For science!
Well, since images of these guys are already out, and I've been itching to put up some new S3 artwork, here's a look at the Animated Wheeljack and Perceptor models.
posted by Derrick J. Wyatt | 5:03 PM
66 Comments:
Wheeljack with a chin.
Never though I'd see the day.
So, am I crazy or is Wheeljack Jamie Hyneman?
You rock Derrick!!! Will these guys get any screen time in season 3? Any chance of toys? I love your style.
He's one of the Mythbusters, from a show of the same name on Discovery. They are scientists and special effect artists, that create all sorta of weird devices; and constantly make thigns explode. Much like Wheeljack is known for; expect the MBs do it on purpose.
How does Wheeljack get facial hair without having a face?
I don't mind it, but it does confuses me...
you're awesome my friend
these designs look fantastic :D
Derrick those are awesome!
Hoping to see a lot more of this kind of thing in the Allspark Almanac next year. BUt have you considered putting together a companion book of Transformers characters who aren't going to appear in TF:A just for the hell of it?
awesome man! great work as usual! Can't wait for season 3!
You know, Mr. Wyatt. Wheeljack kind of looks like Robert Downey JR.
Is he going to be like the Mr. Stark of Animated?
If so, I bet David Kaye (who did a
good imitation of Downey JR.in the latest Fantastic Four cartoon)will voice him. If Susan Blu is really going the G1 route, then Tom Kenny has already dibs on the voice.
Very nice!! Any chance we'll see animated versions of Japanese-exclusive characters? I ask because I saw Grandus in your desk pictures, and it made me think, wouldn't it be great if Grandus' chunky barely-transforming G1 toy was redeemed via an awesome Animated redesign? :)
Yeah, I thought of Jamie as soon as I saw that too. With a little bit of a Vandyke, Perceptor could pass as Adam Savage, too.
Hopefully there'll be a wink and nod to that Dr. Smoov video featuring Wheeljack and the Dinobots in Season 3.
Man I love those designs. So much personality oozing out of them. Perceptor's british accect is a must. Is Wheeljack a nod to jamie from mythbusters?
Myth? BUSTED.
Mythbusters? That's funny, I hadn't thought of that!
So who WERE the influences for Wheeljack and Perceptor's designs then?
I'm surprised no one's commented on Perceptor's glasses... :D I think he's my favorite so far.
These are great, will Perceptor still turn into a giant microscope? I always preferred the Microman original version which was in proper silver and black microscope colors...never really understood why Hasbro didn't just cast him as a Decepticon and keep the original color scheme (as they did with most of the Microman toys in those colors regardless of their original alignment) and 1/1 scale of the alt mode, but at least Takara did the original colors recently as Magnificus (and the Cobra-tribute Microman figure Ga'Mede).
Great designs. I'm really hoping Wheeljack gets a toy at some point. That way I can then have my two favorite Autobots in Animated toy form (#1 Grimlock, #2 Wheeljack). Perceptor would be nice to see too, and while I like his design, I'm not sure I'd get a toy of him. I'd need to see how it turns out before making a decision. Can't wait to see what else is in store for Season 3.
OH be still my heart! G1 inspired Perceptor? In Transformers Animated?! Oh thank you God! YEEEEEEEES!!!!!!
Since we still hadn't heard a thing about my all time favorite character since Botcon, I was afraid that he may have been pulled from the line-up like Beachcomber! Ya-HOOOO!
These two, together in Animated?! It's too freakin' good to be true! Seriously, who the hell needs Revenge of the Fallen? I say, SKIP IT and bring me more ANIMATED!!! HELL YEAH!
DW, you're my hero!
Can you give us any hints about Perceptor's alternate mode???? Is he a mass shifter (ie huge robot turns into tiny tiny Microscope fit for human use...) Is his alternate mode a vehicle?
I think Perceptor must be the first transformer with glasses XD. Great Job! I love both of the designs!
Perceptor is pure awesome. Some sort of crazy science-chimp-robot. Absolutely fantastic. I really, really hope he has a toy in the works. Perceptor was one of my faves as a kid, and I love your new take on him.
I also look forward to the black repaint as some sort of Mojo Jojo version of Magnificus. :)
I'm afraid I'm not a fan of the re-design of Perceptor's face. It's ... appropriate, but unnecessary.
dear mr. wyatt,
i am pretty sure you are my greatest tf design hero! :D :D :D
squeeeee!!! they are freaking awesome!!!
-teresa
What will Wheeljack turn into?
He looks too bulky to turn into hs G1 car.
Looking BEAUTIFUL!
I would totally watch a show which was just Wheeljack and Perceptor testing Transformers myths. "Today we're going to see if it's possible to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron. Remember kids, don't try this at home."
Now that fits Perceptor a lot better than his original form. Even as a kid I thought it was strange that the Autobots' resident poindexter was just as bulky as all the soldiers.
Cartoon Network has access to Paul Eiding so I'll be shocked if they don't bring him in to reprise his Perceptor role.
Mythbusters in TRANSFORMERS!? I LOVE it! So, does this mean you'll bring back Beachcomber as their experiment tester or will they be using Bumblebee instead?
Man, these designs rock! I'm especially impressed with Wheeljack; I don't think anyone's ever given him a proper face before, and I gotta say, his beard is epic. I also like how you kept a hint of his original faceplate in his chin there. I really super hope a toy is made of him. I think he may be my favorite Season 3 design so far.
I also really like Perceptor. It's amazing how you bring out so much personality in your designs.
Also, I've always wondered something: do you design the characters first, and then the toys are made around your designs? Or does Hasbro send you concepts of how they're going to make the figures transform, and then you stylize it? Or is it a mix of both?
I'm eagerly looking forward to all the new bots sure to appear in season 3! I love your work, and you're one of my major influences in my own style. Have a good one!
- Silent G
I really like those designs! What exactly does Perceptor turn in to? A "Tank of Science?"
Any chaces that we may see some GGG or Gurren-Lagann nods in Season 3?
Wow, i'm quite impressed. Your team has come up with awesome versions of both characters, i'm not sure which one I like more. I like the beard / mutton chops / utility belt of wheeljack and the bookworm / glasses of perceptor. damn you !
But that wheeljack is inspired!
Derrick, your designs are brilliant. You are one of the best things to happen to Transformers in years. Keep up the great work. Truly inspired stuff.
"With a little bit of a Vandyke, Perceptor could pass as Adam Savage, too."
Nah. Percy's to dignified to pass as Adam. :D
W00T!
Great work as usual! Love the homage to the old, then revamping it in the fresh style of the show.
It's cool how you adapted Wheeljack, by giving him a face, but not going so far that you lose the faceless G1 feel.
And finally the rumors are confirmed -- poor eyesight is a robotic epidemic. But even on Cybertron, Lasik is far too risky. Atta boy Nerd-ceptor. Love him! Seriously great redesign on both of these classic dudes.
Question: Do you do the color or just the lineart.? And if you do the color, do you sometimes begin with a rough color thumbnail - or do you always do drawings first? It would be great if you spoke about your process. Because It would bring joy to our hearts and it's the season of giving.
Love, love, love it all. Thanks for posting!
Keep it up!
Something about Perceptor's head really reminds of a Marvel or DC comic book character, but precisely which one is slipping my mind. Either one of the Braniac variations, or an intermediate stage of some villain who kept evolving towards being basically just a giant brain.
Alright! Despite not having much of a face, Wheeljack plastered a beard and moustache on himself simply because he's that awesome. And I'm loving the big headed Perceptor, though I'm wondering what all the 'dials' on him are. And, is that thing on his shoulder a precision laser or like an electron telescope?
Wow!!! To be honest me and my wife have not been to impressed with animated's designs in the past since we are g1 fans but this wheeljack design not only pays homage to g1 but surpasses it entirely!! both me and my wife agree this design is truly inspired. we can not wait for season 3!
Chin AND beard? Oh man!
How much time ends up going into the designs of some of these characters? I'd imagine having to work out with the Habro guys how they could transform will add to the development time, but is that all negated by knowing they'll end up as freakin awesome toys? :)
they both have really great bodies, but the heads are awful... unless they're supposed to resemble adam and jamie from mythbusters then i absolutely love them.. but if not then these could have been great but the heads completely ruin it.
I love that design for Perceptor! Some people have commented that the head is somewhat off, but I think it's a good look for him. I remember a few months ago when there was a rumour going around that Perceptor would star in Animated, but that disappeared quickly and was dismissed as poppycock. I bet whoever started that rumour is laughing his ass off now. Still, I'm curious to see what he'll turn into. Judging by the lens and dials, it looks like he's still be a microscope, but I doubt Hasbro would be crazy enough to try and market THAT as a toy again.
I'm glad to see Wheeljack is also returning. He was always a fave of mine. He looks pretty ripped here and he even retains his daffy wings. The excessive pockets looks rather odd though, and what's with the beard? My God, now the series is trying to emphasize the chin of characters who don't even have a face. o_O
One thing I find funny about this announcement is that Perceptor was originally pegged as Wheeljack's replacement in G1, but now it seems like they'll be working together. Let's hope they avoid killing each other. :p
Despite my love for all the other Animated designs, I'm really not feeling these two. It's great to see the two of them, but Wheeljack looks like Hulk Hogan and Perceptor's head reminds me of that villain from The Hulk whose name was The Brain or something.
If you could just make Jack a little less...jacked and just leave him with the face plate and tweak Perceptor's head a bit, I think they wouldn't look so odd to me. But that's just my opinion.
What are the chances of the actual Mythbusters voicing these two? It would be epic win.
I like Wheeljack's design, and Perceptor looks good too.
I'm surprised though that some features from their Unicron Trilogy counterpart were not pulled in from them, given Animated homaging all branches of the Transformers continuity. Unless Wheeljack isn't there for vengence, but for revenge. However, heaving heard about Red Alert and Hot Shot shut me up, so.
Everybody's entitled to their opinion, but for those knocking the head designs: G1 is over, let it go. Give these designs a chance. Just because they're not literal interpretations is no reason to fret. This is a rebooted universe. Wait till you see them in motion with voice casting - that's 50% of their personalities you know nothing about.
From a design standpoint they're a lot of fun. And I can see Perceptor's head being very entertaining once his English Professor voice comes online. Likewise, Wheeljack was pure Brooklyn on the original show. Wether they go that way or not - he seems like a tough mechanic/style scientist - and it seems like they're going to butt heads.
In the abstract these designs are both fantastic, IMO. And I can't wait to see how they're handled in context, in sound and motion...
Whoa! So many comments and questions. I probably won't be able to answer everything, but I'll try to hit some.
About the design process, I've done a couple interviews that should be hitting soon that will go into that a bit. One was for the TFCC Magazine, and was a double interview with both myself and Hasbro's Eric Siebenaler (Not Seinballer!).
I'm actually really shocked at the OVERWHELMINGLY positive feedback about WJ and Percy's designs! It really seems like it's an even higher positive ratio than usual. Thanks so much everyone, I'm really glad that SO many people like them. It's most gratifying to hear how happy fans are who consider one or both of these bots to be their all time favorite characters.
I do find it kind of funny that among people who don't like the new takes on these characters, the biggest complaints are that they are either NOT G1 enough, or TOO G1!
Well, I can't win them all.
Mr Wyatt and monkeytoad,
I'm sorry if I came off at nitpicky. To be honest, I haven't even watched the whole G1 series, so I don't think I'm biased towards any one representation by much.
To be perfectly honest, I'm thrilled that so much of the original cast is making it in to Animated, and I should've noted that in my first post. You guys are doing an excellent job taking the best of all the series and creating a universe fans from all the generations can enjoy.
As for these two, I think I'll wait and see.
You already won all you needed, Derrick.
You won my heart. <3
cool.
i knew as soon as animated came out,that either perceptor or wheeljack would come into the story,but i geuss ill have to settle for both!
Derrick,
Oddly, my curiosity is stuck on this post's title. Is it simply a slick nod to these bots' professions, or a subtle reference to a rare, but extremely catchy They Might Be Giants' B-side? "I will kiss the girl from Venus, For Science!" If not, it's well worth a listen if you're up for a good laugh and a catchy tune.
I love what you've done with these characters. Personally, I enjoy a mix of solid G1 homage (as these are) and G1 characters taken in a new direction, particularly if there's a reason behind it (i.e. Shockwave being gray and looking a bit different so he could disguise himself as Longarm). Absolutely great work.
Yeah, I took this post's title from that song. Nice catch!
Let's get those missiles ready to DESTROY THE UNIVERSE!
They totally need to get Jamie from MB for Wheeljack's voice.
not saying Jamie isn't a big guy, but my first impression of Wheeljack was "Whatcha gonna do brother, when transformania runs wild on you?"
then i saw the goatee
I love it. George Takei is going to be awesome as Perceptor.
Ha! Nice try, but no cigar. Mr. Takei is not Perceptor.
Does that mean you know who WILL play these guys? XD
Way cool! I can't wait for toys of them so they can hang out on my desk! I'm glad that the science guys will get to be in the series! Woohoo! (Thanks for posting this!)
Sir, I´m really impressed with this designs so G1, so Animated, so cool... but... i have a request... PLEASE ANIMATED BLASTER!!! ITS my loved/favorite character of all TF universe... well, Wreckgar too, and must be original character (design i wanna say) and not a repaint or remold type as the universe/classics & binaltech versions, less a "good" version of soundwave...maybe a cool cowboy/rockin/freakin guy...in a few words a DJ with happy/positive/spontaneous attitude (with traces of leadership like the comic version).... sorry if i extend in this little request, and if i express dont express properly, i dont speak english so good, i´m from Mexico, and im fan of transformers since 7 years old...greetings!
So being a 21 year old I grew up on Beast Wars and Beast machines. These were the ones that got me into Transformers.
But I don't suppose we'll be seeing any Maximals? :)
Cheetor, Rattrap, Silverbolt, or Depthcharge. Or anything :o)
Happy Holidays my friend!
Oh, you never know who could show up these days.
So, if these two are based off the Mythbusters, will Perceptor get some of his lenses blowwn off by his on machinations a' la Adam?
Hey Derrick, Wheeljack is probably one of my favorite new designs so far! Hope we see a good deal of him and I so want to see a toy made.
That being said, if someone on the team could campaign to have his voice actor mimic Jamie from mythbusters, it would truly be epic :D
Perceptor gives off a lot of the "C-3PO" vibe...
When are we gonna see some B.A. Springer action?
we needs us some green sword-wielding triple-changing Autobot awesomeness.
Wow, looks like you got lots of comments on this! Nice stuff, Mr. Wyatt - As I've said in an email, I can't figure out what Perceptor is gonna transform into, but I know it'll be great with that design. :)
I can totally see G1 Percetor and Wheeljack's voice actors doing these guys' voices, but if not then it won't be a problem, I think I'll enjoy whoever they get. TFA has had a wonderful cast of voices so far. :D
Wheeljack's awesome but the beard kinda makes me think of a lumberjack.
Perceptor I was never a big fan of in G1 so I can't really say I dig him here but I like the microscope/should cannon. Animated's Autobots need more members with guns. (Yes I'm aware that military weapons are reserved for the Decepticons in this show while the Autobots use standard weapons/tools but it doesn't hurt to make an exception now and again, does it?)
Excuse me, If Wheeljack Transformed in TFA do you know what he would look like?
..... I'm gonna draw Wheeljack in a beret... and Perceptor with a cowboy hat.... With the word MYTHBUSTERS in huge letters lol XDDDDD
I'm sorry, you probably heard alot of those comments on Wheeljack X3
But if you give Perceptor a hat (and a completely OOC personality) he'd look like Adam
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