WonderCon 2019 Transformers: Cyberverse Panel concluded mere minutes ago and our very own news staff member AzT attended the event to bring you the details.
Panelists: Mae Catt, Dan Salgarolo, Gavin Hignight, Zac Atkinson, Randolph Heard, Mikiel Houser, Jeremy Levy
Mod: Jack Convey
Some of the notable highlights:
- Transformers: Cyberverse is a multiversal show.
- Constructicons hinted for Season 2.
- How Cheetor came to be on the show.
- Many more tidbits on Season 2.
- Behind-the-scenes details from Transformers: Cyberverse.
You can read the full description of the panel, after the jump and check out the images attached to this news post as well.
The first question asked by the Mod was regarding how the Cyberverse stories come together. Houser stated that the show will reintroduce the brand. Heard added that they want to explore the characters, what they can do and how to expand the universe. Most importantly to fit the story into the 11-minute format. They are trying to show moments of TF history that we’ve never seen or discussed before.
Hignight: This team of writers became the Hivemind.
Catt: 90s is my angle. Beast Wars is my reference point.
Other writers use G1 as reference.
Heard: How do we capture new and old fans? We even looked up a list of top ten weirdest Transformers to get on the show, Rack’n’Ruin is one of them. Might see more of Rack’n’Ruin in Season Two.
Levy hinted that we’ll see Constructicons.
Mod asked about other references and Easter Eggs on Season 1.
Atkinson: They hang out at Maccadam’s, their version of Cheers. Happy with that episode.
Heard: Hasbro asked us to add more (and interesting) female characters.
Catt: Like people? (LOL)
Houser: Randolph wanted to humanize these characters, that really drew him into it.
Hignight: Heroes and Villains that are not black and white.
Mod: How do you do the voice of Bumblebee? In the scripts, each line references a different TV show, is it written that way?
Levy: Yes. References like PBS documentary voice, sometimes broken up word by word having different reference points; 80s’ action hero voice, 50s’ detective voice, marketing jingle etc.
Houser stated that Season 2 will drive the narrative forward. It’ll tell stories we’ve not seen before. There will be some nice surprises. The show itself will transform.
Mod: Windblade, blank canvas character, less well known, what drive you in creating her backstory?
Heard: Make her real.
Highnight: Tough as nails in a fight.
When asked about favorite characters from the show, Salgarolo stated Wheeljack (for his infectious enthusiasm) and Shockwave. Catt stated Starscream, but she refrained herself from mentioning couple of characters from Season 2. Atkinson stated Teletraan X (he’s weird, spent a lot of time trying to figure out what is a lone computer like as a character). Hignight replied with a firm Optimus Prime. He also added “At one point in my life, I got to write a script that actually said ‘Transform and Roll Out’. Bumblebee-Optimus dialogue was the most fun to write. Our Megatron is fantastic, complex, a hero for part of our season. It’s a fun job to get to do that stuff.”
Mod: [Favorite character] for Jeremy, since you’ve voiced so many?
Levy: Grimlock, because he’s hilarious. Not written to go for the laugh. His “You’re welcome” line in Shadow Striker was hilarious. Delivers it straight.
Hignight: Trivia time. When developing Grimlock, Heard’s inspiration instruction was Montoya from Princess Bride. He’s a gentleman bot + Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Heard hinted that we’ll see an obscure little character in Season 2.
Mod: Toys came first, marketing came second originally. The toys dictated a storyline while in this case, what is the relationship between toy and character design?
Houser: Very collaborative, we don’t feel like anything was forced down our throats from toy design. Mutual work. Hasbro even OK’d a few Heard suggestions (won’t see until later).
Catt: Always nice when we’re all nerds.
Levy: Our writers room says ‘Cybertron’ on their door. Catt always read Starscream.
Mod: How long do you have to put together a season?
Houser: No set timeline; 4 scripts and 10 outlines cranked out in 8 weeks for Season One.
Hignight: It was like TF bootcamp
Mod: Limitations and opportunities of an 11 minute show?
Heard: Things like “Do we really need this included?”
Atkinson: Cramming half hour arc into 11 minutes.
Catt: Such a quick education to learn how to write in 11 minutes vs feature writing.
Mod: Do any of you have a character / story hill to die on that you’re still fighting to see on the show?
Hignight: Cool stuff coming in S2.
Heard: (to writers) Tell me who you love in TF and why you love that character to eventually get them in the show.
Mod asked what’s their favorite Transformers show/universe is.
- Atkinson = Rescue Bots.
- Salgarolo = Robots In Disguise 2015 and Transformers: Prime (his shows).
- Hignight = G1, especially Transformers: The Movie.
- Levy = Innocence of G1, pluckiness of Animated and RID (2015) too.
- Houser = Transformers: Prime.
- Catt = IDW
- Heard = Strong IP with 35 years of fandom; “is this actually a job!?”
Heard loves Cheetor. Had to get him in the show.
Houser: Brand team needed convincing to put a Beast Wars character into Cyberverse.
Heard: Super intense. Can’t say much more.
Levy: I read these episodes like a fan. like in Never-Ending Story. Can’t wait to see what’s next. Thrilling. Great.
It’s Q&A Time from the audience.
Question: Why moved to Boulder Media in New York?
Answer: Jeremy lives there. (laughs)
Question: How did you all do that without minding how the fandom would react?
Answer: (by Catt) Write it in a way that only you can do it, infuse something new by being true and honest to yourself and don’t worry about how people will respond to it.
Question: Animated, Beast Wars so far. Any other TF eras in upcoming references?
Answer: (by Hignight) Multiversal series.
Answer: (by Houser) Worked with the brand team to preserve continuity plus what this writers team wants to do.
Mod: Anything else we can look forward to in S2?
Hignight: Two characters get spark armor and fight.
Heard: Some fun, some tragic, stay tuned!
The panelists also stated that TFW2005 is an important resource to them. Yep, they see your feedback regarding each episode, it seems.
Panel concluded.
Moy
Yeah. That's about it.
Berser Car
CW-Compatible Cyberverse Constructicons would be great. I fear they could instead be retools of Combiner Force combiners instead. But either of those would be a Devastator with swappable parts, and that's great.
I heard they are coming out at the moment in Studio Series. They are pretty (in a insectoid, Bay Decepticon way), and will combine into the biggest gestalt toy released until now.
Moy
Have you heard of any plans for Bayverse constructicons?
SilverOptimus
Thank you very much for the feedback. It was my fault. Due to time constraints I had to clash two different writing styles. I'll take your feedback and will improve in the future.
LegoLover58
Will there be more of Arcee in the show?
Fenrys
Pretty sure that’s just fan hyperbole and has never actually been said by hasbro. I’ve only ever heard it from people on this board
T-Hybrid
If they're doing Constructicons the toyline had better get combiners.
I know RiD's weren't everyone's cup of tea, but as a way to introduce younger kids to combiners they're awesome.
Autobot Hound
Happy to hear the Constructicons might show up. I hope we get an insight into their personalities and maybe what it's like to be part of a Combiner team. I loved that with the Combaticons in TAAO and would like seeing the Constructicons fleshed out, too. Also hope for Combaticons and other combiner teams eventually.
kaijuguy19
Glad to hear that these guys are also fans of other TF series. Really helps this series being more a lover letter to the brand in general and not just G1.
That being said hearing how Hasbro was difficult to convince to get Cheetor in Cyberverse is disheartening to hear because it means Cheetor wasn't Hasbro's attempt of getting people ready for a BW revival which then means we may not anything truly big for BW fans in 2021 like Warden said after all. I could be wrong for all I know like they possibly didn't want it to be too soon but still…
TheSoundwave
I'm surprised to hear that the toys were designed before the character models. That makes sense for something like Combiner Wars (which had pretty solid toys), but Cyberverse's toys are known for being somewhat cheap and gimmicky. I really assumed they were more of an afterthought.
Hasn't it been said that Beast characters don't tend to sell well? I could be wrong, but I recall hearing Hasbro say that in the past. If true, it would make sense why we see some Beast Wars characters in the masterpience line (aimed at fans), but not in the lines aimed at kids.
SPLIT LIP
I mean, Warden hates the Beast Era. He has for years now.
jamarmiller
after seeing them in the show, I actually want a Rack 'n' Ruin two pack now. never thought Id say that !
Hanzkaz
They are the last of the original Wreckers yet to get an updated toy. I figured something like this might happen, especially after the forthcoming release of Siege Impactor.
The plan could be to introduce them to younger fans through Cyberverse, and eventually release a CHUG toy.
MishMash
If Maximals and Predacons not being well known is an issue for less Beast Wars, they could just call them Maximal Autobots or Predacon Decepitcons. I'd be willing to sacrifice the "uniqueness" of their faction since they're litetally just Autobots and Decepticons
BB Shockwave
Sounds great, seems these guys understand what TF as a franchise is about. Like the multiversal explanation.
And LOL on GRimmy being inspired by Inigo Montoya! "Me name is Grimlock. You kill me Dinobots. Prepare to die."
Rack'N Ruin and Maccadam alone proves these guys know the Marvel UK stuff. Wonder if we will see Impactor?
Protostar
>deep inhale<
my dude, you do realize that Cyberverse is the first show to ever show Rack 'n' Ruin in any on screen capacity?
I'd say that's fairly impressive, especially considering they're rather obscure characters, even if you know who the wreckers are
Windsweeper II
Wreck and Ruin and the Constructicons. That isn't very impressive.
But it seems Hasbro gave them a really hard time over Cheetor.
Hasbro really seem like they want to make Transformers really boring these days.
GWolfv2
Might i suggest a direct one to one transcription or an overview highlight summation. The way this is laid out is difficult to read. This reads almost like it was google translated.
MrSoundmeister
It is amazing that this show being "Multiversal" and all, plenty of potential to add characters and elements from older franchises. If they play their cards right, it might lead to some pretty interesting stuff. I mean, Beast Wars characters are one step, and RID's own Sky-byte is also in this, more stuff would be great, especially if they include bots like the Spychangers, Wasp/Waspinator, maybe perhaps some Unicron Trilogy guys.
Also, if Cyberverse Devastator or any of the Scramble City/Special teams get toys… i hope they use Combiner Wars ports. That could be their main gimmick, their articulation would also include some ball jointed elbows and perhaps basic leg articulation (They need to at least bend their knees and have ball jointed thighs.). But they need waist articulation. And perhaps Devastator should have elements from their Superlink/Energon counterparts.
DrOblivian
best news ive heard all day
"multiversal show" i know it means a bunch of stuff as pointed out by those above me, and what they have said sounds great to me! But what i take away from this (what i'm choosing to take away from this and hoping ill be correct) is that this could be the first steps back towards what used to be considered the norm before aligned fucked with everything. That being the overall TF multiverse potentially getting some spotlight in the future again what with the aligned crap being done away with. Cyberverse picking and choosing from the vast history of TF brand to re-introduce concepts and characters back into the mainstream.
And the Constructicons! Love it! here's hoping some other special teams make appearances too.
Now the question is, while obviously the Constructicons would be mostly G1, I wonder if they would twist things up by throwing in concepts from other various Constructicons over the years and mash em all together into something new.