By now the first issue of the 2013 GIJCC Magazine should have started hitting Club members' mailboxes.

In this issue, for Adventure Team, Tod Pleasant gives us a look at how Joe the Land Adventurer joined the team! Let's just say that he uses his big foot to kick down the door. (Bad pun is bad!) For the modern setting comic, "Duties as Assigned", Footloose reports about the events in the Burmese jungle and we find out that things still aren't going well in England. Guest starring Z-Force's Captain "Skip" Campbell!

Also showing up at doorsteps in the US are the second batch of FSS figures. I won't ruin the surprise, but it's a great pair of figures to go with your GIJCC Magazine. Read the comic, and reenact the scenes with your toys! Relive that child hood!

I haven't written a new journal in forever!

Anyway, I hope most of you have seen eHOBBY's new Shattered Glass VSE set with Shattered Glass Soundwave, Blaster, Rewind, Ramhorn, Rattbat, Slugfest and Solarbot. It was great fun working with eHOBBY on the set and accompanying fiction and I think all of the toys have so far turned out great! I'd share my favorites, but I'm afraid I might be biased towards a few of them. So I'll just say they are all really nice looking figures!

You can check out the set of toys by following these links:
[link]
[link]
[link]

Also, the TCC have posted a new epilog comic that follows the events of the "A Flash Forward" comic. Since AFF hasn't yet ended, there aren't any spoilers, instead the epilog gives us a lead into the 2013 TCC Magazine comic. It'll feature Depth Charge, Ultra Mammoth and a Matrix Quest! I handed the reins over to another talented writer for the 2013 comic, so I can't wait to see how it turns out!

As for the epilog, we again see the Transtech observing the damage caused when SG Ultra Magnus plucked the Earth from the Classicsverse and dropped it in the middle of the Shatteredverse. Things aren't so good in the Transformers multiverse as the aftershocks start destroying parallel universes everywhere. It's a terrible fate that awaits the doomed universes... So why is Rhinox more concerned about an artifact called the "Origin Matrix" than he is fixing the chaos? Check out the two page epilog below:

[link]
[link]

Speaking of AFF, there are only two installments left! How will our heroes escape Jhiaxus' clutch? What will become of the Decepticon's batches of Cybertronian clones? There's only a short wait left to find out!

And you don't want to miss the last panel of Part 6. It might just give you a hint as to what's to come from Fun Publications.

Lastly, there's Lydia vs. The Zombies. This is a new comic from Fun Publications (and has nothing to do with Transformers or GI Joe), featuring a toddler braving the scary world of a zombie apocalypse! The concept came from Rob Meyer (who you may have seen on Travel Channel's "Toy Hunter" series, and who also did the cover art for the comic), and should be a fun little horror story for all the little kiddies out there. I had a great time writing and coloring this one, so I hope all the comic readers out there give it a try!

Head out to a comic store now and make sure that they order you an issue! Find out more about the comic below:
[link]
[link]

I hope people are getting excited for BotCon 2012! I've uploaded two pieces of promotional art with which I helped out.

Back when "Desert Heat" came out, I was instantly enamored with a Soundwave that turned into a white "Cold Slither" van. So you can probably guess I'm a tad enthused to see him make a return!

And a Powered Convoy colored Ultra Magnus? Can't say "no" to that either!

Those of you who have gotten the magazine may have noticed that Around Cybertron is no longer a part of it. Sad, but column #18 is the last strip for the time being.

Hopefully this won't be the last we see of our reporter friends!

It looks like issue #39 of the TCC Magazine are now showing up in mailboxes! What does it have in store?

For starters, an article giving fans their first look at the SDCC Transformers Exclusives for this year! Ultimate Optimus Prime form "Dark of the Moon" in Premium deco and packaging, and "Transformers: Prime" Optimus Prime in Premium deco and packaging!

Also, two interviews. One with Marty Isenberg and Derrick Wyatt, two of the masterminds behind the Botcon 2011 toys and comic! The other interview is Screamer's Retro-views with none other than the great Frank Welker!

Moving on from that are the bios - Prowl and Side Burn, the comic - Seekers and Combaticons and Deathsuarus, oh my!, and lastly the final page, with Around Cybertron, Recordicons and fan art.

Hope you enjoy it!

Now as for Botcon, make sure you stop by and say "hi"! I'll have a table with a few prints on display. Rook, SG Rook, a sample of Around Cybertron strips, and bio pages for some of the SG reporters you know and love! Ok, maybe you won't "know" them yet, since they're mostly guest stars. But you will know them after you read their bios! Monstructor, Esmeral, Countdown, Mirage, Andromeda, WASP... Check them out!

You probably already have it!

In this installment, Magnum prepares for his strike against Deathsaurus. But what he doesn't expect to find hidden away in the Elite Guard's weapons bunker are three volunteers eager to join the fight!

Will the Desk Jockey Brigade help tip the odds in favor of the Guard?

That's right! Issue #37 of the Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine is now starting to show up!

Make sure you check out Battlelines Part 1, the first installment of the new comic! Set a short period after Coming Storm, we see the aftermath of the devastation wrought by Bruticus. Both on the Autobots, and the Elite Guard!

And, of course, there's the "new" lead anchor for Around Cybertron. Sarcasm so does not become you, Rook!

If you're a member of the TCC or GIJCC, you've probably gotten an email about this. For $20, Transformers Collectors' Club members can experience the GI Joe Collector's Club by buying a bundle that includes the August 2010 issue of the GIJCC magazine, the 2008 GIJCC exclusive Cobra Commander figure, and an exclusive print of Side Burn!

Conversely, GIJCC members can pay $20 for a bumdle that includes TCC magazine #35, the 2010 TCC exclusive figure Dion, and an exclusive print of Dial-Tone!

What's this doing here? Aside from being the author of the comic featured in the TCC mag, the author/artist of the Around Cybertron strip in the TCC, the author/colorer of the Big Lob comic in the GIJCC magazine, I also provided the colors for the Dial-Tone print! (Sorry for the hype, this is the first time any of my work has been featured as a stand alone print. Even if my part of it is only 1/3 of the final piece )

To see the TCC bundle see the following link:
[link]

And to see the GIJCC bundle, go here:
[link]

Yes, yes, pretty pictures of new Transformers toys...

But how about that comic, yeah? lol. Big (really big) things happen in this installment, as Deathsaurus finally acts on all of his scheming.

Haven't gotten your magazine yet? Head on over to the TCC Members Only site and download the next prose story "A Team Effort". It takes places shortly before "Coming Storm" part 5, so it might just help fill you in on some of the happenings just previous to "The Event"

Ok, so those of you that received your copy of the 34th issue of the TCC Magazine might have noticed something a little odd with Metalhawk's bio. Let me assure you, this bio in no way contradicts the info revealed at Botcon.

Metalhawk's squad is both the Strike Team AND the 201st squadron. 201st is their official military designation, while "Strike Team" is the team nick-name, so to speak.

And Gigantron is Halo. "Gigantron" is the call-sign that Big Bang has so graciously labeled Halo with during one of his missions, and the name stuck. (Outside of the Artillery Team that is. Halo makes sure that the 'Bots he commands call him by the correct name).

That leads us to Around Cybertron. Yes, Centrifuge says "Googles". He was just pummeled by two Centurion Droids; that's more than enough to brain his damage a little bit. (I do wish I had made his slip up a little more obvious as being intentional rather than a possible typo.)

Fun Pub has updated its DeviantART page with a two-page, undialoged preview of the next installment of "The Coming Storm"!

[link]

Credits for Part 4:
Rik Alvarez & Pete Sinclair - Story, Pete Sinclair & Myself - Writers, Dan Khanna - Pencils, Josh Warner - Inks, Thomas Deer - colors, Myself - Letters, Pete Sinclair - Managing editor

Well, it probably has been for some time, but I just got mine

In Adventures of Big Lob, we see a "new" face join the Lobster in his antics. Oh, and fans of the TV series "Burn Notice" might notice a small call-out in regards to Big Lob's name for his grenade launcher. It seemed appropriate!

The next Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine is now beginning to show up in mailboxes! In addition to some great toy information and images, this issue also features Coming Storm Part 3, profiles for Onslaught and Moonracer (her name is official now!), and an Around Cybertron that introduces a new face(and an old one as well)!

Cheers!

The TCC is saying that the next prose story is due to go online today!

FoY is the first prose story set in the Wings Universe. It takes place between Coming Storm parts 2 and 3, and focuses on the first joint mission between the Combaticons and Metalhawk's group. We'll see Metalhawk and Onslaught as they start becoming friends, and how the two squads begin to wear off on each other. And some humor. You can't have Swindle and Ironfist without a few jokes

It's written by myself, with illustrations by Andrew Griffith and colors by myself. A special thanks go to S.Trent Troop for the layout and Jeremy Hartwick for his editing skills!

I hope everyone likes it!

Almost forgot about this one! The third issue of the new GI Joe Club Magazine is also showing up in mailboxes now. This issue features the second installment of The Adventures of Big Lob! Big Lob, Law, and Order make their way into a Cobra-held office building in search of an explanation for Cobra's activities in Mission City. Will they find what they're looking for, or just a couple pop-culture fanatic Alley Vipers?

And as a side note, check out the posters on the wall in that one panel. 80's cartoon fans might just recognize the truly, truly, truly outrageous characters on the "Jerrica America" poster (Dan K gets credit for that)

Pencils by Dan Khanna, Inks by Lanny Lathem, Story, Colors, Letters by myself.

That's right another Club Magazine is coming at you! And even if you usually skip by the interviews, you definitely going to want to check out the ones in this issue; Derrick J Wyatt, and Eric Siebenaler and Matt Proulx from Hasbro! Get the low-down on Allspark Almanac Vol 2, and of course, the new line of Powered Core Combiners toys!

And then there's the comic, which features a few characters you probably didn't see coming. I'll admit that the pace is a little fast, but we had to get through some introductions, say our good byes, and get to the big reveal on page 6. Expect things to settle back down to the norm (pacing-wise) for the next issues.

It's up on the TCC site, go look!
[link]

While part 1 transitioned us from Shattered Glass to Wingsverse, part 2 puts us in the nit and gritty of the story. The Decepticons are on the move, the Elite Guard is on the counter attack...and weird space bugs are attacking! And for the first time, Metalhawk's full squad is revealed. Ironfist joins MH, Dion and Over-Run as the fourth member of the team. Although, some might say that the demolitions expert is a little over-ambitious in his job...

Both the GI Joe and Transformers Clubs have made an issue of their Magazine free for non-members! Make sure you check them out!

My work for the issues includes the colors for the dossiers in the Joe Club Magazine, the script and letters for Part 1 of the "The Coming Storm" comic in the TCC Mag, and Wingsverse "Around Cybertron" Part 1.

If you've been considering either Club, or if you've just been curious as to what members have been getting, give both Magazines a gander!

[link]

[link]

Members of the GI Joe Club should be getting their second installment of the Club Magazine, if they haven't gotten it already. Check out the back page for a 1-page comic featuring Big Lob--Membership toy and character from the (in)famous GI Joe animated movie!

The comic is penciled by Dan Khanna, Inked by Lanny Lathem, Edited by Pete Sinclair and David Lane, and Written, Colored, and Lettered by myself. How will the over-eager GI Joe Reservist act when General Hawk calls on him for a mission of utmost importance? Well...Pretty much as you'd expect; blind enthusiasm and sports commentator lingo aplenty!

For those that already have the next issue of the TCC magazine, you've seen the new anchorbot for Around Cybertron. This version of AC takes us back to the early days of the channel as Rook's mentor, Bishop, tries to eek out a name for ABN amongst the other, more popular Autobot news programming. He just has to work out a few bugs first...

For those disappointed that it's not Grandslam and Raindance, well like I said, there are other Autobot news channels. Maybe they'll show up after all...