So, I have this idea buzzing around my head for a long AU Voltron fanfic/worldbuilding thing. I'm going to start writing(and illustrating) soon, and I need to ask a couple questions.

First of all, since I haven't had time to read everyone's stuff yet, has anyone done a reverse/mirror thing where the Voltron Force were not necessarily always uber-good guys? And if not, is this something everyone would object to, taking the premise of the show and turning it around a bit?

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Voltron the way it is. But let's face it, by the time they got through hacking out anything even remotely resembling real violence to make it fit for 80s TV there wasn't a lot of actual drama or deep storylines to work with.

Let me give you a quick synopsis of what I'm thinking and then you can tell me if any of you would be interested or if I should be flogged for thinking of dragging down the good and innocent reputation of Voltron so. XD

The characters, place names and such would be the same, which would be about all I'm really taking from canon except for perhaps a few storylines here and there that can be worked in. Personalities would be a bit darker and more real. Arus would be a spaceport at the center of its own empire, and the Voltron Force would be its enforcers as well as its defenders(the main veering from canon that I'm making). Princess Allura would be, of course, the ruler, but not as...well, cutesy as she is in the show. She also would NOT pilot the blue lion, opening it up for an original character and thus even more flexibility, but don't worry, she'll still play a major part. Zarkon and co. would be the main adversary still, but as a rival empire rather than the absolute good vs. evil thing from the original series. Our beloved characters would not be 'evil'...just more real with flaws and demons and problems of their own, sometimes doing things that aren't necessarily pleasant for them and having to live and deal with the consequences of that. More grey areas, less exclusively defined good/evil. More and more explicit violence, and possibly some adult content(though appropriately toned for the board; nothing explicit).

I could go on, but that gives the basic idea. So what do you guys think? Yes? No? Already been done? WTF were you thinking god no?

Oh, the artwork would be darker, too. Sort of a Giger inspired theme.

I await your approval or condemnation with eagerness!

After reading this ...I'm still chuckling over my first impression -"Mirror universe Voltron" or "Voltron gets the Galactica-treatment".

Alizara,
You may have already guessed by my initial reaction that I'm not a "die-hard" fan of "Golion/ Voltron",.. but I like "Voltron". Yes, your idea implies risk.. -to some.
But what you should be concerned with is... "Can I (Alizara) pull off my idea successfully, for others to enjoy?" The term to what you're contemplating is not "alternate universe" -it is "re-visioning". A popular nomenclature used today for reviving "old" franchises.

When I read that "Starbuck" was going to be a woman, I said "no effin way", It's going to sink after the three hour premiere". My honest true reaction.

And what is the new "Battlestar Galactica" thought of as now?

Don't look to critics to tell you, to say of what you should do. Think upon what YOU want. Give thought to its "structure", how you want it to FEEL. And then, "Do it".
Kahpeesh?

just about anything and everything has been done with fanfic and Voltron. Check out CastleofLions.com and fanfiction.com

Hi Alizara!

Fanfiction and fan art technically belong to no one. The core concepts and characters do, however, belong to the entity that created them...in this case WEP.

With that said, write/sketch/draw/etc. to your heart's content. As long as you put a disclaimer on your work stating that you don't own the characters but the production company does, you're free to do as you please to them. As for what's been done, there's an entire spectrum out there from so many different writers and artists. Yes, you may be duplicating someone else's work at times by accident, but that's what happens when artistic people like us take someone else's galaxy and play in it for a while.

I say go for it and see what kind of feedback you receive. You may be surprised and develop your own fanbase, which can be really a great treat! Or, you may have the unfortunate luck of no interest in your work. Either way, you'll never know unless you try.

The fandom could always use some new, fresh concepts from time to time.

Bottom line: Go for it! BUT...ENJOY what you're doing!