Samantha Newark to Attend BotCon 2014

Well that was unexpected. The voice of Ariel from "War Dawn", Elise Presser from "B.O.T." and the present day Zamojin Empress from "The Face of the Nijika".

Oh, and her biggest role Jem.

Really pulling out all the stops for the 30th anniversary, huh?

Let's get the voice actress from that one episode. Such a mainstay of the franchise. Oh yeah, and let's have a box set of characters from one or two panels from the comic in the 90s.

Lol.

You know what's cool about that announcement? It's someone different. That's always welcome. Very cool!

ScottyP wrote:You know what's cool about that announcement? It's someone different. That's always welcome. Very cool!

I've give her that. Someone new is usually interesting for spreading more stories about the past.

Dagon wrote:Really pulling out all the stops for the 30th anniversary, huh?

Let's get the voice actress from that one episode

...considered by many fans to be THE greatest keynote of the American G1 cartoon for presenting its origin for Optimus Prime, his conflict with Megatron, and the Great War.

My thoughts exactly!

Of course, she's most relevant as Jem, so maybe this is a sign that Hasbro hasn't given up on reviving that franchise? Their first stab at it kind of died down, but the HUB started rerunning it weekday mornings again. Any word as to what keeps hampering them, or is that under wraps for legal reasons?

Bumblevivisector wrote:

Dagon wrote:Really pulling out all the stops for the 30th anniversary, huh?

Let's get the voice actress from that one episode

...considered by many fans to be THE greatest keynote of the American G1 cartoon for presenting its origin for Optimus Prime, his conflict with Megatron, and the Great War.

As well as the single worst episode of G1 that featured some of the worst animation errors ever, the most heinous human sidekicks ever, some of the weakest toy advertisement strategies ever, and the most outrageously ludicrous plan Megatron ever conceived.

And the episode that turned Perceptor into a Geisha woman.

Sabrblade wrote:As well as the single worst episode of G1:P

What's that you say? They also got Morgan Lofting to attend and discuss Prime Target?

Just to clarify, given the sheer amount of errors one must forgive to enjoy pretty much any Sunbow ep, I grade on a scale of "reasonable benefit of the doubt". For example, if the whole musical-language had actually been planned out, and they'd thrown in one line of pseudo-science about how the Eurythman harmonics can somehow travel through space, Carnage in C-Minor could've worked as intended.

Considering Swindle is an iconic character entirely because so many fans' blurry memories of B.O.T. have it focusing more on his wheeling and dealing, it's seriously not a stretch to say that if just a few minutes of high school antics had been handed over to him instead, B.O.T. could even be an above average episode.

Prime Target, on the other hand, just had such a wrong-headed premise from the get-go that the only "if" I can ever muster for it is, "If anyone without Flint Dille's carte blanche had submitted this turd, it would've been flushed long before it hit the storyboards." For me, there is no other contender for worst Sunbow ep, and B.O.T. somehow being considered to bear that title instead strikes me as an odd hindsight contrivance; I'd never heard it mentioned as such until just a few years ago, and nearly half the episodes from the first 2/3 of season 2 are more painful to sit through.

But back on topic,

Sabrblade wrote:And the episode that turned Perceptor into a Geisha woman.

Hmm, thanks to Windblade, that ep's actually quite topical again, ain't it? Yep, Samantha Newark is a pretty good get this year.

Bumblevivisector wrote:For me, there is no other contender for worst Sunbow ep, and B.O.T. somehow being considered to bear that title instead strikes me as an odd hindsight contrivance; I'd never heard it mentioned as such until just a few years ago, and nearly half the episodes from the first 2/3 or season 2 are more painful to sit through.

Most look to this for B.O.T.'s "worst episode" candidacy (check out the Notes section, especially).

Bumblevivisector wrote:maybe this is a sign that Hasbro hasn't given up on reviving that franchise?

You know what franchise they should revive? Robotix! I loved that show!

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:

Bumblevivisector wrote:maybe this is a sign that Hasbro hasn't given up on reviving that franchise?

You know what franchise they should revive? Robotix! I loved that show!

Just so happens that that show does exist in the TF multiverse.

Why, Compu-Core is even a Vector Sigma node.

Sabrblade wrote:Most look to this for B.O.T.'s "worst episode" candidacy (check out the Notes section, especially).

Right, exactly what I meant. Lays out a good case in print, but it somehow never adds up to be that bad when I actually go back and watch the pre-Movie eps.

The intangible that text can't capture is a certain feel: maybe it was the Jem models being used reenforcing the greater Sunbow community, or the teenagers' plot looking like something from a random contemporary Saturday Morning cartoon (Kidd Video, maybe?), but it makes the Transformers seem to inhabit a complex world/universe with a lot of stuff going on at once (didn't we wish all of our favorite childhood cartoons could actually overlap wherever possible?) You got that feel in spades after The Movie, and in the multiple threads of the US/UK comics, but hardly ever in the pre-Movie toon, with it's gimmick-centric plots precisely chiseled to ignore inconvenient elements of other episodes. The only prior eps that ever gave me that feeling were The Ultimate Doom and Revenge of Bruticus, and I always liked that season 2 at least managed to end with the same feel, even if it was through sheer nuttiness.

One thing everyone can agree on though, is that B.O.T. had to have suffered exceptionally hasty last-minute edits. If some confusion even made its way into the recording session, Ms. Newark's insight's into it could be the most interesting part of her panel (on the off-chance she remembers anything specific from 3 eps 29 years ago). Did Earl Kress ever talk about it before he passed on? Is the script revealed by Metrodome posted anywhere online?

Sabrblade wrote:

Fires_Of_Inferno wrote:

Bumblevivisector wrote:maybe this is a sign that Hasbro hasn't given up on reviving that franchise?

You know what franchise they should revive? Robotix! I loved that show!

Just so happens that that show does exist in the TF multiverse.

Why, Compu-Core is even a Vector Sigma node.

Meaning Skalorr is an aspect of Cybertron, right? So is that one bad guy literally that universe's Shipwreck?

Glad to know it's still a different planet in different continuities, since it could easily exist in or after Sunbow's 2006.

As for reviving Robotix, I think what sunk it back in the day was that the cartoon was so good it made you want to get all the figures and have them bash the slag outta' each other, occasionally with an opponent's severed leg! But the expense and complexity of the toys made that next to impossible. If they simplified it into a non-electronic, Construct-Bots-esque toyline though, that might just fly.

Has the show gotten an R1 DVD release yet? I'd love to have that whole brief series, plus the far more forgotten Lionel Power Masters and Max Steel Robo Force: The Revenge of Nazgar on DVD. Don't remember who owns that last one, but Flint Dille wrote the one-off episode.

Bumblevivisector wrote:

Dagon wrote:Really pulling out all the stops for the 30th anniversary, huh?

Let's get the voice actress from that one episode

...considered by many fans to be THE greatest keynote of the American G1 cartoon for presenting its origin for Optimus Prime, his conflict with Megatron, and the Great War.

My thoughts exactly!

Of course, she's most relevant as Jem, so maybe this is a sign that Hasbro hasn't given up on reviving that franchise? Their first stab at it kind of died down, but the HUB started rerunning it weekday mornings again. Any word as to what keeps hampering them, or is that under wraps for legal reasons?

I suppose, if that makes you feel better. I guess, personally speaking, I'd need to have some actual support for the idea that War Dawn is 'considered by many fans to be THE greatest keynote' of the G1 cartoon. That would at least make this seem less like grasping at straws, and if she was really that big of a draw I'd imagine the announcement would maybe reference the episode more prominently than it mentions she was the voice of Jem. I'm not trying to argue the narrative importance of the episode, nor am I making a claim for a better, more important episode, but there hasn't been any word that Welker or Cullen will be there, and I doubt anyone can make an argument that those two voice actors are less iconic for the franchise than a minor G1 character.

And, at any rate, this isn't Jemcon, so I'm not sure that her turn as Jem is really supposed to wow anyone.

*EDIT: I also don't have any personal issue with this guest, in case it seems like I'm just grumpy. I guess I just think a bit character's voice actor is that impressive.

Henry921 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Mkall wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Anyway -- https://twitter.com/BotCon/status/443390204586389504

For everyone who wants that character EVERYONE knows of and really needs an update, don't worry, he is on his way...

It's going to be Hot Rod isn't it?

I'm hoping for Devcon.

I have a feeling Devcon (if the reveal) will be from Generations Scourge. Body styles are really close.

Assuming the rumor about Energon molds is true, this may finally come to light:

Speaking of using Energon molds...

Would love to see Energon Jetfire as Technobot Scattershot (already close in color scheme) and Slugslinger (with new head) as Strafe. Could probably redo Cybertron Ransack as Afterburner and repurpose Universe Swerve as Lightspeed. All we need is our favorite drill guy, Nosecone, and viola...TECHNOBOTS!!!!

Josh Burcham having some more fun - https://twitter.com/jcburcham/status/443529245441003520

Ferak is purple. Henkei Cyclonus, which wasn't released stateside, is a purple that he has never been in any of his fiction appearances. What's the issue Pete? Last I checked Cyclonus doesn't have a red face or highlights either. If you aren't going to do the character the proper justice, don't do it. Grey is better than white but it's still wrong.

It would seem that Tornado from this year's BotCon Pirates vs. Knights set has discovered Facebook. So far he's shared a selfie and and a couple of data logs, which can be found here and here. Probably worth dropping by his page and liking to get additional updates:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tornado- ... 8939844774

Ummm well that's something.

That first log was taken directly from the the first 2014 issue of the TCC magazine, issue #55. It was the first piece of official word that confirmed that the pirate toys would likely all be Squadron X members in addition to Cannonball.

I'd wager a guess that the second log will be included in the next issue, so this is a surprise to see this kind of magazine content posted publicly online ahead of its magazine issue publishing.

Though, reading over the second log and then rereading the first log again, it kinda sounds like the "we" from Squadron X that Tornado mentioned Cannonball had invited to join his crew might be referring to just him and Ferak, rather than all of Squadron X. If that's the case, then...

Well, that'd leave the pirates as being almost as much an open book as the knights currently are.


Also, anyone remember "Apelinq's War Journals" from the 3H days? This feels a lot like that was, only in print form instead of online.

Tornado has updated his Facebook with a third log entry:

https://docs.google.com/a/unicron.com/file/d/0B_AaAWT6x2NmaTJOekpPUzVNRm8/edit