Transformers News

Transformers Mosaic: "Way to Fall"

Date: Saturday, October 24th 2009 2:06am CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Site Articles
Posted by: Blurrz | Credit(s): Richter
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The Universe of the Transformers is vast, and populated by many characters. Their universe is a large tapestry, made up of the stories and points of view of countless experiences that serve the larger whole.

These are some of those stories. This is:


It should be noted that while this project has been recognized by IDW Publishing and Hasbro, none of the works presented have been commissioned or solicited by either company. The stories are not official canon, except where noted. These stories are the result of Transformers enthusiasts taking the time out of their busy days to contribute to a universe they love. No one has been paid for the production of these stories.

For all Transformers Mosaics issues, click here

Transformers Mosaic FAQ, click here

WAY TO FALL

Story and art:

MADMAN ( Ivan Mas ) http://robot1979.deviantart.com/

Madman Headmasters DVD Cover Art By Guido Guidi

Date: Tuesday, July 7th 2009 7:47pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Media, People News
Posted by: tigertracks 24 | Credit(s): Guido Guidi, deviantart
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The title says it all. Check out Guido's deviantart page for the full size image of the 4 warriors, Fortress Maximus, MegaZarak, and the Decepticon Headmasters.

Please note, this is for the MADMAN DVD release, not for a release by Shout! Factory. Thanks to Guido for sharing this awesome image.



Seibertron.com for all of your Transformers news and resource needs.

Vector Sigma Database
Comprehensive Photo Galleries
Most Recent Transformers News

BBTS Update: New Arrivals and Preorders

Date: Saturday, June 27th 2009 6:33pm CDT
Categories: Movie News, Site News, Store News, Toy News
Posted by: Savage | Credit(s): Joel at BBTS
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I just received the following message from BBTS. They're receiving a lot of new stuff right now, including the ROTF Devastator Set. Read the full list below:

--------------
NEW PREORDERS:
--------------


STAR TREK MOVIE FIGURES - NEW 3-3/4", 6", 12"
We've just received info on the second wave of Star Trek movie figures.
Preorders are now available for sets of figures in all three of the
different sizes. There are more great characters as well as some
creatures in these waves.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... +Series+02



TRANSFORMERS II ROTF DEVASTATOR SET
Hasbro has just given us the okay to list the mighty Devastator set from
ROTF. This huge set has just started shipping to us, we should be
receiving stock relatively soon - check it out here at $109.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



TF CUSTOM ACCESSORY: IG-TF007 COMPUTER CONTROL CENTER
Another awesome accessory set aimed for use with TF Classics & Henkei
figures. This set comes with a variety of pieces that assemble to create
a home base for your favorite figures.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



TERMINATOR: SALVATION HOT TOYS T-600 FIGURE - WEATHERED RUBBER SKIN
VERSION
Another fantastic new figure from Hot Toys - the T-600 comes with
interchangeable fleshy parts so you can display in a mode that appears
more human, or more robot. Preorders have been listed at $169.99 - take
a look here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail




REAL ACTION HEROES SOLID SNAKE - TIGER STRIPE & SQUARE CAMO VERSIONS
Medicom has just released info on two new iterations of Snake - in both
Tiger Stripe and Square Camo versions. Both figures look pretty tough
and are up for preorder at $177.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu ... egory=3463


ELEKTRA 14.5" COMIQUETTE
Sideshow's popular comquette line gets another hot addition - Elektra
features a skin-tight red jumpsuit and stands around 14" tall - preorders
available now at $199.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail




H.R. GIGER - BOOKS, FINE ART POSTERS, LITHOGRAPHS
A wide variety of prints, posters, books and calendars are now available
to preorder. There are a variety of very high-end pieces as well as quite
a few affordable items. Giger fans should be able to find something they
love on this menu:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=496



STAR TREK MOVIE UTILITY BELT
Another new addition from Playmates, the Utility belt will hold both a
communicator and phaser - which are included for just $27.99 total. Take
a look at this new item here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



DIABLO III 'OVERTHROWN' STATUE
Sideshow has finally released full images of the first piece in their new
series of Diablo III figures. This statue features an axe-wielding
warrior class character. Preorders are up at $25 under MSRP.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



LIFE-SIZED LOTHLORIEN BOW OF LEGOLAS REPLICA
While this 66" replica of Legolas's bow may not be function, it definitely
is cool and would look great on the wall. Preorders are available now at
$299.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



DEVIL MAY CRY 4 NERO ARTFX STATUE
Koto brings you excellent PVC statues from one of the best hit games,
"Devil May Cry". Nero is now available as a 10 1/2" tall Artfx Statue.
Nero comes with his signature weapons: "Blue Rose" and the sword "Red
Queen".
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



METAL GEARS SOLID 20th ANNIVERSARY KUBRICKS SERIES 2 - BOX OF 24
The first wave of Metal Gear kubricks proved to be very popular, we are
happy to now list the 2nd set - boxes of 24 will contain at least 6 or 7
different characters and may also include a mystery chase figure.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



BATTLESTAR GALACTICA LITTLE FRAKKIN' CYLON & STARBUCK ANIMATED MAQUETTES
Two new maquettes from Quantum Mechanix - both the Cylon and Starbuck have
been listed at $64.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... Frakkin%27



FINAL FANTASY VII GAME EDITION PLAY ARTS FIGURES
Aerith, Cloud and Tifa round out the lineup for the FFVII Game Edition
play arts figures - these are available now at $23.99 each:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... ME+EDITION



SHOCKER TOYS EXCLUSIVE FIGURES
Choose from Dick Tracy, Mallow urban vinyl figures, and Wizard World
Philly Maxx figures - take a look here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... +exclusive



STREET FIGHTER 1/6 SCALE AKUMA 'RAGING DEMON' STATUE
This is a great looking new statue from Sota, they were definitely able to
capture the evil demon look that they were going for. Preorders have been
listed $30 under MSRP at $89.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



MLP DESIGNER PONY BY JUNKO MIZUNO
This cool new pony was designed by Japanese artist Junko Mizuno. The
2008 Art Pony set was very well received and sold out quickly. Reserver
your 2009 pony at just $17.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



BUFFY & ANGEL FIGURINE COLLECTION #01 - BUFFY LEAD FIGURE & MAGAZINE
The first in a new series of collector lead figures and character
magazines. The Marvel and DC format of these collectibles has been
extremely popular, its great to see some new Buffy merchandise hitting the
shelves again.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail




ALIENS POWER LOADER POLYSTONE DIORAMA
Sideshow does a great job sculpting Ripley in the Power Loader, this is a
fairly large and high-end piece with MSRP of $300 - take a look here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



IRON MAN BATTLE-DAMAGED LIFE-SIZED BUST
Another giant 1:1 scale bust from Sideshow. This one features the
favored Mark III armor with some slight battle damage and paint apps.
Preorders have been listed $50 under MSRP at $649.99. We also have the
regular 1:1 version in stock now
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail




FANTASY FIGURE GALLERY - SCULPTOR ORIGINALS FELICIA ANDRESS
Another beautiful and scantily clad female statue from Yamato, this one is
limited to just 1007 pieces. Felicia is on hands and knees with gun drawn
as she hunts for enemies.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



STAR WARS - OFFICIAL STARSHIPS & VEHICLES COLLECTION
This cool series features miniature metal models of all the greatest ships
from Star Wars. Each set also features a magazine with background info
and specs on the ship. All the sets are priced at $16.99 each.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu ... egory=5761

EVEN MORE NEW PREORDERS:

SATURDAY TOYS 1/6 SCALE USMC MERIT'S EXCLUSIVE VERSION 2.0
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail


STREET FIGHTER AKUMA 10" BUST
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail


TMNT BATSU FIGURES SERIES 1 SET OF 4
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail


GODZILLA 2009 6" & 11" CASES
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... zilla+2009

EVANGELION - REI AYANAMI WITH ENTRY PLUG INTERIOR FIGURE
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail


PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN WDCC STATUES, OPENING TITLE PLAQUE
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... =POTC+WDCC

DINOSAURIA STYRACOSAURUS MAQUETTE
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail




-------------
NEW ARRIVALS:
-------------

DC CLASSIC TWO-PACKS SUPERMAN & BRAINIAC
DC CLASSIC TWO-PACKS BATMAN & CLAYFACE
Fresh off the truck from Mattel, these two-packs were only available
through special channels from Mattel. Its unlikely we'll be able to get
more of these after the initial shipment runs out - so be sure to check
the figures out here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail


http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



1:2 SCALE JOKER BUST - DARK KNIGHT
Continuing the excitement of the smash hit The Dark Knight, DC Direct
offers yet another incredible collectors' item: The Dark Knight: The Joker
1:2 Scale Bust! The bust features a movie-accurate likeness of The Joker,
including stunning facial details and the MADMAN's unique fabric costume,
which is finely tailored to the cold-cast porcelain body. In stock now at
$234.99 - $60 below MSRP


TERMINATOR SALVATION BUSTS
All 5 of the new Salvation busts from DC Direct are now in stock at
$64.99. Choose from Blair, Kyle, Marcus, T-600 and T-RIP
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu ... company=40


HELLBOY BIG BABY 1:1 SHOTGUN REPLICA
This very cool prop replica measures about 28" long - The Big Baby Prop
Replica features six removable shells and a musical wind-up feature that
plays the tune Lullaby and Goodnight, and comes complete with a sturdy
display base. In stock now at $50 under MSRP - $699.99

FUTURAMA SERIES 6 SET
Good news, everyone! This latest assortment of Futurama action figures is
all woman! Available here are Leela, in her secret identity as
Clobberella, and Amy Wong, Planet Express intern and intergalactic
heiress. Each action figure features multiple points of articulation and
character-specific accessories, as well as the final components needed to
build the fiendishly jolly Robot Santa.
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



BLEACH SERIES 4 SET
Each fully articulated figure is authentically styled to match its
animated counterpart, and features display bases and character-specific
accessories. Series 4 features Kisuke Urahara (with fan and cane
accessories) and Soul Reaper Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya (with sword
accessory). In stock now at $25.99
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail



UNI-FORMZ MODERN BATMAN
Grab the new Uni-Formz Batman for just $44.99, or if you'd like to get the
full set of 3 (both variants packed only 1 per master case) - they are in
stock at $164.99 - new from DC Direct
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/sear ... rmz+batman


STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Hasbro's revival of the Strawberry Shortcake line is paying off, these
figures are proving to be popular in certain circles and they have started
to arrive - take a look at whats in stock and what is coming here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=2026

LITTLEST PET SHOP
Collectible Pets waves A4 and B4 are in stock now and we've also restocked
a variety of previous waves - most cases are in the $30 to $32 range -
take a look here:
http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu ... egory=4967

Madman Complete Transformers DVD Releases

Date: Thursday, June 18th 2009 5:36pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Sponsor News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman Entertainment
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If Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is leaving you wanting more Transformers goodness, head on over to Madman.com and pre-order their soon-to-be-released complete Transformers Collections.

Due for release from June 24th 2009 are three complete collections:

The Complete Generation 1 collection
The Complete Japanese G1 collection and
The Complete Beast Wars collection

Each complete collection comes with all episodes for each series (98 for the G1 collection, 110 for the Japanese G1 collection, and 52 for the Beast Wars collection), as well as being jam packed full of extras such as television commercials, interviews with voice cast and crew, and toy galleries from Seibertron.com.

Each set will retail for AU$99.95. Be warned that those living outside of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region will need a multi-region or unlocked DVD player in order to watch both the Beast Wars and G1 sets, as both are encoded in region 4 PAL, while the Japanese G1 complete collection is region free.

Also due for release on June 24th is the original 1986 Transformers feature film on Bluray, with extra including "The Touch" music video clip, a Q&A with Peter Cullen, the Scramble City movie tie-in episode and more.

For more information regarding all of MADMAN's June 24th releases please click here.

Review of Shout Factory's Transformers - Complete 1st Season

Date: Monday, June 15th 2009 10:28pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Collectables, Media, Reviews
Posted by: Seibertron
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Shout Factory's highly anticipated set of The Transformers - The Complete First Season will be released at various retail stores tomorrow on June 16th, 2009. I received a copy of it a few weeks ago and was very pleased with this set, even though we all know it's just a teaser product until the complete series is released on DVD next month. This is the first time that Season 1 has been available in the States since Rhino released it back in 2002. For those of you who are fans of the original series, I'd highly recommend that you look into the products coming from Shout Factory. I think you'll be pleased with their efforts.





The packaging for this set is nicer than it appears in various images online. The Transformers title, Optimus Prime and Megatron are embossed on the front of the packaging which are printed on a foil slip cover box. The case for discs one and two feature artwork of Megatron, Optimus Prime and Starscream on the front and Jazz on the back. The case for the third disc features artwork of Optimus Prime and Megatron battling with their energy weapons on the front and artwork of Soundwave on the back.

This set also includes some additional items in the package such as a black-and-white Autobot symbol magnet, a flyer for the Transformers Collector's Club, a flyer for Shout Factory's GI Joe season 1.1 DVD set which has an ad for IDW's Transformers graphic novels on the back. It also includes a sharp looking booklet that list details for each episode.

The animated menus feature various characters from this season such as Jazz, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ravage, 3 Seekers, Laserbeak, and Starscream. The music from the closing credits play while watching the menus. The Autobot character animations are separated from the Decepticons by the Autobot/Decepticon scene change animation.

If you choose to play a specific episode, you do not have the ability to select a specific chapter for that episode. However, each episode is divided into 6 to 8 chapters which will allow you to skip easily through an episode. The opening sequence and ending credits are each their own chapter which is nice for those of you who do not like watching those parts over and over again.

If you choose to play all episodes, you are presented with the option to play multi-part episodes seamlessly. This function allows you to watch the multi-part episodes without seeing the opening and closing sequences between each episode. This feature is great for watching the 3 part "More Than Meets The Eye" pilot as well as the 3 part "Ultimate Doom" episodes.

The bumpers are in place before and after "commercial breaks", which I enjoy seeing. It appears that the bumpers are at the end of each chapter (excluding the opening and closing sequences of each episode).

Unlike the Australian MADMAN release from a couple of years ago, these episodes all have the correct season one opening sequence whereas the MADMAN release in 2007 had the incorrect season 2 sequence.

The colors are beautiful in this version from Shout Factory. The colors just look "right"! So much so that I busted out the Australian MADMAN version which has really plain colors though the scene I compared in the Rhino version looks about the same so I wouldn't say it's a drastic improvement over that version. Perhaps the colors are more saturated? The episode booklet includes a special note which explains what Shout Factory did to "restore" these episodes.

Shout Factory wrote:
Transformers DVDs released prior to our 25th Anniversary Edition were missing animation seen in the original broadcast. We did extensive research, found the discrepancies between the original broadcast masters and the restored masters used for the last DVD release, reinserted the correct animation, and color corrected it as best we could to match the shots before and after. But because a one-inch master tape simply can't hold up to the quality of the restored masters, you may notice occasional shots - or even scenes - in some episodes that seem slightly softer than others. Just take comfort in knowing that laser blasts have been reinserted, backgrounds have been corrected and Starscream is Starscream once again.

The entire 16 episodes from Season One are included in this box set. The episodes appear on the disks in production order. The contents of this 3 disc set are as follows:

DISC ONE
-------------------------------------------------
1. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 1)
2. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 2)
3. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 3)
4. Transport to Oblivion
5. Roll for It
6. Divide and Conquer
7. Fire in the Sky
8. S.O.S. Dinobots

DISC TWO
-------------------------------------------------
9. Fire on the Mountain
10. War of the Dinobots
11. The Ultimate Doom: Brainwash (Part 1)
12. The Ultimate Doom: Search (Part 2)
13. The Ultimate Doom: Revival (Part 3)
14. Countdown to Extinction
15. A Plague of Insecticons
16. Heavy Metal War

DISC THREE
-------------------------------------------------
1. Triple Changer: From Toy To Comic To Screen - The Origins Of The Transformers: An in-depth and insightful look at the many lives of The Transformers, from action figures to comic books, animated series and blockbuster feature films. Includes brand-new interviews with those most responsible for the success of The Transformers.
2. A Printable Script of "Transport to Oblivion"
3. Rare PSA (featuring Bumblebee) NOTE: This was included with the other four PSAs on a previous set from Rhino
4. Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials

My favorite part of this set is the new documentary on the 3rd disc, "Triple Changer". There were a few tidbits of new information that I learned from watching this documentary ... which really says a lot coming from a fan such as myself who knows The Transformers inside and out and who has been watching Transformers cartoons since the first pilot episode aired about 25 years ago. The documentary, to say the least, wasn't boring. I've seen some really shoddy documentaries and interviews done on previous Transformers box sets in the past and I have to say that this one from Shout Factory was really well done. It was nice seeing some of the folks we've all grown to love from Hasbro as well as some old time favorites like Bacal (from Sunbow) and Budiansky (from Marvel).


B Ward from Shout Factory summed up what they did to make this version of The Transformers special. Here's what he had to say on Shout Factory's web site:

B Ward from Shout Factory wrote

Okay, so since Garson has officially launched information about the recent Hasbro deal, I have been authorized to come in and discuss all things Transformers and G.I. Joe (another thread) with only a couple of exceptions. Until the official press release about the complete series sets come out, I cannot go into detail about the dates or what will be different from the season sets. All I can say about that is that they will be out this year and there WILL be bonus material on the complete series sets that will NOT be included in the individual sets. And if you know me, you know I've tried to make it worth it.

So...

There is something you should know, regarding this thread. It is the ONLY thread I'll read on the topic of Transformers and, most certainly, the only thread to which I'll respond. You guys really like to create new threads for every single question and, frankly, I don't have the time within my REALLY BUSY schedule to go through and answer multiple threads. So read this one. Post any questions you have into this one. And you should get my responses within a reasonably timely fashion.

Here goes...

I am currently working on 40-ish DVDs worth of material for Shout! Factory. Sixteen of those discs are Transformers, the original animated series from Sunbow. This is an absolute dream come true for me. I'm 31 years old and grew up watching the series, as well as collecting the toys and comics. So I know my stuff. Long before I was producing DVDs, I was buying them. And, yes, I bought the original releases from Rhino. I know what was good about them and I know what was bad about them, not because I did extensive research (which I still did), but because I was also a fan praising what deserved praise and criticizing what deserved criticism. That being said...

The S1 Packaging
I've seen some divided opinions regarding the cover art for Season One online. A lot of people really seem to like it. Some don't. But in many cases of the more dissenting opinions, people complain that it doesn't look "special" enough. I agree that what you see online doesn't adequately reflect the special treatment Shout! Factory is giving the series. However, I will argue that you haven't seen the art in person. What can't be displayed in a .JPG online is the type of treatment the slipcase is getting. The title treatment and characters will be fully embossed and the background will be BEAUTIFULLY printed on a shiny foil board that really makes those background colors POP. Unfortunately, you can't see the effect in a photo, but I will say that there will be no doubt (or, at least, there shouldn't be) that the set is "special" when it hits store shelves.

The Masters
Hasbro provided us with the same masters Rhino used for their releases. HOWEVER... There have been changes made. I, personally, went to New York, where the original broadcast one-inch masters are housed, and found each of the problem areas, in regards to animation. Before the question is asked, I'll answer it now. The one-inch masters have not physically held up well over the years. In some cases, they're nearly unwatchable. Therefore, instead of simply transferring and using masters of the one-inches, we found every instance of faulty animation demonstrated on a YouTube video or mentioned in a rundown we could find online (and even found some of our own) and corrected them, replacing the faulty digibeta master material with the best-quality one-inch source material. Finally, we color corrected everything to match--as best we could--the shots before and after. Surprisingly, unless you know specifically what you're looking for, you won't even notice many of the instances of slightly softer picture. It looks REALLY good.

The Audio
We chucked the Rhino audio. You will no longer hear additional sound effects or music, not previously heard in the broadcasts. We went back to the original source mono and created a nice stereo track to even out the audio. It sounds really nice.

The Bonus Features
There are very few bonus materials from the original releases that are specifically related to G1 and what interviews are there tend to be long, relatively drawn out and have no cutaways. In short, they're kinda boring. I've spent the last month or so traveling to Rhode Island, New York and back interviewing as many people as possible that had something to do with this incarnation of the series. In some cases, I talk to original Hasbro toy designers. In others, I'm talking to original comic writers and editors. And in even others, I'm talking to the gang behind the series, itself. And, yes, that includes the voice talent.

I will also have commercials from the appropriate seasons. In other words, you won't see a commercial for the Sharkticons on the season one release. Something you should know about the commercials is this: the quality of what you're accustomed to seeing on YouTube and other DVDs is pretty much what you're going to get here. And it's for one simple reason. No one ever anticipated the future lives of commercials, when they were first being broadcast. So Hasbro never kept high-quality masters. They kept VHS screeners of their commercials, strictly for reference later. So when you say, "why couldn't they get the original copies from Hasbro?", we actually did. Still, there are some pretty cool commercials here and I'm looking forward to having them included.

There's a bunch of other stuff that will be included. I don't really want to get too detailed and bogged down here and now. But I do want you to know that this property is being handled with care by folks that loved the franchise far prior to its acquisition at Shout! Factory. Now, with all of that said, let the comments, concerns and questions begin.

Brian

Madman Transformers Complete DVD Collections

Date: Thursday, April 30th 2009 6:59pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Sponsor News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman Entertainment
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While this will not interest those who already own every Transformers series on DVD, it is good news for those fans who want to collect the Transformers series on DVD, but are yet to do so.

Just in time for the release of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen live action film, our good friends Madman Entertainment will be releasing "Complete Collections" for three classic Transformers Series this June.

First up is the re-release of the sold out Transformers Generation 1 Complete Collection. This set contains all of the same goodies as the original release, but this time comes packed in a Decepticon themed tin, and at a lower price. The special features and additional extra's include:
- 16 page booklet: Containing exclusive comic by Simon Furman
- Interviews: With key figures from Transformer's 25 year history
- Animated Public Service Announcements
- Historical trailers and Television commercials
- Scripts & storyboards
- Interview and commentary: With Voice Director Wally Burr

The Transformers Generation 1 Complete Collection runs for over 2500 minutes over 17 discs will retail for AU$99.95, and be available from the 24th of June 2009. The collection is a Region 4 set only, so you will need a region free player to watch the collection.

Also being released by MADMAN on the 24th of June 2009 is the Japanese Generation 1 Complete Collection, which gather the three Japanese Generation 1 cartoons: Headmasters, Super God Masterforce and Victory, as well as the single episode of Zone in a 13 disc, 110 episode collection. Special features include:
- Introductory Booklets with Episode Guides
- Toy, Tech Spec and Character Art Galleries
- Japanese Toy Ads and Catalogues
- DVD ROM Content - The Story Continued in Manga

The Japanese Generation 1 Complete Collection has a runtime of 2425, and is a REGION FREE DVD collection, available to play on any DVD player. The Japanese G1 Complete Collection will also retail for AU$99.95.

The Transformers Beast Wars Complete Collection collects all 3 seasons of the Beast Wars series together in a 10 disc 52 episode set. The Beast Wars Collection special features include:
- World Exclusive Creator Commentaries and interviews: Cast and crew including Story editors, voice actors, writers, directors and animators
- Episode guide booklets with comic inserts and essays
- Character profiles, Toy Galleries and Commercials (including galleries from Seibertron.com)
- Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Animatics and 3D Test shots
- Making of BEAST WARS documentary
- David Kaye (Megatron) and Garry Chalk (Optimus) Convention Panels

The Transformers Beast Wars Complete Collection is also slated for a June 24th release, and will also retail for AU$99.95. This set is a Region 4 set only, so you will need a region free player to watch the collection.

And finally, the Blu Ray edition of the original 1986 Transformers the Animated Movie will be released in Australia on June 24th 2009, special features include:
- Remastered High Definition Transfer
- "Scramble City" movie tie-in bonus episode
- Interview with Story Consultant Flint Dille
- Q&A with voice of Optimus, Peter Cullen
- 80's toy TVCs, TV spots and theatrical trailer
- The Touch film-clip (by Stan Bush)
- Character, voice-actor and musician biographies
- Bonus episode of TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS

Transformers the Animated Movie on Blu Ray will retail for AU$34.95.



If you are interested in either of the Region 4 sets, but are uncertain as to how you can play the, click here to see Ryan's thread about making your DVD region free.

For more information concerning these products, head on over to the MADMAN Transformers website by clicking here.

Madman Transformers Merchandise Sale

Date: Monday, November 10th 2008 8:37pm CST
Categories: Collectables, Company News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman
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Madman, the company responsible for the region free Japanese G1 DVD's as well as the Complete G1 Collection are having a sale on their non DVD Transformers Merchandise.

Included in the sale are various items of clothing including G1 and Beast Wars T-Shirts, and hoodies, as well as numerous Transformers Busts and Statues including Coronation Starscream, Unicron and WWi Grimlock.

While MADMAN is an Australian based company, The American Dollar is currently very strong against the Australian Dollar, making these products even cheaper than they first appear.

You can check out the complete MADMAN sale by clicking here.

Official Press Release: MADMAN's Transformers Victory DVD

Date: Tuesday, May 13th 2008 12:31am CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Press Releases, Sponsor News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Daniel Chlebowczyk of Madman
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MADMAN PRESENTS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF TRANSFORMERS GENERATION 1

TRANSFORMERS: VICTORY completes the trilogy of Japanese exclusive Transformers series’. Originally aired in Japan in 1989, Victory follows the events of the previously released HEADMASTERS and SUPER GOD MASTERFORCE, which in turn directly continue from the original Transformers G1 cartoon!

Set in 2025 A.D., VICTORY introduces Star Saber, the mightiest Autobot warrior and greatest swordsman in the galaxy. The Decepticons continue to invade planets, so the Autobots and humans form the Space Defense Force, with Star Saber as its leader. Leading the Decepticons is Deathzaras, who has targeted Earth as the next planet to plunder.

Each Transformers set contains fan favourite special features such as character art, toy galleries, and exclusive cover artwork by the Transformers artists at IDW comics. VICTORY includes the rarely seen TRANSFORMERS: ZONE, the last ever episode of Generation 1. A MUST-HAVE for Transformers fans!

The pinnacle of the original Japanese series, VICTORY features fantastic animation and action that both Transformers and giant robot anime fans will enjoy. Now is the perfect time to discover the unique and amazing tales previously only told in Japan , a must for the army of Transformers fans looking to discover what happened next.

For more information on the unmissable range of Transformers DVDs, including the worlds-best TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION 1 COMPLETE COLLECTION, TRANSFORMERS THE MOVIE and BEAST WARS Seasons 1-3, plus our ultra cool Transformers apparel ranges, toys and statues, free downloads and more, visit the freshly updated Transformers minisite:

http://www.madman.com.au/transformers

TRANSFORMERS: VICTORY – DVD Specs and Features:

REGION FREE
English and Japanese Dialogue
4 disc set with all 32 episodes

Introductory booklet with episode guide
Includes RARE final Transformers episode: TRANSFORMERS: ZONE
All-new cover by IDW Transformers artist EJ Su
Toy gallery
Character art gallery
Japanese toy ads
Japanese toy catalogues
DVD ROM Content - the story continued in Manga

One Week Until Victory!

Date: Wednesday, May 7th 2008 6:19pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Store News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman
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Only one week remains before the final Chapter of G1 cartoons "Victory" is released on Region-Free DVD.

Madman will be releasing the final chapter of their Japanese Transformers Collection on Wednesday May 14th 2008 for AU$59.95. The collection is region free, meaning it will play on any DVD player in any part of the world.

The Disc will contain all 32 Victory episodes spread over 4 discs, with Japanese Audio and English Subtitles. Artist E.J. Su, best known for his work on the IDW Transformers Infiltration, Escalation and Devastation Series has produced the cover art, and extras include the Victory Manga issues, Japanese Toy Advertisements, Character Art Gallery, and Toy Galleries from Seibertron.com itself.

Preorders can be made by clicking here, or you can order the set from the 14th of May 2008.

Madman's Design a Transformer Art Competition Winners Announced

Date: Monday, January 14th 2008 3:43pm CST
Categories: Company News, Media, Site Articles, Site News, Sponsor News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman.com, Seibertron
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Madman have announced the winners of their Design a Transformer Competition that was held late in 2007.

The winner was "Time EX" designed by Channandeller, with
"Albion" designed by davetec, and "Comcall" designed by Norcinu taking out the runners up spots.

To check out what each entrant won, plus the honourable mention designs, please click here, and keep your eyes on the Madman Fanzone for upcoming competitions.

Simon Furman's 2007 wrap

Date: Sunday, December 30th 2007 8:10pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, People News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Simon Furman
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Simon Furman has updated his blog for the final time in 2007.

In it Simon talks about all the projects he has worked on in 2007 including his Transformers work with IDW, Transformers work with MADMAN and other projects including Wallace and Gromit and his "Cougar" project.

Furman also talks about other projects that did not come to fruition, and picks his highlights for 2007.

To check out the full blo update, please click here.

Super God Masterforce DVD Up For Preorder

Date: Thursday, December 20th 2007 10:47pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Collectables, Company News
Posted by: Raymond T. | Credit(s): www.madman.com.au
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Madman Entertainment has recently put their upcoming Super God Masterforce DVD up for Pre-Order at AU$59.95 on their site. The DVD box is to be release on February 13th 2008.

THE GODLIKE POWER OF MASTERFORCE!

The original tales of TRANSFORMERS G1 continue in this second Japanese sequel!

In the years following HEADMASTERS, Earth has been peaceful, but hidden, living among us - are Pretenders. A small team of Autobots have watched over us, assuming human size and appearance. The sudden re-emergence of their Decepticon foes forces Earth's secret defenders to come out of hiding.

The conflict escalates and with the power of Masterforce, both sides recruit new heroes. Humans join the fray, combining with Transformer bodies to fight! Behind it all, a sinister force manipulates events, culminating in the creation of the most powerful super robot - the Godmasters!

With high octane anime action, MASTERFORCE is the long awaited favourite that takes TRANSFORMERS to a whole new level!

------------------------------------------------------------
DVD Special Features

Introductory booklet with episode guide
All-new cover by IDW Transformers artist Guido Guidi
Toy gallery (Taken from Seibetron.com)
Character art gallery
Japanese toy ads
Japanese toy catalogues
Making the cover gallery

------------------------------------------------------------
Release Information
Contains 42 episodes

Release Date: 13/02/2008
Languages: English, Japanese
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anime, Mecha, Science Fiction
Subtitles: English subtitles
Number of Discs: 5
Runtime: 1050.0 mins
Format: DVD, All Regions (PAL)
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Original Aspect Ratio
Catalogue: MMB541

Simon Furman Q&A Online!

Date: Friday, December 14th 2007 8:24pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Interviews, People News
Posted by: Raymond T. | Credit(s): simonfurman.wordpress.com, www.idwpublishing.com
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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.

Madman's Design a Transformer Competition

Date: Tuesday, November 27th 2007 4:07pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Media, Sponsor News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman, Stephen of TAAU
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Australian DVD company Madman have launched a new Transformers competition to coincide with their release of the Headmasters Series, and upcoming releases of the Masterforce and Victory Series in early 2008.

Artists, pencils at the ready! Its time to get your creative oils flowing. The task this month is to TRANSFORM your blank canvas into an all new form of sentient giant robot life!

That's right, we want you to design a new kind of TRANSFORMER!

Celebrating the release of the Japanese TRANSFORMERS anime HEADMASTERS, MASTERFORCE (February), and VICTORY (May), we want you to create a new Transformer character, with a new type of power.

In Headmasters, a smaller robot forms the head of the Transtector body and Targetmasters who take the form of their weapons. In Masterforce, there are Pretenders posing as humans, and Godmasters, whose humanoid engines give them spectacular powers. What can your Transformer do?

Now is your chance to show us the next Cybertronian Evolution!

HOW TO ENTER:
Upload your art with a 50 word or less description of your Transformer, what their new power is, and how it works.

PRIZES:
The artwork judged as the best will receive the following prize packs!

1st - Transformers G1 Complete Collection, Transformers Headmasters Collection, Transformers The Movie Special Edition, and your choice of Transformers Tshirt

2nd and 3rd - Transformers Headmasters Collection, Transformers The Movie Special Edition, and your choice of Transformers Tshirt.

Entries close Saturday December 22, 2007

The competition is open to Australian Residents only.
For all the terms and conditions and to submit your entries, please click here.

Madman's Release of Transformers Headmasters,Out Now. Masterforce and Victory out in 2008

Date: Wednesday, November 7th 2007 4:18pm CST
Categories: Cartoon News, Company News, Media, Sponsor News, Store News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Madman
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Madman have released their Transformers: Headmasters DVD Set.

The Madman release of Headmasters has improved video, includes an all new Subtitle track with the correct Japanese names as well as a sub with the English names, and is REGION FREE!

Some of the extras include:
- Seibertron's own toy galleries
- Character art, and
- A new cover by IDW artist Guido Guidi.

Super-God Masterforce will be released in February 2008, and in May 2008 Victory (including TF:Zone) will also be released..

The Headmasters set will retail for AU$59.99. For more information, and to order your own copy, please click here.

Madman Headmasters Pre-order available.

Date: Friday, September 7th 2007 6:42pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Media, Site News
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Burn
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Seibertron's resident Aussie; Burn has found some good news for those looking forward to the upcoming MADMAN release of the Headmasters series.

Madman have updated their site with a page and pre-order for their upcoming Australian release of the Headmasters series.

Check out the new page by clicking here.

Reprolabels Update-- G1-ize Your Music Label Soundwave and 'Wheelimus Prime'(?)

Date: Monday, August 27th 2007 12:38pm CDT
Categories: Collectables, Store News, Toy News
Posted by: tigertracks 24 | Credit(s): Aaron Black at Reprolabels.com
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Check 'em out!

We have two fantastic new sticker sets available for you this month!

1) Music Label Soundwave - GEEWUNIZED! I designed this one myself :)
http://www.reprolabels.com/Classics/soundwave.asp


2) Wheelimus Prime! Yes, you heard right. All I can say is READ the interactive comic linked to below, and you might have a tenuous understanding of the MADMAN who designed this hilarious set: Justin Goguen.
http://www.reprolabels.com/Misc/wheelimus.asp


Unfortunately, Upgrade set 7 has met with a minor delay, but should be out in a couple weeks.

Thanks Aaron!

Madman Entertainment to release Headmasters, Masterforce and Victory

Date: Sunday, July 29th 2007 11:02pm CDT
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: Seibertron | Credit(s): Daniel @ Madman
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I received news from our friends at MADMAN Entertainment a couple weeks ago that they will be releasing boxed sets of Headmasters, Masterforce and Victory. I'm planning on providing MADMAN with photos of the figures from the Headmasters series to use in a special edition photogallery, much like I did with MADMAN's incredible Beast Wars DVD sets that they released last year. We'll be sure to keep you posted as MADMAN releases more news to us about these upcoming sets. Headmasters is scheduled to be released in November in Region 4 format. For more information about region-free DVD players, click here.



Don't forget to check out our Headmaster Screen Captures in the Seibertron.com Cartoon Section.

Let's talk about how easy it is play DVDs from anywhere in the world

Date: Sunday, July 29th 2007 9:56pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Site Articles
Posted by: Seibertron
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I want to help you guys watch Transformers DVDs no matter where in the world they are released. I see many of you who express their frustration about foreign releases of Transformers DVDs that we don't have available here in the States yet. Well, there's really no reason for it since there's an army of inexpensive DVD players available just down the street from you that can easily be modified to play DVDs from anywhere in the world. All it takes is a little research on the Internet to find out which DVD players can be modified that are currently available at Best Buy, Target, Walmart or whatever major retail store is near you.

Keep in mind that the cheaper the DVD player, the easier it is to "hack". Obviously, you don't want a complete piece of crap, but if you stick to some brands that you recognize such as Phillips, you should be all set. The higher end DVD players are far more difficult to hack (or altogether impossible) so I would stay away from the Pioneers, Sonys and Toshibas for example.

Australia's Region 4? Not a problem! UK's PAL format? Never worry about it again. UK's Region 2? Region what?!?! I've been enjoying DVDs from all over the world for the past 2 years. I own all of Metrodome's Headmaster, Masterforce, Victory and RiD sets, Metrodome's "Transformers Movie Reconstructed", as well as all of MADMAN's incredibly flawless Beast Wars sets, their very awesome G1 boxset and their version of the animated movie. For those of you who don't know, Metrodome is based out of the UK and MADMAN is based out of Australia.

I'm also able to play DVDs from China or Japan flawlessly. I'm able to easily just pop-in DVD extras that come with my Japanese Transformers right into my primary DVD player and watch whatever I want. Heck, I can even download videos from the Internet, burn them directly to a DVD-R as their native format (i.e. AVI, MPEG, etc) and watch the actual raw videos on my home TV without ever havign to convert the video to a DVD format.

Without further ado, here is a message I had posted on these forums before the big forum crash in January. I had the foresight to save this message on the Metrodome forums a while back so thanks to that, I'm able to repost my message here on Seibertron.com. One of our latest sponsors is none other than our friends at MADMAN. I promised I'd help share how you guys can watch these DVDs on your players at home regardless of where you live in the world. You should be just as exceited about a DVD set from MADMAN as you are from a company here in the States or whatever country you live in. Yeah, it's a little expensive to import the DVDs but it's most definitely worth it. It certainly beats the alternative of not owning sets like Headmasters (which MADMAN will be releasing later this year) or RiD.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I'll do my best to help you find a region free DVD player so that you can enjoy watching these Transformers DVDs from other countries while Sony figures out what they're doing with the license here in America.

Ryan in 2005 wrote:

Hey guys, Once Metrodome announced the upcoming Headmasters DVD set, I started doing some research into figuring out a standard way to play foreign DVDs. I've been anxiously awaiting a Headmasters DVD set that's not as expensive as the Japanese version for quite some time so I can assure all of you that I wasn't going to let a little thing like Region 2 or PAL video stop me from figuring out a way to play the Metrodome DVDs here in the States (NTSC video, Region 1). While it was great news that Metrodome was going to release the Movie and Headmasters as Region 0 (just like the Robots in Disguise RiD videos were released unbeknownst to many fans), but that would only allow most of us American fans the ability to watch the DVDs on our computer. I wanted to watch the DVDs on my television with my sound system dammit! So I talked to a few of my friends at work who are from Poland. A few of them started pointing me toward the DVD player that is sold locally at Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City or Amazon.com. This DVD player can EASILY be hacked to play any region AND it automatically converts PAL formatted videos to NTSC. PLUS IT'S CHEAP and comes with tons of other features that have totally changed my DVD experience. I highly recommend this DVD player: Philips DVP642 DivX-Certified Progressive-Scan DVD Player http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000204SWE/ref=pd_sxp_f/002-0964654-9456061?v=glance&s=electronics http://www.google.com/products?q=phillips+DVP642 Quote: 1. Turn on the player. 2. Open the tray. 3. Press the following sequence on the remote: 7 8 9 OK 0 4. The number 0 will appear on the lower left side of your screen. 5. Your player is now region free! Put in a DVD and enjoy! :) NOTE: The 0 in the sequence above represents the region code. 0 = region free. If you want to change your player to just a specific region code, replace the 0 with the region number you want. The hack should be perfectly safe, but USE IT ON YOUR OWN RISK! It plays my RiD DVDs from the UK perfectly as well as my various Takara DVDs that came with my Robot Masters figures and TFC-9 Starscream. I can't say enough great things about this DVD player. And no, I do not work for Phillips. I'm just trying to spread some information about this DVD player out to the community so that you guys can get your DVD player before the Headmasters set is released. Apparently the cheaper the DVD Player, the easier it is to region hack and to find a player that will convert from PAL to NTSC. I bought one that was a little more expensive with a brand that I recognized even though several of my friends recommended the Cyberhome DVD players. However, I read so many bad reviews about the Cyberhome DVD player that it didn't matter that it was only $40 or less ... I wanted a player that would last and look decent.

Madman G1 DVD Complete Series and Animated Movie Galleries Now Online

Date: Saturday, July 28th 2007 4:45pm CDT
Category: Cartoon News
Posted by: Air Commander Starscream
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Ryan has taken the time to make some new galleries for the DVD Set Section of the site. This time he has updated it with the addition of Madmans Generation One Complete Collection and The Animated Movie Special Edition. The complete series comes packaged in a G1 style box with a fantastic collectors tin inside, it really is a beuatiful collectors set.

The special features for the G1 Complete set are:

*Animated public service announcements
*Atari Transformers Game promotional materials
*Character model sheets
*Historical trailers
*Interviews
*Opening and closing animations
*Original television bumpers
*Scripts
*Storyboards
*TVCs
*Wildfur promotional materials
*Biographies


The special features for the Special Edition of the Animated Seresies are:

*Remastered theatrical widescreen edition (disc 1) and full-screen edition (disc2)
*”Scramble City” Japanese exclusive bonus episode
*Interview with story consultant Flint Dille
*Q&A with voice of Optimus, Peter Cullen
*80;s toy TVCs, TV spots and theatrical trailer
*The touch film-clip (by Stan Bush)
*Character, voice-actor and musician biographies
*Commentaries feature and extras
*Deleted scenes
*Animated storyboards
*Bonus episode of Transformers: Beast Wars