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Exclusive Seibertron.com Interview With Mike Costa

Date: Sunday, November 15th 2009 9:03pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Site Articles, People News, Company News, Interviews
Posted by: Tigertrack | Credit(s): Mike Costa, IDW Publishing

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Mike Costa, writer of the new Transformers on going series set to debut this week is answering a few of the questions posed by Seibertron.com staffers i_amtrunks, Darth Bombshell, and tigertracks 24. Mike also contributed to the recently completed IDW title, G.I. Joe: Cobra, a book that surprised many fans with its seriousness, and more mature handling of this particular portion of the joe-verse.



Mr. Costa is living the dream that so many folks in our community would love to get to do...get paid to be creative with Transformers and have your work officially effect the Transformers mythos, effectively carving out your own little niche in our beloved franchise.

Speaking of your own little niche, Mr. Costa, here are some questions relating to your work with the upcoming Transformers ongoing series...

-- What direction are the Costa written Tf stories going to take? Will we be heading back to a universal scope of war ala what Furman was working up to, or will we be getting an Earth-centric style story? Will the ongoing feature one large, over-arching plot with several ongoing subplots set up along the way?

All great questions. I'll try to give them great answers.

Here's the thing - Shane literally blew up the world in his last storyline. That is a really, really tough act to follow. I mean, I can't really blow up the world again. So rather than try to top that with spectacle - I guess I'd have to blow up the galaxy or something - I'm going to start small again, and then gradually expand the canvas. That's not to say that there won't be big events - there will be. They'll just be big character-events at first. No less status-quo changing, but we're staying Earth-centric in the beginning. You're going to find out why Earth is such an important place for the Transformers - and it's probably not the reason you think it is.

We'll definitely be building to events that, currently, are pretty far-off in the future. But the template I'm trying to follow is the one set by Bill Willingham in his Vertigo book FABLES. What that book does so well is juggle big storylines with smaller one, two or three-issue vingettes in between. With a cast as vast as Transformers, I feel like that's the best way to give as many characters the opportunity to shine as possible. But every issue will build on the next, even if it doesn't seem to at first. There's no guarantee how long I'll be on the book, of course (so... please, tell everyone to buy it and write glowing reviews online!) but hopefully I'll get to do all the things I have planned. That'll take quite a while.

-- Will the series be easy to get into for those who may have only become fans due to the live action movies?

I hope so. But the fact is, it's not a total reboot, like GI Joe was. These are still the same characters in the same continuity we've been seeing at IDW, so obviously there are many differences from the movie. I think we've struck a good balance though, between honoring previous continuity and being new-reader friendly. It would be great if fans of the movie jumped on. I think they'd really like what they'd see.

-- How much work have you had to do to correct errors of AHM, or has the CODA done this job for you?

AHM was planned quite a while before we consolidated our ideas for this new ongoing, so rather than start monkeying with Shane's story and forcing him to change his ending to better dovetail into our series, we created the CODA series to tie up the loose ends that the ongoing wouldn't have time to get to in the first few issues, and to work as a bridge between the two series'. Obviously all the issues are out now, so you guys can tell us how successful we've been in doing that.

We all have certain characters we want to see, but overall, we really know we want good characterization of whomever is in the story. The next set of questions revolve mainly around characters in your new series.

-- Will there be any lesser known personal favorite characters that you plan to bring to the fore in the ongoing series? Will you be able to use more of the obscure generation one characters, or even characters that were previously known only to the Japanese G1 universe (such as Victory Saber, Overlord, or Dai Atlas)? Are we following the same characters as were used in AHM? Will the cast start out small and then expand? Will the cast focus on a small group of characters or will we be moving all over the place and get to see different perspectives from different groups of characters?

The cast will definitely have it's core characters whom the major storylines follow, but we will break away from them occasionally to focus on other characters in the universe. Also, the core cast will definitely be evolving, expanding and contracting. It's not going to be "Optimus Prime and the Same Five Other Autobots" every month, but you'll definitely be able to tell who the important characters are by the end of the first arc.

Most of those "core" characters will come as no surprise to Transformers fans, but I'm definitely throwing some curve-balls in there as well. One of the major characters of my run will be someone I've had my eye on for quite a while. Shane in particular gave him some really interesting development in AHM. His inclusion in my cast will be the logical extension of what happened to him there.


As for the Japanese characters. Hm. Not a bad idea...

-- Can you please kill Drift ASAP? (Note this is a question submitted that not everyone agrees with.) Along these lines, will we see any more new IDW and creator originated characters in the near future, or will you be pulling from only currently existing Generation One Transformers?

I have no plans to kill Drift. But... I have no plans to use him right away either. So, everybody wins. Also, I can't speak for Zander or Nick, who are both doing auxiliary books, my intention is to exclusively use currently existing G1 Transformers. Of course I'll be creating supporting cast members, but the core cast will be recognizable faces for the time being.

-- What kind of Starscream are we going to get in the series, the Starscream of Infiltration, the Starscream of late AHM, or AHM #13 Starscream? They all were a bit different, there seemed to be no consistancy, or it was not explained well enough why he suddenly changes.

Every writer is going to have his or her own interpenetration of a character, and now you've seen mine of Starscream. I can tell you guys he's my favorite character, and that's why I was very excited to make him the star of my first-ever Transformers story in CODA #1. (Clever readers with an eye for pretentious writer-gags might even have noticed that I made sure his name was the first word written on the first page.) I'll agree there are some differences in how the character has been portrayed, but in a hugely collaborative medium like comics, those core character attributes are all you really need for a character. Brian Bendis doesn't write exactly the same Spider-Man as Stan Lee, or Gerry Conway, or David Michelinie. But he'll always be smart, guilt-ridden, wise-cracking and heroic. And Starscream's core attributes are always the same - he's ambitious, treacherous, manipulative and often cowardly. Anything after that is just an artifact of the medium.

And now Mike, we would like to know a bit more about you, and your feelings about the titles you have been involved with. Answer as honestly as you want (or at least as honestly as you feel you can to these questions).

-- Who is your personal favorite TF artist of all time? And what is your favorite previous TF story arc (from any series, comic or show)?

Guys... that first question isn't fair. I'm going to be working with a lot of great artists on this title (and I have already in CODA) and I can't make that call. I will, however, say that working with Don on my first stroyline is like getting Spider-Man and having John Romita draw it. And the man does not disappoint. When I saw the art he turned in for the first issue, my mind was blown. I'd really never seen anything like it on a book I've written. I couldn't be more thrilled about it.

As for my favorite Transformers storyline... that's hard. Recently, I really did like AHM a lot. It had a lot of really great, fan-pleasing bring-the-house down moments. From the older, original marvel run, it's probably issue #13, written by the legendary Bob Budiansky, where Megatron temporarily loses his memory and is found by a criminal who uses him on a crime spree. That was over 20 years ago but the story - and the cover image - have stayed with me even though I was probably 7 when I first read it.

And from the original cartoon - not counting the movie, which is actually the first movie I ever saw in theaters - it was probably The Return of Optimus Prime. That Hate Plague really scared me as a kid.

-- What's your personal opinion on the Transformers stories IDW has written thus far? Good, fair, poor, lame... How do they stack up to what has been done in the past by previous companies Marvel, and Dreamwave?

Here's the thing: There are two legends in the Transformers comic book canon. One is Bob Budiansky. The other is Simon Furman. For the past five years, Furman has basically been the driving force behind IDW's Transformers universe (not counting Shane's AHM of course.) I think anything he did for us here is pretty equal to what he did for Marvel back in the day.

--- If given the opportunity to write for the Movie-verse, would you take it? What kind of story would you like to do?

At the risk of bouncing myself out of later work opportunities, I'm going to be honest and say that, though I actually do think some of the ideas underpinning the Movie-verse are good ones, I much prefer the continuity I'm in. More characters to play with, really. And I like our Spike better than Sam (sorry Shia!)

--- Having written a GI Joe tale (GI Joe: Cobra), which franchise can you say you enjoy writing more?

This is a lame answer, but I enjoy them both in different ways. COBRA is a really dark espionage tale that I get a certain kind of evil satisfaction from. Writing about the bad guys is not only fun, but cathartic. They do stuff the good guys would never do, and finding motivations for chaos and mahem is a really rewarding challenge. But Transformers was always my first love, and the satisfaction I get from that is on a totally different level.

Back when I was in college, Wizard broke the news that Dreamwave had gotten the license for Transformers after Marvel lost it. I sat down at my job at the college library, and over two days I typed up a full pitch for a new ongoing Transformers series, planned up until about issue 60. It was the first comic book proposal I'd ever written. Of course, I never heard anything back about it. Obviously they already had their plans made before the announcement, even if I wasn't some totally unknown 19-year-old punk.


But to think that now, less than ten years alter I am actually writing a Transformers ongoing, starting at issue 1... well, that couldn't be more of a dream-come-true type situation.

--- GI JOE: Cobra was a very gritty, mature tale. Can we expect Transformers to start heading into a similar direction? In other words, you aren’t going to pull any punches with these robots, right. Humans will get squished, Robots will get atomized and not return, etc.

Humans will be getting squished and robots definitely get atomized, but this is not going to turn into a dark, gritty book like COBRA. COBRA is a very specific tone for a very specific book - if I was given the chance to write the G.I. JOE ongoing, I wouldn't use COBRA's tone there either. That tone works in that franchise specifically because we're only looking at a small corner of it, and the main book exists to give it context. Now I'm handling the flagship of Transformers, and my job is to keep that ship steady so creators like Zander, Chee, and Nick Roche can party below decks if they want.

I'm very lucky to have spent the last year watching how Chuck Dixon handles those kind of flagship responsibilities on G.I. JOE, and I have learned a lot from him - specifically how generous he is to creators like me, who handle the smaller books. I hope I can do as good a job as he does of both writing the main book, and staying involved with the smaller ones.

--- Should the next Transformers cartoon have a similar style to the very popular G.I.Joe Resolute cartoon that saw airtime recently?

As long as they don't make me look bad by being better than the comic, they can do whatever they want.

(But seriously, I think it would be great if they aimed at a slightly younger audience than Resolute did. I discovered the Transformers cartoon at age 6. It would be nice to have something that could be enjoyed for people that age again, now that the previous series is over.)

--- Can you comment on your feeling of the use of humans in Transformers storylines? At times, the stories seemed to forget that we buy Transformers because they are books about huge sentient robots that have the same faults, and strengths that humans do, not to see how humans react to said robots upon interaction.

It's a difficult line to walk. Sure, the hard-core fans want to see robot action, but for your average reader, they're going to pick up the book and say "who cares about all these robots? I have no idea what's going on." In my opinion, having human characters is a way of grounding the story in a familiar world, and having an instantly relatable character.

That's why the Transformers movies make sure they have a major plot line involving Sam Witwicky trying to get with the hottest girl on Earth - because that's a lot more relatable to audiences than an interstellar war between talking cars. Whether you think those subplots are brilliant or terrible, I can guarantee you those movies would not have been as successful worldwide if they didn't have a kid, his car, and his girlfriend along with Optimus and Megatron.




That said, my stories are definitely going to err on the side of more robots rather than more humans. But humans are definitely major characters, on par with the Autobots, and we will definitely be seeing some stories through their eyes. Just not as many.

--- Simon Furman started this whole IDW Transformers generation of comics and wrote many beloved issues for Marvel, Marvel UK, and Dreamwave as well. How do you feel about what Simon has written in the past for Transformers? Do you think he really deserves all the credit that he gets for what people expect in a Transformers story? Do you love Grimlock as much as Simon does? Any pressure trying to follow up this force in the world of TF lore?

I have not met a die-hard fan that doesn't credit Simon as having written some classic storyline that established these characters in comics for them. He is a living legend, and he really did set a template for how to write Transformers comics, the way that Chris Claremont defined X-Men comics for a generation. The pressure to follow that is huge, certainly. I really hope I don't blow it.

--- Who is your favorite Autobot? ...Favorite Decepticon? Do your favorites change when you have to consider writing them in stories? For example, HASBRO may tell you, you can’t write your favorite bot that way, so you strategically decide not to include him/her in the comic book.

My favorite Autobot is Blurr, and I make sure I gave him at least one scene in the first storyarc. My favorite Decepticon, as I mentioned above, is Starscream, all the way. And though Starscream and most of the other big Decepticons are going to be benched for a little while, they will be back in a big way.

But this is the way the story is working out. I don't want to shoehorn in tons of scenes with Blurr or Starscream just because I like them. I don't even think about it, really. When they're needed, they'll show up. And luckily, Hasbro has not questioned this at all. So far, they're happy with what I've been doing, and have been very supportive and helpful.

--- Who are your favorite GI Joe and Cobra characters?

To write, it's Tomax, Xamot and Hawk. As a fan, it's Flint. Back in the old cartoons, I was always wondering why he wasn't kicking Duke's butt.

--- ‘Rise of Cobra’, or ‘Transformers Revenge of the Fallen’, which movie is better?

You guys are just intent on getting me in some kind of trouble. The honest answer is, I have not yet seen GI JOE, so I can't say. But a friend of mine just got it (and REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) for me on Blu Ray, so definitely own both.

--- GI JOE and Transformers crossover, are you interested in writing/planning one especially now that IDW has both licenses?

If the right idea struck me, I’m definitely interested. But even though (or maybe because) I write for both sets of characters, their universes feel totally different to me. It would be like crossing Mickey Mouse over into the JLA. I'm not a good enough writer to make that work. We definitely have people out there who are though, so I suppose it is always a possibility.

--- Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols, or Megan Fox?

I never kiss and tell. I'm a gentleman of the old school

--- Does gender exist in Transformers? Can you share where you stand on the whole fembot issue?

Gender definitely does exist. And where I stand on the fembot issue is this: A Cybertronian robot should have the right to marry anyone he or she desires, provided that they are consensual beings.

--- Who would be your ultimate Transformers comic book production crew? Artist, Writer (I would assume you would write it), inks, etc.? What might this ultimate story be about? Who would be featured?

Other than the book I'm working on (duh)... I'm going to say that the ultimate Transformers comic book would be anything that Nick Roche is working on. I first met him at BotCon this year, and I have learned so much from him, not just about who these characters are, but how to tell stories with them. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there is no writer/artist double-threat working right now who knows and cares as much about Transformers as Nick. I will follow that guy anywhere. I am really, really lucky to have him as support on this book.

And finally, what can you tell us about Supreme Convoy that members of our community should know about him? He talks about you guys ‘geeking out’ together, what exactly does this involve?

I've known Supreme Convoy for probably two years now. He's a cool guy and part of the very cool circle of the writer/comic book fan friends I've made since moving out here to the Los Angeles. As for what our "geeking out" entails... once again, a gentleman never tells.

Seibertron.com would like to say thank you to Mike Costa for answering our questions about the new Transformers ongoing series, and our questions about Transformers comics in general.

Be sure to check out Mike’s work in the new Transformers ongoing series, starting this November!!!

*TF Ongoing is set to be released this Wednesday, you can pick yours up at your local shop. Not sure if you want to or not, check out First Gen's review here, or the 8 page preview here.

Seibertron.com for all of your Transformers news and resource needs.

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Gregg Berger - The King of Conventions?

Date: Thursday, August 6th 2009 9:49pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Event News, Site Articles, People News, Interviews
Posted by: Delicon | Credit(s): Auto Assembly 2009, Newsarama.com

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There are many famous voice actors in the Transformers universe. Obviously, Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime and Ironhide), Frank Welker (Megatron, Soundwave, Galvatron and the cassettes), and Chris Latta (Starscream, Sparkplug and Wheeljack) are nothing less than iconic but for many fans Gregg Berger is just as legendary. Gregg has a very extensive resume but he's best known to Transformers fans as the voice of Skyfire, Outback, Long Haul and of course GRIMLOCK from the G1 Sunbow cartoon.

Gregg has been a very busy man in 2009, headlining at not one but THREE major conventions this year. The first was at Botcon 2009 in Pasadena, CA this May. I had the honor of being granted an interview with Mr. Berger at that time and he was a true class act. The topics included the most unusual items he has ever autographed, a breakdown of some of his current projects and of course some reminiscing about the old Sunbow cartoon among other things. You may read that interview here.

Roughly 2 weeks ago, Gregg was also one of the featured guests at the world famous San Diego Comic Con. While at SDCC, Gregg again took some extra time out for an interview, this time with newsarama.com. Gregg kindly voices his opinions on the Shout Factory! G1 boxset and the live action Transformers movies, and of course a lot more. You may view the entire interview here.

Headlining at those 2 conventions would be impressive enough but Mr. Berger's appearance schedule still has one major stop ahead. This time, he will be heading to the United Kingdom for Europe's largest Transformers Convention, Auto Assembly 2009. The staff here at Seibertron.com would like to applaud Gregg for everything he has done and continues to do for the many Transformers fans all over the world. Those of us who have been lucky enough to meet him feel very honored for that opportunity. The fans attending AA2009 are in for a treat, to say the least!

For more information on Gregg Berger, you may visit his official website and his myspace page. For serious booking inquiries, you may contact his representative Emily Danyel of Tri-Booking Management at emily@tribooking.com and at 1 (310) 497-7994.

Seibertron.com - If you like Transformers, you'll love us!

Seibertron meets at AutoAssembly 09!

Date: Monday, July 6th 2009 5:18am CDT
Categories: Site News, Event News, Site Articles
Posted by: Dead Metal | Credit(s): Dead Metal

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Fellow UK/Europe Seibertronians, as Auto Assembly 2009 approaches next month, we would like to spread the word about the official Seibertron.com meet-up. Organized last year by our own waaaaghlord, this year is proving to be an even bigger event with the 25th Anniversary of the Transformers franchise being celebrated in a big way.




There are still some spot available for the event. Get all the information on it by visiting AutoAssembly.co.uk.


Also to those that can't make it to the con but want something, like the convention exclusive All Hail Megatron #12 Grimlock cover, I'm sure someone that attends can help you out with that.

So use this topic to discuss the meet-up, helping people out, or room sharing.

Hope to see you in August!

BotCon 2009: Seibertron.com interview w/ Gregg Berger

Date: Monday, June 1st 2009 1:36pm CDT
Categories: Event News, Site Articles, People News, Interviews
Posted by: Seibertron | Credit(s): Delicon and Savage

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On Sunday, the final day of BotCon, mere hours before the close of the convention, our own dear Delicon had the notable opportunity of interviewing Mr. Gregg Berger, most known in our fandom as the voice of G1 Grimlock. Yours truly was honored to be called upon to transcribe the interview as it occurred. For me, it was both a joy and a learning experience, as I had no idea of the sheer number of current projects that Mr. Berger is involved in. Let me assure you, they are numerous. Because of this, we here at Seibertron.Com are truly grateful to Mr. Berger for taking the time to speak with us and provide insight into his amazing and inspiring career.

So, without further delay, the interview:

Delicon: What, generally speaking, has the Botcon experience been like for you so far? Are there any aspects of fandom that surprise you?

Berger: It's more than meets the eye! You have to be here to experience it and feel it. The energy is global, maybe galactic, and accessible to all. They have set the bar so high that the biggest surprise of all is that they have exceeded all expectations! It rocks so hard!

Delicon: The autograph lines have been insane, what is most unusual thing you have autographed both at this convention and overall?

Berger: Although I autographed the inside of several shoes at this con, my most unusual signing ever was an @$$ cheek, which I have been told went straight to a tattooer.

Delicon: What aspects of TransFormers, particularly G1, do you feel influence modern shows, or their creators as something that affected them?

Berger: I think it had, in its time, an enormous effect on people who have now grown into not only a devoted fanbase, but also show creators, and creatives in general. So many people in so many creative circles credit their rabid devotion to Transformers growing up as part of their wonder years, and consequently part of them. I was introduced last week by someone who said, "This is the man who made me late for school and made me rush home after school." That feels so good I can't tell you.

Delicon: You worked with so many voice actors on Transformers and other shows. Name one or two that stand out and why?

Berger: I would say, personally, Scatman Crothers made me anxious for the times that we were not recording, because he would bring a ukulele or tell stories, and he had such a magical quality about him as a person that I just wanted to sit and listen to whatever he had to say. I still worked with Frank Welker nearly every week on new episodes of "Garfield," but when "Transformers" was working I was the new kid and was awed by his, and everyone's, incredible talent, and Frank's in particular, his sense of fun and play, keeping the sessions always fresh.

Delicon: You've done mostly voice acting, but have a regular acting background as well. Do you have a preference of the two? Is there more job security in voice acting?

Berger: I don't believe there is job security for anyone who feels that they are guaranteed job security. Every opportunity stands alone and must be earned. I love the voiceover community, but I love the on-camera, onstage, and personal appearance opportunities I have been afforded as well. I'm not trying to bail on the question,
but the truth is I love whatever I'm doing at the moment.

Delicon: You're most well-known in TransFormers for your portrayal of Grimlock, but you've done a host of characters on many shows. Are there any characters you identify with on a personal level?

Berger: To some degree, all of them, which is how actors should approach their work. But strictly on the optimism level, I would have to say, Spirit from "GI Joe."

Delicon: Final question. Thank you very much for you time today, we greatly appreciate it. This is your opportunity to pitch any upcoming projects, I'm sure fans would love to know.

Berger: I am happily so busy at the moment that I need an air traffic controller! I am Captain Cutter in "Halo Wars", Kingpin in "Spiderman: Web of Shadows", Fred Dukes aka the Blob in "X-men Origins: Wolverine: The Game," two major characters in "Guild Wars 2," and I narrate "Shadow Force" for the History Channel. New "Garfield"s are in production and began airing in May on Cartoon Network UK, so hopefully other markets in the near future. Boy did you pick the right time to ask me that question!

Final Fantasy fans can look for Gregg as the voice of Jecht in Final Fantasy Dissidia. You can also find Mr. Berger by visiting GreggBerger.com and at his Myspace Page. Special thanks to Mr. Berger's representative, Emily Danyel for giving us the opportunity to interview him. Emily can be contacted at emily@tribooking.com and at 1 (310) 497-7994.

Something that many non-Botconners may not realise is that most actors who sign autographs at BotCon do so at a small table at some assigned location for a specified amount of time. However, Mr. Berger had his own booth in the Sales Room at the convention, where he signed autographs for anyone who came by during the day. No lines, just come by the booth, bring an item, or buy one of a variety of photos of Gregg and/or Grimlock (as well as some other characters he's voiced). Now, keep in mind that even Big Bad Toy Store has to pay to have a booth in the Sales Room. There's no confirmed proof that Mr. Berger actually paid money to make himself available to the fans for a far longer time, but it certainly seems that way.

In closing, I'd like to once again express how much I, and I'm sure we as a fan community, appreciate Mr. Berger and all of his hard work. It's because of his work, and that of many others, that we enjoy the vast array of Transformers fiction that we do.

Mini Titans: Worlds Smallest Dinobots have a home on Seibertron

Date: Wednesday, May 27th 2009 1:06am CDT
Categories: Site News, Toy News, Site Articles
Posted by: Mkall | Credit(s): Seibertron

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Views: 36,921

Seibertron has updated his photogalleries once again. This time with the Worlds Smallest Transformers Dinobots. These are not official Hasbro/Takara figures, but rather the unofficial continuation of the WST line produced by JustIToys.

Commander (Grimlock):


Flamethrower (Slag):


Desert Warrior (Snarl):


Jungle Warrior (Sludge):


Bombadier (Swoop):

A Veteran's Guide to Botcon

Date: Monday, May 25th 2009 1:37am CDT
Categories: Site News, Event News, Site Articles, People News
Posted by: Delicon | Credit(s): Delicon

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Views: 83,960

Hello, everyone. The staff here at Seibertron.com realized that with BotCon rapidly approaching, some of you (especially the first-timers) might have a few questions about the event. So without further adieu, allow me to present "A Veteran's Guide to BotCon."

On to the hotel! - Okay, so the big time has arrived, you've flown out of your local airport and are now in California. Whichever airport you fly into (most people are using LAX or Burbank), or whatever hotel you have booked a room with are not likely to be anywhere close by. That means you'll need to find a way to your hotel. Of course, the airports will all have rental car agencies on or around the premises but not everyone will want to brave LA traffic. The good people at Fun Publications have arranged a discount if you would like to take an airport shuttle to your hotel. There is also an extensive bus system and plenty of cabs available if you prefer.



Wednesday and Thursday Activities - Each year, Fun Publications offers customizing classes and tours of the area. Unfortunately, if you haven't already signed up for those you will have to wait until next year as registration is closed and normally is well in advance of the event. If you did sign up, Botcon.com has provided the following information about when and where to show up.

Customizing Class members will meet at the Sheraton Hotel. Room location is the Colorado Room. Class times for Wed & Thurs. is 9-5 pm. No one will be seated after 9:15am.

All Tour Guests (Wednesday & Thursday) need to meet in front on the Pasadena Convention Center @ 300 E Green Street to depart for tours. This location has been changed from what was stated in the confirmation letter you received. See brochure for details on times and events for each tour.

All class and tour participants get to pick up their packages on Wednesday night @9:30 PM in the Pasadena Convention Center in front of Exhibit A.

On Thursday night, starting at 6 PM there will be registration and package pickup at the Pasadena Convention Center. When you received your confirmation letter, you should have been assigned a package pickup time. Please note that all times are using the PACIFIC time zone so please adjust accordingly. When you arrive at the Convention center, make sure to bring that letter with you, along with a photo ID. If for any reason you have lost your letter, you can still get in using your photo ID but it will slow down the process a bit. Please remember that no one can pick up your package for you. Registration is actually a lot more fun than it sounds because if you're a Primus package holder it will be the chance for you to finally pick up your box set and free attending figure. The lines will be arranged alphabetically so make sure you are in the proper line. When you get to the front of your line, the staff will generally make you inspect your set and make sure everything is okay with it. Even if they don't, please do so anyway just to ensure that there are no broken or missing pieces, scratches, etc. If you are a Primus attendee, you will get a survey to fill out. Please do so as this will be not only your chance to vote on your favorite websites (Seibertron.com) for the Saturday Night Awards at Paramount and also this will serve as you entry for a very special drawing on Sunday (more on that later.) By the way, even if you a Mini-Con or Protoform attendee you still have to go through the line and register.



Okay, so by now you'll have your nifty little name badge and it comes with a big perk. It gives you the right to get into the line for the Transformers Collector's Club Store. The line will likely be extremely long, but it will be worth it as this will be your chance to buy exclusive souvenir figure sets as well as many more items (I believe the ROTF toys will be available at this booth starting Thursday night which will bare a special gold foil sticker stating its authenticity of being a very first release figure). Provided the rules stay the same, you will be allowed to purchase one of each souvenir set available. They verify this by physically punching your name badge. In past years, they have generally offered 2 2-pack sets but it is rumored that there might be even more this year. Prices on these will not be actually announced until Thursday night itself and do tend to vary. Last year if you bought both sets it ran around $200 but there is no guarantee what this year's sets will cost. If this sounds ultra expensive, please note that like the boxes sets, these souvenir sets have extremely limited production numbers and will not be available at regular retail stores. Generally there are pictures of the items towards the beginning of the line. The staff will then pass out order sheets for you to fill out as you wait. This is done to expedite the process. Please not that the club store is only open until 10 PM PACIFIC.



Friday - The Mayhem begins

Friday’s events are definitely a perk of being pre-registered,, especially the “Private Sales Room Preview.” However, I’ll start at the start. If for whatever reason you either a) couldn’t arrive earlier or b) just simply missed the pre-registration deadline, starting early Friday morning there will be “late registration.” This works essentially the same way as it does Thursday night, except that the lines are far shorter. If you simply arrived to the convention late, just bring your photo ID and confirmation letter as mentioned before. If you haven’t registered for a package at all, now will be your chance to do so. As of right now, there are less than 60 Primus packages (with 2009 boxsets, anyway) available but if you want the 2009 set, I’d advise getting there as early as possible if you’d like one. Late registration begins officially at 9:30 am. If you simply want general admission, you’ll have to wait until Saturday to purchase that. Also on Saturday, the club store opens once again, this time at 9 AM. If you haven’t picked up the exclusives yet, now would be the time to do because they always end up selling out. If you already purchased your exclusives on Thursday and would like more, you should be able to buy one more of each, unless any rules have changed.



Between 9 AM and 12:50 PM there are a series of panels. Panels are pretty fun, they are usually essentially Q&A sessions with a featured guest or guests. Every once in a while, the guests just speak on their own without that much audience interaction, but like I said, usually fans will get their chance to ask a question or even two depending on time constraints. So, want to know how to ask a question? Depending on the audience size for the panel, you’ll either get to raise your hand or get in line to ask via microphone. Either way, as long as you line up to ask it early, your question should be addressed. Another good reason to attend panels is that you can often be privy to inside info like news on upcoming projects, toy release dates, heck, maybe even a movie spoiler or two. After a lunch break, one of the main events of BotCon begins at 2 PM and that is the “Private Sales Room Experience.” If you have that rare “must-have”, this is the time to swoop in and buy it. Don’t be afraid to ask a dealer for something you don’t see as sometimes they won’t have room to display everything initially. Last year I snagged a Huffer/Springer 2 pack for $75 from a dealer who hadn’t got it out yet when other dealers were asking about $125. I could write 30 pages just on the dealer’s room and even show you a bunch of pictures of the room from previous years but you won’t get the full experience until you’re actually inside it. The best way to sum it up is to say it’s like climbing inside a giant toybox. Meanwhile, the autograph sessions begin featuring Gregg Berger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman, Stan Bush and Vince Dicola. Please note that this is the only day that Orci and Kurtzman have been scheduled to sign autographs.



At 5 PM, the dealer room closes and as of now, there are no events scheduled until 8:30 when Shout! Factory presents the Transformers Film Fest. These are fan submitted short films of various types (cgi, stop motion., etc.) with prizes being awarded to the winners during the party at Paramount. At 9 pm, is the official 2009 Seibertron.com meet-up. If you are a bit late because you’re at the Film fest or somewhere else, don’t worry because we will be there for quite a while! Botcon itself has 2 more activities Friday night. At 10 PM they will hold MSTF, where Transformers fans parody all things Transformers from cartoons to the live action movie, all on the big screen. More simply put, MSTF is the Transformers version of Mystery Science Theatre 3000,l for those of you who are familiar. The night will be capped by a special preview of the “Transform Me” fan documentary.



Saturday - The Crowd Grows

The day starts off with a bang, as the dealer room opens for registered attendees at 8:30 AM. This is also the first time “general admission” tickets will be available for purchase. There are 2 pricing tiers involved with general admission. At 9 AM, the cost is $50 and is known as “Early Bird Admission.” The advantage to these tickets is that you’ll get a jump on seeing what’s in the dealer’s room as opposed to other general admission attendees but please remember people who bought registered packages already had their chance the night before. At 10 AM, the general admission price drops to $10 and will remain the same for the rest of the convention. Please note that general admission passes get you in for one day only.



Now, if you ‘re a Primus package attendee and have already hit the dealer room on Friday night, you’re probably wondering what your excuse is to wake up early on Saturday. Well, from 9-11 AM “Weird Al” Yankovic will be signing autographs, exclusively for Primus attendees. At 10:30 AM The great Peter Cullen will also start signing autographs for one hour only. He will also have a session from 1-2 PM but if you are serious about getting his autograph I strongly advise getting in line as soon as you can for the first session. In 2007, Cullen had 2 sessions as well but the line was so long for the first one that at the end of the session, anyone who didn’t get an autograph was given a ticket for the next session and that pretty much ate up the entire second session. If you don’t want to brave these crazy lines but would still like an autograph from a well known Transformers voice actor, David Kaye is signing from 9:30-11 am. Stan Bush, and the voice of Grimlock from G1, Gregg Berger will also be signing from 11 AM-12:30 PM.



There are plenty of other fun things going on during the rest of the day, including several panels (Transformers Animated with David Kaye and “Weird Al” Yankovic, Peter Cullen, Hasbro Review Q &A, IDW Comics, Activision Transformers Video Game and the Transformer’s Collector’s Club Roundtable) and a demonstration on “How to Draw Transformers.” Also note that there will be hourly “door prizes” awarded in the dealer’s room. To enter, just drop by the Club Store and fill out an entry blank, it’s that simple, All of the activities close at 5 PM, except for…

The Party at Paramount

To attend this party, you would have had to have been either a Primus or Mini-Con attendee and then pay an extra $50. For those who did just that, it is shaping up to be a fun event for sure. At 7:15 everyone is supposed to meet on Green Street outside the Convention Center, with the actual party starting at 8 PM. It will include a tour of the back lot, dinner on the famous New York City set and much more. The event will be held Weird Al Yankovic has been announced to appear and Stan Bush will be performing live.

It may be at this point in the evening in which the awards for Best News Site, Best Resource Site and overall Best Site will be awarded to one of the many Transformers Fan sites. Seibertron.com is a 4 time award winning site and we hope to keep that streak going with another award this year.



And if it holds true, the Script Reading may take place at this time as well. The script reading features some guest voice actors and possibly a lucky attendee or to do a custom script that is submitted by an everyday Transfan like yourself as part of one of the many contests being held during Botcon. Last years script called "Bee in the City" featured David Kaye, Bumper Johnson and Tara Strong reprising their respective roles in a Transformers Multi-verse story with help from Marty Ensberg and a couple of lucky contest winners.




Also of note, during the entire convention, there will be hourly “door prizes” awarded in the dealer’s room. To enter, just drop by the Club Store and fill out an entry blank, it’s that simple, All of the activities close at 5 PM, except for…


Sunday - Winding to a Close

Sunday is generally the most “laid-back” day of the convention and this year will likely be no different. However, there are still a variety of panels and autograph signings happening. Also, if you have not done so by now, please remember to turn in your survey because at 3 PM there will be a special drawing for 2 Trips to the 2010 Convention (you must be present to win) When I say 2 trips, there will actually be 2 separate winners of 1 trip each which includes airfare (up to $450, 3 nights hotel fare and a Primus package. Sunday is also a great day to pick up some last-minute deals in the dealer’s room. Dealers are often inclined to give nice discounts towards the end of the convention because it will limited the amount of things they need to bring home with them. They don’t HAVE to do this, but often do. At 3:30 PM, sadly, the festivities draw to a close. However, there is no doubt that it will be an awesome weekend filled with unforgettable memories. We look forward to seeing you this week in Pasadena California and hopefully this article helped answer some of your questions about Botcon 09!

Transformers Mosaic: "Secret Origin."

Date: Wednesday, April 29th 2009 12:43am CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Site Articles
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Richter

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Views: 22,134

The Universe of the Transformers is vast, and populated by many characters. Their universe is a large tapestry, made up of the stories and points of view of countless experiences that serve the larger whole.

These are some of those stories. This is:


It should be noted that while this project has been recognized by IDW Publishing and Hasbro, none of the works presented have been commissioned or solicited by either company. The stories are not official canon, except where noted. These stories are the result of Transformers enthusiasts taking the time out of their busy days to contribute to a universe they love. No one has been paid for the production of these stories.

For a full database of all Transformers Mosaics, visit Seibertron's Vector Sigma Database.

Transformers Mosaic FAQ, click here

SECRET ORIGIN

STORY:
FRANCO "MEGRIMLOCK" VILLA http://m3gr1ml0ck.deviantart.com/

ART:
WASEEM "NINJHA" BASHAR http://ninjha.deviantart.com/

Site Article: 2009 - The Year of the Collector

Date: Thursday, April 23rd 2009 3:10pm CDT
Categories: Toy News, Site Articles, Collector's Club News
Posted by: Mkall | Credit(s): Mkall

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Views: 150,702

Well, it's nearing the end of April and already several collectors are looking to stretch their funds out as long as they can. The Universe line has ended with the release of Darkwind and Countdown and the Animated line is teetering between ending, delayed, or strung out depending on who you listen to. The ROTF Movie airs in just over 2 months and that line will be in full swing in one month.

But who cares about that stuff eh? Sure there are lovers and haters of those lines, but that ain't the thread topic is it? No my friends, this my friends isn't the year of the movie figs, not even the year of the 25th anniversary; this is the year of the collector.

What is a collector? By definition a collector is someone who gathers and hordes related items; in this case Transformers. It doesn't matter if you have 5, 50 or 500 Transformers; you my friend are a collector. Of course those with 500 might be more interested in reading this article than those with 5, but why not read it anyways to see how addicted some of us are? Then you can look at you wallet and be thankful.

A few days into the year; info started coming out about the bread and butter exclusives to a collector; a set that is always creative and well thought out, even though the theme or individual figures might not appeal: and that would be the Botcon set of 2009. "For one young Autobot..." is said and rumors and theories started flying. Not one Seibertronian theorized Kup and the Autobot Elite Guard, although as time went on the Wreckers were mentioned thanks to a lovely red herring by FunPub. Now the Wings of Honor set is public knowledge, and some of the secret attendee figures are known. On top of Landshark, Flak and G1-homages Kup, Thunderclash and Scourge, we'll be seeing Banzai-Tron, Skyquake and Leozack as well as a figure referenced in a previous year: Razorclaw. There are still more to see of course. Elita-1 was featured in a previous year as well and is rumored to appear this year. To receive a set of figures, the collector must preorder them from Fun Publications, at a cost of no less than $360, $295 if you belong to the Transformers Collector’s Club. You can expect the price of the attendee-only souvenir figures to run about $230. Of course if you can’t make this price, then expect to pay twice the price on secondary markets, even more for individual figures. Definitely not meant for your 5 year old kid is it? Oh the costs of being a collector.

Soaring on the wings of exclusivity

The next staple exclusives appear at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), happening this year July 22-26. Two years ago we saw Alternators Nemesis Prime and Rodimus and last year gave us Universe Nemesis Prime, all wonderfully done. These figures are certainly not as rare as Botcon, nor as pricey. On the secondary market SDCC Universe Nemesis Prime goes for about $50 if you can find a good deal. This year Hasbro appears to be taking a different tactic towards their exclusives. They’ll be offering up G1 Soundwave with Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Ratbat. This’ll be the first time that Ratbat and Buzzsaw have been re-released in the US since the 80s (KO’s not included), of course most have been released in Japan in one form or another. Ratbat will be appearing there as part of one of the Encore sets alongside other not-seen-in-a-long-time cassette figures. The other SDCC exclusive will be Mighty Muggs Optimus Prime, this time in a metallic finish, giving it a die-cast sheen. Whether or not these exclusives get snatched up or not is yet to be seen, as many diehard collectors already have at least one Soundwave and the reception to the Mighty Muggs line is luke-warm. It seems odd that Hasbro isn’t offering something to collectors that would fit in with one of the modern lines, but perhaps that just hasn’t been announced yet.

"Buy me, I'm shiny."

I mentioned the Collector's Club already, so what is it? Boiled down to the bare bones they the Country Club of the Transformers fandom. Members pay a fee in exchange for a free yearly figure (Heatwave this year), 6 issues of the Collector's club magazine full of sneak peaks and interviews and membership discounts on several exclusive figures. In 2007 it was Astrotrain and Airazor, 2008 saw Nightbeat and the Seacons. Expect to hear about the 2009 exclusives at Botcon in May. What will they be? Several people are guessing tie-ins to Shattered Glass or other previous Botcon sets, or they could be something new all together. One thing's for sure when dealing with The Club; expect the unexpected.

Join us, you'll love it here

So what’s next on our exclusive hunt? How about looking somewhere not typically known for exclusives? Let’s look north of the border into Canada and TFCon. It was last year that FansProject and their City Commander upgrade kit took the Transformers world by storm, and showed everyone that 3rd party groups can contribute quality additions to any collector’s shelf. Needless to say it sold out quickly, as did the Shadow Commander set released for the aforementioned SDCC Nemesis Prime. But now a third commander joins the team: Powered Commander. A trailer for Classics Optimus Prime, this set will transform him into a gargantuan warrior clad in his original Diaclone colors. Also included with this set will be custom made energon cube carrying case and shoulder rockets, something missing from both previous sets. Sound cool? You bet it is, and to get it you must be attending TFCon and pay $150 CDN per trailer! That’s about $121 USD for those of you south of the border. On ebay, there are already preorders up for this guy if you’re willing to shell out $250 in US dollars. That’s one heck of a mark-up. Also one must act fast and hold on tightly, because there are only 500 of these guys and they’re over 50% sold out.

"Blink and you'll miss me"

Speaking about City Commander, this seems to be a good time to bring up the second theme of the year: third party kits. As I mentioned before, FansProject proved there was a market here, first with their Cliffjumper kit, then with their City/Shadow Commander set. So, what’s now available? Let’s take a look:
--TFClub is releasing a set of weapons and accessories to attach to Universe figures. These include shoulder missiles, an “invisibility box” for Mirage, a ladder for Inferno and the first ever Autoscout mini-cassette. $45 for the set
--BTS Toy has just released their trailer sets, one for Classics Optimus Prime and one for Universe Nemesis Prime. These trailers include a Roller drone and a couple hand-held weapons for those Transformers not fortunate enough to have one. $60 each.
--iGear has stormed the market with not one, but FOUR different sets all in various stages of production. Their flagship project is their own Autoscoute cassette tape. Also in the works is an accessory kit for MP Grimlock and a fully functional trailer for Masterpiece Prime that appears to be similar to the one released with MP-04. Not happy with your City Commander set? Want missiles or a new head? iGear’s coming out with that too, with a sword, greathammer and Wreckers flag to boot. $15 for the Grimlock set and $20 for Autoscout
--Nato-bot has also just released their upgrade kit for Universe Roadbuster, which includes an assault rifle, shoulder cannon and a new head (some assembly required). There have been mold issues on this set, which has delayed its release to many collectors, however expect that to be fixed shortly. $31 for the full set or $15 for the head and rifle or $18 for the cannon. Also featured is an axe for Animated Optimus Prime, which is in the early stages of production.
--Unicron.com has produced a set for the Animated enthusiasts, containing stasis cuffs, an Allspark, Ratchet's magnetic weapons and a replica of Sari's allspark key. That set goes for $20 on BBTS.
--Mastermind Creations is taking things one step further with making their own figure based off IDW's Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime.
--And let’s not forget about FansProject. The pioneer in this field isn’t backing down from all the new-found competition. Their next project is a G1-style trailer for Optimus Prime, which includes several anime-accurate weapons for Universe characters and a roller drone. A preorder has shown up for $80. Also they have hinted at a Rodimus Prime upgrade for Classics Rodimus, dubbed the Protector Armor, many going to TFCon expect to see more on this piece while there. What ever happened to the other Universe accessories such as Classics Matrix and hand-held Megatron gun? Can’t say for sure but don’t expect them to drop those ideas.

eeenie meenie miney moe...


With North America covered, and all of the extra kits that have collectors researching 2nd or 3rd mortgages, let’s take a look at the country where everything cute, awesome and perverted comes from: Japan.

Japan holds an interesting spot in the Transformer Collecting game, because to us North Americans and Europeans; everything they make is collectable. Henkei has more detailed paint apps, Transformers Alternity, a sequel to the Binaltech/Alternators line is many collectors wet dream and Masterpiece Grimlock won’t see US release in its current form due to toy laws. Not to mention there are several lines that Hasbro won’t even consider bringing in, such as Disney Label, Music Label and the recently-announced Device Label. I’m going to only focus on the true exclusives though, but best of luck getting everything else!

The year stated off with images of a Lucky Draw Henkei Galvatron figure, all shiny and golden. For many collectors the lucky draw figures represent the pinnacle of a collection, even more so than prototype figures. Alas, even for many collectors who consider themselves diehard, Lucky Draws are out of reach unless one really wants to spend anywhere between $1,000 and $6,000, yikes!

"Hello, you'll never own me."


The fist exclusives of the year were released just this month. Henkei (Or Gentei if you prefer) Thrust and Dirge found their way on to the shelves of many collectors, re-igniting the old fashioned Botcon exclusivity debate. However these figures have custom wings and different paint schemes than their ’07 counterparts, thus keeping the debate on a low simmer. Still if one wants these figures expect to pay upward of $90-150 each, up to and over $200 if you want both.


Making Botcon obsolete since 2008, or did we???


Transformer Generations volume 1 and 2 have been announced, with volume 1 already on the market. While only available in Japan (and hence only in Japanese) these books outline the detailed history of TFs from their Diaclone era all the way up to their Alternity incarnations. While the books may be a good read, it’s the figures that interest most collectors. Fill out the card at the back of the book, add about $45 USD-worth of yen and in about 4 months you’ll receive your very own Classics Mirage, in transparent plastic. When volume 2 is released you can do the same and receive a transparent Classics Starscream. Sounds cool! Oh, yeah did I mention you must be a Japanese resident to qualify? Sucks doesn’t it? Not to worry though, BigBadToyStore and certain other retailers have come through, and for $90 USD each you’ll have Mirage and Starscream on your shelves once they’re released. If you want the books too, that’ll be about $30 extra.

Who knew clear plastic was so expensive?

A recent stunt (or marketing technique) by the Ganbo store allowed interested parties to apply for a special credit card. Along with that credit card, comes along a free Minicon. Naturally there are two Minicons, and thus one would need to order both credit cards to get both Minicons. Also once again, this is only available to Japanese citizens. No one ever said it’d be easy collecting overseas merchandise. Once again though BigBadToyStore has come through on this, and you can preorder both minicons for $50 per pair. Many minicon collectors actually call that a good deal.

Yeah, we're THAT good

And the final exclusive known to see a 2009 release is based off of Universe Cyclonus; which has been recognized as the best mold coming out of the Universe line, this time in the styling of Technobot Strafe. In order to get this figure through normal means, one must buy it using the special credit card obtained with the Minicons mentioned previously (meaning that you must live in Japan, don’t you love how everything ties together?) BigBadToyStore and Robotkingdom both have this guy up for preorder ($110 and $90 respectively). Needless to say it’s a pricey figure, but what can you do if you’re not a Japanese citizen?

"Go on, try and deny my awesomeness!"

So I’ve listed every exclusive figure that’s been released or announced for release in 2009. Do you want to know how much you’ll spend if you purchase one of every figure here, excluding the Lucky Draw and some fan kits?

You sure?

Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

$1492 USD

$1492 is a lot of money, and that’s not including shipping fees and the prices for some of the third party upgrades and add-ons because they aren’t priced out yet. Also not included are the thousands that many collectors spend on Japanese mass released figures, such as the Masterpice, Alternity and Label lines, or for that matter ROTF, Animated, and Universe lines. Each figure may not seem like a lot, but MP Grimlock, Henkei Hound, Cyclonus and Red Alert, and Alternity Prime(s) and Megatron(s), there goes at least $400!

Let’s also remember that this is April, the year isn’t even half over yet. Who knows what else we’ll see with the onslaught of Revenge of The Fallen line? Who knows what 2010 will bring? I don’t know, but after this year many collectors will need a second job to break even.

All of these exclusives are well and good, but one must ask the question: how will we pay for all of these? If you've just emerged from your Fortress of Solitude, then allow me to fill you in on one critical bulletin: We're in a global recession! The cost of oil is going up, which directly affects the two main aspects of our hobby, and thus the bottom line: figure creation and shipping. Petroleum products are used to make the plastics we hold in our hands, and power the engines that get these figures from the factories in Asia to our hands in North America and Europe. Not only that, but the spending power of many collectors has decreased, shoving many of these figures just beyond our reach. So how are companies still earning a profit off of these if we can't buy them?

Simple; collectors, diehard collectors have a tendency to pay far more money than they should for a piece of nicely painted plastic. If 50% of the collectors would pay $60 for a figure, then 40% will pay $80. That's a 20% decrease in collectors for sure, but that's a 25% price increase per figure. If the company scales back manufacturing slightly, they save a fortune and make a fortune. They win, while making it seem that we collectors win.

Sneaky, ain't it?

Transtopia Newsletter - April

Date: Thursday, April 16th 2009 11:43am CDT
Categories: Site News, Toy News, Site Articles, People News, Transtopia
Posted by: First Gen | Credit(s): Dead Metal

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 257,850

Hello and welcome to the April edition of the Transtopia Newsletter. Sadly Stormrider who's usually in charge of the Newsletter is not with us for this issue, he is currently moving home from one country to another and has left it in my hands to take over till he comes back.

Remember, to check out the Transtopia forum for the latest action.


How to Showcase Your Work
The newsletter is your opportunity to show off your work and talent. We rely on your articles, artwork, and customs to make it interesting. Entries will be reviewed on a monthly basis. You can submit your work here:
Repaints, Kitbashes, Scratchbuilds
Fan Art
Fan Fiction
Guides


Make a Difference, Join the Newsletter Team!
Want to contribute to help out with the Transtopia newsletter? Join our team. We have a couple roles to fill. Duties require a few hours each month. PM Dead Metal if interested: Dead Metal


Newsletter Credits:
Design - Flix
Formatting - Stormrider
Fan Art/ Guide - Mykltron
Interview - Burn
Editing - Stormrider, Dead Metal, hellkitty



They're the curse of every TF collector's life. I often keep things, just in case I can find a use for them one day, and boy am I glad I do this! Here are three uses I've found so far for these troublesome little blighters:


1) DRY LAUNDRY

My washing line was sagging under the weight of bed linen and trailing on the grass so I took a garden rake that has a hole at the end of the handle. Using a twisty-tie I secured the middle of the washing line to the handle so the line could be held high enough to keep the laundry clean without danger of the line slipping off.


2) HOLD TF PARTS WHILE APPLYING PAINT

If the part has a convenient hole it helps keeps fingers clean and paint finish smooth.


And now the one I'm particularly chuffed with:


3) FULLY ARTICULATED HANDS FOR DELUXE FIGURES





Using a 1/100 gundam hand and twisty-ties I have made a new hand for Universe Sunstreaker. This size is also suitable for Prowl, Cliffjumper, Voyager Megatron and Ultra Powerglide, maybe others too! This is my first attempt and I have an idea that will make it look slightly better and easier to pose.





As can be seen, this hand can make a pretty good fist:







It still fits inside his car mode:





Of course, it can still hold a gun but I forgot to take a photo of that.


So, anyone got any other ideas of how to use those horrible twisty-ties?

Do you have modeling or art tips to share with other members? Why not write a guide? Feature tips from - repainting, kitbashing, drawing, sculpting, and even computer graphics: Send an email to Transtopia.Guide@gmx.de for details.



This months repaints section brings us some more great work from resident Transtopian omega666. Here he treats us with his versions of Classics 2.0 Shockwave and Soundwave:



omega666's version of Soundwave holds a very sweet third alt mode G1 enthusiasts will definately get a kick out of:



Our next Transtopian repainter flix brings us a custom Movie Soundwave:









Flix also gives us a good look at his take on Movie Swindle too:













What would custom work be without Kitbashes?! This month features some amazing work by Transtopian L_K, the same kitbasher that brought us the custom Unicron of Lightfigure. Here he gives us his take on Arcee of the Transformer Movie, both of them that is:









Newsletter contributor Mykltron also added to the mix with a more movie accurate version of Barricade:











Even Frenzy got the treatment:







Sitting down with us and breaking his interview virginity is zero-kaiser, who, for the record, volunteered willingly for this and I didn't have to stalk or harass him for it. (In fact he was so enthusiastic he was bordering on harassing me!)

Burn - So tell us a bit about yourself.

zero-kaiser - Well, as of the 15th of February I'm 24 years old. Originally I'm from the south of England but I've lived in the northwest since I was about 4... yet I've somehow managed to keep the 'posh' southern accent--make of that what you will.

When I'm not wandering around Seibertron.com or looking for a job, I can usually be found playing either my Wii or DS lite; reading; painting either Warhammer 40K models or Transformers; shooting TF video reviews for my YouTube channel; or spending time with my wonderful fiancee

...good to keep yourself busy right?

B - I'm finding myself too busy to work on my own kitbashes, unfortunately! Now tell us how you got into Transformers and a little about your own collection.

z-k - Like most fans I had some of the older toys when I was a child and foolishly gave them away.

Back when I was in college I stumbled across BWTF.com and saw photos for some of the Robots In Disguise toys. The designs and detail on the Autobot Brothers alone are probably the main reason I got (back) into Transformers. That summer I picked up the Super (blue) repaint of Prowl and I was hooked. It took some time for my collecting to really take off though, mostly due to only working part time whilst I was at college.

As it stands my collection stands at just over 100 TF's ranging from RiD right through to the current Universe and Animated lines.

(Photos of my collection are here if you're interested)

I can honestly say there isnt really one single character I go for above all others…it depends on the mold and the line. Classics 2.0/Universe/Henkei is really impressing me at the moment; there’s very few characters from that line that I wouldn’t pick up. That said there’s a couple of TF's from past lines that I wouldn’t mind hunting down someday...mostly from the Cybertron range and a handful from RiD.

B - So give me at least five toys and characters you like the most.

z-k - In no particular order what so ever....

Toys:

1• TF Cybertron Leader Class Optimus Prime
2• Primus
3• Henkei Convoy
4• Movie Leader Class Optimus Prime
5• Masterpiece Optimus Prime

Characters

1• If it wasn’t obvious from the above list: Optimus/Convoy. Which continuity? Probably Cybertron, I'd say.
2• Galaxy Force Starscream: his Japanese voice is brilliant and he goes toe-to-toe with Primus—if that isn’t cool I don’t know what is!!
3• Kup: I had a newfound love for that character after reading his IDW Spotlight.
4• Grimlock: him king, got it?
5• IDW Galvatron: it’s as if that’s the way he should have been all along—a brooding badass .

B - What would you consider to be "holy grail" for you to obtain for your collection? Aside from Fortress Maximus, because everybody wants a Fortress Maximus.

z-k - Ha! Besides Fort Max? If I had to pick just one...RiD Omega Prime. That thing is awesome beyond words.

Besides him? RiD Rail Racer and the Classics Devastator Giftset. I'd be pretty chuffed if I could find any of those without killing my wallet

B - Moving onto your creative side, when did you first start churning out your creations and where did you learn to do what you do?

z-k - I suppose it was about 12 years ago now. When I started high school I made friends with someone who got me into the Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 range. It took me a long time to get any good at painting but one thing I did a lot were conversions—think of them as kitbashes for 40K. Twelve years later and I still have a lot of the miniatures I have made from various bits and pieces I had lying around.

As for where I learnt to do the things I do? Trial, error, practise and patience. Even if I did something 'wrong' or it didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, I learnt from the experience. I like to think that something is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.

Band-Aids/Plasters have proven invaluable over the years, too, but that’s just me occasionally being a bit ham-fisted.

B - You mention band-aids/plasters: tell me more about your injuries you've sustained kitbashing over the years! I have a lovely bump on one of my fingers where I kinda missed the plastic and found finger instead….

z-k - Well…there’s a nice deep scar on the tip of my left index finger. I got that from trying to cut a Space Marine arm in half. The blade snapped and plunged straight into the side of my finger. I didn’t realise how deep it was until I ran it under a tap to wash it and saw the bone…yeah, that needed stitches. Still don’t have all the feeling back in it either.

On another occasion I managed to saw the skin on the knuckle of my thumb off…which was pretty stupid of me.

Most of my other injuries are minor cuts or burns where I've tried to pull freshly dremeled plastic off, forgetting that it’s red hot.

I guess you could say I suffer for my art.

B - With the amount of TF-related artists there are out there, who has influenced/inspired you the most?

z-k - I guess my inspirations come from a lot of places really. E.J Su is amazing. I picked up Infiltration issue 0 a while back and was fascinated by the interview in the back, especially the technical drawings he had done.

I was equally blown away after reading Stormbringer and seeing Don Figueroa's amazing artwork. Same goes for Alex Milne and Nick Roche; I love their styles and can spend hours looking over their work.

Yoji Shinkawa is name that definitely springs to mind, too. He did the concept artwork and designs for the Metal Gear Solid series of games, as well as Zone of the Enders. With the exception of Metal Gear Rex, his blending of organic and mechanical is really quite awesome.

One other thing I will mention when it comes to inspirations, is my fellow Seibertronians who submit their work to the Transtopia section. If I named names I would be here all day, but suffice to say there are some extremely talented people out there and the caliber of their work is something I kind of aspire to.

B - When looking at the creations of others, do you prefer to see their takes on a canon character or a fan-made character?

z-k - I'd honestly say it’s half and half. Seeing people’s takes on a well-established character is always fun and can sometimes take more planning and thought than some might think! On the other hand I have a lot of respect for people who create their own characters. With such a diverse and rich roster of existing characters, it’s hard not to come up with something that’s not similar to an existing TF.

B - You draw, but you seem more inclined to kitbash a figure. If you could do this sort of thing for a job, what genre (kitbashing, drawing, scratch-building) would you prefer?

z-k - Man, that’s a tough one to answer, Burn. To be honest I love creating things in many mediums, but given the choice of the three I would probably say scratch-building. Over the years I've had so many ideas that so far I've only been able to commit to paper. Some day I'll hopefully have the skills, funds, and parts to give them form.

A job where I spent all day in a workshop building things? That would be awesome! (More so if it was building TF's!!)

B - And what would be your dream design if you could pull it off?

z-k - Thats easy: a scratchbuilt combiner. I love combiner teams and I don’t so much as have a problem with Hasbro's efforts, but I have always wanted to try my hand at it. Truth be told I've been wanting to get my hands on the ROTF Constructicons that have individual robot modes so I can see if there’s a way of getting them to combine.

Failing that I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at making a Headmaster from scratch. I drew up some designs a couple of years ago that I might revise and have a go at.

B - So the one question that everyone is dying to have you answer: how did you stumble across Seibertron.com?

z-k - Believe it or not, kitbashes and repaints. Doing a Google image search for them one afternoon kept leading me back here. After that, I came to the site to look at what is now the Transtopia section on a regular basis. Eventually I registered and started posting. Almost two years have fallen off the calender and here we are.

B - So out of all your creations, which one would you consider your favourite?

z-k - I would have to say one of my recent pieces, a Rodimus Major custom...

He's been a headache to work on in places -coughlegscough- but as soon as the whole thing was together and working I felt very very proud of myself

His rifle looks wicked, too. lol..

B - So let's wrap this up with a couple of games, first up: Word Association!

B - Machine Men/GoBots - z-k - That annoying scooter thing.
B - Starscream Fangirls - z-k - caution.
B - Unicron - z-k - "Hunger" - Spectre General
B - Machine Wars - z-k - Tiny Megatron..
B - Action Masters - z-k - 'They're alive ALIVE ALIVE!!'
B - Michael Bay - z-k - Lolsplosions!!!
B - Simon Furman - z-k - ..likes ending things with -tion.
B - Stalker - z-k - Loud.

B - And now for something a little different: VERSUS!

B - Megatron -vs- Optimus Prime - z-k - Optimus.
B - Starscream Fangirls -vs- Jazz Fangirls - z-k - Ack!! Damnit, Burn. Er,…Jazz Fangirls? (Hell my mum’s one after the first movie.)
B - Mini-Cons -vs- Micromasters - z-k - Mini-Cons.
B - Animated -vs- Generation 1 -vs- Beast Wars - z-k - Man, that’s a tough one.. I'd probably have to say Beast Wars..

B - Well, I just have to say a big thank you to zero-kaiser for a great interview. I hope you all enjoyed it. For those of you who haven't seen z-k's work, here's a sampling!

Animated Galvatron
Classics Nightbeat (WIP)
War Within Ironhide (WIP)
Scourge/Nemesis Prime Fan Art
Un-named Female Cyborg (WIP - non-tf)

And if YOU are interested in being interviewed, just drop me a pm, otherwise, I'll just have to start stalking people!

Transformers Mosaic: "Bitter Harvest."

Date: Thursday, April 2nd 2009 10:53pm CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Site Articles
Posted by: i_amtrunks | Credit(s): Richter

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 17,219

The Universe of the Transformers is vast, and populated by many characters. Their universe is a large tapestry, made up of the stories and points of view of countless experiences that serve the larger whole.

These are some of those stories. This is:


It should be noted that while this project has been recognized by IDW Publishing and Hasbro, none of the works presented have been commissioned or solicited by either company. The stories are not official canon, except where noted. These stories are the result of Transformers enthusiasts taking the time out of their busy days to contribute to a universe they love. No one has been paid for the production of these stories.

Transformers Mosaic FAQ, click here

BITTER HARVEST

Story & Letters by:
Franco “Me Grimlock” Villa

Art by:
Peter “I Sithlord” Istyle

Colors by:
Eman B. Zubia