Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac

2009-09-23T00:03:44Z

70.217.67.51: /* Transformers references */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers Animated:<br>The AllSpark Almanac''
|image=Allsparkalmanaccover.jpg
|caption=[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s going to have his hands full cleaning these two up.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]]
|date=[[August 19]], 2009
|illustrated by=
|continuity=[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]
|pagecount=220
|ISBN=ISBN 1600104878<br>
ISBN 978-1600104879
}}

{{bigquote|What a brilliant book! Probably the best I've ever read, human or Cybertronian. I can't recommend it strongly enough!|[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], the rear cover of The AllSpark Almanac}}

'''''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''''' is a <s>lusty</s> happy love-letter written to {{SITENAME}} for our carnal pleasure.

==Contents==
*Foreword, by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]
*Introduction, by the authors
*Interstitial A: ''[[Transformers Hero]]''
*Chapter 1: [[Autobot]]s
*Interstitial B: Lighting
*Chapter 2: [[Decepticon]]s
*Interstitial C: [[Transformation]]s
*Chapter 3: [[Human]]s
*Interstitial D: Opening Credits
*Chapter 4: Events
*Interstitial E: [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Titan Magazines]]
*Chapter 5: Culture
*Interstitial F: Design Evolution
*Chapter 6: [[Detroit]]
*Interstitial G: [[Bee in the City]]
*Chapter 7: Settings
*Interstitial H: Backgrounds
*Afterword, by [[Marty Isenberg]]
*A Word from [[Hasbro]]
*Acknowledgments

==Notes==

This book is an encyclopedic examination of the entire ''Transformers Animated'' storyline universe. It presents exhaustively thorough character profiles and summaries of the first two seasons of the cartoon and the ''Animated'' [[The Arrival|Arrival]] comic book...''all written completely in-universe'', in the form of "interviews" with the characters or excerpts from their journals and other in-story media.

"Interstitial" interludes are presented out-of-universe and describe the design process behind the art, animation, and locations, as well as brief story summaries of the [[Titan Books|Titan Magazines]] ''Animated'' issues. Elements of toy design are covered as well, but comparatively briefly.

There are also an ''insane'' number of obscure references to Transformers minutiae culled from the 25-year history of the franchise, as well as other sci-fi and entertainment franchises as well. Basically, ''all'' proper nouns and names refer to something or someone, even if that someone is a possibly non-existent character only mentioned once in a letters page of a foreign comic. And that's before we start talking about the ''numbers'': Almost every seemingly incongruous alphanumeric string is a reference to another franchise, be it a ''Star Trek'' stardate or a Terminator's official designation. And that's just the content in English—about a third of the book's pages have large stretches covered in [[Cybertronix]]. Deciphered, these include non-Transformers-related passages, such as extensive, verbatim quotes from diverse sources ranging from Tennyson's ''Ulysses'' to ''Max Headroom''.

Derrick Wyatt has promised that there will be a second AllSpark Almanac, and that it will feature all of the Cyber Ninjas.[http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/statuses/3990883557]

==Chapter 1 - Autobots==
Chapter one covers all Autobots who appear in the first two seasons of the cartoon.

{{collist|3|
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] by Ultra Magnus
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] by Lockdown
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] by Captain Fanzone
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] by Bulkhead
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] by Sari
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] by Bumblebee
*[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] by Blackarachnia
**[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
**[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
**[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] by Ratchet
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] by Bulkhead
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] by Ratchet
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] by Bumblebee
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] by Bumblebee
*[[Wasp]] by Shockwave
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] by Ratchet}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 15 – [[Optimus Prime (Animated) | Optimus Prime]]'s axe is identified as a [[Solitarium]] ultra-axe.

* Pg 20a – As mentioned in his tech spec, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is a [[Protihex]] Medical Mechanical graduate.

* Pg 20b – [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] refers to Ratchet with the nickname “Cool Hand Lube”, an epithet coined for [[Ratchet (G1)|the original Ratchet]].

* Pg 34 – Unnamed in the ''Animated'' cartoon, the alien planet visited by the young Optimus, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] populated by giant spiders is here given the named [[Archa Seven]]. Presumably, this puts it in the same system as [[Akalo|Archa Nine]].

* Pg 35 – Sentinel Prime's [[Skyboom (Animated)|shield]] is dubbed a [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom shield]].

* Pg 44 – Ratchet recalls an old flame from [[Crystal City]].

* Pg 55 – [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme's]] profile contains numerous references.
:The language describing Omega's strength deliberately hearkens back to Generation 1 [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega's]] Transformers Universe profile, describing how he can pulverize “steel cubes” of impressive volume and hit diminutive items from a great distance with his head cannon. Numerous Cybertronian units of [[Category:Measurements|measurement]] are used in the process; Omega is said to be able to like 600,000 kilo-units (a measurement used by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the ''Animated'' episode "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]"); the dimensions of the aforementioned cube are given in mechanometers (used in the Generation 1 episode "[[City of Steel]]" and mentioned twice more in the book); and the distance at which he can blast a small object is given in hics (from the Marvel UK 1991 annual story "[[The Magnificent Six!]]" and used once more in the book).
:Omega is also noted to be armed with concussion blasters (the personal weapon of Generation 1 [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]), pulsar bombs (used by the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] on two occasions in the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] cartoon), quasar beams (Generation 2 [[Blowout]] and Beast Wars [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] both wielded quasar cannons), friction cannons (G1 [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was armed with a friction blaster) and aquasting missiles (weapon of choice of the Beast Wars Fuzor [[Injector]]).
:And finally, Omega has armor enhanced with [[rheanimum]].

===Real-world references===

* Pg 46 – Ratchet speculates that Wreck-Gar must have “27,000 gags” hidden in his trash bin. The number 27 is a running gag in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s songs... Al, of course, being the voice actor who played Wreck-Gar.

===Errors===
* Page 33: The [[Magnus Hammer]] is referred to as a "Storm'''breaker'''" hammer instead of "Storm'''bringer'''," a previously-given name for the weapon.

==Chapter 2 - Decepticons==
Character models for all Decepticons who appeared in Animated seasons one and two.
{{collist|3|
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] by Lugnut
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Lugnut]] by Blitzwing
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] by Lugnut
*[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] by Bulkhead
**[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] by Megatron
*[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] by The Angry Archer
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] by Sari
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] by himself
*[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] by Thundercracker
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] by Ramjet
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] by Sunstorm
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] by Skywarp
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] by Slipstream
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 60 – Mentioned here and restated on pg 127, Megatron's swords are forged from [[tironium]]. As noted in his tech specs, his armor can deflect anti-proton lasers.

* Pg 66 – As on his toy packaging, Lugnut is referred to with the nickname "The [[Kaon]] Krusher".

* Pg 74 – Shockwave's cannon can fire blasts from anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum, just like Generation 1 [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could.

* Pg 77 – Swindle's gyro gun and scatter blaster are named after the weapons of the original Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]].

* Pg 81 – Starscream claims to be the handsomest 'bot "this side of the [[Benzuli Expanse]]".

* Pg 83-84 – Having gone unnamed in the Animated cartoon, [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] were all given names and powers derived from their Generation 1 counterparts when they were released as toys. The liar and female clones did not get toys, but ''The AllSpark Almanac'' carries on the trend; the liar clone is named [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] and is noted to have a reinforced nosecone for mid-air collisions, while the female clone gets the brand new name of [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] (which was previously revealed at [[BotCon 2009]]).

* Pg 88 – Numerous weapons used by Lockdown in the cartoon are here given the names of similar weapons from other corners of the Transformers multiverse. He is armed with [[Sleep Nets]] (from the Generation 1 coloring book ''[[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]]''), [[nova spray]], and a [[lightning whip]]. His chainsaw is also described as being “micro-serrated”, language frequently used to describe the beak of Generation 1 [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 66 - Blitzwing calls Lugnut a “five-eyed, no-brained, flying purple people eater,” paraphrasing the 1958 Sheb Wooley song, “Purple People Eater”.

* Pg 82 – Starscream's first sycophantic clone is given the numerical designation [[Clone number 2716057|#2716057]], the serial number of hard-drinking robot Bender from Futurama. The first cowardly clone, meanwhile, is marked [[Clone number 3370318|#3370318]], the serial number of Bender's identical duplicate, Flexo.

==Chapter 3 - Humans==
Character models and the occasional background image for the major humans of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Sari Sumdac]] by Bulkhead
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] by Megatron
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Carmine Fanzone]] by Sari
*The [[Angry Archer]] by Swindle
*[[Professor Princess|Professor Penny Princess, PhD]] by Sari
*[[Nanosec]] by Slo-Mo
*[[Slo-Mo]] by Nanosec
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] by Bulkhead
*[[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] by Meltdown
*[[Fusion creature]]s
**[[Fusion creature|BAT-MONSTER]] by Grimlock
**The [[Fusion creature|Seafood Louis creature]] by Fanzone
*[[Master Disaster]] by Blurr
*[[Street Demon]] by Bulkhead
**[[Ming-Li]] and [[Roxy Sparkles]] by Sari
**[[Shana Story]] and [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] by Bumblebee
*[[Porter C. Powell]] by Headmaster
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 94 – Swindle plans to imitate [[Angry Archer]]'s antiquated dialect to help facilitate his next deal with the [[Darkling Lords]] of [[Prysmos]]. This is a reference to the 1987 Hasbro toyline, [[Visionaries]]; Prysmos was the planet upon which that series was set, and the Darkling Lords were the villains of the franchise.

* Pg 101 – The name of Prometheus Black's company is given as [[Biotech Unbound]], referring to the Greek poem, “Prometheus Unbound”, which was also the title of a ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Prometheus Unbound|episode]].

*Pg 103 – In the Animated cartoon, the bat-monster is noted as having formerly been Meltdown's lawyer. Here, Captain Fanzone notes that the shark-monster was his stock broker. In addition, he calls it a "[[Seafood Louis]] creature"

* Pg 105 – [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] is named after [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s [[Solon Kitakaze (Victory)|cyborg son]] from the infamously kooky [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] manga.

===Real-world references===
* Pg 97 – [[Slo-Mo]] is here given the first name of Samantha, and on pg 143, the surname of Lomow. So hey, it turns out that her real name is the same as Hasbro Senior Vice President of Global Marketing [[Samantha Lomow]], on whom she was based.

* Pg 105 – [[Ming-Li]] is named after author Jim Sorenson's wife, Ming-Li Wang. [[Shana Story]] is named for a friend of author Bill Forster, Shana Storey, who is credited in the acknowledgments section of their previous book, [[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].

* Pg 106 – Porter C. Powell's limousine is branded as a “TUX model”, named for the Tonka [[Tonka GoBots|GoBot]] it was designed to resemble.

===Errors===
* Page 95: The "d" is left out of "Powdered Sugar."

==Chapter 4 - Events==
The episodes and comic stories that make up the primary Animated continuity, in order.
{{collist|2|
*[[Transform and Roll Out]] as three Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime and a page from Isaac Sumdac's journal
*[[Dispatches]] as musings from [[Vector Prime]]
*[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Total Meltdown]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Blast from the Past]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22A Few Loose Strands.22|A Few Loose Strands]] as [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]], the trans-dimensional magazine for Decepti-femmes
*[[The Thrill of the Hunt]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Ratchet
*[[The Arrival #5]] as a page from Swindle's ledger and an evaluation form
*[[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Along Came a Spider]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Whatever Happened To Whatisname.3F.22|Whatever Happened To Whatisname?]] as a page from Professor Princess' diary
*[[Sound and Fury]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Attention Surplus Disorder.22|Attention Surplus Disorder]] as two pages from the [[Detroit Powell Press]]
*[[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]] as Lugnut's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival #3]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Survival of the Fittest]] as a police report from Captain Fanzone
*[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22The Insincerest Form of Flattery.22|The Insincerest Form of Flattery]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bulkhead
*[[Nature Calls]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Prowl
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Elite Guard]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[The Return of the Headmaster]] as Sentinel Prime's private journal and a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[Mission Accomplished]] as Megatron's Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]] as a box of [[Garbage O's]] cereal
*[[Velocity]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Bumblebee
*[[Rise of the Constructicons]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[A Fistful of Energon]] as Starscream's Internal Log
*[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]] as excerpts from interrogations conducted by Captain Fanzone
*[[Autoboot Camp]] as Shockwave's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[First (and Second) in Flight]] as a page from Ultra Magnus' memoirs
*[[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
*[[Sari, No One's Home]] as a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]] as Megatron's Internal Log
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]] as an Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime
}}

===Transformers references===

*Pg 112 – An observation of the events of the [[Dispatches|first issue]] of the Animated comic by the trans-dimensional [[Vector Prime]]. He uses the aforementioned Universal Stream classification system to catalog this manuscript, identifying the Animated cartoon universe as “Malgus 1207.26 Alpha”. The designation is later used again on pg 117.

* Pg 116 - Presumably, the trans-dimensional magazine [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]] is named for Beast Wars [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia's]] voice actor, [[Venus Terzo]]. Whatever currency its cover price is in, its represented with a “B” in Predacon Cybertronix! Blackarachnia wears the crown, shoulderpads and cape donned by Generation 1 Starscream for his coronation in [[The Transformers: The Movie]]. References on the cover include:
:*“Sparkmate” is a term used in the N64 Beast Wars: Transmetals video game, to describe Tigatron and Airazor's romantic bond.
:*[[Chain of Command]] is the title of a Beast Wars episode.
:*Readers are invited to compare several pairs of Decepticon and Predacon fembots:
:**[[Clio]] is a Decepticon [[Powermaster]] mentioned by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in the letters page of issue #315 of Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic. She is pitted against [[Lyzack]], sister of Decepticon Breastforce warrior [[Leozack]], who appears in the final issue of the Victory manga.
:**[[Manta Ray (BW)|Manta Ray]] is a Beast Wars McDonalds Happy Meal figure, who was established as being female by IDW Publishing's Beast Wars Sourcebook. She is up against the equally aquatic [[Scylla]], from [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]].
:**[[Flamewar]] and [[Nightracer]] are both BotCon [[exclusive]] female Decepticons, from 2005 and 1995, respectively. The match-up has a deeper meaning; Nightracer was created by notorious Decepticon fan [[Raksha]], and some fans believe that Flamewar's personality is based on Raksha, though her creator [[Ben Yee]] denies it.
:*Revenge of the Fallen's Pretender [[Alice]] teaches readers how to disarm a foldspace warhead, a weapon which appears in the second issue of the UK's 2007 live-action movie comic.
:*The magazine's gossip columnist is [[Freezon]], the Decepticon car included with Tyco's Transformers Electric Racing Set released in the 1980s. She is dishing the dirt on Lugnut and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'s relationship, which was established in Strika's profile, published in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club Official Magazine.
:*[[Beta Maxx]] is the partner of BotCon 2007 exlusive Alpha Trion, while [[Caliburn]] is partnered with 2004 exclusive, [[Megazarak]]. The cover identifies them as Mini-Cons, despite the fact that no previous writings ever done so (Caliburn is explicitly a [[Micromaster]], while Beta Maxx has only been referred to as an Autobot). Funnily enough, in late 2008, author Jim Sorenson was involved in an argument on the Transformers Wiki about Beta Maxx being a Mini-Con... hmmmn. Anyway, they're talking to Cybertron [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]].

* Pg 119a – Most of the weapons Swindle sells Lugnut and Blitzwing, and the planets he gets them from, are established, if obscure, Transformers items and locales. Most of them were named in the comic story this page covers, "[[Everything Must Go]]", but a few more things are named here. The full list includes:
:*An [[anti-gravity gun|anti-gravity cannon]] from the planet [[Andellor]].
:*A [[triple crusher cannon]] from the planet Talos Four (probably derived from a mistake on TFWIKI.Net, which misspelled [[Taros Four]] in this manner for a time).
:*A decompression pump from [[Torkulon]].
:*[[Glass gas]] and a [[Digital Impact Mace]] (the weapon of choice of [[BotCon 2000]] exclusive toy [[Apelinq]]) from the planet [[Darhos]].
:*Super glue from the [[Menonia]].
:*An [[omega bomb]] from [[Ganzvort]].
:*Two [[Nemesis Shield]]s from [[Garo]] and [[Comb|Com]].
:*A [[Chaosmaster Bomb]] from [[Xeptos]].
:*Circuitry repair patches from [[Cheyne]].

* Pg 119b – Optimus's evaluation form is rendered in the style of classic Transformers [[Tech Spec]]s, but not any one particular design. The training exercise from the comic story “Survival Skills” is revealed to have taken place on [[Kaiba-5]].

* Pg 124-125 The article text of the Detroit Powell Press included in the AllSpark Almanc contain numerous references.
:*[[Irwin Spoon]] was a journalist who appeared in a three-part story in Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Quake-Maker]] is a supervillain from the UK's Animated comic.
:*The [[Mechanic]] is a human criminal who battled the Autobots in two issues of the Marvel's original Generation 1 comic.
:*The [[Jack Boys]] are a motorcycle gang from the Super-God Masterforce cartoon.
:*[[Jake Lomax]] is a mob boss from issue #13 of Marvel's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] is an industrialist from IDW's [[Hearts of Steel]] mini-series.

:The sidebar on the page also makes numerous references:
:*“Defensor United” refers, of course, to the Generation 1 [[Defensor (G1)|Protectobot combiner]]. The team is thrashed by real-life football team West Ham at [[Tigatron Stadium]], the venue named for the [[Tigatron|Beast Wars character]], which appeared in the Animated episode, [[Five Servos of Doom]].
:*In the Animated universe, the Generation 1 Decepticon ally, mad scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]], is the surgeon general! He recommends [[Ding Dong]]s (favored by the [[President of the United States]] in the live-action movie!) as a cure for the [[Hate Plague]], a rage-inciting disease that appeared in the Generation 1 two-part episode, [[The Return of Optimus Prime]].
:*Racing queen [[Junko Shiragami]] is a human female from the Binaltech Asterisk toyline (who was in turn based upon [[Kelly]] from Robots in Disguise). Here, she is dating scientist [[Michael Avery]], who appeared in the 2007 movie prequel novel, [[Ghosts of Yesterday]].
:*Street Demon racer Roxy Sparkles (earlier named on page 105) is here noted to be a member of the band [[Purple Fungus]], who were a favorite of [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] in the Find Your Fate Junior novel, [[Attack of the Insecticons]].
:*“Princess Ringo” was the nickname by which Kiss Players character [[Ringo Chikuma]] preferred to be known. Here, she has recently visited [[Mont Porte]], the country that is home to the Super-God Masterforce Headmaster Junior [[Minerva]].

:Adverts refer to:
:*[[Dancitron]], a musical event named for a dance club from the Generation 1 cartoon episode [[Auto-Bop]]. Cold Slither is playing here, a band from the G.I. Joe cartoon episode of the same name, created as part of an evil Cobra plot. The piece of music composed as their [[Cold Slither|signature tune]] was used as incidental music in several Transformers episodes.
:*Wyatt Toys, the toy store named after Animated art director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] which appears in several episodes of the cartoon. The advert notes that the store sells [[Diaclone]] and [[Microman]] figures, the two toylines that were Transformers' progenitors.
:*Roadhog Horton's Motorcycle Show, named after [[Randy “Roadhog” Horton]], a member of the bounty-hunting motorcyclist [[Roadjammer]]s from [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the Marvel Generation 1 comic. His show also features autograph signings from Rorza, a reference to the [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III|Rocket-Cycle Racer from Rigel III]] of the same name from issue #44.
:*A horror movie named “[[Monster from Mars]]”, an elaborate reference to the movie of the same name that was the central plot element of [[Monstercon from Mars!]], issue #45 of the Marvel comic. In said issue, Decepticon Pretender [[Skullgrin]] starred in the title role; this poster features a monster designed to look like Skullgrin in the style of Meltdown's [[fusion creature]]s, in reference to the fact that Skullgrin's fellow Pretenders [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] and [[Bomb-Burst]] were the base for the two fusion creatures in the cartoon. In both the original comic and this version, the movie is directed by [[Rollie Friendly]] and stars [[Jake Colton]] and [[Carissa Carr]]; this version also adds [[Karen Fishook]], an actress from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, “Hoist Goes Hollywood”. The movie's soundtrack is by the [[High Rollahz]], a band featured in the “Keepers Trilogy” novel, [[Hardwired]].

* Pg 127 – Unnamed in the original comic "[['Bots of Science]]", Ratchet here notes that he has dubbed the cure for Cosmic Rust "[[Corrostop]]". Its ingredients include [[Ingredient X]] and [[razon gas]].

* Pg 134 – The [[Steelhaven (Animated)|Elite Guard ship]] is here given the name ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]''.

* Pg 136 – Sari's notebook paper is decorated with an illustration of "Hello [[Nekomimi A and Nekomimi B|Nekomimi]] Pop-Star", a chibified, "Hello Kitty"-style version of Nekomimi A from the Energon episode, "[[Distribution]]". Nekomimi B appears on pg 147 in a similar fashion.

* Pg 138-139
:*The brand of the tire in the logo is [[Wheeljack]] Tyres!

:*In the “fueltritional facts” box alone, there are references to:
:**mercury sauce, a favorite of the [[Mecannibal]]s from the Marvel Generation 1 comic
:**[[Rarified Energon]], introduced in the Transformers Collectors Club magazine storyline, [[Crossing Over]]
:**[[Energon Z]] from [[Zone (franchise)|Zone]]
:**budianskium basil (referring to Transformers writer [[Bob Budiansky]])
:**grated gears (a serving suggestion for ants by Beast Wars [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] in [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]])
:**janick jaAm (see below.)

:*The word jumble unscrambles to read “You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero”, an infamous quote from the late-1990s fanfic by MG-Dinobot, “Dinobot's Old Technology”, which was itself a misquote from the Beast Wars episode [[Code of Hero]]. The quote went on to become one of the most famous online memes from that era of Transformers [[fandom]].
:**The answer at the bottom of the page, however, claims it actually says “WhY mY ShOuldErs hUrT?”, a tortured quote from British fan Blueshift's famous re-scripting of the first Armada pack-in mini-comic. This was also the source of the above-mentioned “jaAm” line, which was since been immortalized on the license plate and packaging bio of the 2009 Universe Hot Shot figure.

:*Illustration B in the “spot the difference” puzzle is, of course, Generation 1 [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] [[character model]].

* Pg 145 – Ultra Magnus's memoir is prefaced with a haiku from "[[Sky-Byte (Animated)|Sky-Byte]], Decepticon poet", referencing the loveable haiku-writing [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''. He has to be Decepticon here, of course, because there are no Predacons in the ''Animated'' universe. In the course of this page, Magnus mentions [[mitotic spark]]s and the [[Angarix Sector]], a region of space introduced in the Generation 1 episode "[[The Quintesson Journal]]".

* Pg 148 – Megatron refers to the act of [[branding]] the Constructicons with the Decepticon symbol as the "[[Rite of the Deceptibrand]]," after the Autobot equivalent, the "[[Rite of the Autobrand]]".

===Real-world references===
{{Main|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac/Events Real-world references}}

===Errors===
* Page 133: "...have tried harder to recruit the Dinobots as allies, but I was so angry at Prowl's deception that I..." is repeated immediately following the first use in the third paragraph.

* Page 145: The "c" is left out of "First (and Second) in Flight."

==Chapter 5 - Culture==
A catch-all for other aspects of Animated including ships, monsters and customs.
{{collist|3|
*The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] by Optimus Prime
*Autobot Cybertronian forms by Ultra Magnus
*Decepticon Cybertronian forms by Starscream
*The [[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]] by Lockdown
*[[Autobot Shuttle (Animated)|Autobot Shuttle]] by Blitzwing
*[[Automaton|Sumdac robots]] by Porter C. Powell
*Bulkhead's Art by Ratchet, Optimus Prime and Sari
*[[Halloween]] by Bulkhead and Bumblebee
*[[Space barnacles]] by Sari
*[[Nanite|Nanobots]] by Ratchet
*The Media by Soundwave
*[[Ability|Powers]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 161 – Starscream uses the expression “a few [[lipole]]s short of a nest”, referring to the metal-eating bat-creatures native to Jupiter's moon [[Io]], from the Generation 1 multi-part episode, [[Five Faces of Darkness]].

* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship is named the ''[[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]]'', after a certain [[Death's Head (G1)|freelance peacekeeping agent]], yes? It has been upgraded using parts obtained from the planets [[Jörmungandr]] and [[Taxxon]], and the [[Jabbi-Ko]] aliens, outfitted with Vandarian holographic technology (from the same planet as the [[Vandarian fuzz-worm]]s) and [[cybertitanium]] cables (among other items mentioned below as they're non-''Transformers'' references).

* Pg 170 – Bulkhead describes candy as being like [[Ultra-Energon]] for kids.

* Pg 174 – Newscaster [[Lester Black]] is revealed to be the great-nephew of [[Hector Ramirez (Animated)|Hector Ramirez]], a callback to the [[Hector Ramirez (G1)|Generation 1 news reporter of the same name]] (who was actually unnamed in his one ''Transformers'' cartoon appearance).

===Real-world references===
* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship used to be an “IG-2000” class ship, referring to the [[Star Wars]] ship that bore that name. It is outfitted with Deckard cannons (named for Rick Deckard from Blade Runner), Samus-blasters (named for Samus Aran from Metroid), and isomorphic controls preventing anyone other than Lockdown from piloting it, as does Doctor Who's TARDIS. Lockdown rounds out the paragraph by saying “a bot's got to know his limitations”, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force.

* Pg 165 - “A three hour tour!” cackles Blitzwing, quoting the theme tune of Gilligan's Island.

==Chapter 6 - Detroit==
People, places and things in and about Detroit.
{{collist|3|
*[[Augustus Edsel|Detroit's Leadership]] by Sentinel Prime
*Buildings by Jazz
*[[Blackwater Prison]] by Captain Fanzone
*Solar Fusion by Porter C. Powell
*[[Human|Organic Inhabitants]] by Sentinel Prime
*Emergency Responders by Captain Fanzone
*Earth Vehicles by Jazz
*Stupid Organics (i.e. animals) by Sentinel Prime
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 178 – [[Augustus Edsel|Mayor Edsel]] is revealed to be the nephew of famous actor [[Harold Edsel (G1)|Harold Edsel]].

* Pg 183 – The [[Sidney Biggles-Jones Memorial Solar Fusion Plant]] is named after the [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|scientist]] from the Marvel Comics ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' / ''Generation 2'' crossover. The other scientists named as working on solar fusion, [[Brian Jones (Animated)|Brian Jones]], [[Daichi Onishi]], [[Peter Morris (Animated)|Peter Morris]], and [[Felix Adle]], are named after (respectively) [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Jones]] from ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', Doctor [[Kenneth Onishi]], [[Professor Morris]] and [[Professor Adle]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 189 – [[Jeff Litvack]] is a friend of Jim Sorenson's, who he credits in the acknowledgments of this book. [[Krista Kohlhausen]] is Bill Forster's “favorite person,” according to the acknowledgments of The Ark.

==Chapter 7 - Settings==
Background pictures and associated character models from the first two seasons of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Autobot Earth Base]] by Bulkhead
*[[Decepticon Earth Base]] by Mixmaster and Scrapper
*[[Sumdac Systems]] by Isaac Sumdac
*[[Nemesis (Animated)|The Nemesis]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] by Prowl
*[[Meltdown's Subterranean Lab]] by Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes
*[[Archa Seven]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Autobot boot camp]] by Ultra Magnus
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 200 – The generic Sumdac Systems technicians are named [[Eddie Fairchild and Matt Conroy]]. These are the names of two prototypical characters who existed in the development phase of the Generation 1 cartoon, who eventually evolved into [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]].

* Pg 203 – Noted architect George R. Apple. [[Grapple|G.R.Apple]]? Anybody? Anybody? C'mooon!

* Pg 206 – The [[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]] is equipped with a Grand Mal class force field, named after the [[Grand Mal]], the giant fortress-cum-giant head occupied by Beast Wars [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the latter stages of the Beast Machines cartoon. It has a cybertroid alloy star drive (just like the Generation 1 [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], as mentioned in the G1 episode [[Microbots]]), and has the most sophisticated sensor array this side of the [[Eshems Nebula]], a region of space introduced in IDW Publishing's live-action movie-based [[Defiance]] series.

* Pg 207 – To escape the damaged Nemesis, the Decepticons used Devolan escape pods. The planet [[Devola]] was the site of a huge victory for the Decepticon [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] in the Armada universe.

* Pg 211 – The crashed Decepticon ship on Archa Seven is named the [[Twilight (Animated)|Twilight]], after the [[Twilight (G2)|flagship]] from the Marvel Generation 2 comics.

==Interstitials==
The only place in the book where out-of-universe is presented, the interstitial pages covered divergent continuities as well as select aspects of the animation process.

==Literary elements==
Including the copyright information, title page, foreword and afterwords, notes from the authors and acknowledgments.

===Transformers references===
* Pg 9a – Sorenson and Forster hail from [[universal stream]] Quadwal -3760.925 Theta. Universal streams are a means of classifying the numerous Transformers universes devised by authors [[Greg Sepelak]] and [[Trent Troop]], which first appeared in the Transformers Collectors Club story, [[Withered Hope]]. This particular classification, however, makes no sense, save for the “Theta” suffix, which indicates a “spoken word” or “live performance” scenario. The “-” sign also indicates they're from an evil parallel universe, akin to the Shattered Glass fiction introduced at [[BotCon 2008]], the only other universal stream to be marked like this. “Don't ask,” the authors say.
** But we're the goddamned Transformers Wiki, so screw that "don't ask" stuff. We're nerds, we're gonna do this thing. "Quadwal" is an obvious play on "fourth wall," which is what this universal stream is breaking. September 25, 3760 BC is the first day of the Hebrew calendar, specifically the date some believe Creation began. (So that "-" sign has a double meaning!) So Sorenson and Forster hail from the Real Life Universe, or the negative universe version of it, hence why they are incarcerated criminals.

* Pg 9b – The Reverse-Pretender technology used by Sorenson and Forster is a reference to several 1980s Transformers toy [[commercial]]s, which featured a child leaping into the air and transforming into Ultra Magnus.

* Pg 215 - Marty Isenberg mentions a [[GEEWUN|certain group of fans]], canonizing yet another fan-made term.

===Errors===
* Page 2: In the indicia, the latter "r" is left out of "characters".

==External Links==
[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotated_almanac.html Full annotated listing of MOST hidden references in the Almanac]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category: IDW titles]]
[[Category: Reference texts]]

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