Skybound Comics at SDCC 2023

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Thanks to Twitter user @articulatedpts for the summary of the Skybound Entertainment Energon Universe comic panel by Skybound Entertainment at San Diego Comic Con 2023.  Panelists include Joshua Williamson, Daniel Warren Johnson, Sean Mackiewicz, and Robert Kirkman.

Comments include the following:

  • Will Quintessons and Nebulons appear? “We’ll just have to see.” – Kirkman
  • There’s a lot of huge building blocks that Kirkman has put into place to build off that Johnson can work off.
  • What goes into picking the team? “These are my personal favorites” – Johnson
  • This is a starting point. Things will be expanding as time go on. Humans will play a large role in at least the first two arcs.
  • “I really wanted to start at the beginning” – Joshua Williamson on wanting to start the series before Joe and Cobra formed
  • How can GI Joe kill a Transformer? You’re gonna find out!
  • Autobots are trying to navigate an organic world for the first time.
  • Will Skybound reprint older comics (IDW, etc)? Definitely have plans to republish older comics, like Marvel and IDW
  • For Transformers, are we limited to 84-85 cast? Kirkman is going to make it his mission to get Bulkhead in the comics. Not limited to those years

Generation 1 (G1) Toys Unleashed for Transformers 40th Anniversary

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The Transformers 40th Anniversary is coming in 2024, and Hasbro has revealed the Generation 1 (G1) toys will be unleashed to their licensing partners. The company will be giving them 3D model files of the classic action figures to reissue original licensed products. The initiative, driven by original artwork, will be focused on classic and reimagined products. Casey Collins, President of Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro, shared the following with Toy Book recently:

We will start the year by celebrating the landmark 40th anniversary of Transformers by providing our licensees with 3D files of the original G1 toys for the first time ever,” Collins says. “With this, our partners will be able to reissue original licensed products and reimagined innovations leveraging the authentic vintage artwork from the G1 toy line and Marvel comics. ​Pulling it all together, we’re digitally releasing the ‘80s animated TV series soundtrack with an exciting bonus track that taps into nostalgia and re-creates the excitement, tone, and pop culture moments of 1984.

See the rest of the story here, and further information at Toybook.com.

Hasbro’s VP of Global Publishing on Future of Transformers and G.I. Joe Comic Books

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During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Michael Kelly, the vice president of global publishing at Hasbro, talked about the future of the Transformers license once it expires for IDW at the end of the year.

“Actually, we’re in a bit of a transition at the moment, as you might have heard,” Kelly tells Nerd Reactor. “So we’ve been with IDW on the comic book front, with Transformers and Joe, and that’s going to be ending at the end of this year. We’re not ready yet to announce who our new partner is, but we’ve already begun some creative discussions.”

With a new partner, Kelly is excited to see a new direction with Transformers and G.I. Joe in the comic book space.

“Certainly there’ll be plenty of things that they’ll be familiar with,” Kelly continued. “Because again, we’re not going to completely reinvent the brands, but I think what they’ll find is a fresh take on the storytelling and the characters. Probably develop a little bit more slowly to try and bring some new fans in as well as by starting out focusing on two or three main characters and really giving them a lot of depth and a lot of personalities and then building out the team of characters as we go along. So yeah, that’s usually what we do.”

Read the rest of the interview here.

IDW to Lose ‘G.I. Joe,’ ‘Transformers’ License at End of 2022

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The rumors are true. IDW will lose the Transformers license at the end of the year.

IDW is losing the publishing licenses to G.I. Joe and Transformers, the San Diego-based comic book publisher has announced.

The moves comes in the wake of The Hollywood Reporter reporting in December that Skybound, the imprint run by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, was in talks to pick up the license from Hasbro, the Rhode Island-based toy and media corporation.

“At the end of 2022, IDW will bid a fond farewell to the publication of G.I. Joe and Transformers comic books and graphic novels,” the company said in a statement provided to THR. “We’re exceedingly proud of our stewardship of these titles – 17 years with the Robots in Disguise and 14 years with A Real American Hero – and thank the legion of fans for their unwavering support, month in and month out. We’re also eternally grateful to every one of the talented creators who helped bring these characters to four-color life through our comics.”

Follow the link to read the rest of the story. A number of Transformers projects remain to be published between now and the end of 2022.

Pulse Con 2021 reveals and news

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Here’s the details from Pulse Con’s livestream…

Legacy brings characters from across the Multiverse with a Generations styling

Energon-infused weapons across all sizes. All energon from all continuities, dark energon, even new energon. Combine weapons “Perhaps a new combiner set”

Deluxe.

Skids shown off, energon axe-blaster. will have a tinted sunroof.

Dragstrip shown, dark energon in his blasters, combine for the G1 double barreled blaster. Third mode and more Stunticons coming.

Prime Arce next. Two energon blades combine to be a shield. Tire separates to reveal another energon blaster. Light-piped head.

Kickback revealed. Took in realistic effects of a grasshopper to mix with robotic version. Clear tinted chest. Very cartoon inspired. Dark energon infused slicer weapons can be swords, can fit over the wings.

Voyager class next.

Bulkhead shown. Feet fold down to be the back doors of the truck to store the weapons inside. “Canvas” top can be removed to become a SWAT shield.

Leader Class now.

G2 Laser Optimus Prime. Comes with his transforming oil tanker rig that becomes a battle station. Energon sword stores underneath, energon ax stores on the back of the truck. Energon missiles under panels on the shoulder. Comes with the Matrix in his chest.

Packaging is a closed box on Leader class, all have very vibrant, colorful art. Dragstrip’s package has a callout for “one in five” harkens to the Menasor combiner. Future livestreams will reveal the rest of the Stunticons. All packages except core class will have a QR code taking them to art, bios, and tech specs for each character.

Exclusives

Showing off the Covert Agent Ravage and Decepticons Forever Ravage Pulsecon exclusive. Paint even in the mouth. No labels for Ravage, all deco instead. Vac metal weapons.

Showing off Galvatron Unicron-companion pack, the translucent purple Leader Class Galvatron. Inspired by the reformatting of Megatron into Galvatron. Bringing out Breaking Benjamin lead singer/guitarist Ben Burnley to do his Unicron voice and show off his collection and run through what comes with the set. The stand shown is not in the accessory pack, it comes with Unicron, these items on it attach to it. Arcee, Perceptor, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Dinobots – Grimlock, Swoop, Snarl and Slug – Starscream, Dirge, Cyclonus, Scourge, the Junkion ship Minnow, the Quintesson cruiser, and Galvatron’s ship the Revenge.

Hall of Fame.

Toy of the Year, 23% of the votes, WFC Voyager Tigatron won.

Beast Wars season 1 character of the year, celebrating 25 years of the show, Inferno!

Human inductee, it’s voice actor John Moschitta! Blurr himself! Holding Shattered Glass Blurr on one shoulder and Studio Series 86 Blurr on the other, devil and angel.

Second human inductee, it’s comics artist Guido Guidi who’s been with the brand since 2004. The cartoon first caught his attention, then the toys, but it was the comics that got him so excited that while he waited for new issues he’d draw his own comics. Kept doing this until it was his job many years later.

Hint to Blaster coming up.

And that’s it. Preorders open at 4pm EDT for Pulse premium members, 5pm EDT for all buyers and on other e-tailers.

HasLab Victory Saber Reveals Color Images

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If you haven’t checked out the Victory Saber HasLab figure yet, Hasbro just dropped color images of the set which may just convince you to crowdfund this figure from the beloved Japanese series!

The crowdfunding campaign ends in just over 3 weeks, and as of now is nearly to 9,000 of its needed 11,000 backers, which is a great sign that this figure will get produced, especially considering how affordable it is compared to other HasLab campaigns. Will it make its stretch goals of the V-Lock Cannon and display stand? Who knows, but given how the past HasLab campaigns have gone lately, it does seem likely; and there’s one mystery stretch goal still to be revealed that may help drive interest further.

More details and all the color goodness within…

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