Niel Kaplan videos

Perhaps you remember me saying I went to the Sacramento Anime Convention in 2006? I took video of the discussion with Niel Kaplan-RID Optimus Prime for those who may not know. I posted it onto Google's video service in four pieces:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3935412747565789075
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6495866625749546835
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4042026377166432542
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1824586801924585164

Just in case any of you are interested in hearing what he had to say about voice acting. I was a bit late to the event (I checked the web site the night before and it said a different time, got there and saw that I was already late. Oops.) I have to give kudos to the guy for being so accessable, this wasn't that big of an event held in Sacramento CA.

I'm targeting the 29th for the release of the next comic issue, just to let you know. Thanks.

Classics Bumblebee Animation

I know I've been promising to get this done up for a while now. I think the files were sitting around for probably a year now. The drawings are by hand, of course, and the compositioning was completed through a combination of Corel Draw and Ultimate Paint. I'm posting the .wmv version because it's smaller and hopefully you can all watch it. I had originally made an animated .gif file format, but at this size it was 9 megs compared to under 1 in .wmv format. I hope you like it.

BTW: I have also created a myspace account http://www.myspace.com/pierrimus where I've been posting pics of what I've been up to, some of my non-TF sci fi/fantasy stuff and about me articles. (In case you were curious). This video below and that one I did of my Buzzsaw repaint are also posted there.

I've also begun to upload some of my oil painting work and photographs to the deviant art page. A project I've begun is to try to scan all my family's pictures and I'll probably post some of them there too, who knows someone might buy something?

Warlog Volume 2, Issue 2 finished !

Actually I finished the art yesterday at 03:00 AM but the final touches required another night so here it is.

DOWNLOAD

Warlog Issue 2. (Trial of Superion part 2 of 5)
10 pages.
3.3 Mb size
cbr format
Next issue 12 December 2007 !

If any of you read it, could you please give comment/remarks so I can make it a better issue ! via mail or below this box....

now I can continue drawing for the Transmasters comic.....

greetings Johan,
This Saturday......AMSTERDAM.....IMAX.....TRANSFORMERS !!!!

BOP #33...

Despite what I initially thought, BOP #33 is actually on time (I'm as shocked as you are. :) Anyway, it is now done and available for ordering! It costs $3/US issue for those who want the whole thing. Email me at tkphoton@hotmail.com to get a copy!

EDIT: The stories from BOP #31 & #32 *are* now up at:
www.karmicsalt.com/boparchive.html


In regards to the future issues, BOP #34 is done in rough and #35 is not written yet (only plotted). It's likely issue #34 will be out on time in November.

- Thunder

TF Comic Review...

Transformers Devastation #1

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: EJ Su

(covers by EJ Su and Nick Roche)

Synopsis: Nightbeat discovers that the computer with the surveillance data about the abandoned Decepticon base in Nebraska has a homing device in it, thus explaining how the Machination have been able to track them to-date. He suggests to Optimus Prime that they move Ark-19 immediately. Elsewhere, Hot Rod and Wheeljack home in on Ironhide's signal and plan to go rescue him before he's destroyed in a scrapyard. Megatron tells Sixshot to get out there and destroy the Autobots--he's sick of their interference. Nearby, the other Decepticons fear Megatron's gone mad and look to reactivating Starscream so he can dare to reason with their Leader. In Brasnya, the Skywatch put Ravage out (who's under their control) and tell him to find the other TFs.... Ravage subsequently howls like a dog (even though he's supposed to be a Jaguar). The humans whine how no one's listening to them while Prime orders Hound, Sideswipe, etc to return to Earth ASAP. Ratbat watches from a higher position as Ark-19 lifts off and informs Megatron. Megatron launches Sixshot after the Autobots, who attacks them mid-flight and their ship begins to crash--right in the middle of suburbia!

Comments: A great cliffhanger ending! The rest of the issue was decent too. I have to say I'm getting a little tired of all the background plotting, though. We have two groups of covert humans running around; the missing Sunstreaker and Hunter; Autobots vs. Decepticons and who knows how many other plot threads waiting to come into play. I want to see something conclusive come of the story called Devastation, like Earth gets destroyed or the Machination are revealed--or something already! Enough plotting, it's time for some pay-off! Other things of note: Ravage howls like a dog, for some reason (did we forget he's a cat?) And where exactly did Ratbat come from? He's never been mentioned before now. Otherwise, a decent issue...

Mildly Recommended.


***
Transformers Beast Wars
The Ascending #1

Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(both covers by Don Figueroa)

Synopsis: Magmatron is temporally displaced after the events of the first mini-series. He can go everywhere in time but not affect anything at all. He witnesses the end of all Transformers then hops back to the Beast Wars once again and watches events. Ravage's Predacons assault Razorbeast's Maximals... Ravage uses the battle as a distraction to try and retrieve the Chronal Phase Facilitators (that Magmatron had tried to use to take Megatron back in the last series) because the main Beast Wars are over and Optimus Primal and the others are returning to the future and Cybertron. Razorbeast defeats him and Magmatron goes further back, to when they originally tried contacting the Maximals on Cybertron for help. The signal never reached Lioconvoy but somehow Magmatron can enhance the signal so it does reach Cybertron this time around. Lioconvoy and the others plan to launch a rescue party, ASAP. Somewhere else, a tyrant(Rampage?) plans to ascend to Godhood (or something nefarious)--is Magmatron's plotting too little, too late?

Comments: Another chapter of the IDW Beast Wars story... hmm. I found the first series to be a bit disappointing so I approached this issue skeptically. It seems like Furman is setting up some kind of new, cosmic apocalypse storyline--one possibly involving Shockoract/Unicron again. Yawn, how exciting... (I'm just tired of Unicron stories in general. I'd like to see him take a long rest in the TF mythos). It's too early to tell whether or not this story will be good or tank. With four issues, I'm not overly hopeful we'll see a resolution soon but perhaps he'll surprise us.

Mildly recommended.

Warlog preview art

Hi everyone,
a co-woker asked me to upload some art, mainly because he scanned it in for me and wanted to see the 'before an after' results.
So I thought I'd make it an item on the Blog and the regular warlog site.
It is a page that hopefully will be featured in the next Transmasters comic.
chek it out here on the news page >>>>> preview art

Greetings Backbreaker.
....Warlog issue 2 coming 10 october 2007....

TM Symbol/logo update

So, I've been playing around with Corel Draw a bit lately and wanted to come up with a more professional look to the club symbol. Below is a mini version and a sort of quickie-TF Animated themed logo...not really the one I preffer. I'm partial to my movie logo one, but thought I'd share. I'll post some bigger versions of the symbol on my deviant art site or if you have Corel Draw and want, I'll email the full file to you. Thanks.

New Cybertron Legends KOs

Just for the sake of being able to post something that might be relevant for the next week or so I was able to pick up these MORPHOBOTS, basically Cybertron Legends toys at the dollar tree yesterday. Here are some pics. The 3rd one is a comparrison with the Legends toys I have.

I'm a deviant --artist that is.

Finally decided to check out DeviantArt for posting files to. You can check out my first 3 submissions at:

http://pierrimus.deviantart.com/

They include 2 brand new MTMTE template files themed for the TF Classics line and Bumblebee's bio as a sample. (Click for full view, then right click save as to save to your computer.) I like using this site because I can post them at full size rather than how the first MTMTE templates I posted here, they were reduced. I might post more stuff there later and expect to see a set of Dinobots done in this style for the upcoming Octobot (err...October) Transmaster comic. I just didn't want to wait to post these as other fans may also get a kick out of using them. Let me know if you'd be interested in more of these templates...now with an official Beast Wars guidebook coming out it might be cool to do more up for the different generations?

I'm going to be throwing out the "no crossovers" rule entirely. So you should go wild with creativity if ya wanta. I'm going to do something for the cover of the comic that will be a blast from the past but fit in with the whole halloween thing. I'm still working on the short 5 page intro comic to my Binaltertech story (Yea, combo of Binaltech and Alternators so I can pull characters from both lines...you'll see.) Tons of new Trans Blunders...'cause they're easy to draw.

One of these days, hopefully sooner than later, I'd like to revamp the main Transmasters site so it gathers together the blog, our comic/mags and other stuff into a better organized system. I tend to just refer things to the blog, but it's not really where people go to join the club....ah time, ever elusive isn't it? Take care.

Comic Capsule Review...

Transformers Spotlight
Optimus Prime


Writer: Simon Furman
Artist: Don Figueroa

(covers by Don Figueroa and Gabriel Rodriguez)

Summary: Optimus Prime is troubled and in need of answers. During his recent brush with death, he felt another presence out there... someone who should be long dead--another Prime! He travels to see Omega Supreme and get some answers. We learn Nova Prime went missing along with the original Ark and that he has expansionist ideas--that he believed Transformers were above other lifeforms. In the middle of their conversation, the Monster Pretenders break in, combined as Monstructor and attack. After a fierce battle, Monstructor is beaten and Optimus swears he will try to help them in their condition then returns to Earth.

Comments: I've largely been enjoying the Spotlight series most of anything IDW has done and this was another fairly good issue. There's not a lot of characterization for Optimus here--certainly nothing beyond what we normally see (i.e. he's self righteous, strong and perpetually worried like usual). The story works though and Furman continues revealing hints, bits and pieces toward whatever his ultimate story goal is. Nova Prime, like Sentinel Prime in the Megatron Origin comic, seems to not be a bastion of goodness but rather another flawed character with potentially dangerous ideas about his people and the universe. It was also cool seeing Omega Supreme in a story as well as the introduction of Combiner teams (one story glitch I noticed--Optimus calls the gestalt "Monstructor" even though Omega Supreme never calls him by name once). The artwork here was standard IDW goodness.

Final verdict: Recommended.

***
Transformers: Megatron Origin #3

Writer: Eric Holmes
Artist: Alex Milne

(covers by Alex Milne and Marcelo Matere)

Summary: Megatron gets repaired in his hide out as Soundwave joins him. He tells Megatron has he done as he commanded and retrieved a flyer for him--not just one, but three: Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker. Megatron tells them he has great plans for them... Elsewhere, the Autobots mourn the loss of their two comrades (red shirt #1 and red shirt #2 from last issue) and plan to make the outlaws pay for their crimes. The proto Decepticons go out and commit several acts of sabotage, including kidnapping the Senator from the previous issues. Their mysterious benefactor watches footage and muses how this has gotten out of control... Elsewhere, Megatron gathers a legion of outcasts and proposes they join him on his mission to reshape Cybertron itself--but all are attacked immediately thereafter by the Autobots and arrested.

Comments: Another issue and this one's been the best of three so far (which isn't saying that much really). I've started wondering if this whole story wouldn't have been better condensed down to one or two issues--it seems to suffer from that whole decompression thing that lots of modern comics do. There's a good idea here or there but far too much story padding around it. Also, like many people and the Star Wars prequels, I kind of wonder if we need to have every murky TF back story detail written out and clearly explained--honestly, I preferred it when the Megatron/Decepticon rise was a bit murkier. Still, issue #3 is an improvement over the previous issues... mainly, because a lot happens in it. The art is decent but one complaint I have that's specific to Milne is that he does some panels where I just don't know what's supposed to be happening (like some in this issue where Sentinel Prime is preparing his weapons--or something--before asking the Autobots what they're going to do about the outcasts).

Final Verdict: Mildly recommended.