Linkin Park, known for their musical contributions to the Michael Bay Transformers Movies, posted a blog update of the upcoming Linkin Park Edition Soundwave with official images. This is what the band has to say:

"Linkin Park and Hasbro are collaborating on a super-limited LINKIN PARK EDITION SOUNDWAVE. It's a new and exclusive model based on the original 1984 toy, the one I grew up playing with. It includes Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ravage. There will only be 2000 units, available at SURU and comic/hobby shops.

Hasbro is currently showing a sample of it, inside the Transformers booth at Comicon. Here are some pics from Les, the designer. Shout out to Mr. Hahn for overseeing it's golden glory on our end (no, it's not real gold).

The LINKIN PARK SOUNDWAVE will be available later this year."

Planet Iacon have posted up some new images of the upcoming 3rd Party Hexitron figure from Mastermind Creations.

HK-TF has images of the Transformers Prime Battle Sheild Optimus Prime toy posted on it:s message board.

Checl out the link below for the images.

HK-TF

Hasbro's official Transformers website has been updated with something quite interesting in the form of this Generation 2-coloured individual Kreon of Devastator

Taiwan based Tumblr user peng-ko has posted an image of Transformers Prime Voyager Dreadwing which he found at an un-named store.

This acts as a good indication that Transformers Prime Wave 3 will start showing up on US retail shelves soon,?ans may eventually make it to the UK

Jim Sorenson has posted a new Ark Addendum entry onto his blog entitled "Sureshot's Transform (and even more Farscape)."  As you can guess, the entry covers the Targetmasters transformation sequence but here is Jim to tell you more:

"The Ark Addendum marches on!  I'm honestly not sure what I'll bring you next week, but this week I finish off the last of many partial sequences I've been through, the transformations for the Headmaster characters.

Sureshot's our boy this time.  I'd say my favorite image is probably step 1, just showing the car zooming along at high speed.  It's nice that they didn't just reuse the basic car model.  It's a bit odd that they violate the 180 degree rule from that shot to the next one, though."

Autobase Aichi have posted images of Terrorcon Bumblebee onto their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set...6110038&type=1.  The recently released figure is hitting non-Japanese collectors shops right now, so if you pre-ordered one you shoudl expect him soon.

GiantBomb.com,a gaming website, have posted a video onto YouTube showing the final version of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron with commentary from High Moon Studio's own Matt Tieger. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron hits retail on August 21st

Mitch Santona has posted a video review on Youtube of Wave 1 of the Kre-o Microchanger figures which you can view below

The figures within these blind packs are:

1. Galvatron
2. Scorponok
3. Sunstorm
4. Waspinator
5. Spinister
6. Crankstart

The following picture was posted on the Chinese community ACToys.yet yesterday of what is reported a "Year of the Snake" recolour of Transformers Energon (Transformers Superlink) Optimus Prime and Transformers Energon Omega Supreme.

Little is known about these Asian exclusives but expect more to be revealed over the coming months

AC Toys have posted a catelogue image of a white and black recoloured version of Tranformers Super Link Concoy and Omega Supreme (Transformers Energon Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme), to celebrate the Year of the Snake.

We have created a new image gallery containing the photos which we took whilst at Auto Assembly 2012 last weekend in Birmingham England.  The convention smashed it's own previously helpd European attendance record for a Transformers show with the total attendance increasing by over 1/3rd on the previous record to 773.

We would like to thank everyone for supporting the show from the attendees, through the volenteers (who's tireless efforts did not go un-noticed), through the committee members, the hotel staff, the dealers (who cover every line you could think off) and, of course, the guests.

So thank you everyone for making 2012 a record breaking year for Auto Assembly and we hope to see you all next year for Auto Assembly 2013 and, before that, for Roll Out Roll Call 2013.

Two days ago Snakas posted a news post on the upcoming Transformers pin badges which are being released in Japan in November 2012. The pins will be released in blind packets and have two themes, the Generation One show from the 1980s and the live action Michael Bay Transformers movies from Paramount Pictures.  Below is the full line up:

Generation One Anime series

1.?????? ????? ?????- Red Cybertron/Autobot Emblem.
2.???????????????? - Purple Destron/Decepticon Emblem.
3.?????? ????? - Cybertron / Autobot Emblem.
4.????? ????? - Destron  / Decepticon Emblem.
5.?????? ??????????????? - Beast Wars Cybertron (Maximal) Emblem
6.????? ??????????????? - Beast Wars Destron (Predacon)
7.???????? ??????? - Quintesson emblem
8.?????????? ??????? - The emblem of the Earth Defence Core (EDC)
9.????????? ????????? - Western Transformers logo
10.????????? ?????????????  - Japanese Transformers logo
11???? ???????- Convoy (Optimus Prime) in truck mode from the front.
12.???????????????? - Meister (Jazz) chest / bonnet / hood piece.
13??????????????? - Alert (Red Alert) chest piece.
14.???????????? ???? - Bumble (Bumblebee) in Cybertronian vehicle form
15.????????????????? ???? - Thundercracker in Cybertronian vehicle form
16.????? - The Matrix of Leadership (Creation Matrix)
17 to 19  - These are being kept a secret

Live Action Transformers Movie Series

1.?????? ??????????? - A silver Cybertron / Autobot emblem.
2.???????? ??????????? - A Silver Destron / Decepticon emblem.
3.?????? ??????????????? - A red and silver Autobot emblem.
4.???????? ??????????????? - A red and silver Decepticon symbol.
5.???????? ????? ?????? - Barricades Police emblem.
6.?????? ????? ??????? - Ratchet's search and rescue emblem.
7.N.E.S.T.??????????????????? - The primary N.E.S.T emblem.
8.N.E.S.T.??????????????????????? - The N.E.S.T emblem from Transformers: Revenge (of the Fallen).
9.N.E.S.T.????? - The N.E.S.T vehicle emblem.
10.????7??????? - The primary Section 7 emblem.
11.????7?????????????????? - The Sector 7 Tactital Patch as worn by Agent Simmons
12.N.E.S.T.?Global Alliance?
13 - 15 are secret pins

The pins will be release on the 30th November priced at 420 yen.

e-Hobby have posted part 2 of their interview with Hidetsugu Yoshioka where he gives his frank opinions on artistic techniques, characterization, and US comic writing.  This is the second of the three part interview which is available in both Japanese and English.

Japanese -http://www.e-hobbymagazine.com/information/4718.html

English - http://www.e-hobbymagazine.com/english/information_en/4726.html

Here are some snippets from the interview

From Twitter: Are there any stories or scenes from the Marvel comics that you’re fond of?

Yoshioka: Rather than any specific scenes, I liked how they’d lump guys like Bludgeon, Octopunch, and Stranglehold together, and make you wonder what they could possibly have in common. (Laughter)

From Twitter: “Your use of heavy shadowing, evoking the atmosphere of American comics, gives an intense visual appeal to your works. When drawing in that style, what’s the vision behind your art?”

Yoshioka: In Japan, there’s a style of manga called “gekiga”. It’s pretty much a dead genre now. (Laughter) This style used a lot of shadowing, which would make the panels seem more distinct when compared with typical white backgrounds. Gekiga were practically pitch-black. I read some of them when I was a kid, and it had an influence. Japanese art doesn’t usually use shadowing that much. It must have been after Katsuhiro Otomo that people began using screen tones to tighten up art.

From Facebook: “Would you ever consider working on Transformers comics for the Western market, such as titles published by IDW? I know we’d love to see your work published on our shores!”

…As you can see from this question, you do have a lot of global fans. When we announced this interview, we got a lot of people in foreign countries saying “I really want to ask Yoshioka-sensei a question!” or “I’m dying to get one of his illustrations!”

Yoshioka: Oh, I’d be honored. I don’t know how we’d communicate, though. (Laughter)

I’ll be your personal interpreter! (Laughter) If you had the chance, would you be interested in taking part in one of the overseas Transformers conventions?

Yoshioka: I’d really like to. We don’t have that kind of thing in Japan.

I feel like if there was a Transformers-only event in Japan, a lot of fans would flock to it.

Yoshioka: At general events like Wonder Festival and Super Festival, it’s not focused on Transformers, and there’s no official booth, either. I wonder how many fans would come together in Japan for a TF-themed event?

Looking at the number of fans who line up to buy exclusives at the events we have now, I definitely think it’s possible.

Yoshioka: It’d probably be those same people who would take part in a Transformers event. But that should be enough, as long as they don’t mess up with the capacity of the convention center. (Laughter)

Hasbro have released an official video preview of the Transformers Prime Cyberverse: Optimus Maximus onto the video sharing website YouTube. You can watch the video below.