Epic Redesigns: Retrofitting Starscream & Blur into “Robots In Disguise”Tapping into the rich history of Transformers lore, famed G1 Decepticon, Starscream, and heroic Autobot, Blur, are getting a Robots In Disguise overhaul. So what exactly went into detailing these classic characters? We went right to the source for the answers—Hasbro Senior Product Designer on Transformers, Sean Carmine Isabella.
About the Designer:Designing many of his favorite childhood characters, Isabella builds new play experiences for the next generation of thinkers and explorers. Before he worked on heroic robots battling the forces of evil, Sean designed toys for brands such as Littlest Pet Shop, Easy Bake Oven, and FurReal Friends.
So, why Starscream? “Being an ‘80s kid, the idea of high flying fighter jets always sparked my imagination. No one encapsulated this for the Deceptions better than Starscream. Drawing jets and spaceships is something of a hobby for me so getting the opportunity to work on reimagining a classic character, (and a jet no less!) was a dream come true.”
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What elements of the G1 Starscream sculpt inspired this redesign?“We wanted to hold onto certain iconic design traits to maintain his epic look—such as his chest exhaust design, graphic pattern on his wing, his overall color scheme, and his twin null ray blasters.”
What was your motivation behind Blur’s build?“Blur’s a fast talking, speed loving Autobot. We wanted his design to evoke the same sense of speed to be true to the core of the character.”
Was there a specific G1 element you focused on keeping or updating?“We looked at his classic Cybertronian mode that debuted in the 1986 film and reimagined how this vehicle mode would exist in a modern Earth setting.”
The GI connections certainly don’t stop with these bots. Tune in to Transformers: Robots In Disguise to find out if some of your favorites are getting a modern makeover.
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