Sunday, July 08, 2007

Transformers Reconstituted

Our great old pals from the '80s, those wild and whacky rampaging robots, get a freshening courtesy of Cartoon Network (it's more than just live-action cgi, don't you know):

"Transformers" is transforming — again.

Even before the bigscreen incarnation, shaped for broader appeal by Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg, hit theaters July 3, toymaker Hasbro was gearing up to reach another aud: young children.

The durable toon franchise will return with 26 half-hour episodes on the Cartoon Network, kicking off with a 90-minute special in January.

"It's going to be different from what it has been," says Hasbro's global VP for "Transformers" Samantha Lomow. "The storytelling full of humor — we didn't really have much of that in the past. We want to make the show a lot more fun for a younger audience."

In its most recent incarnations, the "Transformers" cartoon has been produced in Japan and overdubbed for syndication in the U.S. This time, Matt Youngberg, Sam Register and Derrick Wyatt (all of whom worked on "Teen Titans") will be reworking the characters for Cartoon Network; Marty Isenberg ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" ) will be head writer. Designs are reminiscent of the "Teen Titans," with stylized bodies and a fluidity lacking in the last Transformers cartoon, "Cybertron."

As we know, Transformers is/are a joy forever, particulalry if you're male and between oh, six and sixteen.

I, for one, think that a great big "thank you" is due to Mr. Bay and Mr. Spielberg for propelling this latest iteration.

6 comments:

gemini82 said...

I heard the news for a new Transformers cartoon a few days ago. I really hope it doesn't fall the way of other Transformers reboots, watch them they will really want to make you pull your eyes out.The only exception is Beast Wars and Beast Machines,which maintained some sense of continuity from the original series. Ok I've digressed into Transformers geek speak. Really looking forward to the reboot

Anonymous said...

The preliminary artwork for this show looks atrocious.
Cartoon Network seems to have completely lost its integrity and adopted the Disney-Channel-style executive-driven method of re-hashing old ideas and perpetually watering-down old franchises.
I guess it was bound to happen eventually.

Chris Battle said...

Don't you mean the Warner Bros. style of re-invigorating classic franchises with new artistic visions? (I'm talking about their comic-book shows, not Loonatiks or Scooby Doo)

I think the new style looks amazing-- The show is staffed by several artists from TEEN TITANS, so you know they have the action chops to pull it off. (Not to mention that most of them grew up with the original and have plenty of love for it.) I believe that just as the multiple comic & cartoon versions of BATMAN, SPIDER-MAN, & STAR WARS have proved, there's always room for new interpretations of iconic characters, so long as the "heart" of the show is retained.

...and I don't think Optimus Prime has lips in this one. :)

Anonymous said...

But why do a show about fighting robots in the same style as a show about superhero teenagers?

I just think there's a tragic lack of innovation and originality in current (American) animation studios.

Everything coming from this country is starting to blur together and look/sound/feel exactly the same.

Everyone from the executives down to the designers seems content to be safe and follow formulas.

Lame.

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