From uploader “beverly crusher“:
this is the pilot/demo reel that (series co-creator) robert mandel talked about [posted below], this is what they shopped around to the individual television stations to show what the show was going to look like, some of the voices of the characters were changed before it went in to distribution, so the voices that you hear here aren’t necessarily the voices that you hear on the released episodes.
At the time of writing, I wasn’t planning to have so many Transformers things at once but somehow that happened. I want to get my schedule back on track and the only thing to discuss is Starfleet Academy is currently up for free on YouTube. I don’t hate myself so I’m not watching it.
This time we’re returning to Transformers: Energon, the second toyline in the so-called Unicron Trilogy, three toylines whose backstory involved the return of Unicron and the first time we got the character in toy form. There are very few Transformers pack-in promotional minicomics. This series was produced by Dreamwave Productions, who were doing the in store comics at the time. That was before Pat Lee tanked his own company because he was using the money to buy cars for him and his family and not paying anyone else. It’s too bad, because Dreamwave made some of my favorite Transformers stories. Dreamwave is for me what Skybound is for some fans now.
Simon Furman was writing the Energon series at the time, but I don’t know if that includes the minicomics, as they lack credits. Thankfully they also lack the shoving in of the same dialog in three languages to match the packaging and save production costs (English, Spanish, and French). Furman, at least in his Marvel US run, didn’t seem to be interested in any of the gimmicks in the toyline at the time, barely using transforming, the whole gimmick of the franchise. His Pretenders were practically Action Masters before Action Masters were introduced. The Head, Target, and Powermasters were as ignored as he could get away with, even rebuilding Optimus Prime around Hi-Q, his Nebulan partner. Given that the animes never really used the Armada and Energon gimmicks to their full play and story potential, him not doing so is within the norm. Energon’s gimmick on the Autobot side was combination, making it my favorite of the trio and one of my favorite lines overall. Like with the Armada Mini-Cons, the idea missed a lot of battle potential beyond “they’re totally stronger now, trust us”. It’s a shame, really.
The minicomics also have only eight pages to make the toys look cool. Transformers using minicomics is rare. The only other time I know of it happening in US toys was a comic strip in G1 to promote their “decoy” figurines that were packaged with the toys at the time. So they don’t even have time to really delve into the gimmick of the toys. Can they at least pull off a good story in eight pages?
He did not, in fact, have this. Funeral arrangements are being made.
Will Lill Comics Free Comic Book Day
Will Lill Comics (May, 2025)
COVER ART: Steven A. Wilcox
BACK COVER ART: Ron Stewart
COVER COLORIST: Montgomery
Four comics sampled from the rather small Will Lill library. Or at least small at Drive Thru Comics, which the comic itself keeps pointing to in order to get the comics. A recent updated version also points to their website, which from the ad seems to be using Ko-Fi to get them. I didn’t know you could use that service for that. I thought it was a sort of donation thing, like Patreon without the monthly subscription and perks.
I wonder if I should look into that?
At any rate, let’s get to the comics.
Some swearing by the host, but not in the video itself
Catch more from Star Wars Theory on YouTube
For comparison here’s the best version I could find for posting of the original scene, with gameplay and cutscenes, by Everlasting Sky.
I should note before starting this that I’m not a huge follower of super sentai or its fanbase. It’s just been a slow news cycle when Avengers reports are a few trailers I don’t care about and trying to convince us they totally have a script despite no evidence of it as it enters post-production, the comics aren’t any more interesting with DC’s Contest Of Champions knockoff and “we can totally make this even more dark and depressing by blaming Darkseid” and I totally gave up on Marvel a long time ago outside of watching it self-destruct. Hollywood’s current stupidity is politics focused and video games is simply watching AAA games fall apart as corporate media ruins everything because they don’t know what they’re doing and keep hiring people for projects they don’t care about and only matters to an audience they look down upon. I’m going for a deadline here, but it’s still an interesting topic. Just realize this is an outsider’s perspective.
That all said, you’ve probably heard by now that Toei is dropping their decades long “super sentai” series. The super task force was a long running superhero franchise dating back to 1975. The short version is that some evil organization, usually from space or the underworld, wants to conquer/destroy the planet and five young people (later six) are charged with stopping them. They have similar outfits of different colors, gain superpowers in those costumes, and protect humanity. I tried watching Jetman but I couldn’t get into the series. However, other sentai shows look interesting and I’m hoping to look into the whole thing in the future.
Most American audiences would know them better as Power Rangers. Haim Saban had tried for years to get super sentai brought over to the US either dubbed or replacing the Japanese actors with American ones. His first success was a parody dub of Dynaman but this kids show only had two episodes on Nickelodeon. Instead USA Network added it to their late night “Night Flight” anthology, including a comedic parody of where are they now reunion shows that also interview fans. It wasn’t until Fox Kids picked up what became Mighty Morphin Power Rangers that Saban’s dream came true. The franchise did gangbusters in the Western world, but in recent years it looks like interest is waning. The same may be true of Sentai. So is that why it’s going away? And is it going away for good? History shows…maybe not.
“Oh wait, we’re going the wrong way.” “You could have realized that an hour ago!”
Sonic the Hedgehog #202
Archie Comics (September 2009)
WRITER: Ian Flynn
INKER: Terry Austin
COLORIST: Matt Herms
LETTERER: John Workman
EDITOR: Mike Pellerito
Some swearing and I think one of the images came from a porn comic. No naughty parts in the video, though.
Catch more from Comics By Perch on YouTube
The Clutter Reports (my other site) Atop The Fourth Wall Crisis On Earth Prime Lean Into Artcast Bully Says “Comics Oughta Be Fun” Siskoid’s Blog of Geekery
Cartoon Hero’s Lair SF Debris Four Million Years Later
BW Media Spotlight 