's widdle
Rating: 6.5/10
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode (2020?)
Not bad.. not bad. Do I even need to mention the face at this point? Honestly, one of the better modern interpretations of Tron. I just found out he has some sort of in-game friendship link with fucking Gizmoduck from DuckTales and that brought me SO much delight. Kevin Flynn is another friendship link but Quorra (who is also in game) is NOT which I was sad about at first before I realized she probably has only ever known him as Rinzler. So I must commend the Lorekeeper for Disney Heroes: Battle Mode for their commitment to adhering to Tron's lore. Am I considering downloading what I think is some shitty gatcha game for Tron? .......... No comment.
Rating: 6/10
Tron Legacy (Manga) (2011)
Shut the fuck up. When I saw this I literally laughed outloud. Its so awful.
Rating: 0/10
Cancelled Tron 2.0 Comic (2004)
Solid middle-of-the-road Tron. Inoffensive. Just a bit too muscular. His head looks small compared to Yori's. I think its funny that there's a panel where Yori and Tron are making out and Dumont's like standing there. Points removed for giving Tron a Hank Hill ass, but points returned for making it comedically well defined.
Rating: 5/10
Funko Pop Pez: Tron
Man what
Rating: 3/10
Intellevision Tron Maze-A-Thon
He's so small on this cover, I can barely see him. That means he can't hurt me.
Rating: 4/10
Syd Mead's concept art for Tron (pre-1982)
Stellar. This shit slaps. Its so cool. It really speaks for itself. On twitter I accidentally said this was made by Moebius, oops! Anyway, thank you Mr. Mead for the stellar art direction, as well as taking a lot of time to draw those detailed butt cheeks.
Rating: 10/10
Moebius's concept art for Tron (pre-1982)
Ok these ones actually are Moebius. I adore the unique helmet designs. Though they didn't make it into the movie, you can def see how they influenced things like Sark's helmet. Patient zero for square-jawed Trong.
Rating: 10/10
Spiky Hair Promotional Photoshoot Tron (~1982?)
This right here? This is my boy. He's my son. He looks so cute and silly. Canonically this is what his hair under his helmet looks like in the original movie and I will not be convinced otherwise. I can't get enough of this dude, I mean, have you seen him? Love it.
Rating: 9/10
German Intellevision Advertisement for the Tron games (~1982-83?)
Really this is just a picture of him from the film/a promo w/ like. additional effects. still, its different enough for me to count it as a new tron to rank!
Rating: 8.5/10 Points lost for being a little blurry
Tron... Tron...Concept art...??? (Pre-1982)
What in god's good name is this and what is he doing.
Rating: -10/10 but multiplied by -1 so it wrapped back to being 10/10
edit/update: This is indeed concept art! It can be found in The Art of Tron book from 1982. This illustration was made by artist Chris Lane
Bibliothèque Rose Walt Disney presents TRON (1980s)
A 1980s childrens book published under french publisher Hachette Jeunesse, under their bibliothèque rose (lit. pink library) line of childrens books. Pretty cute!! Design looks good and the face isn't horrible. A good, solid Tron.
Rating: 7.5/10
Videogaming Illustrated (Unsure, probably 1982/83)
Unremarkable. Looks like a dad, but I don't mean that in a good way.
Rating: 5/10
Discs of Tron Advertisement (likely 1982/83)
TRONSGENDERFICATION REAL.
Rating: 5/10
Spin Master SDCC 2010 Exclusive Tron
I try not to let it bother me that I don't own this. Probably one of the best Tron figurines, imo. The face suffers from just a little bit too much boxy jawed weirdness, but overall its really nice.
Rating: 8/10
Pomeranian Tron (Tronrinin)
bark bark. woof.
Rating: 100000/10
Celebrate Mickey: 75 InspEARations (2003)
"Leota that's not actually Tro-" shut the fuck up and listen to me for a moment. I have to talk about this fucking thing. I first came across this oddity in the form of a collectable figurine based on the statue you're looking at right now. I searched all over for info on the figurine. Couldn't find any info on it besides its Entertainment Earth product page which calls it "Tron Mickey Mouse Statue" (incorrect) that said it was made by Westland Giftware. So I google it, and I find out it was part of a line of collectables called "InspEARations" meant to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Mickey Mouse and oh- oh my god. They made seventy eight statues. Each one was six feet tall and weighed over 700 pounds. What. The fuck. And the mickeys are fucking weird. Check them all out on this Archive.org page. There's a Home Depot Mickey. A lobster Mickey (THAT WAS MEANT TO REPRESENT BOSTON. LOL). They had a fucking Janet Jackson mickey that, according to All Ears dot net was removed and considering these were on display from 2003 until being auctioned off in 2005, oh my god, I think they removed the Janet Jackson mickey because of the 2004 Superbowl nip slip incident (fuck Justin Timberlake btw).
Okay. Phew. Deep breaths. back to the Tron mickey.
The Tron Mickey is notable for a few reasons. First, it was designed by one of the original concept artists for Tron 1982 - Syd Mead. Very neat! Second, It's one of only two Disney movie*-themed Mickeys. The other is, arguably, not even themed to a movie, it's an Ellen DeGeneres themed Mickey holding Dory from Finding Nemo in a fish bowl. But, did you see the little astrix I put there? That's brings us to our third and final point: This Mickey is NOT based off the Tron movie. It's based on the Tron 2.0 video game. I had no idea Syd Mead had any involvement with Tron 2.0 development, though in this 2006 blog post from LDSO (a long time member of the Tron fandom who's done a lot of archival work) Syd apparently designed the Super Light Cycle in the game. Tron 2.0 was released in 2003, so it's likely he was working on this Mickey design while doing some work for the game, though I hesitate from implying he did more than design the Super Light Cycle as I wasn't able to find any further information on his possible involvement. Still, it's a very neat, very strange oddity of a Tron to cover.
Rating: 10/10 for being something that probably shouldnt exist, and also for being taller than the average human male and weighing 700lbs.
looks like... tron 1982 special effects animation department tron
adore this. the retro style. the LIGHT BULBS! the fact hes plugged into the wall!!!!!! i adore this tron.
Rating: 10/10 first perfect score for a p unique design interpretation, well deserved
Early Tron Concept Art (Pre-1982)
This ones kinda tough to rate because its pre-tron, tron so I cant really knock it for not looking like him.. but umm.. im very glad they didnt go w/ this tron.
Rating: 3/10 It reminds me of rcdart.
Tron: Evolution (2010) for the Nintendo DS
WHITE BOY ALERT! A mix between the Tron from Tron Evolusion: Battle Grids and Tron: Evolution. I'm. Okay I'm looking at him and getting "porpoise" vibes. Does that make sense? He's making me feel some indescribable emotion. Like I know this is not a good Tron, but I kind of want to put him in my pocket and carry him around. I think I need to go play this game actually. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 5.5/10 ... i like him.
Tron: Evolution (2010) for the PSP -- Talk/Menu Sprite (?)
I'm looking at this and oh my god I'm laughing outloud. Okay well on one hand at least they got the face right. Big props to them, as we've seen in previous entries that's quite the challenge. But wow they really took a picture of Bruce Boxleitner and photoshopped it. Like do I have to give them credit for that tho? I can't tell if they were trying hard or not hard enough.. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 4/10
Tron: Evolution (2010) for the PSP -- In-Game Model
HE LOOKS LIKE MARK ZUCKERBERG.(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 2/10
Tron: Legacy movie comic By Stefano Ambrosio (2010)
This one is very interesting to me because I had no idea it existed prior to it being recommended for this list!! That said there is.. a lot going on here. The little toy Tron has such a gaunt looking jawline... it looks like there's a little bow tie above is T. what's up with that formal wear? Then Tron on the Grid uh.. he's looking a little rough. Not sure why he's blond. They made sure to give him abs though. Yeah, I'm not a fan of this one.(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 1.5/10
Tron: The Original Movie Adaptation (2011)
The Yori on this cover looks REALLY good, but um.. I can't say the same about our boy. I kinda get the feeling the artist for this comic book died inside a little bit while trying to draw the circuits because they look a little funky in the image distortion way. But I'm not here to nitpick about art I'm here to rate this program. Hes.... Fine. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 4/10
Various Tron (1982 style) Mickeys
Tron Mickey roundup!! Got a few here, but they're similar enough in design that I'm including them all in a single entry. I think Tron Mickey is cute. Fits well with as a cute lil costume for him. Simple, straightforward, can't go wrong with it! Regarding the drawing, here's a bit of interesting info that MewtwoWarrior on twitter/tumblr shared:
"I THINK you can still get the drawing at Disney World - you can pick from a whole book of stuff to get an artist to draw for you, but it's been a few years since I've been there and looked. (They can do them in different colors, when I got mine, they only had red and black colors out at the time.)"
Ah.. dang it... now i really wish I got one when I was in Disney last month....(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 7.5/10
Note: I was also going to include an entry w/ the Mickeys based off of Tron Legacy's style (most of which are merch for the Shanghai roller coaster's gift shop).. however on closer inspection, those Mickeys are NOT dressed as Tron, but are instead dressed as Sam Flynn! So, sadly can't put him on the list. little interesting bonus: Donald appears to be dressed as Clu... little sus if you ask me.
Science Fiction Mystery Minis (2014)
I quite like these stylized figurines of Tron. Like, we've seen many times now how tricky it is to get him looking right in 3D space. So, stylize! Very big fan of the glowy one too. More glowy Trons, the better. Yeah, this is a good Tron! (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 6.5/10
Tron Legacy Coloring Book (assuming 2010)
ABHSKHDBJHBG OKAY NOW HOLD ON. HOLD ON. In one picture, he's looking like Clu 3.0. In the next... I don't even know how to describe it. Kinda looks like something vaguely off of an 80s romance novel cover. Kinda looks like he'll sell me bad weed. I'm having trouble articulating the vibe. I do think its hilarious how Clu and Flynn get regular clothes but he's in that skin tight suit. Give this poor program some sweat pants. Overall though like it's not that offensive of a Tron. I've seen far, far worse. I think this one is, dare I say, pretty good. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 6.5/10 I kind of love this.
Disney Universe (2011)
FUCK OFF oh my god i hate this. The anger I felt upon viewing this image. That is NOT TRON. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 0.5/10 Only because the outfit is accurate
Kingdom Hearts Minimates Series 1 | Space Paranoids (2018)
My fiancé is fighting through a really hard part of Elden Ring as I'm writing this and I am having to stifle my laughter. This thing looks so fucking funny oh my god. The forelorn look in his eye. I think he may be in pain. Sporting the most SNATCHED of waists I've ever seen with thic thighs i cant keep writing this sentence I'm going to fucking laugh outloud. This figurine is not compatible with life. He's as yellowed as an NES from 1983, yet it was only released in 2018. I kind of need to own this. Please help, my poor son has jaundice. The pee yellow tron from earleir on this list is canon. I can keep going, I'm so amused by this thing. (Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 2/10 I care him
Funko Dorbz: Tron
Oh... OHHHHHHH 🥺 oh hes just so LITTLE!!!!!!! I fuckin bought this little dude immediately, I'm not kidding. He's just so fucking small. And round. Like a hamster. Anything that reminds me of hamsters, I adore. He's just so little. A beautiful Tron. Fantastic specimen. Love and peace.(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 9/10 I CARE HIM SO MUCH.
Tron Avatar Clothing for XBox Live
A wee bit of a cheat, since this is more a depiction of Tron's outfits rather than our boy himself.. but I'm cheating because 1) its my list, 2) these are really good! I like that they offered both classic and legacy looks. You can also get an ENCOM and Space Paranoids t-shirt for you avatar which.. tbh I just want those irl. But I digress. These are very good depictions of Tron's outfits!(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 9/10
The VMK Tron Outfit (2006)
SO glad MewtwoWarrior recommended this one because AH I LOVE VMK!!!! I can't believe I didn't think to include this on the list. VMK had an entire Tron-themed room and furniture items too! I'm looking at a VMK wiki now and apparently they had a whole Tron-themed quest with some very niche movie trivia... I'm obsessed. Seriously, the amount of care put into these items & quest is evident. I'm giving it huge props for that, plus a big boost because I'm so damn nostalgic.(Thank you to MewtwoWarrior for the recommendation!)
Rating: 9/10
Tron Prop from Tron Legacy (2010)
LOOK at the crusty little fucker. Apparently, this is a prop used in scenes from Tron Legacy in the basement of Flynn's Arcade. We know this already from the opening scene, but it fills me with such joy to not only know that Kevin Flynn went out and made replica toys of his bestie, but he kept one specifically on his desk. That's very cute. Love that.
But on to the actual prop itself! It looks like shit. Like, that's intentional though so I'm not too mad. Originally I was going to make a joke like "do you think Alan would have been suspicious of Flynn having a figurine that looks JUST like him" but tbqh, he would never be suspicious of this thing bc it looks nothing like him. It looks bad too. I hate to say it. Not just in the face department either (though there as well - hes very cockeyed). It's standing out to me how his pectoral muscles are very strangely well defined in this picture.
Rating: 2/10
Sunday Morning Tron Cartoon Strip (1982)
oh wow! OH WOW! OH WOW!!! these are an UTTER delight of trons. I am truly charmed by this cartoon strip. I've decided just now we're going to first do a whole breakdown of the art in these comic strips before we get to our Tron ranking.
First, the art overall.
Its genuinely fantastic! Really solid execution of that 80s newspaper art style, with some really nice composition. I was really surprised with how well this looks.
Next, the faces of everyone who isnt Tron.
Well, they're a mixed bag but in a really interesting way. Like they still feel like they capture the vibe of the characters very well. They might not be on-model, but they pass the vibe check. I hope this is conveyed in the images I show. It may also be the edible taking the wheel. Well they all pass the vibe check EXCEPT for Kevin Flynn because holy shit tht does not look like him one bit!
Finally, our boy. Again, like the rest of the cast, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes he has a very long chin and vaguely resembles a banana:
Other times, he looks kind of generic, but not in an egregious way. You tell me that is Tron, and I will believe you.
Then, sometimes, he just... looks like Tron! It's great! I really enjoy having all of these renditions to look at. I feell like this was an experience similar to reading through the KH2 manga, where I was just really excited to have a lot of art to enjoy that was a pretty solid interpretation in a loving rendition of Tron's world.
To wrap things up, let's take a moment of silence to salute another fine example of Tron having a very shapely butt.
Thank you to Quorras on tumblr for the recommendation!
Rating: 8.5/10
Possible Tron in The Fast and Furious: Super Bikes 2 (2012?)
UM okay so this is one is admittedly a little bit of a stretch. So, in the arcade game Super Bikes 2 (Or possibly Fast and Furious: Super Bikes 2???) there is a light cycle. Very cool, very neat reference. Love to see it. But on the video showing off the character select screen, the default character seleted looks to me like a Tron reference as well. I know this is a bit of a stretch. If someone can show that this character is def not Tron, or not the default rider for the light cycle, or is in the other games I'll admit defeat but for now... I'm counting that as a Tron.
Anyway. It looks bad lol. SORRY!
Rating: 2/10
Thanks to Sap on Twitter for the recommendation!
VIDIOT Volume 1, Issue 1 (Sept/Oct 1982)
Wow. This is an absolutely gorgeous specimen. There's actually a lot going on here, so forgive me but this is going to take a few as i work out my feelings. First, its an absolute delight to stumble across a depiction tron that's not some form of official cover or merchandise. Looking back over my list, theres only three entries out of the ~65 i've documented (at the time of wriing) that are non-disney official representations of tron one of those three is another magazine cover, interesting.
But back to the art at hand. Let's address the elephant in the room first: he looks fucking crazy. Upon initial viewing, immediately laughed outloud. He's so comically intense in a way that feels distinctly 1980s. to me, idk how else to describe it. And I dig it. The art is by Gary Ciccarelli, who was a prolific, iconic artist whose work is firmly cemented as representative of 80s/90s pop culture and advertisements. Super cool to see tron in his style.
And specifically, I want to talk about the suit bc thats where this really stands out to me. Ignoring the T being messed up (i suspect possibly caused by copyright concerns?), the colors and shit really remind me of alt "blacklight"-like tron outfit that was on some posters and the 80s VHS. You can see an example of what that looks like if you refer back to the "Diamond Select SDCC 2020 Exclusive Tron Delux VHS Figure" described previously.
Overall: This is a really solid design, fitting for the time it was painted, and with detail that suggests it was made by someone who took the time to familiarize themself with the source material. Very impressed.
Rating: 8.5/10
