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SDCC 2014: Hasbro/IDW Panel

Published Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:47:40 -0500

Last updated Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:32:56 -0500

Panel starts with Transformers. Robots in Disguise. Written by John Barber, drawn by Andrew Griffith. They're back on Earth, they're on the search for a mysterious object, hopefully you are enjoying series, showdown, and Buster. Thundercrack is living on earth, has a pet dog, writes screen plays.

Transformers More Than Meets The Eye – James Roberts writing, maybe some old favorites returning, the crew of the lost light on their quest. If you are following it, personal drama and sci-fi stories. You're all at Hasbro panel, one of the best sci-fi comics.

Windblade – Mairghread Scott writing. Sarah Stone art. Issue 4 came out Wednesday, some shocking events in there. The response has been incredible, Windblade announced at Botcon 2013, voted on characteristics, she came in the Dark Cyberton series, and it's been an incredible series.

"That sounds really accurate." – says Scott.
"Windblade will be returning in the near future." said Roberts.

Primacy – Writers Chris Metzen and Flint Dille, artist Livio Ramondeli. Final part of Trilogy they've been doing. Ramondeli has been included in the plotting with this volume, "It's a good ending to this series." he says.

Megatron has joined the Autobots in the recent comics, reminded Roberts.

Transformers Punishment – Barber writen, Livio Ramondeli drawn, it's a digital comic. It'll be out on other OS' shortly, gone live this week possibly on other formats?

Drift: Empire of Stone. Writer Shane McCarthy, artist Guido Guidi, a new drift story, closely related to More Than Meets The Eye. Taking blame for something he didn't do, off on his own for the past year, Ratchet is trying to bring him back to the Lost Light.

The War was Over… 2015 across the comics, across the toys, across all sorts of media, a big event… seeds in comics to day one, and some new characters, developing with Hasbro…. Combiner Wars. Announced this yesterday. Maigrhrad Scott and John Barber, writing, a new war dealing with the Combiners.

Humble Transformers Bundle, DRM-free comics, name your own price, proceeds go to charity.

Michael Kelly, from Hasbro explains. You go on, name your own price, get an exciting selection of comics, the part that is near to my heart, it goes to Hasbro Children's Fund. It's an exciting part of that program, I do encourage you to check it out. Name your own price, help some kids while you're at it. Transformers Classics 1-4, hit the average price, plus all four volumes of All Hail Megatron and more, go above $15, and get even more.

Angry Birds Transformers crossover! Written by John Barber and artist my Marcelo Ferreira. Covers by Livio Ramondelli, and Casey W. Coller & John-Paul Bove, the All-spark fall to Piggy Island. The personalities get grafted onto them. A minion to the pig starts speaking like Starscream. One of the funniest comics we've worked on. Livio is drawing the hard core space battle portion.

Transformers vs GI Joe #1. Sold out at Distributor level. John called me up one day, I don't know if you would like to do a classic old school comics style GI Joe Transformers. "Don't get too excited. It's not set in stone." John said.

"As soon as I got off the phone and began an 100 page outline, of the first four years…"

So it's a return to form, that is appropriate for the combination of these two comics.

Tom Scioli: " together me with John is better than me with myself. It was the best comic I've ever made with my life." Sold out of Con exclusive Liefeld cover. The convention exclusive features the con. I got so resentful, and left him have it, so here I am!

The Fall of GI Joe. Karen Traviss writing, artist Steven Kurth. Drawn in a new style from his last time on the book. Michael Kelly, was talking with John about progress since 2008 reboot with IDW. The Cobra series with Chuckles, how can we bring that element into the story? Talked about a POV character, I'm not sure?

Scarlett is leading the Joe team. A more hardcore realistic take on GI Joe. Steve had drawn them out of order, Traviss wanted them done the way it would really be done.

"Who would be the new leader?" Scarlett, looked at her filecard, deal with this intense situation, she'd be an awesome leader. Get out of espionage and into the field and the politics.

"What happened to Duke? Wait." Said John Barber.

Larry Hama continues his run on Real American Hero, continuing his classic 80s run. Later, Giant Samurai.

Dungeons and Dragons, Legends of Baldur's Gate. Jim Zub writing, Max Dunbar. THis is not preventing Fell's Five. John Rogers is a busy.

D&D 5th edition, this is the 40th anniversary. Legend of Baldur's Gate, 100 years after the video game series, Minsc, and his hamster Boo. Slightly brain addled warrior, joins up with new crew of adventurers, you'll enjoy it if you've played it, but it's a new story set in the 5th edition. Mac Dunbar the artist, he did Mocking Dead and Red Sonja, he's a real talent. Drawing a medieval city in every shot, I'm not making it easy on him. If you played it, you'll enjoy it. If you've never played it, it's a fun fantasy adventure you'll enjoy.

Sarah Stone of Windblade, does covers. Zub promotes the new 5th edition of D&D.

Littlest Pet Shop will be getting a value priced hardcover, around $10. Based on show on the Hub.

MLP: Friendship is Magic. Two weeks ago #21, Manehattan Mystery, the kids go to see Trixie perform in Manehattan, and a diamond goes missing. Is Trixie to blame? Tons of fun.

Agnes Garbowska drew the ongoing for the first time. "AWESOME!" "I liked working with the cast of ponies. Drawing the cast is a challenge, I like being challenged. I freaked out to be honest, I was so so excited, the book was such a blast to work on."

After that, #23 story focusing on the pets. The pet owners are acting strangely, so its up the pets to save the day. Angel the bunny trying to organize things. Off beat issue. Jeremy Whitely, with art by Amy Mebberson.

Discord taking Fluttershy on an adventure. If you are familiar with ponies, you're familiar with Discord.

Friends Forever, Katie Cook writing with Andy Price, Rarity plus Applejack roadtrip, evoking Trains Planes and Automobiles.

Flim Flam Brothers with Granny Smith. Standard pairings, sometimes some characters from out of a hat. Writer Christina Rice, artist Tony Fleecs.

In the fall, POWER PONIES. Ted Anderson writing, Ben Bates art. Pony Superheroes, it's classic superhero hijinks Pony Style. Exclusive #21, 7 page back up story that features Maneiac, their main villain. (Mane, get it?)

Open for questions.

Q: MLP comics. How much the comics have with the show? Shared universe bible? Do what you want?
Michael Kelly: Um, we work closely with the studio team, weaving in and out of their stories without damaging them.

Q: When is the Transformers vs Ponies?
Tom Scioli: I've been promoting TF vs GIJOE. Every where I go, I get that question. Tom when are you doing classic MLP? "You need someone who grew up with this stuff." I imagine something broader, the ultimate Hasbro crossover! PONYS AND ROM AND MASK AND…
Michael Kelly takes Tom's mike away.

Q:Grimlock in the main line? Plans for him?
John: No, he'll never appear again. (joking.) Let's say yes?
Livio: He's in Primacy!
Tom: was going to put him in TF vs Joe #2, decided to not use him because of the movie, Triptocon in issue 2 instead.

Q: Dark Cybertron, certain Shockwave and Bumblebee dead? Did you plan it? Was it improv?
John: It was Jim. When we planned, Phil Jimenez, James Roberts and myself went to Hasbro, everybody is throwing out ideas, I remember, they threw it! We will see what happened to the Crystal City in RiD #33

Q: Does Hasbro dictate the characters in the comic based on toys?
Tom: Heck no. No one told me anything like that. That was closer to the 80s, when Hasbro approached Marvel, but today stories are from the creative teams, a very old notion, and old way of doing business.
Michael Kelly: We don't force the issue, no. I guide things a little when it needs to.

Q: How do Transformers of different ages work?
Mairghread Scott: We work with that. Windblade was from a colony. Spoiler for issue #4, multiple colony worlds, growth periods of their own. Open world up as much as possible. Best part of recent TF, breaking down the black/white Decepticon/Autobot lines.
Tom Scioli: Aren't those the case for the Constructicons?
John Barber: Yes.

Q: TF/JOE? Joe's make their own aerial bots?
Tom Scioli: It's an ongoing comic, anything you can imagine is going to happen in this series, so yes.

Q: Can they take MLP comics into episodes?
Michael Kelly: It's within the realm of possibility.

Q: Why Angry Birds/Transformers?
Tom Scioli: There are certain economic realities. They will combine into something that will transcend all.
John Barber: Just wrote Punishment, a story about killing Decepticons on Cybertron, doing a fun comic for all ages appealed to me. Not about murky politics of 4 million years of way was exciting.

Q: I'm a big fan of the TF stories, bringing back Elita-1, Alpha Triumph, those sorts of episodes?
A: Alpha Triumph will make an appearance real soon in the comics.

Q: How the realistic military take in the GI comics work?
Tom Scioli: I take any opportunity to learn. To learn.
John Barber: Karen Traviss is known for her authenticity, lives and breathes the world of special forces men and women, turned on to the idea of her Tom Waltz, a vet of Desert Storm, she knows the details, the specifics of the mechanics. Gigs and gigs of references, the realism of the mode of thinking, to have to make the decisions they have to live with.

Last question: Who will win?
Tom Scioli: The final issue, maybe in 3028?
Q: Why together?
Tom Scioli: Their history stretches into the past and the future, and Earth where the Joe team lives, you've created the ultimate comic book universe, come to be the definitive, bigger than DC certainly. Eventually bigger than Marvel.

Jim Zub, are you Chaotic Neutral?

End of Panel.

Peter S. Svensson would like to remind you all to attend the Pro/Fan Trivia Contest on 4:00 PM Sunday, where he will be competing for the Fan team. Also, he's on staff for the official Power Rangers convention, Power Morphicon, which is at booth #1000!

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