Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: andrew Wildman, idw, marvel, MVL, simon furman, transformers

Would IDW Restart Transformers From Marvel Continuity?

Published Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:13:59 -0500

It all began with a question and answer session that long time Transformers comic book writer Simon Furman did on his blog and the IDW forums.

He wrote "I actually would like to pick up the baton from Marvel issue #80 and run with it again. There was a lot we never got to do, that I'd like to revisit or just to take the next big steps with all that we'd set up in the previous 20 or so issues."

IDW had done this with their GI Joe series, but with Transformers the older Marvel continuity was junked, even if IDW had just reprinted almost all of it in classic collectionsm, and have used creators from that series…

The IDW forums seemed to support Simon's position. Before you knew it there was a petition.

Then original series artist who drew eleven of the final twelve Marvel issues, Andrew Wildman chipped in:

"A while ago myself and Simon Furman considered the idea of picking up where we left off with the old Marvel Comics run of Transformers. For me it came about because after doing a series of six covers IDW asked me to do some interior art for their Transformers book. I wasn't particularly interested in doing any so they asked me what it would take to do some. Well the obvious amswer would be copious amounts of dallar but to be honest it wasn't about that. It was more to do with the fact that I was happy to just do cover art for Transformers and that I am busy doing other stuff these days. I gave it some thought though and put to them that it would be possible under a couple of conditions. First was that I would want to work with Simon Furman. Second was that we would want to do something that had a point. Something that felt like it was really saying something. I came up with the gist of an idea and put it to Simon. He ran with it and things began to take shape. What was clear was that it fitted well into the continuity of our old Marvel run. IDW agreed that there is precedent for this with the fact that GI Joe recently picked up on Larry Hama's old Marvel story threads. So. An idea took shape and we almost had it until the current economic siutation put the breaks on it.

"So where are we now? Well it is clear that IDW are not resistant to the idea but in these current times of relatively low comics sales they would need to feel confident that it would sell.

"So what can be done about it? If you are interested, sign the petition that is going about. Get enough names on that and it would clearly be a viable project. Of course it remains to be seen who would draw it as there are other interested parties but I think it is safe to say that Simon would love to get his teeth into it."

So the ball is in your court. A transforming ball, that may turn into Transformers #81…

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