Hasbro have issue the following press release over at Transformers.com

Sneak Peak: The new Transformers Animated Collection

Story Content Straight from Toy Fair in New York City, take a look at the new Animated product line. Animated Deluxe, Voyager and Optimus vs Megatron: The Battle Begins pack will be on-shelf 6/22 with five more assortments available beginning in August.

The new Transformers: Animated series brings exciting new battles and adventures to Cartoon Network every Saturday morning! The show features dramatic, new styling and a core group of characters developed with human traits. Our designers coupled fun product features and the cool stylistic design from the animation to help kids of all ages better understand who these characters are, bringing the Autobot and Decepticon battle from the TV screen straight to you.

On-Shelf June 22, 2008:
Deluxe, Voyager, the Battle Begins Pack

Animated Supreme
New for Fall 2008 Check out the Supreme Assortment, Roll Out Command Optimus Prime. He is now larger then life with a unique conversion style to switch him from vehicle to robot mode. This is the first time Optimus Prime has ever appeared in the line at this scale.

Animated Leader
In the Leader assortment, Megatron has a large, signature arm cannon and has specific styling connecting to the character’s G1 heritage. For the first time, the Leader assortment features animated phrases as well as lights and sounds.

Be on the look out for the new waves into 2008. We may introduce new characters along with our more traditional ones, but there will always be homage to the G1 series mixed in (hint,hint).
Other New for Fall 2008 Items:

Animated Deluxe
For the first time, character conversion from vehicle to robot mirrors the conversion in the TV program providing a seamless connection between toy and entertainment!

Animated Voyager
With the characters and styling direct from the Transformers: Animated series, these action figures are larger scale but still deliver on the traditional Transformers play patterns.

Optimus Prime vs. Megatron The Battle Begins Pack
This pack includes new Transformers: Animated versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron posed and ready for battle with over-sized weapons. Includes a DVD with 22 minutes of content to excite kids about this new animation.

Optimus Prime Shift Tech Game
With 15 games, you can quest through the world of Transformers: Animated in robot or vehicle mode with one quick pull of the controller.

Animated Power Bots
Younger kids can experience the fun of Bumblebee in a non-transforming figure with amazing action features, sounds, and speech!


Animated Activators
One touch triggers spring-loaded conversion that gets these scout-scale Animated Autobot and Decepticon warriors ready for action faster then ever.

Animated Battle Blaster
Bring Optimus Prime to life with a single pull in vehicle mode to convert into his signature weapon! Features electronic lights, sounds, and phrases for the ultimate action.

Animated Bumper Battlers
Bumper Battlers match the personality of Animated characters with great crash and bash play. Hit the front bumper to activate robot mode, push the Autobot shields to activate cool sounds and phrases.

Tim Bradley is a freelance designer, illustrator and author who worked full time for Hasbro in 1998 as well as freelancing for them in 2004. Tim worked on various Hasbro properties (Transformers, Star Wars, Jurassic Park), including Beast Wars, Beast Machines and Transformers Cybertron. Tim recently agreed answer a few questions regarding not only his work as a toy designer, but also as an illustrator and published author. You can read our exclusive interview here.

Simon Furman has updated his blog with a post regarding the upcoming IDW Transformers Spotlight on Arcee. Here's a quote

"...And I figured I’d attempt to apply a rationale to the whole issue! So, I expect Arcee to be divisive. Though I hope also, regardless of the whole he-she-it thing going on, people will enjoy it for the rattling good actioner I believe it to be. And boy, does a lot happen this issue. Guest-stars abound… Ultra Magnus, Fortress Maximus (taking his full IDW bow), Banzaitron, the Combaticons (also debutees), Jetfire, the Technobots and more! And it all revolves around a certain character whose name has been uttered more and more frequently in various Spotlights (and even the ‘ongoing’ by now… I think), and will play a big part in what’s to come this year. So, while self-contained, this is without hyperbole a KEY issue. And then there’s the breathtaking art of Alex Milne. I can honestly say I’ve never seen Alex so up for a job, and the results will simply knock your socks off (or “shatter your trousers”, whichever is applicable)."

Visit Simon's Blog to read the full posting as well as an image from the issue.

For those looking for a MP-04 Masterpiece Convoy & Trailer you may be interested to know that our site sponsor Robot Kingdom current has the item in stock for $199.90, that's just over �100. That's cheaper than both TFSource.com ($234.95)and BigBadToyStore ($249). You can view the listing here.

Hasbro has updated the Universe section of Transformers.com with images of some fo the Transformers Universe figure in packaging.

TRANSFORMERS Movie Premium Series Rolls Out to Retail!

Transformers Movie Premium Series DELUXE CLASS (SRPs: $9.99)

Premium Series BARRICADE
Keeping his armor polished and his vehicle mode looking sharp, Premium Series BARRICADE is hoping that MEGATRON will return again soon to lead the DECEPTICONS to glory. In the meantime, BARRICADE has made some changes to his vehicle mode in order to blend in better and bide his time till MEGATRON’s hopeful return.


Premium Series AUTOBOT JAZZ
Since getting off-lined by DECEPTICON BRAWL, AUTOBOT JAZZ has worked with IRONHIDE to upgrade his endoskeleton reinforcements and has kept his vehicle mode absolutely pristine. Something about getting so badly damaged made him care even more than he used to about looking good.

Premium Series BUMBLEBEE
Ever since the final battle against the DECEPTICONS, BUMBLEBEE has been meticulous about his appearance. With Sam’s help he immediately buffed out every scratch in his finish for a premium sales-room shine. But don’t let his premium finish fool you because BUMBLEBEE is always ready for battle against any DECEPTICON enemy with his new battle mask head sculpt.

Transformers Movie Premium Series VOYAGER CLASS (SRPs: $19.99)

Premium Series IRONHIDE
With the war finally over, IRONHIDE is free to return to the simple, easy life he knew before. Captain Lennox has been kind enough to lend him some space in his barn to store the crates containing his weapons collection. In return for IRONHIDE watching over his family while he is away on duty, Lennox keeps the old AUTOBOT warrior in perfect condition.

Premium Series BLACKOUT
The only goals BLACKOUT ever had were to serve MEGATRON, fight for DECEPTICON dominance and be the most perfect soldier he could. He follows orders without question, even to the point of self-termination and maintains himself and his weapons in pristine condition.

Transformers Movie Premium Series VOYAGER CLASS (SRPs: $19.99)Transformers Movie Premium Series LEADER CLASS (SRPs: $39.99)

remium Series OPTIMUS PRIME
OPTIMUS PRIME now travels the streets of Earth in his super-detailed Semi vehicle mode searching for MEGATRON and his evil DECEPTICON forces. As OPTIMUS PRIME enters the battlefield he is prepared to engage in close combat with his new energy sword and Movie accurate head sculpt.

The Transformers Collectors Club website has been updated with the final images of the fourth member of their exclusive combiner team, Topspin.

You will now find an additional four Transformers Galaxy Force toy galleries in our Transformers toy image gallery area. These four galleries consist of the Japanese Toys R Us exclusive Police Gasket along with the DVD exclusive Red Exillion, White Chromia and Mass Production Noise Maze.

1. Transformers Galaxy Force DVD Exclusive Red Exillion
   
2. Transformers Galaxy Force DVD Exclusive White Chromia
   
3. Transformers Galaxy Force DVD Exclusive Mass Production Noise Maze
   
4. Transformers Galaxy Force Toys R Us giveaway Police Gasket

In a brief interview with the UKs own Empire Magazine Shia LaBeouf spoke briefly on Transformers 2.

"I know of a few things I have to work on for the next one, I’ve seen pre-vizes of the action scenes and I just saw Michael yesterday. It’s going to be bad-ass. We’re not making another one unless it is, and Mike is definitely not resting on his laurels — he’s doing insane shit again. And the pre-vizes that I’ve seen… it’s just massive. If the first one was any indicator of how massive massive can be, this is going to blow that out of the water. It’s insane. Mike’s mind was just kind of made for this — it’s amazing. There’s going to be a lot more characterisation with the robots, which I’m excited about. I was a fan of Transformers before the movie came out. And there’s going to be a lot of action…That goes unsaid, I guess”.

Shia followed up this comment with "There’s gonna be new robots on both sides. I can say that the war isn’t over… It’s hard to do interviews when you’re not allowed to talk about the movies. It’s like I give two or three things away and then I get reprimanded for it. It’s never fun to get reprimanded by these people"

You will now find a short gallery of the Super Fest 44 exclusive AD-01 Classics Galvatron model kit in our Transformers toy image gallery area.

The kit, made by Ultra Box, was limited to 30 and is a non-licensed product. The model comes unpainted, in various parts, but can be clipped together to form a cartoon accurate, ball-jointed, Galvatron figure which is scaled to fit with the Transformers Classics line.

With the Hasbro Transformers Universe Galvatron toy shown at the US toyfair over the weekend, it seemed like the ideal time to show you images of this fan-produced item for comparison.

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As promised you will can now find 5 new Transformers toy galleries featuring the Generation One Japanese exclusive Micromaster Super Car Patrol and Rabbicrator.

1. Blackheat
2. Detour
3. Gingham
4. Road Hugger
5. Rabbicrator (w/ Zone VHS and Pencil Board)

This takes out total Transformers characters feature in Toy Image Galleries to 2,018