So what goes into developing a story for The Toys Will Play? truthfully, i have always been a fan of the "Personal Struggle". each character has a story to tell, and some in particular just seem to have untold stories that need to come out.
My character Autobot Jazz, for example, got very little screen time as a movie character, and received an extremely unceremonious end at the hands of the movies greatest villian...
because he was so underdeveloped in the film there is a question that begs to be asked: what is it about a bot that gives him the ball-bearings to take on the mighty and powerful Megatron in single combat, knowing that he could very well end up torn in half?
my thoughts led me to this conclusion: Autobot Jazz has GOBS of potential, yet something always seems to interfere with his moment of greatness. this endless cycle of being built up, only to be cut down is something that can only go on for so long before he decides to take his destiny into his own hands.
Acid Storm.... another interesting character, and one i hope to develop further in my comic before this story arc ends. aside from anything on his biocard, he is a relatively unknown character. he is built just like Starscream, Skywarp, and Thudercracker, and yet where does he fit into that group dynamic? i explored this angle in "The Seeker Tryouts" mini story. in my world, Acid Storm has all the makings of a real seeker, but Starscream and the others are so blinded by the "Glory" of being a seeker, that they choose to strenghen their ranks based on elegant performance in an audition, rather than basing their choices on ambition and capability. because of that, Acid Storm has taken on the characteristics of an outsider, and is now aligned with a force so powerful it threatens to change the very fabric of the TTWP universe. a powerful ally has become a fearsome enemy.
And finally Ultra Magnus..... i always wondered why hasbro bothered to repaint optimus prime so often into Ultra Magnus without giving him some defining characteristic which set him apart. just changing the color isn't enough in my opinion. oddly, this thought had escaped me until i had started the "Wonderful Life" mini saga. Originally my idea for the Anonymous Anonymous group was to give Autobot Jazz a chance to shine..... but then it occured to me that Ultra Magnus is probably the MOST under appreciated repaint of all time. i chose to have Ultra Magnus usurp the role of "Voice of the People" from Autobot Jazz for two reasons, the first being Magnus's obviously superior credentials, and the second being to take Autobot Jazz down a notch yet again. it was this pivotal moment that gave me the idea for the current story arc, and will forever change UM's status among the characters of TTWP. the last update (episode 22) serves to provide insight into the tortured mind of this character and show that his tough exterior is barely able to contain the fragile emotional balance within, caused by decades of being "second best".
that's all for now... i've never shared the creative process before, but as you can see all the ideas are intertwined with one another, evolving organically from one another until they become a single idea with its roots buried deep within the personal struggles of the story's characters.
and that's my 2 cents.
-A.S.
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