Transformers/G.I. Joe Crossover Animated Series (News and Discussion)

[wonderfly]

From the front page of AnimeSuperhero.com:

"A Transformers/G.I. Joe Crossover Animated Series Is Currently In Development"​

"GI Joe and Transformers are two of the most iconic toy lines and two of the most iconic cartoon series of the 1980s. Transformers has become one of the most successful franchises Hasbro has ever created, spawning several successful animated TV shows, video games, comics and live-action movies. Although G.I. Joe has not been nearly as successful as Transformers, it’s certainly one of the most successful franchises created by Hasbro, maybe only behind Transformers and My Little Ponies.

Now there is news that a crossover animated series between G.I. Joe and Transformers aimed at adults is in the works. Hasbro is teaming up with Skybound Entertainment (which produces the current Transformers and GI Joe comic books) to create this new crossover series. The series will be based on a comic from Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead and Invincible (both of which have been made into TV series). This animated series is titled The Energon Universe."

Read the full article here.

 

[PicardMan]

I wonder how many years until this comes out as most news sources seem to imply it's a "proposed" series that's not far into development. The idea of a big crossover seems awesome. I think Netflix did an adult Transformers cartoon, but I haven't heard good things about it. I am hoping this will not be a Netflix cartoon as they seem to have run out of steam when it comes to adult action cartoons. Maybe Amazon Prime is the best fit for this.

 

[wonderfly]

I wonder how many years until this comes out as most news sources seem to imply it's a "proposed" series that's not far into development. The idea of a big crossover seems awesome. I think Netflix did an adult Transformers cartoon, but I haven't heard good things about it. I am hoping this will not be a Netflix cartoon as they seem to have run out of steam when it comes to adult action cartoons. Maybe Amazon Prime is the best fit for this.

I think the proposed movie fell apart (after the brief teaser during the credits of the last Transformers movie), but with this being spearheaded by Robert Kirkman (using his Walking Dead and Invincible bonafides), I think this will get made. And yes, I think Amazon Prime is the most likely place for it to end up.

 

[Frontier]

I'm curious to see how this comes about because the Energon Universe is so young right now.

 

[Pooky]

I read some of the IDW comics in around 2007 when they were still relatively new. I don't remember much about them but I think they were decent. I think a show around then, or at least 10 years ago, would have generated a lot more excitement, since then a lot of Gen X nostalgists have moved on, Transformers has become a somewhat tarnished/exhausted brand outside of toy aisles, and G.I. Joe has lost a lot of mainstream recognition.

Still, I'll watch. Or at least try it.

 

[Frontier]

I read some of the IDW comics in around 2007 when they were still relatively new. I don't remember much about them but I think they were decent. I think a show around then, or at least 10 years ago, would have generated a lot more excitement, since then a lot of Gen X nostalgists have moved on, Transformers has become a somewhat tarnished/exhausted brand outside of toy aisles, and G.I. Joe has lost a lot of mainstream recognition.

Still, I'll watch. Or at least try it.

The comics this would be based around have done pretty well.

 

[Pooky]

The comics this would be based around have done pretty well.

Looking into it these do indeed seem to have sold rather well. This has pretty much passed me by, even though I bought a couple of them!

 

[PicardMan]

I know that this will be an adult action cartoon, but adult action cartoons aren't as big and exciting a novelty as they were when Primal revived the genre. The first season of the adult He-Man cartoon caused a poopstorm. I don't know if they can avoid the pitfalls that franchise had. It seems like this subgenre of animation isn't as lucrative as streaming services speculated. Of course, it seems like it's mainly a quality issue as it seems like a lot of these adult action cartoons seem like crash grab adaptations of name IPs than inspired works of art.

 

[Yojimbo]

I wonder how many years until this comes out as most news sources seem to imply it's a "proposed" series that's not far into development. The idea of a big crossover seems awesome. I think Netflix did an adult Transformers cartoon, but I haven't heard good things about it. I am hoping this will not be a Netflix cartoon as they seem to have run out of steam when it comes to adult action cartoons. Maybe Amazon Prime is the best fit for this.

It could also be some bean counters at a studio needs more data and this animated project is testing the waters for the movie while it chugs along in its development cycle. Animations for IPs are basically R&D for film studios.

 

[PicardMan]

It could also be some bean counters at a studio needs more data and this animated project is testing the waters for the movie while it chugs along in its development cycle. Animations for IPs are basically R&D for film studios.

I wish it weren't that way. I do wish studios considered animated works as something more than R&D for the "real" live action Transformers/G. I. Joe movie that's been teased for a while. I just feel like these IP based adult action cartoons need more heart put into them. Primal, the non IP based adult action cartoon, is generally considered the best work in the current adult action cartoon boom. IP based cartoons can be legendary like Batman: The Animated Series, but it feels like Invincible has been the closest we've got to a the adult action cartoon equivalent of Batman: The Animated Series.

 

[Frontier]

I mean, a TF/G.I. Joe movie was already planned before being put on hiatus because Rise of the Beasts underperformed.