In this episode we discuss;
Robert Kirkman Expands the Energon Universe With ROM, M.A.S.K. & Transformers
The Comic Source
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The Energon Universe isn’t slowing down. At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, The Comic Source went inside the Skybound press room for conversations with Robert Kirkman, Void Rivals artist Conor Hughes and Skybound publisher Sean Mackiewicz about ROM, M.A.S.K., Transformers, Void Rivals and just how far Skybound can expand its interconnected universe.
Kirkman reveals how unfamiliar he initially was with ROM and why he went back to study the character’s classic comics before bringing him into the Energon Universe. He discusses the challenge of honoring ROM’s history while creating something new, including his concern that the character’s tarnished and damaged appearance might be interpreted as disrespectful rather than evidence of everything ROM has endured. Hughes explains the visual philosophy behind the design, describing ROM’s damage as scars earned through sacrifice rather than simple deterioration.
Mackiewicz and Kirkman also reveal just how long M.A.S.K. has been part of Skybound’s plans. Matt Trakker appeared in the original Energon Universe pitch to Hasbro, and Mackiewicz reveals that Trakker was originally supposed to appear in Duke from the beginning before that role ultimately went to Clutch. Both conversations tease much bigger connections ahead, including what Kirkman calls some “insane things” beginning with M.A.S.K. #3.
The conversation eventually turns toward the future of the entire universe. Kirkman discusses the Energon Universe animated project in development and says an animated series could be “one of the coolest things ever made.” He also calls 1986’s The Transformers: The Movie the “true north” of Transformers and discusses the possibility that, somewhere far down the road, the Energon Universe could identify where its own version of that story takes place.
And how far can all of this ultimately go? When Mackiewicz is asked whether there’s a lid on the Energon Universe, he says Skybound has built it to tell stories for years to come and gives a simple answer: “We have no limits.”
Recorded at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.
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00:00 – Kirkman Teases the Energon Universe’s Transformers: The Movie
00:12 – Sean Mackiewicz on M.A.S.K., ROM & Expanding Energon
02:40 – How ROM & M.A.S.K. Fit Into the Energon Universe
05:20 – Why Skybound’s Comics Are Connecting With Readers
07:20 – G.I. Joe, Lara Croft & Expanding Beyond Nostalgia
11:25 – Finding New Creators & Building Skybound’s Future
12:15 – Matt Trakker Was Originally Going to Be in Duke
13:25 – M.A.S.K. #3 Has a Surprising Energon Connection
14:35 – Does the Energon Universe Have Any Limits?
15:20 – Robert Kirkman & Conor Hughes Reinvent ROM
19:15 – Kirkman Went to “ROM School”
21:20 – Building ROM & Void Rivals Together
23:40 – M.A.S.K. Was in the Original Energon Universe Pitch
25:45 – Kirkman Takes Over Transformers
27:55 – The Energon Universe Animated Series
29:20 – Could Energon Reach Its Own Transformers: The Movie?
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