#shaun knowler

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #664 - "The Long Goodbye"

Originally posted on October 23rd, 2012

Story - Shaun Knowler Art - Lo Baker

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: With this strip, after over two years of daily updates, the Transformers: Mosaic archive is now complete. I’ve taken the time to write up my feelings on this endeavour as a whole, which you can find in my post on the TFWiki community blog.

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #507 - "Overwatch"

Originally posted on June 18th, 2010

Story - Eric Holmes Art - Kris Smith Colours, Letters - Lo Baker Edits - Shaun Knowler

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: The strip after this one, easily the most notable Mosaic strip published, was explicitly released to celebrate the third anniversary of the Mosaic project—so I reckon it was intentional that this one was timed to coincide. Recognise the name Eric Holmes? That’s the writer of Megatron Origin! There’s no connection beyond that, however, with this being a straightforward standalone little character vignette inspired by Red Alert’s original Budiansky profile.

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Transformers: Mosaic #607 - "Prime"

Originally posted on June 18th, 2011

Story, Letters - Josh van Reyk Story, Edits - Shaun Knowler Springer - Guido Guidi, Liam Shalloo Perceptor - Marcelo Matere, Joana Lafuente Arcee - Alex Milne, Josh Perez Kup - E.J. Su, Josh Burcham Magnus - Robby Musso, Kris Carter Hot Rod - Casey Coller, Priscilla Tramontano Optimus Prime - Andrew Griffith, Kieran Oats

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: For the fourth anniversary of the Transformers: Mosaic project, a very special strip was posted: with a creative team consisting entirely of creatives who did official work for IDW Publishing. Each of the seven characters appearing in the strip was illustrated by a different artist/colorist pair; the credits were given alphabetically, but in the comments, Ed Pirrie gave a list matching the characters to the artists—apparently taken from somewhere on Facebook? Anyway, some of the assignments here hold particular significance. Guido Guidi was a fill-in artist on Last Stand of the Wreckers, which featured Springer, and he’d also drawn the character in All Hail Megatron. Joana Lafuente colored the Perceptor-starring story “Lost & Found”. Milne and Perez illustrated the much-maligned Spotlight: Arcee. Josh Burcham colored Last Stand of the Wreckers, featuring Kup. And finally, Robby Musso's first IDW work was Spotlight: Ultra Magnus. In terms of the writing, most of the interest is in Hot Rod’s thoughts; he’s the only one who refers to Prime as “Optimus”, foreshadowing his own later rise to the rank of Prime. Furthermore, his assertion that he’ll “make this right” is an oblique acknowledgement of a very common interpretation of Prime’s death—that Hot Rod himself was responsible, having interfered with his fight with Megatron. The next strip after this one was also themed after The Transformers: The Movie, so check back tomorrow for that!

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic - Fragments Josh van Reyk & Shaun Knowler

wada sez: The Mosaic project was a monumental undertaking from Josh van Reyk and Shaun Knowler. Their dedication to creating a platform for amateur fan creators, and to producing high-quality stories, eventually led to them writing an official, canonical Transformers comic in the form of Spotlight: Jazz; this post collects various promotional material for that issue, and a pseudocanonical followup Mosaic script that never materialised. But Spotlight: Jazz wasn't the only story they pitched to IDW...

Art by Matt C. Adams [2009-01-26, 2009-01-26, 2009-03-31, 2009-03-31]

Art by Joana Lafuente [2009-02-08]

Art by Chris Vera [2009-03-22, 2009-03-31, 2009-04-01, 2010-03-02, 2010-03-02]

Art by Casey Coller & John-Paul Bove [2009-03-25, 2009-03-30]

wada sez: This lineart from Coller was originally colored up by Matt C. Adams, as seen at the very top of this post, but John-Paul Bove also did his own version!

Spotlight: Ravage w/ Matt C. Adams [2009-11-27, 2009-11-27, 2009-11-27, 2009-11-30, 2010-01-02, 2010-01-02]

wada sez: Colors on that A cover were provided by Andrew Griffith.

Matt sez: "At Botcon '09 this past summer, my good friend Josh van Reyk and I pitched a story idea to some of the good folks from IDW Publishing as a possible issue of their Transformers Spotlight series. Unfortunately they had to turn us down on "Spotlight Ravage." But it wasn't because the story sucked. It turns out they already had a similar book planned, only this one would focus on the Movie Universe version of Ravage and was being written by the one and only Simon Furman. And in a strange coincidental twist, not only did his book, the soon to be released Transformers: Tales of the Fallen #5, feature (a version of) Ravage too, but it also had the exact same "hook" that our story had. And by "hook" I mean something that makes the book (fairly) unique and interesting for comic book fans. I won't say what that hook is, but if you take into account the fact that this cover is an homage to Larry Hama's classic G.I. Joe #21, a comic famous for being the first to have the very same hook, then you can probably guess what that hook is. ;)"

wada sez: The issue in question was Tales of the Fallen issue #5.

Matt sez: "Well, here's a part of the story I left out…

"After hearing why they were passing on the pitch, I was bold enough (or perhaps delusional enough ;) ) to ask one of editors if he knew if all the cover assignments for the Movie Ravage issue had been given out. He said they had, but there was still the possibility of a retailer incentive cover being produced. I then asked that if I was to take the same "silent issue" GI Joe homage idea and redo my Ravage cover so that it featured Movie Ravage, would he be interested in seeing it. He said yes. Fast forward a month or so and I get a response on the new cover I sent in. Unfortunately that response was also a "No." Bummer, right?

"But here's something that's not a bummer. Even though this cover won't see print, my good friend John-Paul Bove was kind enough to take my humble inks and turn them into something that is pretty damn awesome, in my (biased) opinion. :)"

"Making The Myth" (Jazz) w/ Ed Pirrie [2011-01-09]

Ed sez: "If I remember correctly, "Making the Myth" was co-authored by Josh and Shaun. It was definitely after SL:J was published. I don't know if you remember, but that issue got a bit of backlash by people who couldn't accept that Jazz might be able to solo the Predacons. This came out of me chatting with them about that, because I loved the issue, and how sad it was that people couldn't accept that an Autobot with the function "special ops" would actually be good at combat, especially against enemies that immediately underestimate him. I guess it's possible that those talks led to the idea for a Mosaic where he essentially explains why he was so good in a humble way, but honestly it's been so long I couldn't say for sure."

wada sez: The sole surviving snippet from Ed's art for this strip was, he believes, the fourth panel; I've included it at that point in the script.

Panel 1

We're looking down a corridor, as TRACKS chases after JAZZ. We're looking at the bots from front on. JAZZ looks over his shoulder as TRACKS yells out at him.

TRACKS Excuse me, sir!

JAZZ Mm?

JAZZ (CONT) Oh. It's Tracks, isn't it?

Panel 2

TRACKS has caught up to JAZZ now, and the two stand opposite one another. TRACKS should look a little awkward.

TRACKS Yeah, that's right, Sir.

JAZZ Good. What's on your mind?

TRACKS (CONT) I, uh, I just wanted to say thanks.

JAZZ (CONT) For?

TRACKS (CONT) For saving my Spark, Sir.* I know it was you.

JAZZ (CONT) You do, do you?

CAPTION *see Spotlight: Jazz

Panel 3

Close in on TRACKS, looking away slightly.

TRACKS Yeah, um, Bluestreak told me.

Panel 4

Close in on JAZZ, smiling, but not surprised.

JAZZ Ah, good 'ole Blue. That bot sure does love to gossip.

JAZZ But listen, kid. There's a reason why I made Ironhide promise not to tell you who I am. It's cause you weren't saved by me alone.

Panel 5

JAZZ puts his hand on TRACKS' shoulder, who perks up a bit.

TRACKS I don't understand, Sir.

JAZZ I know you don't, and that's okay. I've been fighting this war for a long time, and I've fought alongside a lot of different bots.

JAZZ (CONT) I've learned something new from every single one of them-- and they all helped me get you outta trouble.

JAZZ (CONT) That's what I want you to remember, okay? That's how I want you to live.

TRACKS Ah, I will, Sir. I'll make you proud, Sir.

JAZZ (CONT) I know you will, kid.

JAZZ Oh, and one more thing…

Panel 6

Close in on JAZZ, cheeky smile.

JAZZ …don't call me sir.

"The W Team" w/ Ed Pirrie

wada sez: I actually don't have any sort of link or source for this one, because I snatched the preview from Pirrie's deviantART shortly before the took the whole thing down! Still, he was kind enough to provide me with the full script for it. The whole thing is an homage to The A-Team, naturally.

Panel 1

KUP, SPRINGER, ROADBUSTER& WHIRL, all in electro-cuffs stand in the center of a large courtroom. Prowl is seated behind the 'judges' chair and is pointing an acussing finger at the group.

TEXT BOX Ten stellar-cycles ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit.

Panel 2

The outside wall of an Autobot prison explodes and KUP, SPRINGER, ROADBUSTER & WHIRL all rush out, guns blazing!

TEXT BOX These bots promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Iacon underground. Panel 3 KUP, SPRINGER, WHIRL and ROADBUSTER are bustin Decepticon heads in MACADAM's bar.

TEXT BOX Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.

Panel 4

A group of micro-masters are surrounder STARSCREAM, THUNDERCRACKER and SKYWARP, all riding motorcycles.

TEXT BOX If you have a problem…

Panel 5

Elita-1, Arcee and the other fmebots, all beaten, are inside a local police station. Siren, Slapdash and Nightbeat are behind a counter, not interested in the girls problems.

TEXT BOX …if no one else can help you…

Panel 6

Red Alert, on crutches, is in a dark alley. He is handing a small vid-screen to Kup, who is hiding in the shadows.

TEXT BOX …and if you can find them, maybe you can hire…

Panel 7

Hero shot of KUP, SPRINGER, WHIRL and ROADBUSTER, similar to http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images /7/2010/01/the-a-team.jpg NOTE. KUP must have a cigar.

TEXT BOX …the Wreckers!

wada sez: That link above is dead, but the image in question was probably similar to this one:

Ed sez: "The cygar as a panel I don't [think] they asked for. It was an interstitial I added on a whim, to kind of pause the flow before the final panel. Not that any of that matters any more!"

wada sez: That's a wrap on all these lost scripts! Thank you for indulging me this last week. We're still not quite done, though—tomorrow, we'll be going back to actual comics that you can look at with your eyes!

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #505 - "Dead Men's Boots"

Originally posted on June 19th, 2010 Officially printed in Last Stand of the Wreckers TPB

Story - James Roberts Art - Nick Roche Colours - Josh Burcham Letters - Lo Baker Edits - Shaun Knowler

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: Posted to celebrate the third anniversary of the Mosaic project, this strip is from the fan-favourite creative team behind Last Stand of the Wreckers—and ended up being officially published in collected editions of that series, meaning it already has a full TFWiki writeup. What are you still doing here? Head over there for the full breakdown!

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #662 - "The Lost Patrol"

Originally posted on September 24th, 2012

Story - Eric Holmes Art - Matt C. Adams Colours - Joana Lafuente Letters - Josh van Reyk Edits - Shaun Knowler

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: Just before the project bows out, here’s one last strip by Megatron Origin writer Eric Holmes. Maybe you missed Razorclaw hiding in the back of panel six... along with a naked tree lady! She’s a cameo of Lafuente's unrelated OC "Treesha", included by Adams to try and entice Lafuente into coloring the strip; evidently she agreed.

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #193 - "Father's Day"

Originally posted on June 16th, 2008

Story - Josh van Reyk Story, Art - Matt C. Adams Art - Shaun Knowler Colours - Rafael Yáñez

deviantART | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: An extra, seasonal Mosaic strip, set after the events of the first live-action movie; Bumblebee is talking normally. Adams explained on deviantART: “I got the idea for story on June 5th. I drew this panel the next day and then emailed it to Josh along with the question of whether or not there were any plans for a Father's Day Mosaic. He said there weren't, so I emailed him a rough story outline. He and Shaun liked the idea, so we put it on the fast track. I spent the next 7 days drawing the page (that's very fast for me since I work full time and have a 3 year old son and a 3 month old son at home), Josh managed to turn my skeleton "script" into an actual workable script, and then Raf produced his amazing colors in less than 48 hours. Then Sunday afternoon, while at work (don't tell my boss ;) ) I spent every free moment lettering the page until just a few minutes before Shaun posted it online. So yeah, this piece was conceived and produced in just over 1 weeks time. It wouldn't have been possible with out the amazing talents of Josh, Rafael, and Shaun. My hat goes off to them.” “White Rabbit Comics” references Knowler’s screen name. Animated Optimus Prime and Bumblebee cameo on one of the cards in store, and Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky from the Sunbow cartoon appear on the card template Bumblebee selects. Clean inks and colors below.

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic #263 - "Un-Disciplined"

Originally posted on September 29th, 2008

Story - Josh van Reyk, Shaun Knowler Art, Letters - Kris Smith

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

wada sez: Prowl and Jazz are both Cyber-Ninja. This strip presumably takes place between “The Elite Guard”, in which Jazz is introduced, and “Mission Accomplished”, in which he and his fellow Elite Guard members depart Earth.