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Seibertron.com returns once more to interview the latest addition to the IDW creative teams, in light of the work that has already appeared and will return in the Spring - Camiens, Cybertronians and other colonists, please welcome Sara Pitre-Durocher, cover artist, interiors on Combiner Hunters and The Transformers, and soon to be appearing on Till All Are One!
Va'al - Sara, thank you for taking the time to talk to us, even across a screen and at a continent's distance. It's truly a pleasure. I believe the best place to start, for everyone to get to know you, is from the very beginning: how did Transformers first enter your life?
Sara - My pleasure! Thanks for having me!
I was raised in the late 80s with an older brother so Transformers were constantly a part of my life's background as a kid. I didn't particularly care for them back then (I was more intent on liking different things than my brother, really) but some of the classic scenes from the first few episodes, which he had recorded on tape and played in loop every moment of every day, really left an impression on me. As in I could almost quote the episodes when I watched them many years later.
When Beast Wars came on (well... Beasties, I mean) I was a fan, but Transformers Prime is really what got me hooked on everything Transformers.
Va'al - That is a peculiar, but also familiar, triple way of getting into the fiction! Was there any other form of the franchise that made into your home, alongside the series? Any toys, comics, stickers, posters - or was that a much later thing too?
Sara - Oh yeah, it absolutely took over almost instantly. It wasn't long before I started doing research on past Transformers series, animated or otherwise. I watched the '86 movie before watching G1, so that was a bit confusing but amazing at the same time? I read as many old comics as I could get my hands on and caught up with IDW's.
My toy collection is a never-ending work in progress, but I have a few shelves filled up now. My wardrobe didn't escape the giant-robot-makeover, either..! It eventually got to a point where I wanted the franchise to take over my professional life as well.
Va'al - So during your 'gotta catch em all' time as a fan and researcher of sorts, what was the one thing that stood out? Did you love any of the parts of the franchise specifically (toys over comics, comics over cartoons), or was it all-encompassing?
Sara - I really had to think about this one and haven't been able to come up with a proper answer, so I suppose that means I just love everything equally? (I almost feel like a parent being asked which of my kids I like the best..!) But really, each part of the franchise satisfies a different need, and I find myself just as excited for a new episode to come out, a new comic, a new figure or new game...! It's just really inspiring to see what's being created with these characters, in whatever shape or form.
In a way I think it's important for me to stay updated on all of these too, to get a vibe of what other fans are into and what they're hoping for next.
Va'al - It's always good to see that even fans who make it to the professional level remain attached to their nature as fan! In terms of your professional life, how did that come about? Did you set yourself the goal of working with Transformers, and art came later, or did you start as an artist, and brought Transformers into it?
Sara - I honestly never imagined that my life would ever take this turn. When I decided to pursue art about 13 years ago, my original "plan" was just to work hard, make art, and somehow make a living out of it. I was never working up to an objective or anything.
When I got properly acquainted with Transformers, it's like a little light went off; I HAD to work on it. Anything. And I won't lie, a lot of this has to do with a good sense of timing and just pure luck, since at the time that I got the courage to ask my boss (at Volta, Concept art studio) if it would be possible to look for work for the Transformers Franchise, DeNA's Transformers Legends was just starting its production. It pretty much all stemmed from there; Hasbro, who had seen our work on the game, then contacted us to work on coloring their packaging and marketing art. I art-directed on colors for both projects, and painted quite a lot myself as well.
Eventually I set my sights on the comics; at first I just wanted to do variant covers, but when John Barber asked if I'd be interested in doing interior art as well I jumped on the opportunity! So at this point it has really switched around; before, art came first and I introduced Transformers to it, but now I feel like I just want to work for the franchise as much as I can, in any medium.
Va'al - That is a really cool story, and spanning so many incarnations of the franchise already. As a concept artist, and the hands behind the Torchbearers designs, what is your peak Transformers fan/artist moment?
Sara - Oh boy, that's a tough one. There are so many moments that have left huge impressions on me, but I think the best is when I walked into the convention center at San Diego Comic Con this summer, and a lot of work I had done in the past year was displayed everywhere at the Hasbro booth. Combiner Hunters premiered at the event as well, so it was just a whole bunch of my Transformers work everywhere at once..! It was kind of overwhelming but...yeah, the best.
Va'al - So now that you're in the IDW realm, how does it feel to be working with the brand and the people associated with it? Are there any big differences between, say, John Barber and Mairghread Scott (for writing), or Josh Perez and Yamaishi (for colouring)?
Sara - It's been really great so far, everyone's very supportive and encouraging. I expected to feel like the new kid at school trying to fit in with all the popular kids (and still I kinda do) but they were quick to welcome me to the IDW family! I can't wait to meet everyone in person so we can create our own secret handshakes.
This is what it probably looks like
As for John and Mairghread, they both work in a way that makes my life really easy; they give precise scripts and panel descriptions while still giving me some breathing space for my own artistic input. Working with Yamaishi and Josh has been even easier, I just let them work their magic...! They have very strikingly different coloring styles but both manage to bring so much life and emotion through the pages, it's really amazing to see.
Va'al - So the next thing planned is Till All Are One, continuing the Windblade and ex-colonies stories. What should we expect from the series? Is there anything you can tell us already, or are excited about seeing in print?
Sara - Not sure how much I can say about the ongoing, but so far I've been loving the diversity of the cast I get to play with. Each colony represented in the new Council of Worlds is so unique and has its own set of values, so there will certainly be some culture clash going on there. It certainly doesn't help that Starscream's still being his usual charming Starscream-y self.
Sneak preview!
I'm mostly looking forward to the development of that thing we see at the end of Windblade. You know the thing. With those characters? Yeah.
Va'al - Ah, yes, that will be brutiful, to say the least! Are there any other projects you're currently working on, or about to take on with the new year - Transformers-related or otherwise?
Sara - My main project right now is just to adjust to this new lifestyle; working on comics from home is much different from the 8 to 5 office job I'd gotten used to for the past 10 years..! That includes trying to make it to a bunch of conventions next year, and get some prints ready. I really have no idea where to start, but thankfully I have other IDW buddies helping out! Other than that I'm hoping to get a shot at covers for some of the other IDW comics. I'd particularly love to work on a TMNT one, but we'll see!
Va'al - Sara, we wish you all the best in your shapeshifting robot and mutant turtle-shaped futures! Is there anything you want to add for our readers? Anywhere they can find and follow more of your work?
Sara - Thank you so much!
There's a Facebook page for my art and other Transformers news, like conventions and commissions and such, at https://www.facebook.com/spewpew. I do my best to stay up to date on there, but I'll more often post art on my tumblr account, spewpew.tumblr.com, or at my Twitter, @saralepew.
It's mostly really dumb, but hey.
Va'al - We'll make sure readers know! It has been a pleasure, and thank you for taking the time to have this chat with us. Looking forward to more robots, more stories and more covers in the near future.
Sara - Awesome, thanks so much!! It was my pleasure!
Make sure to follow Sara's work across the ongoings, and prepare to see her art again in Till All Are One in the new year! Thank you all for reading, and let us know what you think of the interview in the Energon Pub. For Seibertron.com, this is Va'al, signing out.
Fellow Seibertronians, in an exclusive interview with Brazilian site Cinepop, Mark Wahlberg confirms that he will be returning to the world of Transformers by way of Transformers 5. The full article and video can be viewed here.
This is not entirely new, as we already had a hint at Wahlberg's return all the way back here - but how do you feel about Mark's return to the franchise coming from the man himself? Did you like his performance in the last movie? Post your comments in the Energon Pub and let us know.
We have some more news on the - now confirmed - one-shot featuring the Transformers in the IDW Publishing Deviations series, thanks to Newsarama. Brandon Easton will be taking up writing duties, while Priscilla Tramontano will work out the art, and they've both been interviewed about the issue - find out more below, and read the full piece here.
In March, IDW Publishing is revisiting classic moments from it's most popular franchises in a series of thematic one-shots subtitled "Deviations," and for the Transformers it doesn't get any bigger than the original Transformers: The Movie. Transformers: Deviations revisits the classic G1 era to ask "what if Optimus Prime didn't die and was there to stand against Unicron?"
Transformers: Deviations is by writer Brandon Easton and veteran Transformers artist Priscilla Tramantano, and we spoke to them about this unique opportunity -- and oh yeah, we talk about that epic soundtrack as well.
Newsarama: Brandon, what is Transformers: Deviations about?
Brandon Easton: This is a spin on the extremely popular alternate universe concept seen in sci-fi stories and graphic novels for decades. The idea that we get to peek into a different continuity where events took a strange turn and a whole new reality is born is difficult to resist. In Transformers Deviations, we speculate on the one of the biggest moments in Transformers history – the death of Optimus Prime from the classic Transformers: The Movie (1986).
The story explores the events of the original Generation One Transformers timeline if Optimus Prime had not been critically injured by Megatron in their fateful battle in Autobot City. Anyone who knows the movie and the subsequent stories from the third season of the classic TV series knows that Optimus’ death was a central point in the saga and if he survives a wholly divergent and complex wall of dominoes tumble erratically. We get a universe that deviates from the original timeline in a very interesting way.
So in a nutshell, it’s “What if Optimus Prime survived?”
[...]
Nrama: Who are the characters that take center stage in this one?
Easton: Without ruining too much, I will say that Optimus, Hot Rod and Starscream get a lot of “screen time.” There’s a lot more I could say, but I’d rather have people check out the book when it hits the stores.
Tramontano: Grimlock is a favorite of mine and he plays a big part in the movie so it'll be cool to revisit that. But I'm looking forward to the Starscream coronation gag. It´s such an iconic scene, probably my favorite scene out of the 1986 movie, and I want to see how fans will react to this new spin Brandon gave to it!
Nrama: And is there anyone you wish you could have drawn but didn't?
Tramontano: Well, I love Galvatron but sadly he won't be in this.
[...]
Nrama: This is an interesting concept -- the idea of an alternate history. What does this offer for you two as a writer and artist respectively, and do you see potential for doing it more with Transformers?
Tramontano: As a fan, it's very common for us to play within established universe, drawing fan art, writing fanfics and so on. Imagining what could have been if something had happened differently is part of the fun. I like this idea a great deal. Now, as an artist, things get more complicated because you're dealing with something that people love with all their hearts and you have to be able to tell them you're not trying to replace the original material but just add a new version. I sincerely hope people are open-minded about this book and like the result. Reading Brandon's script, I know I did (as an artist and as a fan).
Easton: Alternate history stories are a sub-genre of speculative fiction and they’re great ways to explore socio-political concepts without alienating readers. I would point to the works of Harry Turtledove or Bryce Zabel to see some compelling takes on how different the world would be if a critical moment in history went in another direction.
Personally, as a writer of speculative fiction and a former U.S. History teacher, I adore alternate histories because they allow us to engage in a different kind of world-building exercise that forces us to work within grounded constraints while still pushing the boundaries of what is/was possible.
For those not subscribed to the thread pertaining to the Botcon 2016's "Dawn of Predacus" figure set, Seibertron has had the privileged of asking Fun Pub's very own TF_JW a few questions pertaining to the choices behind the set this year, especially the colours. Here below are answers from the Club's representative which I hope will shed some light on some questions and issues some may have had with what was revealed so far. And once you are done reading, come join the discussion on the official Botcon forums found right here on Seibertron!
- About Tarantulas
Personal observation here (as a guy who had nothing to do with the mold choice on this one).
Transmetal Tarantulas was... well he was a bit like Bruce Lee. He wasn't bulky, but the guy was trim and toned (look at those abs!). And then he had a ginormous linebacker's shoulder pads thrown on, giving him an extremely wide chest and shoulders.
From the day Rook was revealed, that's kind of how I saw him too. His upper legs aren't all that bulky, and with the bomb disposal claw defining his job, I can interpret him as a moderate-sized guy inside of massively oversized protective shielding. And with this being Tarantulas working with the Predacon Secret before/instead of on ancient Earth getting turned into a spider, I can catch some interesting story vibes of him putting on some riot gear or a bomb disposal suit for a particularly tricky assignment.
As for the size of the head, thanks for pointing that out. But there has been a 3D printing made and correctly fitted to the body, even if the digital color/paint mock-up might appear to show something different.
- About the decision to use these versions of the characters and these alt modes.
The decision to make a Beast Wars Anniversary set came, well, years ago. However, since there is a very limited catalog of beast molds accessible (unless you go back to the original 20 year old molds... which does have some appeal, don't get me wrong) and since there was no knowledge of what Hasbro or Takara Tomy might do (again, we're talking a couple years ago) the focus has pretty much always been on making vehicular forms for the BW cast.
As far as how the Beast Wars Combiner Wars came about, I can't get too much into that. However I will say that Hasbro were very much excited by the concept of Fun Pub using current molds and branding to make the toy line and exclusives more cohesive.
So then with Combiner Wars in mind, Tripredacus seemed the most compelling choice for Beast Wars. Two Deluxe beasts and a Mega beast forming one of the first combiners since G1 getting turned into two Deluxe vehicles and a Voyager. And then to finish off the team of 5, Ravage and Tarantulas fit that theme quite well as being agents of the Council in the show.
The decision of show versus toys... well the Tripredacus toys already exist. And quite honestly they still hold up quite well 20 years later. The show models, however, have never had any sort of physical representation, so it became incredibly tempting to give them one finally. (Not to mention the show models where non-beasts, so that was an interesting point as well.)
Lastly, having seen and held the 3D printed heads, and seeing all of the design work and digital sculpts that led up to them, I think they fit the bodies much better than the mock-ups make it seem. I think that once samples start rolling in, some minds might be changed.
- About choice of colour, what impact Combiner Wars had, prices and souvenir figures.
The Tripredacus Council are red, silver, and black while Ravage is black, silver, and red. So I don't think he stands out as much as some are expecting. And Predacus will pull some of Tarantulas' colors into the combined mode.
I'm not sure I would agree with the Combiner Wars molds being called a "roadbump". They affected the course of the design and concept process, sure, but their hurdle isn't any higher than any other repaints really.
For the rest of your post, all I can say about the souvenirs right now is that I'm quite excited about them. And that it's too early to talk costs just yet.
- All about what went into the colours chosen and how it represents the most show accurate scheme possible, according to the Transformers Club.
The lighting after the little red disc lights are ignited makes it fairly clear that they are red and silver. The red reflects brighter on them where the red lamps shine on them, but as has been pointed out they are red where the white lamp shines on them too.
My personal interpretation of the scene is that the trick of the light/light source cheat is actually the part where they appear solid gray. More than likely the animators wanted to make their reveal a little more dramatic and therefore cut the saturation to nil so that the characters could blend in with the shadows more. This is done quite a lot in live-action filming when a scene is shot in the day time but then edited to look like night time - the saturation is cut and a blue filter applied.
Then when the lamps are activated we get bright red characters against a blue backdrop. Very contrast-y, very dramatic.
IGN has posted a short interview with the head of the Transformers movies writers' room Akiva Goldsman where he talks about the writers' room process and the human aspect of the movies. A snippet of the interview is below, click here for the whole thing.
IGN Movies: I wanted to ask about Transformers and what the writers' room process has been like -- because obviously that's commonplace for television, but not so much for movies. How has it been working with TV heavy-hitters like Steven DeKnight and Robert Kirkman on this franchise?
Akiva Goldsman: The room was honestly as delightful an experience as I've had. I think that we were just lucky enough to have a lot of good folks, all of whom were very generous. You know, I lurked around Fringe, and I learned a lot there. When you have a bunch of people who you respect, who are smart and talented, all trying to help each other figure stuff out, it's good whether you're all in a car heading across country for a road trip or a marriage and a family or a writers' room.
Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast. This special episode has Scotty P and Seibertron's News Administrator Va'al chatting with IDW Transformers comic author Nick Roche.
Episode #129 "Nick Roche Talks Sins of the Wreckers" is available directly and in our RSS Feed and should appear on iTunes and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.
Yes, you read right, this episode is all about the upcoming Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers from IDW Comics, and the author himself joins us to talk about the book and what it might bring readers. First up though, we'll tackle the truly hard questions about hotels and hard "ch" sounds.
Every interview and article with him uses this photo and it's really old but it's a good stock photo and we have to keep the joke alive.
The conception of the book is discussed next, as we learn what might have been in the past had this book come sooner. Why is it coming out now, and how heavy do our expectations weigh on its creator? Answers lie within the show, but we can go ahead and tell you that after this segment, you'll want to pretend it was good even if it turns out otherwise.
It was always destiny.
You may have noticed some familiar characters from other IDW Transformers titles in both previews, covers, and solicitations for Sins of the Wreckers. Nick lets us know what books you should read before, what books you should read during, and even sheds some light on how toys relate to IDW's plans.
Could've left off this black paint if it weren't for con exclusives.
Stakeout, Kup, and Wreckerleaks take center stage next. Why is Stakeout involved, and what might he have been doing all this time in the background? What's a "Wreckerleak" anyway? Does this megalomaniac author have any remorse for the torture of Kup? Find out these answers, plus what Prowl may or may not know already. Whatever you do, be sure to brush up on the IDW iteration of Kup before the release of Sins of the Wreckers.
You mean you didn't read Spotlight: Kup?
It's well known already that one of the most popular human characters from IDW Transformers will make an appearance once again in Roche's upcoming mini-series. Will Verity die? Like he could tell us now if we asked! You will find out more about her involvement, as well as Roadbuster's appearance, Whirl's lack of one, and even a bit about the color work on the book set to come our way from the one and only Josh Burcham.
All her fault? Basically, yeah. Maybe Prowl's too.
The mood of the landscapes in the book comes into play next in our discussion. Everything goes well until John Barber out-Christmases us, so then we just play sing-along with The Audio Knights Theatre and the interview ends. Only one of the things in this paragraphs actually happens, but tuning in will explain the insanity of the rest of it!
The last metroid is in captivity. The galaxy, is at peace.
The Transformers talk starts to wind down, but before we leave it, we ask Nick about his chance to write one of IDW's most complex characters: Arcee. Did he want her around for a reason, or was this just happenstance due to events in other books? Or is it really just a case of picking up Mr. Barber's daughter for the dance? Unlike the last paragraph of this post, the questions posed here do get answered in the show.
We finish out by finding out how you can get the book, as well as who might just have given the first issue a "thumbs up" without bribery being involved.
Fairly sure this wasn't related to this. Fairly.
Oh, and there's even a little talk of the incredible Monster Motors mini-series that Mr. Roche collaborated on with Brian Lynch. Look out world, the Motors are eyeballing heading to an independent theater in limited distribution just like one of Lynch's other art house productions.
There are no Transformers in this book, ok?
Our very grateful "Thank You!" to Nick Roche for taking the time out and appearing on this episode with us. We hope you enjoy the show, and be sure to pick up Sins of the Wreckers from IDW Publishing this November. The Twincast will return in a couple weeks with more of our regularly scheduled programming, and you can be certain more comic book talk will follow then.
Don't forget, the show only gets better if you tell us how. Drop us a review on iTunes and be sure to tell us what you love, what you hate, and what you want to hear!
Not on the show to give your take? Probably not, so don't forget to keep the discussion going on the Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums by simply replying to this post!
Got a question for the Twincast? We take all of them, we just don't take them all seriously! Leave a question in the Ask the Twincast thread and, if it makes the cut, it may get read and answered on the show.
Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast. This episode features host Scotty P guiding cast members Counterpunch, Megatronus, Seibertron, and Tigertrack through the gauntlet of all the latest news and reveals from New York Comic Con 2015. Plus, Seibertron gets to sit down with the Hasbro Transformers brand team for a special Q&A session you won't want to miss!
Episode #127 "Titans Return" is available directly and in our RSS Feed and should appear on iTunes and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.
As you can probably infer from the episode title, Hasbro's Titans Return line shown off at NYCC 2015 is front and center for this episode. Follow along with the site's extensive galleries of the product reveals from the event as we tackle it all in some form of order, including the individual Titan Masters themselves.
My other car is a drill tank.
We also analyze the Legends class figures, including the important questions. These include questions such as "What does Rewind turn into?" and "Are these tablets also phones?" Well, ok, at least one of those gets asked along the way as we take a look at this upcoming pocket sized fun.
Next fall, the robot romance comes home
We can't forget about the Deluxe class figures of Headmasters coming our way either. Listen in to hear about the size of these guys directly from our crew that was on the ground at NYCC, as well as our other thoughts on the strategy and direction these may tell us about the line.
Does he also do stand-up in gator mode?
The Voyagers don't get left out either. Galvatron and Sentinel Prime go under the microscope, and also give us some hints about future uses of at least one of these molds. Also in this part of the show: Counterpunch goes bummin' on gimmicks.
The head can rotate here, but later?
We can't forget Blaster either, especially with his head being a homage to our program! Well, maybe it isn't, but we still have fun taking a look at this upcoming Leader class figure. Base mode speculation is also included here, as well as something else from Counterpunch: not bummin' on gimmicks.
You can change the face, but the visor remains
Nestled within our coverage of all the new toys is a special interview with the Hasbro Transformers Brand Team! Marketing Director Ben Montano, Senior Manager of Global Brand Marketing Sarah Carroll, Franchise Creative Lead David Erwin, Product Design Manager Ed Masiello, and Product Design Manager John Warden were all gracious enough to take a few minutes during their busy convention to sit down and chat with Seibertron. Listen in as he asks about Titans Return, Prime Wars, and more.
A sincere thanks again to our friends at Hasbro for taking out some valuable time to speak with us!
The show isn't all just NYCC fall out, as there is more going on in the world of Transformers to discuss, including the first two reveals from Botcon 2016's boxed set of toys. Ravage and Tarantulas are the first looks at the Dawn of the Predacus so far. Is the cast sold on the theme by these reveals, or do we still need some more convincing? Turns out we might just be a bit weary on combiners after all. Listen in for our thoughts on these first two limbs.
But what does the red Predacon symbol mean?
There was also a new Transformers video game released last week, and some of the cast has picked it up and started to dive in to this new adventure. Tune in for our somewhat (though not entirely) spoiler-free review of Activision and Platinum Games' Transformers: Devastation. We even touch on some gameplay hints and tricks. Who knew there were game reviewers lurking on this show?
Get ready to go to Sunbow City
Bragging Rights come next, and with them, a long show gets longer. After that, Scotty refuses to let the show end by rambling on about who knows what for several minutes.
That's not a Transformer...
Hope you have fun with this one, we'll see you again very soon with our haphazard ramblings from TFcon weekend!
Don't forget, the show only gets better if you tell us how. Drop us a review on iTunes and be sure to tell us what you love, what you hate, and what you want to hear!
Not on the show to give your take? Probably not, so don't forget to keep the discussion going on the Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums by simply replying to this post!
Got a question for the Twincast? We take all of them, we just don't take them all seriously! Leave a question in the Ask the Twincast thread and, if it makes the cut, it may get read and answered on the show.
Via Newsarama, covering pretty much all of the information revealed in today's NYCC 2015 IDW panel, we have an interview with current creative team on The Transformers ongoing series, as they explain what is about to happen in issue #50, and where the stories will lead after that turning point - starting with the All Hail Optimus arc.
There are some spoilers for the current series, so be warned before you continue to read some extracts below, and the full interview right here.
Optimus Prime and the Autobots have always had a peaceful relationship with the people of Earth -- but in 2016 that's going to change.
In a new arc kicking off with February's Transformers #50, Optimus Prime is annexing Earth to be a part of Cybertron's Council of Worlds. Humanity is up in arms, not to mention the Decepticons, in this arc titled "All Hail Optimus."
Announced just before IDW Publishing's New York Comic-Con Panel "IDW & Top Shelf: Best Panel Of All Time", the creators of Transformers talked with Newsarama about this shocking event, from what it means to where it goes for the Robots in Disguise and the humans like you and I.
Newsarama: John, Andrew -- what can you tell readers about Transformers #50?
John Barber: Transformers #50 is the biggest thing we’ve done. It’s called "All Hail Optimus," and Optimus Prime annexes planet Earth to become to become part of Cybertron’s Council of Worlds—he takes control of Earth to protect it from invasion. Meanwhile, Optimus has thousands of Cybertronian followers who view him as the “True Prime”—they see him as having a power above any elected office, above any “normal” being—and now Optimus is using the power they’ve handed to him. And he’s using it for good—at least as far as he sees it. Not everybody agrees with him.
It’s a powerful move on Optimus Prime’s part, and one that there’s no moving back from. The humans know the Cybertronians are there, are among them, and the people of Earth are forced to become part of a cosmic community.
Andrew and I started working together about… six years ago? And we’ve never stopped. Most of that time’s been on this Transformers series, and this storyline brings together everything we’ve started. It’s amazing to get to work on something so big, and get to collaborate with somebody for so long. It’s been a long, great trip—and it’s about to get even better!
Andrew Griffith: Yeah, what's great to me about getting to this point is that while a landmark issue like #50 is usually a climax of a story, in our case it's the start of a new storyline that also serves as natural culmination of events that have been building in both Transformers and Windblade.
And I also see it as a bit of a landmark in my time working with John. So hard to believe we and colorist Josh Perez have made it to #50 as the core creative team along with Livio, Casey, Brendan, Guido, Sara and all of the other contributors to the series. Quite a feat in today's comics industry. And the same can be said of Transformers.
[...]
Nrama: Who's on Optimus' side in all this?
Barber: The team of Autobots on Earth—at least the ones who’ve survived to #50—are all with him, plus a new character named Aileron—she comes from Caminus and is amazing to be around this world of Primes and of grand cosmic events. Victorion—the new female Combiner we introduced this summer will be playing a big role. Is she on his side? That’s a complex answer. Sunstreaker will play a role, and so will the ancient Alpha Trion.
But his biggest supporters are the Colonists who’ve arrived on Cybertron, who’ve lived their whole lives thinking Primes were a myth—and now here they are standing on the same ground as one. And many are willing to do whatever he says—which isn’t something Optimus Prime has been comfortable with in the past.
Griffith: It's always nice to be able to draw familiar favorites like Optimus Prime, Sideswipe and Arcee. But it's even better sometimes to get to work with new characters to our book like Sunstreaker and Victorion. I know Josh and myself are particularly excited to get to help establish new characters like Aerlion, Victorion and the Torchbearers. I'm really happy that our cast can consist of childhood favorites like Optimus Prime while also embracing the newest and most diverse of characters to join the continuity.
Now the important question is: We have Sunstreaker coming up. What about Bob?
[...]
Nrama: John, I noticed Jonathan Hickman is listed as doing a cover. Can you talk about Hickman's involvement in the title and at IDW?
Barber: I’ve known Jonathan Hickman since he started writing comics, and he’s great—I love his writing, but I also love his drawing and his design sense. I talked to him at Comic-Con International: San Diego last summer, and he’d been doing some variant covers, and I asked if he’d do one for Transformers, and he said yes!
That’s all there really is to it, but years ago, I did make him listen to my Transformers plans in a bar. He’s probably blocked that memory out.
Griffith: Jonathan Hickman's doing a cover for our book? How rad is that? Can't wait to see it!
Via Comic Book Resources, we have a fairly lengthy interview with the creative team behind Transformers: Windblade, in particular issue #5: Mairghread Scott and Corin Howell! The two touched upon the general direction of the series post-Combiner Wars, the introduction of multiple characters from several branches of the robot franchise, their thoughts on their favourite characters so far and much more, including some concepts for Moonracer and Knock-Out. Check out some snippets below, and head here for the full interview!
CBR News spoke with Scott and Howell about what's next for "Transformers: Windblade," what it means for their title character to learn that Prime may not be the 100% altruistic hero she once believed him to be, and why giant, battling robots provide the perfect allegory to explore themes like politics, war, gender and more.
[...]
Starscream has been handling this all magnificently, maneuvering everything into place. Has it been fun to get to have him outpace the others and show off his political agility?
Scott: Starscream is one of my favorite characters and I've had a great time revealing just how cunning he is. He also has a big advantage because everyone else in the book wears their heart on their sleeve. Windblade wants to save Caminus. Optimus wants to save Cybertron. And Starscream just wants to do whatever's best for Starscream. That makes him a lot more flexible than our other characters, and he uses that flexibility to its fullest extent. When Starscream sent Swindle and Menasor to Caminus, I saw a lot of people exclaiming that this would be Starscream's last mistake, and by the end of "Combiner Wars" he'd be ousted from power. I think underestimating Starscream is a lot of people's biggest mistake.
Scott: So at the end of "Combiner Wars," Caminus and Cybertron are now connected via SpaceBridge, and the Cybertronians have learned of at least four other colonies. Windblade's new mission is to make first contact with these worlds and somehow convince them to ally with Cybertron's new Council of Worlds, but each colony will have its own unique challenges she'll have to deal with. We're also kicking open a lot of doors to continuities that haven't been explored much in IDW. We're including a whole lot of new Transformers, many of which fans will know from other iterations of the brand throughout the years.
[...]
The Transformers comics seem to handle sci-fi as allegory more capably than anyone else is able to right now. What is it about the Universe which makes them so suitable to introduce themes of politics, war, gender and the like?
Howell: I think it's because when you get to see huge talking robots fighting, you can be sneaky with some bigger themes like political disputes and rivalries or the cause and costs of war. Everyone reads it to have fun, but they come away with a little bit more than that -- or at least that's the hope, anyway.
Scott: When you are dealing with alien robots, you have just enough distance between you and the subject that you can explore difficult ideas and themes much more comfortably. "Transformers" as a brand has always dealt with war, battle fatigue, prejudice and factionalism. And while our main goal is to tell a really great story, it's always my hope that we're giving people the chance to explore the rationale, emotions and beliefs of people they wouldn't get the chance to do in real life.
[...]
Was it a conscious choice to pick characters from so many different versions of the franchise and unite them here?
Scott: My goal for introducing more diversity to the brand has always been about opening as many doors as possible. I never want a writer to think "I can't introduce Character X because they have no place in this universe." So Caminus got the ball rolling on introducing female Transformers, but now all these other colonies will have female Transformers, too. My next thought was how can we push this further and introduce more bots. I realized that we had a lot of G1 and G2 bots but what if you grew up with "Beast Wars" or "Animated" or any of the later generations of Transformers? I wanted something for those viewers, too. These colonies have allowed me to open even more doors and create a whole universe of possibilities for future stories and future characters. I want any fan no matter their age or what iteration of the brand they grew up with to be able to see their favorite Transformer fitting in to the story.
After the text-based interview with Transformers: Robots in Disguise producer and writer Adam Beechen from a while back, the crew of The Pow Wow Show got in touch with us and shared an on air interview with the man behind the (animated) robots! Check out here the full show, in which the show crew discuss a number of bits and bots with SDCC-based Beechen as of the 13 minute mark up to 58 minutes in.
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