Invincible Fight Girl premieres this Saturday (November 2nd) at Midnight and next day on max.

Episodes of the Swimcast are available on your podcast player of choice or at https://ACPNet.net

Incredible Group has you covered! They recently expanded on their line of Squishi Toys, designed with the full-sensory/nostalgic collector in mind to take you back to said simpler times as well as remind you how brands such as Oreo Cookies, Swedish Fish, and Sour Patch Kids were (and still are) awesome. Even if you’re not into collecting, feeling and squishing these toys is a treat, especially for those of us who may need something (I.e.: fidget cubes, stressballs, etc) to grab on to and play with from time to time.

Check out my video below where I unbox and review all three toys and marvel at my own enjoyment with them. I also chat with Brand Rep. Ryan Carr about how Incredible Group came about designing the toys, including the materials inside and out as well as the care and safety that goes into each product, and much more!

Special thanks to both Incredible Group and Chiz Six for providing the products as well as the interview.

The end of the world began not with a bang (well, there’s that too), but with an audience of thousands of Terminator fans rhythmically clapping in time with the familiar dun-dun-dun-dun-DUN of the franchise theme. These were the people here to get a glimpse of Terminator Zero, the new Netflix anime based on the action franchise, and one that drops, fittingly, on August 29th. The show, a new story set in Japan, is the latest example of an American franchise entering the anime realm, and based on the two episodes shown, the transition went smoothly. Showrunner Mattson Tomlin, director Masashi Kudō, and Design Coordinator Haruka Watanabe took the stage for a lively discussion about the series moderated by Khleo Thomas, while I also attended a roundtable discussion with Tomlin and Kudō prior to the panel itself. The discussion started out with the moderator asking all of them what their top 5 anime were. (Kudō said he was “actually a Disney animation fan” and included two of the company’s classics in his picks.) The panel premiered a new “NSFW” trailer for the series highlighting just how gory this new show would be.

When it was time to premiere the two episodes, Khleo revealed that Netflix had sent over both the English and Japanese versions and had the audience vote on which one they wanted to see. This being an anime convention, the crowd was immediately split, and it wasn’t long before competing cries of “Dubbed!” and “Subbed!” filled the air. Ultimately, it was decided to show it in Japanese. This seemed to satisfy the purists, up until the subtitles actually started appearing on screen. It turned out that the way they had set up the video screens in the auditorium, the subtitles were blocked by the heads of the crowd. (Those sitting in the front closest to the stage likely had a hard time reading as well, due to the angle involved.) The audience revolted, demanding it be shown in English. Others pointed out that this is what a lot of people asked for, with one particularly vocal audience member saying that they had to face the consequences of their actions. Eventually, the screen was shrunk to make the subtitles more readable, satisfying everybody. To say this was one of the more memorable moments at the con this year would be an understatement.

The discussion continued after the premiere, with Tomlin talking about how the first Terminator film “scared the shit out of him” as a kid, while Kudō was surprised at the offer to direct. In particular, Tomlin cited The Animatrix as a strong stylistic inspiration for both him and the series. (In the roundtable discussion I attended prior to the panel, Tomlin said he hoped to capture the “fuck yeah” feeling he got watching the anthology growing up.) One of the more interesting aspects of the series was how they transplanted the franchise into Japan. The idea was to utilize Japanese customs and designs, though ultimately the original Terminator designs were used to adapt the series. A big part of this was how in 1997, when the nuclear apocalypse began, the bombing of Hiroshima was still in the minds of a lot of people, with the horrors of that being history, but also at the point where it wasn’t quite there yet.

The animation in the series is great and makes full use of the medium, especially in the 1NNO robots and the Kokoro AI. The 1NNO designs were inspired by Honda’s real-life ASIMO robots, and were meant to be “cute, but creepy”, with the idea that something wasn’t right about them. The hologram for Kokoro, meanwhile, utilized a lot of anime and Japanese mythological influences, including the “three goddesses” – heart, mind, and spirit – and it looks spectacular realized onscreen. According to Tomlin, he started writing this series in 2021 when AI seemed like science fiction, but now…not so much. From his point of view, he felt he was late to the party on the technology, but at the same time is astounded and also scared. He believes we’re at a nexus point where it could be incredibly helpful….or start an apocalypse.

During our roundtable discussion, I asked whether or not shows like Terminator Zero meant the tide was turning on more Western non-comedy adult animated shows being made and accepted by audiences. Tomlin said that he has had a lot of conversations with people who still believe that cartoons are for kids and hopes that something like Terminator Zero will be a “gateway drug” into adult animation, if not watched as a result of something else. Kudō, meanwhile, said that since anime is already for adults in Japan, it was “business as usual”, which I thought was an interesting contrast. Finally, both of them said that they hope that Terminator fans, (which they admitted could be quite rabid at times) will warm up to the new series. Based on the reception at the panel of the first two episodes, I think that is a highly likely prospect. I definitely plan on checking out the rest of the series, and I hope you do too.

-= Check out more of our AnimeNYC 2024 Coverage =-

Transformers is certainly no exception, having had a rather consistent run since it’s inception. From 1984 until today, the concept of giant robots changing into vehicles, animals, and various items, has been engrained in many Transformer fans’ minds. I’m no exception, having been a fan of the franchise since it’s birth. That being said, I was super-hyped when I was graciously invited to chat with the Hasbro Transformers Design Team during New York Comic-Con.

In the grand scheme of things, the Design Team (led by Design Manager, John Warden and Director of Marketing, Ben Montano) have amazing things planned. Despite some plans they have yet to announce and/or reveal, with what they could share, you can bet Transformers will be getting a lot bigger in the near future.

I can definitely go on an extended talk about each line and what each figure does, but if you’re a fan you already know. If not, I’d suggest heading to Transformers Wiki or looking them up on Google…

GENERATIONS (A.K.A.: PRIME WARS TRILOGY)

Their biggest line as of current is the Generations line. Made for more adult and hardcore Transformers fans, it is a saga consisting of three parts, making up what they call the Prime Wars Trilogy:

Combiner Wars, which is made up of the classic combiner (usually either 5 or 6 figures to combine into one larger figure) robots like Devastator, Menasor, Computron, and countless others.

Titans Return (their current line) made up of both the original Headmasters and Targetmasters, as well as the gargantuan robots like Trypticon, Metroplex, and the massively unmatched (save for maybe G1 Scorpinok) Fortress Maximus, again as well as countless other figures.

A third line is in the works… though the team was tight-lipped about it, only to say that it will be announced very soon.

They are committed to the entire Prime Wars Trilogy, having dug deep into the archives of Hasbro, across the spectrum of classic series including such as the Japanese Saga (which included Headmasters and beyond). Their main goal is to not only bring back fans of the classic lines, but to reintroduce Transformers to a whole new generation of fans. The Trilogy’s story is so vast, that Hasbro (in conjunction with Machinima) produced an eight-episode mini-series online for Combiner Wars, featuring Jon Bailey (a.k.a.: Epic Voice Guy, Honest Trailers Guy) as the voice of Optimus Prime.

The team hopes to do even more with Machinima in the future (Spoiler: Combiner Wars ends with a tease for a potential Titans Return series) and in addition (with their strong partnership with Paramount Studios) they can also develop movies based on the Trilogy. Sadly, they had no news to share regarding the upcoming line of toys to correspond with Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight, but said that they are very excited for the future of the Transformers Cinematic Universe.

ROBOTS IN DISGUISE

Where Generations is geared more towards adults and the more hardcore Transformers fanatics, RiD is geared more towards kids and young adults as their current TV product. Cartoon Network introduced the Robots in Disguise animated series early last year as the successor (and somewhat sequel) to the successful HUB series, Transformers: Prime. The series has two current seasons, which can be found on CN as well as the first season on Netflix. A third season is slated to be released sometime next year. Much like the Generations line, RiD (as well as their Rescue Bots line, geared towards younger children) will also be beefed up with even more stories, as well as a potential movie.

THE FIGURES

After my chat with the team, they let me sneak a few peeks at both lines. I’ve seen the Titans Return line in stores and honestly haven’t been too interested… but seeing them out of the box definitely changed my mind. As I mentioned before, the team is looking to bring in new as well as old fans. I was told that they go back and look at the classic figures to see what worked back then: color schemes, alt-modes, original characters, and more. It was mentioned the new lines are cut from the same cloth as their predecessors as well as giving older fans the ability to play with the toys and have the same or similar emotional connection.

Additionally, you can see where the Design Team gets a lot of their inspiration from both the 1980’s era as well as previous incarnations of Transformers. In looking at the newest version of Autobot Sideswipe, I was shown that his vehicle mode transforms when adding a second smaller Transformer (much like the 2000 era Transformers: Armada where figures would include Mini-Cons that activated alt-modes in figures). When the figure was added, Sideswipe’s doors opened much like a gullwing car… think a DeLorean from Back to the Future or Thunder Hawk from another classic 80’s cartoon, M.A.S.K. (P.S.: Since it is also owned by Hasbro, I briefly asked if there were plans, since they own that line as well… there are!)

After Sideswipe, I was treated to see the new Perceptor, which like the original is again a WORKING microscope. I also saw one of the newest incarnation of Duo-Cons, wherein two figures combine into one. One of the new Titans Return figures, named Blackshadow, is a combination of a tank and a jet, which can also combine into a mini-base. Blackshadow’s base mode will ultimately combine with the Autobot City Titan, Metroplex as a super base, along with 2 other “faction leaders,” including the return of 7-in-1 transforming Sixshot.

THE FUTURE

Besides all of aforementioned toy lines, I also inquired about Transformers Masterpiece (and was told at that point, I was the only person to ask). Masterpiece is a line produced by both Hasbro as well as Transformers’ Japanese creator Takara, and consist of the classic Generation One figures like Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Grimlock, and many others, in larger (almost statuesque) figures, ranging from $60 – $100+. While Hasbro has only put out a select few as Toys R Us exclusives, you can also find a vast array of Takara’s imported figures on eBay (usually for twice or three times the price of a Hasbro one). The Design Team sadly had no new news on new figures, but did say that they have a vested interest in the line and that we fans should expect to see an expanded run in stores within the next 12 – 18 months.

I also asked about the current market of figures at local stores. I was saddened to mention that my local TRU stores in the area only dedicated a small bit of space to all their current TF lines, what seems a result of about 2 aisles worth being dedicated towards Star Wars (which in a way is still kind of good, since most of their toys are made by Hasbro, but still… really TRU?). The good news is, the Design Team IS looking to expand on that with all the upcoming lines, so hopefully the Autobots and Decepticons can team up to take at least half of an aisle back from the treacherous forces of Disney.

All in all, the future certainly looks amazing for Hasbro and Team Transformers. I can’t wait… and know my wallet’s screaming!

Teenage Euthanasia Season Two premieres next Wednesday (June 26th) at Midnight and next day on max.

Episodes of the Swimcast are available on your podcast player of choice or at https://ACPNet.net

Interviews with:

• Dave Willis (ATHF Co-Creator, voice of Carl, Meatwad, and Ignignokt)
• Matt Maiellaro (ATHF Co-creator, voice of Err)
• Carey Means (Voice of Frylock)
• Dana Snyder (Voice of Master Shake)

ATHF Forever Plantasm on 4K Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital on November 8th. PRE ORDER TODAY!!!!

Check out my interview with creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer as we discuss (very briefly) the upcoming new season of Venture Bros., coming in January to [adult swim]:

And here’s a teaser:

Check back later for more interviews. In the meantime, here’s the trailer: