IDW artist Andrew Griffith has just posted on his Tumblr some concept art for the cockpit on the upcoming, highly-anticipated Leader Class Ultra Magnus, which the smaller Minimus Ambus figure can of course sit in. Andrew also gives a brief writeup summarizing the design process:
“So a while back I got to work a bit on an upcoming Leader class toy version of Ultra Magnus from IDW’s More Than Meets The Eye. http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/generations-classics-44/generations-leader-class-ultra-magnus-with-minimus-ambus-official-images-182107/ Since the toy has been revealed, I got permission from Hasbro to show off some of my art for it.Just to be clear, the overall design of the toy was already done, based heavily on Nick Roche’s design for the book. What I was asked to do was to sketch up what the interior cockpit could look like within the confines of the space they had available for it. I worked with Hasbro to develop it, and they sent my art along to Takara-Tomy to use for the sculpt for the final product.
The cockpit for Minimus Ambus inside Ultra Magnus functions a bit different than James Roberts and Alex Milne worked out for MTMTE, but personally I think it’s pretty cool that Hasbro took inspiration from the comics and even went to the trouble of using the concept of Minimus “driving” Ambus at all to be pretty darn cool.
I was thrilled to work on this particular project.”
Let us know your thoughts after the jump!
REMINATOR
I'm with you, WishfulThinking in regarding to IDW UM vs. his G1 self. Also agreed Hasbro should've designated an IDW Line outside of Classic. I like your signature man, add me to another grumpy old tater who believes Ultra Magnus is not a piloted mech by a little green dude.
WishfulThinking
If Ultra Magnus is nothing but a "mantle", like "Batman", to you, that's fine. I don't see it that way. You've inherently changed the nature of the character by this. Just because you never see actual Ultra Magnus doesn't change the fact the nature of the character no longer fits the previous G1 definition of the character.
I understand it's IDW. As another has pointed out, I really wish Hasbro would designate an IDW line outside of Classics. Instances like this could be avoided.
Autovolt 127
How exactly is that a bad thing exactly? Minimus is still Ultra Magnus…he was the same Magnus he was since he debut in IDW but with a backstory that ties into his profession and function.
WishfulThinking
It's all good.
General Magnus
I read it, I was just replying to that particular part. Hopefully you won´t take it the wrong way.
WishfulThinking
Indeed, you can throw Minimus aside (you must not have read the rest of my post you quoted from and decided to just comment on this part). But there's still a pilot seat for…someone. That still bothers me and others like me…that this UM is intended to be a shell for someone else.
General Magnus
But the Minimus toy is just there. It´s not like it´s a integral part of the toy itself, ala partsformer or like the new Combiner Wars Defensor, where Groove is not a leg and by not buying Rook, you wont have a complete Defensor. You can throw it aside, and it won´t affect the transformation in any mode.
GoLion
The more you post the more I like you. I don't agree with your stance in this instance, but you're not a clown. Respect.
Basilisk
Hey Generations Whirl is still a neat toy it's just such a bad decision to make a new toy of a design that isn't as popular as IDW Whirl.
Okay that's the last I'm talking about this as we've gone super off topic
WishfulThinking
Yup. Apparently at 38, I'm ready for the old ventilator.
Cheebs
Dude, I'm not that old!
WishfulThinking
As far as Whirl is concerned, I would have accepted an IDW version in toy form. There's nothing in the IDW design that changes the inherent character. He's still Whirl…he's just VTOL design now, which is in the spirit of Classics being updates to designs without changing the core design points.
In G1, while you rarely saw the white Prime (only in the Battle Convoy commercial and Dreamwave's version of the G1 continuity), most of us 80's kids just assumed that the white Prime WAS Ultra Magnus and that he just preferred to be armored up all the time (and, really, who wouldn't?).
By making Minimus a pilot of Ultra Magnus armor, you've inherently changed the character. It's now the character Minimus and Ultra Magnus is just a name for the armor.
Hopefully this explains the major hang-up the "anti-Minimus" fans has. It seems to have been reiterated several times in this thread already…but the "pro-Minimus" fans are either ignoring their complaints or just trolling in order to keep the debate going.
Like I said a while back in another thread, I'm half tempted to paint Minimus blue and use him as a proxy for the old jet drone/chest piece. The cockpit DOES seem to reinforce the idea that UM is piloted by the drone…which also doesn't make sense. I dunno…guess I'll probably just toss him onto my Legends shelf and forget about him.
scrapmetaru
Who is that guy? He needs to be fired so as to get him out of the way, the last thing this franchise needs is a designer who caters to an almost literally dying breed. the best day of this fandoms life will be when the geewunners get old 'n' get out.
Basilisk
Me and the rest of the Whirl fans are gonna never shut up about how much we don't like G1 Whirl's design and go on every thread about Whirl and never shut up about it.
I'm not even a huge IDW fan lol I just love their designs and it makes sense to use them for the Classics line because Classics is modernised G1 characters rather than going full G1, if Toy Designers want to go full on G1 then the can go and work on Masterpiece.
Autovolt 127
I don't get that either. I think this has a lot to do with the fact one of the current designers at Hasbro being a total geewunner.
That Whirl design would have been awesome toy and compromise.
PlanckEpoch
Feel free. That's the beauty of discussion forums.