IDW’s Transformers Comics Solicitations: July 2021

Discussion in 'Transformers News and Rumors' started by omegafix, Apr 23, 2021.

  1. Rodimus Prime

    Rodimus Prime Sola Gratia, Sola Fide TFW2005 Supporter

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    He was hired by Hasbro to do it in his style. While I think it is the absolutely worst choice for organic creatures, I have no problem with Josh, as he is just doing what he was hired to do.
     
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  2. Josh

    Josh Comic Color-guy

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    I think the best way for me to sum it all up is that "its a reboot." I mean, that was the whole thrust of the pitch. Its a re-interpretation of the original and because of that there's... wiggle room, i guess is the suitable phrase. The edict was that they had to resemble the original s1 designs but outside of that I was given the freedom to interpret them how I wanted. I felt kind of touch and go at the very beginning because I felt like I was always expecting a "reign it in" comment or to make them look more like the Kingdom designs [for synergy!] but Hasbro's been really cool to just let me go which is pretty exciting as an artist. But, again, whether ALL people are gonna dig my style is *completely* subjective, and I think we're all aware of that.

    To get in my head, when I approach this book, is that I think of it like an animated series. From design to expressions to backgrounds and even a little in regards to process and artistic "shortcuts" [but that might be delving a little TOO deep into the hands on actual process of drawing day-to-day]. I look at other comics/artists for inspiration on style and layouts and level of detail [Skottie Young/Jake Parker's Rocket Raccoon runs, Skottie's OZ books, and Jorge Corona's work on Middlewest, to name the stand-outs] but i'm also looking back a lot at the BWII and BWNeo cartoons for inspiration on just translating BW characters into a 2 dimensional format, and looking to recent similar overall re-interpretations like Rise of the TMNT.
    Questions on proportions and stylization [like exaggerated head-crests, pointy shoulder cannons, twirly spider-legs] all just comes down to me as an artist just thinking it looks cool! I've always found influence in stuff thats more extremely stylized, I just think its more interesting to look at. Stuff like Studio Ox and other exaggerated japanese mecha art and stuff thats more graffiti styled with its thicker lines and extreme proportions and bold colors have always been my biggest influences in my TF art and I think it can be obviously seen that I also take inspiration from artists like Geoff Senior [with his super efficient storytelling, clear action, emphasized expressions and bold heavy inks]. I mean every artist wears their inspiration on their sleeve and I cant say i'll apologize for it. But i'm fully aware arts subjective, too. I digress, though!

    But honestly i DO think of it like as all-ages book, though; As a reboot its an entry point for new readers to get a handle on these characters but there's also themes and characters and nods to the original show that original fans [which I count myself among!] can appreciate. Maybe the "25th anniversary" sticker conjures up the idea that its going to be more pandering to satisfying the old fans but its really more of a sign of celebration of the time and legacy of this series. Not that those things are mutually exclusive, but its more "in celebration of this series' storied history, here's a new take for people to enjoy."

    Whether some do, or not, is always the thing. And its always gonna BE the thing when you're creating entertainment content. So I say all of this not to convince anyone to like it, but if you question the "why" for any of these artistic creative decisions, hopefully what i've said will at least help to understand.


    I cant speak to any questions on the writing because, simply, i'm not the writer! But like we've said before, if you're wanting to see things start to get more off the "re-telling" rails, issue 6 and especiall the start of the next arc in issue 7 will begin to make that more clear. I'm drawing a character in issue 9 right now who's never appeared in the show, for one!
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2021
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  3. Greenspan

    Greenspan Monetary Maestro

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    Producing comics is expensive.

    Add licensing costs to that and it becomes really expensive.

    Then, Diamond eats a good chunk of the retail price.

    So, in the end, you have to lower your production costs to almost nothing to make a profit.

    The mere fact that this crossover exist, with such horrendous art, really is proof that IDW needs to produce a LOT of crap to make a cent of profit.

    In 20-30 years, TF fans of the future will weep at IDW's TF run, see Dreamwave's comics as amazing, and Marvel's as masterpieces.

    Keep your Marvel comics safe my friends.
     
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  4. AzT

    AzT Moderator News Staff TFW2005 Supporter

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  5. Whomps

    Whomps The World's Okayest User

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  6. AzT

    AzT Moderator News Staff TFW2005 Supporter

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    luis_the_colorist
    This week we can get our hands on the last issue of My Little Pony/Transformers: the Magic of Cybertron. It’s a great story, lots of fun characters and things we never knew we needed! For example this panel of Pinky Pie and Fluttershy attacking Bumblebees! It’s my favorite panel of both crossovers and it’s now on my top 3 of all time favorite panels ever! Lol
     
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  7. Whomps

    Whomps The World's Okayest User

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    Also looks like we might be getting a part 3 with
    the Quintessons
     
  8. AzT

    AzT Moderator News Staff TFW2005 Supporter

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  9. BlackHawkOmega

    BlackHawkOmega Just trying my best.

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    i gotta be honest

    I'm not diggin' the art for Beast Wars very much, it's way too simplified.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
  10. Chopperface

    Chopperface Chadwick Forever

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    I see Dinobot pulling a ROTF Starscream on Waspy!
     
  11. T-Hybrid

    T-Hybrid Gnodab Kidult (He/Him)

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    I like some of these dynamics we're getting. Did Tarantulas and Rattrap ever interact much on the show?

    Who elected you our spokesman?
     
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  12. Mattymo

    Mattymo Banned

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    like twice. The web when he had to save cheetor and while I don’t really count this when because it’s two seconds like when he threw bombs at him on Ravages ship.


    pretty much. To sum up his entire time IDW the past 2 years to quote Harry S. Plinkett “it’s different, and I don’t like things that are different”

    but hey it’s nice to see Josh’s chime in and defend himself and style and the book. doesn’t have to look just like 25 year old dated CGI cartoon. It still exists, go watch it.

    it’s a fun series. I’m enjoying it a lot and I look forward to seeing it grow apart from the show and introduce characters that never appeared and maybe bring back some stuff that fell a little flat in the show while reinventing it. Dinobot is a lot better in this then the show and he was already a damn good character in the show
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
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  13. T-Hybrid

    T-Hybrid Gnodab Kidult (He/Him)

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    Yeah I think of Cheetor/Tarantulas from the web before anything. Maybe some Tigatron/Blackarachnia because of the floating island.

    Hopefully this comic runs long enough to give us more of those one-on-one interactions. Especially Rhinox. I think he really only got his one time to shine when he was turned into a Decepticon but after that he spent most of his time in the Ark being the guy in the chair.

    And it's like, I get it. People don't like the art style. That's fine. But we're just about 6 issues in now...so it's time to move on if that's all you've got. The constant "this art sucks" stuff isn't adding anything anymore. Because the rest of us are discussing what we like and don't like about the comic we're actually reading. It'd be like people complaining about Animated's art style now. Okay...sure...and? That's not changing any time in the future so have you got anything else to contribute?

    Like, I don't even complain about Devastator's nutsack anymore in the Bayverse because that movie is done and dusted. I still mock when 3Ps decide to replicate that particular feature, but I've got other things with regard to the movie itself I can talk about.

    Is there some other license holder involved with MLP? Because it seems really weird that there hasn't been much on that front in terms of crossover merch when Hasbro owns both IPs.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
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  14. Mattymo

    Mattymo Banned

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    I don’t get it either but the same folks who complain about this are still complaining about the 2019 IDW-verse calling it boring even though they admit they aren’t reading it or that they’re “forced to read” with an MP-36 pointed at their head but I disagree. It’s not boring there is so much going on in that book and I’ve related it to this:

    okay what do you want? Just nonestop hallow action and in 5 years do nothing but flashbacks to explain the universe? Because that’s how the original IDW-verse ended up becoming. Just flashbacks one after another.

    You got the terrible flint Dille trilogy on top of so much flashbacks in roberts run because he needed to retcon stuff to tell the story he wanted to tell. I won’t deny it’s been a lot of set ups and feels weird to see characters appear at the beginning instead of later(pyra manga, Alerion, dai atlas, froid etc) but it’s just building a world so we arnt going to require world building later. It may get a little sluggish here and there yes but I’m already invested in these characters now so I’m game.

    I’m not someone who’s ever demanded no humans in transformers so in all honesty I’m personally ready to jump ahead now and head to earth. It’s great to see how the war kicked off but im jonsing for some of these WFC earth modes and such to be in the comics. I love it when my toys appear in fiction and I really enjoy stories on earth.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
  15. T-Hybrid

    T-Hybrid Gnodab Kidult (He/Him)

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    I like humans if they're used properly. Bee Movie nailed it keeping both the human and bot cast small so the interactions were focused. I'm worried the next one is going to go too big too fast again. Which would have worked had we kept Charlie and Cena as the central humans to build around.
     
  16. Mattymo

    Mattymo Banned

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    same. I’ve kept off the movie boards and only talked about it in private messages and this is a derail but I personally think this bigger cast of both transformers is humans is a mistake. Keep it small and personal. That’s what worked with bumblebee and it’s what worked for me in the original IDW verse. 3 kids with a few surpoting humans to cut back to here and there until it builds up.

    I was actually thinking about that the other day and I really wonder what would have a happened in the original IDW-verse if Andy Schmidt hadn’t cut furman legs and finished the -ation series the way it was planned out. Like what the hell would we have gotten after dealing with Nova and Galvatron and scorponok and the machination if they’d just let him do it as planned out.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2021
  17. WolverineDragon

    WolverineDragon Banned

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    Rattrap and Tarantulas also duked it out in the season 1 episode power surge
     
  18. T-Hybrid

    T-Hybrid Gnodab Kidult (He/Him)

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    Yep. Keep Charlie and Bee together and let them stumble in to Primal and the Maximals. Don't bring Prime in because this doesn't need to be his story yet. Scourge and his team of poachers would be fine enough villains, paired with some hunter type guy for Cena to rival if he's still around in the sequel.

    Or if you can't get Haliee back, bring in Cena as Bee's contact when whatever Maximal/hunter story he stumbles in to gets tough and he needs help.
     
  19. Mattymo

    Mattymo Banned

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    yeah I’m pretty heart broken to not see Charlie is not in this and while I have zero attachment to wrestling and was dreading Cena in Bee he won me over and was equally bummed to see he was not in it either
     
  20. Megastar

    Megastar Well-Known Member

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    Is it wrong that I want Tarantulas and Rattrap to be father and son?