The Energon Pub

OK, this is going to be a long post, but should hopefully help convince some readers that Hasbro aren’t just following IDW’s designs blindly. I've compiled a list of Generations figures from the last few years, compared it with the comic designs, and typed out my thoughts. I haven't included any of the Classics or Universe series, as any matches in comic (Jetfire, Prowl, Sunstreaker/Sideswipe etc) were retro-active.

We all know a number of WFC/FOC designs were used at the stat of Robots in Disguise to represent Cybertronian modes, but this is a case of toy and IDW following the games, so doesn’t really count, and won’t be mentioned here.

Early Generations Releases

Drift: Toy design was used on earth scenes, and some design cues on the toy reflect “Cybertronian” design.

Darkmount/Straxus: No correlation. Both in comic and toy designs added different alt-modes to the original, alt-mode-less G1 Marvel comic design.

Red Alert: Appearances in ongoing comic based on stylised version Universe Sideswipe design, which is fitting now Red Alert was released using that mould. Later appearance in MTMTE drastically different design.

Blurr: No correlation
Dirge: No correlation - Earth based appearances follow the design cues of Starscream, while RID appearances are quite different again)

Skullgrin: No correlation
Thunderwing: Toy design based on original G1 pretender shell, with some cues from Stormbringer (his face for example)

Scourge: No correlation
Kup: No correlation

Thundercracker: No correlation, other than both toy and AHM seeker designs based on G1 release.
Wheeljack: No correlation, other than toy and all in comic versions based on stylised G1 release.

Warpath: RID appearance follows toy

Junkheap: Not present in IDW-verse as far as I can tell.
Sky Shadow: Appearance in MTMTE flashback scene seems based on toy design.

Thrilling 30 onwards

Legends:

Optimus Prime: Appears to have some stylistic cues from IDW design.
Bumblebee: Appears to be based on WFC robot mode design, with a differing transformation to make it more Earth like.

Starscream: Appears to be an amalgamation of WFC (shoulders/legs) and G1 (chest/alt-mode) design cues into an Earth like jet.
Megatron: Yet another tank Megatron, with painted references to Megatron Origins design.

Swerve: Both comic and toy design based on G1 figure, though toy alt-mode is more accurate to original design, face sculpt is MTMTE.
Cosmos: No correlation

Skrapnel/Shrapnel: Very G1 based
Tailgate: Sculpt is very MTMTE based, colours are a little off, and not perfect, but a close enough match considering the difference in alt-mode.

Acid Storm: See Starscream above
Gears: Design based on Swerve, not sure if present in current comics.

Deluxes:

Trailcutter: Toy appears to be based on a more Earth vehicle like version of his MTMTE design. Name change in Spotlight: Trailcutter is due to Hasbro not being able to get a trademark for Trailbreaker.
Orion Pax: Toy design based on original Spotlight Blurr (2008) design. Retconned as temporary body design in in-pack Spotlight: Orion Pax.
Megatron: Toy design based on original on-going comic character (circa 2010-11)
Bumblebee: Toy design based on original on-going comic/TF: bumblebee character (circa 2009-10)

Hoist: As for Trailcutter above, though Hoist’s in comic appearance is slightly different to Trailcutters, at least until Spotlight: Hoist.
Thundercracker: FOC Design, used in “Spotlight” comic due to toy release

Dreadwing: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release.
Waspinator: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release.
Skids: Toy appears to be based on a more Earthlike vehicle mode of his MTMTE design.
Goldfire: In comic body change seems to be due to toy release

Armada Starscream: In comic body change seems to be due to toy release
Skywarp: FOC based design, used in comic.
Centuritron: Minicon Retcon in comic, introducing Ammonites as mini combining bots.
Scoop: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release

Tankor: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release
Rattrap: Comic appearance appears to be due to toy release.

Crosscut: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release
Jhiaxus: Converts to this design in comic for all of a couple of pages.
Wind blade: Comic design based on toy
Nightbeat: No correlation

Arcee: No correlation, G1 all the way here.
Chromia: Comic appearance appears to be due to toy release.

Voyagers:

Springer: Touted as been based on Last Stand of the Wreckers design, though a little slimmer. Has not appeared in comics since LSOTW however.
Blitzwing: No correlation - IDW’s Blitzwing has tank treads over his shoulders

Sandstorm: First recent comic appearance as background character (MTMTE), based on toy design

Doubledealer: No correlation
Rhinox: Background character, comic appearance appears to be due to toy release

Whirl: No correlation in overall design, apart from the reverse knee legs.

Sky-Byte: Introduced into RID comic, appears to be based on (then) upcoming toy release, with some artistic license.
Roadbuster: No real correlation, other than both designs are based off G1 design.

Brainstorm: Toy appears to be based on MTMTE comic design.

Leader:

Jetfire: Jetfire’s appearance in “Dawn of the Autobots” arc is based on Toy, where as recent appearance in Spotlight: Thundercracker his design was still based on the older Classics Voyager mould.

Megatron: Seemingly no correlation, but IDW Megatron’s current (and earliest) in comic alt-modes have been tanks.
Armada Megatron: Not present in IDW-verse at this time.

Thundercracker: Remoulded parts to be based on design from Infiltration and original ongoing comic, making this newest TC based on one of IDW’s oldest designs.

Most of the Combiner Wars figures appear to be new designs, for the most part based on their G1 counterparts apart from the new guy, Alpha Bravo, who so far has been included in a single frame in comic, to explain his presence in the Aerialbots, and Slingshot’s departure.

If I have to make an inference, most, maybe 90% from the toy engineers drawing board then the comic. During the DW era, DonFig both designed or inspired the designs of several TF figs. That and he also drew the comics concurrently.

As for Guido Guidi and Nick Roche, it seems to be the chicken or the egg conundrum as some of the figs used their designs/styles or maybe they, the IDW artists were given sneak peeks of the figs. Remember, comics are extensions of the product advertisements for the toyline.

Springer has made flash back appearances in comics since LSOTW. The toy is based on that design, Nick Roche even suggested the Sandstorm remold and made a design for it, Hasbro changed the remold however.

As for Drift, Guido Guidi designed both the comic and the toy incarnation. In fact the original preview images he gave us before Drift showed up were of Drift's Earth mode, he has also voiced disappointment that Hasbro did not send him a finished toy although he designed it.

Drift is also pretty comic accurate, since his comic appearance at the time really was just a retool of Drift.

The Generatiosn Legends Starscream is actually based on a Seeker redesign Guido Guidi did for the comics, he wanted to use it for Thundercracker, but was told he had to use a different design that looks more like an actual toy.

Sky-Bite has a different design in the comic, he also predates the toy by over two years. The toy while based more on the original toy does use a few elements from the idw comic version.

Swerve is what comic swerve would look like if he had an Earth alt-mode.

The Legends Megatron is a simplified version of the first Megatron Origins body, not just paint wise. It and Optimus Prime are essentially what the designs would look like in such a small size.