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On this special midweek episode, we interview Transformers Generation 2 artist Mr. Derek Yaniger! We’ll talk with him about his career, his work on the 90’s Marvel Transformers comics, and what he’s doing now. All this plus his answers to our Rapid Fire interview questions on this episode of TransMissions!
Check out our “Trips to the Store” video segment on YouTube!
This episode was edited by Michael Ordway (@minervion). Please check out his work in 3D modelling and animation and video and audio post-production at www.michaelordway.com! Huge thanks to Michael for his hard work!
This episode of TransMissions is sponsored by Prime Toys, where you can get collector grade toys without the collector grade prices! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to use the June coupon code TRANSMISSIONSFREEOVER50 at checkout for free shipping on orders over $50!
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Want to see a new IDW comic set in the G1 cartoon universe? Sign our petition and make your voice heard!
Show Notes:
- Intro [0:01:18]
- Derek Yaniger Interview [0:04:02]
- Derek Yaniger’s website
- Buy Derek’s art on www.misterretro.com
- Facebook page
- Follow Derek on Instagram
- Follow Derek (@DEREKart) on Twitter
- Derek Yaniger on the TFWiki
- Buy the MP-12G Generation 2 Sideswipe with Derek Yaniger’s design from Prime Toys
- Rapid Fire Interview Questions [0:47:20]
- Closing [1:00:03]
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Contact us:
- Website transmissionspodcast.com
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I will admit this I was really happy with this interview!! I love the G2 series. I loved the darker style to it.If you look through the series you pretty saw someone die in every issue. Example #2 Fort Max and Spike. It was sad yes. Considering I loved the character development of Fort Max in the G1 series. But great job guys!!! And I am sure Yoshi was so Happy when you all found out about getting to do this interview.
If I can I want to say a couple more things about the Transformers Devastation game.When I first saw the screen shots and video for this a few images came to mind. Thjose being from the DW Generation One comic series. I speak of the part in the series where Prime takes on Devastator. I loved the fact Prime transforms uses his little jump boosters (as saw int he GREAT G1 Movie) punch Dev in the chest and then pulls own his rifle and blast Dev square in the face. I have to admit that was my favorite bit from the DW comic series.
Also was I not the only one who the word Devastation made the IDW comic series of the same name come to mind? At first I was thinking could this be the start of a IDW themed game series? Then I remembered that Devastation wasn’t the first in the series, that the first in the series was Infiltration!! And I thought RATS!!
The last thing I want to say about the game is this about a Collector’s Edition idea. Why not they release the game with a Exclusive copy of the TPB of the IDW Transformers Devastation with a exclusive cover art? Or like Yoshi said a shirt of the game’s cover image ? I would suggest also maybe a statue or bust as well. As some games that have been coming out in the collector’s edition have been doing this. ( Namely the Batman Arkham games, another great games series).
I wil sign off this comment by saying it is good to see our Patreon money is going to some great things. Though as of now I am curios as to how much you guys have accumulated and what you guys have spent or plan to spend it on. Also just out of curiosity how much it cost for this great interview with Derek. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK GUYS!!!!!
I’m a little late to the game but here we go:
I loved the interview, it was nice to hear a school pov for a change, and I’m glad you guys got him for the show..I hope you can get him back sometime soon.
HOWEVER I do have a request to make to him I would like to see a “new art style” G2 Megatron to compare it like a “then and now”..his art is just too g2 to think of it as something else for me.it was gritty,dark,oiled,leaking,…and DEFINITELY not your father’s tf comic by far and we will always remember it for that. ..but I do often wonder if it will “come to pass” seeing how we have regeneration 1 Continuity by idw. .will it be or an alternate timeline?
The only thing i was wondering about it is:
What’s up with all the tongue action?I’ve wondered about tf gender for a long time..I’m not sure about this one…perhaps it’s better to give up the spark on this one…
DMG,
So not to long ago Derek did do a commission of Optimus Prime. You can see he rendered the Autobot in his new style.
https://instagram.com/p/08X8z5LD4g/?taken-by=derek.art
Yoshi
Dam it old school…I’m gonna read these b4 sending someday!!!!
You men are truly doing god’s work. It is fantastic to not have to wait until DragonCon to get a fix of Transformers talikin’ Derek Yaniger. I liked his reflections on his process and how he approached each page. He reminds me of interviews I’ve read with Larry Hama and SImon Bisley where they say they don’t read comics but just look at the pictures and won’t continue if the visuals don’t keep them interested. I’ve learned that artists aren’t the best guys to ask about plots and characters, but boy can they draw them.
I always shake my head at how he feels like the Transformers being a toy book and his mimicking of Bisley’s style makes his G2 work somehow not ‘his’ entirely. Maybe he’s embarrassed of consciously aping Bisley but a lot of people were drawing in that extreme guts and blood style by the early 90s. The SImon Bisley ABC Warriors in 2000 AD from ’88 was just the first place anyone did it with robots. By the 90s lots of artists were second rate Bisleys (and I consider Rob Liefeld their king) but Yaniger was a virtuoso at it, kind of like how Scioli draws in the style of Kirby..
It was VERY interesting to hear Yaniger wouldn’t go back to TFs if all anyone wanted was for him to retread that style. I wonder if Botcon approached him to do any illustration work when they did their G2 themed set a couple years back. I can totally see him saying no because of where he is as an artist now. They should just have just gone to the source and asked Bisley. That would have been an awesome box.
Speaking of Scioli, the parallel someone made between Yaniger and Scioli was really quite good so kudos to whoever brought that up. Funny how Yaniger being late got him fired but Scioli being late is cool as long as the books sell good. It’s a different world (and publisher) now from the 90s when late shipping books were less tolerated by Marvel. Heck, if G2 were an Image Comics book with Yaniger on it then maybe it would have lasted longer than 12 issues. I remember Image was always late on everything but they kept their titles going. (I remember Scioli saying once that if anyone else were to illustrate his planned annual for TF vs GI Joe then he’d have it be Rob Liefeld. Maybe we will get an ‘extreme’ G2-ish take on Transformers after all.
I was kind of screaming out loud when he said ‘some kid’ showed him MP G2 Sideswipe. I was that kid! He signed it for me and he was most amazed and proud that they did his guns up in plastic, which he brought up when you asked him about it. But that was like last year. When I was 40. SOME KID!
Your wealth of knowledge is second to none my Evil King Macrocranios. We’ve got to get you on the show ASAP.
I am not as interesting as Yaniger. This was a big score. What art did he send you? You gotta spill the beans there, man! I was at a con recently and they had a big binder of G2 art but it was all mostly Manny Galan pages and they wanted 100 bucks a page! But there was one Yaniger page that they had priced to move at 50 bucks. It wasn’t that great a page but I was happy to grab it. I am dying for details on what you got.
I always enjoy your interviews with artists. Especially when they’re as cool and down to earth as Derek Yaniger. I didn’t know until recent years that G2 comics even existed. (Blasphemy, I know. But glad it didn’t end at #80.) So I heard how thrilled he was to see the G2 version of MP Sideswipe and figured the “kid” that had him sign the figure must have been even more thrilled. Long story short, I found his blog, complete with pics.
http://pleasesavemerobots.blogspot.com/2014_06_01_archive.html
I have tight-pants level envy.
Sorry, Steve L.K. Macrocranios! That will teach me to post without reading previous comments. But you didn’t provided a link! I wager that should warrant me a spot on #TheOnlyListThatCounts right beside you, pal. 😀