Transformers 80s cartoon storyboards & scripts

[KELPIE]

This is fantastic. Can't wait to find some quiet time and give it a read.

[Greebtron]

Now up at the Sunbow Marvel Archive are early storyboards for The Transformers The Movie. Covering the initial third of the film before jumping to Unicron's transformation. Working from a slightly earlier version of the script, they include more brutal deaths for the shuttle crew, as well as the confirmed death of Mirage (layout simplification on the final version makes it ambiguous).

The boards can be viewed via the storyboard gallery index, along with their finalised versions.
The Sunbow Marvel Archive: Storyboard viewing gallery

Below is an animatic I put together of the somewhat different cassette battle:

[griffin]

That video clip is very well done, really bringing to life how that cassette battle scene was originally planned... and makes me wonder where those missing Autobot cassette toys are, as Hasbro must have been working on them, or had the designs based on existing Japanese designs.
(and why we haven't had all of them produced by Hasbro in some fashion yet... other than Stripes, done as a Ravage redeco)

[Greebtron]

Added to the Sunbow Marvel Archive this month is a plethora of G1 cartoon material, with storyboards from the following:

• Unproduced pilot miniseries/Season 1 intro sequence
• More Than Meets The Eye, Part 2
• More Than Meets The Eye, Part 3
• Transport To Oblivion
• Roll For It
• The Ultimate Doom, Part 3
• Countdown To Extinction
• Unproduced Season 2 intro sequence
• Unproduced commercial bumper
• Autobot Spike
• The Immobilizer

Additionally, a quartet of story premises, written by storyboard artist Wendell Washer during early Season 2, have also become available. Along with the early version of the 1985 New Product briefing he was given for reference. Three of the unused stories focus on Omega Supreme (then under the working name of Fortress Maximus), and a fourth focusing on Seaspray.

All of these can be viewed at The Sunbow Marvel Archive: MP 700 The Transformers, Part 1 1984 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

Below is an animatic, edited by me, of the unproduced season 2 intro sequence:

[KELPIE]

This stuff you are releasing is pure gold.

Is there ever a plan to release a book with commentary? I'm sure Flint would be on board if contacted. Then just manage licensing.

[Greebtron]

Unless some company was willing to pay the bills in return for writing it, I can't see much point being one of those people who spend years writing a book about these franchises. Not when I can put something on the site within 10 minutes and be promoting it everywhere within an hour.

On a related note, Chris McFeely just dropped a 46 minute video covering the writing of TFTM, making use of everything the Archive has available:

[KELPIE]

Unless some company was willing to pay the bills in return for writing it, I can't see much point being one of those people who spend years writing a book about these franchises. Not when I can put something on the site within 10 minutes and be promoting it everywhere within an hour.

Fair enough... if I ever win Lotto, I'll hit you up

I'd just be concerned about the server dying, or not wanting to pay hosting fees in 8 years time...

On a related note, Chris McFeely just dropped a 46 minute video covering the writing of TFTM, making use of everything the Archive has available

Just quietly I'm not a fan of the channel... probably more jealousy than anything else :P