Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 23

«	Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club #23	»

Oh good, for a second there I thought it was getting cancelled.

Publisher

Fun Publications

Cover date

Oct/Nov 08

Inside: 25 YEARS 1984-2009 PREVIEW! LEGENDS! ROBOT HEROES ^TM DELUXE! MIGHTY MUGGS ^TM

Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue #23

Editor-In-Chief: Brian Savage
Editor: Pete Sinclair
Associate Editor: Benson Yee
Research Editor: Karl Hartman
Lead Writer: Rik Alvarez
Creative Director/Layout: Lanny Lathem
Columnist: Rob Meyer
Columnist: Scott Marble
Columnist: R.M. Eljay
Head Proofreader: Heather Choplin
Proofreader: Mark Baker-Wright
Resident Cartoonist: Jesse Wittenrich
Resident Colorist: Drew Eiden
Resident Artist: Evan Gauntt
Staff: Greg Sepelak, Trent Troop
Featured Artists: Will Mangin, Jake Isenberg, and Winston Bolen

On the cover: upcoming figures and a stern-looking Alpha Trion (p. 1)
Inside cover: "Brian's Bytes and Bolts", "From the Editor's Desk" (p. 2)
"The Voice of Susan Blu" (pp. 3 & 7)
"An Interview with Hasbro's Bill Rawley," featuring first-looks at Universe Deluxes Dinobot, Hot Shot, Legends Cosmos, Warpath, Wheelie, and Rodimus, Mighty Muggs Bumblebee and Soundwave, and Robot Heroes wave 4 (pp. 4–6)
"Transformers: Cybertron: The Ultimate Collection" DVD Review by R.M. Eljay (p. 6)
"Artist Spotlight" featuring "Go Fish" by Teresa Levy, which reveals how the Cybertronian wars actually started... (p. 7)
"The world of... TRANSTECH" bios:
- Transtech Prowl
- Transtech Starscream (pp. 8–9)
"Transcendent: Part 5" - comic story (pp. 10–15)
"The Back Cover..." (p. 16)
- Around Cybertron
- "Rob's Hot Pick! Onslaught!"
- Mini Mayhem!

When asked about possible releases of Japanese-exclusive G1 characters, Bill Rawley mentions "a 'little' tribute to Victory that will be out in the later half of 2009." This tribute, Robot Heroes versions of Star Saber and Dessaras, would ultimately go unreleased.
He also discusses the practise of planning more than one head for a figure, to allow it to be used as different characters. He specifically notes that "certain iconic characters" were difficult to come up with alternate characters for, and that Cyclonus in particular was not designed with an alternate head.
Finally, he mentions a planned update for Bludgeon that made it to the design stage but was shelved because the line already "had a lot of tank-like vehicles in it".
Characters mentioned in Prowl's bio include: Optimus Prime, Starscream, and Senator Ratbat.
Characters mentioned in Starscream's bio include: the Liege Maximo, Sentinel Prime, and Prowl.
- Reference is made again to "the Liege Maximo incident" as well as a scandal involving Sentinel Prime that would be expanded upon next issue.
- The "battle masks" worn by TransTech are revealed to be ESDs, which enhance sensory perception and defensive protocols in case of emergency.
This issue's back cover introduces... ahem... "The Back Cover..." This would become a regular feature of the magazine for the rest of its run.