An auction has appeared on ebay for a black testshot of the Beast Wars Optimal Optimus toy.  The auction claims that only 2 of these items have been confirmed to exist, although they also include a photograph of a certificate from Wixbang toys stating that there were probably less than 10 made.

The auction lists the item as a Hardcopy Optimal Optimus toy, although this does not appear to be the case.  Having said that we've not seen this testshot before and you don't see too many original Beast Wars testshots around, especially of this size.  The auction has a starting price of just under $2000.

Registrations are now open for the 2009 US Toy Fair which takes place from February 15th-18th at the Javits Center in New York.  The show features more than 100,000 products, including more than 7,00 new ranges and over 1,200 exhibitors, plus a full seminar programme.  You can register here.

Transformers Animated Free-to-air Petition Reminder

Derrick Wyatt has posted a comment on his blog distancing himself from Transformers Animated sideswipe, a character that will debut in the first issue of the upcoming UK Transformers Animated comic.  When asked if he had anything to do with the design, Derrick replied "I wasn't involved at all. I hadn't seen it, or even heard they were doing it until it showed up on all the fan sites in the past few days."

Transformers Animated Free-to-air Petition Reminder

Simon Furman has updated his blog with an article regarding the latest issue of the UK exclusive Transformers comic from Titan Magazines.  The comic is officially released today though those who subscribe online may have already received their copies.  Here are some quotes.

"More Transformers goodness hits this week in the shape of Transformers (UK) comic/magazine #17, a packed, oversized issue featuring not but two new/UK-exclusive Transformers stories!" The first of these is set firmly in the new movie-verse, or at least the alternate one established by events in the epic ‘Twilight’s Last Gleaming.’ Get ready now for an all-new multi-part epic in the shape of ‘Return to Cybertron,’ a positively world-shattering tale that takes the Autobots back to their homeworld (not the nicest of places to be currently) and into one of their biggest and most fraught battles.  Featuring a whole host of new characters making their strip debut, at least this side of the Atlantic, ‘Return to Cybertron pt1’ is simply not to be missed. Story is by me, art by Jon Davis-Hunt

The second strip is a a bonus 5-page Transformers Animated story, featuring the Dinobots and is also written by Simon Furman.

Transformers Animated Free-to-air Petition Reminder

Just a quick reminder to urge you all to sign the petition we created over at PetitionOnline.com to show your support for GMTV To aquire the rights to broadcast Transformers Animated on their UK terrestrial channel ASAP.  GMTV are in slow negotiations over the rights with Entertainment Rights and fan support may help them pick up their feet and clinch the deal.

After the "terrible but turning out to not be that bad" news for UK Transformers Animated fans it is unfortunately time for us to bring you some bad news after all.  We have been in touch with Entertainment Rights who hold the International Distribution rights for Transformers Animated and asked them for an update on the UK terrestrial airing situation for Transformers Animated.  The answer was that GMTV, who are the station who have been in negotiations for broadcasting the show, have been some what slow in their discussions with Entertainment Rights.  We have been told that there is still a chance that the show will air in the Spring of 2009 to coincide with the release of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.

However, and before anyone starts to moan, we (the collected Transformers fans from around the world) can change this and ER have given us their blessing to create a petition for fellow Transformers fans to sign to show GMTV the support and demand that exists to have the current Transformers show broadcast on a free-to-air channel within the UK.  As such we have created a petition over at PetitionOnline.com which we urge you all to go and sign.  We will be passing the URL along to Entertainment Rights who, assuming the support is strong enough, can present it directly to GMTV.  So what are you waiting for.  Go sign it and spread the links

It gives us pleasure to announced that TransformersAnimated.com can bring you an exclusive first look at a new Transformers Animated character that will be introduced into the Transformers Animated world in issue one of the upcoming UK exclusive Transformers Animated comic from Titan Magazines.  The character is none-other than Sideswipe!  He will debut with in originated strip called Sideswiped which has been written by Simon Furman with pencils and inks by John McCrea.

You can view an inked image of this character on the Sideswipe comic images section of TransformersAnimated.com

A note to fellow webmasters, please link to the news story at TransformersAnimated.com and do not mirror this image until it is sent out with the official release on Friday

We can now end the speculation regarding the state of Transformers Animated within the UK by bringing you word direct from the brand manager at Hasbro UK, who has been in meetings for most of the day, and here it is:

"Transformers Animated is not being discontinued in the UK and we do have plans to bring in Wave 4.5 later in 2008"

So that's it, you can stop panicking.  The wave has been delayed and not cancelled.  Hopefully we'll be able to bring you confirmation later of whether the wave will be released in November of December shortly

UPDATE: Hasbro UK have told us that Wave 4.5 will now due for release on the first week of November.

TF08.net have posted two more images of the upcoming Transformers Universe Special Edition Dragstrip figure in packaging.  You can view the mirrored images below.

We've been holding back on reporting this news until more concrete information was available but we've taken the decision to post it now and then update it as more information becomes available.

Yesterday Kapow toys reported, via TFW2005, that they had"received a phone call from one of my suppliers this afternoon with regard to the Transformers Animated line, many retailers have wave 4.5 on pre-order from Hasbro, this includes Swoop, Sentinel Prime etc, the bad news is that I received a warning that the line may be cancelled before wave 4.5 and not to offer pre-orders for the figures.".  Many fans missed the "may be" part of the post and reacted thinking that the toyline and cartoon had be shelved in the UK meaning that other countries might follow suit.  Since then both Kapow and ourselves have contacted Hasbro UK for clarification.

This morning Kapow received additional information that Wave 4.5 was being cancelled, nothing was mentioned regarding further wave or the line in general.  Now before anyone panics, it is our belief that this news will turn out to be that just Wave 4.5 has been cancelled.  If you look back at the breakdown report that we posted, you will see that Wave 4.5 only included one new toy, the recoloured Bumblebee as Elite Guard Bumblebee.  The other two main toys from that Wave (Swoop and Sentinal Prime) are also due for release as part of Wave 4.  Therefore things will not be as bad as many fans fear.  Future UK waves have not been announced, but it is quiet likely that Hasbro do not want to change the stock that is on the shelves again too close to Christmas.

Both wave 4 and Wave 4.5 were scheduled for release within the UK this month (October 2008), the same month that the UK exclusive Transformers Animated comic is released.  It should also be noted that a Terrestrial channel is supposedly going to start airing Transformers Animated from next year.

Again, the latest on this news story is that wave 4.5 has been cancelled.  Further updates will be made as more information becomes available.

Titan Books have sent out another promotional wallpaper to advertise the upcoming UK exclusive Transformers Animated Comic which is being released under the Titan Magazines Kids banner.  The wallpaper features Optimus Prime and can be downloaded from the Wallpaper section of TransformersAnimated.com

The UK Transformers Animated comic is out on the 23rd October 2008 and you can create a subscription by visitng the Titan website.

The following news is best taken with a bag of salt and should be considered a rumour.  TFW2005.com are reporting that their Transformers Revenge of the Fallen "insider" has told them of the vehicles that will combine to form Devastator in the Transformers sequel. The vehicles are:

O&K/Terex RH400 - Hydrolic Mining Excavator - (red)
Caterpillar 992G - Wheel Loader - (yellow)
Caterpillar 773B - Dump Truck - (green)
Mack Cement Mixer - (silver/white)
Komatsu HD465-7 - Articulated Dump Truck - (red)
Kobelco CK2500 - Truss Crane - (yellow)
Caterpillar D9L - Bulldozer - (beige)

Though TFW2005 do have connections to Hasbro, with members of the Hasbro team reportedly posting on their message board, and Roberto Orci posts on their, it is also possble that they are working independantly or with Paramount Pictures to create false rumours and/or are receiving false information via a deliberate "leak" to try to keep the hype going surrounding the film.   Again, no further information onn their source has been released.

Seibertron.com are reporting that the highly-anticipated Transformers Club exclusive Seacon sets are finally arriving. The figures had originally been announced as a Wal-Mart exclusive for original Transformers Universe line in August 2004, during the Official Transformers Collectors' Club Convention, but the set had been shelved due to lack of retailer interest and its fate had been uncertain for years.  Some fans, such as Minon from our own message board, were fortunate enough to pick up the figures and now thnaks to the TFCC more Transformers fans are able to do so.

Derrick Wyatt has posted yet another comment over on his message board regarding Transformers Animated series 3 as well as what influences the Transformers Animated staff.  You can find a quote below.

"My influences are some of the things mentioned above, mixed with a heavy dose of 80's cartoons (Mighty Orbots and others), Hanna Barbera, 2000AD comics, anything Gainax does, Robert Valley and Jamie Hewlett, the list goes on and on. For the design of the new TFA series, I wanted to get back to basics with the Transformers, while splicing in some of that Orbots and ABC Warriors look and feel. It's also been my scheme all along to get new toys made of my old favorite Transformers.

TriBlurr, I think your Beachcomber is pretty close to what we did. I kept his face Smurfy-blue, and colored him all blue from the waste down, so he looks like he's wearing pants and no shoes. Get a job, Beachcomber, you worthless slacker!

The twins jet modes might have a little old school sci-fi tv inspiration in them, yes.

Wow, the Sailor Moon fans are out in force! Sailor Moon probably influenced at least every female crew member that works on Transformers Animated. I'm not sure how much of that ends up in the show. Do you have a specific example of what you think it was influential in?

Blackout is the ANIMATED Blackout. Spittor does have a bot mode. Into space. No hints on Sari."