On 26 December 2007, a new Transformers show, Transformers Animated, made its debut with a three episode pilot which launched a new and different take on the Transformers mythos. Where Optimus Prime was once the supreme commander of the Autobot forces, now he was just a lowly starship captain of a spacebridge repair crew. The Decepticons were powerful and formidable, and the setting was an Earth 50 years into the future, where high technology made robots commonplace and technologically enhanced super villains a part of life.

This was Transformers Animated. We’ve chosen to mark its ten-year anniversary today, on the anniversary of its first non-pilot episode airing, to reflect how Transformers Animated was Transformers in the year 2008, sandwiched between two movie years. We’re also going to dive into how Transformers Animated was a show cut tragically short by a combination of circumstances, and what its lasting legacy has been.

Read the full discussion after the break!

Transformers Animated opening titles

Debuting in 2007, Transformers Animated was at the time of airing the first fully western written and produced Transformers show since Beast Machines. It took Transformers back to its cel-animated roots, with slickly animated action sequences, a good mix of self-contained and ongoing plots, and some genuinely funny moments over the course of its 42 episode run. It shook up the formula by making the Autobots a maintenance crew, rather than warriors, by setting the series in peacetime after the Decepticons were defeated (although very much still out there waiting their moment to return) – and by fixing it so Optimus Prime was not the invincible hero Autobot leader, but crucially a flawed individual with doubts, who has made (and still occasionally makes) mistakes, and is not even close to the leader of the Autobots. 

After an initially rocky reception, the show rose to become a fan-favorite installment in the Transformers mythos, leading many to mourn its passing and for years after to request Hasbro to release the final toys who were cancelled by the line’s abrupt end. Some eventually made it out as Toys R Us exclusives, others made it out in Japan – but a handful never saw the light of day.

History

The story of Transformers Animated began in 2006, when news started to emerge of a new Transformers series being worked on following the end of Transformers Cybertron, under the name of Transformers: Hero. The working title was derived from the show’s core concept of taking the main cast and treating them like superheroes, a unique twist used for the show that set it apart from previous shows and the live action movies, which treated Transformers as a “war” story, or a space opera.

The first characters outside of Optimus Prime and Megatron to be confirmed for the show was Sari, when it was announced that Tara Strong would be voicing her, with the declaration she was “not a Transformer, just a little girl!” Oh, if only we knew…

Our first look at Transformers Animated Optimus Prime, from 19 June 2007. 

The show’s name was confirmed in April 2007 to be Transformers: Animated, a play on how it would be the animated series following the live-action movie, and also a reference to the show’s slick style. On June 19, 2007, we got our first look at Optimus Prime from Transformers Animated.

Reception was overwhelmingly negative, with many fans swearing they were done with Transformers, with not one but two incarnations taking their beloved robots in disguise in divergent directions from their beloved Generation 1 roots in 2007. And in fairness, this was not completely unjustified. Michael Bay’s Transformers was around the corner with its excessively detailed (some might even say overworked) designs, while on the surface of things, Transformers Animated was extremely stylized and simplified, to the point of being cartoony or exaggerated.

Attitudes began to soften fairly quickly once actual footage of the show emerged at San Diego Comic Con 2007. The show’s stylized designs looked much better in motion, with the high production values and the care of the team working on the show evident from the first footage. Early rumors suggested that the characters would transform with a “tazmanian devil spin”, which was shown in the early footage, alongside more traditional and detailed transformations. Moreover, the initial footage revealed a return of the Dinobots – their first onscreen depiction since Generation 1 – along with a Generation 1 inspired Arcee, and Tom Kenny doing a fantastic performance as Starscream inspired by the late Chris Latta’s style. Truly, it was a Transformers cartoon that was updating the show for a new audience while maintaining a strong connection with its earlier identity as a franchise – kind of an “Ultimate Transformers” take on the franchise like what Marvel was doing with X-Men and Spider-Man at the time.

Crucially, the show was not a co-production intended for simultaneous US and Japanese airing – in fact, Japan would not get Transformers Animated until 2010, two whole years after the US. They made up for it with an awesome opening song by JAM Project, granted.

The full Autobot lineup from Transformers Animated

The show premiered on Cartoon Network on 26 December 2007, with the first two seasons of the show airing back-to-back from January 5 2008 to June 28, 2008. A third season would air in 2009 between March 14 and May 23. The show went with a similar approach to the popular Beast Wars series, with individual episodes having an A plot contained largely within the episode, and a secondary plot or theme which united them into an ongoing season-long arc. For example, the first season focused on Megatron acting as a puppet master, manipulating things from behind the scenes to effect the creation of a new body for himself, while the second season dealt with Megatron’s ongoing plan to construct a spacebridge to attach Cybertron while most individual episodes also dealt with fragments of the Allspark being technology to life in strange and interesting ways.

The characters themselves also grew and changed over the course of the series. For example, Lockdown’s rivalry with Prowl developed over the course of his many appearances, while Bulkhead’s complicated relationship with the Constructicons was developed each time the latter group appeared in the show. Every season made good use of flashback episodes to flesh out the backstories of the Autobots, and to shed light on how they became the robots they are, culminating in the third season’s flashback episode showing the origins of the team. We never got as much background on the Decepticons, although thought was given to a Blackarachnia and Blitzwing focused flashback episode in the unmade season 4. 

The show was also notable for how it treated its villains. Early on, the Autobots would face not only Decepticons, but also human villains, given unique abilities through technology. The opponents, both human and Decepticon, had unique abilities and there were often other factors in play that forced the Autobots to come up with clever solutions to their problems. This together with the unique abilities each character possessed meant that battles and other action sequences were more exciting than the “stand and shoot, then someone uses a stock footage supermove” action from previous shows. The use of human opponents also meant that the Decepticons tended to be held in reserve, and when they did show up it was an event, as they were as powerful as the whole team together, really forcing the Autobots to rely on their wits and teamwork to overcome the odds.

We’d also be doing the show a disservice if we did not cover another reason that made the Decepticons and other characters so memorable when they showed up – their personalities. From the easily led and Weird-Al quoting Wreck Gar (voiced by Weird Al) to the triple changing, triple personalitied Blitzwing, to the narcissistic and petty Sentinel Prime, to the GLORIOUS Lugnut, to a wonderfully voiced and performed Starscream, each and every character had a personality, quirks, and goals of their own which allowed them to stand out as memorable characters. Even the humans, such as Captain “this is why I hate machines” Fanzone to villains like Nanosec and Meltdown had something unique and memorable to offer. This is also to say nothing of the number of characters who made cameos throughout the show’s run, particularly in the later seasons when we got to see more of Cybertron and every scene on the planet was packed with characters familiar and obscure.

A selection of the toys from the Transformers Animated line

Naturally as a merchandise-led franchise, Transformers Animated had a toyline to accompany it, and as a post-movie toyline, the line was split into different tiers much as the 2007 movie line had been. For younger fans, there were the Bumper Battlers and the spring-loaded Activators, which replaced the Basic / Scout class. The main line was made up of Deluxe, Voyager, and Leader class figures, which boasted an unprecedented level of show accuracy, and some of which were quite amazing with how well they managed to make a robot turn into a vehicle, considering that some of the designs in the show clearly needed to cheat to work. Moreover, the line lacked a linewide gimmick, with the focus instead placed on making bringing each character to life with their signature weapons or signature transformation. This really worked in the line’s favour, as did the overall quality of the figures’ sculpts, which exuded character even when they were just stood in a completely neutral pose on a shelf.

When considering both the toys and the show together, it came over as being a real love-letter to long time fans as well as a well-made show, one developed with lots of care and attention. By all accounts, the show should have succeeded and enjoyed a much longer lifetime than its one-year run.

Why Transformers Animated failed

Transformers Animated ultimately fell victim to the success of another branch of the Transformers franchise – the live-action movies. Because Transformers was so successful in theaters in 2007, there was strong retailer demand for more movie toys on store shelves – something which delayed the launch of the Transformers Animated line by a whole six months, meaning that instead of the toys hitting shelves to coincide with the airing of the show in January 2008, they arrived in June 2008, by which time season 2 had already almost finished its initial run on Cartoon Network. This surely must have hurt the line’s toy sales, as it meant you couldn’t go out and buy that cool character you just saw on screen. And even once the toys were out, the retailers were still demanding more “realistic Transformers”, this time, the Universe toyline. Details suggest that the Universe toyline sold far more strongly than the Transformers Animated toyline, which was particularly shocking as Universe had no dedicated show or comic to support it.

The show itself fared little better. Although it was a co-production between Hasbro and Cartoon Network, Cartoon Network did little to promote the show past its premiere, and moved the show into a poor timeslot as was the case with other Transformers shows on the network. Character designer Derrick J Wyatt had at one point suggested there were issues behind the scenes which hurt the series, an accusation that seems to hold water given that the show was a co-production, unlike earlier shows to suffer the same fate. A final nail in the coffin would also have been Hasbro partnering with Discovery to launch their own network, prompting Cartoon Network to decide there was no future in the show. 

The final factor that ultimately brought down Transformers Animated was its timing. Coming out between Transformers 2007 and Revenge of the Fallen meant the line was perhaps destined to be curtailed – particularly given the stated retailer demand for movie toys, and the wild success of the two movies. At this point in history, Hasbro was of the mentality that the movie line should be the only thing on shelves, meaning even if the other issues had been avoided, Transformers Animated would have still run into a brick wall around May 2009 when The Fallen took his revenge, and all the available shelfspace (or was that just Bumblebee?).

Transformers Animated, in the end, was a series perhaps fated to be a star burning half as long, but twice as bright.

Lasting impact

What we are here to do though is celebrate Transformers Animated, and as well as recognising its 42 well-written episodes, we can look at the lasting impact the show has had on Transformers as a whole. Speaking at Botcon 2009, Hasbro called the show the “benchmark” of quality for future Transformers shows – although it can be argued that nothing to have come since has truly lived up to the series.

Transformers Animated, unlike Beast Wars before it, did not really invent any new concepts which have since permeated the whole Transformers mythos. It was an “Ultimate Transformers”, a distillation of everything that made the preceding 25 years worth of stories enjoyable, rather than an innovator. But what it did do, it did extremely well, with detailed character arcs, memorable personalities, and even establishing the broad template for the membership of “Team Optimus Prime” – compare, if you will, with Transformers Prime who had 4/5 of the same characters on its core cast – with the fifth one, Prowl / Arcee both being stoic types who turned into motorcycles.

A selection of characters from Transformers Animated, and the later toy releases who were inspired by them.

Transformers Animated created some memorable characters, none more prominent than the Transformers answer to Boba Fett, Lockdown, who has gone on to appear in the IDW comics and served as the main antagonist of Transformers Age of Extinction, not only that but also having one of the best showdowns with the heroes to date in that movie. He has become established as a default choice of bounty hunter for the Transformers mythos. He also lays claim to an extensive number of toys, including several based on his Animated design in the Revenge of the Fallen line. 

Right there with Lockdown is Bulkhead, who went on to become one of the five main Autobots in Transformers Prime and one to make a cameo toward the end of the Robots in Disguise cartoon. Such is Bulkhead’s rise to prominence that we’d not be surprised if Bulkhead might also get some kind of a role in the upcoming Transformers Cyberverse series – perhaps as a friend to Bumblebee in the latter’s Cybertron days, much as Animated Bumblebee and Bulkhead were friends in the academy. Among the other Autobots, Animated established a different personality for Ratchet which again carried over to Transformers Prime, and potentially beyond, as well as establishing a warhammer as Ultra Magnus’ weapon of choice. 

On a lesser note, Lugnut has also become a character spreading beyond Transformers Animated, with a release in the Generations line and cameos in the IDW comics, as did the Animated interpretation of Blitzwing, at around the same time. Slipstream, the female Starscream clone, has also become the default concept for a female Seeker, with two different toys released over the last few years. We’re actually surprised she never made it into IDW’s comics – she might have been a good foil for Windblade.

With that being said, one thing we wish Animated had been able to carry on was the sense of threat that the Decepticons presented, by using them sparingly and offering up other, lesser threats such as human villains. Hasbro themselves are reported to have requested that human villains be taken out of the show to place more focus on the Decepticons, which unfortunately undermined the idea of making the Decepticons credible threats later in the show’s run, although they always outclassed the Autobots whenever they appeared. Human villains have been used considerably less since Transformers Animated, with even Transformers Prime downplaying its human antagonists considerably, and writing them out completely early in the second season. 

Will we see another like it?

So with all of this being said, the final question is, will we one day see another show which could rival Transformers Animated as a fan-favoured entry into the Transformers mythos? We’d say wholeheartedly, yes. There was no special circumstances that made Transformers Animated that could not be repeated right now, in fact. All it needs is for a team to make a show who care about the source material, treat it with respect, and put an interesting spin on it while also connecting with that identity that makes something undeniably Transformers. For all we know, Boulder Media could be about to do just that with Transformers Cyberverse.

Transformers Animated was an amazing series. While it did not get nearly the amount of love or retailer support it needed out of the gate to make the most of its run, it gave fans a Transformers show that was clever, well-written, that respected what made Transformers so enjoyable and that respected the wider mythos, while also giving its own presentational spin and creating some unique story arcs to accompany the show.

It is hard to believe ten years have passed since the show first aired. We’ll be rewatching some of our favorite episodes later today, will you join us?

Transformers Animated footage, with the full-length intro song. We hope the second verse will be used again in the future!

The post Happy 10th birthday, Transformers Animated! appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Via Previews World we have our first look at the IDW Transformers VS Visionaries #4 Retailer Incentive Cover.

The cover, courtesy of artist Brendan Cahill, got a similar style of some previous Transformers Vs Visionaries covers we have seen before featuring one of the Visionaries next to a Transformer. This time we have Galadria with Wheeljack, and we can see they are a good combination for this art.

Transformers VS Visionaries #4

(W) Magdalene Visaggio (A) Fico Ossio (CA) Brendan Cahill

Leoric and Ironhide only have hours left to save Cybertron from destruction, while Virulina tries to harness the life energy of Leoric’s captured friends to accelerate the end. Now Leoric must somehow detonate the counter-wave bomb and rescue his people. And the clock is ticking.

In Shops: Mar 14, 2018

Don’t forget to grab your copy when it’s available and while you wait, you can check out the cover after the jump and then sound off at the 2005 Boards!

The post IDW Transformers VS Visionaries #4 Retailer Incentive Cover appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

TFW2005 friend and sponsor The Chosen Prime brings you their newsletter for this week. See the highlights below and then read on for the full listing!

Greetings and happy new year from The Chosen Prime!

We have a number of new arrivals and pre-orders available this week, presented below.

Let us know if there’s a particular figure you’re looking for that isn’t listed here or on the website. Happy shopping! 

LATEST PRE-ORDERS

   
Mastermind Creations R-33 COLLISUS
Estimated Release April 2018 
Dr. Wu M11 MERLIN
Estimated Release January 2018 
Dr. Wu M10 LANCELOT
Estimated Release January 2018 
Dr. Wu M09 ARTHUR
Estimated Release January 2018

   
Planet X PX-16 CHARON
Estimated Release February 2018 
Generation Toy GT-10 BW T-Beast APE
Estimated Release Q1 2018 
King Arts UFO GRENDIZER Super Robot
Estimated Release Q2 2018 
S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball Z MAJIN-VEGETA
Estimated Release June 2018

   
Perfect Effect DX09 MEGA DORAGON
Estimated Release May 2018 
Perfect Effect PC-19B BLACK GORIRA JR 2-Pack 
Estimated Release April 2018 
ZetaToys ZB03 SILVER ARROW
Estimated Release 2018 
Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat SHAO KAHN & THRONE (Special Edition)
Estimated Release February 2018

The post The Chosen Prime Newsletter for January 5, 2017 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Comics website Outright Geekery reports on a positive reception for the first issue of Transformers VS Visionaries (be warned, spoilers in the article). According to their information, the first issue that reintroduces the Visionaries (albeit in a new and different form) has sold out at a distributor level, prompting a second printing which is due to arrive on the same day that issue two of the five issue miniseries is due to arrive, January 31st.

It’s an interesting indicator of how much interest there is in bringing back one of Hasbro’s lesser known franchises, although fans of the original have complained that these new Visionaries have little to do with the originals. Time will tell if as the Visionaries become a larger part of IDW’s Hasbroverse if they will take on more attributes of their classic incarnations.

The post Transformers VS Visionaries 1 Second Printing coming end of January 2018 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Thanks to 2005 Boards member Nevermore we can report that Transformers Titans Return Legends Wave 4 Us Finally Out At German Retail.

After a long wait, Titans Return Legends wave 4 Brawn and Roadburn were found at Real inside the Kronenberg Center in Essen-Altendorf. It has been a long wait but these great little molds made their way into shelves.

Happy hunting for all German fans. Keep reporting all you sightings around the world at the 2005 Boards!

The post Transformers Titans Return Legends Wave 4 Out At German Retail appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Toy Fair Season is just around the corner and we have started to receive information from exhibitors regarding what they will bring onto the show floor for the year 2018.

Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair 2018 is the first fair to bring us our first look at the new toys. During the 2017 edition of the fair, we received our first look at Movie Masterpiece Bumblebee and Shadow Spark Optimus Prime from Transformers: The Last Knight.

Simba Dickie was previously known to bring Bumblebee: The Movie die-cast vehicles and RC cars to Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair. But, we learned yesterday that the toys will be showcased at this year’s Nuremberg (Germany) Toy Fair instead.  However, the aforementioned toys will be on display at the Simba Toys Kowloon, Hong Kong City Office. We reached out to the company for further information and are yet to hear back from them.

Additionally, we are yet to hear from Hasbro regarding their participation as well. Since China is a huge market for the company, it is likely that we’ll see something from them. By the time this post went live, the company is not yet listed as a registered exhibitor for the show. We will update you with any new development.

Soap Studio will also be returning this year to the expo at booth 1D-E16, ED-TSO with their 4″ Megatron and Optimus Prime. More information regarding the toys can be found after the jump.

Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair is one of the few fairs that will allow photography of the toys prior to New York Toy Fair and therefore we may see new Transformers toys tomorrow; on January 8th. The show will continue until January 11th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Soap Studio b.wing X Transformer 4″ Figure – Megatron

Unit Price: US$ 16.50

Product Highlight: Characters designed by b.wing Non-scale articulated figure with stand included Approximately 100mm in height Accessories include Flail, Optimus Prime doll, paddle balls, energy cubes, stand Head and joints are movable

Whats in the box: Megatron x1, Flail x1, Optimus Prime doll x1, paddle balls x2, energy cubes x1, stand x1

Soap Studio b.wing X Transformer 4″ Figure – Optimus Prime

Unit Price: US$ 16.50

Product Highlight: Characters designed by b.wing Non-scale articulated figure with stand included Approximately 100mm in height Accessories include : Bumblebee car, trolley, axe (Kendama), gun, stand Axe is a Kendama; accessories can be put in trolley Head and joints are movable.

Whats in the box: Optimus Prime x1, Bumblebee car x1, trolley x1, axe (Kendama)x1, gun x1, stand x1

The post TFW2005 Toy Fair Guides: Transformers Toys And Merchandise At Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair 2018 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

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.

The post Better Look At Transformers: Evergreen Character Renders appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

TFW2005 Friend and Sponsor Ages Three And Up have sent through their latest newsletter. Check out some highlights below and hit the links to see it all!

Latest Arrivals

Diaclone Reboot -DA-13 Powered System Dirt Loader
Diaclone Reboot -DA-12 Powered System Gyroseptor
MP-39 Masterpiece Sunstreaker
Transformers Generations Power of The Primes – Legends Wave 1 – Set of 4
Mastermind Creations – Reformatted R-26 -Malum Malitia
Takara Transformers Legends – LG56 Perceptor
Perfect Effect – PC-18 Perfect Combiner God Jinrai Upgrade Kit
MP-36 – Masterpiece Megatron
Transformers Generations Power of The Primes – Deluxe Wave 1 – Set of 4
Takara Transformers Legends – LG57 Octane

See All Latest Arrivals

Latest Pre-orders

Perfect Effect – PC-22 Power of the Primes Starscream Upgrade Set
Perfect Effect – PC-21 Power of the Primes Dinobots Upgrade Set
Mastermind Creations – Reformatted R-33 Collisus
Transformers Generations Power of The Primes – Leader Optimus Prime
Transformers Generations Power of The Primes – Leader Rodimus Prime
Generation Toy – Guardian – GT-08D Motor
Generation Toy – Guardian – GT-08C Bulance
Generation Toy – Guardian – GT-08B Copter
Generation Toy – Guardian – GT-08A Sergeant
Generation Toy – GT-10 BW T-Beast

See All Latest Pre-orders

Arriving Soon

Flame Toys – Transformers Drift
Fans Hobby – Master Builder MB-06 Power Baser
MP-15E and MP-16E Masterpiece Cassettebot and Cassettetron Set Exlusive
DX9 – D11 Richthofen

See All Upcoming Arrivals

The post Ages Three And Up Newsletter 01/07/2018 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Artist Ken Christiansen has shared more of his Combiner Wars Packaging Art this week and we collect them for your viewing pleasure in our forums.

The images were shared via Ken Christiansen’s Facebook account as usual and we can appreciate the full and complete body art of Stunticon Motormaster which completes all CW Stunticons packaging art so far. There’s more than meets the eye this week since Ken has started sharing images of the CW Protectobots Hot Spot, Blades and First Aid so we should expect the rest of the group in the next days.

You can find our previous round ups below where you can find the art of:

– Here you have the art of Aerialbots Air Raid and Firefly and the rest of the Stunticon group: Dragstrip, Breakdown, Offroad and Dead End.

– Here we have the sketches of Combiner Wars Silverbolt and Optimus Prime.

– Here you can check out art of Sky Dive and Alpha Bravo Packaging Art.

You can find the new images of this week after the jump and then you can sound off your impressions at the 2005 Boards!

The post Sketches of Combiner Wars Packaging Art by Ken Christiansen Round Up appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Thanks to our friends of Transformers @ The Moon for sharing more of their deleted audio tapes from the Transformers G1 cartoon. These never-before-heard audios are from the episodes The Ultimate Doom Part 3 & Countdown To Extinction.

Here’s what TF@TM tells us about these clips:

“First up is a very short video of The Ultimate Doom Part 3. Very little was cut from the slugged tape that my brother and I own, but what there was you can now hear”.

“Then there are over 5 minutes covering Countdown to Extinction. Always one of my favorite episodes. 12 characters have additional lines in this audio which is also from a slugged tape meaning that it has been timed to the storyboard. You’ll get to hear Optimus Prime like you never have before”.

We have included both clips for your listening pleasure below, and then you can sound off what you think of this great piece of Transformers history at the 2005 Boards!

The post Transformers G1: The Ultimate Doom Part 3 & Countdown To Extinction Deleted and Extended Audio appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

In what has possibly been the longest tease we are pleased to inform you that the Titans Return figure that was first available at HasbroToyShop.com and announced at New York Comic Con 2017, the deluxe Titans Return Grotusuque with Scorponok, is FINALLY available to purchase at ToysRUs.com.

The figure had been placed on the website for some time now but unavailable to order. We have successfully placed an order tonight. The figure is limited to 1 per customer, as quantities are limited. Get your orders in if you haven’t yet purchased this figure!

Click here to order Titans Return Grotusque from ToysRUs.com!

The post Titans Return Grotusque Now Available to Purchase at ToysRUs.com appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Holding to a nice pattern in recent weeks, we are privileged to share another insightful interview with the legendary voice of Optimus Prime while awaiting the latest episode of Machinima’s Titans Return. This time around, Peter Cullen gives valuable advice to future voice actors, touches upon the endurance of the Transformers brand and recalls the experiences of auditioning for both the original Generation 1 series and the Michael Bay films. Imagine yourself as Laserbeak witnessing this scene!

I had to audition a total of three times, they weren’t quite convinced. I don’t blame them, because at the audition Michael asked me if I played any other characters and I said yes, I played Ironhide and Ironhide had a scene with Optimus Prime. There was a girl reading Ironhide not giving it any dimension. I assumed that Michael Bay was at least aware of some of these characters so I said “if you don’t mind I’d like to read that part, I did him two and half years on the television series.” She said ok. (Cullen breaks into the Ironhide voice) “aww come on Prime, lets kick some butt!” Going back and forth between the two characters, I could see Michael Bay was going to be a little bit concerned. “Is this guy gonna give me a cartoon interpretation of this new multimillion dollar movie, or is he going to be able to act the part?” So in retrospect I probably shouldn’t have done Ironhide, because I did have to go back the next time and prove I really could act. I haven’t told that story in awhile.

Read the entire interview here, then share your impressions on the 2005 boards!

The post Peter Cullen Interview: Over 30 Years of Voicing Optimus Prime appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Courtesy of Weibo user 爆料人小明, we now have a better look at Studio Series Voyager Class Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen Megatron. Previously, we saw only a partially concealed teaser of this figure, but now we are treated to its full glory.

This Voyager Class toy is based on the Decepticon tyrant’s appearance on the second movie of the Live Action Movie Series by director Michael Bay. As we learned previously, this new toy comes with a cardboard background depicting ‘Forest Fight’; series’ most beloved action sequence. Voyager Megatron’s bio is as follows:

“Megatron holds nothing back to unleash destruction against his ultimate nemesis”.

Megatron transforms in 32 Steps.

You can check out the new image, after the jump.

The post Transformers Studio Series Voyager Class Megatron Fully Revealed appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Simba Smoby; a company manufacturing and distributing licensed diecast vehicles and RC cars based on the Transformers Franchise in Europe, is letting us know what the company is planning to offer in 2018.

The list highlighting what will be showcased during London Toy Fair and Nuremberg Toy Fair this year, states the following under the heading ‘Transformers Standalone Movie: Bumblebee‘:

• 1:18 scale Giant Robot Warrior Bumblebee
• 1:18 scale Giant Robot Warrior Barricade
• 1:24 scale RC Turbo Racer Bumblebee (Classic Buggy)

Based on the statement above, it seems as though Decepticon Barricade is a potential character appearing on the upcoming movie and may serve as the main antagonist since he is prominent enough to get his own toy. “Classic Buggy” may indicate that the Bumblebee RC car is in Volkswagen Beetle altmode.

Simba Smoby will showcase the new toy line at London Toy Fair on 23rd January (Booth E135) and at Nuremberg Toy Fair on 31st January (Hall H – Stand B-02).

Asian division of the company (Simba Toys) will have the same toys on display at their Kowloon, Hong Kong Showroom. More information can be found on our updated news post regarding the previous announcement. You can check out Simba’s current list of toys here. 

Stick with TFW2005 for more cool announcements, reveals and Fair Guides throughout this Toy Fair Season, leading up to our coverage of New York Toy Fair 2018.

Insignia on the news post is for placeholder image purposes only. Barricade may or may not be a police car in the movie.

The post Barricade To Appear On Bumblebee: The Movie? appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Very much like how Hasbro revealed new Transformers toys on the 2nd day of Hong Kong Toy Fair 2017, the tradition seems to be continuing this year as well.

According to Hong Kong based Hobbymizer Studios, Hasbro will be hosting a special press conference at the fair grounds tomorrow (01/09/2018) to reveal MPM05 Barricade and MPM06.

Though the company does not mention the identity of MPM06, recently revealed information indicate that the character is none other than Ironhide.

Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair 2018 will be open for its 2nd day at 9:00AM Hong Kong Time (8:00PM EST 01/08/2018).

Update: The press conference will be held at 5:00PM Hong Kong Time (4:00AM EST 01/09/2018).

You can check out more information regarding the fair on our Hong Kong Toy Fair 2018 Guide.

The post Movie Masterpiece MPM06 Reveal To Take Place At Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair 2018 appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Friend site and sponsor TFSource has just shared some new in-stock items and pre-orders for your collections. You can check out some highlights below and then read on for the full listing and their winter sale items.

NEW HOT INSTOCK ITEMS:

– MP-39 – Masterpiece Sunstreaker
– Transfomers Masterpiece – MP-15E/16E – Cassettebot vs. Cassettron Exclusive
– Perfect Effect – PE-DX06P Gorira Prime
– DNA Design – DS-02 – Arashi
– Transformers Legends Series – LG54-LG57
– Transformers Power of the Primes – Voyager Wave 1 – Set of 2
– MP-10B – Masterpiece Black Convoy – Optimus Prime
– Mastermind Creations – R-27SG – Calidus Ghost Version – Convention Exclusive
– Make Toys – RM-09SP Bounceback w/ Targetwarrior Recoil
– Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-06 Power Baser
– Iron Factory – IF-EX24 – War Giant – Set C – War Giant Commander w/ Bonus

NEW HOT PREORDERS:

– ToyWorld – TW-C07C – Clear Constructor – Full Set of 6 Figures
– Mastermind Creations – R-33 – Collisus
– FansToys FT-16 Sovereign, FT-19 – Apache & FT-24 – Rouge
– PC-21 and PC-22 POTP Upgrade Sets
– Transformers Power of the Primes – Leader Wave 1 – Set of 2
– Generation Toy – GT-10 – BW T-Beast
– Perfect Effect – PE-DX09 – Mega Dragon
– New Dr. Wu preorders
– Planet X – PX-16 Charon
– Modfans Voice Upgrade Kit for MP36 Megatron w/ LED – English Version
– PC-19B Perfect Effect – Perfect Combiner – Black Beast Gorira
– DX9 D12 – Gabriel

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Now Instock – MP-39 – Masterpiece Sunstreaker! Order now!

MP-39 – Masterpiece Sunstreaker with and without Collector’s Coin

Now instock Transformers Masterpiece MP 15E -16E Cassettebot vs Cassettetron. Get it here:

Transfomers Masterpiece – MP-15E/16E – Cassettebot vs. Cassettron Exclusive

Now up for preorder – MoDel – Model-001 – MP-36 Masterpiece Megatron Upgrade Kit! Preoder here:

MoDel – Model-001 – MP-36 Masterpiece Megatron Upgrade Kit

Now Instock – MP-10B – Masterpiece Black Convoy – Optimus Prime! Order now!

MP-10B – Masterpiece Black Convoy – Optimus Prime

Now Instock – MP-12+ Masterpiece Sideswipe – Lambor! Get yours here:

MP-12+ Masterpiece Sideswipe – Lambor

Now up for preorder – Modfans Voice Upgrade Kit for MP36 Megatron w/ LED – English Version! Preorder here:

Modfans Voice Upgrade Kit for MP36 Megatron w/ LED – English Version

Now up for preorder – Transfosrmers Masterpiece – MP-41 Dinobot – Beast Wars! Preorder here:

Transfosrmers Masterpiece – MP-41 Dinobot – Beast Wars

Now up for preorder – Masterpiece Movie Series – MPM-5 Barricade – Takara Tomy Version! Preorder here:

Masterpiece Movie Series – MPM-5 Barricade – Takara Tomy Version

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Now up for preorder – ToyWorld – TW-C07C – Clear Constructor – Full Set of 6 Figures! Order yours here:

ToyWorld – TW-C07C – Clear Constructor – Full Set of 6 Figures

Now Instock – ToyWorld – Constructor – G1 Replacement Head – Yellow Version! Order yours here:

ToyWorld – Constructor – G1 Replacement Head – Yellow Version

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Preorders now available for MMC’s latest figure – R-33 Collisus. Preorder it here:

Mastermind Creations – R-33 – Collisus

Now Instock – Mastermind Creations – R-27SG – Calidus Ghost Version – Convention Exclusive! Order yours today!

Mastermind Creations – R-27SG – Calidus Ghost Version – Convention Exclusive

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Now Instock – FansToys FT-08G – Iron Dibots No.5 – Limited Grinder – Dinohead! Order now!

FansToys FT-08G – Iron Dibots No.5 – Limited Grinder – Dinohead

You can also pick up FansToys FT-08G Grinder – Iron Dibots No.5 – Limited Edition here. Instock now!

FansToys FT-08G Grinder – Iron Dibots No.5 – Limited Edition

Preorders available for Fanstoys FT-16 Sovereign reissue. Get your preorder in here at TFSource:

FansToys FT-16 Sovereign

Fanstoys FT-19 Apache back up for preorder at TFSource. Shop it here:

Fans Toys FT-19 – Apache

Fans Toys highly anticipated FT-24 Rouge is now up for preorder, a must have for every TF Collection! Preorders up at TFSource here:

Fans Toys FT-24 Rouge

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Preorders now available for Perfect Effect PC-21 and PC-22! These are add on sets for POTP Volcanicus and Starscream. Preorder here:

PC-21 Perfect Effect – Perfect Combiner – POTP Dinobots

PC-22 Perfect Effect – Perfect Combiner – POTP Starscream Set

Now Instock – Perfect Effect – PE-DX06P Gorira Prime! Order yours here:

Perfect Effect – PE-DX06P Gorira Prime

Now up for preorder – Perfect Effect – PE-DX09 – Mega Dragon! Preorder here:

Perfect Effect – PE-DX09 – Mega Dragon

Now up for preorder – PC-19B Perfect Effect – Perfect Combiner – Black Beast Gorira! Preorder yours here:

PC-19B Perfect Effect – Perfect Combiner – Black Beast Gorira

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Now Instock – DNA Design – DS-02 – Arashi! Order here:

DNA Design – DS-02 – Arashi

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Limited Stock remaining of MakeToys RM-09SP Bounceback. Hurry and get yours today!

Make Toys – RM-09SP Bounceback w/ Targetwarrior Recoil LE500

Now Instock – Make Toys – MTRM11 – Meteor! Order yours here:

Make Toys – MTRM11 – Meteor

Now up for preorder – Maketoys – MTCD03 – Thunder Manus + Divine Suit Boxset! This great set includes both Thunder Manus & the Divine Suit Set! Preorders up at TFSource here:

Maketoys – MTCD03 – Thunder Manus + Divine Suit Boxset

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Now Instock – Transformers Japanese Legends LG-54-57! Order them here:

Transformers Legends – LG54 Bumblebee & Exo-Suit Spike

Transformers Legends – LG55 Targetmaster Slugslinger

Transformers Legends – LG56 Perceptor

Transformers Legends Series – LG57 Octane

Now Instock – Transformers Legends LG-EX God Ginrai Exclusive! Order yours here:

Transformers Legends LG-EX God Ginrai Exclusive

Now Instock – Transformers Legends LG-50 – 53! You can now pick up Legends Sixshot, Double Cross, Misfire and Broadside! Order here:

Transformers Legends Series – LG50 Sixshot

Transformers Legends – LG51 Targetmaster Double Cross

Transformers Legends – LG52 Targetmaster Misfire

Transformers Legends Series – LG53 Broadside

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Now Instock – Transformers Power of the Primes – Voyager Wave 1 – Set of 2! Order yours at TFsource!

Transformers Power of the Primes – Voyager Wave 1 – Set of 2

Now up for preorder – Transformers Power of the Primes – Leader Wave 1 – Set of 2! Preorder here:

Transformers Power of the Primes – Leader Wave 1 – Set of 2

Transformers Power of The Primes Deluxe Wave 1 Instock at TFSource! Shop here:

Transformers Power of the Primes – Deluxe Wave 1 – Set of 4

Now instock Transformers Power of the Primes Masters Wave 1! Get yours here at TFSource:

Transformers Power of the Primes – Master Wave 1 – Set of 3

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Now Instock – Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-06 Power Baser! Order yours here:

Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-06 Power Baser

Now up for preorder – Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-03B – Red Dragon! Preorder here:

Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-03B – Red Dragon

Fans Hobby MB-03A Red Dragon Convention Exclusive instock at TFSource. Get yours here:

Fans Hobby – Master Builder – MB-03A – Red Dragon – Convention

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Generation Toy – GT-10 – BW T-Beast, this great ape is now up for preorder at TFSource here:

Generation Toy – GT-10 – BW T-Beast

Preorders now available for Generation Toys – GT-08 Guardian combiner figures. Get your preorder in at TFSource:

Generation Toy – Guardian – GT-08A – Sergeant

Now Instock – Generation Toy – GT-06 – Duron Drill – Gift Set! Get yours here:

Generation Toy – GT-06 – Duron Drill – Gift Set

Now Instock Generation Toy – GT-02 – IDW – Tyrant! Order yours here:

Generation Toy – GT-02 – IDW – Tyrant

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New Dr. Wu preorders! Check them out here:

DR. Wu – DW-M12 Space Time

DR. Wu – DW-M09 – Arthur

DR. Wu – DW-M10 Lancelot

DR. Wu – DW-M11 Merlin’s Wand

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Now instock: Iron Factory IF-EX24 War Giant Set C! Shop it here:

Iron Factory – IF-EX24 – War Giant – Set C – War Giant Commander w/ Bonus

Now instock: Iron Factory – IF-EX26 Racing Bros – Blaze Dash & Bolt Rush. Get it here:

Iron Factory – IF-EX26 Racing Bros – Blaze Dash & Bolt Rush

Now Instock – Iron Factory – IF-EX20F – Tyrants Fang – Set of 3 Figures! Order your set today!

Iron Factory – IF-EX20F – Tyrants Fang – Set of 3 Figures

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Now Instock – Planet X – PX-06 Vulcan – Metallic Edition! Order yours here:

Planet X – PX-06 Vulcan – Metallic Edition

Now up for preorder – Planet X – PX-16 Charon, a recolor of Jupiter:

Planet X – PX-16 Charon

Also up for preorder – Planet X – PX-14 Apollo and PX-15 Pluto! Preorder here:

Planet X – PX-14 Apollo

Planet X – PX-15 Pluto
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Now Instock – Weijiang – NE-01 New Evolution – Megamaster! Order yours here:

Weijiang – NE-01 New Evolution – Megamaster

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Now up for preorder – Unofficial Transformer Guidebooks! Preorder all 4 here:

Transformers Collectibles – Unofficial Guidebook

The Unofficial Guide to Japanese & International Transformers

Beast Wars Transformers The Unofficial Guide

The Unofficial Guide to Vintage Transformers 1980s to 1990s

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Now Instock – KFC – EAVI METAL Phase Eleven: A – Stratotanker! Order now!

KFC – EAVI METAL Phase Eleven: A – Stratotanker

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New Japanese Transformers Takara Tomy Power of Primes preorders up! You can preorder PP-01 thru PP-09 now! This includes Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime and More!

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-09 Optimus Prime

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-08 Rodimus Prime

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-07 Autobot Jazz

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-06 Beachcomber

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-05 Windcharger

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-04 Dinobot Slash

Power of Prime – Transformers – PP-03 Vector Prime

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Check out new Images of DX9’s upcoming D12 Gabriel! Preorder at TFSource:

DX9 D12 – Gabriel

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Now up for preorder – Fansproject – TFX-06 Red Armor and TFX-07 Blue Armor! Preorder both here:

Fansproject – TFX-06 Red Armor

Fansproject – TFX-07 Blue Armor

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The next figure from OpenPlay is OpenPlay – Big Cannon! Preorder yours here:

OpenPlay – Big Cannon

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MAS-01NP instock now at TFSource! Get it here:

MAS-01NP Nemesis Prime Mega 18″ Action Figure – Limited Edition

Now Instock – MAS-01 Optimus Prime Mega 18″ Action Figure! Order today!

MAS-01 Optimus Prime Mega 18″ Action Figure

Now up for preorder – MAS-02 Megatron Mega 18″ Action Figure! Preorder here:

MAS-02 Megatron Mega 18″ Action Figure

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NEW SOURCE ARTICLE! Maz’s Top 10 Purchases of 2017.
TFSource Report | Top 10 Purchases of 2017

NEW SOURCE REVIEW! Catch Peaugh’s review of MTRM-09SP Bounceback w/ Recoil! Watch the review and shop it here: Make Toys – RM-09SP Bounceback w/ Targetwarrior Recoil LE500

NEW SOURCE INTERVIEW! Becka Allen is an online force of nature in the TF community. She shares her humour, love of Transformers and the community – as well as her awesome collection – with us! Collector Interview 65 – Becka Allen

NEW SOURCE ARTICLE! How have some of the Transformers Masterpiece toys deteriorated over a few years of ownership? TFSource Report | Deterioration

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Have you signed up for Source Points yet? Earn points with every purchase towards Freebies! Accumulated points and want to redeem them? Click the following link to enroll or redeem your points today! 
Source Points – TF Source

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Become a fan of Tfsource today!

Why go to the store when you can go to the SOURCE!
You can also follow us on Twitter!

The post TFSource News! MP-39 Sunstreaker, MP-15E-16E, TW Clear Constructor, PE, FansToys, MMC & More! appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Thanks to fellow 2005 Boards member engledogg for reporting that Transformers ‘Evergreen’ Designs Valentines Cards were found at US retail.

The Valentines pack, containing 32 cards, was spotted at Dollar General in Somerset, Pennsylvania for just $1. According to the information on the back of the package, they come in 8 different designs featuring “Evergreen” styled Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. 

A nice Transformer merchandising to share with your friends. You can check out the mirrored images after the jump and then sound off at the 2005 Boards!

The post Transformers ‘Evergreen’ Designs Valentines Cards appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Hong Kong Toy Fair is under way, and Hasbro China and Takara Tomy have officially revealed MPM-06 Ironhide!  Along side Ironhide, we get in person shots of MPM-05 Barricade as well.  Read on to check out the pics from TF Hobbymzier who was in attendance at the event in Hong Kong.  Stay tuned as more pics surface from the event!

Update – More pics from Mr. Deflok on the 2005 Boards added.

Update – Still pics from TF Hobbymizer added (Ironhide and Barricade)

The post MPM-06 Masterpiece Movie Ironhide Revealed! appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

After the awesome reveal of MPM-06 Ironhide at Hong Kong Toys And Games Fair 2018 we have a look at our fist official image of the Autobot weapon specialist.

The image was shared via the official Transformers Facebook and Instagram accounts featuring Ironhide with the message: “Ironhide is here and this crafty vet is ready for action“. The image shows Ironhide in robot mode (with what seems to be a proper transformation) and his amazing GMC Topkick 4500 pickup truck. We could expect that this picture may be used in the packaging of the toy.

You can check out the mirrored image after the jump and then join to the discussion at the 2005 Boards.

The post Transformers Movie Masterpiece MPM-06 Ironhide Official Image appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.

Machinima’s Transformers: Titans Return ends today with Episode 10, “All Things Must Pass” You can view it via the go90 app, go90 website or from this link: All Things Must Pass – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

Similar to what we saw in Combiner Wars, it ends…but to be continued. We won’t say more, so you can watch the episode and then sound off your impressions at the 2005 Boards

To watch the series in the US: https://www.go90.com/shows/3OhDENwXXKe

Outside of the US: go90.show/TransformersINTL

Episodes 1-9 are linked below:

-Episode 1 Aftermath and Rebirth – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 2 Our Heroes Respond – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 3 The Fight Begins – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 4 Overlord And Emissary – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 5 At the Last Second – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 6 Desperate Actions – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 7 Run For Our Lives – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 8 In Good Hands – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

-Episode 9 Consumed – Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy | go90

The post Machinima’s Transformers: Titans Return Episode 10 Now Online – Grand Finale appeared first on Transformer World 2005 - TFW2005.COM.