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Another guest update for TFcon USA comes in the form of an old legend in the Transformers toy world - designer and illustrator Aaron Archer! Currently still working for toy sections but not robots, Archer will also be leading a workshop at the event; find out more below!
TFcon is happy to welcome Toy designer, Illustrator, Story world builder, and creative lecturer Aaron Archer to TFcon DC 2017.
His TRANSFORMERS contribution as creative leader and partner touched all aspects of the brand for over 13 years. (including: Feature films, toy, video game, publishing, the ride, and animation projects). Toy Highlights include, BW Dragon Megatron, Unicron Trilogy, Alternators, Mini-cons, TF Masterpiece, GI JOE Resolute, and Star Wars Jar- Jar toys.
During his career at Hasbro/Kenner, Aaron designed action figures for a variety of brands including Beast Wars, Star Wars Ep1, GI JOE, Batman Animated series, Legends of the Dark Knight, Total Justice, Alien Resurrection, Jurassic Park 3, and many other classic toy-lines.
Aaron develops personal art projects and is active in the toy and entertainment industry. Aaron shares his creative experiences and creation methods through speaking engagements and will seen in the 2018 Netflix Toy focused documentary The Toys that made us.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
The building elements of a Franchise
Join Aaron Archer (Former Hasbro Design VP) for this 2-hour workshop, as he shares his thoughts about the pros and cons of world building and franchise planning. This workshop will help you look deeper into the forces that can shape franchises destiny.
Aaron will guide the workshop through various approaches and why some of your favorite franchises succeed or fail and by whose terms? Attendees will participate in an interactive group brainstorm to workout their creative thought process. We will discuss the real world issues that come up during development and how that impacts the final product. Anyone with an interest in the creative process behind world building (artist, writers) will find this an informative and entertaining workshop.
TFcon – America’s largest Transformers convention will take place in DC the weekend of September 29th to October 1st, 2017. TFcon USA will take place at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, Virginia with special guests JACK ANGEL the voices of Astrotrain, Breakdown, Cyclonus, Omega Supreme, Ramjet, Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus in Generation 1, DAVID KAYE the voice of Megatron in Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Armada, Energon and Cybertron, as well as Optimus Prime in Transformers Animated, NEIL ROSS the voices of Bonecrusher, Hook, Sixshot, Slag and Springer in Transformers Generation 1, Transformers writer JAMES ROBERTS, Transformers comic book artist ALEX MILNE, SARA PITRE-DUROCHER, CASEY COLLER and JOSH PEREZ with more TBA. Online booking for the TFcon DC 2017 hotel block is still available. Advance TFcon DC 2017 Tickets are still on sale.
You won't believe the things we can do now, as Seibertron.com has been fidgeting behind the scenes to bring you more exclusive content from the creators of one of the longest running brands of fiction about giant transforming robots out there. You all bring so much to the community and fandom... can we do any less for you?
You may be asking what we're playing at, with these odd turns of phrase, but the more perspicacious among you may have noted the pattern. We planted the seeds a long time ago, Seibertronians, it is now time to reap the whirlwind: please welcome to our interview series... Simon Furman!
Va'al - Simon, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, we really appreciate it! As you probably know, you're considered one of the cornerstones for the fictional world of the Transformers - but how did it all start for you? What does Simon Furman: Origins look like?
Simon Furman - Lots of lucky breaks and neat coincidences, not that much actual talent (at that stage). After a bit of aimless I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-my-life I lucked into a journalist job at IPC Magazines, in their competitions department (writing editorial copy and judging etc). That in turn put me squarely in the sphere of IPC’s comics group, which included 2000 AD, Battle, Eagle, and many others. In time, I was head-hunted to join the team on Scream! A new ‘horror’ comic for kids in the style of 2000 AD. I became assistant editor to Ian Rimmer, who was the editor.
Sadly short-lived, Scream gave me my first comics scriptwriting gigs, on Library of Death, Terror of the Cats and The Dracula File. But, even more invaluably, it put in contact with Ian, who became a friend as well as just an editor, and when Ian subsequently moved to Marvel UK to edit Captain Britain Monthly he (first) put me in touch with Sheila Cranna (editor of TF:UK at the time), who was looking for writers to continue the UK-originated comic strip begun by Steve Parkhouse (Man of Iron), and (second) put me forward for the position of assistant editor on CBM. The rest, as they say, is history.
Va'al - A history we have more or less come to know, true, but fascinating nonetheless! Were you interested in the Transformers brand and franchise at all, even in its fledgling state at the time, or was this literally just another job that grew into what it eventually became?
Simon - Completely unaware of Transformers. I was 23 in 1984, and – as a rule – not watching a whole lot of Saturday am cartoons. I was a big comics (mostly Marvel) reader at the time (having been so in my youth and come back to it with a vengeance), and might well have seen the ads for the original TF mini-series in other Marvel titles, but largely the advent of Transformers passed me by. So I crash-coursed – VHS tapes of the cartoon, tech specs, toys and the Marvel comic series itself, then was kind of let loose. Then, as now, I focused on character(s) first and foremost, and kind of opted for a big name (Starscream), a smaller one (Brawn) and a middle one (Ravage) and threw them together. The Enemy Within was the result.
But even then, I had no thoughts of this being other than a one or two-off gig, and certainly never thought TF would last as long as it did, or be as big as it was. It was just work, and I was pleased to have it. I'd kind of thought Scream might be the end, so I was delighted to doing more script work… on anything… and be working Marvel (albeit Marvel UK). Unknown (to me) toy title it might be, but but this was Marvel… MARVEL!
Va'al - Marvel indeed, and old school Marvel at that! Was there a specific moment where you clicked, and realised you were in for the long haul - both work-wise and concerning personal commitment and investment? Or did it just all keep growing, slowly creeping up to what we know it to be?
Simon - It was definitely cumulative. I was never meant to be ‘the’ Transformers writer, but rather one of many. But after Crisis of Command (by which time I was assistant editor on Transformers UK, under Ian Rimmer) my familiarity with the brand and the general ease with which Ian and I could shoot ideas back and forth meant it was all round easier just to use me on a regular basis. Especially when it came to Target: 2006 and the Animated Movie, and tying our comic story in with that and the launch in the UK of Galvatron & Ultra Magnus, ‘the new leaders’, as toys.
That saga was formed in-house, and tailored to fit our editorial (and advertorial) needs – the UK comic was cross-promoted with the UK TV advertising for the toys, so it was a big deal for us and we needed to get it right. As it happened, the movie (undeservedly) kind of bombed in cinemas and our story soared to new heights. But if there was a specific moment, and I’m not sure there was, that was it.
Va'al - If Target: 2006 and the Movie were your turning point - after a fashion - what would you say to the various turning points for the Cybertronians that you created? You were there for the end of Bast Wars, for the various Dreamwave series, for the new beginning with IDW, after all...
Simon - I suppose the next biggest event was my taking over on the US comic (as of #56), after a strangely casual lunch with Bob Budiansky in a restaurant in Covent Garden. Bob handed the reins over to me on a visit to London, qualifying it slightly by saying the book had maybe four or five issues left in it before the powers-that-be cancelled it (in those days sales of under 100,000 qualified you for the unkindest cut). But it was my door-opener for Marvel US and I was delighted to have it. I didn’t exactly set out to prove Bob wrong, but it felt like there was nothing to lose if I just threw everything but kitchen sink at it, including a lot of the characters and mythos I’d introduced into a UK comic. I’m still hugely proud that we got twenty-five issues out of it, and that some of those issues remain people’s firm favourites.
Then I guess it was being invited to Botcon in 1997, which introduced me not only to Beast Wars but the wonderful Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio (script editors on the show), who it turned out liked my G2 stuff well enough to have considered binding some of the ideas therein with their concept for the Vok. Anyway, that in turn, via some twists and turns, led to Nemesis pt2, my first animation work (and solidly took my career in that direction). Then, I guess you’d have to count Dreamwave and The War Within as the next big turning point. My first real shot at doing the pre-history of the Transformers, and – whatever the ...niggles of how badly Dreamwave ended – the era that really rebooted the franchise as a whole for the 21st century, cueing up IDW’s tenure and maybe even making the live action movies a solid proposition.
But possibly the biggest, for me, is starting up the whole IDW-verse up (with IDW EiC Chris Ryall), my first ‘from scratch’ bit of Transformers storytelling, a continuity that ten years later continues apace (and shows no sign of flagging), outstripping Marvel — certainly in terms of volume. If there’s a pinnacle, it’s that.
Va'al - You did initiate the Infiltration protocol, didn't you - and it kind of escalated from there. If you'll allow me a fairly specific question at this point: what did you make of, and how did you (do you) feel about what has happened to the stories you started once they were out of your control? All Hail Megatron springs to mind, in this case, for example.
Simon - I can completely see all the rationale for All Hail Megatron, to create that kind of jumping on point after five or so years of story, but I think (initially at least) it was a misstep to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’ when readers had invested so heavily in the –ations, Stormbringer, Spotlights et al.
But the latter half of AHM and the Codas did their level best to rectify that, and now what you have are all these initial threads still being picked up and expanded upon/taken in bold new directions, by the likes of James Roberts and John Barber (to great effect). So overall I think the IDW-verse is in great shape these days, and in very safe hands, but AHM could have been a bit of a disaster.
Va'al - We are indeed still seeing elements of AHM show up, even in the upcoming Revolution event! I could ask you your thoughts on that, but would rather retread another path briefly: ReGeneration One. How did you feel it went, are you satisfied with closing off the story, and would you go back to that universe again?
Simon - I’m really pleased with RG1. We accomplished everything we set out to do, I feel, in a way that was both faithful to the original 80 issues and yet not knowingly retro in look or feel (while still drawing on 30 years’ worth of TF lore and disparate universes along the way), and so could stand alongside other modern comic books. It pulled together a massive amount of threads and had a proper, no-nonsense (no sequels) ending. We set out to finish that continuity/story and we did so (I have no wish to do more in that universe - it really is, “over, finished.”).
What kind of amuses me is some of the instant/knee-jerk feedback we had from people who just said, “no, that’s not how it would have happened/should be,” or words to that effect. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is – the creative and editorial team say so. You don’t have to like it, but those are the decisions we made and the paths taken (it’s not storytelling by committee). Can you imagine back in 1991, someone writing into the US or UK comic and saying – I’m sorry, I completely disagree with that ending – change it?
Va'al - I'm sure there were fans who would've done that, though, they just didn't get printed in the backmatter! Having more or less concluded all of your stories, in one way or another, I'm curious though: a lot of your early work fleshed out characters without affecting the main story necessarily (I'm thinking Marvel UK here); now that all is done, is there anything you'd like to revisit in a similar fashion? And I mean that in any of the fiction you have or have not worked with.
Simon - While I was glad to do RG1, I’m more for looking forwards. I’d always do more Death’s Head, that’s a given, but largely my focus is elsewhere now, on stuff I have a proper vested interest in. Apart from Matt Hatter Chronicles, the animated TV show I write and show-run for, I’m involved with a trio of creator-owned projects: The Chimeran (the brainchild of Paul Goodenough, Gary Kurtz and Richard Bazley), Spirit of The Pharaoh (Terry Jervis) and mine and Geoff Senior’s To The Death. That trio of projects is where my focus is right now, as well as writing movie scripts with co-writer Mark Salisbury. I have such a nice variety of projects (for different media) on the bubble right now, and I’m enjoying myself enormously. Add to that the Transformers: Earth Wars (game) for Space Ape, Marvel Fact-Files, and a few things I can’t talk about yet – and every day is a new treat and challenge.
And To The Death is especially exciting, as I get to work with longtime friend and collaborator Geoff Senior (his first substantial body of comics work for nearly 20 years), who is just one of the most exciting artists out there. I love writing for him, because I know he just wants to cut loose with that amazing kinetic full bore style of his, and my scripts do their level best to give him exactly what he wants. And just to make it even more interesting than regular comics, I’m writing the episodes as loose screenplays, which Geoff is turning into these meaty batches of full colour (landscape format/widescreen) frames, like a movie shooting board (he’s mostly in advertising these days, so this approach really suited him). Then, like the old Marvel plot-style approach to script, I go back in and reformat and readdress the dialogue, adding or subtracting as best suits the frames. Some I just leave well alone, because the art totally speaks for itself.
Va'al - You are definitely busy, I'll give you that - makes me appreciate even more you talking to us! I have two questions coming out of that last point, though: first, your experience is varied, but has had a lot of robots in it; is the approach to writing organics (humans, even) different, do you find yourself having to find a different gear, or does one inform and influence the other?
Simon - I’ve never treated the Transformers as anything other than sentient lifeforms, albeit alien lifeforms of a completely different order of life. So my approach is pretty much, bar the (um) mechanics, the same whether I’m writing Transformers or To The Death, Death’s Head or, say, Alpha Flight. Boil it right down, and the core of any story is the characters of the protagonists and antagonists, whether it involves human, aliens or alien robots characters, and how they bounce off each other given a set of circumstances, extreme or otherwise. Beyond the sci-fi trappings and the high concepts, I always ask myself: what is this story about? What resonance will it have with the audience? All sci-fi really is a disguised social commentary on the here and now. Just look at something like 2000 AD. When the powers-that-be at IPC Magazines told the writers of Action to cease and desist doing socially relevant stories in a “kid’s” comic, they just fed the same two-fingers-at-the-establishment [V - note for US readers: two fingers = middle finger] ideas into a sci-fi setting and made it allegorical – and no one noticed.
So beyond the future war, alien "soldiers-of-fortune" and kick-ass mechs, To The Death is about one man who refuses to be crushed or rendered insensate by the all-consuming greed of a powerful elite who have ceased to care, to the point where they’re prepared to ‘sacrifice’ billions of lives in the name of feathering their own nests. The gulf now between the haves and have-nots is wider than it’s ever been, and governments are now merely pandering to big business (allowing them to get away with monstrous tax dodges and the like), while letting the wider world/populace to go to hell in a hand basket, ever more reliant on charity as the government purse strings get tighter. To The Death has simply gone to the next level and removed governments entirely, so that Earth is now ruled by the all-powerful Tri-Corp, who have carte blanche to do whatever they want, without heed to morality, humanity or accountability. Our ‘hero’ is the one who says “enough”, even though it’s a battle he can’t possibly win.
Va'al - Whew. One does hope that someone will notice the commentary, in this as in any other book or piece of entertainment, really. The other question I had was: you talk about working with a number of creators, and how you're happy to be collaborating with Senior again; is there anyone else you'd like to partner up with again? Someone you've never had the chance to?
Simon - There are of course people like Andrew Wildman and Geoff [Senior] who I love working with, and have worked with enough times that I kind of know how to tailor what I write for them (and to get the best out of them), but I also love working with new artists or established ones I’ve never had the pleasure of working with. I really enjoyed working with Nick Roche, he brings such (youthful) energy and passion to what he does, and would happily do so again.
In fact, I’ve worked with a whole lot of amazing artists, from Don Figueroa to Alex Milne, from EJ Su to Guido Guidi, all of whom I’d be happy to work with again. I’ve been very lucky. They all made me look good (or at least competent). Biggest thrill for me, on a fanboy level, was getting John Byrne (I’m a big fan) to draw a cover for one of the direct market Titan hardback variants of Transformers collections we put out a while back (Dark Designs, above). That was very cool.
Va'al - And after so many collaborations, so many stories, so many projects, is it now over? Finished? Or are we to see more Furmanisms show up in the TFverse in the future?
Simon - Ha. That’s a cue to trot out a Furmanism right there. I have a feeling I’ll always be involved in Transformers, in some shape, way or form. I love it, and I love the passion of the fans (mostly). It’s pretty much defined my career, so there’ll always be room for TF in my schedule, no matter how busy I get. Earth Wars is keeping me pretty busy and there’s something else TF-related that I can’t talk about yet. So yeah, short answer: "it never ends."
Va'al - Well played. And thank you again for finding words to give to us, rather than an actual word-related project, Simon. It was an honour and a pleasure! Before the time comes for us not to be here... any final words to the readers?
Simon - Hey, just go give To The Death a spin. The first episode is free to download on the site (http://www.to-the-death.com) from Sept 10th, and our exclusive print graphic novel, To The Death: Forged By Fire, is (only) available via our Kickstarter campaign that launches on the same day. These Furman-Senior collaborations are not likely to be ten a penny, so grab that goodness while you can. And thanks supporting us in our venture!
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You heard the Furminator, give a new comic by a tried and tested partnership a looksie, find more of his words in the Transformers: Earth Wars game, or just patiently wait for this new Transformers related project he keeps hinting at. More interviews coming soon here at Seibertron.com, keep your receivers tuned - until then, be excellent to each other!
In other Transformers: Rescue Bots news today, we have the confirmation that voice actor Jeff Bennett - the man behind Huxley Prescott, Mayor Luskey, Deputy Barney, but also Prowl, Ultra Magnus, Captain Fanzone, Angry Archer, Soundwave, Mixmaster in Transformers: Animated, and of course Johnny Bravo - has received the Creative Arts Emmy for Best Performer in an Animated Program. Check out the other nominees in the category below, too!
BEST PERFORMER IN AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
Danny Jacobs, “All Hail King Julien”
Carlos Alazraqui, “The Fairly OddParents”
Eric Bauza, “The Adventures of Puss in Boots”
X — Jeff Bennett, “Transformers: Rescue Bots”
Reid Scott, “Turbo FAST”
Continuing in our quest to bother all the creators over at IDW Publishing, and with a severe lack of Transformers comics coming out this week, we reached out for one of the biggest names right now, with his very unique style gracing the pages of several comics, from Autocracy and Monstrosity to Dark Cybertron via Chaos - ladies and gentlebots, please welcome Livio Ramondelli!
Va'al - Livio, thank you very much for agreeing to do this. As I've been doing with all out interviews so far, let's start from the very beginning: How did you first discover The Transformers? What's your first memory?
Livio - It's great to speak to you!
I first became aware of the Transformers with the original G1 cartoon. I have pretty sporadic but vivid memories of moments from it here and there. But it always stayed with me. The characters had a huge impact on me. I don't recall the first moment I saw Optimus Prime or Soundwave for example, I just remember them as being a big part of my childhood. When I was a little older, my family would regularly rent the animated movie over and over. Which is an insane concept that the next generation won't understand- you had to RENT a movie from a physical store? And they had a limited number of copies that someone could beat you to at any moment?
But regardless, we rented that movie so often we eventually bought it when I was around 13. Then I really began actively re-watching it and the series as a whole. I'd tape the reruns that aired, trying to assemble a collection of the entire series. It's definitely one of the things, along with Star Wars, that has been with me my entire life.
Va'al - I remember renting VHS and DVD. I also remember Blockbuster going bankrupt, which felt pretty bad actually.. But back to you and everyone's favourite transforming robots! You got into them as a visual thing, were you ever a toy person? Do you have any personal favourites?
Livio - I was definitely into the toys as well. To this day I remember which ones I had, and which ones I never got to own. Prime and Soundwave were always my favorite toys, which might factor into why they're my two favorite characters. I thought they were both very clever in how much they did as toys. I'm a huge fan of the current Masterpiece toy line as well. I bought the new Soundwave at BotCon last year, and it sits proudly in my art studio. I just love how they're taking the toys you remember and tweaking them to be even more like the characters, it's a genius move.
I'm still plagued by a few toys that I was never able to own as a kid. I never got a Sharkticon, for example. I always looked enviously at my friends who did.
Va'al - So would you say you had or still have any particular goals, in terms of toys? Would a Sharkticon be what we call a holy grail of plastic transforming robots to you? Or is there something else you'd really really like in your collection?
Livio - Of the original era of the toys.. a Sharkticon and Trypticon would probably be my two holy grails. I had Metroplex, but I never had Trypticon. Sometimes when I see some of them out-of-box at a comic convention I look longingly at them for a few moments. It's like looking at missing pieces from my childhood!
And like everyone, I'm anxious to see where the new Masterpiece series goes and which new figures will be released. I'd love to see a new Galvatron toy closer to the original series. But having Masterpiece Soundwave and the tapes feels so good. The design on Laserbeak and Buzzsaw ( where even the silver armored sections fold in on themselves to create a flat surface) is just mind-blowingly good.
Va'al - Those are some nifty little birds indeed, I agree. And I've only seen them in hand! We've touched upon you getting into the toys and the franchise as a whole, but how did you make it from there to comics? Were you a fan as you grew up?
Livio - Yeah, definitely. I loved the original Marvel run. By the time I got to them, a lot of them were already in back issue bins and so I was tracking them down to piece a collection together, the same way I was doing with Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men and other titles that I loved.
I stopped reading the comics when they sort of dried up in America, but then when Dreamwave got the license I certainly bought those. I thought the art and coloring was beautiful in those early issues. And then after that there were stories I read here and there, like the Jae Lee drawn G.I. Joe vs Transformers. Before the license came to IDW!
Va'al - And that's why should have been a fan growing up across the pond - to quote a certain writer, the series.. never ended. You were clearly a comics reader growing up, but what drew you into drawing yourself? Can you remember the early days of shifting doodling to actual drawing? Was it always a potential career option?
Livio - I know, I'm jealous of you guys across the pond! I also definitely noticed that a lot of UK readers have more of an affinity for the later G1 characters like Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus. Possibly because they did so much more in the UK run that we didn't get to see for a long time.
And I think most people who read comics try to draw them, really. I think if you're drawn to a creative medium like that you're almost certainly hoping you can one day draw or write them yourself. I don't remember an exact moment when it switched into a possible career, it was basically always a dream that I had and hoped I could do it one day. It still feels very surreal getting to draw these guys, and especially to work with someone like Flint Dille, who was such an architect of the G1 stuff I grew up on.
Va'al - Ultra Magnus does seem to be one of the latest big favourites, even with the whole 'controversial' take on him by Roberts and Milne, indeed. How would you describe your first venture into comics in general, before hitting the Transformers franchise at IDW? What's the story there?
Livio - My first venture into comics was one of two very random and lucky moments in my life. After I finished my time in Art school, I was hunting for a job. I was looking into concept art positions for the gaming and movie world. I thought that'd be a steady way to make a living and also be a lot of fun. Comics was sort of always my dream, but I didn't know how realistic it was. One of the blogs I'd check, for fun, was Gelatometti - Jim Lee and Wildstorm's art blog.
They suddenly had a job posting on it, looking for someone to join their team designing the DC Universe Online game. I applied and got hired through the blog, which was my first real gig. It was amazing, since Jim Lee was a huge hero of mine.. and continues to be. I worked there for about 5 years, learning a lot and contributing to a pretty massive game project. It also started me on the path of doing comic conventions across the country.. which lead to IDW.
Va´al - Aha! Here we are, the juicy stuff. What was your first IDW gig? Did they come for you, or did you pitch something to them?
Livio - It was very random! I was sitting at an Artist Alley table at Wondercon I believe. Just selling some prints and essentially fan artwork. IDW's head editor Chris Ryall walked by and happened to see my work, and gave me his card. He told me to submit samples. About a week later, I got an E-Mail from Andy Schmidt, who offered me the covers to The Best of Optimus Prime and Best of Megatron trade paperbacks. It was really a dream come true, and I'm very grateful for the chance.
I always suggest to anyone looking to work in comics to start showing your work at Artist Alley tables. Doesn't matter if you've been published! You never know who will walk by.
Va'al - That's some good advice, right there! So after cover art, Chaos, Autocracy, Monstrosity, Robots in Disguise and Dark Cybertron, where is the IDW partnership taking you next? Can you talk about anything at all with us, or is it still all under wraps?
Livio - I can say there's definitely two big projects coming that I'm excited about. Unfortunately I can't reveal details about them yet, which I understand makes for a very frustrating answer!
But as a teaser, and as most people are guessing, I'd say it's very likely that Chris, Flint and I will finish off our trilogy with another series. We should have a lot more information about that soon.
But I'd just like to take a second and thank all the readers for the response we've gotten doing Transformers comics for the last few years. We all really appreciate the support, and we work hard to hopefully give you guys a great ride with the stories we're telling.
Va'al - And we all really appreciate all of your work as creators! They may not be 'real' comics according to some publishers, but we know there are some really good stories being told. Livio, before we part ways, are there any other last words you'd like to share with our readers?
Livio - It's been a real pleasure chatting with you! And again, I'd just like to thank everyone out there for supporting the books. If you'd like to check out more of my work you can find me on deviantArt, Twitter and Instagram all with the insanely original handle of LivioRamondelli.
You heard the man, go follow him on various social media platforms - and read some more into Livio's creative process here! I extend my thanks to all the readers who have been following us this far, and end by saying there is more to come in our quest to bring you even more insight into the minds and hands of Transformers franchise creators. So keep your optics tuned to Seibertron.com!
Seibertron.com podcaster and voice actor extraordinaire jON3.0 has uploaded his interview this legendary voice actor Jack Angel, the voice of several characters from Sunbow Productions original Transformers cartoon, including Ultra Magnus, Ramjet, Astrotrain, plus others. Enjoy the interview embedded below.
On this late night Microphone Monday, I interview the incredibly talented and all-around fun guy and veteran of the cartoon voice actor biz Jack Angel. Jack has been in cartoon greats like Smurfs, Super Friends, Transformers, Voltron and dozens of others as well as videogames and animated films like Toy Story.
The official Transformers facebook page has posted the creator commentary for IDW's Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye Ongoing #6. Writer James Roberts, artist Nick Roche, and colorist Josh Burcham share their thoughts on the first five pages. Mirrored below for those with facebook access.
PAGE 1: Fortress Maximus in a therapy session with Rung. It looks like the beating he suffered at the hands of Overlord in Last Stand of the Wreckers isn’t something he can get over easily, or quickly. There’s still a lot of darkness there.
JAMES ROBERTS: He possibly came off worse than anyone else at Garrus 9 [the prison in LASOTW], even those that died. Firstly, it was his responsibility to stop the facility falling into enemy hands, and he failed miserably, and Fort Max is someone who takes his responsibilities very seriously. G9 fell and his officers died. Secondly, he wasn’t just trounced by Overlord, he was thrown into the crowd of inmates and all-but ripped to shreds, so he suffered a monumental physical pounding. Thirdly, he ended up minus his arms and legs, hooked up to the door of the Aequitas chamber, being used by Overlord as a living lock pick. So the poor guy’s suffered physically, emotionally, psychologically… you name it.
But Maximus is the kind of Autobot who bottles all this stuff up, internalizes it; and it gets expressed in other ways. Like tearing Decepticons apart.
NICK ROCHE: Nice cinematic opening there, and interesting that it’s one of the few occasions in this issue that we leave the ship. It’s almost the only time there’s space to breathe – literally and figuratively – before story boxes us in. The title hints at the internal nature of the story, as will become evident after you buy the full issue following the mesmeric properties of these five pages.
The last panel on Page 1 was fun too; really happy I got to draw Overlord once more. This is one of those instances in the script where it’s labeled as one panel, but James then asks for four or five different action beats within one image! He’s sly, you see. But it worked out well, I think. I like these little montages, and this one especially felt like I was filling in a blank within Last Stand of the Wreckers. And people lap that stuff up. Thankfully.
JOSH BURCHAM: You are correct sir! (in his best Ed McMahon impression)… Ha ha. Nah really, I think what I’m loving most about this issue, and what we see here on this and the next couple pages, is the fact that we see what had happened to Max does in fact affect him. I love that we get to see these ’bots as more than just mindless war machines but as actual characters with feelings and emotions and problems, not unlike ourselves. It’s an interesting dichotomy for sure! We have these huge giant warring creatures, completely mechanical in nature, but who can think and feel much the same as us. I really love that we get to take some time and see/explore that aspect of these characters. I really do think that’s one of the main reasons Transformers has gone on as long as it has and has such a dedicated fanbase. It’s one of the endearing qualities of the franchise for sure! It’s almost like they’re more than meets the eye! *ba dum tsh*
PAGE 2: Fort Max thinks about what happened to him on Garrus 9. Was it always the intention to go to the events in Wreckers and explore what we didn’t see before, and was it hard to find gaps to tell more parts of that story?
JAMES ROBERTS: It was not my calculated intention, no, but it was one of those connections that seemed to make sense. And I like it when events in previous stories spark new stories – it’s the opposite of pressing a re-set button every issue. To my mind, the current TF comics universe is the first serious rival [in comics] to the hallowed Marvel continuity in terms of the amount of story material and the depth and interconnectedness of the stories themselves, and if you can create new stories by sparking off events in old stories it helps give the impression that the likes of MTMTE and RID and Autocracy all serve to push forward one epic storyline.
Was it hard to find gaps in Wreckers? Nah. You can always find gaps if you look hard enough. And certain gaps may be bigger than you realize (he says cryptically).
NICK ROCHE: More LSOTW additions here – my prime reason for working on this issue, to be honest! I got all sweaty and panicky and territorial about someone else working with James (and Josh) on what is almost a “deleted” scene from that series. It just made sense creatively to get us together for snatches such as this. It’s worrying to think James and I could probably write a whole other series exploring the atrocities that occurred within Garrus-9 before the Wreckers arrived. It wouldn’t be big or clever, but it’d be a lot of gruesome fun.
JOSH BURCHAM: Well I’m certainly glad for the opportunity to revisit the story lines in the Wreckers books! And I’m even more excited that we’ve been able to bring back the band who made it happen for this issue! It’s been great fun having to revisit old pages for references (color-wise)!
*re-united and it feeeeels so goooood!*
PAGE 3: Swerve’s bar seems to have become the main focal point for fun on the Lost Light. Presumably we’re going to have a lot more happening there as the series goes on. And what makes you want to go back there and play with the characters in that setting?
JAMES ROBERTS: I love Swerve’s bar! You need a place where the crew of the Lost Light can just hang out and socialize. You can match up different combinations of characters, and they can talk and laugh and argue and fight. As in real life, an environment like that can provide the backdrop for everything from a practical joke to a brawl to a death threat – or just be the place where our heroes relax. As the series progresses, different sets of characters will have adventures away from the Lost Light, and I like the idea that they always eventually end up in Swerve’s bar, recounting what happened.
Alex Milne did an amazing job designing the bar (seriously, he designed it like a film set). Nick did the impossible and made a supremely complicated group scene work, and Josh surpassed himself by infusing the whole sequence with a warm pub glow.
NICK ROCHE: This was a tricky scene for me, as I have never been in a bar, apart from the one I was born in. But as the boy Roberts sez, Dutch Rubs and Tweaked Noses to Alex for so succinctly designing the environment. It really helped in choreographing a scene in which so many characters talk across one another. In addition, I haveta say that Tailgate and Swerve are as much fun to draw for me as they seem to be for James to write. I’m just really pleased with the proportions and shape on those characters and will happily return for an issue just starring them in an adventure where they get jobs as ice-cream salesmen.
I also need to congratulate James on picking a cast with so few actual facial features and then cooking up such amazing sparky and sparkling dialogue for them! Luckily, Rung’s eyebrows take up a lot of the slack in the Emotional Display Department in this book.
JOSH BURCHAM: Why, thank you James! Credit has to go to Swerve, though, since he’s installed that dynamic lighting system. The mood lighting can go from night-club to cozy pub in the flash of an optic! Keeps a colorist, like me, on his toes!
PAGE 4: Tailgate is clearly (not) having fun learning the Autobot code with Ultra Magnus while we learn a little more about Rewind and Chromedone. Can we assume that the entire back story for these central characters is fully worked out and ready to be told at some point?
JAMES ROBERTS: You certainly can. I’m conscious that it’s a big cast and that each character needs his chance to shine. I think virtually all of the main cast have secrets, and we’ll be finding out more about them as the series progresses – sometimes the information will be delivered piecemeal; other times you might get a big hit of important backstory. Chromedome and Rewind come under the spotlight in issues 9 to 12, and there’s some big, big Magnus stuff coming up.
With issue 6, however, I deliberately went for an ensemble vibe – it has an end of season feel about it, where lots of people have cameos. Pretty much everyone we’ve met in the previous six issues crops up in this story – not just the core cast, but the likes of Trailbreaker and Pipes and First Aid. And there are lots of callbacks to events, some big, some tiny, that happened in the first five issues.
NICK ROCHE: Seven panels, including two flashbacks, and a skipload of dialogue? You don’t get this value for money every day, darlings. It’s wonderful to see in these recessionary times an effort made to give more content to the discerning reader. But will MTMTE keep you warm at night or feed you? You can definitely use it for swaddling on a park bench, and staples hold massive nutritional value, so yes. But it’s also great that this series (and it’s fair to say, Robots in Disguise) are happy to eschew the once-trendy decompressed method of storytelling. And scenes like this really help sell to the uninitiated that, to the creative teams, the Transformers are characters first and shape-changing toy robots second; this bar chat exists for good reason, and the pay-off will be well worth you sticking around for.
JOSH BURCHAM: Foreshadowing!!! *dun dun dunnnn*
I guess one fun little tid-bit I could add is that for that last panel there; I had a lot of fun color-homaging the Transformers: Animated show, whenever they showed bits of Cybertron. (Love that show!)
PAGE 5: Magnus finally finds out about the bar and Fort Max “mingles”. The impression here is that things are about to get a little more complicated.
JAMES ROBERTS: Lots of things come to a head this issue, yeah, and Magnus finding the bar is one of them. With Trailbreaker, I wanted to get away from this idea that he’s “Mr. Forcefield” – something I’ve absolutely contributed to, because in Chaos and in MTMTE issue 3, that’s what he did: generate force fields. I like that he has self-esteem issues, and I think he’s the type that, when his inhibitions slip, has quite a few issues he needs to work through. He’s going to keep cropping up; his story’s not over.
NICK ROCHE: What I tried to do here was have Magnus literally be the party pooper, insomuch that you don’t get one clear look at his face. He’s not a character to be identified with in this instance, so keeping him obscured and in shadow distances him from the fun, carefree atmosphere in the bar. He’s a spectre at the feast; a boogieman that hates to boogie. Also, I like to think that he has, secreted away in various body cavities, different-sized restraining devices and handcuffs for the disparate Transformer shapes that exist on board the Lost Light. And that he polishes them every night before bed.
JOSH BURCHAM: Well I, for one, and certainly glad to see Trailbreaker get more page-time! (Even if he is a bit off his rocker here!) Trailbreaker was always a favorite of mine from G1. Kind of an unsung hero who never really got his due (unless he had to, like ya said, throw a forcefield around). Again, it’s fun and interesting to explore that emotional side of these characters!
How would YOU like to own a piece of Transformers History?
Auction website, Heritage Auctions.com now offers Transformer Fans the chance with several listings of items from writer Ron Friedman. Mr. Friedman was one of the Head Writers for the Original Transformers cartoon series for the first 2 seasons, as well as the original Transformers Movie. Additionally, he provided his creative talents to other 80's favorites such as GIJoe, and Marvel's Action Hour.
There are several interesting tid-bits that have also been released via these auctions, such as G1 Sky Fire (Jet Fire) was originally going to be called Fireball. Check out the auctions below to read all the other new discoveries!
The auctions listed below are not for the light spender, they are sure to go for premium prices. With that said, here we go!
This auction includes the following 9 items:
Season 1 Original Scripts for "Heavy Metal War" and "Plague of Insecticons".
Season 2 Original Scripts for, "City of Steel", "Changing Gears", "Traitor", "Attack of the Autobots", "The Immoblizer", "The Autobot Run", and "Atlantis Arise".
All the scripts feature handwritten notes from Mr. Friedman dated July 27-November 18, 1984.
This auction includes the following items:
Packaged together into a 3 ring binder, a photocopied set of scripts for the original "More Than Meets the Eye" mini-series that started it all, as well as revised drafts of the first 6 episodes immediately following. The revised drafts are dated June 3-29, 1984 with handwritten notes from Mr. Friedman.
This auction includes the following items:
A 3 ring binder that includes photocopies of the scripts for episodes #10-16. The scripts are dated July 11 - August 6, 1984 with notes from Mr. Friedman.
This auction includes the following items:
A Three-Ring Binder with Photographs, Designs, and Model Sheets. We have our very first look at how several characters had their beginnings. Such character biographies included are Swoop, Chip, Slag, Grimlock, Sludge (Stegobot), Jet Fire (previous name Fireball), Top Spin, and more. The Insecticons include Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell, and the Constructicons include Long Haul, Mixmaster, Scrounge, Payloader, Bulldozer, and more.
This auction includes the following items:
A Three-Ring Binder that includes photocopied scripts for "Day of the Machines," "Enter the Nightbird," "A Prime Problem," "The Core," "The Insecticon Syndrome," "Dinosaur Island, Part 1 and 2, "The Master Builders," "Auto Beserk," and "Megatron's Master Plan Part 1." Features revisions from Mr. Friedman.
This auction includes the following items:
A Three-Ring Binder with Ultra Magnus Toy Prototype Snapshot Photo Group and photocopied scripts for "Fire in the Sky," "S.O.S. -- Dinobots," "Fire in the Mountain," "War of the Dinobots," "The Ultimate Doom Parts 1-3," "Countdown to Extinction," "Heavy Metal War," and "Plague of Insecticons".
This auction includes the following items:
35 photocopied pages of character notes and bios, as well as audition dialogue, for new characters that were debuted during the second half of Season Two. Dated December 1984.
This auction includes the following items:
A 53-page revised story treatment for the 1985 feature film, by screenwriter Ron Friedman, with revision dates of August 15-September 19, 1984.
This auction includes the following items:
Two sets of photocopied character guide pages compiled for the first season of Transformers, including thirty-eight 8" x 14" color guides, and another set of eighty-nine 8.5" x 11" black and white pages.
This auction includes the following items:
A set of four large black and white photocopies of Transformers characters, 1 of which is Wreck-Gar or a Junkion Warrior.
This auction includes the following item:
Here's the poster that hung in TV scribe Ron Friedman's office! Measures approximately 23.75" x 36". Folded, in Very Good condition with tape on all four corners.
This auction includes the following items:
Photocopied scripts for "Transport to Oblivion", "Roll With It", and "Divide and Conquer" with hand-written changes, from writers Dick Robbins and Bryce Malek, Douglas Booth, and Don Glut, with revisions from Ron Friedman.
This auction includes the following items:
Photocopied scripts "Blaster Blues", "A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court", "The God Gambit", "Make Tracks", and "Microbots." Also included is a 2-page Hasbro communiqué in a binder.
This auction includes the following items:
A Three-ring binder that includes Hasbro literature, color photos of transformers, a copy of Transformers#3 (guest starring Spider-Man), and more. Also included here are the photocopied scripts for "Desertion of the Dino Bots, Parts 1 and 2," and "Megatron's Master Plan Part 2."
This auction includes the following item: Transformers: The Movie Final Draft Screenplay with Outline (Sunbow Productions, Inc., 1985). Includes a 179-page revised final draft script for the 1986 animated feature film, dated April 27, 1985, accompanied by a 17-page story and character outline with handwritten notations.
This auction includes the following item:
Transformers: The Movie Revised Final Draft Script (Sunbow Productions, Inc., 1985). Revised final draft script for the 1985 animated feature, 179 pages, dated April 27, 1985, no annotations.
This auction includes the following items:
Transformers: the Movie Script Group (Sunbow Productions, Inc., 1984-85). Ron Friedman's original unproduced first draft script dated November 12, 1984 (132 pages), plus two sets of revisions including the complete revised script dated February 13, 1983 (184 pages). The pages range from Fine to Excellent condition.
This auction includes the following item: Transformers Series Bible (Sunbow Productions, Inc., 1984). Everything you ever wanted to know about the original Transformers characters, in a set of 98 photocopied pages dated May 10, 1984. Fine condition.
Auction #19
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for Arcee in robot and vehicle mode.
Auction #20
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for Galvatron in robot and vehicle mode.
Auction #21
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for A Sweep (Scourge's clones) in robot and vehicle mode.
Auction #22
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for Cybertron Jet (Cyclonus) in robot and vehicle mode.
Auction #23
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for Blurr in robot and vehicle mode.
Last, but not least, The ULTIMATE COLLECTOR PIECE.
Auction #24
This auction includes the following items:
Character sheets for WHEELIE in robot and vehicle mode.
For those interested in the upcoming Japanese cartoon version of Animated, TFW2005 member DrillBit has scanned and translated the latest edition of Figure-Oh magazine. You can see his original post by clicking here but we've provided you with some highlights.
The first four episodes have been announced. The first three are the original three part miniseries known in the United States as "Transform and Roll Out" but these episodes are now known as "New Chapter! Transformers," "Hero, The name is Autobot" and "Secret of the Allspark," respectively. The fourth episode to be shown will be "Operation Soundwave," which was titled "Sound and Fury" in the US and actually was the tenth episode shown here. The placement of this episode fourth would seem to raise some continuity issues, especially involving Megatron's status at that point so it will be interesting to see if any editing is done to ease that.
Here is the official voice cast roster for the Japanese version of the cartoon. You might recall that Ironhide is simply Bulkhead's Japanese name. Longtime TF cartoon fans will recognize a few of these names because of their roles in past series such as the Japanese dubs of Beast Wars, Armada and Energon.
Last year IDW gave fans the chance to submit questions for Transformers writer Simon Furman. The best 20 were picked out of the litter and were answered by the Transformers guru himself. This year, fans were again able to ask the writer their burning questions. The best 20 questions were put together and are online in the second Simon Fuman IDW A&Q session. The first 15 on the IDW forum and the last 5 on Simon Furman's Blogpage.
The following 15 questions have been taken directly from the IDW Forum:
1) Character-wise are there any aspects of a character ie: role, alt. mode, character that you haven't had an opportunity to explore but you still would like to either through an original character or through the expansion on an existing one?
SF) What I feel I used to do well but (in the new IDW/TF-verse) haven’t done much of recently is take a little used character and really kind of escalate/advance them into terms of motivation, role and overall story impact. I’m thinking of the likes of Bludgeon, Thunderwing and Carnivac, where characters with little or no depth ended up virtually carrying whole story arcs. The closest I’ve come of late is with Razorbeast, in Beast Wars (Gathering/Ascending), where a toy/character who otherwise came and went without much of ripple has become quite pivotal (even collectable!). So far, with the Spotlights, I’ve largely focused on already A-list characters (or the likes of Nightbeat, a character I'd already got to grips with in a previous incarnation). Moving forwards, what I’d like to do is bring in a character or two from the ‘B’ or ‘C’ list and really go at them from scratch, bring them thundering into the ‘A’ list in terms of the IDW/TF-verse. Sixshot more or less fits those criteria, but I found there were limitations with a ‘living weapon.’ I’m looking forward to doing more with the likes of Doubledealer, Banzaitron and Jhiaxus. Right now, I’m searching for ways to confound expectation, so pretty much every character I tackle in an IDW comic comes with a fresh coat of paint, so to speak. Whatever established profile/tech spec/biog the characters already have, I’m using that as a loose template and taking it in different directions, without necessarily reinventing the wheel. It’s a very exciting way of working, as it seems to really let the creative side of me loose.
2) In your years working in the comic industry how much does it differ today to when you broke into the industry (art, story and the general production of a comic)? How do you see it in the years to come? And what is your favourite part of working in that industry?
SF) For me, the main difference is structure. Everything now is about the trade (paperback). With that in mind, stories are pretty much always arcs, be they four or six or more issues. I kind of miss the more rambling, unfolding nature of an ongoing comic. When we came to do the Titan reprints of the Marvel Transformers series, it was a challenge to break up the storyline(s) into cohesive (vaguely standalone) volumes. And, in fact, it often didn’t work. If you look at All Fall Down and End of the Road, there’s a distinct ‘To be continued…’ at the end of the first of those volumes. And I think because of distinct story arcs, there’s a natural tendency not to make single issues as self-supportive as they used to be. Which is also a shame. It’s why I love the Spotlights so much. They seem to hark back to a different era, where, as well as being part of a larger structure, each single issue also had to be semi-complete in and of itself. What I don’t miss about the ‘good old days’ is thought bubbles. It’s weird how old-fashioned they seem now. I much prefer narrative captions. They seem, to me, more grown-up (in a good sense of the word). Because, and this is a shame, comics are just no longer pitched at (or as accessible to) kids. Even ‘kids’ comics are just more sophisticated. I think back to the (Marvel) UK Transformers stories and compare them to the (Titan) UK stories of today, and there’s a big creative gulf. The one is not necessarily better than the other, just different. It’s no point getting misty-eyed with nostalgia, as a writer you have to move and evolve with the times, which I hope I’ll continue to do (wherever, and in whatever form comics go/take). The best bit is just being IN the industry. They’ll have to take me out in a box!
3) What one change would you make to the Transformers history you've created? (eg. do you wish maybe you hadn't made Magnus quite so scared of Galvatron? Do you wish you hadn't killed off Cyclonus? Not used Unicron in a particular story, etc).
SF) It sort of depends which Transformers history is being referenced. And even then, the only places I’d maybe want to go back and change/revisit are where external circumstances (such as imminent or sudden cancellation) dictated that either a story not go the way it was originally intended or not be completed at all. Certainly, the IDW/TF-verse is too new and still evolving to be the subject of retroactive second-guessing. New opportunities and avenues to explore are plentiful and ongoing there, and it’s probably the most well thought out/cohesive long-term structure I’ve ever had the luxury of working within. If I had to pick points to revisit, it’d be: with the original Marvel UK stories, I’d have loved to be able to play out the Ultra Magnus/Galvatron ‘rematch’ as originally set up. But the imminent change to black & white 5-page stories meant that Time Wars pretty much had to wrap up everything (and with two Primes in the mix, Ultra Magnus kind of got sidelined). With the Marvel US stories, I’d love to have been able to do the full post-Unicron storyline I had mapped out, with wasteland Cybertron and the quest for the Last Autobot unfolding over multiple issues (instead of, like, one). But again, it wasn’t to be. Once I knew issue #80 was our last, everything had to be condensed/accelerated (to an ultimately unsatisfying degree). I wish I could have continued Transformers Energon, I wish I could have wrapped up War Within v3, but really these things were just not meant to be, I guess. Largely, I try not to look back, only forwards. What’s out there already is out there, end of story. Truthfully, I’m not sure I’d want to tamper even if I could.
4) Will we be seeing more of the Micromasters in the future? (ie. why they are small and such and related to the Dead Universe?)
SF) Definitely more Micromasters in Revelation (and beyond)! This time around, in the IDW/TF-verse, I’m trying to apply thought and logic to concepts that previously were maybe just thrown into the mix without much due care and attention. If it’s Pretenders, it’s well why would Transformers need an outer shell? As a disguise element it always seemed slightly redundant to me in the original storylines. If it's Headmasters, what is it about a human/Transformer hybrid that makes them special? Why bother unless the end product is markedly better, and it cuts both ways (after all, it’s a kind of symbiosis)? I’m asking myself all the tough questions that were maybe skipped over in the rush of new product lines, and the same applies to Micromasters. Why is small better? What new, interesting abilities do pint-sized Transformers bring to the mix? And, as always, who is responsible? What’s their bottom line? The whole Jhiaxus/Nemesis Prime/Dead Universe storyline is about to explode, big time, and Micromasters are an integral part of what’s to come.
5) It's a very loose term, though. Can you define "brothers" in a TF sense? Is it merely some trivial notion of 'created around the same time' or 'somewhat looky-likey designs', or that they share some E.S.P., or what?
SF) What defines a ‘brother’ is going to feed into and be explored in two ’08 storylines. In the ‘ongoing.’ Sideswipe is about to step up and make his presence felt, most notably when he meets Sunstreaker again and realises he’s no longer just Sunstreaker! There is a bond between lots of characters, it’s just that in some cases it’s more pronounced, and the pair (or more) of characters in question are aware of it (even if it’s purely subliminal). Then, in a kind of standalone (but, of course, very connected) series, we’ll start to understand exactly where that link/bond came from. It’s connected to the lineage idea introduced in Spotlight Optimus Prime and to the eventual concept/realization of Combiners. Whatever it is, in some Transformers the bond is very strong, almost like in twins, in others it’s so watered down they don’t even know it’s there. A lot of ‘fundamental’ stuff, in terms of what makes a Transformer tick, is planned for next year.
6) If you were to radically reinvent the concept, allowing you to disregard anything and everything, for a one-off ‘Evolutions’ type story, what would it look like?
SF) It would probably not be terribly different to what we’ve done for the IDW/TF-verse. In many ways, it’s a reinvention/update of the classic G1 era, cutting out some elements, making others more contemporary, dropping in new ideas/designs/rationales, etc. So if I was handed carte blanche to do an Evolutions-style story, I’m not quite sure what I’d do with it. Even with Beast Wars, where I thought the abrupt leap into Beast Machines missed major storytelling opportunities, I got to drop The Gathering and The Ascending into that mix (and maybe more to come). The idea of just taking a different era and setting Transformers (G1) there doesn’t greatly appeal to me. Trying to re-do or re-style classic G1 stories doesn’t greatly appeal either. I feel (strongly) Transformers (as a whole) needs to keep moving forwards, evolving, in a way that doesn’t limit it to hardcore fan appreciation. That’s why I was so pro the new movie makeover. The quickest way to kill it dead would have been to make it a retro G1 piece, harking back entirely to the 80s (either in look or sensibilities). What I did enjoy recently was doing the ‘classic G1’ mini-comic for Madman’s DVD release of the entire animated series. That, in essence, ‘plugged a hole’ if you like, between the end of the animated show and the animated movie and felt more pertinent. Mostly, though, it’s my preference to keep looking upwards and onwards.
7) Given that you're well-known for taking obscure characters and breathing new life into them (Bludgeon, Nightbeat, Thunderwing etc.), are there any underdeveloped Transformers you'd like to give the same treatment in future?
Yes. And, assuming the Spotlights continue, I hope to do just that. The IDW/TF-verse is just so brimming with potential right now, I feel there is this vast pool of characters waiting for their chance to shine, to step out from (often limited) profile/tech specs, or simply just to be completely re-thought/re-made from the ground up. I think it's important that the main players have been established, either as the title character in a Spotlight or the main supporting character in a Spotlight (such as Ultra Magnus/Scorponok), but that done it’s time to move other, maybe more minor characters into major roles. After the trio of Blaster, Arcee and Grimlock Spotlights, I’m involved (rather than outright writing) in one more Spotlight (in what will be volume 3). That one definitely feels more in the spirit of minor character given due credit, gravitas and screen time. And, as always with the Spotlights, it plays into something much bigger. Can’t say any more at the moment, but I think it’ll surprise a few people.
8) What exactly does it take to kill a Transformer in IDW continuity? The amount of damage a TF can take before dying has always seemed to be fairly inconsistent to me, and so I'm curious as to what your take on the matter is.
SF) I think if I have played fairly fast and loose so far in the IDW/TF-verse, it’s with the actual mechanics (literal and otherwise) of how much injury a Transformer can sustain before it becomes critical. The two key elements to me are neural processor (brain) and Spark core (‘soul’). Take out either one of those, and you’re dead, gone, etc. Mind you, both are heavily shielded. Even a headshot (such as in Spotlight Ultra Magnus) might not necessarily destroy the processor. In Escalation #5, Megatron digs his hand into Optimus Prime’s chest cavity and squeezes his Spark core, meaning to crush it. Had he followed through, Prime would be dead. We have to assume that when Megatron shoots Starscream (in Infiltration #6) he misses (or fails to destroy) his spark core. EJ made it more graphic (and a much bigger torso hole/wound) than I’d maybe anticipated (in the writing), and so a certain degree of dramatic license may have to be applied there (especially if we ever actually place the Spark core specifically in some kind of internal cross-section). Though presumably there’s some room for manoeuvre here, what with different sizes and shapes of Transformers and all. Though we haven’t shown it as such, in the case of disembodied heads (such as Sunstreaker in Devastation), I’m working on the principle that the head is still hooked up to the Spark core (which has either been removed to a place of safekeeping or the original body preserved). The one can’t function without the other. I do mean to pay stricter attention to the physical limits of Transformers in upcoming arcs and series.
9) Now that IDW has the licence to produce Doctor Who comics, do you want to write for the series again? If you could, what elements would you explore, like in Axis of Insanity you explored the Doctor's curiosity and the dynamics between Peri and Erimem.
SF) I’ve always had a soft spot for the Doctor. Over the years I’ve done a fair few Doctor Who stories, whether in Doctor Who Monthly/Magazine (in the 80s) or in audio drama. And I’m currently doing some new (junior) Who for the UK (more details on my blog as and when I can trumpet this officially), as well as some Torchwood comic work (again, watch my blog for more details). So the short answer is yes, I’m always up for more Who. And, in fact, I have talked to Chris Ryall about doing some IDW-Who. But if I do, it’ll be later rather than sooner in 08, as story arcs (by other creators) are already in progress or upcoming (and I’m snowed under right now). What would I do, story-wise? I’d like to put the Doctor in a situation where he’s just totally and utterly out of his depth. Sometimes I feel the just always seems to know what’s what and what to do about it. I think if I get to do an IDW arc, I’d put the Doctor completely out of any kind of comfort zone, in a situation where he’s got to more or less think/act on a wing and a prayer. I loved the Human Nature/Family of Blood two-parter in series 3 of the new TV show. It showed the Doctor in a refreshingly new light. It’s that kind of thing I’d like to tap into any story I might write. Beyond the companionship, why does he have a companion? It’s for situations exactly like that.
10) What are some of the best experiences you’ve had working with artists? Any particular issues, old or new, where you were especially blown away?
SF) Too many ‘blown away’ experiences to list. Some notables would include: my very first strip work (a ‘Library of Death’ story in UK comic Scream), drawn by (of all people) Steve Dillon. What a way to start out. Story was truly dire, by the way, but hey, it looked good! Transformers UK #113: Geoff (Senior) was forever blowing me away with his artwork, and in fact #113 isn’t his best TF work (I’d reserve the likes of Target: 2006 pt 8 and Edge of Extinction in US #75 for that distinction), but it was inspirational inasmuch as it pretty much pushed me into rethinking what was supposed to be a minor (disposable) supporting character (Death’s Head) and turning him into what’s become, I guess, my signature creation. For all the wrong reasons, I remember a Dan Reed UK job where he was so late with the pages I thought I was going to have to run with a reprint filler story. He had to physically bring the pages (from Paris, where he was living at the time), at which point he lost the splash page (in customs) and had to redraw it with me standing over him looking at my watch. I still shudder to this day. The first page of Transformers (US) #56 is another of what I’d call personal landmarks. It wasn’t just my first page of Transformers US, it was my first work for Marvel US (something I’d always dreamed of). Good, bad or indifferent (art-wise), that page was always going to be special. My collaborations with Andrew Wildman have always been memorable, not least because we actually developed our own IPs. Some of the ones that got away, like the (proposed) Neo-Knights series, I remember vividly. Again, for all the wrong reasons, I remember working with Pat Lee and how kind of disappointed I was to find how little of the art was actually him. He gave me an original art page of Armada, and there’s so little art on it! The good side of Dreamwave was my first collaboration with Don Figueroa on War Within v1. His art blew me away (in terms of its amazing detail and dynamism) and then blew me away again (because this was when I first realized that the new generation of TF artists were utterly passionate about the work).
11) In 2008, are there any plans for a mini-series of Primus and Unicron story and fit the core continuity?
SF) I shall restate categorically what I’ve said before. No Primus. No Unicron. I’m just not going there (outside of Beast Wars, and then not directly). BUT, that’s not saying we won’t at point start poking and prodding around the pre-history of the Transformers and begin to ground what’s happening in the present with stuff that goes all the way back to the very beginning. There’s stuff I’ve laid into the IDW/TF-verse already that pays into the timelost roots of the Cybertronian race and I don’t intend to let that mystery drag on too long. The Dead Universe wasn’t always dead. That’s all I’ll say for the time being.
12) Marvel G1 question: whatever happened to Professor Morris? I believe the last we saw of him was when Centurion was beheaded by Galvatron. Later, when Wheeljack rebuilt him, Morris was never mentioned again. So was he trapped in his underground bunker when Centurion was sent to the bottom of the Thames or what?
SF) OK. This question sent me scurrying back to my collected editions of the UK stories (and de-archiving the original issues that featured ‘Ancient Relics’ the Transformers/Action Force crossover). We last see Professor Morris (in person) in issue #102 (‘Fallen Angel pt 2’), when he mentally communicates with Swoop, asking permission to mind-share again (following on from events in The Icarus Theory in UK #45/46). We ‘assume’ that’s him communicating through Centurion later in ‘Ancient Relics’ (though I confess it’s not clear). However, it’s still something of a loose end, as we never really know if Morris was ever extracted from that bunker (after Centurion disappeared into the Thames… to be extracted later in ‘Salvage pt 1’ in TF-UK #160). Let’s assume so, eh? Maybe Swoop was feeling charitable and (after the events of ‘Ancient Relics’) freed him. Or maybe Triple III finally broke in or RAAT got involved. Whatever the case, let’s hope Morris got out somehow. He only had enough food and water for a year!!
13) Have you ever considered that maybe all the various storylines from all the previous companies (Marvel, DW, Club exclusives, etc) could be brought together in a huge storyline that could redefine the future of Transformers and use all the characters from all the comics, toys, manga and anime available (G1 to Galaxy Force, Beast Wars, and back), just like DC is actually doing in their Countdown comic series?
SF) Some kind of big ‘Crisis on Infinite Transformers’ was considered (and then rejected) when IDW first picked up the license. Chris Ryall and I discussed several options, of which that was one. Another was a way of running G1 and Cybertron comics in tandem, with a sort of crossover story that simultaneously launched both titles (the original pitch for which can be seen as an ‘extra’ in the Best of Simon Furman book). Both were ultimately rejected in favour of the complete reboot of the G1 line that now forms the IDW/TF-verse and I believe it was the right way to go. Even if we’d gone the ‘Crisis on Infinite Transformers’ route and effectively cleaned house, it would still have been a confusing and off-putting (especially to new readers) way to start. Though part of me still loves the idea of doing something on that scale I don’t think (this far on and in) it’d be something IDW would ever consider.
14) You have been involved with Transformers more or less since the beginning. How do you feel about how the line has grown and evolved since its inception? Has it improved, degraded, remained true to the original vision, forgotten it, reshaped it for the better?
SF) I think, as with all properties that have been around as long as Transformers has, there have been both highs and lows. The great thing about Transformers as a whole is how easy it is to ‘transform’ itself for each new generation (whether they be young kids or adults, fans or newbies) without losing the core concepts and ideals that underpin it. I’m not going to get into what I feel those highs and lows are, but I do think that even 23 years on from when it first hit toy shops in the west, Transformers is still delivering across a wide variety of media. Whether it's the IDW/TF-verse, the new movie franchise, Transformers Animated, the passion the creators and toy designers and moviemakers bring to each is undiminished by time. In fact, I’d go as far as to say we’re in something of a golden age right now, where the sheer momentum delivered by the first (new) movie is pushing everyone involved to be that much more on their game when it comes to new product. There will always be those who hanker for what they see as the original and best, the G1 of the 80s (be it toy, comic or cartoon), but clearly the main reason Transformers has survived and thrived is because things haven’t stopped still, haven’t remained stuck in the nostalgia era. The long-time fans are incredibly important, but it’s even more important that new generations are given an easy access point into what otherwise could be a daunting and off-putting 23-year (and counting) history.
15) When writing dialogue for the Transformers, do you imagine it being spoken by the voice-actors that played the respective characters in the cartoon?
SF) Sometimes, but increasingly not. I pretty much always write dialogue for Optimus Prime with Peter Cullen in mind as I do so. He’s just so completely attached to the character in my opinion. But when it comes to the IDW/TF-verse, I try not to go in with any vocal preconceptions, because it may subliminally make me write a given character as if its their classic G1 equivalent (which it’s not). However, when I write Beast Wars characters in comic form I absolutely do think of their voice actor counterparts. How can you not think of David Kaye (“Yess”) when writing BW Megatron or Scott McNeill with Rattrap? So it depends. The (new) movie voice cast didn’t really have enough screen time (or make enough impact on me) to affect the way I write any surrounding prequel/roll over movie comic material. So, strangely, those I do tend to base more on their original animated counterparts. (New) movie Starscream I write just like his G1 counterpart. I have Chris Latta’s whiny, shrill delivery in mind when I write him. Mostly, though, when it comes to writing dialogue for Transformers, I try to approach each character as I’ve previously set them up (with any accompanying vocal tics) and not be too influenced by ‘outside’ sources. That said, while writing Torchwood stories recently, I had each of main actor’s voices nailed to my subconscious.
The following last five questions were taken directly from Simon Furman's Blog.
16) How does the Matrix work in the IDW universe (i.e. power of Primus, souls of all the Transformers, sacred battery, etc)?
SF) Well, we’ve yet to actually meet the Matrix in the IDW/TF-verse. So we may be getting ahead of ourselves here. What do we know about it so far? Well, according to Spotlight Galvatron, the Matrix was (and maybe is) “carried” by Nova Prime, and he (Nova Prime) disappeared into the Dead Universe (along with the Matrix, we assume). Nova describes a bottomless well and a resonant tug on the Matrix. What happened next we don’t know (yet). But what is the Matrix (hm, that sounds familiar somehow)? Not telling. Not yet. But ’08 holds the answers: what it is, where it came from, what is does (then and now!). The Matrix (and what it’s become) will figure large in all that happens post-Devastation. The Matrix has been gone from the IDW/TF-verse for a long time, and its return will not necessarily be a thing of celebration.
17) Was it always the intention to introduce Acree to the IDW-verse, or was it as case of being suddenly struck with a workable idea? If so, what inspired the idea and story?
SF) I think once the nature of IDW/TF-verse Jhiaxus started to properly take shape, so the idea of doing an Arcee story became both workable and desirable (in the context of both a Spotlight and the larger story). To an extent, I wasn’t willing to go anywhere near Arcee (as a character) until I had worked out the whys and wherefores (in the IDW/TF-verse) of quote-unquote female Transformers and the whole issue of gender. Back when I was writing the first clutch of Spotlights, the idea of Arcee started to germinate. The Nightbeat Spotlight opened a door, and the involvement of Hot Rod just somehow made me want to get Arcee in there too, somehow, even though the two aren’t linked in the IDW/TF-verse. But even then I didn’t really have all the answers I needed (for myself) to properly introduce/write the character. I’ve been vocal about my resistance to the idea of gender in Transformers, so if Arcee existed (and she was a she), then I really needed to know exactly why that was (and how she and others react to that fact). Arcee, Combiners and Micromasters all have a common point of origin, in terms of forcing the evolution the Cybertronian race. Once I had that in mind, Arcee just seemed to work (and I had the motivation on both sides) as both a concept and a character.
18) As more people chip into building this new IDW/TF-verse continuity, are there any guidelines for what creators should/shouldn’t include to avoid clashing with other books?
SF) My main rule of thumb has always been (and remains), if it’s been done that way before, don’t do it again. It applies equally to me and, I hope, the other writers contributing to the IDW/TF-verse. Mostly, other than looking at what’s been established so far in the ‘ongoing’ arcs, the Spotlights and so forth and making sure new story elements don’t blow it all (in terms of the over-arcing story) out of the water, it’s just a matter of continually thinking outside of the box, and not falling back on classic G1 (knee-jerk) story/character traditions. Defy expectations. Turn characters on their heads. Assign them roles and functions that don’t necessarily match their classic G1 counterparts. And try and keep the story rolling onwards, rather than keep dipping back into what’s gone before (or if you do go back, make sure it has some present day/future resonance/pay off). On the IDW forums there’s a great thread, which painstakingly details who’s appeared, when and where. It’s very helpful, not least to me. The great thing about the way the IDW/TF-verse is set up is there are stories to tell that don’t necessarily have to be set on Earth. It’s been established that the war is spread out across many worlds, many frontiers, and that there are disparate groups of Decepticons (Infiltration units) and Autobots (Tactical Response units) involved, and that the ‘staged’ process established in Infiltration, Escalation and the like is underway on those other worlds too. So it’s reasonably straightforward to assemble a cast on some far-flung world and tell whatever kind of story you want to tell.
19) What goes into writing a new character who’s not been featured before? With, say, Sixshot was there a process involved in how he would act or did you look at tech specs or previous appearances in other mediums to get a basic idea?
I do at least start with the tech specs. Then, largely, I look for whatever it is in that character that interests or intrigues me, or seems to open the door to some kind of dramatic conflict (and if it’s not there, then I’ll start to rethink or flesh out the character more) and subsequent resolution (to a degree). With the Spotlights in particular I look for a way to give the reader an almost instant insight into what makes the character tick, and why we should care about or empathise with them. Good guy or bad guy, it’s necessary that the reader become involved with the character quickly. So if there’s nothing much there in terms of tech specs or previous appearances to start with, I’ll introduce something to lift the character out of a kind of template role. Taking Sixshot as an example, having divined that he’s this ‘living weapon,’ I thought, so what does that mean? (Both to us and to him.) Why should we care? How does he view himself? Is he happy being a living weapon? Might he, if given a way out, take it? And so forth. When addressing any character, I’m continually asking myself questions about them. First job really is to get myself interested. Once I am, it’s that much easier to get other people interested. Sometimes I actually prefer it when there’s little or nothing already there in black and white and I can just build the character from the ground up.
20) In Spotlight: Shockwave, did Shockwave beat the Dynobots or did he just destroy their organic covering forcing them into stasis lock? Any chance of a rematch?
SF) I think the answer to the first part of this question is that Shockwave beat the Dynobots by destroying their organic covering, at which point they went into stasis lock. Did he beat them? Yes. Would he, if they too had been resistant to the high levels of energon? Hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Grimlock, clearly, had foreseen the possibility of losing and planned an appropriate no-win scenario before ever setting foot on the planet. So maybe he won. Either which way, we do have something of another grudge match in the offing. Only this time it’s the Dynobots versus… ah, but that’d be telling. Whatever the case, stuff is set in motion in Spotlight Grimlock that will have huge repercussions. Will Shockwave figure in any of this? Maybe. Are the Dynobots coming back in 08? Definitely.
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