Coming to us by way of Bleeding Cool is an unexpected rumor about the future of IDW’s Transformers license.
The site – which was recently correct in reporting IDW’s loss of some Marvel and Star Wars lines earlier this year – now reports that word had broken at SDCC 2021 that IDW will be losing the license of not only Transformers, but also GI Joe too:
“Over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con 2021: Special Edition, there was plenty to talk about the state of the comic book industry as it stands, as well as the many moves that have been happening of late and will be happening in the very near future. And as big publishers chose not to attend the show, it meant that there was much less management of the information that flowed. One such nugget was the news that IDW Publishing, based just up the road in San Diego, is to lose their licence to produce comic books based on the Transformers franchise from Hasbro.
Back in August, Bleeding Cool broke the news on IDW losing the Marvel Action kids line of titles, which IDW then confirmed, and the Star Wars All-Ages line – which IDW did not reply to, but that Dark Horse Comics claimed last month.
IDW did not respond to inquiries made earlier today, on this, or a number of related stories. If true, there is also no date as to when this may occur but on current form, I would expect in the summer of 2022.”
Again, we stress that this should be taken as a rumor until official word is received. But until then, you can sound off with your thoughts on the boards.
Fafnir72
IDW has in house IP? That's like saying Starscream respects Megs so much that he'll be licking his boots (not SG SS btw) but the normie SS
samisham
Is that what happened? I thought I got thread banned lmao.
TargetmasterJoe
Agh, the other thread about IDW losing TF comic license got locked again for further scrubbing.
Maybe it's just as well we keep it locked for a while because none of us have any idea when we'll be getting any new updates on who will net the comic license now.
Night Flame
Wynonna Earp was surprisingly good up until this last season where they just decided to say, "whatever," and up the cheese factor into the stratosphere. It switched from an enjoyable guilty pleasure to a point and laugh at the failure pleasure.
samisham
Thanks! Just a matter of time until we kill this one too!
Rodimus Prime
A lot of modern comic book writers and even companies no longer make comics because they love the medium. They see it as a method to pull a Marvel or DC and turn their catalog into shows or movies. If you want to know what is really killing the comics industry, it's mostly this.
Really?
Oh…
AcademyofDrX
Mostly they produce television adaptations of comics they publish like Wynonna Earp and Locke & Key. TV production is a costly and risky business.
samisham
What's it… for? I don't know of them ever producing anything except comics.
Hoffman
Well, part of the Entertainment division is that they didn't recognize any revenue in FY21. They were expecting revenue from Locke & Key to be recognized in Q4 but they had to push the accounting to Q1 FY22. They also have a deal with AppleTV that will generate revenue this year.
I read through their earnings call the other day, and overall things actually do sound positive. They are carrying no debt and are sitting on liquidity in both capital assets and cash on hand.
They're using their resources to develop more in-house IP that they can then hopefully parlay into entertainment deals. While they'll continue to pay for the TF license this year, they may be happy to get that cost off of their books.
BB Shockwave
IDW's Q4 and Annual Reports Reveal More about Recent Events
Thought it would be of interest. Seems the decision was made by Hasbro as far back as 2021 October, when they informed IDW. Also, IDW's earnings fell further back by 800.000$ compared to 2020 Q4. They blame it on high severance pay and decline in sales. Curiously though, their full year sales figures did improve by 1.4 million $. That's still a 800.000$ loss for the year though with expenses.
Their media department, IDW Entertainment is basically hemmorhaging money, really not sure why they insist of keeping it. This year it cost them a 5 million $ loss.
G.B. Blackrock
Looks like Hearts of Steel….
EDIT: Oh, I see. TFwiki helped here. Apparently McKeever WAS going to do Hearts of Steel, but left the project. Ryall is referencing the early pitch.
Issy543
The Ted McKeever Steampunk Transformers That Never Was (bleedingcool.com)
Chris Ryall, former President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of IDW Publishing tweeted out some memories of Transformers projects that never came to pass, now that IDW is losing the license. As first reported by Bleeding Cool back in November.
Thinking back over all the Hasbro-related comics and stories over my time at IDW, I'm remembering the time I almost got Ted McKeever to do a steampunk-era Transformers series. That woulda really been something based on the one piece of art he created for it.
Let's just say that a creator as uniquely independent as Ted and a title based on a licensed toy property weren't necessarily always going to see eye to (more than meets the) eye on designs, so the amicable split seemed the wiser path for all involved.
Yeah. I have such a big file full of great "what might have been" art for these properties. Maybe I should start me a Substack…
samisham
Alright, if the thread is locked faster than last time everybody gets a cookie.
GrungeWerX
Very interesting news indeed. There's a unique creative opportunity here.
TargetmasterJoe
Oh okay. I was thinking the rampant subject derailment made the mods close the thread down forever.
Whoever gets the license next, I hope we get a Transformers: Armada series out of it. (Let me dream.)
Hoffman
In fact, looking at their most recent financials, IDW appears to be in a better position now than the were in previous years.
It really sounds like they're cutting out unprofitable parts of the business, and are working to develop more of their own IP and parlaying that into entertainment.
EDIT – they actually currently carry no debt and have liquidity in both capital and cash. Not exactly a position for bankruptcy.
Hobbes-timus Prime
Anyone can predict or estimate anything. It's important to consider the track record of someone making a prediction, and what biases might be clouding their current estimations.
Hoffman
I think they're just cleaning it up.
TargetmasterJoe
Awww, the thread that actually broke the news about IDW losing TF and Joe got locked?
Way to go, guys. /s
Hoffman
Stating that Hasbro is pulling licenses is total conjecture. We have no idea why IDW is losing the licenses, or who initiated it.