The cybercat is out of the bag! Today, at the BotCon IDW panel, we announced my next Transformers book. In 2013 (or perhaps earlier... we shall see) you can look forward to a new, high-format book from Bill Forster and myself.
Legacy: The Box Art of The Transformers is going to be something special. I've been working on it for a while now, and I'm really amazingly pleased with how well it is going. We've been working with Hasbro, Part One (the parent company of eHobby), and numerous private collectors to pull together the definitive coffee table book of Transformers packaging art.
A lot of things, like the date and the page count, are still up in the air. However, here's what has already been decided on:
1: The scope will be G1 and G2. No Beast Wars or beyond. We'll be covering every year in the US, as well as the entire Japanese set of releases. It's possible that we might get Europe in too, if we can find the material. That remains to be seen.
2: The extras will be substantial. We're talking essays and interviews with the original artists, modern repaints of vintage artwork (think eHobby exclusives), unused box art, production sketches for box art and more.
3: In terms of scale, we've got more then 750 images in hand, and a few more last-minute leads to pursue. I'd like to get those numbers up, so if you are a collector of the originals, drop me a line!
This is the big one. Transformers box art. Tell your friends.
Addendum:
Many of you are asking what pieces I'm looking for. While there are many I'd like to have, here are the biggest omissions so far:
US G1:
Quickmix
US Astrotrain (Train Mode)
US Trypticon
US Piranacon
Action Masters:
Bumblebee, Jackpot, Rollout, Skyfall,
Sprocket (bot), Wheeljack (bot), Optimus Prime (Bot only), Prowl (both)
Banzai-Tron, Devastator, Krok, Shockwave, Treadshot
Starscream (both), Axer (both)
US G2:
Dinobots (color variants, possibly Italian only), Windrazor, Autobot Cyber Jets, Auto-Rollers Roadblock, Gobots (2nd wave). I'd also like the watch artwork. Unused G2 artwork, especially from the tail-end of the line, would also be very cool.
Japanese G1:
Dino cassettes: Graphy, Noise, Dial, Saur
Sparkdash: Hardspark, Hotspark, Wildspark
Six-Knight
Rocket Base
Battle Patrol (Micromasters)
Super Car Patrol (Micromasters)
Europe:
Virtually all, but especially at least one of the battle murals from the back. Pyro and Clench are personal favorites. I find the Rescue Force and the new Scrapper art pretty cool too.
Catalog and Puzzle:
There was a bit of catalog and puzzle artwork created in the same style around this time frame, I'd like to feature some in the book.
Diaclone / Microman:
Diaclone and Microman artwork is also of interest. Omnibots, Bumper (that is to say,
MC-04 Mini CAR Robo 02 Familia 1500XG), Kronoformers, Powerdashers would
be high on the list of priorities. I'm also partial to Powered Convoy, and the blue Blaster Microman artwork.
Other:
I'd like to get my hands on the micromaster combiner back-of-the-box artwork that's in a kind of cartoony style, especially from the Combiner boxes. Oddities, like the
Tyco sets, are also of interest. Any unused package art, guys that never actually came out or alternate variants for guys who did, are of keen interst.
Upgrades:
There are also some that I have decent quality pics of but I'd like to upgrade, mostly from 87:
Galvatron
Throttlebots
Terrorcons minus Hun-Grrrr
Japanese Computron, Strafe, Lightspeed, Afterburner
Laser Optimus Prime
G2 Sideswipe
G2 Gobots (wave 1)
If you have originals or transparencies for any of these guys, you could help me out a lot and get your name in the book.
Madman's Paradise continues! This week, it's monsters working for The Red Wizard and some cool siege gear. Four down, one to go!
