We'll start with the brand new cover revealed to day via Tom Walt's Twitter, which features the Ghost of Starscream! The Senior Editor and Manager notes that a Ghostbuster's crossover without Starscream's ghost would be a crime in and of itself! The cover itself is done by Priscilla Tramontano, a seasoned Transformers art veteran.
To go along with the cover, IDW's official site has uploaded a new interview with the creative team behind the crossover itself! The creative team consists of Writer Erik Burnham, Artist Dan Schoening, and Colorist Luis Antonio Delgado, and the team gets to talk about their histories with the different franchises, and also give us a bit of information on Ectotron. You can follow the above link to the full interview.
You can check out the cover and read some snippets of the interview below, and let us know what you think of this new and exciting crossover evens in the comments section down below!!
When you were initially approached by IDW Publishing to be part of the TRANSFORMERS/GHOSTBUSTERS crossover, what was your first reaction?
ERIK BURNHAM: Oh, there was a delayed double-take. The TRANSFORMERS property is something that a reliable section of fans has asked about us playing around with (with GHOSTBUSTERS or otherwise) ever since the first TMNT/GB crossover five years back. I wondered if the TRANSFORMERS universe would be as fun of a sandbox as GHOSTBUSTERS for us to play in – spoilers, it totally is.
LUIS ANTONIO DELGADO: Excitement! I’ve been working with IDW for 11 years and I’ve worked on pretty much all the properties I grew up with. The one I was still dreaming of being a part of was TRANSFORMERS, and to do it combined with my favorite team, the Ghostbusters, was everything I could’ve wanted. Besides, I already knew Erik was gonna come with a fantastic way to get both of them together (already did it once with TMNT), so I couldn’t wait to read the story.
DAN SCHOENING: Very surprised! I never thought I’d get the opportunity to draw the TRANSFORMERS bots in a comic, let alone a team up with the Ghostbusters.
.....
Luis, with so many different characters appearing on the cover art and within the story pages, how do you keep track of the proper colors to use for each, and did it require a lot of research on your part to get all the TRANSFORMERS details right?
LUIS: It is a huge challenge. When it comes to GB, I know the guys and their gear better than I could ever imagined I would, but the TRANSFORMERS bots are a different story—there are so many and they are so complex that it is a bit scary. Dan is the real genius behind all the art, not only the pencils, he did all the research so he could be true to the mythos and he was kind enough to share that research; so after a couple of misfires, I managed to get all the robots’ features right and now I have multiple files ready for when I have to work on them.
.....
Dan, who is your favorite Ghostbuster to draw? Favorite TRANSFORMERS bot? Are there any characters you dread having to illustrate?
DAN: My favorite Ghostbuster is Ray, and he’s also my favorite to draw. As for a TRANSFORMERS bot, my favorite is Mirage, with Perceptor in a close second. I can’t say I’m dreading drawing any, however, each one presents their own unique challenges. Finding where the joints move in particular, such as elbows and knees, is something I’m looking to improve upon as I move ahead.
.....
Erik, what can you tell us about Ectotron, the new Autobot being introduced in this crossover?
ERIK: Well… he is a bit of a nerd. He’s almost as far out there for the Autobots as the Ghostbusters were from other academics here on Earth. He’s kind of uptight, and he’s teased by the other Autobots. But he’ll loosen up by the end of the story.
.....
Erik, what can longtime fans of both franchises expect going into this crossover?
ERIK: Here’s the thing – I like a little comedy with the action, and I was wondering if Hasbro was going to ask for a very stoic interpretation of the TRANSFORMERS property, leaving the silliness to the Ghostbusters… but no. I get to have fun with the bots! Nothing wildly out of character, mind you, but Optimus Prime is gonna be as able to crack a joke as Venkman, if the situation arises. It’s gonna be about fun. Lots of fun. And I guarantee the series starts in a way no one will expect – it made me smile to write, and Dan & Luis knocked it out of the park on the page. It’s the kind of toybox mashup we did as kids! The TL;DR of it: a fun time with the boys in grey and the robots in disguise dealing with some ghostly common enemies!
