FORBIDDEN PICS

Just a quick addendum to the FP signing this past Saturday, some pics from the event. Thanks to everyone who turned out for the event, in particular the posse of Transfans from the IDW boards who made a day out of it. The first pic shows, left to right: me, Brian Williamson, Paul Grist, D’Israeli and (obscured) Ian Edginton. The second is me showing off my hastily printed Rad Robots T-shirt. I hope, by the Bristol Comics Expo in a couple of weeks’ time, to have version 2 ready for wearing!

ANOTHER PLANET

Just a reminder that I’m at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London (on Shaftesbury Avenue) this coming Saturday, 25th of April, signing copies of, among other things, the new Torchwood graphic novel — Rift War. I’ll also be exclusively previewing my June shipping book Rad Robots (see previous blog entry) and handing out/signing promotional booklets for the same (for as long as stocks last, as they say). I’ll be there between 1PM and 2PM (and maybe a bit after), so pop along if you can for a chat or a signature (or both). For those of you who can’t make this Saturday, don’t despair, I’ve just added another London signing at Orbital Comics on June 27th.

OUT NOW – MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #5

So, the big wrap up! The five-issue Transformers: Maximum Dinobots series ends this week with the release of issue #5 (15th April in the US, 16th or maybe even 17th in the UK, depending on bank holidays and such). Who lives? Who dies? Who gets to walk off into the sunset or mutter “this could be the beginning of the beautiful friendship,” all these things and more are revealed within. Can’t say too much more ‘cause it’ll spoils the surprises, but suffice to say that to all things (give or take)… and ending! Numerous story arcs, not least those of the titular Dinobots, are tied up in a neat bow (Shockwave, Scorponok, Soundwave, Sunstreaker/Hunter, Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod all wrap to some degree or another) and there’s even room for a quick hello from the long-absent Verity and Jimmy! Yeah, squeezed ‘em in. Anything for a quiet life! Needless to say, issue #5 is crammed to bursting with action. I’ve staged some battles in my time but this multi-agenda, multi-party donnybrook took some strategic realizing. If you like a whole lot of bang for your buck (or four) — this one’s for you!

09 SIGNINGS/CONVENTION SCHEDULE

It’s that time again. Suddenly it’s all about ‘where, what, when’ — as the conventions/signings cycle for the year commences. London, Forbidden Planet Megastore (in Shaftesbury Avenue) is the first ‘where’ for me, the ‘what’ being a group signing (along with the likes of D’Israeli, Ian Edginton, Paul Grist and Brian Williamson) to commemorate the launch of the first Torchwood graphic novel, collecting the entirety of the Rift War storyline (to which I contributed the first few scripts). The ‘when’ is Saturday, April 25th (from 1-2PM or thereabouts). For more details, check out FP’s signing schedule here, and don’t feel too limited by the Torchwood tag. If you can make it along, I’ll be happy to sign copies of Transformers, Terminator or whatever else you care to thrust under my nose (within limits!). After that, it’s to Bristol for Comics Expo on May 9th, then onwards to Derry in June and the San Diego Comicon in July. More details, right here, on all those (and probably more) nearer the time or as they get firmed up!

RAD ROBOTS!

Next up in my trio of bookshelf additions for 09 is Rad Robots, a “Celebration of Awesome Automatons.” This 176-page feast of all things robotic, android, artificial and A.I. covers movies, TV, books, toys, comics and more, sometimes in obsessive depth, providing the perfect gift book for anyone with a passion for the metallic! From before there were even robots (as such, the term wasn’t coined until 1921) to today’s cutting edge real world mechs, Rad Robots covers pretty much everything in-between, highlighting the prehistory of robots, early/pulp science fiction (both print and celluloid), bad robots, quirky robots, rogue A.I.s, Asimov’s robots, sexy robots, toy robots, comic book robots and much, much more. Chapters include: ‘Robots with Dangerous Curves,’ ‘When Robots Go Bad’ and ‘Rise of the Robots.’ So, if you want to know the connection between a Renaissance artist and a robot, or just what I consider to be the two definitive ‘bad robot’ movies or just how much I adore ‘new’ Battlestar Galactica (and Number 6), this is the book for you. The book, published by Kyle-Cathie, is released in the UK in June (go here if you’d like to pre-order from Amazon), with its US release still to be confirmed. See below for a sneak peak at the innards:

SCRIPT (W)RAP – AHM CODA

So, I got asked to do a story for IDW’s post-All Hail Megatron series Coda. And a lot of fun I had with it too. Without giving too much away (after all, it’s only 11-pages!), it revolves around the longstanding relationship/friendship between battle-scarred veteran soldier Ironhide and Autobot leader Optimus Prime. In a series of key flashbacks, set within a contemporary framing, we explore the abrasive and often confrontational nature of these two legendary heroes, and how that metamorphosed into mutual trust and respect. Let’s just say that in current affairs Ironhide has reached something of a crossroads in the story, and it sets the scene for some incredibly dramatic stuff to come! The first issue of All Hail Megatron: Coda goes on sale in July. For more details check out the IDW website here.

TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE UNIVERSE

First up, in a trio of books set for June 09 release, is Dorling Kindersley’s Transformers: The Movie Universe, an updated and expanded version of the Movie Guide I did back in 07. Completely revised and redesigned, the book encompasses characters from both Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and includes feature spreads on the human cast, protoforms and more. Packed with images from the movies and amazing digital renders of the robotic cast, TMU gives you an in-depth lowdown on new characters such as Sideswipe, Jetfire, Skids/Mudflap, Devastator, Ravage and The Fallen, plus a more comprehensive guide to the core cast from the first movie, including Starscream, Ironhide, Optimus Prime and more. Robot mode, vehicle mode and weapons mode are all examined in minute detail, with facts, figures and detailed image annotations. So, if you want to know who’s who and what’s what in the (movie) world of Transformers, this book is a must-have. If you’re of a mind to (pre-) order from Amazon it can be found here (for the UK) and here (for the US).