January 16, 2026

CBS Transformers> The Second Draft part 2: The New Old Autobots part 1

In part one we took a look at the new scenario. Instead of the glowy orbs possessing vehicles (an idea that somehow popped up in some mediocre works like Vanpires and Robo Wheels) we finally connected to the original miniseries. Set five years later, somehow the Decepticons won, because Saturday morning needed a new in medias res to drop the audience into. It’s a strange obsession. Now the Autobots are rebels, with the Decepticons allowing for wacky real world hijinks so long as they get their slave workers working on being slaves. They really didn’t want to give up on the original idea. Did they really hate “More Than Meets The Eye”?

In this section of the draft we’ll be looking at the Autobot files. Like in the first section, the Autobot character bios are done in the style of a computer report printout from the 1980s. Whoever our researcher is has asked for Autobot details and the computer that the Autobots don’t need according to CBS delivers. In the original draft only Optimus was close to his traditional depiction. Sideswipe was the furthest since they made him a girl, part of CBS’s quota of female characters even in a show targeting boys despite the belief that kids don’t like girl characters and therefore don’t buy the toys of girl characters. I just don’t know why it had to be the Autobots. The show we got just gave us human girls until season three. I’m not against the idea of female Autobots (just keep Simon Furman away from them). It’s a question of how important it was to have the Transformers have girl characters. Anyway, the solution of original characters was a much better one than turning Sideswipe into a girl. Now he’s a boy again…and nowhere in the show.

Look on the bright side, Sideswipe. At least you aren’t getting the treatment Bumblebee is. They’re still doing my bot dirty, but I don’t have to cover that until next week. The profiles are kind of long in this format so I have to split them up. This installment we’ll see Optimus, Jazz, and a new character. Except one has the wrong name and I swear somebody ripped somebody off when making these. You’ll see what I mean.

AUTOBOT PERSONNEL ARCHIVES
SUBJECT: CURRENT AUTOBOT OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL
TIME FRAME: APROX- 1988

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January 16, 2026

“Yesterday’s” Comic> Science Comics #1

Electro was embarrassed to learn this is was actually a new wave spa. 

Science Comics #1

Fox Feature Syndicate (February, 1940)

Back when Fox Feature was putting out good content, we get yet another new comic to go with Mystery Men, Wonderworld Comics, and the others they were putting out. Interestingly, this is also the first time I heard of a bit of science called the “Comicscope”, a cheap cardboard projector that showed comic pages on the wall. Sounds impressive until you read this article from Kirby Museum and the only thing it had going for it was that it was free after subscribing to their action library and that it was something new for 1940. I would love to see one of those builder channels try to build something better but just as cheap to make. (It’s pretty much cardboard and a light bulb, but some people are nostalgic for Easy Bake ovens and that was cooking with a lightbulb I hear. Never had one.)

[Read along with me here]

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January 16, 2026

BW’s Daily Video> Adv. Of The Galaxy Rangers Demo Reel

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.

Posted by on January 16, 2026 in Animation Spotlight, Television Spotlight and tagged , , , , .

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January 15, 2026

Free Comic Inside> Transformers Energon: Evil Wins

Free Comic Inside logo

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?

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Posted by on January 15, 2026 in Free Comic Inside and tagged , , , , , , , .

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January 15, 2026

“Yesterday’s” Comic> Will Lill FCBD 2025

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.

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Posted by on January 15, 2026 in Yesterday's Comics and tagged , , , , , , , .

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January 15, 2026

BW’s Daily Video> AI Recreation Of Shadows Of The Empire

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.

 

Posted by on January 15, 2026 in Animation Spotlight, Book Spotlight, fanfilms, Video Game Spotlight and tagged , , .

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January 14, 2026

Is There A Future For Super Sentai?

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.

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Posted by on January 14, 2026 in Television Spotlight and tagged , , , , , .

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