Transformers disruptions and updates due to COVID-19

[griffin]

SDCC has been cancelled for this year, so that will affect the reveal of new items this year. I'm guessing that there might end up being a lot more online reveals around July instead.

[DELTAprime]

SDCC has been cancelled for this year, so that will affect the reveal of new items this year. I'm guessing that there might end up being a lot more online reveals around July instead.

Given they have probably already been produced I wonder how Hasbro will sell this year's SDCC exclusives? Pulse exclusive or wider release?

[reillyd]

I just presumed no SDCC no production of exclusive toys...... but you're right Delta they're probably well into production by now. I assume HasbroPulse or some online retailers. Hopefully it will be cheaper than hitting ebay which is what I usually would do.

[Paulbot]

Probably exclusives like last year when HasCon didn't happen but the Refkrator 3 pack showed up with HasCon still printed on the boxes

[griffin]

We already heard that the global comics distributor Diamond is suspending its sales of comics until at least May, and that IDW was going to also have to suspend it's comics for at least a month, but as the situation in America continues to drag on with no end in sight for the virus in that country, IDW have announced that they have had to suspend a number of their staff until they can resume production of comics again... which at this point could be anything from next month to next year.

Unfortunately, while IDW are effectively closed down, and while Diamond aren't trading, new Transformers comics might be a while... for the few of us who were actually still buying the current ones.

[griffin]

With SDCC now cancelled for this year, it comes as no surprise that the Tokyo Toy Show in Japan (held in the same week), has also now been cancelled for this year.
The Japanese Summer (mid-year) Wonderfest has also been affected, but they are postponing theirs to Autumn (November 1st).

[Paulbot]

With SDCC now cancelled for this year, it comes as no surprise that the Tokyo Toy Show in Japan (held in the same week), has also now been cancelled for this year.
The Japanese Summer (mid-year) Wonderfest has also been affected, but they are postponing theirs to Autumn (November 1st).

I remember I almost didn't go to the meetup with the Australian Toy Fair because hayfever gave me a runny nose and we were starting to become a little wary. Who knew it was going to escalate the way it did

[griffin]

We already heard that the global comics distributor Diamond is suspending its sales of comics until at least May, and that IDW was going to also have to suspend it's comics for at least a month, but as the situation in America continues to drag on with no end in sight for the virus in that country, IDW have announced that they have had to suspend a number of their staff until they can resume production of comics again... which at this point could be anything from next month to next year.

Unfortunately, while IDW are effectively closed down, and while Diamond aren't trading, new Transformers comics might be a while... for the few of us who were actually still buying the current ones.

Are IDW still releasing new comics digitally, or did they suspend those as well?
I'm guessing that if they have stopped releasing physical copies, and shut down a number of their operations, they would run out of issues ready to release digitally after a while anyway.

IDW have just noted that what was first hoped to be a short term closure of their office resulting in suspending a number of staff to save money, has now ended up requiring a more long-term outcome of letting go of a number of staff (some may or may not have been people who were suspended in April)...

layoffs for Managing Editor Denton Tipton, Associate Publisher David Hedgecock, Senior Graphic Artist Gilberto Lazcano, Senior Graphic Designer Christa Miesner and Brand & Marketing Manager Spencer Reeve.

In April, IDW made the difficult decision to furlough several valued staff members, and two weeks ago, IDW welcomed several of those staffers back full-time. However, as we continue to adapt and deal with these challenging times, we have been forced to lay-off some of our longtime co-workers and friends. Although tough decisions like this are an unfortunate business reality and there is never a good time for them, these changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of the company.

Regular readers of their comics may recognise some of those names. I only recognise Denton, as he has been with IDW since 2008, working on quite a few Transformers issues (including writing an issue).

[reillyd]

IDW did suspend comics digitally (you can?t sell those print copies at stores if people have already bought the digital versions) but DID release two or three non-tf on Saturday. Of note is that one of these is the highly anticipated Clone Wars comic, which should see heavy sales and thus revenue to idw to keep it going. It?s also a weekly comic for five issues, to promote new clone wars cartoon. Things should revert back to normal shipping this week to all comic stores through Diamond, and we should start to see new comics again. I?m pretty sure IDW will survive this one.

Of note, to ?See? the new Star Wars Adventures: Clone wars comic you need to be using a VPN but can then download it normally.