I would like the movie to have a sense of wonder and fantasy: Andrew Griffith

Andrew Griffith

Could you talk about your early years as a comic book fan?
I was introduced to Transformers when my brother came home from school talking about this new toy that his classmates were talking about. At the time, I was just getting into comics, reading Marvel’s Secret Wars and G.I. Joe. Spider-Man was already one of my favourites. I was eight so it was a perfect age to get into robots that turn into cars and planes, and superheroes.

What are your memories from your first Comic Con event?
I actually used to attend comic conventions when I was really young, in the late ’80s, but it was a different time then. Comic conventions were held in one banquet room in a hotel basement with a sea of boxes of comic books for sale. If you were lucky, there might be one comic book artist as a guest. My first modern experience was the San Diego Comic Con 2009. I remember sharing an apartment with two other artists who were just breaking in. It was thrilling, especially since a project was announced at the show with my name on it. I felt inspired to go home and draw even more.

When were you approached by IDW Publishing to work on Transformers?
After college, I worked as a designer for a number of years. I didn’t really even draw at the time. At some point, I sat down and started drawing again. I found a fan project for Transformers called ‘Mosaics’, where fans would write and draw one-page Transformers comic stories for online. The organisers of that project hosted an art contest in partnership with IDW to become a Transformers cover artist. I took part and came in fourth or fifth place among 500 participants. A few months later, I got an email from IDW’s editor-in-chief asking if I could draw for the movie Transformers. It was my first project for IDW, and I ended up working on some G1 Transformers covers but soon after that I started on some live-action movie prequel comics.

Who were your favourite characters ?
My favourites were Bluestreak and Thundercracker, because one was an autobot that had a tragic and compelling backstory, and Thundercracker was more conflicted, making him an interesting character.

To the comic book fans, a film adaptation is often a disappointment. How do you feel about it?
It’s neat seeing the characters and concepts on the big screen. But I would like the movie to focus more on characters, and have a sense of wonder and fantasy instead of the Michael Bay-style of loud explosions and noise, which seem to be the focus.

Do the art or story progression of a comic change once it’s an action franchise?
A film creates more fan interest and maybe even more books that the companies are willing to produce, so there’s more work for creators like myself. There are certainly things that the movies influence in the comics, like Bumblebee becoming a muscle car instead of a Volkswagon, or Thor getting short hair to match the comics. But that’s fine, things always need to change to match the times.