Simon Furman Transformers ReGeneration One Interview

Nice. Can't wait. Honestly, I hope there will be a serious confrontation between Prime and Grimlock for leadership, that won't end with Grimlock punking out. And, maybe even a US edition of Hot Rod turning into Rodimus Prime. Either way, I haven't been excited about comics like this for about 8 years now. I hope Furman still has it and won't drop the ball. So far, the art has met my expectations, and is leaps and bounds better than what we've gotten in the last 6-7 years.

Can't wait for this. I'm really hoping IDW collects this series in a TPB that matches the current "Transformers Classic" collection of the Marvel series.

Rodimus Prime wrote: So far, the art has met my expectations, and is leaps and bounds better than what we've gotten in the last 6-7 years.

I'm glad you're looking forward to this book, but to say that this book has art that is leaps and bounds better than what IDW has given us thus far is grossly inaccurate. It is also a huge disservice to artists like EJ Su, Don Figueroa, and Nick Roche, to name just a few, who are not just great Transformers artists, but they are skilled and talented artists, period. They are expert draftsman with dynamic composition, design, and storytelling sensibilities. It's too bad they get pegged as just Transformers artists because they are as good as anybody working on the X - books, Spidey books, or any other major franchise. It seems to me one of the conundrums of drawing the TFs these days is that if an artist is too "old school" and draws the characters as the stack of blocks they were in the '80's and '90's he pleases many of the older TF fans but outsiders see the work as simplistic and outdated. If a TF artist injects modern design sensibilities into his TF work and draws the characters as complex and sophisticated, older readers are repulsed by intricate TF design work and lump it into the "Bayformers" design aesthetic (as if that's a bad thing) or accuse the artist of not being able to draw (which makes a fan sound terribly uneducated).

the question is where can I get this, since I don't have a comic shop anywhere near me.

Dean ML wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote: So far, the art has met my expectations, and is leaps and bounds better than what we've gotten in the last 6-7 years.

I'm glad you're looking forward to this book, but to say that this book has art that is leaps and bounds better than what IDW has given us thus far is grossly inaccurate. It is also a huge disservice to artists like EJ Su, Don Figueroa, and Nick Roche, to name just a few, who are not just great Transformers artists, but they are skilled and talented artists, period. They are expert draftsman with dynamic composition, design, and storytelling sensibilities. It's too bad they get pegged as just Transformers artists because they are as good as anybody working on the X - books, Spidey books, or any other major franchise. It seems to me one of the conundrums of drawing the TFs these days is that if an artist is too "old school" and draws the characters as the stack of blocks they were in the '80's and '90's he pleases many of the older TF fans but outsiders see the work as simplistic and outdated. If a TF artist injects modern design sensibilities into his TF work and draws the characters as complex and sophisticated, older readers are repulsed by intricate TF design work and lump it into the "Bayformers" design aesthetic (as if that's a bad thing) or accuse the artist of not being able to draw (which makes a fan sound terribly uneducated).

I am sooooo on board with this one!
Transformers has always been my favourite comic book (and toyline) for what seems like forever!
Furman & Wildman totally nailed it during the Marvel years and their subsequent work at Dreamwave was great.
Talking great Transformers art, has anyone noted that the super awesome renderings of alien mechanical robots is somewhat lost once it comes to the same artists drawing human characters?
By the way, what's Pat Lee up to these days...

Yeah, I have to say I'm REALLY looking forward to this... in story and art. The old comics had a lot of depth, history, lore... and an epic quality about them.

I DO think we've had really talented artists and writers in all iterations of the comic. BUT I do have to say it will be refreshing getting away from the human-centric stories (some comics that barely had robot CAMEOS)... and the Bayformer look.

I've hated the way those Bayformer "messy/cluttered" aesthetics have seeped their way into the comics and animated tv series. It's like a nasty oil spill you can't quite contain. I like to think of the movies as their own separate universe. Like it or not, from a design standpoint... those movie robots look like giant, gray junk piles walking around. (Megatron in particular.) There's just not enough color or large vehicle pieces to make each design distinct. Again, not knocking the movies or Bay, just viewing from a strictly art standpoint.

Back on point, IDW lost me for a while... but I'm slowly coming back around. Wreckers and the new ongoing series have been really good stuff, and I'm definitely on board for this regeneration one. I may have to start up a full subscription across the board at this rate.

Keep up the good work. You may re-convert me IDW.

Sorry for the double post... internet woes here.

Dean ML wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote: So far, the art has met my expectations, and is leaps and bounds better than what we've gotten in the last 6-7 years.

I'm glad you're looking forward to this book, but to say that this book has art that is leaps and bounds better than what IDW has given us thus far is grossly inaccurate.

It's all a matter of opinion. You like the newer stuff better? That's fine. We have different tastes. The art and simple stories turned me off to the IDW stuff, way back in 2005. I tried getting back into it in the last couple of years with titles such as Last Stand of the Wreckers and All Hail Megatron. Both good reads, but still don't prefer them over the old stuff, art or story wise.

It is also a huge disservice to artists like EJ Su, Don Figueroa, and Nick Roche, to name just a few, who are not just great Transformers artists, but they are skilled and talented artists, period. They are expert draftsman with dynamic composition, design, and storytelling sensibilities.

Once again, a matter of opinion.

If a TF artist injects modern design sensibilities into his TF work and draws the characters as complex and sophisticated, older readers are repulsed by intricate TF design work and lump it into the "Bayformers" design aesthetic (as if that's a bad thing) or accuse the artist of not being able to draw (which makes a fan sound terribly uneducated).

You are speaking of the general fandom, right? You couldn't have gotten that out of my post. I have very little problem with the way Bayformers are designed. Also, as fr the above mentioned artists, I never said they weren't good. Just not as good as the old G1 stuff. From what I've seen so far in the preview art, ReGeneration 1 will go back to old school. Bring it on.

gothsaurus wrote: The old comics had a lot of depth, history, lore... and an epic quality about them.

Exactly.

--B-- wrote:the question is where can I get this, since I don't have a comic shop anywhere near me.

Well, we do have the Granite Run mall. Since the start of RiD and MTMTE, I've been making runs there again. Ya want me to pick them up for ya? We can meet up every so often an I can get you a few of them at a time if ya want.

I got a sneak peek from John-Paul Bove this weekend, and there's a lot of arguing going on in the series.

And Springer makes an appearance really early.

Arguing? Among which characters? About what?

There were no speech bubbles, so I couldn't tell.

But it was Kup, Springer and Ultra Magnus.
JP also mentioned things along the lines of 'those who died remain dead, and some have died in the 21 years between issue 80 and ReGeneration One; their story will be revealed pretty soon'. I'm not paraphrasing or trying to be mysterious, this is all he told me!

OK, thanks. At least those 3 will be in the story.

I've just received the Furman run collection by Titan books, and read them all in one go last night. Wow.

Really looking forward to the new stuff!

A tip, from both Simon and J-P Bove, regarding #80.5: it will come out for Free Comic Book day, and in no other form so far. So either get it put aside or go in early so not to miss out on it!

(I also got out of the library a couple of Budiansky volumes, will read those this evening.)

Va'al wrote:I've just received the Furman run collection by Titan books, and read them all in one go last night. Wow.

Yeah. The single most important reason I am a Transformers fan. Followed by Beast Wars. I remember when i started getting those TPBs, I bought them in backwards order. Stories don't get written like that anymore. Everything else seems so flimsy compared to that stuff.