IDW Publishing Issues the Transformers Package Art Portfolio

Great toy packaging can do more than just sell product—it can be a legitimate work of art. Perhaps no decade embraced that like the ’80s, when Hasbro‘s Transformers showcased stellar artwork on every box and cardback. In 2014, IDW Publishing paid tribute to the era in the hardcover, Transformers Legacy: A Celebration of Transformers Packaging Art. This week, IDW released the Transformers: Package Art Portfolio, a selection of artwork from the prior book, issued as a collection of ten frameable lithographs.

Last fall, a series of Transformers Generation One toy reissues rolled out, available only at Walmart in reproduction original packaging in support of Paramount Pictures’ Bumblebee.

Transformers: Package Art Portfolio is available now through comic shops, specialty retailers and bookstores.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.