Transformers Cartoon News on Seibertron.com

Transformers Prime Tuesday Q&A: Background Designer Jason Park

Date: Tuesday, January 10th 2012 2:49pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, People News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): Transformers facebook page

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The Transformers facebook page has posted this week's Transformers Prime cast and crew Q&A session. This week it's Background Designer (and lifelong Transformers fan) Jason Park. The session is mirrored below for those without facebook access.

Amber Whetstine asks: I really like how the backgrounds have a painted look to them, so how do you create them for each episode?

JASON PARK: Thanks! I think the "painted look" is terrific too! However, I imagine the look you're referring to in the finished product is not so much my contribution to the process. As a background designer, I am responsible for the physical design of the place and its set-dressings. I generate the design as line drawing, usually accompanied by a basic 3D model. It is then given to the color team, to whom the look is attributable. All of the color team come from a strong foundation in traditional painting. They define the atmosphere, lighting and texture that gives TF Prime its unique look.


Abby Dillon asks: Hey! Thanks for all your work on the show! Is there any particular background that you would like to design for Transformers Prime? Why?

JASON PARK: Hmm... I guess I really dig doing designs for anything related to Cybertron as a location. As a kid watching G1 TF on TV, all the glimpses of Cybertron are what got my imagination racing the most. I'd just sit there trying to imagine it all. As such, chances to design sets there are the most rewarding for me. I get to add to a rich 20 year plus history of Cybertron designs and try to contribute my own touches to developing its fiction. It's like being an architect, but the clients are Autobots and Decepticons.


Kassie Kaye Terry asks: (1) How hard is it to design a background in the show? (2) Do you get any inspiration by traveling to Nevada or looking at different scenery? (3) Since you are a Transformers aficionado, how do you like the different designs of the characters from G1 to the present?

JASON PARK: 1. Some tasks and designs are more challenging than others, so the level of difficulty in designing can vary broadly.
2. Inspiration for me has definitely been enhanced by traveling to places such as Nevada in the past. As an artist and designer, I think all the experiences and places one visits, ultimately augment the believability of many set designs. Places one has experienced can lend a subtle depth that reference images alone can't convey.
3. Being a TF fan, primarily G1, I'd say the TF prime characters are easily my favorite since my childhood. The raw style and vision that Prime principal designer Jose Lopez brings to the design of the established characters is totally awesome. I think he culled the best elements of the previous existing incarnations and added a unique flair that really wasn't present in the franchise prior to his involvement. Very strong designs with a lot of flavor all around.


Rebecca Gillette asks: How long does it take on background designs alone per episode?

JASON PARK: In general, we're allotted about 3 weeks per episode, split between 3 artists and our supervisor. The actual time it takes to do the backgrounds can vary quite a bit though.

Hyper Hobby 02 / 12 Scans

Date: Monday, January 9th 2012 9:37pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Movie Related News, Toy News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): moDXtoys.com

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Views: 92,379

Courtesy of MoDXtoys.com we have the Transformers related scans from the February 2012 edition of Hyper Hobby magazine. In the scans mirrored below we see:

• Campaign Arms Microns: Blowpipe, Aimless, & Autobot Peaceman
• Takara Transformers Prime "First Edition" Voyagers: Optimus Prime and Bulkhead
• Takara Transformers Prime "First Edition" Deluxes: Cliffjumper, Arcee, Bumblebee, Vehicon, Starscream, and Megatron
• Kero Kero Ace Exclusive: EZ Collection Staracream
• United: UN-23 Rodimus Prime (with remolded engine block to accept a Micron), UN-24 Warpath, UN-25 G2 Megatron, UN-26 Thunderwing, UN-27 Windcharger/Wipeout
• DSM Exclusive: Deluxe Neoscanning Bumblebee

Transformers Prime Season Two and Transformers: Rescue Bots Premiering on February 18th

Date: Monday, January 9th 2012 3:29pm CST
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): The Hub

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Views: 35,012

Our friends at the Hub just sent us the following release regarding Transformers Prime Season 2 and Transformers: Rescue Bots returning in Feburary. Both series will be premiering on February 18th, Transformers: Rescue Bots in the morning at 9:00am PT/Noon ET and Transformers Prime season two that evening at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET.

Saturday, February 18, 2012 will be a Transformational Day as Hasbro Studios premieres season two of their hit series Transformers Prime, and its counterpart and new show "Transformers Rescue Bots." Tune-in as Optimus Prime and Team Prime continue the fight against the evil Decepticons. Then stay tuned as all new Bots take on all new missions in an all new series!
The battle to protect Earth continues . . .

LeVar Burton (Doc Greene), Jason Marsden(Kade Burns), Lacey Chabert(Dani Burns) and Steve Blum (Heatwave) star as the voices in new “Transformers Rescue Bots.”

The well-known and familiar voices of Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Frank Welker (Megatron), Steve Blum (Starscream) and Ernie Hudson (Agent Fowler) return in season two of Emmy® Award-winning “Transformers Prime.”

Jeff Kline executive produces both series and co-creator of Transformers Rescue Bots. For animation series aficionados, Kline’s producing/writing/development credits include: Extreme Ghostbusters, Men in Black: The Series, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Godzilla: The Series, Jackie Chan Adventures, Harold and the Purple Crayon and Dragon Tales.

All those above are dedicated to continue the level of excellence expected by Transformers loyal fan-base worldwide.

Links you should check out are:

Transformers Prime animated series: http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime

Transformers Rescue Bots new animated series: http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/rescue-bots

Hasbro Studios: http://www.hasbro.com/corporate/hasbro-studios/

The Hub: http://www.hubworld.com/

Steve Blum to Appear at Naka-Con 2012

Date: Saturday, January 7th 2012 12:52pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Event News, People News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): Naka-Con

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Views: 51,359

Voice actor Steve Blum will be attending this year's Naka-Con in Overland Park, Kansas. A great opportunity for Kansas fans to meet the voice talent behind Transformers Prime's Starscream and Transformers: Rescue Bot's Heatwave. Naka-Kon 2012 will be held at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas February 10th - 12th.

With literally hundreds of voice-over credits to his name, VO veteran Steve Blum is best known as the voice of "Spike Spiegel" from Cowboy Bebop, "Vincent Valentine" (Final Fantasy VII), "Leeron" (Gurren Lagann), "Wolverine" from several incarnations of X-Men (animated movies, games, the Wolverine and the X-Men TV Series and The Super Hero Squad Show), "Tom" (the robot host) from Cartoon Network's Toonami, "Green Goblin" from the Spectacular Spiderman series, "Heatblast," "Vilgax" and "Ghostfreak" from Ben 10, "Grunt" (Mass Effect 2), "Tank Dempsey" (Call of Duty), "Oghren" (DragonAge), the voice of 7-11, dozens of Digimon and a gigantic list of other characters from Anime, Video Games, TV and Film.

Currently he's working on the new super-charged CGI series Transformers: Prime, playing the delusional but deadly Decepticon Starscream!!

Check out more of Steve's stuff at steveblumvoices.com or at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089710/.

Transformers Prime Season Two and Transformers: Rescue Bots Premiering on February 18th

Date: Thursday, January 5th 2012 11:42pm CST
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): The Hub

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Views: 38,387

As a follow to our previous stories regarding Transformers Prime season two and Transformers: Rescue Bots returning to the Hub in February we now have the actual dates and times. Both series will be premiering on February 18th, Transformers: Rescue Bots in the morning at 9:00am PT/Noon ET and Transformers Prime season two that evening at 5:30pm PT/8:30pm ET. February 18th looks to be a Transformers filled day on the Hub!

Transformers Prime Q&A: Starscream Voice Actor Steve Blum

Date: Tuesday, January 3rd 2012 9:52am CST
Categories: Cartoon News, People News
Posted by: El Duque | Credit(s): Transformers facebook page

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The Transformers facebook page has posted this week's Transformers: Prime cast and crew Q&A session. This week we hear from voice actor Steve Blum, the voice of Transformers: Prime's Starscream. The Q&A session is mirrored below for those who may not have facebook access.

Edward C. Sizeland asks: How were you approached for the role? Given the nature of the character, as well as the history of the actors portraying him, how did you feel taking on that role?

STEVE BLUM: Along with all the other voice actors in the country, I auditioned from my home studio back in 2009, was fortunate enough to get a callback, and incredibly lucky to ultimately land it. This was one of the few characters in my career that I was actually nervous about. I have a huge respect for the franchise, for the fans of it and for the voice actors who originated the role. Taking on a character as iconic as Starscream is… in a word, humbling. I didn’t try to copy anything done before me, but I was well aware of the brilliance of my predecessors in their portrayals. Most notably in my mind – Chris Latta,Tom Kenny and Charlie Adler. I’m a huge fan of all three and Tom and Charlie are good friends of mine. Charlie is still voicing Starscream in the Movie franchise, so my first instinct upon getting the gig was to make sure Charlie was ok with it. I have tremendous respect and love for him as an actor and more importantly as my friend. I was relieved when he gave me his sincere blessing – and without a moment of hesitation. Class act, that guy. Anyway, that freed me to dive into Starscream head first and simply add another dimension to what had been done before me.
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Zach Fine asks: With Transformers voice credits ranging back to Robots in Disguise, to the recent video games, to Prime, and now Rescue Bots, do you believe your voice is becoming as iconic to the franchise as the likes of Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, and David Kaye?

STEVE BLUM: Ai yi yi! That’s a big question. Just to have my name uttered in the same paragraph as those guys still kinda gives me the 8-year-old fanboy squealies. I would never presume such a thing. I’m simply grateful to be part of it all and will continue to do what I can to honor the fans and creators of the show to the best of my ability. How my performance is ultimately perceived in the Transformers universe is up to you guys.
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Guy Cole asks: Do you always manage to leave the character behind when you leave the studio? Or have you ever had a little Starscream 'moment' afterwards?

STEVE BLUM: Funny question! If I do have Starscream ‘moments,’ it’s usually involuntary. It usually comes out when I’m by myself in my car, cursing in traffic in a stream of nasty non sequiturs. I would imagine Starscream’s internal dialogue would be very similar.
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Vera Didenko asks: My VO idols growing up included Mel Blanc, Casey Kasem, Charlie Adler, Jim Cummings, and Tress MacNeille. Who were your VO idols growing up?

STEVE BLUM: Well all of the above are WAY up there on my list too, among many of their contemporaries and successors. My earlier faves include June Foray, Sterling Holloway, Billy West, Peter Cullen, Maurice LaMarche, Rob Paulsen, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Jack Angel, Paul Winchell, Don Messick, Daws Butler… WAY too many to name. In recent years, Tom Kenny, Bob Bergen, James Arnold Taylor, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tara Strong, Grey Delisle, John Dimaggio, Dee Baker, Jeff Bennett… ok, this list is impossibly long – and I LOVE the casts I’m working with now, so I’ll continue in another interview, but you get the idea… As soon as I realized that Frank Welker did every animal, sound effect and creature voice in creation AND Scooby Doo, Freddie, and most of my favorite Disney characters, I’ve been fascinated with his work - and an enormous fan. Just on technical ability, range and richness of characters, he is my ultimate V/O hero. Getting to work with him and Peter is better than I ever imagined. It shocked me how kind, generous and fun they are - in every situation - no matter who they’re working with. Absolute pros. I think I can safely say that Frank and Peter are an inspiration to all of us. Yes, I still do have my fan boy moments, even now. I don’t take a second of this experience for granted.
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Rick McDowell asks: You've been a renowned voice actor in animation for years. I've followed many of the series you've lent your talents to, including shows like Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, The Big O, and Naruto. How does playing a sniveling backstabber like Starscream stack up with some of the more heroic characters you've fleshed out, like Spike Spiegel? Do you have more fun playing a bad guy of Starscream's calliber?

STEVE BLUM: Sniveling Backstabber… hmmm good name for a band! Rick, I chose your question because I thought it was interesting that an Anime fan asked it. Thrilled to have my otaku brothers and sisters tuning in!! As many of you know, I got my start in the business doing anime and have a special fondness for it. The depth of character development (warts and all) in the context of a cartoon is something that has often been present in Japanese animation, and thankfully in the better American shows too. I believe that we all have light and dark sides and I strive to explore both in my work – and all shades in between! Heroic characters like Spike Spiegel or even Wolverine also have a very dark side! They simply end up leaning toward the greater good. I enjoy playing stupid, and/or fun characters too! It’s the variety and complexity that gets me excited, no matter which direction of morality, sanity or competence is represented. Though he’s technically a robot, Starscream is a cornucopia of emotion. He may not have a good side, but there are so many levels to his bad that he’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever voiced.
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If I didn’t answer your question, you can track me down on my website at http://www.steveblumvoices.com/ , on Twitter (@blumspew), https://twitter.com/#!/blumspew or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Blu ... 1198170316

Thanks for letting me come play! Call me LORD!! -- Steve Blum

New Images of Transformers Prime First Wave Toys

Date: Monday, January 2nd 2012 5:33pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Toy News
Posted by: Blurrz | Credit(s): NTF-Archive.de, Lawless

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Views: 77,714

While Transformers fans from North America and Asia have had the pleasure of owning the 'First Edition' Transformers: Prime toys, it is far from the actual line. Our German friends at NTF-Archive.de have given us a little preview of what is to actually come from the main Prime toy line. The following can be seen below;

• Voyager Prime - Light Effects Prototype
• Deluxe Bumblebee - Robots In Disguise 'Second' Version
• Cyberverse Commander Megatron
• Cyberverse Legends/Legion Vehicon, Ratchet, Cliffjumper, Arcee and Bumblebee
• Cyberverse Vehicle Playset (Wheeljack with ship)

Seibertron.com - The Ultimate Transformers Resource!

Seibertron.com's Finest of 2011

Date: Sunday, January 1st 2012 10:41pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Movie Related News, Toy News, Site Articles, Unlicensed Products News
Posted by: Blurrz

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Views: 443,183

We wish you a Happy New Year! With hindsight, 2011 was a very eventful year for our beloved franchise.

Hasbro was finishing up their touches on summarizing our Generations, while Takara thought we could all get a little United. We were then treated to a blissful BotCon in Pasadena, where we all got a little Animated. With nearly half a year in the books, we were then treated to some eye-catching Michael Bay explosions. Dark Of The Moon was the climax of the much disputatious movie trilogy, and with it came waves and waves of new movie figures. While Transformers: Prime continued throughout the year on the HUB, it was only in the dwindling months in which we were pleased to welcome its toyline into our collections.

Now here I am today along with my fellow colleagues, to reflect on the occurrences of the past twelve months, and to share with you what our favorite things (mostly toys) of 2011 were. Before we get into the meat of the story, let me introduce to you who we are;

• I'm Blurrz - my taste of Transformers is as eclectic as it gets, but please don't call me a hipster!
• From the land down under comes Burn, our succinct, disgruntled and fashionably unfashionable HMW moderator.
• Counterpunch is the revered host of our Twincast/Podcast, and he's into the serious business of having fun.
• Laying the administration law down is Cyber Bishop, so make sure you're a saint (but not in the New Orleans Saints division!)
• The man with the quickest trigger finger in the galaxy, let me introduce our speedy news administrator El Duque
• He's a little bit lost, so please point our News Crew member Lost Cybertronian in the right direction!
• With a pile of loot that's always bigger than yours, say hello to staff member Mkall.
• The completionist ideal is never easy, just ask our News Crew and Twincast/Podcast member Razorclaw0000.

Now that you know a little bit about the men behind the usernames, we are going to share our thoughts on 2011 by explaining our choice in the following categories.

Transformers Figure of the Year
Favorite Transformers Toyline of 2011
Favorite 2011 Generations/Reveal The Shield/United Figure
Favorite 2011 Movie Figure
Favorite 2011 Transformers: Prime Figure
Favorite 2011 BotCon Exclusive Figure
Favorite 2011 Non-BotCon Exclusive Figure
Favorite 2011 Third Party Product
Your Favorite 2011 Transformers Moment
What you're looking forward to in 2012 for Transformers

Enjoy the read, and feel free to emulate us by responding to this topic!




Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus Prime

El Duque: Optimus Prime has always been my favorite character, and I was a G1 kid so this was an easy choice. This is the best representation of G1 Optimus Prime to date, and I never was that big of a fan of MP-01. I was always bothered by the weird shaped truck cab in vehicle mode. MP-10 greatly improved upon his vehicle mode, and alt modes are a big deal for me. Now to wait a few years for MP-20 Convoy Version 3.0!

Transformers Prime - Voyager Prime

Blurrz: Oh, just another Optimus Prime. Can't be that great right? WRONG! Taking this sucker out of the First Edition packaging was the best thing since making turtle burgers. You'll find exceptional articulation, beautiful detailing, a fun transformation, and just a solid toy all around. While it may have the aesthetics of Prime's predecessors 'Animated', and the 'Movieverse', Voyager Prime takes from them and simply leaves them behind. To me, it is the best Voyager Prime of all time. Even if you're not a fan of the series, this figure is designed extremely well. It is hopefully the cornerstone for Transformers toys in 2013 and beyond.

Reveal the Shield Lugnut

Mkall: Probably coming out of left field on this one, however I love the colours on the figure and the homage to the WWII bomber plane. I find that he has a lot of posability and a fairly straight forward transformation. He also came with the Punch of Kill Everything which wasn’t a necessary bonus, but one that many of us appreciate having.

Transformers Prime - Deluxe Starscream

Razorclaw0000: Coming out of left field right at the close of the year, Starscream is a near perfect replica of his on-screen persona. He has a smooth and intriguing transformation, drips charisma, and has as much articulation as some high end Japanese figures, whose main selling points are articulation! My only complaint is the soft rubber, but that's a losing battle to fight.

Generations Warpath

Cyber Bishop: For me, it has to be Generations Warpath. I love this toy, it's transformation is simple yet to the point. Excellent posability and size. Kup runs a close second.

Disappoint

Counterpunch: Probably one of the TF Prime voyagers, but I don't have either one of them yet. Due to this, I am abstaining from answering this question in protest of Hasbro not having these available alongside the show.



Generations/Reveal The Shield

Mkall: Yes they’re two seperate toylines, but we all know that it was a guise to get us more figures for the Classicverse line. With long-awaited characters like Blurr, Kup and Perceptor and even some surprises like Skullgrin and Thunderwing, this line is a G1er’s wet dream.

Counterpunch: This line is the best in my opinion for a few reasons. It provided us with a wide selection of classic characters. In more than a few instances, they are better than their Japanese counterparts (I'm looking at you Wheeljack. Scourge is debatable too). What's really great about the line is its ability to put characters that really define "obscurity" back on the shelves (Thunderwing, Skullgrin, Straxus, Black Shadow). It's astounding that these toys exist at all.

Lost Cybertronian: Generations was the line to make you proud to be a collector this year. The wide range of established characters as well as the obscure characters made this line a collectors dream. The first time I saw the prototype for Warpath, I nearly wet myself.

El Duque: Despite the line's unfortunate distribution issues it's still my favorite line of 2011. Wreck-Gar, Special Ops Jazz, Tracks, Lugnut all great figures. The rub signs are a little cheesy, but being a G1 kid they were a great nostalgia kick.

Cyber Bishop: It gave us superb reimaginings of Generation One figures such as Kup, Tracks, Wheeljack, and Warpath.

United

Blurrz: I just can't resist the shiny. With some fantastic molds decked out in bright shiny paint, and Power Core Combiner mini-cons being converted to Targetmasters, this line is just the best that was offered this year for me. Figures like Jazz, Tracks, Blurr and Frenzy/Rumble feel like musts for anyone buying into the Classics-verse.

Power Core Combiners

Razorclaw0000: Get your pitchforks and torches ready folks. Power Core Combiners ended in a good way, showing us exactly what the line could have been if we got passed the non-starter first Wave in a timely fashion. Heavytread makes a better Guzzle than DOTM Guzzle, while Skyhammer has one of the most distinctive jet modes in years. Finally, the sublime Undertow gives us a double homage to Waverider and Octopunch, and kicks rightful ass on his own. The final, controversial five pack, SpasticOverrun, does a great Stunticon vibe without tarnishing the names of the originals.

Kabaya Transformers Gum Box

Burn: As far as favorite Toyline for the year goes, there's no real one that stood out for me. I could easily pick figures from each line. But, like last year, the fun continued. So again, if I have to choose one, then Kabaya, I choose you!



United Tracks

Counterpunch: Holy Moly. No figure released in this line, this year better personifies its character. Not only is the shiny paint a step up over the domestic release, but it's so in-tune with who Tracks is as a narcissistic jerk that I love it all the more. Seeing the OG logo on the hood was just a bonus.

Generations Scourge

Razorclaw0000: Not the United version, whose strange blues diminish the elegance of the toy, the Generations version is an excellent update to an overlooked, but still iconic, figure. Doing away with the ridiculous flying space boat mode, Gen Scourge adopts a sleek orbital bomber configuration, managing to fit a complicated robot into a very compact alt-mode. In-wing weapon storage caps off an already great figure.

Generations Wheeljack

El Duque: Always been a fan of Wheeljack, and he was due for the Classic universe makeover. My Energon Downshift can finally go back into my Energon collection. Love the mold, and look forward to TFCC Runamuck and Runabout repaints!

Mkall: It was long overdue on this figure and Habro has certainly knocked it out of the park on this figure. The lines are sharp, the figure maintains the stocky-ness of the ogiginal character, and hasbro gave us a shoulder weapon that doubled as a wrench! That's something that I never expected to see.

United Blurr

Blurrz: While it might be the obvious choice for someone named Blurrz, it's more to it than that. While the mold is fantastic, and the Hasbro colors are solid, United just takes it to a whole different level. Many may complain about the very pale teals of United Blurr, as well as his shinyness, but it's a great homage to the Generation One toy that was plastered in teal and baby blue.

Generations Warpath

Lost Cybertronian: Tank alt modes for Transformers seem to be a dime a dozen now a days. However Warpath was a G1 update that was needed in the worst way. The Universe legends figure was great but the deluxe just blows it away. He was my favorite mini bot in the G1 days and his Generations figures doesn't dissapoint.

Burn: One figure stood out in this line for me. I love tank Transformers and Warpath has always been a rather unique character. This modern day update for him takes a G1 minibot and turns him into a well articulated figure.



Human Alliance Roadbuster

Counterpunch: This toy really marks for me what a movie toy needs to do. It's big enough to show off all the detail in the design and engineered well enough with tabs and slots to connect together that I actually enjoy handling it. The only flaw I'd mention isn't even something this toy did wrong, it's that all the HA Wreckers aren't in Guns-a-blazing mode.

Mkall: I don’t collect movie figures, but if I did, I suspect that Human Alliance Roadbuster would take this category. He looks to be in a league all his own in the line, with weapons out the wazoo and poseability too! From what I hear, his Transformation isn’t too bad either.

Cyber Bishop: I only have a couple so I will have to say Roadbuster.

Leader Sentinel Prime

El Duque: A complex figure that had me scratching my head several times during the initial transformation, but a great payoff when it's all said and done. Great alt mode, and weapons, big fan of the sword and shield.

Voyager Skyhammer

Burn: This is simple for me. Helicopter TFs i've found are more often miss than hit. Skyhammer not only hits, he blows the target away. Great design in both robot and alt mode. Highly poseable and Hasbro added a great feature with the rotator blades folding back behind him rather than becoming some useless weapon. Had they folded a second time to completely wrap around his body he would have been perfect.

Ultimate Optimus Prime

Lost Cybertronian: I know this is not the most popular choice but he is a very underrated figure that needs some love. Not only do you get Optimus Prime with trailer, it transforms into this imposing battle armor with a BFG. Since I grew up in the G1 era, I don't mind his overall brickness.

Half Track

Razorclaw0000: A cooler repaint to the excellent Sandstorm, Half Track edges out with his "moon buggy" deco. Super posable, with a buttery smooth transformation and cool gimmicks, this figure wins for the sheer fact he can nonchalantly hold his shotgun over his shoulder, ready to slag anything that moves.



NYCC Arcee/Arcee

Blurrz: Disregarding the very superior Voyager Prime figure, Arcee is also quite fun. It seems that as time progresses, the designs for Transformers get slimmer, and the plastic that's being used isn't getting any better. With Arcee's design, I just didn't think her figure would be pulled off well. But alas, I was wrong. Some say the pink and white just doesn't mesh well with the Prime aesthetics. Well you can't spell homage without OMG. Whether it's gaudy, tacky, or lipstick on a pig, it's still signalling back to the 80's, and there's nothing better than that.

Cyber Bishop: So far all I have is BB and Arcee and I really dig Arcee


Mkall: I really love the Arcee figure, it's probably one of the better bikerbots produced IMO. Extremely posable and matching up to her cartoon image perfectly. The only sad thing is that the human figure of Jack cannot ride her.

Starscream

Counterpunch: I'll eventually buy the Voyager Starscream for my display, but this toy is so good that I picked one up just to display/take pictures of with my other non-TF toys. There's more character in this design than in the entire Dark of the Moon Line.

Cliffjumper/Zombie Cliffjumper

Lost Cybertronian: How many opportunities do you get to own an official zombie version of a Transformer? Nuff said.

El Duque: Muscle car alt mode with Boss Hog style bull horns! Plus he's not a Bumblebee repaint. Shame he didn't last longer on the show. Bring on the zombie version! Also didn't hurt that his character was voice by the Rock.



Shattered Glass Thundercracker

Mkall: This figure is the definition of niche, which makes him al the cooler in my eyes. He’s either an add on to a three-years-past Botcon set, OR he’s a near-ringer to Action Master Thundercracker. His colours are *ahem* eye-catching, and the logo was done so that one doesn’t even need reprolabels to re-cast the figure. I love him!

Razorclaw0000: Barring the long in the tooth Shattered Glass concept, G2 Thundercracker is fan-wank incarnate. Stuffing six eye-searing colors into one familiar package, Fun Pub managed to transcend awful, and wrap all the way around to amazing. While the mold is as tired as the SG concept, the execution still brings a smile to my eye.

Toxitron

Lost Cybertronian: This catagory was the hardest one for me to decide. This is the first year that I bought into botcon toys because I love Transformers Animated. The Stunticon Job boxset was a pure genius idea, so my favorite figure is their unofficial member Toxitron. He is an obscure character and an awesome repaint of the Optimus Prime mold and I love the Bizarro type personality he was given in the Stunticon Job comic.

Wildrider

El Duque: Can't get enough of this mold, or Tranformers Animated for that matter. Such a great figure in both modes and the new head mold was just icing on the cake. This guy really looks wild.

G2 Sideswipe

Blurrz: Certainly not as fortunate as Razorclaw0000 last year (yes, I'm jelly) when he got a seat in the customization class for the Classics G2 Sideswipe. So getting the Animated version in G2 Sideswipe colors was the next best thing, sort of. Well it's still not as cool. *Shakes fist at Razorclaw0000*. The Rodimus mold is one of my favorites from the Animated toyline, and the Breakdown head sculpt adds to the figure's flair. Racing stripes are a nice addition, and nothing like colorless clear plastic =3.

Autotrooper

Counterpunch: This is the true calling for this mold. The white is crisp and actually...you know, white. (Hasbro, take notice) The details are sharp and the clear blue plastic on these really makes the deco. Well worth picking up a set of three (and a KP Auto Trooper so that you have a little Atari to go with them).



e-Hobby United Autobot Set (Hot Rod, Scrapheap, Kup)

El Duque: I'm cheating but they came in a three-pack so I'm listing all three. I was mainly buying this set to get Scapheap, but upon having them in hand I realized how much more G1 accurate Kup was, and the weird greenish blue translucent Hot Rod ain't bad either. I almost passed up on the set since I initially only wanted Scrapheap, but other two were a pleasant surprise.

Counterpunch: The thing is, they just got Kup right. He's the original toy color, which is really fun and the way in which the damage is detailed onto him is really befitting for Kup. I use this as my original Kup in my Classics display and United Kup as my Targetmaster Kup.

Amazon Unicron

Razorclaw0000: Hasbro found a way for me to like the fat face Takara developed for 2010 Unicron, in a remarkable way. Perfectly capturing Unicron's Movie appearance, Amazonacron stays second only to the near unobtainable Shining Unicron as my favorite treatment of that mold. The light blues and rich oranges pop.

e-Hobby United Decepticon Set (Galvatron, Scourge, Cyclonus)

Razorclaw0000: Speaking of the '86 Movie, the E-Hobby Decepticon set, still comparatively unpopular, captures the scant few seconds during the movie when Unicron reformats the broken husks of Decepticons into his new heralds. Crystal purple so delicious it's almost lickable, the set captures, to me, exactly what an exclusive should be: balls-deep crazy.

Million Publishing United Stepper

Lost Cybertronian: I know I don't own this figure (I will) but I have two versions of the mold. This repaint is the next logical step of the Reveal The Shield Jazz mold. The pictures that we have been treated to are just sublime and the paint job does the character justice. Plus, he comes with a Targetmaster.

Dark WFC Prime and Megatron

Mkall: This set is completely underappreciated. Not only do you get two solid figures from the Generations line, you get some of their best colourings to date! Prime in Black is always pleasing, and this time he even has Decepticon Symbols! Megatron on the other hand steals the show. I can’t stop looking at the awesomeness that is his paint job. My only question is when are we going to see a Good Guy Megs repaint?

Takara Exclusive United Micron Haywire

Blurrz: Out of all the exclusives, this is simply my favorite. The Power Core Combiners mini-cons were really sloppy in my opinion, so when Takara decided to go out and turn them into Targetmasters for a handful of their United figures, I was ecstatic. He has a bit of a problem staying in Blurr's hand, but the additional firepower is much appreciated. Certainly a must for any hardcore Blurr fans! (Just me, right?)




FansProject Stormbomb

Counterpunch: Three Insecticons...all of which are great fun, but in my opinion, Stormbomb aka Bombshell is the best. His insect mode lacks the issues that the other two have (Thundershred having odd tolerances and Backfiery's wings being immobile for the most part). The weapons grant the figure a lot of versatility in how the figure is posed and displayed..

SFX Scouting Force X

Razorclaw0000: I was tempted to be a dick and say the Night Ops version, but the regular is a great homage from Perfect Effect to the cartoon versions of Spectro, Spyglass, and Viewfinder. Now, however, they're tired of being the little guys come loaded with weapons and ready to take down the likes of Omega Supreme. A crazy amount of accessories, which all neatly and perfectly combine into a somewhat absurd purple camera, this set is tons of fun with tons of character.

Mkall: These little guys are the perfect example of what 3rd parties should be doing for the fandom. Let Hasbro work with the bread and butter of the hobby and let 3rd parties only make the figures that the general public wouldn't care for. These guys take a really poorly thought-out and portrayed character(s) from G1 and allow them to stand as equals on collectors' shelves. They are similar enough to be recognizable, and yet portrayed with a new bad-ass role.

TFC Toys Hercules Figures

El Duque: G1 Devastator/Constructicons is my favorite combiner hands down, and to finally have a properly updated version of these guys is a dream come true. Sure they've hit some snags along the way concerning QC, but they've been quick to address them and take steps to correct. I cannot wait to complete this guy. In fact I'm so pumped I'm getting two sets!

FansProject's CA-02 Flameblast

Blurrz:I'm a big fan of space shuttle Transformers, so when you take FansProject's brilliant Explorer figure, and repaint into the colors of an actual space shuttle, I'm game. Dual pistols and a sword are also why I'm drawn to this being my favorite third party figure of the year.

i-Gear MP Coneheads

Lost Cybertronian: I couldn't pick just one conehead as my favorite because they look better in a group. Igear took the MP seeker mold and improved on it with great quality. They gave us MP figures that Hastak may or may not ever get to. They really help fill in the MP seeker ranks.

XTransbots Glider

Cyber Bishop: This is what PG could have been if imagined and executed correctly by Hasbro, not that joke of a PG fig they released with the movie like.



Dark of the Moon

Razorclaw0000: Say what you will about Michael Bay, but he really solidified the Transformers Movie brand with Dark of the Moon. Epic in many ways, and two and half hours of non-stop fun, the movie did a great job of reminding us to not take the franchise so seriously, and lighten up. Also, Alan Tudyk stole ever single scene he was in.

Counterpunch: I don't give a gawddamn what anyone else has to say on the matter. It was a fun movie to watch and I got to do so with ten or so of my closest TF buddies. Those opportunities don't come along every day.

Cyber Bishop: I really enjoyed DOTM.. It was a great summer popcorn action flick that had giant transforming robots blowing each other to hell.. What more could you ask for?

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron VGA Trailer

El Duque: This may seem like a minor event is a year with so much other big Transformers news, but this did it for me. Something about seeing Optimus Prime carrying an injured Bumblebee, Bruticus combine, and Grimlock's transformation with The Humbling River playing in the background sent chills down my spine.

Transformers Prime

Lost Cybertronian: After that tease we got with Darkness Rising last year, the cartoon went full steam ahead this year. While the episodes were hit and miss sometimes, this season sets up what will turn out to be a worthy series.

Victoria Toy Fair 2011

Blurrz: Meeting great people, meeting the masterminds behind the third party scene, and being able to cover all of that for this wonderful site. Certainly a great event hosted by Cherry Bomb Toys, and a taste of even greater times to be had in the upcoming years

Botcon 2011 Hall of Fame: Erector

Mkall: Right from the outset I knew that the campaign to get Erector into the Hall of Fame would fail. Call it intuition, logical thinking, psychic ability, whatever; I knew that the campaign to get him in would not work. What I did not expect was the extent Hasbro would go to to at least make it fail with flare. I still want to see the Erector concept art they came up with during the video they showed. Finally I laughed a lot when Aaron Archer came out on stage and basically said “We all had our fun, but this isn’t going to happen again.” To me that showed how seriously Hasbro holds the TF brand – they’re willing to have a bunch of fun with it, but they know when to say that’s enough.

The Unpacking

Burn: This one is strictly personal, but for me, it was getting my own home and finally being able to unpack my boxes and boxes of TF's and get them on display.



More Transformers Prime Toys

Mkall: It’s going to rock, plain and simple. I don’t know if the Prime characters were designed with toys in mind, or if Hasbro had to get creative in coming up with the likenesses, but each figure is an uncannily accurate version of the show, and there’s human figures (whether you like them or not). There is very little I can find in any of the figures previewed that makes me not want them more! 2012 may be the end of the world, but at least I’ll die a happy collector!*

Razorclaw0000: I'm very excited for the rest of the First Edition figures to make their way to retail in the US. (Damn you Canada!) With three figures in my hand, and a few exclusives already sealed away, I'm giddy at what more we will get. Bulkhead and Prime look to be standup figures, and some of the prototypes we've seen at SDCC have me excited for a full size line.

Burn: The only thing interest me currently is getting Prime figures into Australian stores.

Cyber Bishop: Seeing the new Prime toys and whatever generations surprises they pop out @ Toyfair and Botcon

Finishing TFCToys Hercules

Counterpunch: It'll be a long time coming, but when that bad-boy is all together, shelf space will be cleared. Autobots will cower in fear. Devastation will have come
home...

El Duque: This has been a long and costly endeavour, but I think the end result will be worth it. To finally have a proper six figure Devastator figure on my Classics shelf is something I've dreamed about since the first Classics figures debuted.

Mastermind Creations Sixshot

Blurrz: Seeing this prototype in person blew my mind. I never grasped the thought of it being of such size, but it's a freaking behemoth. I simply can't wait to get this when it's released! A leader class figure, with a multitude of weapons and a plethora of different modes, it's just simply amazing.

G1 Uppers Menasor Combiner

Lost Cybertronian: I love combiners and I love the Botcon Stunticon Job boxset. They are two great tastes that taste great together and I have high hopes that these guys can turn the Animated Stunticons into the lovely Menasor they deserve to be.


There you have it. Once again, Happy 2012!

~Blurrz
Seibertron.com News Crew