TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA
Seibertron.com has begun collecting credible information regarding the 2002 Transformers toy line. Hasbro and Takara both seem to be working on this project which supposedly ties all continuities together (US and Japanese?). This information is not intended to infringe on the original authors of this text, but rather it is provided to give information to ALL Transformers fans across the world. I have made sure to give the original authors of the below information credit.
Friday February 8th, 2002
NEWS: More Transformers: Armada news can be found here from Hasbro.
Friday February 8th, 2002
PRODUCTS: Transformers: Armada - Someone must have broken into Hasbro's secret vault cause we've got pics of the Armada figures thanks to bwtf.com! In addition to getting pics, you also get JHall's rants about the new figures. Quit sitting on your ass and check out the pics already!
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5TH, 2002
NEWS: Hasbro's press release regarding Transformers: Armada and their upcoming 2002 product lines can be found here.
SATURDAY JANUARY 26TH, 2002
Armada news is official! This article is straight from Wizard Magazine and was origianally posted at The All Spark:
"Set in the Transformers continuity shortly after the classic series, the line known as Armada will feature both old and new Transformers, as both the Autobot and Decepticons duke it out over a mysterious race of pint-sized Transformers known as Minicons.
"The new toy line should hit stores this summer at the same time as the armada comic mini-series from pat lee at dreamwave productions. Taking a nod from the Headmasters and Targetmasters Transformers lines of the late 1980s, the Minicons of Armada will be miniatuee Transformers that will connect with their larger hosts. Howeverm unlike previous lines, these attachments will be more than aesthetic enhancements. The connection will actually play an integral role in the toy's action features. On the cmics side of things, Dreamwave will be fairly involved with the project, providing packaging art, insert cards, as well as exclusive mini-comics.
"Coinciding with the release of the ongoing comic series, this falkl will also see the debut of the all new Armada animated TV series. The art style for armada represents a bit of a departure from the heavy anime of recent Robots in Disguise and computer generated Beast Wars shows. Instead, the new series look is more reminiscent iif the Japanese/American hybrid style of the original Transformers cartoon from the mid '80s.
"The story (of the new DreamWave G1 Transformers comic book) focuses on the Autobots - along with their imprisoned adversaries- attempting to return home to cybertron after finally defeating the decepticons. The homecoming is interrupted when a mysterious force destroys the ship, while it is still in earth's atmosphere. The blast detroys the ship, scattering the Transformers to the earth below. Years later , a scheming industrialist begins to uncover several of the original decepticons, selling them to the highest bidder as weapons of destruction. Now it's all up to an adult spike (the young boy who befriended the transformers in the original series to lead his own search for the autobots. but where are they? are they still functional? and more importantly where is the source of the transformers power, the matrix?"
"Hasbro fully understands who the fans of the original transformers are, so they're letting us gear this towards a more mature audience, i want to keep it fun but it's going to definitely have a nice adult edge to it."
The comic book will take place prior to Transformers: The Movie.
TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA BULLET POINTS
Information originally provided by Kickback of the transfandom message board.
NOTE FROM Kickback: Most of this information has been available for a good couple of weeks, if you were able to dig around the 'net enough to find it. I've known about it for a good solid 2 months...give or take a week, but that's because of my sources and the sources of others. I've kept enough on the DL that the actual story won't be revealed...because hey, who really wants to get that spoiled, right? My thanks go to Trent, our "sources," and to an unnamed individual probably reading this post right now. 2002 will an interesting year, no doubt.
INTERVIEW WITH A HASBRO SOURCE?
Information originally provided by TFVanguard at theallspark's message board.
(Finally got a reply from a 'source' at Hasbro. Spoilers are at large below.)
TFVanguard: Heya, just had a few questions about Armada for you, based on a lot of the 'net-specualtion'. I know that things are still somewhat early, but I was hoping you could provide a few answers.
Hasbro Representative: I'm still amazed at how the fans know so much so early. If our competitors were nearly as persistant as you guys, we would be in big trouble!
TFVanguard: Is the new line really 'Armada'?
Hasbro Representative: As far as I know, it is. This could change if marketing has troubles, as it did with Beast Machines, but everything seems to be going that direction now.
TFVanguard: Who is making the new series?
Hasbro Representative: Mainframe, who has given us big success with Beast Wars and Beast Machines, is getting tapped for the new series right now. I think they're already getting started on it, but I'm not the right guy to ask.
TFVanguard: Where did Armada come from?
Hasbro Representative: The story? I can't really say. That's not my department. I know we're mixing a lot of old and new faces in the line. The toy line is really just a big excuse to give the fans what they want. By fans, I mean those who just got involved with Beast Wars as well as those who remember the name of Optimus Prime's girlfriend.
TFVanguard: Is Armada related to Transtech?
Hasbro Representative: Yes. Some of the concepts for Transtech have been reworked for the upcoming toyline.
TFVanguard: What toys are we likely to see?
Hasbro Representative: The toyline is slated right now to be pretty modest, a little bigger than what's planned for Robots in Disguise. But I think our choices of characters are going to have a few people drooling. The new Prime and Galvatron figures are very impressive.
TFVanguard: When are we going to see them?
Hasbro Representative: That's not quite set yet. The show isn't scheduled for late summer of 2002, and we would like to have the show and toyline come out at about the same time. It's going to have to depend on if we think that Robots in Disguise can carry over that long.
TFVanguard: Any more on Robots in Disguise?
Hasbro Representative: My part of that line is just about over. We're looking over a lot of our 'Generation Two' line for possibility of rereleases to help round out the line, and carry it over until Armada comes out. All I can give you right now is a list of what we're looking at.
Hasbro Representative: You'll know more by Christmas. Probably before I do!
TFVanguard: What's your role in production?
Hasbro Representative: I really want to answer that, and tell everyone how great it is to be working on these toys and this product line. Unfortunately, that's probably not a good idea. I'll just say that I talked about it at BotCon once, and look forward to doing so again.
TFVanguard: Thanks again!
TFVanguard: I'm not sure how useful this all is for you or your friends at the All-Spark. But give them all my best, and tell them that we do keep them in mind when we work on the line!