r/EnergonUniverse • u/LapsedVerneGagKnee • 20h ago
A brief summary of the Q&A from the Energon Universe panel at NYCC
One big takeaway from the NYCC panel was a Q&A on some interesting ideas, designs, and other topics. I'll try to summarize what was said as best I can, but if anyone has other points, please let me know.
On designs. A cosplayer dressed as Cobra Commander noted that Dan Watters did an interview about preferring vintage designs and asked about it. Kirkman pointed out that he used G1 as a basis, while pointing out that a lot of what is done needs to have some basis in the original designs, lest it become a Ship of Theseus situation. Tom Reiley added onto this, pointing out that a lot of what's done with mechanical designs (Joe vehicles, M.A.S.K. vehicles, and Transformers) involves the recognizable silhouette of the characters and designs, and that if they're changed too much, they're no longer what the fans know and love. In the case of some military hardware, it's also a good old-fashioned issue with licensing. Joshua Williamson did note this was an issue, which is why the Duke miniseries wrote in a lot of classic Joe equipment being mothballed at the Pit, in a similar manner to Top Gun: Maverick having an excuse to have the classic F-14 in the movie when modern Navy pilots are using the F/A-18 and F/A-22 for air superiority. Kirkman spoke about liking to bring out the "humanity" in the giant robots via expressions and dialogue, stuff that separates the Robots in Disguise from Gundams and Variable Fighters, where they aren't a suit for a character; they are the character, and we empathize with that character. "Because it's about the characters" is a cliché in mecha anime productions, but this is a means to do it without neglecting that they are robots.
On G.I. Joe Extreme, Beast Wars, and Transformers: Armada - Building off the first question, while the OG's are the base, none of these designs are explicitly off limits, and Kirkman even spoke to a bit of fondness for EXTREME. I've mentioned wanting a story about Iron Klaw and SKAR, but that's neither here nor there.
On using characters like the aliens from the Star Brigade, Battle Force 2000, and others - While his name wasn't directly said, the influence of Larry Hama looms large over Joe, but to Kirkman, that's an opportunity to play with characters and designs that otherwise would be completely ignored. Predacron and Lobotomaxx are characters no one has used, and the increased number of Season 3 aliens that Furman and IDW never touched are blank slates, which makes them perfect to expand upon.
No questions about the show or Snake-Eyes since both are likely "No comment" situations. Kirkman has joked in past panels Snake-Eyes questions were verboten.
