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WE COULDN'T TAKE PICS OF THEIR PRESENTATION.

Transformers Animated

ALLSPARK POWER
Incinerator - Osprey, Voyager
Landmine - Sector Seven looking buggy
Stockade - Sector Seven GMC Envoy, Decepticon
Desert Attack Brawl (Leader Class) with X-ed out Autobot lgos
Nightwatch Prime
New Robot Heroes - Galvatron, BW Megatron, BW Cheetor

Transformers Animated stuff
------------------------------
Going to give us a sneak peak
Better timeslot for TV show than with Energon and Cybertron
Hasbro thinks that we shouldn't be worrying about things as much as we are.
Worked very closely with Cartoon Network.
People working on cartoon are big fans ... I got the impression that they are moreso than the folks at Hasbro
Wanted to diversify, freshen things up.
It's our new Cartoon series for 2008
Production has been brought back to US

Writing Style
------------------------
Return to character development and story telling similar to BW.
Action driven show - very fluid.
Episodic but ties into an overall Seasonal Arc
Smaller cast of Bots with signifciant character development for each individual character.
Action driven with a dose of Humor.
Major fcosu on personality and abilities
Rich action sequences
Familiar and New characters
Human super-villains and Decepticon villains.

Artistic Style
----------------------------
Highly stylized and fluid animation
More energetic and expressive bots.
Major focus on personality and abilities
Grow from Mechanical to Emotive designs
Familiar and New characters
Realistic and Stylized transformations.
1 transformation is tasmanian devil styled.
Will not be anime cut transformations.
You will really see them transform


Summary
----------------------

Set on Earth in the near future in Detroit, the alien Transformers are thrust into a world populated by humans and automatons. As visitors to Earth, the Transformers -- Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Prowl, Bulkhead and Ratchet -- work in the human world interacting with the 'natives' in exciting and humorous ways. Transformers Animated has been created to showcase the heroic Autobots working together to battle the evil Decepticons and save Earth with kid-relatable plot lines filled with humor, distinctive characters persaonalities and dynamic action.

AUTOBOTS
----------------------------
Ratchet - season Autobot, legitimate combat, cybertronian version of the military, like the guy from Full Metal Jacket
Ironhide will be like the Fantastic Four's Thing.
Prowl is like a ninja.
Grimlock is a T-REX!!! HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE!!!
THERE WILL BE TWO OTHER DINOBOTS IN THE SHOW.
They are 3 crazy dude.
Grimlock looks awesome

DECEPTICONS
-------------------
Megatron is a gun in his Cybertronian mode.
Starscream kind of resembles Cyclonus in jet mode.
Has kind of like a Chris Latta voice
Voiced by Tom Kenny
We will be seeing most of the Transformers in their Cybertronian modes at the beginning of the series.
Blitzwing is a triplechanger (tank, jet, robot) - looks f'in awesome!!!
Kind of a new spin on his character, fun personality quirk: has a split personality
Spinning face gimmick on the toy
Lugnut (similar in body style to Bulkhead)
If Bulkhead is like the Thing, then Lugnut is like the Incredible Hulk.
Lugnut has missiles for hands,
Jet of some sort
BLACKARACHNIA!!! HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE
Different origin story for BA than in BW.
Starts out as a different character entirely, flashbacks, one of the more complicated Decepticons, you'll care more about her.

HUMANS CHARACTERS
------------
Cpt. Fanzone - Police Chief
Sari (girl) and her father Isaac Sumdac
Sari's interaction with the Autobots is unlike her interaction in the past shows. It works out better. Not the typical human sidekick.
Sari is an outcast. Looks to the Autobots for friendship.
Human villians - "Angry Archer" (applause), NOT your typical run-of-the-mill Dr. Archeville character. Super villains ...

OTHER STUFF
-----------------------
The Autobots WILL have their Ark. It looks like a stylized G1 Ark. Crowd: Will there be a toy? No response from Hasbro.
The Decepticons WILL have the Nemesis.
Nemesis dwarfs the Ark. It's GIGANTIC.
The Ark is about the size of one of the spikes on the Nemesis.
Nemesis has a purple lighting and black interior.
Ark had warm colors, circular, multi-level
Showed us some shots of what Detroit looks like.
Showed us a shot of the Sumdac Tower's interior.

What will the toys look like?
Toys developed at the same time as the animation designs.
Animation style allows us to show more personality with each character.
90% animation/toy accuracy.
Takara has really helped out with these designs.
New sculpting style.
No more full line gimmicks!!! WOO HOO! Big round of applause ...
Transformation is the feature.
Signature weapons and poses - attitude and stance.
Range of motion is great!
Allows for the characterization to stand out more.
There are some things they won't be able to do because of joints and stuff.
Accessories will transform?
Convey a greater range of style with these characters.
Wow ... just showed us what deluxe and Voyager Optimus Primes. Look awesome. The stylistic sculpting is there ... match up extremely well with the animated versions. Wow. Just wow! I wish you guys could see this.
Deluxe Bumblebee and Voyager class Bulkhead - really staying faithful to animated look.
Archer: can't thank Takara enough for their help with this line.
Really paid off by working daily with Takara and Cartoon Network.
Deluxe Prowl and Deluxe Ratchet
All figures have great articulation.
Artist rendition (3-D model) of Voyager Grimlock.
Voyager Megatron and Starscream: Megatron is a vertical take off Cybertronian vehicle in this image. I'm confused with the gun mode drawing of him from earlier. Maybe the gun mode Megatron is his earth mode.
Deluxe Blackarachnia looks great!
Lugnut and Blitzwing pics ...

The future
-------------------------
Working on season 2 already.
More familiar and new characters.
Possibility of season 3 and 4.
Desire to create brand new characters ... with cameos by G1 favorites.
Toys will have a "matte" finish like Batman Animated.

Marty Isenberg is on clip they show us.
AllSpark looks like a Matrix/
Optimus has an axe.
Megatron has a sword.
The animation is really slick looking. Everyone is going to love this.
Optimus Prime doese have a mouth and a face shield.
The transforrmation of Optimus Prime looked really cool.
My opinion has officially changed
Optimus says: "transform and roll out."
Opening audio is very cool: hip hop, rock type style.
No transformation audio yet.
The Optimus Prime axe is awesome.
Showed us a space scene.
Optimus pole-vaulted with an extended version of his axe.
HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

FALL 2008 ... CLASSICS??????????????????
CLASSICS 2.0
Showed us Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.
Want to continue realistic look with Classics.
"Transformers Universe" in G1 styled font.
Deluxe scale.
Will not be licensed vehicles
In early development.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will not have the same chest, head or design. They look just as different in robot mode as their G1 selves.
Showed us Octane (triple changer): military tanker vehicle and looks like the gun ship from TF Movie that took out Scorponok.
Looking to add an ultra scale to Transformers Universe.
They are planning on doing a new Galvatron figure that is not a repaint of Megatron.

2 segments for fall 2008: Transformers Animated and Transformers Universe (Classics 2.0). I have the impression that the G1 styled font "Transformers Universe" is the official name for Classics 2.0. The fans shouted ... Hasbro heard.

------------------------------

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Why not a cartoon based on the movie? The movie is it's own Universe.
Robot Heroes: wanted to see how well it did before they committed to more figures.
They are a big hit.
Will make a decision in a few months on how to expand the line.
Any chance for an Ultra Magnus that isn't a Prime repaint? YES!
No mentions of Alternators or Titaniums - had to make some choices based ... $2 million dollars invested in Alternators and die-cast in Titaniums ... Hasbro wasn't getting a return on their investment with those lines so they decided to focus on Classics 2.0.
Larger scales for Classics.
Similar number of figures as wave 1 in last fall's Classics line.
Animated Optimus Prime has a detachable trailer.
Classics Jazz or Arcee? Jazz is likely as a Classic. Not sure about an Arcee yet.
Getting more and more difficult to make just a trailer without a feature.
Probably will not do a character in Animated and Classics at the same time.
Probably won't see the Dinobots in the upcoming Classics line.
Grimlock performed really well in the Classics line.
Fan: please make Arcee a real car and not a bike.
There will be an upcoming Combiner. Not sure if they meant Classics or Animated.
The unproduced Titanium molds (Bumblebee, Cosmos, Shockwave and Arcee) could be used for other lines.
Will not be a vending machine Transformer (in reference to the Mountain Dew vending machine Transformer).
Skywarp and Thundercracker might turn up in Animated. Still working with Cartoon Network on this.
Cosmos could end up somewhere. Hasbro said they will keep trying to get us that figure/character.
Titanium will end with WW Prowl and WW Grimlock.
One of the problems with the Titanium and Alternators is that the momentum is hard to keep up. Sounds like those lines just weren't selling.
There will be redecos in the Universe line.
Prowl in the Classics line as a police car?
Said something about Ironhide as well but I didn't catch it.
Susan Blu is the voice director for Transformers Animated.
Hasbro has little to do with voice casting (which translates to they really don't have anything to do with it).
Weird Al will be voicing a character in the Animated series.
The BotCon exclusives will NOT be released at retail. Hasbro will never release a convention exclusive at retail.
It was unknown at the time when the BotCon exclusives were decided if the Classics line would continue later down the road.
Toy trademarking only lasts for a few years which is why they keep reusing the names. It's kind of a "use it or lose it" type of thing.
Could possibly be more female Transformers in later episodes of Animated.
Takara apparently claims they can't find the Dinobot molds.
Might be a garbage truck or school bus type vehicle mode Transformer in Animated.
Fans keep bringing up Arcee to Hasbro. They just want one down right.
Working internally at Hasbro to figure out how to do the cross-over lines with Star Wars or G.I.Joe.
Grimlock will have his familiar talk in the Animated series.
Reaction to Animated and Movie ... let's wait to react until we actually see this stuff. Hasbro: just trust us. Seibertron: they're 100% correct. We spend a lot of time bitching about stuff that we just need to see more visuals of.
Looking to do more than just the G1 season 1 and 2 core characters in the Classics 2.0 line.
Elita-One from comic: Hasbro hasn't discussed it with anyone yet. Lots of people from convention are hoping it will released as a club exclusive.
Leader class Movie Bonecrusher hasn't been decided yet.
Brawl/Devastator error in Movie is just a continuity error. It is supposed to be Brawl.
Archer's favorite character is Lockdown, a Boba Fett-like character.
Classics Decepticons: GALVATRON that is not a redeco of Megatron (Hasbro forgot to mention it earlier).

Yes! Beast Wars Robot Heroes! I'm a happy camper!

I've also heard reports of Robot Heroes Astrotrain, don't know if you missed that one Ryan, I'm sure there's alot of stuff happening on your end.

And I'm really glad they brought the "Stockade" name back, it's awesome!

we are not worrying. we are panicing!

wavelength wrote:we are not worrying. we are panicing!

That sums it up well. The animation is so but ugly its not going to matter if the story is good. While your waching you'll be saying "what the hell have they done to you prime?" and miss the hole show because you cant stand the way they look. No matter what i will always hate the new look. Just like i will always hate they way movie Megatron looks. Tell them we fans need a show. Even if we only get a season at least we had something.

Megatron_Wolf wrote:

wavelength wrote:we are not worrying. we are panicing!

That sums it up well. The animation is so but ugly its not going to matter if the story is good. While your waching you'll be saying "what the hell have they done to you prime?" and miss the hole show because you cant stand the way they look. No matter what i will always hate the new look. Just like i will always hate they way movie Megatron looks. Tell them we fans need a show. Even if we only get a season at least we had something.

People said the same thing about The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker too and it ended up being a great game.

Shrug.

They haven't mentioned anything yet about the rumoured Voyager Bonecrusher or Leader-class Starscream?

Are we ever going to get bigger versions of those characters? It would be fun to have an in-scale Bonecrusher to go with Prime, or a Starscream with actual hands...

Megatron_Wolf wrote:The animation is so but ugly its not going to matter if the story is good.

I see it the other way around. If the show sucks, Who cares if the designs and animation are good?

incinerator looks awesome!.. still dreading the new show and toy line though just dont know if it'll be so out of proportion it'll be cheesy. im really curious to see how the toys work out

Skowl wrote:They haven't mentioned anything yet about the rumoured Voyager Bonecrusher or Leader-class Starscream?

Are we ever going to get bigger versions of those characters? It would be fun to have an in-scale Bonecrusher to go with Prime, or a Starscream with actual hands...

Megatron_Wolf wrote:The animation is so but ugly its not going to matter if the story is good.

I see it the other way around. If the show sucks, Who cares if the designs and animation are good?

The movie stuff was at yesterday's panel. Mentioned Leader Class Bonecrusher today and that they were looking into other larger versions of characters in Movie line.

honestly it all comes down to the toys for me, if the animated toys have good articulation and look good then I'll be okay with the stylized look.

transformers universe??? why not just use the name that was already working
in the words of peter cullen "if its not broken, dont fix it"
oh well maybe after poor fan reaction itll all change

So yeah, this new series is seeming to be just like Teen Titans where each character had their own focus season in the string of stories and the gas ran out when they got to Beast Boy.

I can see that happening here, that is if it lasts that long.

I've learned not to listen to Hasbro when they say don't worry!

they can call the like fishsticks for all I care I'm glad they are continueing it based on how well we the fans bought just a "filler" line.

Love that Octane, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are already in the works, Would really like a Blitzwing as well.

Hope they will show some pictures on their site.

do the toys look like the batman, justice leauge, ect toys where they are really smooth and curvy and look bad

Who cares what it's called!? We're getting more Classics! Yay, yay, yay, yay and yay! Now time to start lobbying for the unproduced Titaniums to be put out in plastic in that line.

Seibertron wrote:FALL 2008 ... CLASSICS??????????????????
CLASSICS 2.0
Showed us Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.
Want to continue realistic look with Classics.
"Transformers Universe" in G1 styled font.
Deluxe scale.
Will not be licensed vehicles
In early development.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will not have the same chest, head or design. They look just as different in robot mode as their G1 selves.
Showed us Octane (triple changer): military tanker vehicle and looks like the gun ship from TF Movie that took out Scorponok.
Looking to add an ultra scale to Transformers Universe.

When they say continue the realistic style with a classics line, do they mean the movie style? I like the movie style, but I don't want the classics line to look like that -- they won't fit with the preexisting classics.

that Arcee would be great as well as the Cosmos, they were solid looking toys.

More classics ? That, at least, pleases me.

Still won't judge the animated series stuff without storyline. Probably won't get those toys, though.

Magnimus wrote:

Seibertron wrote:FALL 2008 ... CLASSICS??????????????????
CLASSICS 2.0
Showed us Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.
Want to continue realistic look with Classics.
"Transformers Universe" in G1 styled font.
Deluxe scale.
Will not be licensed vehicles
In early development.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will not have the same chest, head or design. They look just as different in robot mode as their G1 selves.
Showed us Octane (triple changer): military tanker vehicle and looks like the gun ship from TF Movie that took out Scorponok.
Looking to add an ultra scale to Transformers Universe.

When they say continue the realistic style with a classics line, do they mean the movie style? I like the movie style, but I don't want the classics line to look like that -- they won't fit with the preexisting classics.

Realistic like the Classics line, not the Movie line. They just want to have a realistically styled alternate mode line to accompany the stylistic look of the Animated series.

Someone ask about the Seacon repaints!

After the Club panel last night, things are looking good for the set, I wonder what Hasbro has to say about it.

Seibertron wrote:The BotCon exclusives will NOT be released at retail. Hasbro will never release a convention exclusive at retail.
It was unknown at the time when the BotCon exclusives were decided if the Classics line would continue later down the road.

How much you want to bet the sell out of the set before the con showed how much the line was loved by fans.

Perhaps folks could convince FunPub to do a second run of the set. Would be likely if they didn't end up sitting on the whole thing which sounds like a huge decision maker for them.

Seibertron wrote:People working on cartoon are big fans ... I got the impression that they are moreso than the folks at Hasbro

Well, that's a plus. So far what's been leaked about the show outside the promo art has given me more faith in it.

Human super-villains and Decepticon villains.

Hmmm...a nod to the Neo-Knights, maybe?

Realistic and Stylized transformations.
1 transformation is tasmanian devil styled.
Will not be anime cut transformations.
You will really see them transform

THANK PRIMUS.

We will be seeing most of the Transformers in their Cybertronian modes at the beginning of the series.

Coolies! *prays for toys of these*

Blitzwing is a triplechanger (tank, jet, robot) - looks f'in awesome!!!
Kind of a new spin on his character, fun personality quirk: has a split personality
Spinning face gimmick on the toy

Double coolies!

Sari (girl) and her father Isaac Sumdac

Wonder if that's a nod to Isaac Asimov, that.

The Autobots WILL have their Ark. It looks like a stylized G1 Ark. Crowd: Will there be a toy? No response from Hasbro.
The Decepticons WILL have the Nemesis.
Nemesis dwarfs the Ark. It's GIGANTIC.

I see a SW homage here.

90% animation/toy accuracy.
Takara has really helped out with these designs.
New sculpting style.
No more full line gimmicks!!! WOO HOO! Big round of applause ...
Transformation is the feature.
Signature weapons and poses - attitude and stance.
Range of motion is great!
Allows for the characterization to stand out more.
There are some things they won't be able to do because of joints and stuff.
Accessories will transform?
Convey a greater range of style with these characters.
Wow ... just showed us what deluxe and Voyager Optimus Primes. Look awesome. The stylistic sculpting is there ... match up extremely well with the animated versions. Wow. Just wow! I wish you guys could see this.
Deluxe Bumblebee and Voyager class Bulkhead - really staying faithful to animated look.
Archer: can't thank Takara enough for their help with this line.
Really paid off by working daily with Takara and Cartoon Network.
Deluxe Prowl and Deluxe Ratchet
All figures have great articulation.
Artist rendition (3-D model) of Voyager Grimlock.
Voyager Megatron and Starscream: Megatron is a vertical take off Cybertronian vehicle in this image. I'm confused with the gun mode drawing of him from earlier. Maybe the gun mode Megatron is his earth mode.
Deluxe Blackarachnia looks great!
Lugnut and Blitzwing pics ...

DAMN I want to see these things now.

Optimus has an axe.

Optimus Prime doese have a mouth and a face shield.
The transforrmation of Optimus Prime looked really cool.
My opinion has officially changed
Optimus says: "transform and roll out."
Opening audio is very cool: hip hop, rock type style.
No transformation audio yet.
The Optimus Prime axe is awesome.
Showed us a space scene.
Optimus pole-vaulted with an extended version of his axe.
HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

FALL 2008 ... CLASSICS??????????????????
CLASSICS 2.0
Showed us Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.
Want to continue realistic look with Classics.
"Transformers Universe" in G1 styled font.
Deluxe scale.
Will not be licensed vehicles
In early development.
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will not have the same chest, head or design. They look just as different in robot mode as their G1 selves.
Showed us Octane (triple changer): military tanker vehicle and looks like the gun ship from TF Movie that took out Scorponok.
Looking to add an ultra scale to Transformers Universe.

Hell yeah!

Any chance for an Ultra Magnus that isn't a Prime repaint? YES!

Animated Optimus Prime has a detachable trailer.
Classics Jazz or Arcee? Jazz is likely as a Classic. Not sure about an Arcee yet.

There will be an upcoming Combiner. Not sure if they meant Classics or Animated.
The unproduced Titanium molds (Bumblebee, Cosmos, Shockwave and Arcee) could be used for other lines.

Hasbro's getting real good at softening blows, I'll say that much for'em.

Liege Evilmus wrote:
I've learned not to listen to Hasbro when they say don't worry!

Same here. All my fears about this series were just confirmed with this panel report. I'll give it a shot, but it all sounds incredibly stupid. Glad we're getting more Classics, and a big HELLS YEAH! for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. My other Classics were lonely without them.

All I know is that they are continuing the Classics which is just awsome!
This is fantastic news for a few reasons;
-Gives opportunity to use the Arcee, Shockwave and Cosmos uproduced molds for the Classics line
- We get a chance at getting the Seacons
- More Classics is a great thing either way you slice it. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Jazz, the rest of the triple changers? Freakin awsome!

Weird Al will be voicing a character in the Animated series.

Ah, that's that garbage truck Kaye mentioned. GREAT nod to TF:TM '86, BTW. (Also makes me wonder if maybe this could be similar to The Simpsons or even the DCAU with established performers guest-voicing TF characters)

Could possibly be more female Transformers in later episodes of Animated.

Working internally at Hasbro to figure out how to do the cross-over lines with Star Wars or G.I.Joe.

To heck with a Princess Leia "Mega Maid" Blockade Runner, I want my Dragon Wagon Optimus and Night Raven Starscream, by cracky!!!

Grimlock will have his familiar talk in the Animated series.

Hopefully he'll have his comic IQ, though.

I'll give Transformers: Animated TV series one and only one chance to impress me visually if it doesn't then I won't bother with the
rest of it.