The Metro: How a crime fighting cyborg inspired a generation
Cary Junior II December 15, 2025The sculpture was crafted by Venus Bronze Works and artist George Gikas after a crowd sourcing campaign sparked the idea in 2011.
The Eastern Market just got a guardian to watch over the site. The Robocop statue commemorating the 80s sci-fi film was finally installed after over a decade of planning.
The sculpture was crafted by Venus Bronze Works and artist George Gikas after a crowd sourcing campaign sparked the idea in 2011.
The movie that inspired it centers Alex Murphy, a Detroit police officer who was killed on the job by criminal. A corporation tasked with reducing the city’s crime rate then uses his body to create a crime fighting cyborg.
The movie explores humanity, corporate greed and makes clever critiques of American politics and culture. The concept spawned multiple sequels, comics, an animated series, action figures and more.
But what about the movie resonated so deeply with fans in Detroit that they were willing to help fund a sculpture to honor it?
Curtis Sullivan is the owner of the Vault of Midnight comic book stores and a member of the Robocop fanbase. He joined the program to discuss the significance of the film, its relevance to Detroit, and the new sculpture
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Support local journalism.
WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.More stories from The Metro
Author
-
Cary Junior II is an audio journalist and producer for The Metro on 101.9 WDET. Cary has worked as a producer or host on a number of projects. His work includes short and longform audio, documentary series and daily radio. In his five year career in journalism he has worked for Crooked Media, the Detroit Free Press, and now WDET - Detroit's NPR station.


