An appeal for help

I hate to have to do this, but I literally have no means of buying food for the next two weeks until Universal Credit payment comes in on the 28th. If anyone can help via my GofundMe link, you have my eternal gratitude.

300,000

As of yesterday, the Sunbow Marvel Archive has had 300,000 views in over five years.  Thank you to everybody who has supported the site.

Transformers: Flint Dille's Character Binder

The last major Transformers-related item uncovered from the storage of former Sunbow producer Flint Dille in 2020 has been released.  Flint's character binder, which received its last update on December 3rd, 1986.  Nearly all of the 1987 toy lineup is represented within its 333 pages, as well a copy of Bob Budiansky's 11-page treatment for the Marvel Comics' Headmasters miniseries.

Due to its size, the binder has been split up into three galleries, which can be viewed at: Briefing/Reference Binder Gallery Index

G.I Joe: The Movie: Duke's death scene restored (VIDEO)

This past weekend, at Transformers convention TFNation 2024, the Mapes brother held a panel showcasing audio from various dialogue recording sessions for Transformers and GI Joe.  At this panel, they debuted the original audio track for Duke's death scene in G.I Joe: The Movie, famously overdubbed for the movie's release, as a reaction to the backlash over Optimus Prime's death in The Transformers: The Movie.

Video of the restored scene, as well as audio from a scripted, but ultimately unproduced funeral scene, is available to view below.  Accompanied by an introduction from movie writer Buzz Dixon.

If the YouTube video is restricted in your region, follow the link to view directly on TFNation's website. 

To read the full G.I Joe: The Movie script, head to G.I Joe, Part 2

Transformers: Over 700 character model sheets.

Completing the release of material saved by storyboard artist/director/producer Larry Houston and contributed by Rich Helscher, the Sunbow Marvel Archive now hosts a total of over 700 model sheets for Transformers, covering 61 episodes across seasons 1 and 2.

The main index pages and some samples are attached below. To view the complete model books as galleries, head to the Briefing/Reference Binder Gallery index

Transformers: The Secret of Omega Supreme storyboards

Thanks to Larry Houston for saving them from likely destruction back in the 1980s and thanks to Rich Helscher for making them available, the Archive now hosts the tenth full Transformers storyboard set: The Secret of Omega Supreme.

View galleries for all ten sets, as well as partial storyboards for ten more episodes at the Storyboard Viewing Gallery Index

My Little Pony Tales: Shop Talk script

Thanks to yanchagraffiti, the Archive has its first piece of production material for My Little Pony Tales:  Doug Booth's script for episode 10, Shop Talk.

Developed by George Arthur Bloom and consisting of 26 quarter-hour stories, with a slice-of-life focus compared to its 1980s predecessor My Little Pony N Friends. MLP Tales lasted for only one season in 1992, and was produced by Sunbow and Graz Entertainment.

Read the script, along with material for other 1990s shows at: Sunbow Round Two 1991-2000

5th Anniversary

A little late, but nonetheless.

Five years ago, on June 11th 2019, I launched the Sunbow Marvel Archive website. Intending to create a digital library showcasing animation paperwork from Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions, covering 20+ plus years of shows.

In that time, the Archive has expanded to include hundreds of scripts, storyboards, model sheets, memos, show bibles and briefing binders.

Thank you to all those who have contributed material and lent their support, and here's to the next five years.

My Little Pony: new storyboard galleries

 New galleries are up for the following My Little Pony N Friends storyboard sets:

• Revolt of Paradise Estate, Part 2
• Partial episode storyboards: Baby, It's Cold Outside and Would-Be Dragonslayer

View all of the My Little Pony storyboards at: Storyboard Viewing Gallery Index

Transformers: the resurrection of Skyfire/Jetfire

With thanks to Rich Helscher, the Archive now hosts an earlier version of Transformers script Fire on the Mountain.  Accompanying the script are memos from story editor Bryce Malek notifying producer Nelson Shin of rewritten pages to accompany the 2nd July 1984 revision, the earlier first draft having already gone forward to storyboards (as was common during the series run):

The impetus for these revisions was to insert a scene where Wheeljack and Sideswipe rescue Skyfire from the Arctic ice, where he was buried at the end of concurrently-written episode Fire in the Sky

Insert pages 13 and 13A, as mentioned in the above memos

The original pages 12 and 13 from the first draft are included with this copy of the revised script, and show Doug Booth writing Skyfire as simply being an established part of the Autobot roster. Setting out from Autobot Headquarters with Brawn and Windcharger to investigate the destruction of their Sky Spy satellite by Megatron's new weapon.

These pages were replaced by the new inserts and the script handed over to Ron Friedman for his dialogue changes.

Both scripts can be read at The Transformers, Part 1

Transformers: Blaster Blues storyboard and 150 model sheets

Thanks to Ryan King, the Archive now hosts material found by Marvel Productions storyboard artist/producer/director Larry Houston.

Firstly, the full storyboard set for Transformers episode Blaster Blues. To view the boards, head to the Blaster Blues storyboard gallery

Next are two model sheet books: one covering the main 1984 cast and the other incidental models from the 13 main episodes of Season 1. Including designs that did not make it to air, such as Dr. Lynn Hyashi, whose role in War of the Dinobots was given to Chip Chase in script revisions.

To view, head to the Briefing/Reference Binder Gallery Index

(VIDEO) The Young Astronauts: more dialogue audio

Thanks to yanchagraffiti for use of the digital audio files.

More dialogue audio from The Young Astronauts is now available on the Archive's YouTube channel. One of the main cast members is Retro, a maintenance droid who inadvertently received radio messages from alien life. Now he is tasked with guiding young Mikey Hampton (Stephen Dorff), who is destined to one day be the first human to meet these aliens in person. Below is Retro's pickup dialogue for the episode Ghost Ship.

Next are samples taken from an hour-long auditions reel. First, Rob Paulsen tries out for the character of Rick Hampton, Mikey's older brother.  Ultimately, the role was given to Townsend Coleman.

Next up, Charlie Adler's successful audition for the character of Harvey Flynn. Reading a scene from Ghost Ship, Flynn is pompous, buffoonish officer aboard the mothership Courageous, whose lecture on safety and protocol is cut off when he is abducted by service droids gone haywire.

Finally, James Avery's successful audition for the character of Dr. Sam Turrell.  As heard in the dialogue, he is close with the ship's Commander Kelly Hampton and is afforded a greater level of informality than most of the crew...well, most of the time.

TMNT 1987 model sheets

Found by Larry Houston and contributed by Jim Sorenson, the Archive hosts 171 model sheets from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

To view them all, head to Other Companies

(VIDEO) My Little Pony: audition audio

With thanks to yanchagraffiti, two more dialogue audio reels for My Little Pony: The Movie have now been added to the Archive YouTube channel.

First up is six minutes of rapid-fire auditions for the Bushwoolies - the bouncy furballs who constantly agree with everything they're told.  With takes from:

Marilyn Lightstone Jodi Carlisle Terry McGovern Peter Cullen Joey Camen Pat Fraley Hal Rayle Greg Berg Frank Welker

Next up are auditions for three of the Unicorns: Buttons, Galaxy and Ribbon.  

Takes and time indexes:

Auditions held 26th November 1985 0:00-6:05 Buttons 6:14-11:15 Galaxy 11:23-16:38 Ribbon Takes by: Nancy Cartwright BJ Ward Jeannie Elias Sherry Lynn Ellen Gerstell Jodi Carlisle Katie Leigh Susan Blu Mona Marshall Susan Silo Jill Wayne Russi Taylor Sarah Partridge

My Little Pony: Revolt of Paradise Estate storyboard

The Archive now hosts the full storyboard set for David Wise' My Little Pony episode Revolt of Paradise Estate, Part 2.  Where, thanks to a can of magic paint sold to naïve pony Paradise by evil wizard Beezen, the furniture of Paradise Estate has come to life and driven the ponies out of their home.

To view the storyboards, head to My Little Pony N' Friends