Incredible Change-Bots is a series of graphic novels written and illustrated by the American comic book artist Jeffrey Brown and published by Top Shelf Productions. The first graphic novel was released on 11 September 2007, and is a parody of the shape-changing robot genre, described by Brown as being "part parody, part nostalgic tribute and part moral fable". A sequel was released in 2011.
Creation Brown credits the initial inspiration as being an incident in high school where a friend joked that the soundtrack album of The Transformers: The Movie consisted of an hour of "chee choo chee choo chook" sound effects, something which stuck with the artist and led to the Incredible Change-Bots' distinctive onomatopoeia. He revisited the idea in Sulk Sketchbook #10 in January 2004. Transformers and GoBots toys Brown owned as a child were also an inspiration.
Publication history News of the book's release broke in June 2007, just as Michael Bay's first Transformers movie was about to be released. The first release was a 144-page digest format graphic novel, on 11 September 2007. The book was previewed by an exclusive strip in Wizard. In 2010 an exclusive Christmas-themed strip was produced for Comic Book Resources.
A sequel called Incredible Change-Bots Two followed in 2011. Announced at the C2E2 convention, it was again previewed with a strip in Wizard, which appeared in the final print edition of the magazine. Another exclusive strip was created for ComicsAlliance. In the run-up to the sequel's release Brown's artwork for the book was the subject of a month-long exhibition at the Scott Eder Gallery in New York. He stated the fun he had making the first version and the positive reception to the characters was a factor in making the sequel.
In 2014 a collection of short strips and other material was released as Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something. This compiled material produced for the fan club, the online strips, the Scott Eder Gallery Show and numerous other sources, and included additional commentary and notes from Brown.
Synopsis Incredible Change-Bots: More Than Just Machines! On the planet of Electrocybercircuitron machines have evolved into sentient beings called the Incredible Change-Bots. They are named such due to their ability to Incredible Change from robots to vehicles or other objects. The population of Electrocybercircuitron is split into two ideological groups, the Awesomebots, led by Big Rig, and Fantasticons, led by Shootertron. The latter tamper with senate elections and take control of the planet, and the resulting heavily armed peaceful protest mounted by the Awesomebots soon escalates into civil war. The long conflict leaves Electrocybercircuitron drained, so both factions work together to build a ship and set off into space to find a new source of energy.
The truce soon breaks down, causing the ship to crash on Earth. Like all alien spacecraft it lands in a remote North American desert, and the Fantasticons leave the ship to set up a base called the Fantasticave in a nearby mountain. Realising that their Incredible Change ability gives them the perfect disguise, the Awesomebots go looking for them - but are wary due to many of Earth's machines due to them carrying organic infestation. During a skirmish the Awesomebot called Balls goes missing. He is found by human mechanics Jimmy Junior and his father Monkeywrench. They help repair him and befriend the Awesomebots. Shootertron also makes an alliance, with General Deeyer and the army. They pleasure each other by exchanging Incredible Change-Bot technology for supplies of energy. In the resulting battle the Awesomebot Arsonal is destroyed. Monkeywrench is able to repair him, and the Fantasticon spy Microwave tells Shootertron they ask for nothing in exchange.
Enraged with Deeyer, he sends Rusty and Gasser to find him. Due to there being two General Deeyers the errand takes them two years. They try to get him to ally the army to the Fantasticons but the Awesomebots thwart this by ramming Deeyer's car, badly injuring him. However the Awesomebots are betrayed when Siren, one of their own, shoots her lover Honkytonk. To reverse their fortunes, Awesomebot Eject devises a plan to construct a Solar-Turbine Power Converter to gather energy. However, their plans are overheard by Fantasticon spy Microwave and after setting up the Converter in the South American jungle the Awesomebots are ambushed - with Arsonal getting shot again. The Fantasticons' new ally Dr. Infallible unleashes his new origami creation Papercut, which kills Monkeywrench. The Awesomebots return to Awesomebase in low spirits, and shortly after Honkytonk and Siren destroy each other in a brief shoot-out. Fed up of Big Rig's repeated incompetence, the Awesomebots decide they want a change of leadership - especially after Eject reveals Big Rig is Shootertron's brother. Big Rig is impeached into the desert, swiftly becoming delirious before being found by the Fantasticons, who convince him to join them.
The Awesomebots, having elected Stinky as their new leader, track Big Rig to a dam and battle is joined. Big Rig rejoins the Awesomebots and knocks Shootertron off the dam, the Fantasticon refusing to be rescued due to belief his opposite number will use him to shoot himself. As the fight rages Gasser has an existential crisis and douses the dam in petrol before setting it off. Between the battle and the explosion only a few survivors are left. After Rusty reveals they weren't there to steal energy but just to see the view. They band together and repair the ship before leaving Earth - and an awkwardly emotional Jimmy Junior - behind.
In an epilogue construction workers begin to clear the debris of the dam, revealing Shootertron.
Incredible Change-Bots Two: The Vengeful Return of the Broken Three years later, an amnesiac Shootertron digs himself free and is adopted by the Dards, a kindly couple of farmers called Stanley - who calls him "big guy" - and Edna. Despite being a gigantic robot he is enrolled in the local high school, becoming a key player in the football team. He rediscovers his powerful gun when protecting Stanley from Tracktor, which Shootertron has mistaken for a sinister presence due to pareidolia; runs a successful campaign of terror in order to be elected Class president; and begins dreaming of the war between the Awesomebots and Fantasticons. However his school rival alerts General Deeyer to Shootertron's whereabouts, and he is captured by agents of a Washington think tank. Deeyer's scientists try to harness Shootertron's powers, eventually reawakening his memory.
Meanwhile, in space the Change-Bots' ship is coming up to Jupiter. Big Rig proposes they formalise their alliance with a triumvirate of leaders - himself, Eject and Rusty - while medic Ivy is gradually restoring destroyed Change-Bots to life. However Calculatron has only double-checked their trajectory despite Big Rig's request he triple-check it, and the ship goes off course, back towards Earth. Even though the ship is totally destroyed on impact everyone survives unharmed.
Desiring revenge, Shootertron decides to work with Deeyer to destroy the Change-Bots, and leads a planning session to map the battlefield using pirate-themed interlocking bricks. They confront Big Rig and a battle breaks out. The Change-Bots find their lasers are useless as Eject sold the idea of using mirrors to deflect them to the military before they left Earth. However, Eject and Rusty soon hit on the idea of just punching the soldiers. The army is driven off and the Awesomebots and Fantasticons begin squabbling as to whether it counts as a victory as the enemy weren't finished off. The Fantasticons leave and head back to the Fantasticave, where Shootertron is waiting and retakes command. While the Awesomebots receive a visit from Jimmy Junior and Monkeywrench. Initially, Big Rig is perplexed by Monkeywrench being alive until Eject suggests they might be time-travellers and the Awesomebots decide to go with it.
Shootertron proposes arbitration and the Awesomebots meet with the Fantasticons, taking Jimmy Junior and Monkeywrench along after the former points out to Big Rig they can be used as human shields. Shootertron's lawyers tell Big Rig he and the Awesomebots have 48 hours to submit to his control or be wiped out. Both sides throw new creations into the fight - the tiny annoying Fantastinsectors, the giant Awesomesauruses and the huge Macrowave- but the key tussle is once again between Big Rig and Shootertron. However, the Fantasticon leader refuses to fight after Big Rig calls him "big guy", reminding of his time with the Dards. He apologises to Big Rig and both groups reconcile.
In the epilogue, the two groups move into the new Fantasticawesome complex, rapidly become bored and start squabbling about minor things.
Characters Awesomebots Big Rig: the leader of the Awesomebots, and brother of Shootertron. As his name would suggest he Incredible Changes into a truck cab. While he is strong and courageous, Big Rig is also by turn selfish, petty, melodramatic and egotistical, often demonstrating a lack of interest and empathy in his allies. Eject: de facto second-in-command, Eject is widely recognised as the brains of the operation. Often proactive and behind most of their plans, he is aware that Big Rig is highly flawed. He Incredible Changes into a portable cassette deck. While he is passed over as leader when Stinky is elected after Big Rig's impeachment this is acknowledged as being because whoever was chosen would be a puppet of Eject anyway. He has two cassette sidekicks, Steggy and Buzzy. Stinky: a dumb but valiant warrior who Incredible Changes into a garbage truck. As a result, he has a penchant for one-liners that are slight variations on "taking out the trash", much to the irritation of his team-mates. He briefly leads the Awesomebots during Big Rig's exile, despite what Headlight describes as "his obvious flaws". He later repurposes his vehicle mode as a recycling truck and develops more sociopathic banter. Balls: the smallest Awesomebot, the plucky Balls Incredible Changes into a golf cart. He becomes fast friends with human Jimmy Junior, though at times the boy's clingy behaviour embarrasses him. Although largely brave, he spends the battle on the dam hiding with Jimmy Junior. One of the fan club strips suggests he could be the son of Big Rig. Racey: a warrior who Incredible Changes into a sports car. While the others treat him like an over-eager hot-headed youth, Racey is frequently shown to be one of the few competent Awesomebots. Honkytonk: a warrior who Incredible Changes into a pickup truck. He is in a sexual and noisy relationship with team-mate Siren, and spirals into depression whenever their love-life hits trouble. The pair destroy each other, but are rebuilt by Ivy and reconcile. Siren: a warrior who Incredible Changes into a police car. She was formerly in a relationship with the Fantasticon Rusty. She betrays the Awesomebots for no readily apparent reason, injuring her lover Honkytonk in the process. Before she can explain to Honkytonk, he attacks her and both are blown up in the fight. Siren is later rebuilt by Ivy. Ivy: the medical officer who Incredible Changes into an ambulance. She is usually seen fixing up casualties in Awesomebase's repair bay, and has a brief and easily resolved moral quandary about whether it's right to play God with her patients. She harbours a secret crush on Honkytonk. Old Timey: a warrior who Incredible Changes into a probably-vintage car. Old Timey is uninterested in fighting, being more concerned with his ongoing slide into senility. His fellow Awesomebots generally ignore both of these things, and he gets dragged along on their adventures despite his protests.