Okay, this panel was FAST, so I may have missed some stuff, so bare with me.
Present were:
Aaron Meyers – IDW Transformers Expert
Aaron Archer – Transformers Brand Manager
Dan Taylor – IDW Editor
The Panel started with a quick overview of IDW?s current list of titles. These include CSI, Angel, Metal Gear Solid and 30 Days of Night among others.
TALENT
They then moved on to introduce the talent involved in creating the new line of comic books. The main books first arc is being worked on by:
Simon Furman – Writer
EJ Su – Art
John Rauch – Colorist
Chris Ryall – Editor in Cheif
The covers for the issue 0 preview are done by:
EJ Su – Autobot
EJ Su – Decepticon
MILX – Optimus Prime
Ed McGuinness – Shockwave
James Raiz – Megatron
Aaron Archer and the Hasbro Transformers creative team – Botcon Exclusive cover
EJ Su – Retailer Incentive Optimus Prime and Megatron (which you could buy at the show for $100)
They then gave us a rundown of the human characters. We already know about 2 of them, but we were introduced to a third, Jimmy Pink, a mechanic. He will appear in issue 1.
The cast of robots includes (missed some, it was going FAST)
Optimus Prime
Megatron
Bumblebee
Skywarp
Blitzwing
Ratchet
Runabout
Runamuck
Starscream
Prowl
Jazz
Ironhide
Sunstreaker
(lots of cheers for various characters, except Sunstreaker… go figure)
We were then shown some Black and White and colour comparisons of issue 0. We?ve seen all that already. Nothing really new there.
Then they showed the issue 1 covers.
EJ Su – Ratchet
Guido Guidi – Bumblebee (very reminicent of the old Marvel covers)
James Raiz – Humans
Andy Wildman – Runamuck and Runabout
Then… Beast Wars!
4 issues… Don Figueroa… Furman… Josh Burcham (colours, is that our Josh?)… Magmatron… exciting? Yuhuh!
The “Generations” books are reprints of selected Marvel stories, touched up artwork to retail at $1.99 … nice. However don?t expect to see any Circuit Breaker or other Marvel owned characters. However they may get Furman to re-write certain things. Maybe, so don?t all fly off the handle just yet.
Transformers Evolution. “Elseworlds” style one shots. Lots of writers are being called upon to do these, including the possibility of Bob Budiansky.
The first of these is written by Chuck Dixon and will be called “Hearts of Steel” and feature the Transformers being around the same time as Thomas Edison and they want to do Da Vinci inspired Transformers issue too. It?s all tenative right now.
July 2006 sees a 4 issue miniseries set to “shake up” the ongoing G1 series, Furman is writing. No details were given other than this.
The first ongoing G1 arc of 6 issues will all have 4 covers per issue. That will be reviewed after the first arc.
There will be NO mainline comic. At present IDW and Hasbro WANT to, but they haven?t figure how to get the comics in the hands of the kids it?s aimed at. So until they can, there will be no mainline comic.
Dreamwave TPBs that are out of print will be in our hands again in February.
There may be trades of the old Convention comics, details are being worked on.
Lastly, no Alternators comic. PERIOD. Why? Hasbros agreement with the car manufacturers does not allow them the 2D rights, quite simply the rights to do 1/24 scale 3 Dimensional representations of the vehicles is all they have and it?s now too late to do anything as the line is off and running. To start doing so now would mean no current Alternators making appearances.
Phew. Probably missed a couple of things, but I am sorry.
It was a looong day.