Part Man, Part Machine, All RoboCop Statue: After 15 Years, Detroit Finally Has its Monument to a Crime-Fighting Cyborg

"Directed by Paul Verhoeven, the ultra-violent satire RoboCop (1987) stars Peter Weller as police officer Alex Murphy, who, in a near-future, crime-ridden Motor City, is killed by a criminal gang. He is then revived by sinister megacorporation Omni Consumer Products as a crime-fighting cyborg and unwitting ambassador for its plan to privatize the police force. As he struggles to regain his memory, RoboCop attempts to avenge his own death."

"The campaign to erect a monument to RoboCop started in 2010, when a Twitter user tagged the mayor, Dave Bing, in a post suggesting the statue be created, saying it could rival Philadelphia's incredibly popular Rocky statue, which stands at the top of the steps outside the Philadelphia Art Museum. "There are not any plans to erect a statue to Robocop," replied the mayor. "Thank you for the suggestion.""

"Undaunted, filmmaker Brandon Walley and Jerry Paffendorf, co-founder and CEO of Loveland Technologies, launched a Kickstarter in 2012, which ultimately exceeded its $50,000 goal to raise some $67,436. Detroit sculptor Giorgio Gikas of Detroit's Venus Bronze Works was commissioned to create the piece, which he finished in 2017. Then began the long road to actually installing the statute. That involved legal issues with MGM, production delays, and a cancer scare that hit the owner of Ven"

Detroit now features an 11-foot-tall, 3,500-pound bronze statue of RoboCop, the lead character from the 1987 film. RoboCop portrays police officer Alex Murphy, who is killed and revived by Omni Consumer Products as a crime-fighting cyborg while struggling to regain his memory. The campaign for a monument began in 2010, followed by a successful 2012 Kickstarter that raised about $67,436. Sculptor Giorgio Gikas completed the piece in 2017. Installation faced a prolonged process including legal issues with MGM, production delays, and a cancer scare affecting the foundry owner. RoboCop inspired sequels, reboots, games, comics, and ongoing cultural tributes.

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