While i'm not the biggest fan of animated art style, cant argue the guy contribued amazingly to the franchise, and so the man is still among us in a way

 

Here are some sketches he did for me years ago.

 

RIP DJW.

I think someone wrote 49 years old earlier in the thread.

 

Animated was made with love and passion. RIP.

 

Rest well, Good sir! Know that you brought happiness and fond memories for so many people in your life. My most sincere condolences to his family.

 

Thanks for bringing to life my favorite versions of Ultra Magnus, Omega Supreme, Megatron, Shockwave and the first versions of Lockdown and the lovable Bulkhead we've come to know... RIP good sir. God, I hate this year...

 

RIP

 

Sad news..

Should be a pinned topic in my opinion

 

I remember the days of TFA, and how nigh-universally praised it was by many once it got "underway." There were detractors of course, some very vocal, but honestly it unified a lot of the fanbase IMO. The first reactions to its promo art may have been mixed, (myself among the ones not so thrilled  ) but man when those clips of the first episode were shown- and subsequently recorded -at Botcon and posted online, tunes started to change real quick. I distinctly remember Starscream's voice being a particularly well-received aspect, along with some of the action scenes from the preliminary intro as well as the return to quality voice-acting and dialogue. (after seven years of stilted anime dubs)

Then there was DJW's interactions with the fanbase itself, and the general communication to the fans that the people creating this show cared. Wyatt would often post sketches and character art online, and the toys designed by Eric Siebenaler were some of the most popular in years. I remember seeing the prototypes at Botcon, and how many were blown away by the accuracy and engineering.

It's hard to put into words how it felt. Transformers was so alive with TFA, so organic and reactive with the fanbase. It gelled with many people in a non-cynical, genuinely exciting way. Maybe it's because back then we didn't get so many homages and references in TF media, and the ones we got were either fairly subtle or very linear, but I think the shear level of personality the show and designs exuded elevated it. It wasn't just that these characters were being homaged/reimagined, but that they were being done so in such fresh and characterful ways.

We lost a truly great creative talent.

 

I just saw this. Wow. He was the heart of Animated and was responsible for so many of my favorite things in the fandom. The series and toys are still top-tier for me. His designs were what cracked my hard G1 shell and helped me appreciate designs that weren’t G1. I was fiercely opposed to the Bay designs, to the point of revulsion, and opening up to TFA eventually helped me open up to Bay designs, and beyond.

Thank you for sharing the inspiration with us, brother. I’m sorry your journey had to end so soon.

 

Whether you retired or you had many more projects up your sleeve you still left us all too soon, Derrick. Rest in peace, you absolute legend.

 

Sad news...he certainly left his mark on the brand we love......a very positive mark!!!

 

Do we know the cause of death?

 

Holy shit! Talk about shocking! I had no idea he had died! He was awesome for creating Teen Titans and Transformers Animated, the latter of which is a favorite series of mine! Wow... RIP Derrick J Wyatt...  

 

RIP.

 

If his family wished to disclose his cause of death they would have. Though that's not important right now.

 

So we dont, thanks for confirming

 

Aww man! RIP, the man who created a universe in his own art style! My condolences to his family and friends for their loss. ;(

 

Animated was a brilliant breath of fresh air to the franchise. His ideas will live in my head forever.