Hasbro has updated their official corporate website with our best look yet at several character renders from their new Transformers: Evergreen designs.
The images feature Starscream, Grimlock, Bumblebee and Megatron.
Transformers: Evergreen is a concept initiated by Hasbro to push character designs across various licensed products and services without any attachment to existing Transformers product lines such as movies, cartoons or comics.
For the task, Hasbro hired several prominent artists to design the characters. Evergreen desings recently started popping up on products such as Fidget Spinners, Go-Karts, Candy, Books, Piñata, IDW Comic Book Covers and even on Carnival Cruise Costumes.
More importantly, the Evergreen designs became the basis of Transformers: Authentics toyline and highly stylized versions of the designs seems to be the foundation for Transformers: Cyberverse; an upcoming animated series by Boulder Media Studio.
We took the liberty of extracting the images from the site and the renders are available for you, after the jump.
Chuggington
I can definitely see your point there, and I'm really hoping that doesn't happen, but I like to think they'll use these designs more like points of reference moreso than a strict guideline, and that they'll put different spins on their design down the road.
Autovolt 127
The Evergreen designs I think in the long run will set a bad prescendent for lack of innovation in character designs.
I'm not saying they have to be totally unrecognizable nameslaps but they can't look the exact same design elements every time.
Night Flame
No matter how many times I see that Bumblebee design it just looks completely horrible to me. The rest of them look pretty cool though. Come to think of it, most Bee designs lately annoy me. Maybe I'm just burnt out on the character?
Starscream is good, Megatron looks spectacular though. Grimlock I'm torn on. Hopefully we get larger scale figures of some of these designs so we can see them at their best.
lordmegatron64
lol so true.
Chuggington
Hey, who colored Slipstream wrong? Oh, wait, sorry Starscream I somehow mistook you for someone else.
Seriously though, I'm really digging all of these designs, except there's something a little off about Megatron to me. He looks a bit… Skinny.
gabumon
I'm digging the extra spikyness of Grimlock!
Deadend
These are likely to be Cyberverse designs as well. While they are outlet store material, this is also similar to the mattel "evergreen" batman line and how it got media backing as well.
Though that doesn't mean we won't get a more articulated toyline for the toon later either. It means that hasbro is likely diversifying their markets for better market and audience reach.
Much like how they did the same briefly for GI Joe too with the outlet store exclusive run.
Personally, I really dig how megatron, and Starscream turned out. I'm very likely to get those to go with my Lego/Mega Construx stuff as complimentary TF characters besides the construct bots I keep with that collection. In fact, I kind of hope bumblebee and Prime get re-engineered for later releases in the evergreen line. Something more articulated like Megs and Screamer with the ball jointed elbows and knees.
Really curious how Grimlock will look too, and hope they do an Arcee, Slipstream, and Windblade. It'd be neat to have the big names in this, like Prowl, Jazz, Hot Rod, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Springer, Galvatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, and the other seekers. Maybe Drift and whoever else too(would absolutely go gaga over a Sari figure in this line!). But I guess we have to wait and see how the outlet market does with these first before too much funds are pushed into the line.
An "evergreen" line by definition is synergistic. So while Cyberverse is more cartoon detailing, and these are more classic art stylized, the basic designs between each will probably still be synergistic. As that's how an "evergreen" property approach works to maintain an iconic definitive look for the characters to mass market across several years and merchandise outlets(like we saw with the trike!).
A mass merchandised incarnation of a character has to be recognizable to maintain appeal and recognition. Hence the term "evergreen". As in "always fresh and accurate."
Oniconvoy
These are designs for figures that will only be available at dollar stores and overseas markets. They are designed to be as inexpensive as possible. Hence, they are very limited in their articulation, parts count, and paint.
Honestly, the art is far better than the toys.
Transformers: Evergreen Optimus Prime And Bumblebee Toys Revealed
New Evergreen Starscream and Megatron?
Anti Spark
I don't get this.
Are these designs of toys we are getting?
That Megatron looks sic!
DeletedUser_119270
Chest missles bruh.
Mercutio
MAN, I wish this was what the toys looked like.
doomtron
It is a new line I assuming
timorvitae
Does it mean we're going to get figures in other scales?
SilverOptimus
Part of me actually wish that they'd do Deluxe/Voyager versions of these. No indication yet, but a guy can dream.
BigRed
You're probably not going to see them. The actual toys being based on these are aimed at third-world markets and other cheap places. You will notice these designs being used as basis for the characters look in comics and cartoons coming out later though.
Brave Magnus
So happy to know I wasnt the only one noticing those1 xD
LegoLover58
I'm down for a Hasbro Slipstream, especially one that isn't upwards of $70 on eBay.
DesertDog
Nacelle nipples or no, I'd still prefer that POTP Starscream looked like that compared to the Sasquatch footed thing that we have. And this from a guy with Sasquatch feet.
Looks at G1 art.
Looks at G1 figures.
…… seriously false advertising.
Hanzkaz
Slipstream/Windblade pretool? (so it wasn't just me seeing those….)
bellpeppers
I have yet to see any of these Evergreen products; I refuse to be impressed- or excited- until I see some figures.