7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
1/20
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
2/20
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
3/20
THE TRANSFORMERS 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION. JUNE 2013. FIRST PRINTING. HASBRO and its logo, TRANSFORMERS, and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. 2013
Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Editorial offices: 5080 Santa Fe St., San Diego, CA 92109. The I DW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Any similaritiesto persons living or dead are purely coincidental. With the exception of ar twork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Idea and Design Works, LLC.Printed in Korea.IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork.
Ted Adams, CEO & PublisherGreg Goldstein, President & COORobbie Robbins, EVP/Sr. Graphic ArtistChris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-ChiefMatthew Ruzicka, CPA, Chief Financial OfficerAlan Payne, VP of SalesDirk Wood, VP of MarketingLorelei Bunjes, VP of Digital Services
IDW founded by Ted Adams, Alex Garner, Kris Oprisko, and Robbie Robbins
ISBN: 978-1-61377-662-9 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4
Special thanks to Hasbros Aaron Archer, Jerry Jivoin, Michael Verret, Ed Lane, Joe Furfaro, Jos Huxley, Andy Schmidt, Heather Hopkins, and Michael Kelly for their invaluable assistance.
www.IDWPUBLISHING.com
Become our fan on Facebookfacebook.com/idwpublishing
Follow us on Twitter@idwpublishing
Check us out on YouTube youtube.com/idwpublishing
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
4/20
Forewordby Simon Furman
Introductionby Jim Sorenson
The Transformers #1, September 1984, Marvel Comics, "The Transformers"Plot by Bill Mantlo Script by Ralph Macchio Pencils by Frank Springer Inks by Kim DeMulder Colors by Nelson Yomtov Letters by Higgins &
Parker Edits by Bob Budiansky Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz
The Transformers #17, June 1986, Marvel Comics, "Return To Cybertron, Part 1: The Smelting Pool!"Written by Bob Budiansky Pencils by Don Perlin Inks by Keith Williams Colors by Nelson Yomtov
Letters by Janice Chiang Edits by Mike Carlin Cover by Herb Trimpe
The Transformers (UK) 1986 Annual, January 1986, Marvel Comics UK, "Victory!"Written by Simon Furman Art by Geoff Senior Colors by Gina Hart Letters by Annie Halfacree
Edits by Sheila Cranna Cover by Barry Kitson
The Transformers (UK) #86, November 1986, Marvel Comics UK, "Target: 2006, Part 8"Written by Simon Furman Art by Geoff Senior Colors by Gina Hart Letters by Annie Halfacree
Edits by Ian Rimmer Cover by Robin Smith
The Transformers #69, August 1990, Marvel Comics, "Eye Of The Storm"Written by Simon Furman Pencils by Andrew Wildman Inks by Harry Candelario and Bob Lewis
Colors by Nelson Yomtov Letters by Rick Parker Edits by Don Daley Cover by Andrew Wildman
The Transformers Generation 2 #45, FebruaryMarch 1994, Marvel Comics, "Tales of Earth, Parts 12"Written by Simon Furman Art on #4 by Derek Yaniger Pencils on #5 by Manny Galan Inks on #5 by Jim Amash
Colors by Sarra Mossoff Letters by Richard Starkings and Peggy Gaushell Edits by Rob Tokar Cover on #4 by Derek Yaniger
The Transformers #0, March 2002, Dreamwave, "The Prime Directive"Written by Chris Sarracini Pencils by Pat Lee Inks by Rob Armstrong Backgrounds by Edwin Garcia
Colors by TheRealT! Letters by Dreamer Design Cover by Pat Lee
The Transformers: The War Within #6, March 2003, DreamwaveWritten by Simon Furman Pencils by Don Figueroa Inks by Elaine To Colors by Rob Ruffolo and Alan Wang
Letters by Dreamer Design Cover by Don Figueroa
Transformers Armada: Mini-Comic, 2002, Hasbro / DreamwaveWritten by Chris Sarracini Pencils by James Raiz Inks by Rob Armstrong
Colors by Alan Wang and TheRealT! Letters by Dreamer Design Cover by James Raiz
The Transformers: Infiltration #6, July 2006, IDW PublishingWritten by Simon Furman Art by E J Su Colors by John Rauch Letters by Robbie Robbins
Edits by Chris Ryall and Dan Taylor Cover by Klaus Scherwinski
The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #1, July 2008, IDW PublishingWritten by Shane McCarthy Art by Guido Guidi Colors by Kris Carter Letters by Neil Uyetake and Chris Mowry
Edits by Denton J. Tipton Cover by Trevor Hutchison
The Transformers #4, February 2010, IDW Publishing, "Things Fall Apart, Part 3: Seasons In Flight"Written by Mike Costa Art by Don Figueroa Colors by J. Brown Letters by Robbie Robbins
Edits by Denton J. Tipton and Andy Schmidt Cover by Andrew Wildman
The Transformers: Last Stand Of The Wreckers #5, February 2010, IDW PublishingWritten by Nick Roche and James Roberts Art by Nick Roche Colors by Josh Burcham
Letters by Chris Mowry Edits by Denton J. Tipton and Andy Schmidt Cover by Nick Roche
The Transformers: The Reign Of Starscream #1, May 2008, IDW PublishingWritten by Chris Mowry Art by Alex Milne Colors by Josh Perez Letters by Chris Mowry
Edits by Denton J. Tipton Cover by Gabriel Rodriguez
The Transformers Animated: The Arrival #3, October 2008, IDW Publishing, "'Bots of Science"Written by Marty Isenberg Art by Boo Colors by Liam Shalloo Letters by Chris Mowry Edits by Denton J. Tipton Cover by Boo
Further Reading
PG. 05
PG. 07
PG. 10
PG. 38
PG. 62
PG. 75
PG. 89
PG. 111
PG. 125
PG. 133
PG. 159
PG. 163
PG. 187
PG. 211
PG. 235
PG. 259
PG. 283
PG. 296
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
5/20
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
6/20
My childhood memories of TRANSFORMERS are of shiny toys
with decals I got to put on myself, and the smell of old-style
newsprint comics. Like many kids of that age I was hooked
by the "Hasbro approach," the epic story lines of good
versus evil. Epic characters in all sizes, with any number of
personality quirks, fighting in a never-ending robot civil war.
It was a whole world history and I loved the endless
possibilities of it all. It turns out I wasnt alone.
TRANSFORMERS was made for comics (mostly)planet-wide
robot civil war being fought on Earth, that had both the
protagonist and antagonists cloaking themselves in the
latest vehicle fashions of the day. They were colorful,
bombastic, and EPIC! You are going to hear that a lot here
but it is the perfect word for this brand, EPIC!
Transformation describes the toy play pattern, but it also
describes the brands ever-changing journey over 30 years.
As a result the TRANSFORMERS brand appeals to a
wonderfully diverse fan base, and the stories in this volume
represent that diversity. Nothing lasts 30 years without
support; it is the fans who keep their favorite generation of
TRANSFORMERS alive alongside the generation of the
moment.
TRANSFORMERS does not have one story heartbeat, it has
multi-dimensional story heartbeats that coexist together.
TRANSFORMERS is stronger than the generations and that
is why the brand endures.
Let us take a moment to celebrate all of the creators who
have touched this brand over 30 years, those who have
added their talents to make better the ever continuing myth
that is TRANSFORMERS.
TRANSFORMERS is considered a licensed brand, and no one
can deny that the comics started as one element of a three-prong approach Hasbro took in the '80s, with toy, animation,
and comic promoting a generally common story and
characters. Creators assigned to the tie-in -comics were
often directed to fill in the large story and logic gaps not
accounted for by the toy company. These comic creators
were mostly left alone to dream up new adventures so long
as they could account for the strangely timed shifts
requested by Hasbro.
The TRANSFORMERS story is unlike many other popular
brands, in that the core concept has been re-presented,
rebooted, and changed over the years to suit yearly toy
trends. I would argue that the toy needs to keep the brand
story fresh, nimble, relevant, and modernthis is a strength
rather than a weakness. Over 30 years the comic creators
working within the larger toy needs have had the freedom
to create newness well beyond anything that could be done
on television or toy packaging. Therefore the comics have
always told the deep story.
THE STORIES
We live in a world where heroes matter, and OPTIMUS PRIME
and his AUTOBOT friends are perfect symbols of the heroic
ideal. Against all logic and ability they battle on, to survive
against great odds, all while protecting their adopted planet.
During most alien invasion stories humanity is the victim, but
TRANSFORMERS is unique. Here the epic hero role is turned
sideways and put into the hands of metal alien knights that
dedicate time, energy, and life to the protection of the
human race, which often does not know they are fighting for
them at all (ROBOTS IN DISGUISE).
TRANSFORMERS is also an epic sci-fi adventure, in the best
of space opera traditionsan endless storyline of
outrageous proportions across time and space. From the
robots themselves being created by and from their creator's
stardust, to having a backstory every bit as dense and vague
as Tolkien. You have robots that can seemingly live forever
and yet still find new ways to battle or not make peace.
MEGATRON has been bested dozens of times by the
AUTOBOTS and yet he thinks he and his DECEPTICONS are
better than their enemies. OPTIMUS PRIME will continue to
worry about putting his team in harm's way, and we keep
reading because we have a desire to see good defeat evil.
As readers, we read these stories because we all want
heroes in our life. We wish we could overcome lifes
challenges with the dedication of OPTIMUS PRIME, but we
are often flawed and desire more than we have, as wouldMEGATRON. Like the AUTOBOTS, we share good times with
our friends, but we will join with them in combat to overcome
those that look to bully us. We like that STARSCREAM tries
to undermine his boss. These are the core human stories
told through the lens of an EPIC robot space opera that
makes TRANSFORMERS relevant 30 years on.
Aaron Archer
Former Vice President of Transformers Design, Hasbro
Veteran of the Transformers Robot Wars 2000-2013
Morganton, North Carolina (Southwest of Kaon)
FOREWORD
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
7/20
ABOVE: Megatron character study by Guido Guidi
RIGHT: All Hail Megatron #15 cover concepts by Nick Roche
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
8/20
Thirty years of TRANSFORMERS books. Wow!
My personal journey with TRANSFORMERS comics begins in
early 1985, when I found a copy of Marvels Transformers #5
at a local supermarket. The cover intrigued, and flipping
through the book I became immediately engrossed. My mom
bought it for me, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
I was eight years old.
Fast forward some 28 years. My editor asked me if Id be
interested in compiling a book celebrating 30 years of
TRANSFORMERS comics. I thought back to my eight-year-old
self, how much hed envy me right now. I didnt hesitate to
accept the job.
But 30 years is a huge amount of material to cover. How could
I possibly do justice to such a huge amount of material,
published across and around the world by a large number ofpublishers and touching on multiple eras of TRANSFORMERS
lore? I rolled up my sleeves, sat down with IDW editors Justin
Eisinger and John Barber, and of course Hasbro, and tried to
hash out a list that would at least touch on most of the major
epochs of TRANSFORMERS comics. Those books we loved
that we didnt have room for we could at least nod to, in the
form of some Further Reading pages at the end of the book
and in shout-outs in the introductory text.
Ah, yes, the introductory text. The other challenge of this
book, beyond a surfeit of material, was the old chestnut of
balancing the expectations of newcomers with that of the
hardcore fan. It was vital that those of you who are just joining
us be able to understand each story, so placing them in the
right context was critical. But those fans who have read all
of the issues contained herein already (probably two or three
or four times each) should be able to learn something new. To
that end, I reached out to as many artists and writers as I
could to get their perspective on the issues we chose to
feature. I daresay theres something here for everyone.
This book was only possible thanks to the generosity of the
many creators who gave of their time to make this book as
in-depth as possible. Simon Furman, Bob Budiansky, Shane
McCarthy, Guido Guidi, Mike Costa, Casey Coller, JamesRoberts, Nick Roche, Chris Mowry, Marty Isenberg, Boo, Flint
Dille, Chris Metzen, Livio Ramondelli, Andrew Wildman,
Mairghread Scott, Pat Lee, and John Barber, I salute you. To
the many fans who shared their personal scans of original
artwork, including Joe Sherman, Martin Fisher, Chuck Costas,
and Nathan Stacy, I thank you too for your contributions.
Thanks to David Bishop for his invaluable transcription help.
And to you, the readers, get ready to strap in! Youre in for
one hell of a ride!
Jim Sorenson, March 2013
INTRODUCTION
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
9/20
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
10/20
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
11/20
THE TRANSFORMERS #1ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY MARVEL COMICS: SEPTEMBER 1984
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
12/20
It was the year 1983...Hasbro had recently acquired the rights to some amazing new toys from
Takara, a Japanese company. These toys could convert from robots to
vehicles, and everyone involved knew that they had a home run on their
hands. They had a challenge, though. WHY would vehicles reconfigure
themselves into robots? What was the conflict? Why should anyone care?
To answer these questions, Hasbro went to Marvel Comics. Hasbro and
Marvel had collaborated, to great success, to craft the story supporting
the relaunched G.I. Joe toyline. Armed with the names Transformers,
Autobots, and Decepticons, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter wrotethe treatment that would lay out many of the fundamentals of the
universe still in play today, including the idea of these beings as aliens
from the planet Cybertron. Some elements came from an earlier
treatment draft written by comic book legend Dennis O'Neil, including the
name Optimus Prime.
Once Hasbro signed off on the treatment, further development was given
to Marvel editor Bob Budiansky, who proceeded to flesh out (so to speak)
the cast of characters. From his fertile imagination came a plethora of
names, abilities, personalities, and attributes. One name that was initially
rejected was "Megatron." There were some concerns that the name was
"too scary" and that connotations of nuclear war were inappropriate. Bob
fought for the name on the grounds that it was appropriate for the leader
of the bad guys to be at least a little scary. Generations of fans thank him
for the stand he took.
Marvel and Hasbro had now assembled both a basic premise and a horde
of characters. This work would provide the foundation for the first
Transformers comic book. (As well as for the Transformers cartoon, but
that's a story for another book.) The book was launched with a four-issue
miniseries. The book was an instant hit, and plans were soon underway to
expand the series into an ongoing series. It would eventually run 80 issues,
with over 30 issues of spin-offs, crossovers, and sequels. And THAT
doesn't even include the contemporary UK run...
The road to success wasn't without bumps. The first issue went through
a number of changes. Several pages had to be redrawn or were cut up
and rearranged. The four pieces of artwork here and on the next page are
all unfinished. Compare to the finished issue and note the many differences.
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
13/20
Unused / Altered artwork from The Transformers #1
Pencils by Frank Springer; Inks by Kim DeMulder
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
14/20
T
H
E
T
R
A
N
S
F
O
R
M
E
R
S
#
1
198
198
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
15/20
THETR
ANSFORMERS30thANNIVERSARY
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
16/20
T
H
E
T
R
A
N
S
F
O
R
M
E
R
S
#
1
198
198
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
17/20
THETR
ANSFORMERS30thANNIVERSARY
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
18/20
T
H
E
T
R
A
N
S
F
O
R
M
E
R
S
#
1
198
198
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
19/20
THETR
ANSFORMERS30thANNIVERSARY
7/27/2019 Transformers 30th Anniversary Collection Preview
20/20
T
H
E
T
R
A
N
S
F
O
R
M
E
R
S
#
1
198