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[[Image:Transformersanimated franchise logo.png|center|300px]]
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'''Transformers Animated''' is the television-supported ''Transformers'' [[franchise]] that began in December 2007. This re-imagining of the [[Transformers brand]] brings a highly dynamic and stylized look to the toys and fiction.

The franchise consists of the following components:
*[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|A cartoon series]]
*[[Transformers Animated (comic)|A comic book series]]
*[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|A toyline]]

The cartoon began with a 3-episode mini-movie, first aired on Cartoon Network on December 26, 2007, and followed by a full 13-episode season, which started airing in January.  The toyline, however, did not hit stores till the late spring of 2008, due to the ongoing popularity of the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 movie toys]].

The series has adopted a new visual art style and form of storytelling which has not been used before in ''Transformers.'' The changes in design were created in an attempt to attract the modern youth viewer. The new art style incorporates a more "organic" feel to the Transformer characters. This style of art and character movement was introduced to emphasize dramatic movements and to allow the animator to express more emotion than in previous series.

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==Homages==
Even more so than ''[[Energon (franchise)#Homages|Energon]]'', ''Transformers Animated'' is saturated with frequent and obvious references and [[homage]]s to ''[[Generation One]]'' and other lines, possibly intended as a celebration of the Transformers' 25th anniversary year. In addition to the obvious fact that most characters are based on earlier incarnations, are the following items of note:

* [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]'s speech pattern is cribbed from his [[Grimlock (G1)|''Generation One'' counterpart]].

* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s color scheme slightly resembles ''Generation One'' [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and his head resembles that of [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Crumplezone]].

* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s  Earth mode is based on ''[[Battlestars]]'' [[Megatron (G1)#The Battlestars|Super Megatron]].

* [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]'s alt mode is based on the ''Generation One'' [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the Autobot spaceship.

* The Decepticon spaceship is based on the ''Generation One'' [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]].

* [[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]]'s [[Fusion creature]]s are based on the Decepticon [[Pretender]]s [[Bomb Burst]] and [[Submarauder]].

* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]'s role as a double agent, along with his multiple humanoid modes, pays tribute to  ''Generation One'' [[Punch (G1)|Punch / Counterpunch]].

* [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]]'s "Electrostatic" redeco is based on the Soundblaster, ''Generation One'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s resurrected form from the Japanese continuity.

* [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]]'s voice actor is [["Weird Al" Yankovic]], who provided a song for the soundtrack, "[[Dare to be Stupid]]", to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' {{m-}} specifically, the song played during a scene on the Planet Junk, home of Generation One [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].

* The [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster Unit]] is derived from the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster technology]] in ''Generation One''.

* At the end of "[[Predacons Rising]]", [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Wasp|Wasp / Waspinator]] awaken in Africa surrounded by a [[Optimus Primal|gorilla]], a [[Rattrap|rat]], a [[Rhinox|rhino]] and a [[Cheetor (BW)|cheetah]], referencing the crew of the Axalon in [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]].

* [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]], [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] and [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] are voiced by their [[Susan Blu|original]] [[John Moschitta|voice]] [[Judd Nelson|actors]] from the film ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] and [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike Witwicky]] are also voiced by their original voice actor, [[Corey Burton]], as well.

*Like the film ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'', Optimus Prime's team consists of five Autobots, except that [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] and [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] were not part of this team.
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*Optimus Prime's battle mask comes on and off when he goes into combat, similar to his [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|film counterpart]].-->

==Notes==
* This is the second Transformers series (the first being ''[[Beast Machines]]'') wherein a strict separation is made in the type of weaponry used by either side.  According to [[Derrick J. Wyatt]], "To me the Autobots were built as a labor force, and the Decepticons were created as the Military. This is one reason that the Decepticons use military weapons, while the Autobots use 'tools' (ex: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime's]] axe) to fight with."<ref>[https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21975298&postID=8564559979841180115 Comments section of "Back from BotCon" in Derrick Wyatt's blog]</ref>

* An early working title for this incarnation was ''Transformers: Heroes''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=8312 Next TF Cartoon Series: "Transformers Heroes"?]</ref>.

* This show is the first where the planet Cybertron is actually inhabitable by the Transformers rather than being or becoming a dead or abandoned planet.

* This franchise is the first to show so many Cybertronian alt-modes during the show. Most of the other continuities either have just one episode where their cybertronian alt-modes are seen or include just a few characters who don't take Earth alt-modes.
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* On Cybertron they apparently use tank treads to get around by land instead of wheels.-->

==External links==
* [http://enewsi.com/news.php?catid=194&itemid=11280 Transformers animated press release]

* [http://tv.ign.com/articles/801/801348p1.html Exclusive Transformers Animated Producer Interview]

* [http://www.nick.co.uk/#/transformers_animated Transformers animated site on nick.co.uk]

* [http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/transformersa/index.html Cartoon Network Transformers Animated site]

* [http://www.kabillion.com/transformers Transformers Animated on Kabillion (Full Episodes and Games]

* [http://www.transformersanimated.com Transformers Animated.com] The first Transformers Animated website

==References==
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[[Category:Animated| ]]
[[Category:Franchises|Animated]]

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