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Festive Greetings, Seibertronians! Black Friday has come and gone, without any of the big discounts we usually see around this time of the year. While this is a disappointment to many, Hasbro is still providing some big deals for Cyber Monday (the online equivalent of Black Friday). Their eBay store has some great deals, like Micromaster 2-packs for nearly 60% off, 3/8ths of Studio Series Devastator (Mixmaster, Scrapper, and Scavenger) at a 20% discount, lots of different Siege and Studio Series deluxes also at 20% off, and a Series 1 BotBots pack at 60% off! Looking to pick up Siege Grapple or Snapdragon? $23.99 each, and to boot, many of these deals include free shipping! What are you waiting for? Click any of the pictures below to be taken to Hasbro's eBay page and shop for figures you may have missed, or for customizing fodder. Happy Cyber Monday!
That doesn't mean we're done with Siege stories, however. Seibertron is proud to exclusively bring to you an interview/Q&A with actor Shawn Hawkins, who voiced Mirage in the Siege cartoon! Read on to find out what he knew about Mirage prior to voicing him, how he feels about the Transformers fandom, and find out the 'bot he originally auditioned to voice before landing the role of the disappearing Autobot illusionist, Mirage!
Shawn Hawkins: Taylor! What a great surprise to wake up to this morning! Huge thank you to you and Ryan for having me on!
Taylor: It's our pleasure! So, Shawn, Tell us a little about yourself, your career, and how you came to voice acting. Is it a main focus of your career?
Shawn: Yeah so I’m originally from Upstate New York where I started in music. Ever since I was a kid I had a guitar in my hand and ended up playing in a few bands around New York. Then I went to college in Nashville, TN for music and business and ended up touring with some bands up and down the east coast. But at one point I just knew I wanted to get back in to acting. I had been a part of some theatre in high school but was interested in film and TV. So I ended up joining the theatre department at my college and then moving to Los Angeles right out of school. It was the best decision I ever made but it was definitely a big move. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some really fun and creative projects in my time here. A lot of indie film work and some television stuff as well, but voice acting was something I always wanted to do. I would make voices, probably just like everyone else as a kid but for me it continued and continued haha. I did some smaller (voiceover) stuff along the way but finally got this audition for Transformers WFC and I was sold. It was an absolute blast and I’m so thankful to have been a part of it. Sharing it all with the fans has been an incredible pleasure in my life!
Taylor: What was the audition process like for the Siege series? Did you read or audition just in general, or did you always know you'd be playing Mirage specifically?
Shawn: So I originally auditioned for the role of Bumblebee. We weren't told at the time what the project was. It had a code name and character code names but I knew reading it that it sounded a lot like Transformers. Of course, then I found out it was and that I was up for Bumblebee. Then after a few callbacks, they ended up giving me Mirage. And I am so incredibly thankful they did. I feel right at home with Mirage and I love his role in the series. As well as his role with the fans! I’m excited to share the next two seasons with you all and see what unfolds!
Taylor: How much did you know about Transformers before landing the role of Mirage? How much do you know now?
Shawn: Oh man! Well I grew up watching some G1 and saw all the Bay movies but I didn’t dive in until taking on Mirage. Now I’m learning things everyday. And it is mainly thanks to the fans! The Transformers community has been so welcoming and supportive. I am amazed at the interaction we get to have together. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I look forward to many more meaningful interactions over the years. But yes, my capacity for Transformers material just keeps growing haha!
Taylor: How much interaction have you had with Transformers fans since the series aired? Were you a fan yourself before you got the role?
Shawn: Oh man! A ton!! I love it more than anything. Getting to meet all the fans and hear their stories. I actually pride myself on running a really interactive Instagram account where I connect with the fans on a daily basis, run giveaways and answer questions. If you’d love to connect, hit me up @shawn_hawkins. I was a fan before but not to the extent that I am now. It’s a whole new ball game!
Taylor: What did you know about the character of Mirage from the original cartoon series? Did you ever listen to the original voice actor to get a feel for his interpretation of the character?
Shawn: Well I knew he was the elite and also walked both sides of the fence. I knew that I was diving in deep because Mirage had such a unique voice in the original cartoon and I wanted to live up to that but also bring my own spin to it. Our sound engineer for WFC brought some great ideas and feedback to the table in a way that made me feel comfortable and confident with what I was bringing to set. For me I envisioned him sounding a little younger and I think the WFC team did as well. It was like watching this spunky rich kid who thought he knew more than everyone else but also sometimes.. he did. Haha! I loved it. And from what I’ve heard so far, the fans have been happy with the interpretation. I can’t ever predict that but I just brought my heart and soul to it and I always said, “There’s a reason I’m here on this mission... maybe this is it!!”
Taylor: What kind of direction were you given for the character? How is direction given for voice acting? Is the director in the studio with you when you record?
Shawn: Yeah so the direction was great. The VO director, Phil Bache, the engineer and the rest of the team had a really great idea of what they wanted already which made my job a lot easier. So we would go over individual lines and what they meant and I would just give a couple takes of each that were my interpretation of that. And we would go back and forth until we got something we were happy with. But yes, the director was always in the room and the guidance was top notch. I felt incredibly comfortable and free to play as well which is something you really appreciate as a voice actor.
Taylor: What's next for Mirage? Do you know if you'll be reprising him in the follow-up series to Siege?
Shawn: What’s next?! Well I’ve got some things on the plate. I don’t know what I’m allowed to say but I believe you’ll be seeing more Mirage in the near future! I am so stoked for the next two seasons to air and to celebrate with the fans. Other than that I’ve got a few smaller projects in the works and I’m also launching a Youtube channel for the Transformers fans and community. I’m incredibly excited to share that with you all. Be sure to check me out on Instagram @shawn_hawkins for when that drops and more cool Mirage stuff!
Taylor: What's next for you professionally?
Shawn: Professionally, I’m going to take a nice vacation haha. We have planned to go visit some family in Sedona Arizona here in October to just relax and reconnect. I keep myself pretty busy all the time so remembering to relax is important for me. But lots of cool things. I’m working on that Youtube channel and I also oversee a couple small businesses as well as audition regularly here in LA. There are a few films and shows on the horizon so I will have to keep you all posted! Thank you guys so much for having me and keep up the awesome work you’re doing at Seibertron! Such a pleasure to chat with you and connect with the fans.
And as for keeping connected with fans, Shawn has some exciting news for you, Seibertronians!
We wanted to do a special GIVEAWAY with everyone who keeps up with Seibertron. I will be giving away a signed Mirage figure from the WFC Netflix series to one lucky winner. If you’d like a shot at winning this you just have to follow Seiberton (Instagram @seibertroncom) and go over and give a follow to @shawn_hawkins. After you follow me, shoot me a DM with the word SEIBERTRON! So stoked to get to meet you guys and good luck with the giveaway! We will run this for two weeks from the date of posting. Much love to you all and thanks for letting me be a part of your world! )
Many thanks to Shawn for your time and talent, and willingness to share with us some fun insights into the world of a Transformers voice actor!
BBTS News: PulseCon Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars Black Series, Marvel Legends, Power Rangers, Zoids & More!
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NEW PRE-ORDERS
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PulseCon 2020 brings us new Hasbro figures, vehicles, collectibles, and more for their Star Wars: The Black Series, Marvel Legends movie accessories and Joe Fixit Build-A-Figure series, G.I. Joe action figures, Star Wars: The Vintage Collection vehicles. Take a look at these new PulseCon items up for preorder right now! You can also grab the BBTS Exclusive Action Force Declassified Gear Pack, along with new DC Bishoujo and DC Multiverse action figures, import figures and statues, replicas, and scaled model kits. Finally, video game fans can finally get their hands on the new NieR Play Arts Kai 2B figure.
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NEW ARRIVALS
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Mythic Legions returns! The story continues with the latest series of figures by Four Horsemen: The Advent of Decay, Soul Spiller, Siege at Bjorngar, and more. Transformers fans unite with the latest War for Cybertron trilogy Leader Ultra Magnus. These and more awesome collectibles are available now to own.
In addition to official product images and other reveals from Hasbro PulseCon 2020, we took the liberty of making screen captures of the video panels to share with all of you in case you missed watching the actual video earlier today. The panel offers different official product looks of the upcoming Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom products (as well as others) in addition to the products in-hand. During the Entertainment panel, the first War for Cybertron Earthrise trailer was shown which showed Bug-bite, Doubledealer, and the Conehead Seekers amongst others. Check out the highlights from the panel below and click on any of the images to view the full galleries. Admittedly, there's an excessive amount of images but there's a lot to see, especially with the in-hand shots. Enjoy!
Lots of Transformers War for Cybertron Kingdom news out today, most of which came from Hasbro's PulseCon 2020.
One of the big highlights is a poster for the War for Cybertron Kingdom toy line showing the Titan Class Ark transformed into robot mode (which appears to have the Last Autobot's head design from the last issues of the Marvel Transformers comic books! You can see the images below, it was shared in Seibertron.com's screen capture gallery of the Hasbro PulseCon 2020 videos.
I wouldn't take the entire poster as a proof that all these characters are coming out though since this is probably concept art, before the toyline was finalized. Polar Claw, for instance, is not said to be part of the line, according to those who know what's coming.
We also have new packaging. while the boxes retain the same shape as the previous entries in the trilogy, the window component is made smaller, to minimize plastic. Of course, we can still see the figure inside though.
PulseCon is ON! Below are the hot new reveals, though some were revealed a bit earlier in the week.
And it's fun to see some surprises, like Core class Optimus and Vertebreak (who tutnrs into a fossilized chicken dracorex).
Here is a list of all the reveals shows on their Facebook page.
Thanks to a press release from Hasbro, we bring you news of a new virtual event to be held on Hasbro Pulse's Youtube channel this coming September 25th and 26th- Hasbro PulseCon! This will be an event somewhat similar to HasCon, focusing on all of Hasbro's brands, which of course, include everyone's favorite transforming robots. We also get some news about when the Quintesson Pit of Judgement set will be released.
Hasbro PulseCon Promises Front Row Access via Livestream to Hasbro’s Iconic Fan Brands, Music and Entertainment September 25-26, 2020; Only on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube Channel
PAWTUCKET, RI – August 31st, 2020 – Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) today announced the first-ever Hasbro PulseCon, a 2-day virtual event that gives fans unprecedented access to their favorite Hasbro brands, music & entertainment. Taking place on September 25-26, 2020 exclusively on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube Channel and hosted by SYFY Wire on-air correspondent, writer, and producer, Jackie Jennings, Hasbro PulseCon promises fans in the US and Canada a front row seat to panels, talent appearances, brand reveals, product giveaways and more; connecting consumers to their favorite brands in an immersive, one-of-a-kind setting that, along with the eOne portfolio, will bring fans the best in entertainment, music, and toys. Announcements for new innovations and product reveals will take place for brands including Dungeons & Dragons, G.I. Joe, Magic: The Gathering, Power Rangers, Transformers as well as premiere partner brands Marvel, Star Wars™, Ghostbusters, and more.
PulseCon delivers the experience and connection of conventions for free and right from the comforts of fans’ homes. Highlights from the virtual event will consist of live unboxings, over 50 new product reveals and pre-orders, coveted Hasbro PulseCon exclusive merchandise, livestream panels featuring celebrities and audience Q&A, and surprise experiHasbro ences. “To be a part of this new virtual experience that celebrates fan culture and incorporates so many different iconic entertainment properties is truly a thrilling opportunity and I can’t wait for fans to check it out,” says Jackie Jennings, Hasbro PulseCon host.
“We are constantly impressed by our fan community and their unwavering passion for Hasbro brands. The Hasbro Pulse community was built with them in mind, and we’re excited to take fan-first engagement with our Pulse platform even deeper,” says Eric Nyman, Chief Consumer Officer, Hasbro. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the fans, providing community connection at a time where everyone needs it most, and ultimately delivering a peek behind the curtain on their favorite brands in a way only Hasbro can.”
Fans will also be able to get their hands on Hasbro PulseCon exclusive items, available only at Hasbro PulseCon in the US & Canada, including:
· Ghostbusters Plasma Series Tully’s Terrible Night (Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· G.I. Joe Classified Series Snake Supreme Cobra Commander Action Figure (Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $29.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Lord Drakkon Evo III Figure (Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Transformers: Generations War for Cybertron Trilogy: Quintesson Pit of Judgement 5-Pack (Ages 8 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $69.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Marvel Legends Series 6-Inch Hellfire Club Collection
(Ages 4 years and up / Approx. Retail Price: $79.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Marvel Legends Series 6-Inch X-Men Marvel’s Logan & Charles Xavier Figure 2-Pack
(Ages 14 years and up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Star Wars: The Clone Wars 501st Legion ARC Troopers Figure 3-Pack (Ages 4 years and up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Star Wars: The Black Series Heroes of Endor Figure Set
(Ages 4 years and up / Approx. Retail Price: $109.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
· Star Wars: The Black Series 6-Inch-Scale Hoth Wampa Figure
(Ages 4 years and up / Approx. Retail Price: $29.99 / Available: September 2020 / Images)
Additional details and scheduling will be announced soon. To stay up to date, fans can follow @HasbroPulse on Instagram and visit HasbroPulseCon.com for more details.
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About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play and Entertainment Experiences. From toys, games and consumer products to television, movies, digital gaming, live action, music, and virtual reality experiences, Hasbro connects to global audiences by bringing to life great innovations, stories and brands across established and inventive platforms. Hasbro’s iconic brands include NERF, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, POWER RANGERS, PEPPA PIG and PJ MASKS, as well as premier partner brands. Through its global entertainment studio, eOne, Hasbro is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for all children and all families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked among the 2020 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past nine years. We routinely share important business and brand updates on our Investor Relations website, Newsroom and social channels (@Hasbro on Twitter and Instagram.)
Jackie Jennings is a writer, director, and performer who was previously a staff writer on TruTV's The Chris Gethard Show, a contributing writer on TBS's The Detour, a staff writer/performer at Above Average (she directed the series Baited w/ Ziwe), and a producer on SeeSo's My Brother, My Brother and Me. Jackie currently is an on-air correspondent, writer, and producer for SyFy Wire. Jackie is represented by AGI Entertainment Media & Management.
Will you be watching later next month, fellow Seibertronians? Excited to see if PulseCon will bring any other Transformers surprises? Let us know what you think below!
Can you believe that the last we heard of this Masterpiece Tigatron was before the COVID 19 lockdown? Well, with parts of the world getting back to normal, there was actually a show that Hasbro physically attended just a few days ago. And they brought in not only their products but also the products they are importing from Takara, such as God Neptune, Super Megatron and MP-50 Tigatron. Those toys were on display and you can see images of them below. Also on display was the upcoming MP Arcee, MPM Starscream, the Quintesson Pit set and basically the entire output of the year so far. The convention in question was the Hasbro Fans Expo in Hong Kong. The images came from Toyswalker, Hobymizer, and DMS Toys Treasure on Facebook.
SDCC at home has been happening this week-end and while Hasbro is not part of it, both IDW and Rooster Teeth had panels of their own where they discussed Transformers. For IDW, we had John Barber and Chris Ryal (who will soon be leaving the company) discussing the future of the brand within IDW. With Rooster Teeth, we got an exclusive clip featuring Cliffjumper. They also stated that the Netflix series is not a continuity of its own, it is part of the wider G1 story. That discussion starts at around the 18 minute mark.
You can watch both videos below. We also have a video from the Robocon 2020 virtual con Transformers Netflix panel that was also released yesterday featuring the show runner and voice actors.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
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