Tformers is here at SDCC covering the Women of Transformers panel that just kicked off. Panelists include Transformers comics writers Mairghread Scott and Georgia Ball, artists Corin Howell and Sara Pitre-Durocher, Hasbro's Sarah Carroll, and special guests. We are posting images from the panel now and should have a report soon. Panel complete. Read on for our report and images.
IDW presents Women of TF Panel
New Series
Transformers Till all are One
End windblade & set on Cybertron, return of characters, and return on one iconic city. March 2016
How did they enter the world or return to Transformers?
Watch old series, Read the old material.
WIth new series such as Windblade there was no existing stories so had to create that universe
The Windblade series was a gateway for new fans to get into the TF universe
The Inspiration
Different race types with different body types, character designs, different cities.
Character bodies should reflect what they do as a character, and where they came from
Victorian just added to comic and toys and was an opportunity to expand the universe
Most brands are targeted to a specific gender, but they try to get in 10% of other genders, so they can appear in other universes
Windblade had a small cast so the story can focust on Windblade
Why emphasis gender in TF?
They have to make them related to humans too, so genders help with that.
Big debate in community, they are aliens so what does gender mean to them? It is hard to relate them to an "IT" and easier to relate to them as a "HE" or "SHE" representation
Victorion will flow into different things
A new female decepticon will be in the future
What do you think about fans asking the gender to be female?
Originally with windblade it was part what fans were asking for and also Victorion
Mostly dads have been asking for female TFs to get their daughters involved.
Victorian is a giant combiner, tall, powerful, with many different personality so it is natural that there is not always one side to one person.
What are favorite parts of working on comics?
Coming up with composition, inking is challenging, team is fantastic, fan feedback encouraging, would like more sleep but worth it.
It is hard to get diverity in a brand, but TF has a lot more now compared to other brands, John Barber took a chance on the ladies doing the comics.
Beast Wars issue & designs by Corin: there will be Cheetor, Dinobot, Mantaray, Sonar, Air Razor, Tigatron and a big inspiration was Black Arachnia other animals in Beast Wars will be a water buffalo and dragonfly.
When Black Arachnia comes back, she will not be part of a faction.
When Youu get more female characters you will get more relationships such as Ironhide & Chromia, Air Razor & Tigatron
Corin saw Jurassic World before she saw the script, so there will be slight changes in their looks because why would they look so organic on an alien planet.
Bringing back Micromaster Combiners as seen at the end of Windblade.