Transformers People News on Seibertron.com

Hasbro Confirms New Look and Simplified Design for 'Age of Extinction' Toys

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But as the brand evolved over the years, the toys became more complex, some involving dozens of steps to complete a single transformation. In the eyes of Brian D. Goldner, Hasbro’s chief executive, they had lost their magic.

“We’ve made incredibly sophisticated robots,” he said, “but it can be like a 1,000-piece puzzle.”

Enthralled by the special effects in three big-budget “Transformers” movies that enabled the robots to convert in a matter of seconds, Mr. Goldner decided the toys needed to return to their roots. So he challenged his design team to reconceive them. Now, on the 30th anniversary of the brand, Hasbro is revealing a new look for the toys, including simple maneuvers that will complete a transformation with the push of a button or flick of the wrist.

The remake of the line, which includes new branding and packaging, is meant to coincide with Paramount Pictures’ release of the fourth movie in the franchise, “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” Retailers will get their first look at the line in London this week at Toy Fair, an annual industry trade show.

“Our retail partners, they are getting very excited,” said Joshua Lamb, the senior design director for the toy line. “This rethinking of the brand is setting the stage long-term.”

The toys are expected to land on retail shelves in May, a few weeks before the release of the movie. Hasbro says it will build on the promotion for the movie with a marketing campaign of its own that will include ads on television and in theaters as well as on digital platforms, like mobile and social media.
[...]

Hasbro will continue to make complex Transformers for adult fans who have collected the toys since their inception 30 years ago. But the new design is intended to re-engage parents and children, who found the transformations too challenging.

Marvel Revolutionary War: Death's Head II #1 Preview

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Part 4 of 'Revolutionary War' o The long-awaited return of DEATH'S HEAD -- one of the biggest hits of the original Marvel UK! o Death's Head! Death's Head II! On an adventure together for the first time EVER! o What threat could be grave enough to bring these two heroes together from across time? How about the villainous Mys-Tech organization resurfacing with an army?!

Japanese Megatron / Galvatron Voice Actor Seizō Katō Dies at 86

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Views: 35,993

Masterpiece Designer Hasui Updates Wheeljack Information

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Cyberpath wrote:New pic from the designer:



MP-20ホイルジャックのビークルモード後部の画像です。変形方法が、いくらか見えてきましたかね？ 写真では分かりづらいですが、手持ち銃であるハンドガンをエグゾーストパイプのように取り付けることができます。

Google translate:

This is a picture of the rear of the vehicle mode MP-20 Wheeljack. Deformation method, I guess we have seen some? It is hard to understand with the photograph, it can be installed as exhaust pipe a handgun is a hand-held gun.

Tom Scioli Interview - Transformers / G.I. Joe Crossover

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Details on the book are hush-hush and Scioli is finalizing the artwork on everything, but we got him on the line to talk about his love of these characters, from the classic toys to the classic cartoons to the classic comics.

Here now are excerpts from our long, long geek-out session with Scioli on these great characters and how they warped our childhoods, and a look at some of the behind-the-scenes drawing for the upcoming series. If anything, we did learn this: Scioli is bringing a real passion and love for the characters to this book, and you can get a glimpse of it here.

Newsarama Note: The art shown here is not final, and only represents Scioli’s initial doodles and experiments with the characters’ looks. It does not represent what will appear in the actual series.

Newsarama: Tom, how did this come about?

Tom Scioli: Pretty organically – I sent some samples of my work to IDW, and then I was contacted by John Barber about doing a cover for Black Dynamite, and then I started pitching ideas around the image I’d come up with, and it was a bit too much all at once, but after a while he contacted me with an idea for a Transformers/G.I. Joe comic, this one-sentence pitch. So those were all the steps.

Nrama: This can get confusing, but what continuity does this take place in?

Scioli: My thoughts are that this is its own continuity – they can be similar to other books except for how these worlds interact, or they can be completely different, I hate to change anything without a good reason, but I do like to feel like everything is up for grabs.

There’s no unified continuity for either of these properties – they’ve both existed for a long time, and had their own worlds, but there is no one “right” version.

[...]

Nrama: To kind of give this reminiscing a point – these were characters explicitly designed to sell toys. And yet here you and I are, nearly three decades later, we’re talking about them, fans are still going to see the movies, watching the cartoons, buying the toys – why are they so powerful?

Scioli: I think the designs are really strong, that whatever the initial impetus for creating these things was, people still invested the full weight of their imaginations and creativity on them, and so they transcended whatever initial decision-making brought them into being.

Someone like Larry Hama offered whatever he had in terms of life experience and imagination into G.I. Joe, and it’s something that transcends generations, something kids and adults can enjoy years later. Comics are something designed to sell themselves, and I’ve spent might adult life reading and making comics.

The commercial aspect is almost invisible. I think it’s almost beside the point.

Texas Comicon 2014 Adds David Sobolov as Special Guest

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Views: 24,125

• Alan Oppenheimer - Warpath, Beachcomber, Seaspray
• Michael Bell - Prowl, Sideswipe, Scrapper, Swoop
• Neil Ross - Bonecrusher, Hook, Springer, Slag
• Gregg Berger - Grimlock, Long Haul, Outback, Jetfire
• Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime, Ironhide

Vince DiCola's The Transformers 1986 Score Now Available

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Views: 41,408

Original soundtrack from initial big-screen animated treatment of The Transformers, numerous iconic battling robot characters spawned from Hasbro television mini-series that became wildly popular in subsequent syndication.

Michael Bay's Teleprompter Woes Reveal An Upcoming TF4 Event With Samsung

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Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES - I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP's intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down - then I walked off. I guess live shows aren't my thing.
But I'm doing a special curved screen experience with Samsung and Transformers 4 footage that will be traveling around the world.
Michael

Andrew Wildman Returns on ReGeneration One #100

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I have begun work on the final issue of Transformers Regeneration One. I won’t be pencilling the whole book but it really is a privilege to be asked to come back in for the curtain call. 2014 is a BIG year for Transformers what with it being the 30th Anniversary so watch out for the team at a convention near you.

Transformers Regeneration One #100

Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman & Guido Guidi (a) • Andrew Wildman, Guidi (c)

THE GREATEST ENEMY... the greatest challenge... shall come from within. And there will be an ending. This is it, the battle the TRANSFORMERS must win, and yet dare not. The original and founding TRANSFORMERS comic comes to an epic and giant-sized conclusion, with all-out battle on CYBERTRON. Or should that be “Cybertrons”? Shocks, surprises, guest stars and more. It may be a cliché, but this one really does have it all.

FC • 48 pages • $5.99

Bullet points:

• The soul-shattering conclusion to the 100-issue original TRANSFORMERS EPIC!
• Variant Cover by Herb Trimpe!
• Variant Cover by Geoff Senior!

Giant Optimus Prime Proposal in China

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Views: 27,757

You know how when a guy courts a girl, sometimes the right move is a grand gesture? A bouquet of flowers to say you're sorry. A surprise weekend getaway to mark an anniversary. How about a giant Transformers replica to pop the question?

That's what this guy did. According to Chinese news site Jinyang, he constructed this three-story-tall model of Optimus Prime over the course of 10 months to impress his girlfriend enough that she'd say yes. The superheroic machine took 400 drawings, 40,000 rivets and nearly $10,000 worth of stainless steel and iron. But boy does it look badass.