Friday, October 21, 2011

More than Meets the Eye storyboards!

So, as noted elsewhere, I have been trawling the archives of Heritage Auctions. Way back in the misty days of 2003, it seems they hosted a series of auctions for More than Meets the Eye storyboard segments. Since I thought people might want to see these, I have saved the full-sized images and am rehosting them.

http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards01.jpg

http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards02.jpg

Those two pages were said to specifically be the work of artist Victor Dal Chele. The rest of the storyboard auctions state the artists as "unknown", although some of them seem like they might also be by Dal Chele, going by that sample.

http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards03.jpg

(This Ravage is adorable.)

http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards04.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards05.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards06.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards07.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards08.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards09.jpg
http://obscuretf.com/MTMTEStoryboards10.jpg

Looking at these, one of the things that caught my attention was the fact that, in 06, Hauler wasn't drawn as a crane-truck, or really at all as anything resembling the configuration of the Grapple toy. Out of curiosity, I checked the MTMTE script that Jim tossed up some months back, and it turns out that Hauler was originally scripted as a tow-truck. Could it be that Hauler was originally meant to be proto-Hoist instead of proto-Grapple? The name does fit a tow-truck better, but the real answer is probably forever lost...

Anyway, enjoy the history!

9 comments:

Hans said...

The storyboards do seem to imply a towtruck... perhaps Hasbro was unsure about which Diaclone toys they would re-release as Transformers and they kept changing the game... In any case, Diaclone prototypes were a huge influence on the early cartoon. From unreleased toys appearing to Diaclone colorschemes (Swoop most notably) appearing everywhere.

(I removed the earlier comment due to a typo... didn't know it would still remain on the blog as a "deleted post". Oops)

Anonymous said...

Thank's for posting these! The fact that Hauler is not drawn suggests there was no model-sheet for the artist to use- which to me means that Hauler might have been meant only as a one-off. The decision to use Grapple's vehicle model-sheet may of been more out of necessity then anything else (like Optimus Prime's cab showing up in G.I. Joe Revenge of Cobra ).

I think I actually prefer Ultra-Magnus's original color scheme to his official one, I also would have loved to see 'ScopeMan' as a regular Transformer even though binoculars aren't that exciting a toy.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, with Reflector actually making it into the cartoon but having his toy delayed 2 years anyway, it doesn't seem like Binoc or any other Microchange gadgets stood a chance of making the cut.

You know, I see them making a point of showing Ratchet's trailer/repair-platform separating and can't remember if it did so in the ep, or if this would be the only time in the show. If it only happened in this particular scene, could it be that it's launcher, whose missile looks slightly harpoon-ish, was supposed to fire a grappling line to haul Hound out in the first draft? That would jive with Hauler's early total non-existence.

Nothing I love more than initially toy-less obscures getting the love they deserve. (L?/R?)oadHauler's legacy lives on next year in the form of Nightstalker, another character whose toy should look just like that of a better known guy, but will receive unnecessary changes to make him distinct. The great toy catch-22!

-Bumblevivisector

D.M said...

"The decision to use Grapple's vehicle model-sheet may of been more out of necessity then anything else (like Optimus Prime's cab showing up in G.I. Joe Revenge of Cobra )."

It's fairly clear that these aren't final storyboard. So what most likely happened is that Hasbro at one point wanted to include one more toy, the toy that we later came to know as Grapple. (Note that Shockwave appeared in the cartoon before his toy was released)

Optimus Prime's truck mode is based on a real life truck. It wasn't really the case of model sheet reuse.

"and can't remember if it did so in the ep"
It did.

"If it only happened in this particular scene, could it be that it's launcher, whose missile looks slightly harpoon-ish, was supposed to fire a grappling line to haul Hound out in the first draft? That would jive with Hauler's early total non-existence"
Storyboard depicts a tow truck. Just as specified in the script that was posted on this blog.

Hans said...

If Floro Dery was already at work creating modelsheets for upcoming toys, it's actually possible they wanted to use Hoist (which is reflected in this storyboard and in the script), but the animators may have opted to use Grapple's modelsheet because that was finished already, and mr. Dery hadn't come around to creating a modelsheet for Hoist yet. That's my best guess...

D.M said...

Hasbro was deciding which toys are to be featured, not Marvel and Sunbow.

So if the toy that later became Hoist was meant to be used but then was changed to the toy that later became Grapple, that was Hasbro's decision.

Also, animation doesn't begin to be made until all model sheets are ready.

Anonymous said...

I concede it's possible these aren't final story-boards, but I find it unlikely that is the case. Storyboard art is meant to be simplistic so as to be straight forward and easy to follow.

"You know, I see them making a point of showing Ratchet's trailer/repair-platform separating"

I didn't even notice that! In the animation, Hauler is seen driving with both Ratchet and Cliffjumper to the edge of the cliff... yet, here he only appears in the next panel, as a block. I think you could argue that the block is Ratchet's alternate mode since why else would they show it. Not saying it is by the way, just another wrinkle to add.

Infuriatingly curious.

D.M said...

"but I find it unlikely that is the case."
Look how escape of the workers is depicted here and in the episode. ;)

"I think you could argue that the block is Ratchet's alternate mode since why else would they show it."
Not quite. It has a vague truck shape on the 5th panel.

Anonymous said...

"Look how escape of the workers is depicted here and in the episode. ;)"

Hmmm, you got me there, the scene does seem to play a little differently.

"It has a vague truck shape on the 5th panel."

Very vague. It could also be Ratchet's vehicle mode turned around. Not saying it is, just that it could be anything.