Complete Transformers Ark [Paperback]

Jim Sorenson (Author), Bill Forster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2009 | Series: Transformers

Both sold-out volumes of Transformers: The Ark are collected in this must-have compilation of animation models and character designs from the classic Generation 1 era Transformers!

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: IDW Publishing (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600104886
• ISBN-13: 978-1600104886
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jim is a super-secret spy, has a motorcycle, marooned in space, meets Hercules ... or not ...

He's been a long-time fan of science-fiction literature in general and Transformers in particular. His guidebooks are well regarded by the fan communities for their exhaustive attention to detail. Reports of his incarceration in another dimension should be dismissed as the unfounded rumors they are.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's an ANIMATION MODEL BOOK about Transformers, and a darn good one in English., September 29, 2009

By 

Tiffany T. Wong (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Transformers Ark (Paperback)

First time readers may be disappointed that all this book contains is just black and white pictures of the various Transformers, locales, weapons, and miscellaneous from the early years of the franchise's cartoons. HOWEVER, what readers have to take into account is that what this book contains are animation models that aren't seen often outside of animation or broadcasting studios, short of certain types of magazines. ESPECIALLY the fact that the other half of the book contains animation models from the Japanese-exclusive Transformers series such as "The Headmasters", "Masterforce", "Victory", and "Zone". Why such importance? It's extremely useful as reference material, whether it be for those looking into the animation industry, graphics, comic artists/writers, and even writers that focus on words only! Another factor is the condition on some of the models, sometimes those from 1984 where depending on how it was store, could take hours to clean up so it can be presentable. English-speaking fans were less likely to see such material, even today, whereas Japanese fans were luckier as they have several magazines and various artbooks to showcase the models.

If you already have "The Ark" and "The Ark II" that came out prior to this, it's a good idea to pick up the Complete Ark as it has additional pages that weren't in either volumes. If you haven't picked up the first two volumes, then it's still highly recommended to pick this up.

What Jim and Bill did here is a something of treat for Transformers fans, because Transformers isn't just about the toys - it's also about the characters and how each new generation changes over the years. You don't see this type of transforming history often in the West.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They're Animation Models!, September 29, 2009

By 

Mark Baker-Wright (Monrovia, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Transformers Ark (Paperback)

A lot of the criticism this book is getting fails to recognize what the book's supposed to be in the first place. This is a historical document. We're getting to see the actual animation models used for the Transformers characters in the cartoons of the 1980s. That may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as an archive of information not previously collected elsewhere (except, arguably, in the previous Ark volumes done by this very pair of authors), it does the job admirably well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book of animation models, September 29, 2009

By 

Jeffrey Jacobson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Complete Transformers Ark (Paperback)

This is a great book of animation models from The Transformers animated series from the 1980s. It contains exactly what is in the product description: animation models. I'm not sure what the negative reviewers were expecting.