For anyone unable to attend the San Diego Comic-Con this year (probably most of our readers), and disappointed by the fan made video coverage, IDW Editor Denton J. Tipton has posted a clear video of IDW’s powerpoint presentation, which shows previews and covers for All Hail Megatron #2 and #3, the covers for Spotlight: Blurr and Maximum Dinobots, the logo for Spotlight: Sideswipe and lots of toher bits of art.
Transformers-themed pub could be Britain’s Best Home Bar
A Transformers-themed pub is in the running to be crowned Britain’s Best Home Bar, in a competition being run by Liberty Games. The winning bar, chosen… [more]
TFNation 2019 Transformers Convention Review
This last weekend saw yet another Transformers convention take over the Metropole Hilton, in Birmingham. These weekends have become a staple of my summer… [more]
Annual Transformers Forum Meet Tour
Every year, since 2011, the nerds from TheTF.Net forum (now a Facebook group, because running a forum proved too much like hard work) have met for a weekend… [more]
Our 2019 Forum Meet took place this weekend, in Cardiff
This weekend saw our annual forum meet being held in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Each year we meet in a different town or city in the UK, alternating… [more]
Video Footage from Transforce in 2001
Almost 18 years ago (crikey, has it been that long?) we wrote a review of our visit to Transforce in August 2001. It was a seriously hot day, but a great… [more]
Updated August/September 2008 Release Schedule
IDW Editor Denton J. Tipton has updated his blog with some new estimated release dates. The good news is that all comics due for release in July and August will be out by the end of August, meaning IDW will be up-to-date.
Here is the full timetable, now updated for 20th & 27th August and 3rd September.
6th August
Transformers Movie Sequel: Saga of the Allspark #2
13th August
Transformers Reign of Starscream #4
Transformers Animated: The Arrival #1
The Transformers Best of U.K.: Time Wars #1
20th August
The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #2
The Transformers: Spotlight: Doubledealer
27th August
Transformers Reign of Starscream #5
Transformers Animated Series Vol. 4
3rd September
Transformers Saga of the Allspark #3
The Transformers Best of U.K.: Time Wars #2
SDCC 08: IDW’s Comic News
IDW had plenty of panels at last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, and announced some new titles coming in the next year.
Lots of art was shown for All Hail Megatron, Spotlight: Blurr and Simon Furman’s new series, Maximum Dinobot, a 5 issue series, which is previewed in the following image:
As far as new series, Transformers: The 13 will celebrate the 25th year by telling of the original 13 in another origin series. The series will be written by Simon Furman with involvement from Hasbro, which can be considered good or bad.
Continuing the Transformers movie universe, Transformers: Destiny will act as a prequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The 5 issue series will start in December 2008. Chris Mowry and Alex Milne will pair up again to produce the series. Simon Furman will work on the Transformers 2 adaptation.
Chris Ryall and Simon Furman were also interviewed by Comic Book Resources. BEWARE, there is a major spoiler for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Transformers Comic Releases – 16/07/08
Only two comic releases this week, but both play important roles in IDW’s main continuity and the movie continuity.
Transformers Spotlight: Hardhead
Transformers Movie Sequel: The Reign of Starscream #3
Chris Ryall has also posted both covers for The Reign of Starscream #3.
Updated schedule for IDW’s August 08 comics
IDW Editor Denton J. Tipton has posted an updated schedule for IDW’s Transformers comics releases for the beginning of August.
6th August
Transformers Movie Sequel: Saga of the Allspark #2
13th August
Transformers: The Reign of Starscream #4
Transformers Animated: The Arrival #1
Transformers Best of U.K.: Time Wars #1
All that’s left for August is ROS #5, Spotlight Doubledealer and All Hail Megatron #2.
All Hail Megatron Press Release
IDW publishing have put out a press release for their new 12 part series, The Transformers: All Hail Megatron. The series, which starts with the first issue on 9th July, tells of Earth being taken over by the Decepticons, without any Autobot help.
If you’ve ever wondered what might happen to planet Earth without the Autobots to stand in the way of the Decepticon threat, ponder that bleak scenario no more. In July, that threat becomes dire reality in IDW’s all-new 12-part series, THE TRANSFORMERS: ALL HAIL MEGATRON.
In IDW’s long-running TRANSFORMERS series, the Autobots have stood as the first line of defense against these malevolent Robots in Disguise. Now, in ALL HAIL MEGATRON, the Decepticons run amok on our world, causing untold damage and taking over completely. And the Autobots are… nowhere to be found?
ALL HAIL MEGATRON, written by Shane McCarthy and featuring art by Guido Guidi, presents an epic tale that sets the series in an all-new direction. Both accessible to new fans and appealing to longtime fans who’ve wondered about just such a doomsday scenario, the series is an action-movie spectacle on paper. Will Earth survive? What happened to the Autobots? These questions and many others will be answered throughout the course of this series.
As for its appeal to new fans, well, all you need to concern yourself with, according to writer Shane McCarthy, are “some very simple things. There is an ancient race of giant robots that are embroiled in a very old civil war; there are two factions to this civil war, the Deceptions (bad guys) and the Autobots (good guys); this civil war is raging across the galaxy on many different fronts; the war has found its way to our home planet.” And now one of these factions is missing.
Fan-favorite Transformers artist Guido Guidi will be bringing McCarthy’s scripts alive on the page. “Translating all this visually is an amazing challenge for an artist, but Shane’s input and vision really inspired and helped raise the bar.”
“I’m sure this book is going to please old fans and new readers as well,” Guidi says. “We have an intriguing and dramatic story, plus tons of Transformers action featuring classic characters pushed to the edge of new, extreme, and never explored situations!”
It’s an adventure not to be missed. If you do, according to McCarthy, “you’ll be missing out on something only comics can really translate; a good, knock ’em down, drag ’em out ‘war’ between giant robots that’ll tear cities apart, bring down countries and make you look forward to walking into your local comic-book store.”
The Transformers: All Hail Megatron will be published in full-color, 32-page, monthly installments. Issue 1 (Diamond order code MAY08 3943) features covers by Klaus Scherwinski and Trevor Hutchison and will be in stores on July 9, 2008.
About IDW Publishing
IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry including: television’s #1 prime time series CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Paramount’s Star Trek; Fox’s Angel; Hasbro’s The Transformers, and the BBC’s Doctor Who. IDW’s original horror series, 30 Days of Night, was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. In April 2008, IDW released Michael Recycle, the first title from its new children’s book imprint, Worthwhile Books. More information about the company can be found at http://www.idwpublishing.com.
IDW Aquire GI Joe Comic License
IDW Publishing and Hasbro have issued a press release, stating that IDW will be picking up the GI Joe comic license, and will start releasing comics in October.
You may be wondering why this has been posted, as it isn’t Transformers related news. However it may affect future Transformers releases, with possible crossovers. IDW Editor-in-chief Chris Ryall has posted an answer to a GI Joe V Transformers comic series:
As to crossovers… you know, I did like the idea when we first started, but honestly, outside of the Jae Lee series, didn’t find them overly interesting for my taste. So I’m much more interested in establishing JOE comics properly than thinking of ways to murk things up with crossovers. I’m not saying I’d never do them just that I’m uninterested in doing them right now.
The press release can be found below:
HASBRO, INC. reaches agreement with IDW Publishing to launch new G.I. JOE Comics
Deal includes various New mini series and reprints of fan-favorite storylines
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (May 29, 2008) – Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) has reached an agreement with IDW Publishing, creators of the best-selling TRANSFORMERS comic book series, to launch an all-new line of G.I. JOE vs. COBRA comic books. As part of the agreement, IDW will produce a new monthly comic series, as well as deluxe reprints of the G.I. JOE property’s vast comic library, which helped catapult the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA phenomenon more than 25 years ago. IDW also has the rights for trade paperbacks and graphic novels.
The first products from this deal, a new monthly comic book series based on classic G.I. JOE vs. COBRA lore, will be launched with an introductory debut issue in October 2008. Featuring all-new storylines, the comics will portray the epic struggle of the G.I. JOE team against the evil forces of COBRA, while highlighting the brand’s favorite heroes and villains that made kids of the ‘80s today’s fans.
In 2009, IDW will also produce comic series both inspired by and based on the upcoming G.I. JOE live-action major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro slated for August 7, 2009, as well as deluxe reprints from the vast G.I. JOE vs. COBRA comic history. The planned IDW comic book projects will be distributed to a wide audience through comic book outlets, trade bookstores and mass retailers.
“We are thrilled at the prospect of expanding our relationship with IDW. They’ve done an outstanding job with Transformers in the comic/hobby segment, national bookstores and mass market chains,” said Matt Gildea, Publishing Director, Hasbro. “IDW would bring that same expertise to the G.I. JOE brand in both new content and the existing G.I. JOE vs. COBRA library. Together, Hasbro and IDW would continue to engage G.I. JOE fans of all ages with amazing graphics and storylines.”
“G.I. JOE will be a perfect extension of the partnership we’ve developed with Hasbro over the past three years,” said Ted Adams, IDW’s President. “We are ecstatic about the opportunity to build upon the great history of the G.I. JOE brand and to present the type of entertainment and storytelling that our readers enjoy from our many licensed properties.”
IDW Publishing’s Art Du Jour! – Escalation
IDW Publishing have put up an early sketch for a variant cover for Transformers Escalation in their Art Du Jour! section.
01/08/07
It generally all starts with a sketch, and that’s what we’ve got here from Klaus Scherwinski as he works his way through designing a variant cover for TRANSFORMERS ESCALATION. Check out the b/w sketch and be ready for more tomorrow!
Transformers Evolutions Hearts of Steel TPB Released This Week
This week marks the release of IDW’s Transformers Evolutions Hearts of Steel TPB in all good comic stores. If you have no idea where this series ties in with the other series (clue it doesn’t) here is the official description of the series:
The Transformers Evolutions Hearts of Steel
Ever wondered what form your favorite Transformers would take if they existed in different eras? Wonder no more, as IDW’s new Evolutions line will look at some special out-of-continuity tales involving the Robots in Disguise. The line makes its debut in June with the four-part Hearts of Steel. In this standalone miniseries, writer Chuck Dixon and Transformers artist supreme Guido Guidi transplant the ‘bots to the Industrial Revolution, where a charismatic hammer-man named John Henry discovers that a steam drill is really an alien robot named Bumblebee. Before he can process this information, the pair are attacked by Decepticons disguised as tanks, trains and walking engines. Is this all part of a larger scheme by Starscream? And if so, will the other Autobots arrive in time to stop his nefarious plans?
A 5 page preview can be found here.
Ultra Magnus Desktop Paper
IDW have put up a wallpaper featuring Ultra Magnus, to celebrate his appearence in the latest TF Spotlight next month
This month, the spotlight falls on ULTRA MAGNUS, the AUTOBOTS’ implacable, upstanding long arm of the (intergalactic) law. But now,in pursuit of his “most wanted” (and elusive) adversary, just how far (outside the law) is MAGNUS willing to go? By Simon Furman (The Transformers Stormbringer) and Robby Musso. Escalation cover artist Klaus Scherwinski provides a variant cover, too.
The wallpaper can be found here in 3 different resolutions.
