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Package art

2008-03-08T23:52:14Z

67.170.181.64: /* Generation 1 */

{{picsneeded|Examples from pretty much every post-G1 line}}

[[Image:G1_OptimusPrime_boxart.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Box art for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in 1984.]]

Throughout the life of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]], '''package art''' has been one of its most common elements. Though not as widely noted and celebrated as [[Tech Spec]]s, it is just as enduring and iconic to the brand. In the fandom, it is also referred to as '''box art''', though it also appears on carded toy packages.

''Transformers'' package art most often serves to portray the toy in the mode that it isn't packaged in. As most Transformers are sold in their non-robot forms, it typically shows them as robots (or whatever their equivalent primary mode is.)

===Generation 1===
[[Image:Thunderwingboxart.jpg|left|thumb|200px|And if you complain once more, you'll meet an army of me.]]

Every Transformer sold in ''Generation 1'' featured hand-painted artwork on the front of the package, most often showing the robot mode, with the vehicle form of the actual toy visible alongside it through a clear plastic window or bubble. A smaller version of the art was shown as part of the character's [[bio|biography]] and [[Tech Spec]] profile.

Some toys would also have art depicting their vehicle mode. The [[Jumpstarter]]s had vehicle art because they were packaged in robot mode, and the [[Triple Changer]]s had art for the vehicle mode the toy wasn't packaged in. The tech specs still used the robot art only. [[Punch]] also had boxart for both of his robot modes. Another exception to the rule was the [[Clone]]s, sold packaged in their identical robot modes, with artwork of their different alternate modes alongside them. Vehicle mode art was generally used only on windowed boxes, since the non-windowed boxes (such as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], and [[Countdown]]) had large pictures of all alternate modes on the front.

Package art for the multiple-form [[Pretender]]s featured all of their forms: outer shell and both modes of the inner robot. As the multiple-form Mega and Ultra Pretender toys came along, this resulted in some rather crowded package art.

[[Image:G1 boxart at botcon.jpg|right|250px|thumb|When I win the lottery, this is where I'm going.]]

The character art for many of the [[Diaclone]]-licensed characters was directly appropriated from their original Diaclone boxes, including Autobot vehicles, Dinobots, and Decepticon cassettes. This style was maintained for all newly-commissioned Generation 1 (and Generation 2) character art, presumably for consistency.

This art style often depicted a somewhat fictionalized version of the robot mode. While the reproduction of the toy's finer details was done very faithfully, the actual poses were often utterly impossible to reproduce given the limited articulation of most ''Generation 1'' toys. Seemingly, the less the posable the toy was, the greater the artistic exaggeration tended to be; thus, the [[Throttlebot]]s and [[Battlecharger]]s were shown with jointed arms, separable legs and posable heads, even though the represented toys lacked all these features.

A large portion of the 1986 through 1988 character line art was done by [http://www.baboonbooks.com/portfolio/Illustration_images/Transformers/trans_illus.html Richard Marcej], including some if not all of the [[Predacons]], [[Headmasters]], [[Targetmasters]], [[Powermasters]], [[Seacons]] and [[Pretenders]]. Much of the late-run ''Generation 1'' package art was the work of Japanese illustrator [[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]], whose work brought a dynamic and appealing style to the often blocky and simplistic toys.

A number of the original ''Generation 1'' paintings have appeared for sale at recent [[BotCon]]s, at asking prices starting at $650 and ranging up to several thousand dollars.
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====Back of the box art====

[[Image:G1_1984_backofboxbattle.jpg|thumb|left|200px|My name is Optimus Prime. I'm Japanese!]]

For the first five years, the boxed toys of ''Generation 1'' also featured hand-painted, mural-like artwork depicting that year's toyline engaged in battle.

Compared to the fiction which developed around the toys, these paintings often feature some rather surreal elements. Multiples of the same character are shown (sometimes to depict movement, and possibly a result of the ''Transformers'' toys' original fictional origin as piloted mecha), and cars are seen to fly through space. Occasional off-model characters appear as well, such as a red Tracks or a strange-looking Broadside.

The original 1984 painting showed the Transformers battling in deep space. The 1985 toy assortment was shown fighting in Earth orbit, with the planet sustaining some massive damage below them. In 1986, they were on the barren surface of a planet, centered around Metroplex. The 1987 battle was once again in deep space, with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] as the clear centerpieces; 1988 was likewise set in deep space.

[[Image:SpaceshotAngry.gif|right|thumb|150px|I'll finish you yet, Dudley Do-Right!]]

With the proliferation of Pretenders and [[Micromaster]] bases in 1989, the standardized back-of-box art was replaced with a series of rather crude and cartoonish hand-drawn scenes, each showing a few of that year's characters engaged in combat, typically the toy type (Micromaster base, Mega Pretender, etc.) that was being sold in the package. The line art for these illustrations was apparently all done by [http://www.baboonbooks.com/portfolio/Illustration_images/Battle%20Scenes/TransbattleIllus.html Richard Marcej], who was creditably also responsible for much of the higher-quality character art from earlier years.

The Action Masters in 1990 did get a more traditional mural painting, showing a battle in low Earth orbit, complete with ground vehicles flying through space.
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===Generation 2===

''Generation 2'' featured a combination of retouched ''Generation 1'' (obviously for the repainted or retooled ''Generation 1'' toys) and all-new artwork to accompany the new toys. This new artwork was closer in resemblance to the artwork seen in the last years of ''Generation 1'' than the early art.

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:sonar-bw-packageart.jpg|thumb|150px|left| ]]

''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' continued the painted-art standard of ''Generation 1'', though the artwork tended to exaggerate the beastly qualities of the robot modes. Occasional use of the mutant head feature on the early Beast Wars toys sometimes led to rather strange results.

[[Image:Rampage-backofthebox.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Terror Claws, the arch nemesis of Echowarrior.]]

The Japanese releases mostly very toy-accurate CGI boxart. The only exceptions were the characters from the American Beast Wars show (which used the Mainframe models) and the [[Auto Roller]]s (who had traditional style boxart).

Three of the largest ''Beast Wars'' toys (the Transmetals [[Depth Charge]], [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and [[Optimal Optimus]]) featured a "schematic" drawing of the toy in robot mode on the back of the box, in blue line-on-black form, alongside a photograph of the actual toy. The drawing had call-outs for such technical details as "galva-conductors", "terror claws", "space cruiser wings", and "LED smart missile plasma cannons".

The later Transmetal 2 toys [[Tigerhawk]] and Megatron omitted the line art and used the toy photo to call out the techno-nonsense.

===Machine Wars===
''Machine Wars'' was comprised of mostly repaints/retools from the 1992 European ''Generation 1'' toyline and previously unusued ''Generation 2'', and so the packaging art was a combination of both retouched art from that ''Generation 1'' era and all-new art specifically created for the line.

===Beast Machines===
The ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline was the first to break with the tradition established by ''Generation 1''. Most packages featured the CGI-rendered robot mode of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], rather than the character whose toy was being sold. For the "The Battle for the Sparks" subline, Cheetor was replaced by [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] in beast mode. The "Dinobots" subline featured [[T-Wrecks]] in beast mode.

The CGI model of boxed characters who appeared on [[Beast Machines (cartoon)|the show]], such as [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], appeared on the back of their boxes alongside their profile.

===Robots in Disguise===
''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' restored individual character portrayals to the front of packages... but these were simply computer-enhanced photographs of the actual toys within, often transformed to varying degrees of accuracy. The Japanese ''Car Robots'' releases continued to use the type of CGI boxart used on the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys.

===Armada===
[[Image:OptimusPrimeUT-Armada.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Obesity is my destiny!]]

With the new ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' toyline and franchise continuity, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' packaging returned to hand-drawn character art for the first time since the end of ''Beast Wars''. Drawn by artists from [[Dreamwave Productions]], this art followed a comic book style with modern Photoshop colouring, rather than the hand-painted work of ''Generation 1''.

This art was also reproduced onto a collectible sticker that was included with all ''Armada'' toys from the Super-Con size class and upwards.

*The Mini-Con class toys featured a single piece of artwork of one of the Mini-Con team members on the insert tray card
*The Super-Con class toys did not feature artwork directly on the packaging card itself, instead opting to display the collector sticker in the packaging bubble.
*Max-Con, Giga-Con, Super Base and Supreme class toys all featured art directly printed onto the packaging.

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===Commemorative Reissues===
The ''Generation 1'' Commemorative Reissue series featured a wide range of previously seen art such as the original 1980s packaging art to the ''Transformers Collection'' reissue artwork by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]]. Additionally, all-new art by Dreamwave artist/president [[Pat Lee]] was commissioned for several of the later reissues.

===Universe===
[[Image:KingAtlas-card.jpg|thumb|right|120px|]]

''[[Universe (toyline)|Universe]]'' packaging art were mostly by the Dreamwave affiliated artists, but while the penciling was of the same general quality and style of the mainline art, the colouring was often much flatter and lacking in depth. Additionally, some toys featured artwork by Hasbro's in-house artists attempting to emulate the then-popular Dreamwave style, to extremely varied results.

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===Energon===
[[Image:Energon_Perceptor_cardart.jpg|thumb|left|100px|]]

The ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' toyline featured the same style of comic artwork first seen in the ''Armada'' line, this time featuring all of the characters included in a toy package where possible (for example, an entire Mini-Con team as opposed to just a single member as seen during ''Armada''). Once again, artists affiliated with Dreamwave Productions provided the artwork. Similarly to ''Armada'', for toys Deluxe class and upwards the packaging art was reproduced on collectible tech spec cards included with paperwork or taped inside the packaging bubble.

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===Alternators===
[[Image:Swindleart.jpg|right|thumb|100px|Combaticon Night Fever]]

The ''[[Alternators]]'' toyline originally featured the same style of full-body artwork seen in the other ''Transformers'' toylines at the time, once again by various Dreamwave artists. However, when the packaging style switched to the large plastic bubble/cardboard tray configuration in late 2005, the packaging art style was changed to emulate the focused upper torso style seen in the ''Cybertron'' toyline, though the art was coloured more closely to the comic book style.

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===Cybertron===
[[Image:Armorhide-UTA.jpg|left|thumb|100px|It's gonna be a Cybertronsical Tranformertastic Snit in the [[Pit]]! Only $49.95 on Pay-Per-View!]]

''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'s'' packaging artwork headed in a dramatically different direction to the previous years, dropping the comic book style in favour of focusing on the upper torso of the character while they were in a 'ready to fight' pose, similar to the advertising posters of boxing matches. The artwork was drawn mostly by now-freelance ex-Dreamwave artists, and coloured in a style passably similar to the painted ''Generation 1''/''Generation 2'' art.

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===Classics===
Similarly to ''Robots in Disguise'', the ''[[Classics]]'' toyline was created as a 'filler' line, to plug the gap between the end of ''Cybertron'' and the beginning of the 2007 live action movie toyline. As such, Hasbro once again returned to using photographs of the toys instead of actual drawn artwork.

===Robot Heroes===
''Robot Heroes'' featured ''extremely'' cute [[super deformed]]-style artwork of the figures.

===Transformers (2007)===
[[Image:blackout-packageart.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Like most movie characters, he could stab you with his head.]]

[[Image:Brawl-cyber-slammer-boxart.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cyber Slammer [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], adorable death machine.]]

The majority of the "main line" toys from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 movie toyline]] featured a very exactingly detailed mugshot of the character (seemingly hand-painted), surrounded by technological greeblies. The characters featured in the film appear to use the movie models as a starting point, though there are some difference in coloration and detail.

In Europe, this art was replaced by a photo of the toy in robot mode, which was also used on the rear of the packaging. Some of this art (as well as the packaging design) was also used by several licensed merchandise manufacturers.

The [[Fast Action Battler]] and [[Cyber Slammer]] sublines had traditional hand-drawn art, but done in a more rounded, 'cuter' style to fit the younger target age group of the toys.

The [[Real Gear Robot]]s opted to use a closeup photograph of the toy's upper torso, similarly to ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'', while the Target-exclusive Scout class range of repaints lacked any sort of packaging art.
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===Transformers Animated===
The ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' line predominantly uses character model and promotional images for the actual [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated cartoon]], which is a first for the North American Transformers toyline.

===Universe (2008)===
The all-new ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' sees a return comic book style packaging art, with a upper torso drawing of the character printed either on the carded package or the box. To the amusement of all, some of the art also sees a return of the [[Dull surprise|glassy-eyed, slack-jawed expressions]] first seen in art by Pat Lee, [[Rob Ruffolo]] and [[Alex Milne]] from the days of Dreamwave Productions.

===Europe===
For a long time, European packaging featured the same box artwork as the toys' respective North American versions (and, in the case of the European exclusive toys from the early Nineties, its own unique artwork). However, during the last waves of ''Energon'' (specifically, beginning with the second wave of the Superion Maximus limbs), the box artwork was replaced by photos of the toys themselves on European packaging. The same happened with the [[Alternators (toyline)|''Alternators'']] packaging starting with Windcharger and Swindle. Ever since then, European ''Transformers'' packaging has omitted any artistic renditions of the toys in favor of strictly accurate depictions of the products themselves (at least as "accurate" as Hasbro's early hand-painted/airbrushed prototype stock photography can be).

==External links==
*[http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/ Botch's Transformers Box Art Archive]

[[Category:Toys]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Pretender Monster

2008-01-18T07:41:26Z

67.170.181.64: minor edit

:''The Pretender Monsters are a [[Decepticon]] subgroup from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:IDW-PrimeSpotlight-Monstercons1.jpg|thumb|400px|What's that coming over the hill, is it a monster, is it a monsterrrrrrr.]]

The very presence of the '''Pretender Monsters''' seems to suggest that all is not right with the world. These dystopian robots tend to show up in alternate futures and bizarre hidden corners of the universe, where they conceal their monstrous robot forms within even more monstrous [[Pretender|outer shells]]. The team consists of:

*[[Birdbrain]], a talented warrior constantly foiled by a malfunctioning shell;
*[[Bristleback]], a foul-mouthed malcontent rendered sluggish by his shell;
*[[Icepick]], the fervent preacher of planned obsolescence;
*[[Scowl]], whose deafening volume is made worse by his shell;
*[[Slog]], the contemplative artist whose work centers on wild destruction;
*[[Wildfly]], a psychotic and violent "jokester".

They can [[combiner|combine]] to form the dread behemoth [[Monstructor]].

==Fiction==

===Television commercials===

[[Image:PreMonComm01.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I wonder which of these hot springs turns you into a panda.]]

In an unknown facility, the six Decepticons who would become the Pretender Monsters were each held over a vat of colored liquid by a mechanical claw. Pretender [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] lowered the six into the vats, and when they were pulled back out, they possessed new monstrous Pretender shells—with "rubbery skin"—and charged forth!

''Monstructor is not named in the commercial, but it's said that the Pretenders' inner robots formed a "monster Transformer".''

{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===

[[Image:Pretendermonsters-rhythmsofdarkness1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You can almost hear them making repulsive squishy noises.]]
In a post-apocalyptic alternate future set in 2009, where [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] killed [[Rodimus Prime]] and devastated [[United States of America|North America]], the Pretender Monsters were led by to the remains of [[New York City]]. After Galvatron reminded them that they were all disposable cannon fodder to him, he ordered them to search Manhattan in an attempt to root out the last remaining vestiges of Autobot and human resistance. All they managed to find, however, was a human-made booby trap that buried Icepick under tons of debris.

Not long after, the team rejoined the other Decepticons to defend the [[Decepticon Powerbase]] against an Autobot attack. The battle's final outcome is unknown. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{-}}

===DDP G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity===

[[Image:Pretendermonsters-darkhorizon1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|What exactly are Scowl and Slog standing on?]]

Some time prior to 1978, in the Himalayan Mountain region of Tibet, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] led the soon-to-be Pretender Monsters to meet with the underground kingdom of [[Cobra-La]], seeking power and a ringside seat at the death of a planet. En route, they were shot down and damaged by the Chinese Air Force, however, forcing Bludgeon to make a deal with Cobra-La: in exchange for defending Cobra-La's subterranean domain, Cobra-La provided them with life-supporting organic Pretender shells.

At the behest of [[Golobulus]], the Pretender Monsters used their shells to slip past the sensors of the submerged Autobot ship ''Ark II'', where they made quick work of Skids, Sideswipe and Prowl.

Later, when GI Joe sent an invasion force against Cobra-La, they merged into Monstructor to repel the invaders. Monstructor wreaked havoc on the Joes but was defeated when the laser squad blew up his head, leaving his component members in an unconscious heap. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2}}

{{-}}

===IDW Comics===
[[Image:Pretendermonsters-idw1.jpg|right|thumb|Prisoners... of ''rock and roll''.]]

Long millenia ago, Monstructor was the first gestalt, constructed out of the individual Pretender Monsters. Created by [[Jhiaxus]] under the direction of [[Nova Prime]], they were intended to be the ultimate fusion of mind and body: a vast amount of intellect combined with unparalleled strength. Unfortunately, the combined form instead turned out to be an unstoppable, rampaging monster. After Nova Prime departed Cybertron in the Ark, Omega Supreme locked the six away in a dimensionally-displaced prison to live out the rest of their horrid existence. Eventually they escaped; aboard a starship, they tracked down Omega Supreme's hidden asteroid base. They attacked the base as Monstructor, handily defeating Omega Supreme, but were defeated by Optimus Prime, using Omega's knowledge of Monstructor's built-in weakness. Despite Omega Supreme's protestations about the dangers of gestalt technology falling into Decepticon hands, Prime had the six taken into custody in an attempt to repair their shattered minds. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}}

''Thus far in IDW's universe, Icepick et. al. are not actually Pretenders.''

{{-}}

==Toys==

===Generation 1===
[[Image:Pretendermonsters-toys-shells.jpg|150px|left|thumb|Pardon me. I was just about to do the Monster Mash.]]

[[Image:Pretendermonsters-shellstorage2.jpg|140px|right|thumb|Backpacky goodness.]]

[[Image:Pretendermonsters-toys-robotmodes.jpg|150px|left|thumb|Just crying for a revival with today's toy technology.]]

[[Image:Pretendermonsters-toys-shellrot.jpg|right|thumb|140px|I dunno why we're complaining. Aren't they ''supposed'' to be horrifying?]]

The Pretender Monsters were each sold separately in cardback packages. Each came with the inner robot, the outer shell, a shell backing plate, a small hand gun, and a Monstructor component. Slog additionally came with a large gun for Monstructor.

The inner robots are ''tiny'', standing only slightly taller than the Micromasters dominating the G1 toyline at the time, though they were not marketed as such (and their fictional appearances have treated them as normal-sized Transformers). All six transform into stylized robotic monsters, though their small size means that the transformation schemes are simplified to the point that it's difficult to tell exactly what some of them are supposed to be. Most of the robotic beast modes share some thematic similarities with the corresponding outer Pretender shell. Icepick and Scowl share a transformation scheme (and Slog's is similar to theirs), as do Bristleback and Birdbrain.

Their outer shells are unique in several regards. Instead of splitting in half like most other Pretenders, the shells have a small backing plate that is removed to allow the inner robot to be inserted. This plate can also hold all of the accessories for each robot, including the [[kibble]] for Monstructor—a unique feature among the [[combiner]] teams.

The monstrous outer shells are completely without articulation. They are composed of a malleable rubbery substance. This material does not tend to age well, unfortunately, and there have been reports of Pretender Monster shells showing mold-like spotting or secreting an oily residue, likely [[Wikipedia:Plasticizer|plasticizer]] escaping the PVC.[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/943d404d3c22900c] Um, ew.

[[category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category: Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[category:Pretenders]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>