Sunbow and Marvel Script/Storyboard Archive (TF sections)

[Greebtron]

The Beginning
Marvel Comics original treatment (modern reproduction)
Marvel Comics issue 1 commercial, full storyboard
Hasbro Briefing Binder
Toyfair Catalogue 1984

The Pilot
4023-4024-4025 More Than Meets The Eye full script (revised 13.03.84)

The Interim
MP Internal Correspondence on series development (30.04.84, transcript)
Writer's Bible (Season 1 cast only)
Brian Ray storyboard test (uses MTMTE part 1 for story)

Season 1
01 Transport To Oblivion full script X 2 (revised 08.06.84, final 22.06.84)
02 Roll For It full script X 2 (reconstructed first draft + final)
03 Divide and Conquer full script (final)
04 Fire In The Sky full script X 2 (unedited original + final)
05 S.O.S Dinobots full script (revised Friedman), full storyboards
06 Fire On The Mountain full script (revised Friedman)
07 War Of The Dinobots full script X 2 (unedited original + final)
08 The Ultimate Doom, part 1 full script (final)
09 The Ultimate Doom, part 2 full script (final)
10 The Ultimate Doom, part 3 full script (final)
11 Countdown To Extinction full script (final)
12 A Plague Of Insecticons full script (final)
13 Heavy Metal War full script (final), full storyboards

Toyfair Catalogue 1985

Season 2
18 City Of Steel full storyboard
19 Attack Of The Autobots full storyboard
21 The Immobilizer storyboard samples
23 Atlantis, Arise! full storyboard
24 Day Of The Machines full script X 2 (reconstructed first draft + revised Friedman)
25 Enter The Nightbird partial script X 2 (reconstructed first draft + revised Friedman, missing pages 40-42)
Transformers New Product Addendum (show bible supplment)
26 A Prime Problem partial script (missing pages: Cover, Cast, 1, remaining pages after 34)
27 The Core partial script (missing all pages before 15)
28 The Insecticon Syndrome full script (revised Friedman)
29 Dinobot Island, part 1 full script (revised Friedman)
30 Dinobot Island, part 2 full script (revised Friedman)
31 The Master Builders full script X 2 (reconstructed first draft + revised Friedman)
32 Auto-Berserk full script X 2 (reconstructed first draft revised Friedman)
Series Update circular from Flint Dille (07.02.85)
33 Microbots full script (unedited)
34 Megatron's Master Plan, part 1 full script X 2 (reconstructed first draft + revised Friedman)
35 Megatron's Master Plan, part 2 - Additional Material section storyboard
36 Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 1 full script
37 Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 2 full script
38 Blaster Blues full script X 2 (first draft + revised Friedman)
Elaine Hultgren storyboard test - 4 page storyboard, uses Blaster Blues for story
39 A Decepticon Raider In King Arthur's Court full script X 2 (first draft + revised Friedman)
40 The Golden Lagoon full script
41 The God Gambit X 2 (unedited original + revised Friedman)
42 Make Tracks X 2 (first draft + revised Friedman)
43 Child's Play full script
44 Quest For Survival full script
45 The Secret Of Omega Supreme full script
46 The Gambler full script
47 Kremzeek! full script
48 Sea Change first draft script, revised script, full storyboard
49 Triple Takeover full script
50 Prime Target full script
51 Auto-Bop full script
52 The Search For Alpha Trion full script
53 The Girl Who Loved Powerglide full script
54 Hoist Goes Hollywood full script
60 Cosmic Rust AKA Rust In Peace full script, full storyboard, 1st page of outline
61 30 Seconds Over Megatron AKA Starscream's Brigade full script (unedited)
62 The Revenge Of Bruticus X 2 (reconstructed first draft + final)
Dialogue scripts from all 65 episodes (call sheet available for Hoist Goes Hollywood)

MP 700 The Transformers, Part 1 1984 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

The Movie
Second Ron Friedman outline (28.03.85)
Second Ron Friedman draft script (27.04.85)
Second Ron Friedman draft script revised (02.05.85)
Undated Sunbow revision script
Dialogue script (Walker Edmiston's copy)
Full storyboards (sequences 1-31)

MP 4034 The Transformers The Movie (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

Season 3
Five Faces of Darkness partial outline (covering parts 3 to 5)
86 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 full script
87 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 full script
88 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 full script
89 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 full script
90 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5 full script
91 The Killing Jar full script
The Eye Of The Beholder (unused premise, transcript)
92 Chaos outline (1st page of Act I, 1st page of Act II)
106 Fight Or Flee full script (final)
110 Grimlock's New Brain first page of outline
115 Return Of Optimus Prime, part 1 full script (final)
116 Return Of Optimus Prime, part 2 partial script (final, missing pages 12-18)
Cast list file (01-116)
Synopsis file (01-116)
Dialogue scripts from all 30 episodes (call sheets available on Chaos and Dark Awakening).
Toyfair catalogues 1986-1990

MP 700 The Transformers, Part 2 1986 - 1987 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

 

[Greebtron]

Coming to the archive next month.

"We Transformers have looked into the face of our creators...and seen the face of an enemy."

 

[Greebtron]

Two weeks.
Five Faces.

 

[Greebtron]

The latest addition to the Archive. The Transformers New Products Addendum, the first supplement to the show bible containing profiles and models for the characters arriving in season 2. To be found at the Part 1 link.

 

[Greebtron]

Thanks to an ebay store selling off a handful of scripts by writer and then-Sunbow Producer Doug Booth, I've managed to win and add the full script for season 2 episode Sea Change to the Sunbow Marvel Archive.

As Doug notes in his covering letter, the finished first draft runs 57 pages (down from 71). So we're talking a rough runtime of 28 minutes. 6 or 7 minutes of deleted scenes lie within.

With thanks to Jim Sorenson for storage and scanning.

 

[Greebtron]

With thanks to Marco Van Leeuwen, the Sunbow Marvel Archive now hosts the storyboards for G1 episode City Of Steel. This copy was previously owned by show director Nelson Shin and sent to his notoriously low-budget studio AKOM to be animated. Are the boards visually superior? You be the judge at: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... steel.html

 

[Greebtron]

Hot on the heels of the City Of Steel storyboard set come two more to the Sunbow Marvel Archive. Sold from the collections of Marvel storyboard artist Brian Ray and Sunbow producer Doug Booth respectively.

With thanks to Ryan King and Jim Sorenson.

First up is the season 1 episode S.O.S Dinobots. Clearly a rush job, requiring six artists (David Russell, Doug Lefler, Gerald Moeller, Lindsay Dawson, Bob Smith and Brian Ray). This 141-page set chronicles the construction of the Dinobots and their subsequent rescue of the Autobots after an attempt to stop the Decepticons stealing hydro-electric energy goes wrong.

Next up is Sea Change, Doug Booth's story of love between Seaspray and the alien mermaid Alana. Drawn by the mysterious "K", this massive 160-page set is packed with deleted scenes, carried over from the first draft script added to the Archive earlier this month. Those of you who have read the first draft script may be disappointed (or relieved) to learn that Baby Bumblebee and his parents will not be making an appearance in these boards.

To view both, head on over to: The Sunbow Marvel Archive: MP 700 The Transformers, Part 1 1984 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

 

[Greebtron]

In 2008, the Hartman Bros. sold off 7 script binders previously belonging to Bryce Malek. Containing first draft copies of all 62 scripts he worked on as story editor of the G1 cartoon during seasons 1 and 2.

The owner of Volumes 5 and 6 has kindly agreed to provide scans of the scripts within to the Sunbow Marvel Archive. As these binders contain 19 scripts - 14 of which have had no version online previously - completing the process will take time. Once a script is available at the Archive, it will be marked in bold below.

Come view what is available at:

MP 700 The Transformers, Part 1 1984 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

Volume 5

MP#700-36 Desertion of the Dinobots – Part One
MP#700-37 Desertion of the Dinobots – Part Two
MP#700-38 Blaster Blues
MP#700-39 A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur’s Court
MP#700-40 The Golden Lagoon
MP#700-41 The God Gambit (Previously available at the Archive via other sources, included for completeness)
MP#700-42 Make Tracks
MP#700-43 Child’s Play
MP#700-44 Quest for Survival
MP#700-45 The Secret of Omega Supreme

Volume 6

MP#700-46 The Gambler
MP#700-47 Kremzeek!
MP#700-48 Sea Change
MP#700-49 Triple Takeover
MP#700-50 Prime Target (formerly: Welcome to My Parlor)
MP#700-51 Auto-Bop
MP#700-52 The Search for Alpha Trion
MP#700-53 The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
MP#700-54 Hoist Goes Hollywood

 

[Greebtron]

We won...

 

[Greebtron]

DATA: RECEIVED
SECRETS: REVEALED
RESEARCH: RECOMMENDED

 

[Greebtron]

Been on a roll with another 6 scripts added:

 

[Greebtron]

The job is now done as the last three scripts have been added to close out Volume 6

 

[Greebtron]

Finishing up with a bang, not a whimper with the storyboards for Atlantis, Arise!

And finally, an article I put together rounding up the revelations from the Auto-Bop script and the TFTM material to look at the 1986 Autobots who almost were and almost debuted on TV first: the original version of Blaster's tapes: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/2022/07/uncovered-mysteries-first-version-of.html

 

[Greebtron]

Haven't posted here in a while, but still been busy. I've been creating gallery pages for easier access to some of the material.

First the storyboards:

Here is the index page: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... llery.html

S.O.S Dinobots https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... obots.html
Heavy Metal War: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... metal.html
City Of Steel https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... ty-of.html
Atlantis, Arise! https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... antis.html
Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 (Additional Material) https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... trons.html
Sea Change: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... hange.html
Cosmic Rust: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... -rust.html

Transformers The Movie
Sequences 1-6: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... board.html
Sequences 7-8: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... rd_22.html
Sequences 9-15: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... rd_23.html
Sequences 16-21: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... rd_62.html
Sequences 22-26: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... rd_24.html
Sequences 27-31: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.co ... rd_25.html


Briefing and reference binders, including the show bible and Ron Friedman's briefing book containing Bob Budiansky's earliest typewritten profiles: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/briefingreference-binder-galleries.html

Finally, the Hasbro Toyfair catalogues covering the G1 years: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/toyfair-catalogues.html

 

[Greebtron]

As an appropriate way to close out a bumper year of G1 cartoon production material being uncovered and brought to the public. The Sunbow Marvel Archive is now able to add one more full storyboard set before 2022 comes to an end.

David Wise' debut episode - Attack Of The Autobots - now joins S.O.S Dinobots, Heavy Metal War, City Of Steel, Atlantis Arise!, Sea Change and Cosmic Rust as the seventh storyboard set available online.

Drawn by six artists, including Peter "Aeon Flux" Chung, this set appears to be working off the first draft script instead of the finalised one. As the majority of dialogue is completely different to what was broadcast. Also, Act II includes a vastly different look and approach to the episode's central plot device: the recharging chamber

To view Attack Of The Autobots directly, head to the dedicated gallery page: The Sunbow Marvel Archive: The Transformers MP 700-19 Attack Of The Autobots full storyboard

 

[Jackpot]

Greebtron, I always love checking out these updates, and I really appreciate all the work you do uploading this stuff. I enjoy having this in my head alongside my memories of the cartoons themselves. In particular, I noticed this fantastic sequence from Attack of the Autobots. I wish I knew which artist(s) drew it - I'd love to see a comic book by them, if they ever did that kind of work:

 

[Greebtron]

Greebtron, I always love checking out these updates, and I really appreciate all the work you do uploading this stuff. I enjoy having this in my head alongside my memories of the cartoons themselves. In particular, I noticed this fantastic sequence from Attack of the Autobots. I wish I knew which artist(s) drew it - I'd love to see a comic book by them, if they ever did that kind of work:

Thanks, just wish that when I am able to turn up a major piece of material, that it wasn't such an uphill battle to get into the online news cycle. I do sometimes wonder if I'm ten years too late. That I'm bringing answers to the questions about this show that people stopped asking long ago.

Pages 83-105 are by Peter Chung. Last month, I received an initial selection of his TF series boards (though lets keep that quiet, k?) and the first 11 pages of this section were among them. Hopefully in the future, I'll be able to bring the rest to the public.

 

[Greebtron]

Been trying my hand at creating animatics using this latest storyboard set

 

[Greebtron]

The Sunbow Marvel Archive kicks off 2023 with a bang, as The Killing Jar joins Five Faces Of Darkness, Fight Or Flee and The Return Of Optimus Prime as the 9th season 3 script of the G1 cartoon.

This particular copy of the script was originally brought to the dialogue session for this episode by Michael Charles Hill, acting in his role as producer, with numerous handwritten additions. It was contributed to the Archive by Ryan King who bought it from an ebay seller who had acquired a box of TF scripts from Wally Burr's estate (in case you're wondering, the rest of the box had numerous copies of FFOD scripts in it).

Also included with the script by Michael Charles Hill are two pages of reference artwork for the Quintesson ship featured in this episode. The design was taken from Chris Foss' artbook 21st Century. Originally conceived for Alejandro Jodorowsky's ill-fated mid-70s attempt at a Dune movie, Foss would then attempt to re-use the design as an early concept piece for the Leviathan (later the Nostromo) in Alien.

The script, along with all the other season 3 material, can be found at: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-2-1986-1987.html

 

[CoffeeHorse]

It is mind blowing, both that these scripts survived this long in the first place, and that they're being collected and preserved.

When I get my life back I am going to take my time and read every page you have. This is wonderful.