Transformers: Beast Machines
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
78) Will Waspinator by staying on earth at the end of season 3 affect the Beast Machines story line?
I'm sorry... "Waspinator"?
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I'm not sure which picture you saw and are responding to, but all I can say is that everything in this new incarnation is looking gangbusters in the final rendering.
80) Groovy little faction thing. Nice touch. Anyway, I was just curious as to whether there would be non-bestial alternate modes in "Beast Machines". Admitted, the name of the show would indicate that there are "beast" altmodes, exclusive, but it seems highly illogical for all of Cybertron to be using the forms of Terran animals. If there are only "beast" modes, will you be addressing why there are? Also, if they’re only "beast" alternate modes, will they be restricted to Terran creatures?
So far, the Beasts in Beast Machines will be Terran creatures. But you raise an interesting point, one that *has* come up repeatedly in several key conversations. (In other words, "Wait for it...")
81) Are the characters basically going to look like the liquid metal terminator from T2 or can we expect bulky brawny looking characters like the original Optimus Prime and optimal optimus or what?
We're not going for that liquid metal look.
82) How big will the characters in beast machines be? Will they be like the maximals and predacons and be smaller then the g1 or will they be bigger?
Pretty much in the same scale as the Maximals.
83) In the original script for Nemesis II, Primal returned the original Megatron's spark. This scene was animated, but cut for unknown reasons. So my question is, does Megatron still have the original Megs spark or was it "officially" put back?
You'll see...
84) In G1 TFs almost all the toys where required to make at least a 1 ep appearance, even if they didn't get much development. In BWs many toys never made it into the show at all. Is Hasbro going to require all the toys in each year’s line be written into the show, or only a certain amount of them?
We're having a bunch of characters in our show, who will all be available as toys. Whether Hasbro makes more toys outside of our series is completely up to them. I'm just happy to report that we are not getting phonecalls saying, "We're making a Transformer Dolphin and a Transformer Anteater, so stick them into episode #10 any way you can." The shows are based on our stories and characters, with mundo feedback and contributions from our Hasbro executives, who are not making the series revolve around the toy marketing. In other words, this series *is* about the story and its characters.
85) Will BM still be in 3D action??
I lobbied for sock puppets. Lobbied and lobbied. I grew up on Lambchop, there's nothing wrong with Lambchop. It's a viable form of entertainment which has yet remained unexplored. But did they listen? No. So, for now, we are stuck with the same old state-of-the-art, ever evolving 3D computer animation.But if I have my way, Season Two will be *all* sock puppets!
85a) I think you and your team are one of the greatest writers if not the best!!! I especially enjoyed your work on Batman, Superman, and definitely X-Men!
Thank you so much! I loved writing for those shows, and I'm really glad that people are responding to them. As strange as it may seem, we who write for animation get little or no feedback on our shows (unlike in the comics industry, where they receive mail for their letters pages), so it always strikes me as odd than anybody has even *seen* my work.I'm really glad you liked our previous work. Marty and I are working overtime to make Beast Machines especially great.
86) According to Mainframe BM takes place directly after BW. According to comments I've read on your page BM is almost a "next generation" show. Which is it?
More of the former. We are following events that take up "soon" after the Beast Wars ends. Yet our characters will be entering a whole new generation, not in the traditional terms that we carbon-based lifeforms are used to (sons, daughters), but rather, in terms more directed at Silicon-based lifeforms (Version 2.0, 3.0, etc.) Let's just say, expect to see what you've always loved best... but all new and all different!
87) What will become of the many stasis pods (with protoforms) that the Maximals left on Earth? Will there ever be a mission to retrieve them and Waspinator?
Only time will tell!
88) Will we see the Quintessons again? In the cartoon continuity, they created the Transformers and used Cybertron as a factory, with consumer goods robots (Autobots), and military (Decepticons). Will the struggle over the Quintessons vs. Primus origin be a factor like, say, the way evolution vs. creation does today?
The Quintessons will not be playing part in our current series. So far.
89) Since not all of the original BW characters are not carried forward into BM, will there be an explanation as to why they were not being brought over?
Yep. Everybody's accounted for, whether present or not. (We *like* continuity! Just please don't hang us when the occasional glitch hits.)
90) This Beast Machines thing is looking pretty cool. But you’re talking a lot about having 2 seasons of the show. Will the storyline end there, and if the series has done well, will another new series kick off after that?
All of these questions will be answered by viewers such as yourself. As long as interest in the Transformers remains strong, the Universe will remain alive.
91) In Beast Machines, will we ever hear about the Vok from Beast Wars?
Not so far... we've got so many other things keeping us occupied.
92) Will Optimus Prime ever make an appearance on Beast Machines? Will we ever find out what happened to Optimus Prime? I'm kind a curious is he living on cybertron in the "Old Transformers Home" or what?
You'll see.
93) In G1, we saw a lot of Transformers who could combine with other Transformers to form a super-robot, will there be any gestalts in BM?
Geez, it's hard enough keeping them in the same room together... how do you expect them to combine bodies? (But, hmmmmmmm, what a wonderful idea!)
94) Getting back to the no death, decapitation, projectile weapons guidelines discussed earlier... how will Fox justify airing BW episodes from seasons 1-3 that contain these elements? Will there be "edited" versions to comply with the guidelines? Will some episodes not be shown as a result? Or will Fox execs look the other way and air all 3 seasons as they were in their entirety?
I'm not sure. They'll probably air them as they are, or tone them down *slightly*. But I don't expect they'll do any major butchering. Overall, they seem to like the show, old and new. But the shows made directly for them have to follow certain guidelines.
95) Will mainframe try to find a better UK distributor than the one Beast Wars is currently airing on as it is being shown at irregular times on public holidays only? As such no one has heard of it and I’m sure the figure sales are down as a result compared to USA or even G1 figures in the UK.
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time finding/watching the show. Since the new show is on Fox, perhaps they have a station or affiliates in the UK who will make it easier for you.
96) Is the cartoon being based around new figures or are the figures being created for the cartoon?
This ain't no cartoon, bub! It's sock pupp -- er -- 3D computer action at its best! Anyway, expect all-new figures and all-new designs -- for both our series *and* the toys!
97) Shadows, Fur texture, will Beast Machines include these to desirable features?
You want shadows? You got shadows! You want fur textures? We got fur textures! I'm telling you, if you had *any idea* how cool this new series is gonna look, you'd get out of line for The Phantom Menace and remain hunkered over your TV set like a hungry Mastiff over its dinner bowl!
98) I am still not to clear with that death idea. Will there still be bots dying? For example when Dinobot died that was a great episode. I liked him and all but I thought it was a great ending and everything. I would like to see some heroic deaths like Dinobots. Can we be expecting any?
Heroic deaths fall under the heading of deaths, and Fox isn't real big on those. But don't worry, our characters will be fighting over HUGE stakes, and the jeopardy they face will keep you in mondo suspense!
99) What will be the name of the first episode of BM?
Well, we *were* calling it "Hither Come... The Sock Puppets!" but the title changed when I lost that whole Sock Puppets Are Better Than 3D Action fight. (Perhaps a letter writing campaign from fans such as yourself will help them see this whole thing from my angle!)
100) Will the Tripredacus Council and the Maximal Elders ever be heard of again? Will their origin be revealed?
Perhaps...
101) How long does it take to make an episode of BM and how much does it cost? Thanks for the FAQ!
I'll tell you the truth... I don't know! I just write them; producing them is somebody else's lookout! However, I *can* tell you that I figured out a way to cut production costs into a mere fraction of what they currently are. And you know what it would involve? That's right: Sock puppets!
102) Will we see any more of Starscream? :)
Not so far...