Joe Kyde
| The name or term "Joe" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Joe (disambiguation). |
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kyde (born 1980) is a former Hasbro employee who last held the job title Product Designer, designing Transformers toys across multiple brand segments. He started as an Associate Designer in charge of store-exclusive product for the G.I. Joe and Transformers brands. He had previously done color layouts for many Transformers toys.
A longtime Transformers fan and formerly active member of the Transformers fan community, Kyde began an internship with Hasbro in 2002, doing design work and color layouts for many Transformers toys as both an intern and freelance designer. He was hired at Hasbro full-time in 2007 as an Associate Designer in charge of store-exclusive product for the G.I. Joe and Transformers brands. By 2009, he had moved on to full Transformers toy design, contributing to the Hunt for the Decepticons/Reveal the Shield, Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, and Generations toylines. He would go on to become the lead designer of both the Cyberverse and Generations toyline! If you like Springer, thank him.
After leaving Hasbro, he became a Senior Designer for The LEGO Group in Denmark. In 2022, his then and former jobs crossed paths when he got the opportunity to design the official LEGO Optimus Prime figure.[1]
Toys Joe had a hand with
Color decos
Armada
- Adventure Mini-Con Team
- Blurr
- Galvatron
- Powerlinx Hot Shot
- Night Attack Mini-Con Team
- Scourge (Legends of the Microns)
- Street Speed Mini-Con Team
- Thundercracker
He also did design work on Armada Overload.
Cybertron
- Optimus Prime (redeco of deluxe Armada Optimus Prime)
- Skywarp
- Smokescreen
Beast Wars 10th Anniversary
Classics
- Autobot Whirl
- Bumblebee (Legends)
- Fireflight
- Grimlock
- Jetfire (Legends)
- Leo Prime
- Mirage
- Menasor
- Optimus Prime vs Megatron
- Perceptor
- Trypticon
Transformers (2007)
- Autobot Jazz (Deluxe, "AllSpark enhanced" deco, Target)
- Barricade with Decepticon Frenzy (Deluxe, "AllSpark enhanced" deco, Target)
- Power Bumblebee (Deluxe, "AllSpark enhanced" deco, Target)
- Decepticon Brawl (Deluxe, "AllSpark enhanced" deco, Target)
- Autobot Jazz (Deluxe, "Generation 1" deco, Target)
- Backtrack (Target, unreleased)
- Big Daddy (Walmart)
- Blackout with Scorponok (Voyager)
- Breakaway (Walmart)
- Crankcase (Walmart)
- Deep Space Starscream (Voyager, Target)
- Divebomb (Walmart)
- Grindcore (Walmart)
- Final Battle Jazz
- Fracture (Walmart)
- Gunbarrel (Target, unreleased)
- Inferno (Toys"R"Us)
- Jetstorm (Toys"R"Us)
- Jolt (Walmart)
- Mudflap (Toys"R"Us)
- Payload
- Rescue Ratchet
- Recon Barricade with Decepticon Frenzy (Deluxe)
- Decepticon Reverb (Target, unreleased)
- Screen Battles — Battle Over Mission City (Target)
- Megatron (Voyager)
- Screen Battles — Freeway Brawl (Target)
- Optimus Prime (Voyager)
- Starscream (Voyager)
- Starscream (Voyager, "Generation 1" deco, Target)
- Swindle
- The Legacy of Bumblebee (Walmart)
- Classic Bumblebee (Deluxe)
- Thundercracker (Deluxe)
- Wingblade (Toys"R"Us)
Animated
- Rescue Ratchet (Target)
- Stealth Lockdown (Target)
- Shockwave (Target)
- Sunstorm (Target)
Universe (2008)
- Aerial Rivals (Target)
- Autobot Ambush (Target)
- Battle for the Cyber Planet Keys (Sam's Club)
- Mini-Con Class 12 Pack (Kmart)
- Special Team Leaders (Target)
- Special Edition
- Standoff Beneath the Streets (Target)
Design
Revenge of the Fallen
Dark of the Moon
MechTech
Hunt for the Decepticons
Reveal the Shield
Generations
- Bumblebee
- Drift
- Optimus Prime
- Darkmount
- Megatron
- Red Alert
- Soundwave
- Blurr
- Cliffjumper
- Skullgrin
- Thunderwing
- Scourge
- Wheeljack
- Sky Shadow
War for Cybertron
Fall of Cybertron
Cyberverse Series 1
Legion Class
- 001 Bumblebee
- 002 Barricade
- 003 Crankcase
- 004 Autobot Topspin
- 005 Autobot Skids
- 006 Sideswipe
- 007 Leadfoot
- 008 Autobot Ratchet
- 009 Crowbar
- 010 Mudflap
- 011 Bumblebee/Bolt Bumblebee
- 012 Flak
- 013 Starscream
- 014 Roadbuster
- 015 Bumblebee/Stealth Bumblebee
- 016 Soundwave
Commander Class
- Optimus Prime ("Limited Edition Preview Pack" with 3D Glasses)
- 001 Optimus Prime
- 002 Sentinel Prime
- 003 Megatron
- 004 Ironhide
- 005 Blackout/Scorponok
- 006 Powerglide
- 007 Decepticon Hatchet
- 008 Battle Steel Optimus Prime
- 009 Autobot Guzzle
- 010 Dark Sentinel Prime
Action Set
- 001 Bumblebee / Mobile Battle Bunker
- 002 Starscream / Orbital Assault Carrier
- 003 Megatron / Blastwave Weapons Base
- 004 Optimus Prime / Armored Weapons Platform
- 005 Autobot Ratchet / Lunar Crawler
- 006 Shockwave / Fusion Tank
Playsets
Cyberverse Series 2
Legion Class
- 007 Soundwave
- 008 Mirage
- 009 Transformers: The Ride Evac
Prime
Cyberverse Series 2
Legion Class
- 001 Bumblebee
- 002 Vehicon
- 003 'Arcee
- 004 Autobot Ratchet
- 005 'Cliffjumper
- 006 'Breakdown
- 010 Hyperspeed Wheeljack
- 011 Quick Blade Bumblebee
- 012 Flamewar
- 013 Fallback
- 014 Autobot Tailgate
- 015 Knock Out
Commander Class
- 001 Optimus Prime
- 002 Bulkhead
- 003 Starscream
- 004 Megatron
- 005 Dreadwing
- 006 Ironhide
- 007 Ultra Magnus
- 008 Nightwatch Optimus Prime
- 009 Battle Tactics Bulkhead
- 010 Skyquake
Vehicles
- 001 Energon Driller with Knock Out
- 002 Star Hammer with Wheeljack
- 003 Bumblebee Battle Suit with Bumblebee
Optimus Maximus
Cyberverse Series 3
Legion Class
- 001 Prime Smokescreen
- 002 Prime Twinstrike
- 003 Prime Airachnid
- 004 Prime Bumblebee
- 005 Prime Soundwave
- 006 Prime Prowl
- 007 Prime Hun-Gurrr
- 008 Prime Windrazor
- 009 Prime Rippersnapper
- 010 Prime Blight
Commander Class
- 001 Prime Optimus Prime
- 002 Prime Predaking
- 003 Prime Bulkhead
- 004 Prime Hardshell
- 005 Prime Trailcutter
- 006 Prime Starscream
- 007 Prime Shockwave
Vehicles
- 001 Sky Claw with Prime Smokescreen
- 002 Apex Hunter Armor with Prime Breakdown
Generations: Thrilling 30
- Orion Pax
- Roller
- Bumblebee
- Blazemaster
- Starscream
- Waspinator
- Megatron
- Chop Shop
- SWERRRRRRRVE
- Flanker
- Cosmos
- Payload
- Skrapnel
- Reflector
- Tailgate
- Groundbuster
- Trailcutter
- Optimus Prime
- Megatron
- Bumblebee
- Hoist
- Dreadwing
- Waspinator
- Skids
- Goldfire
- Starscream (Armada)
- Centuritron
- Scoop
- Crosscut
- Springer
- Blitzwing
- Sandstorm
- Doubledealer
- Rhinox
- Jetfire
LEGO
SAGE2764
Starting in March 2006, a user going by the handle "SAGE2764" posted various tidbits of inside information, including leaked images of various sorts, to the Hong Kong discussion group talk.transformers, from where they were spread to other parts of the fandom. Those included:
- Packaging cross-sell stock photos of the Cybertron Leader Class "Galaxy Force Optimus Prime" redeco (offering a first look at the deco, with the toy still simply being called "Optimus Prime").[2]
- Photos of Cybertron Nemesis Breaker, Metroplex and Menasor in packaging, including the bios from the back of the packaging.[3]
- A color guide for Cybertron Deluxe Class Smokescreen, information about the Cybertron Mudflap redeco (aka Landslide) being canceled in favor of a Vector Prime redeco (aka "Galaxy Force Vector Prime"), information about Classics Optimus Prime only being available as a Voyager without a trailer (contrary to previously revealed information from other sources),[4] and his blasters transforming into parts of his vehicle mode.[5]
- A color guide for a new Alternators version of Megatron as an M1 Abrams main battle tank.[6]
- A color guide for Classics Grimlock.[7]
- Photos of the Cybertron "Galaxy Force Vector Prime" redeco in packaging.[8]
- Photos of Classics Voyager Megatron in and out of packaging.[9]
The one that stands out among these is the M1 Abrams Megatron color guide, a toy that was never released... and never intended for release to begin with. At BotCon 2006, Hasbro representatives stated that it was a "fanmade experiment by one of their friends outside the company" who "wanted to see what would happen in the fan community if he tried to make it look like Hasbro's color guides".[10] It was later revealed that the whole thing was actually intended for Joe Kyde's senior capstone project to "disseminate hoax information", conducted with Hasbro's approval.[11] It's unclear whether "SAGE2764" was actually Kyde himself or just someone acting on his behalf. Kyde only ambiguously commented on that question by stating that he knew "how to get stuff out there". He would later homage "SAGE2764" by using the name for Movie Deluxe Class Recon Barricade's license plate, and again with Revenge of the Fallen Decepticon Bludgeon from the "Master of Metallikato" two-pack, who sported "KN-2764" tampographs. Bizarrely, Vehicon from the Age of Extinction Platinum Edition "Breakout Battle" multi-pack, a toy whose deco was presumably designed long after Joe Kyde had left Hasbro, sports "2764-K-03" markings.
Notes
- Kyde decoed every version of the 2007 Transformers movie Voyager Class Starscream sculpt except the Toshiba-exclusive "Vardia Red" version.
- His favorite Transformer is Swerve.
External links
- Joe Kyde's Transformers.com design notes for the Walmart-exclusive Deluxe class Movie figures at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
- Joe Kyde's Transformers.com design notes for the TRU-exclusive Ultra and Voyager class Movie figures at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine
Footnotes
- ↑ LEGO Optimus Prime (10302) Officially Revealed
- ↑ "Cybertron Optimus Prime Repaint Image" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ "More Metroplex, Nemesis Breaker & Menasor Photos" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ Rumor about the Classics lineup that turned out to be spot on aside from Voyager Soundwave and Deluxe Optimus Prime.
- ↑ "Cybertron Crosswise Redeco and Transformers Classics Info" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ "Unknown Megatron Drawing: Possible Movie Design?" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ "Possible Classics Grimlock Color Guide" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ "More Images Of Cybertron Galaxy Force Vector Prime" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ "New Pictures of Classics Megatron" (via "SAGE2764")
- ↑ BotCon 2006 Hasbro Product Panel notes
- ↑ "Capstone project" on Joe Kyde's portfolio
