As the longest year of the 2000s winds to an end, we salute the greatest fallen hero of the previous millennium: Optimus Prime. Artist Oliver Barrett depicts the steel-hearted warrior bloodied but unbowed, eyes fixed to the future just as they were in his emotional final moments in 1986's THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE.
Both the Regular and Variant edition available Tuesday 12/22 at 11am Central on The Drop.
"You’re 8 years old and you just found out that your favorite show about giant robots that transform into boxy cars and tape decks also has a movie. Holy crap, that’s so cool. You get your parents to rent it for a summer movie night. It’s so much better than any episode of the show, but you can’t help but notice that a lot of your favorite characters are getting hit once and not getting back up. It feels a little weird, but it’s all good. Optimus Prime’s finally arrived. He beats the brakes off of Megatron, tossing him around like a sack of potatoes. As usual, Optimus Prime put the team on his back and turned the tide. Hold on, he looks pretty beat up. Huh? I don't remember ever seeing Prime with a hole in his stomach on the show...
‘I fear the wounds are... fatal.'
"Hey, mom? What does ‘fatal’ mean?”
And there it was: My first exposure to death and loss, thanks to an elaborate toy commercial. This poster aims to capture that cathartic and inspiring feeling of discovering that our heroes are not invincible, but that doesn’t stop them from bravely pushing forward…'no matter the cost.'
Oh, and this was all Hot Rod’s fault." - Oliver Barrett
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE Screenprinted Poster. Art by Oliver Barrett. Printed by DL Screenprinting. 24"x36". Edition of 250. Expected to ship in March 2021. Ships to US & Canada customers only. $50.
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE Screenprinted Poster - Variant. Art by Oliver Barrett. Printed by DL Screenprinting. 24"x36". Edition of 125. Expected to ship in March 2021. Ships to US & Canada customers only. $75.
