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If you've been waiting for the second installment of the first Season of Transformers Earthspark, you only have a few more days to wait! The next batch of 8 episodes will start being released this Friday, March 3rd, on the Paramount+ streaming service. Below, please find the press release regarding the show, as well as a teaser trailer and some still shots.
Feb. 1, 2023 – Paramount+ today announced the renewal of the original animated series TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK for a second season, which will follow the Malto family and Terrans on even higher stakes adventures packed with humor, heart and family. Beginning Friday, March 3, the next eight episodes of the first season will be available to stream in the U.S. and Canada, with additional international territories to follow. The first 10 episodes of the 26-episode season premiered in November 2022, and are available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Korea and France.
Released today, the all-new trailer and artwork showcases more Autobots, more Decepticons and more Terrans! In the next eight TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK season one episodes, the Terrans continue to uncover their powers while they learn to protect themselves against G.H.O.S.T. Twitch, Thrash and the rest of the Malto family will continue to learn what it means to be a Transformers robot, what it means to be human and ultimately what it means to be a family. Making their debut in the series are Keith David (“The Princess and the Frog”) as Grimlock, Alfie Alan (“Game of Thrones”) as Tarantulas and Roger Craig Smith (“Regular Show”) as Breakdown.
“The highly anticipated series TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK premiered with a strong launch on Paramount+, ranking as one of the top five most-watched Kids & Family series,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of Paramount Streaming. “In partnership with Hasbro, eOne and our studio partner Nickelodeon, we’re thrilled to continue telling the story of the Malto family and the new generation of Transformers robots.”
The original animated series will make its weekly debut on Nickelodeon beginning this Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 P.M., ET/PT. In the one-hour premiere, “Secret Legacy,” Robby has trouble adjusting after his family’s big move to the rural town of Witwicky until he and his sister, Mo, discover the first-ever earthborn Transformers. The previously released episodes will continue to debut Fridays on Nickelodeon through March 3.
TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK introduces a new generation of Transformers robots – the first to be born on Earth – and together with the humans who welcome them and care for them, they’ll redefine what it means to be a family.
The dynamic voice cast of TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK includes Sydney Mikayla (“Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts”) as Robby Malto, Zion Broadnax (“Day Shift”) as Mo Malto, Benny Benni Latham (“Cornerstones: Founding Voices of the Black Church”) as Dot Malto, Jon Jon Briones (“Ratched”) as Alex Malto, Kathreen Khavari (“Dead End: Paranormal Park”) as Twitch, Zeno Robinson (“Big City Greens”) as Thrash, Danny Pudi (“Community”) as Bumblebee, Alan Tudyk (“Resident Alien”) as Optimus Prime, Rory McCann (“Game of Thrones”) as Megatron, Cissy Jones (“The Owl House”) as Elita-1, Diedrich Bader (“Better Things”) as Mandroid, Cyrus Arnold (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) as Jawbreaker, Z Infante (“Dead End: Paranormal Park”) as Nightshade and Stephanie Lemelin (“Dawn of the Croods”) as Hashtag.
TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK is created and co-executive produced by Dale Malinowski (“Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”) and executive produced by Ant Ward (“Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”). The series is developed for television by Claudia Spinelli, senior vice president of Big Kids Animation, Nickelodeon. Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Mikiel Houser, executive in charge of production, and for eOne by Kari Rosenberg.
Are you all excited to have new episodes of Earthspark to watch? Not a big fan? Let us know what your thoughts are below!
SDCC may have wrapped up but it looks like there's still a lot left to talk about when it comes to the future of Legacy! HUGE thanks to our own Seibertronian Nemesis Primal for combing through Q&As and interviews to find many key bits of information about the future of Legacy. His post to our Energon Pub Forums is as follows:
Nemesis Primal wrote:So I've been doing a bit of reading, and between what little Q & A escaped the panel, a video interview done by Shartimus Prime, and the big interview TFW just posted, I have compiled the following list of Legacy-relevant confirmations/hints given at SDCC outside of just the figures we actually saw. Notes so far (*inhales*):
-Legacy Wave 4/Breakdown will be shown at Pulsecon
-Legacy Wave 4/Breakdown are scheduled to come out next year
-Evan mentioned that Menasor's lack of Scramble City compatibility/limbs being dedicated to just Menasor has been well-received and they are keeping that in mind for future potential combiners
-No continuity is off the table for Legacy, Cyberverse is an option
-Animated was given a flat-out confirmation by Evan, Animated characters/designs WILL be in Legacy, the theory of those characters/designs being held up by Cartoon Network rights is incorrect
-Evan cited Animated Lockdown, Ratchet, and Prime as characters/designs he specifically would like to work on
-Legacy Animated figures WILL be G1-ified, HOWEVER the team has also heard the feedback on Arcee/Bulkhead/Knock Out and are working to find a better G1-ification balance
-Titans and Selects are both still planned to continue release, called out the theory of Selects ending specifically as incorrect
-Hasbro is considering 2022 and 2023 both to be the Armada anniversary due to the show's release date in Japan (which probably also explains "RiD 2000 Universe")
-Armada Prime "may happen" for the anniversary, unlikely to be the unreleased Takara-initiated one shown years back but may borrow from it if happening
-Cyber Planet Keys and Cheetor's gut gun both being thought about in terms of potential weapon/accessory packs
-They KNOW people want Tidal Wave
-Minicons are something they're intending to figure out "once they move more fully into Armada"
-Wider release/more allotments of Velocitron Cosmos and his in-store availability are up to Walmart, Pulse cannot restock (sounds familiar)
-Next Haslab is being worked on but has no associated dates yet
-No version of Optimus Prime will EVER be a Haslab (when asked about Armada Prime)
-When asked about a new Cybertron OP & Wing Saber: "it would be totally doable to make a new Wing Saber connect to Siege GUOP" (implying Wing Saber is on the table but Optimus is considered done)
-More Titans from Cybertron are possible albeit daunting due to number (Starscream, Primus, Quickmix, & Menasor all mentioned)
-Evan wants to incorporate Powerlinx into Armada/Energon updates
-Mark and Evan talk about making figures of the 13 Primes "all the time", mentioned The Fallen's tank mode
-As far as Evan knows, Legacy is planned to go for 3 years and is a trilogy (?)
-More non-G1 updates can be expected even if/when Legacy ends
-Evan wants to make Beast Machines Vehicons
-Most obscure characters Evan wants to do in Legacy: Velocity, Javelin, Mistress of Flame, Camiens
-Interest in bringing Fan Votes back
-Expansion into non-G1 was due to designer interest, characters needing updates, and people being sick of the same characters
-Positive reaction to being asked about Omnibots, vague "anything is possible" response given
-More Minibots "will make it in eventually"
-Mention of potential Coneheads rerelease in Legacy
-Evan mentioned "having a few more beasts to get through"
...and on top of all that semi-official stuff, JTPrime has said as of yesterday that Breakdown and Twincast's EAN numbers have been replaced with new ones that change what we thought the next few waves would be, indicating that Wave 4 will now include Needlenose, "Junkion 1", Hot Shot, Tarn, & Leo Prime (at least, don't think we know Leaders-per-specific-wave yet for 2023) in addition to Breakdown, while Twincast has been pushed back to the wave containing Metalhawk and the Wheeljack & Cheetor repacks have been possibly scrapped.
If you actually read to the end, I appreciate you
And there you have it. It looks like the design team isn't leaving much off the table which may well make this the most exciting era of the Transformers franchise. It's a lot to unload but feel free to leave your thoughts in the Energon Pub Forums!
Thanks to an update from the Transformers Official YouTube page we have a cool Friday treat for you disciples of Unicron out there. In this short video you get to see the breakdowns and making-of the official poster for the HasLab Unicron project done by none other than Marcelo Matere!
Here's the word from Hasbro on Unicron: "UNICRON stands alone as the most menacing figure in TRANSFORMERS lore, capable of devouring entire worlds and civilizations. He debuted in the 1986 film Transformers: The Movie and his insatiable appetite nearly brought the entire universe to its knees. But his legacy transcends both space and time.
The gigantic UNICRON would be the largest TRANSFORMERS figure ever created, taking the title from the previous record-holder, FORTRESS MAXIMUS. Artists and designers from Takara Tomy and Hasbro are working to capture the intricate details and features of the relentless Chaos Bringer to make this the most accurate UNICRON fans have ever seen.
In his immense robot mode, this version of UNICRON is over 27” tall and has more than 50 points of articulation. Includes fine pose-ability, such as movable eyes, fingers, mouth, and even teeth. He converts into a terrifying planet mode that is a stunning 30” in diameter. The planet mode features the iconic planet-eating jaws, geared to open so UNICRON can devour unassuming worlds. The planet mode also features a series of posable planetary rings. Comes with a stand for posing both planet & robot mode."
Unicron is on his way to our planet as we speak Seibertronians! Only the combined power of our fandom united can convert this planetary threat into a child sized toy ready to dominate our collections. Till all are one!
If you haven't backed this project yet there's still time but not much - just click HERE to head to Hasbro Pulse and put in your order for Unicron today! If Unicron does not meet the 8,000 backers needed HE WILL NOT BE MADE!
Enjoy the view and as always stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in Transformers news!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Beast Wars Characters
I don't know if I will ever have a list of the "Top 5 Transformers TV Shows" because there isn't that much competition and to me the only real discussion point would be why Beast Wars is better than the G1 Sunbow show. That's because if I were to write that list (which I don't plan to at the moment) Beast Wars would trump G1, for sure. So I will cut to the discussion right away and tell you why: the characters. Beast Wars has the best Transformers characters we will ever see on TV and I want to give a breakdown of the ones I like best, so here it goes!
5. DepthCharge/Rampage
I for the two rivals duking it out until their death. I also love the Batman/Joker rivalry and this it is the most prominent and legendary rivalry in all of fiction (anyone dare go against that?) and the Deptcharge/Rampage rivalry seems to take direct inspiration of that. The temperaments of the characters involved in both rivalries is very similar too with an obsessed lone wolf badass hunting down an agent of chaos. It's a fun dynamic and very fun archetypes and I am glad that they were part of Beast Wars.
4. Rhinox
Part of me wanted to put Rhinox at number 1 just to make a statement. He is by far the best maximal character with all the best attributes you can think of. He is the smartest on the team, while also having brute strength and insane firepower. He has all that it takes to be second in command, which he technically is, and yet we don't think of him that was due to his humility and much gentler side (which is an amazing contrast to his arsenal and size). He is the ultimate support to the team and from beginning to end (especially end). I don't know how much is just coincidence or good planned out writing, but Rhinox also ends up being the only character in the entire show to retain his organic beast mode until the end. It shows how that character was quick to accept this new organic life (a lot like Tigertron) and kept exploring it and welcoming all that it had to bring.
3. Blackarachnia
As mentioned in the best female characters of all time in the Transformers franchise, she is one of the characters with the most depth in any Transformers fiction. The reason why she is still only third place on this list is because she lacks a certain gravitas that number 1 and 2 have. But please remember that Beast Wars has the best written characters we will ever be given on a screen so being top 3 is just as good as being number 1.
2. Megatron
It is impossible to express the joy of watching this villain on the screen. He reminds me of Hans Gruber and other villains which just reek of charisma. He knows he is bad and is loving every second of it and that is so infectious to the viewer. I love his assurance too, its very seductive, just ask Ravage. We almost want to see him succeed in his plans and that is the marking of a perfect villain.
1. Dinobot
Unlike almost every other Transformers character, Dinobot doesn't seem to have a predetermined personality based on his allegiance. That is also what makes Beast Wars such a smart show. We see around the end of the second season that the Predacons are not a simple analogue to the Decepticons. They are another clan with different values and ideals. While Megatron has ambitions similar to the previous bearer of that name, it only makes sense that his lietenants share similar aspirations. However, Dinobot shows us that evil is not a hardcoded trait in this world anymore. I love how he never chooses to be a maximal but simply
Dinobot, to me, is not just the best Beast Wars character, he is the very best character to come out of Transformers.
Honourable mentions: All of them, with the exception of maybe Scorponok and Tigerhawk who didn't really do much for me as a kid and even less so now.
We are honored to welcome veteran voice actor Jack Angel to TFcon DC 2017 for a rare convention appearance.
The voices of Astrotrain, Breakdown, Cyclonus, Omega Supreme, Ramjet, Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus in the Transformers Generation 1 cartoon; he is also known to GI JOE fans as the voice of Wet Suit and Super Friends fans as the voices of Flash, Hawkman and Samurai. Mr. Angel will be taking part in Q&A panels and autograph sessions with the attendees of the world’s largest fan-run Transformers convention.
Hey, Seibertronians! It's Tuesday again, and that means- wait, what? Why- What do you mean it's not Tuesday?! No, there's no way...It's...Wednesday?! What?! How did...? Wow, Labor Day really messed me up.
Well, I guess we should just jump in to the breakdown, then. I don't want you to have to wait any longer.
Episode 6 starts off immediately where 5 ended, with Rodimus in the hands (quite literally) of Devastator. His voice oddly sounds like an Autotuned mess here, but I don't know why. He doesn't speak normally with Autotune, so I find it weird that they would use it here. Anyway, the decepticon combiner throws Rodimus back to the council, demanding that he be given the Enigma of Combination. Megatron tells him to stand down, but Devastator refuses, saying Megatron isn't his leader anymore. On the close-ups during this scene, again, the mouth sync is as bad as a terribly-dubbed anime, (Odd, because it was animated to sync to English, not Japanese, so at least the Anime have an excuse.) but I've said that a thousand times, so I'll move past it.
Another issue I haven't really touched on in these reviews is the sound level. I know a lot of people won't care at all, as this is a very technical detail, but it does effect everyone who watches it. The sounds level is completely random, and ear-splittingly loud sometimes. One moment, I have to turn my volume up to hear all the dialogue, but then during mainly the action-driven parts, the audio peaks and sounds like it's coming through a blown-out subwoofer. It's not equalized at all, and just...loud. It was very prominent in this episode, so I thought I'd touch on it.
Prime, Windblade, and Megatron all try to fight off Devastator, but it doesn't look like Devvy was the only one who heard about the Council's new toy. Victorion arrives, and demands to have the enigma. Devastator claims it as his, and they battle over ownership.
The party don't start till I walk in...
The council comes to the unanimous decision that it's best to use the Enigma against the Combiners. They activate the relic, which turns into a Matrix of Leadership-style orb with handles. Rodimus discovers that (for some reason) he can't posses the Enigma. They never explain why, it just happens. He basically reaches out, touches it, gets zapped, and says "Welp, that's it for me. Good luck!". They at least give an explanation as to why the Mistress can't use it, (it might be a terrible one, but it's still a reason) but they don't say anything about why Rodimus can't. Tell me in the comments if it's more obvious to you why, because it makes no sense to me.
Victorion and Devastator face off
So, because neither other member of the council can harness it's power, the Enigma is given to Starscream. He must take control and tell the combiners to stop. Rodimus tells him he trusts him, and that the former decepticon should do the right thing and end the war.
Oh, he will.
He uses the Enigma to take control of all the combiners, reviving Computron and Menasor, and debilitating Devastator and Victorion. He starts to use them as his own limbs, literally making a combiner combiner, and betrays the council.
We interrupt Transformers to bring you Voltron
Megatron is the first to realise what's happening, and laughs at what Starscream has orchestrated, saying it's exactly what he would have done.
Starscream finishes his evolution, becoming one of the most powerful beings ever created. We see a glimpse of him before the episode ends.
-Evil version of "You've got the Touch" plays-
So, some final thoughts. I enjoyed this episode. Not as much as the previous couple admittedly, but I enjoyed it. I agree with some of the commenters on the boards, it's a shame to see an interesting iteration of a character turn out to not be as different or interesting as we thought. Starscream, just like war, never changes. He reminded me of the comics, where he took up the role of politician, except this version to me was more intriguing just because he didn't seem to have any ulterior motives. I also agree that Megatron is the best character in the series. I actually think he's one of the best executed Megatrons in Transformers history. It suits him so well. You got that right, Machinima created one of my favorite iterations of Megatron ever. Never thought you'd hear me say that now, did ya?
There's only a few more episodes left...how will it all tie together? What other characters will we see? Doesn't that song that plays in the background while Starscream starts forming the combiners sound like Blue Monday by New Order? Speculate in the comments below! But before you do, watch the episode now on Go90 and if you're outside the U.S., check out our announcement article for alternate viewing options. See you next week! Same bot-time, same bot-channel!
Voice Actor D.C. Douglas recently posted a blog about how Leonard Nimoy's Spock character influenced his role as Chase on Transformers Rescue Bots and Mass Effect's Legion. He posts his audition for Chase and call back audition for Legion.
D.C. Douglas wrote:And then there’s Chase! He was a challenge once we started recording the first episode. The breakdown (description of the voice the producers wanted) was that of Friday from “Dragnet.”
D.C. Douglas wrote:Here is my audition for Legion. It’s actually my call back. The first one was a monologue a la “friends, Romans, countrymen!” You’ll notice in this call back recording that I’m leaning heavier on the facts and less on the thoughtfulness. It’s subtle, but anyone who knows these games will hear it:
D.C. Douglas wrote:But once in the recording session, the creators realized it was just a bit too limiting and began shaping Chase with more of Spock’s Mother’s tendencies. Over the course of 3 seasons Chase has evolved into quite a lovable character.
The new animated series Transformers: Robots in Disguise has aired already in the Australian cyclone-lands, and Seibertron.com board admin Burn was able to both watch the Pilot and report on it without giving too much away! Read on below for a breakdown and thought cap on this new venture for team Bumblebee.
Burn wrote:
Burn Reviews Transformers:Robots in Disguise
So I guess this job falls to me after having watched the two-part "Pilot".
First and foremost, from what I've seen of the series from the initial character designs, through to a few short videos, and then the toys, I wasn't expecting much from the series.
Suffice to say, I've been pleasantly surprised.
The show, may be ... fun. There's a number of moments where you just have to laugh. Put that down to the characterisation, all of the characters are incredibly unique. So let's run through them!
THE CHARACTERS
Bumblebee - The veteran, reluctantly thrown into the leader position of a bunch of misfits. It's so weird hearing him talk ... Strongarm - The ride-along, a stickler for the law. She quotes the rules more than Red Dwarf's Rimmer quoted Space Corps directives. Young and out to impress her ranking officer. Sideswipe - The perp, reluctantly dragged into the mix when arrested by Strongarm. Very little respect for authority, but being one of the good guys, he'll fall into line eventually. Fix-It - The mini-con, in charge of a prison transport ship that has crashed to Earth. Currently suffering glitches which you could describe as dyslexia. Not really living up to his name ... Denny - The father, a collector of ... things ... Russell - The son, not a collector, typical cartoon human kid Grimlock - The Dinobot, an escaped prisoner from the transport ship, a little amnesic over a few details, not a fan of Underbite. Also nothing like previous Grimlocks.
Which brings us to ...
Underbite - The Chompazoid, the first escaped prisoner we meet. The Popeye of the Transformers world (his spinach is anything metal), a body builder type personality who loves his muscles ... a lot. Fun and interesting character. And not a Dinobot.
Oh and then there's that other guy who's dead ... kinda ... he's still preachy.
THE ANIMATION
I liked it. The aesthetic may not be my preference, but it worked quite well for my liking.
THE STORY
It was different, it was unique. This isn't your usual "Optimus Prime and his team are out to stop Megatron and the Decepticons with help from the humans". This is a whole new team with only one character we know well. It's a bold new move, and it works. It proves we don't need established names to enjoy a Transformers cartoon. Just give it a good story. As I said, there's little bits of comedy. Underbite, despite being the bad guy, is a character you can get behind.
OVERALL
It's good. It's worth watching. It's got potential. Some series you watch "just so you can join in the conversation", this one is WORTH watching because I think many will enjoy it, and so you can join in the conversation, right here, on the Energon Pub forums!
Generations was not the only Transformers line shown off at the NYCC 2014 Hasbro Press Party, the upcoming Transformers: Robots in Disguise animated series also had its fair share of floor and table room - and you can find out more about it all below, with official product images and class description! The breakdown and images also confirm the names of Grimlock, Steeljaw and Strongarm as new additions, with Sideswipe and Optimus Prime joining the Transformers: Prime veteran Bumblebee.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE ONE-STEP CHANGERS Assortment
(Ages: 5 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $9.99/Available: Spring 2015)
More than meets the eye in the blink of an eye! Each TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE ONE-STEP CHANGERS figure features a character from the all new animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, coming to Cartoon Network in 2015, and converts from robot to vehicle and back in one awesome step! Each sold separately.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE LEGION Assortment
(Ages: 6 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $5.99/Available: Spring 2015)
Each TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE LEGION figure features a character from the all new animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, coming to Cartoon Network in 2015 in a small-scale, highly collectable figure that converts from robot to vehicle in 10 steps or less! Each sold separately.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE WARRIORS Assortment
(Ages: 6 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Spring 2015)
Each TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE WARRIORS figure features a character from the all new animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, coming to Cartoon Network in 2015. Warrior figures feature updated puzzle play for fans that want the classic TRANSFORMERS experience. These highly detailed figures are great for collectors and kids as they convert from robot to vehicle in 10 steps or less. High articulation means more action play, as kids can pose their figures and play out their favorite battles from the new animated series. Each sold separately.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE THREE-STEP CHANGERS Assortment
(Ages: 5 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Spring 2015)
Each TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE THREE-STEP CHANGERS figure features a character from the all new animated series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, coming to Cartoon Network in 2015 in a fun, larger size with an amazingly fluid conversion. Kids can convert each figure in three steps and get right into the action! Each sold separately.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TITAN HEROES Action Figure Assortment
(Ages: 4 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $12.99/Available: Spring 2015)
Kids and collectors alike will have big fun with these 12-inch scale action figures based on the new animated series coming to Cartoon Network in 2015. Each non-converting figure features five points of articulation and packs a lot of play at a great price! Each sold separately.
TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE 6-INCH TITAN GUARDIANS Action Figure Assortment
(Ages: 4 & up /Approx. Retail Price: $5.99/Available: Spring 2015)
These figures bring awesome action-figure fun to the TRANSFORMERS brand. These non-converting figures are the perfect entry point into the TRANSFORMERS universe for young fans. Each 6-inch TRANSFORMERS: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TITAN GUARDIANS figure features a character from the hot new animated series coming to Cartoon Network in 2015. Each sold separately.
Tying up some remaining loose ends, we have some further bits of BotCon 2014 coverage, and it's time to stroll down memory lane, right turn before the Iacon exit, at the Generation 1 panel - thanks to Seibertron.com board member Delicon. Read on below!
Hey guys, this is Delicon from the boards. Here is my summary of the G1 Retro panel, which focused on the original cartoons made by Sunbow.
The panelists were Jack Angel (Ultra Magnus, Astrotrain, Smokescreen, Ramjet, Breakdown and more), Hal Rayle (Shrapnel, Pipes, Slag, etc), Michael McConnohie (Tracks and Cosmos from G1 and Hotshot and Ironhide from RID) and Samantha Newark (Ariel from G1 and Jem from Jem and the Holograms.) Susan Blu and Morgan Lofting did not attend.
There was little intro and questions were taken from the start. Here are a few highlights.
As expected, each actor did a voice or two during the panel. At one point Samantha Newark said "Hi, I'm Jem...and these are not my Holograms!" Hal Rayle did his Shrapnel voice and did the famous echo effect. For reasons unexplained, Jack Angel even did some Grimlock (a character he did not originally voice.)
The actors were asked about their work on other shows. Michael McConnohie mentioned accidentally punching Roscoe Lee Browne while trying to deliver a line for the Visionaries series.
They talked about how fun the ensemble style recording sessions were. Wally Burr's unique directing style was discussed as was Frank Welker's tendency to play practical jokes with his voice. Welker loved to imitate sounds such as sliding doors and white noise and fooled Wally with those sometimes.
Casey Kasem was brought up. Jack Angel spoke of their many years they worked together on shows, including Super Friends. Hal Rayle mentioned how his wife (then around 30) told Casey she had loved him since she was a little girl to which Casey responded "Well, you're not a little girl now!"
Jack Angel said he had actually played Jem's father on Jem and the Holograms and joked about being Samantha's dad. He also told a story about how he at one point had been #4 on the list of actors with the most $100 million grossing films but had since been passed by Samuel L Jackson. Jackson had mentioned to Howard Stern that Angel and Welker (#1) weren't "real actors" to which Angel responded with challenging Jackson to get in the studio with him and Welker.
Michael McConnohie said that Cosmos had his voiced loosely based on horror icon Peter Laurie but that he was told to sound like "a very bad Peter Laurie."
The highlight of the panel was a fan who brought up original audition casting sheets (for Angel, Rayle and McConnohie) that he had purchased in an auction from Wally Burr. We learned that on the sketch sheet for Cosmos that there was a rocket instead of a flying saucer. Each actor read lines as their characters from the sheets - Jack Angel as Ramjet, McConnohie as Tracks and Rayle as Pipes and Shrapnel. It was revealed that Wally had crossed out some of the writer's dialogue and come up with his own lines.
Overall it was a very fun panel. All the speakers seemed to really enjoy themselves and interacted nicely with the fans. Other than the script reading, it was probably the lightest and fastest moving panel at BotCon 2014.
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