MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Transformers Turns 40 Today!
https://youtu.be/YoeyfTGI7ik

I turned 40 this year and I find myself reflecting on my journey as a writer and creator. My early career involved working on zines and ghostwriting, with my first notable credit being RPG writing for Palladium Books. Those early experiences were formative and enjoyable.

When I launched Conquest Comics, I had two key projects in mind: a sci-fi action/romance series titled FLINT & STEEL and a super-robot series.

Unfortunately, I struggled to find an artist who could handle robot designs with the necessary skill and understanding of scale. This led me to pivot towards a series I had originally developed in 2006, Xenotype. This project leaned heavily into biopunk themes and was inspired by the impending 2012 Mayan Apocalypse and would become a mega-hit with fans.

I later developed a series called SUPER ROBOT CERBERUS, which drew inspiration from ZOIDS, GETTER, and EVANGELION. The concept involved psychopaths overclocking giant robots, leading law enforcement to recruit teenagers (whose mindsets mirrored the psychosis that allowed overclocking the machines) to defend a space elevator from the Lunatic Legion, a band of escaped convicts who had commandeered some of these robots. We even had initial interest from Kelsey Shannon, but his other commitments caused the project to stall, and it ultimately didn’t materialize.

I attempted to reach out to artists from the Zoids and Transformers fandoms, hoping to find someone enthusiastic about mechanized animals and giant robots. However, I encountered challenges in finding an artist who met my needs. The art of drawing mecha and robots seemed to be in decline, and even Japanese schools no longer offered technical drawing classes for mecha, leaving this skill in the hands of a few passionate artists.

Shifting focus, I concentrated on expanding the Xenoverse series, which included DINOKING: EDGE OF EXTINCTION, KAKASHI: MURDER DOLLS, and FATHOM: LEVIATHAN. The serialized format of these stories required frequent updates, which proved challenging given the availability and skill levels of my artists and the numerous excuses and distractions that dominated their professional ambitions.

To address this, I created WONDER ISLAND: HERO OF BRIGHTWATER. Inspired by Tezuka's manga style, this project aimed to be a faster-to-produce, colorful story. Unlike the flawed characters of the Xenoverse, Arrowyn, the hero of Wonder Island, is a fully formed character who embodies goodness and kindness. This project was a tribute to my youth and a heartfelt gift to my daughter... but no one would promote it, and so, it was relentlessly mocked, misinterpreted, misunderstood, misrepresented, and sales languished.

While working on Wonder Island, I saw Joe Ball’s Transformer art and considered reaching out for one last attempt at a giant robot series. However, personal health issues and the challenges of the pandemic shifted my focus. I also saw PTP’s success with the SEEKERS and his action figures, which made me feel that niche might be filled in this space.

However, about a year later a conversation with @toborprime reignited my interest in creating an original giant robot series. But without an artist and other priorities, it was not fully developed and was shelved.

The last and latest desire to do a Giant Robot series came out of you (the fans) asking me to take a shot at AMERICAN MANGA for EVS, a series conceptualized WAY back in the early days of #ComicsGate.

I'd been developing the ANGEL OF DEATH action figure in secret for some time and was confident I could not only write a killer series but build and design a HASBRO quality series of SIX COMBINERS (like Devastator) at a high quality, and so the prospect of working with EVS (someone who might be able to fund such an ambition) was something I didnt want to pass up. The chance I'd ever be able to make a multiple figure combining robot and sell it on the open market any other way, is unrealistic and virtually non-existent.

So, I envisioned a story set during the first Vyzpzz War, featuring a group of working-class individuals who gain the ability to form a giant robot through alien technology. The series would play out a fair bit like THE WALKING DEAD meets SEASON 3 of ROBOTECH (the INVID INVASION) as the last bastions of humanity crumble and are swallowed up by the invading murder hornets. The main characters would be able to combine their vehicles into a super robot for about five minutes at a time, allowing them to defend their communities, but never actually win the war.

Despite crafting a detailed concept, EVS was not interested, possibly due to differing visions, some of the goofiness, or other commitments.

With my ambitions for a super-robot series on hold, I refocused on DINOKING and other projects.

Reflecting on the past, I’m grateful for the inspiration that Transformers has provided over the years. As I continue to work on manga and explore new creative directions, I remain thankful for the support from everyone who has been part of this journey.

And I'm glad that Transformers, in one incarnation or another, still exists. Transformers: The Movie is still to date, the greatest animated action feature EVER produced!

Thanks for Reading!