Thanks to 2005 boards member Lucas35 we have some very interesting information from the IDW panel in NC Comicon. We get some interesting bits for what it is about to come in IDW titles like “Optimus Prime”, G.I Joe, and some popular characters such as Chromedome and Rewind.
As an extra bonus, we also have notes from the “History of IDW” Panel.
You can read it after the jump and then share what you think at the 2005 boards.
NC Comicon 2017 Transformers Panel with John Barber and David Hedgecock about “Optimus Prime” and more:
- Issues 7 – 10 will each more or less stand alone, but buildup into a single story.
- “A lot will happen” in issue 6.
- Not many details given for issue 7, but the art will be by Priscilla Tramontano.
- Issue #8 will be a Jazz-centric story and features the long awaited return (for at least this one issue) of Casey Coller!
- Issue #9 was called “The Life of Sideswipe” but we’re unsure if this is an actual title or just how it was phrased. Art on this issue will be by Kei Zama.
- Issue #10 will be another story about “Barbarian Galvatron” and will be set earlier in the history of this universe than any other stories have been. Livio Ramondelli will handle most of the art for the book (as is typical of flashback stories such as this one) with Kei Zama contributing a framing sequence.
- By the end of Issue 10 we’ll find out who (if anyone) becomes Earth’s representative on the Council of Worlds.
- There will of course be more of Thundercracker & Buster, perhaps also in the upcoming Hasbro Heroes Sourcebooks where we’ll find out exactly how Thundercracker can open bags of dog food to feed Buster, but we were warned this may not make it into the final versions of the books.
- Comics harkening back more due to technology and availability being easier with Comixology, can get back issues on sale at any time unlike the 70s.
- The foundation of how the IDW Transformers and G.I. Joe series could potentially work together in a timeline (despite events like All Hail Megatron) was actually seeded by artist Andrew Griffith who was an avid follower of the Joe series.
- Someone at Hasbro (usually Michael Kelly) makes final call on the larger events and plot points. Hasbro trusts them to tell the stories they think will resonate with fans.
- Hasbro enthusiastically signed off on Chromedome/Rewind. Hasbro said (paraphrasing) “We asked you to make them like real people, and you did.”
- Talked about Transformers vs GI Joe – Tom Scioli wrote letter into letters@idw email address about something unrelated, and one thing led to another and IDW pitched to him to do it.
- Barber wrote a full script for #0 and the final product ended up nothing like it. This was said in an upbeat, joking manner.
- The original plan for the about to be released Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation was for Rob Liefeld to do the art with Scioli coloring, but this never went very far and Scioli ended up doing almost the entirety of work for the book on his own.
- Audience was reminded that Action Man #1 takes place in the Channel Islands – which is kind-of sort-of where James Roberts lives.
- Q&A session began. Someone asked about other Sunbow property crossovers. Nothing was directly answered except to say that we’d all know an answer to this by the end of the year and for those interested to keep up with Revolutionaries. Was also noted that Revolutionaries Issue 8 will include a guide to all of the obscure references and Easter Eggs from the series up to that point.
- There was a question regarding whether or not Hasbro ever said “No” to an idea. One was recently rejected for Revolutionaries but they declined to elaborate on precisely what it was in case they use some elements of it in the future, but it was noted by Barber that due to the rejection he feels like they ended up with a better story.
- As a follow-up detail to the above, while the Transformers: Prime cartoon was airing they weren’t allowed to include Predacons in Autocracy or to have a cover within the series where Optimus Prime sported a Decepticon logo (this would not have been a plot point, merely a fun cover idea, but that was still rejected).
- It was noted that sometimes ideas aren’t able to be used because of intellectual property issues, and that this was especially challenging with Rom and Micronauts.
- Someone asked why Thundercracker is a writer. Barber replied that his favorites from the Mike Costa Ongoing-era were Swindle and Thundercracker, and when they came back to the Earth stories he thought Thundercracker’s perceived understanding of humanity through television would make for a good story.
Bonus Notes From the “History of IDW” Panel:
- The original business plan for IDW said “No Comic Books”!
- Television division is going strong with Wynonna Earp and Dirk Gently.
- First attempted TV project was a reality show called “Bar Talk” which never went anywhere.
- Talking about getting Transformers license. They were up against Marvel, DC, and Darkhorse for the license after Dreamwave’s collapse, and it was both their passion and ability to make Transformers their premier title that convinced Hasbro.
- Adams reflected that they were known as the “Horror Comics” company and that those fans were initially upset about the Transformers license.
- Mentioned acquisition of licenses such as My Little Pony, TMNT, and Skylanders as other pivotal moments.
- Chris Ryall wanted to do Rom for over a decade and first asked about it the day after they got the Transformers license (unknown if this was a little embellishment to help with a joke, but the point was he had been trying to do this for a very, very long time).
- Rom was difficult to get going because the licenses were a mess. Parker Brothers owned the toy and Marvel owned some of the characters. Hasbro buying Parker Brothers helped with one side of that.
- Ryall had actually given up on Rom, but then Hasbro made it happen.
- Revolution came about during a lunch meeting between David Hedgecock, John Barber, and Ted Adams.
- First pitched the shared universe to Hasbro and expected to be able to gradually build to it with teasers and Easter Eggs, but then it was just decided to go all in to it when it only took Hasbro a few months to approve of the concept.
- Mentioned that Rom is the paranoid dark corner of the universe, whereas the Transformers titles are the sweeping, epic science fiction stories.
Lucas35
Seibertron also posted an interview:
Twincast / Podcast Episode #170 "NC Comicon 2017" featuring IDW's Barber, Hedgecock, and Ryall!
– They comment on the reason for the delays of comics (new printers, being down to a few editors, etc).
– They also comment that Unicron would appear at the end of Dark Cybertron.
I also met at the Allspark this interview with Barber where he comments on Transformers, Revolutionaries and other comics from him.
– He revealed that Guido Guidi will draw the flashback scenes of Hearts of Steel for Revolutionaries.
YoungPrime
They might be talking about that "Rot & Ruin" comic book series that's based off of a Jonathan Mayberry Zombie Apocalypse Novel
If anyone likes Zombie novels, I highly recommend Mayberry's "Patient Zero" and "Dead of Night"
Sockie
Not how it works. They have the Transformers comic license, but they don't have the rights to make a show.
Murasame
Idw has a television division? Than make mtmte a show. And idw has horror comics? I remember years ago, when I was surprised that IDW has more than just Transformers comics.
YoungPrime
Yeah, I'd be all for that since that's the only time that I felt Barber has done Galvatron any justice….
Meanwhile Galvatron is just a head the same as Astrotrain so hopefully they're both still alive for a writer with a broader understanding and respect for the characters at a later date!
YoungPrime
Funny how the only Sunbow characters I'd like to see crossover with TF and eventually get their own comic are Earth Core and the InHumanoids. I've never been a fan of Mask while Rom and IDW's version of G.I.Joe feel boring.
InHumanoids were ahead of their time in the 80's IMO and it's been a huge disservice to let them self all this time. Hell a Netflix cartoon written and animated by the right people would do just as well as Voltron if not better!
Wheeljack_Prime
Yeah. Ramondelli should just be a colorist/painter.
Seibertron
Please update this news article to properly show Seibertron.com as the source of this information. All of the information provided by Seibertron.com staff should not have been copied and pasted in its entirety. The original source should be displayed prominently.
@tfw Alex … sorry to post this here in your forums, your email is bouncing because your mailbox is full.
Original sources: NC Comicon 2017 – IDW Transformers vs. G.I. Joe The Movie Adaptation Released with Exclusive Cover
NC Comicon 2017 – IDW Transformers Panel with Optimus Prime Issues 7 – 10 Teased
RazorclawX
There's been at least two traditional Cobra Commanders that I remember. The first one was an administrator type who eventually was assassinated while the second was a guy named Krake who was more like the traditional Cobra Commander. Currently there isn't a Cobra Commander, although Tomax holds the title.
Old Snake could easily be Krake or an even older Cobra Commander.
Dramatic Spoon
As I said in the other thread, this could make it better or worse.
Probably worse.
Windsweeper II
A story set very early in Cybertrons past ?
With Barbarian Galvatron ?
Fittingly with art from Livio ?
Colour me exited
Sixshot666666
I think he means when during the panel they talked about how comics can be more continuity heavy because collecting back issues and stuff is no problem with digital comics and the internet
reillyd
What did they mean by this
>Comics harkening back more due to technology
I'm not an idiot, I know what harkneing means. But the meaning of the sentence isnt clear.
SparkPlug24
Awww that's a bummer. The bits I like about Marvel's ROM are the space fantasy setting and the Spaceknight's own romantic, sometimes flowery ("…now, hear my Neutralizer sing!") dialogue. ROM talks pretyy much the same now, but the context of conflict that he finds himself in has got more military-political intrigue than before.
SG Roadbuster
Kei Zama's art work just fine for that, and so does e.j. su. And they can actually keep their characters on model.
Verno
Maybe he's quick? I've got some mates that would give their right eyes for a shot at working for IDW.
God Ginrai
Using Ramondelli for the ancient past stuff like Barbarian Galvatron works for me. The scribbly nature of his art and murky, atmospheric coloring helps give off a "dark, mysterious past" vibe.
I'm just happy we're getting an issue drawn by Casey Coller. It's always a treat when his art shows up.
SG Roadbuster
I like the sound of that. Too bad the issue is going to be an incomprehensable shitsmear of Ramondelli's "art"
IDW has better artists at their disposal. Why do they keep letting ramondelli ruin their books?
Inciteful
Wait… what are these "Hasbro Heroes Sourcebooks?"
Sixshot666666
Hah! It was me who asked about the Sunbow characters! Talking to him later he said that Old Snake might show up but no current plans, as apparently there are several Cobra commanders who are around in the IDW universe? He also mentioned using minor sunbow characters in place of what would have been new minor characters, ex. In revolutionaries he reused an Egyptologist from the original cartoon.