Madman Entertainment

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Madman Entertainment was an Australian company that distributed anime and manga to Australia and New Zealand, and were also the official distributor of several locally authored Transformers DVD sets. Their sets were typified by an enthusiastic array of extras and exclusive features (which were often a little on the dodgy side). Sales of Transformers products stopped after they rebranded to Crunchyroll Store Australia in 2022, when the anime distribution division was bought out by Sony.

Releases

Generation 1

• Transformers: The Movie (AU March 12, 2003)

Extras include a "creation of the cover" gallery, theatrical trailer, commercials, cast and crew biographies and the music video for "The Touch" by Stan Bush.

• Transformers — Collection 1: Series 1 (AU November 11, 2003 / NZ December 30, 2003)

This set is notable for featuring the original broadcast masters previously used by Sony Wonder and Maverick Entertainment, licensed from TV-Loonland (and later used by Shout! Factory), but uses the 5.1 soundtrack put together by Kid Rhino and Magno Sound & Video. They were so close.

• Transformers — Collection 2: Series 2.1 (AU April 21, 2004 / NZ May 21, 2004)

Three-disc set containing the first 24 episodes from season two: "Autobot Spike" through to "A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court".

• Transformers — Collection 3: Series 2.2 (AU July 21, 2004 / NZ August 19, 2004)

Three-disc set containing the remaining 25 episodes from season two: "The Golden Lagoon" through to "B.O.T.".

• Transformers — Collection 4: Series 3.1 (AU October 20, 2004 / NZ November 12, 2004)

Three-disc set containing the first 16 episodes from season three: "Five Faces of Darkness" through to "Starscream's Ghost".

• Transformers — Collection 5: Series 3.2 (AU December 8, 2004 / NZ January 20, 2005)

Three-disc set containing the remaining 14 episodes from season three: "Ghost in the Machine" through to "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2".

• Transformers — Collection 6: Series 4 (AU July 20, 2005 / NZ August 16, 2005)

Two-disc set containing the three-part episode "The Rebirth", plus interviews, PSAs, trailers and scripts.

• The Best of The Transformers (AU November 8, 2006)

Two-disc set featuring the 10 "best" episodes of Generation 1, as voted by Australian fans.

Contains the episodes "More than Meets the Eye", "S.O.S. Dinobots", "Dark Awakening", "Heavy Metal War", "The Golden Lagoon", "Call of the Primitives", "Starscream's Brigade" and "Ghost in the Machine".

• The Transformers — Complete Collection (AU June 27, 2007 / NZ July 11, 2007)

17-disc set compiling the previous six "Collection" sets, released to take advantage of the nostalgia and interest generated by the live action movie, also including an exclusive mini-comic set in 2001 before the animated movie, as well as a piece of artwork featuring Prime's Matrix chamber illustrated by Nick Roche and Josh Burcham.

• Transformers: The Movie — Special Edition (AU June 27, 2007 / NZ July 13, 2007)

Two-disc set featuring the movie in both full- and widescreen, the "Scramble City" OVA with its original Japanese audio track, an interview Flint Dille, Q&A with Peter Cullen, commercials, TV spots and trailers, "The Touch" music video, cast and crew biographies, and a bonus episode of Beast Wars ("Optimal Situation").

• The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (AU June 24, 2009)

Madman's previous Complete Collection 17-disc set was re-released in 2009 to coincide with the live-action sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, this time in a Decepticon-themed packaging.

• Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray (AU June 24, 2009)

• Transformers Generation One Remastered: Season 1 Collection (AU June 20, 2012)

Re-release of Season 1 "remastered". Includes Special Featurette: original cast reunion, Ep 1 commentary with Voice Director Wally Burr, Eight Transformers creator interviews, Character Profiles, TVCs, Easter Eggs and Episode One previews of Transformers Prime, Headmasters and Beast Wars. Unlike previous Madman releases, the "Remastered" sets do not use the Rhino DVD audio track.

• Transformers Generation One Remastered: Season 2.1 Collection (AU August 1, 2012)

Re-release of Season 2, part 1 "remastered". Includes Featurette - Triple Changer, Featurette - The Combiner, Historical Trailers and Toy ads, Concept Art 1, Fan Film, and Opening and Closing Animations. The opening and closing animations have a few interesting features, including the Japanese Victory theme, the incorrect "Transformers Theme is Japanese" from the Rhino DVDs, and the season one opening uses the incorrect season two footage overlapped with the Rhino DVD season one theme. This is noteworthy for being the opening used for some season one episodes on Madman's old DVD releases, despite the Remastered DVD using the correct version. Well, we guess they had to their unique opening somewhere.

• Transformers Generation One Remastered: Season 2.2 Collection (AU September 12, 2012)

Re-release of Season 2, part 2 "remastered". Includes Featurette - Bob Budiansky, Featurette - Fans, Original TV Bumps x 19, Concept Art 2 and Fan Art, and Atari Transformer Game Promo Materials x 3.

World Exclusive cover by Transformers artist Marcelo Matere.

• Transformers Generation One Remastered: Seasons 3+4 Collection (AU October 3, 2012)

Re-release of Seasons 3 and 4 "remastered". Includes Character model Sheets, Storyboards, Scripts and DVD ROM content.

• Transformers Generation One Remastered: Complete Collection (AU October 2, 2013)

Re-release of the entire series "remastered". Contains the same four previously released DVDs, special features only include those previously mentioned.

Japanese G1

• Transformers: Headmasters (AU November 7, 2007 / NZ December 20, 2007)

Four-disc set featuring the Headmasters series available in the original Japanese and the Omni Productions English dub, with optional English subtitles replicated from Metrodome's previous release, complete with errors.

Extras include a "making of the cover" gallery, character art galleries, toy galleries (taken from Seibertron.com) and Japanese toy commercials.

Cover art by Guido Guidi.

• The Transformers: Super God Masterforce (AU February 13, 2008 / NZ March 25, 2008)

Five-disc set featuring the Masterforce series in Japanese with English subtitles, with optional Omni dub on episodes 1, 4, 41 and 42.

Extras include a "making of the cover" gallery, character art galleries, toy galleries and Japanese toy commercials.

Cover art by Guido Guidi.

• The Transformers: Victory (AU May 14, 2008 / NZ July 4, 2008)

Four-disc set featuring the Victory series in Japanese with English subtitles, with optional Omni dub on all episodes, plus the Zone OVA.

Extras include box art galleries, toy galleries (with pictures from seibertron.com and transformerstoys.co.uk) and Japanese commercials (which are all for Zone toys, and include what appears to be an industry pitch reel used to demonstrate the toys to retailers), as well as scans of the TV Magazine Zone story pages available via DVD-ROM.

In keeping with Madman's dodgy enthusiasm there's a bunch of seemingly random (sometimes translated, sometimes not) scans of manga and story-page material for Battlestars and Operation Combination included in the set as well.

Cover art by E.J. Su.

• The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (AU June 24, 2009)

To capitalize on the release of Revenge of the Fallen, all three of the Japanese Generation 1 sets were re-released in one package at a lower price point ($99.95 AUD versus $150-odd AUD).

Beast Wars

• Beast Wars: Transformers — Season 1 (AU March 15, 2006 / NZ March 31, 2006)

Four-disc set featuring the first season of the Beast Wars series, plus exclusive audio commentary tracks by Bob Forward, Larry DiTillio and Ben Yee, interviews with Forward and DiTillio, toy galleries, commercials, character profiles and a reproduction of the original "Optimus Primal vs Megatron!" comic.

• Beast Wars: Transformers — Season 2 (AU July 26, 2006 / NZ August 14, 2006)

Three-disc set featuring the second season of Beast Wars, plus more exclusive audio commentary tracks by Bob Forward, Larry DiTillio and Ben Yee, an hour-long featurette on the "Soul of Beast Wars", convention panel footage of David Kaye and Garry Chalk, animation test footage, production models and more toy galleries and commercials.

• Beast Wars: Transformers — Season 3 (AU November 8, 2006)

Three-disc set featuring the third season of Beast Wars, with even more interviews and commentary tracks with Simon Furman, David Kaye, Garry Chalk, Scott McNeil, Alec Willows and key Mainframe staff, plus much much more including a "Making of Beast Wars" documentary from 1996, outtakes, galleries and scripts.

• The Transformers: Beast Wars — Complete Collection (AU June 24, 2009)

Combined re-release of the three previous Beast Wars sets.

Prime

• Transformers: Prime: Volume 1 - Darkness Rising (AU/NZ June 20, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the first five episodes of Transformers: Prime, Darkness Rising parts 1-5.

• Transformers: Prime: Volume 2 - Unfamiliar Enemies (AU/NZ August 1, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the next five episodes, "Masters & Students" to "Deus ex Machina".

• Transformers: Prime: Volume 3 - Alien Threat (AU/NZ September 12, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the next five episodes, "Speed Metal" to "Shadowzone".

• Transformers: Prime: Volume 4 - Strength in Numbers (AU/NZ October 3, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the next five episodes, "Operation: Breakdown" to "Partners".

• Transformers: Prime: Volume 5 - One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (AU/NZ November 7, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the final six episodes of season 1, "T.M.I." to "One Shall Rise, Part 3".

• Transformers: Prime - Season 1 (AU/NZ August 1, 2012) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features season 1 in its entirety with commentaries on selected episodes.

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 2, Volume 1) - Orion Pax (AU/NZ June 19, 2013) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the first five episodes of season 2, "Orion Pax, Part 1" to "Operation Bumblebee, Part 2".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 2, Volume 2) - Battle for Supremacy (AU/NZ August 7, 2013) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the next five episodes, "Loose Cannons" to "Armada".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 2, Volume 3) - Weapons of Choice (November 6, 2013)

Contains the episodes from "Flying Mind" to "Toxicity".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 2, Volume 4) - Unclear Objectives (February 5, 2014)

Contains the episodes from "Hurt" to "Legacy".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 2, Volume 5) - Advance on Cybertron (May 8, 2014)

Contains the episodes from "Alpha/Omega" to "Darkest Hour".

• Transformers: Prime - Season 2 (AU/NZ October 6, 2015 (DVD), October 14, 2015 (Blu-ray))

Features season 2 in its entirety.

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 3, Volume 1) - Battle for Darkmount (AU/NZ June 4, 2014) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the first four episodes of season 3 "Darkmount, NV" to "Rebellion".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 3, Volume 2) - Race for Salvation (AU/NZ August 6, 2014) (DVD/Blu-ray)

Features the next four episodes, "Project Predacon" to "Thirst".

• Transformers: Prime: (Season 3, Volume 3) - Omega Lock (October 8, 2014)

Contains the final episodes from "Evolution" to "Deadlock".

• Transformers: Prime - Predacons Rising (November 12, 2014)

The feature-length conclusion to the series.

• Transformers: Prime Season 3 (March 3, 2016)

Features season 3 in its entirety and Predacons Rising.

• 'Transformers: Prime the Complete Series Boxset' (August 3, 2016)

Contains the three previously released seasons collections, containing all episodes and Predacons Rising.

• Transformers: Prime: Operation Bumblebee (AU/NZ January 7, 2015) (DVD)

Features four episodes centered on the title character: "Operation Bumblebee, Part 1", "Operation Bumblebee, Part 2", "Tunnel Vision" and "Triangulation".

• Transformers: 30 Years of Bumblebee (AU/NZ March 4, 2015) (DVD)

Episodes centered around Bumblebee from Generation 1, Animated, and Prime: "Attack of the Autobots", "Microbots", "Where Is Thy Sting?", "Masters and Students", and "Speed Metal"

• Transformers: 30 Years of Optimus (March 4, 2015)

Episodes centered around Optimus Prime from Generation 1, Energon, Animated, and Prime: "The Return of Optimus Prime (Part 1 - 2)", "A Tale of Two Heroes", "Along Came a Spider", and "Loose Cannons".

• Transformers: 30 Years of Megatron (July 8, 2015)

Episodes centered around Megatron from Generation 1, Energon and Prime: "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1", "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2", "Megatron's Sword", "Rock Bottom", and "Flying Mind".

Transformers Animated

• Transformers Animated Season One (November 20, 2013)

Features 16 episodes, two shorts, season 2 sneak peek.

• Transformers Animated Season Two (April 9, 2014)

Features 13 episodes, two shorts, character gallery, commentary on two episodes.

• Transformers Animated Season Three (June 18, 2014)

Features 13 episodes, comic gallery, toy gallery.

• Transformers Animated The Complete Series (March 2), 2016

Combined re-release of the three previous DVD sets.

Unicron Trilogy

• Transformers: Armada Collection One (December 4, 2013)

Features 26 episodes on 4 discs and includes Armada toy galleries, comic book cover galleries and video game profiles.

• Transformers: Armada Collection Two (January 15, 2014)

Features 26 episodes on 4 discs and includes Armada toy galleries and comic book cover galleries.

• Transformers: Energon Collection One (February 19, 2014)

Features 26 episodes on 4 discs and includes character profiles, toy galleries, and comic book cover galleries.

• Transformers: Energon Collection Two (March 19, 2014)

Features 25 episodes on 4 discs and includes character profiles, toy galleries, and comic book cover galleries.

Unique cover art specially created by Transformers comic artist and toy illustrator Guido Guidi.

• Transformers: Cybertron Collection One (April 16, 2014)

Features 26 episodes on 4 discs and includes character profiles and a toy gallery.

Unique cover art specially created by Transformers comic artist and toy illustrator Marcelo Matere.

• Transformers: Cybertron Collection Two (May 21, 2014)

Features 26 episodes on 4 discs and includes character profiles and a toy gallery.

Cover art by Marcelo Matere.

Notes

• The video quality on the original Madman release of Transformers: The Movie is decidedly worse than most other DVD versions released. The special features also suffer from quality problems — they look bloody terrible. Stan Bush's "The Touch" in particular is very yellow, looking like it was transferred from a 7th generation VCR copy. Remember when we said before that the Madman special features were enthusiastic but dodgy? Well, that's what we meant, mate.
• According to an interview on Seibertron.com with Frank Welker, a representative of Madman gave Mr. Welker a pre-release version of the 2007 Complete Collection DVD set in the hopes of securing an interview to be included on the final version of the set. This did not evidently pan out as the disc content is the same as Madman's 2004 Generation 1 releases.
• In the wake of 2009's Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition set, Madman's previous G1 Complete Collection set has been retroactively labelled the "Autobot Edition".
• While the Madman releases of Generation 1 up to their "Remastered" sets use original broadcast video previously used in the Maverick Entertainment DVD release, the audio track used was the 5.1 track composed by Magno Sound and Video for the Rhino DVD release. The unaltered audio track was used for the "Remastered" releases, however.
• The features on the Beast Wars sets, in keeping with Madman's enthusiastic but low-budget approach, get better with each release. The first set's commentary tracks feature some of the worst audio ever used on a DVD commentary — with the voices barely audible and sometimes completely drowned out by traffic noises. The other sets are not quite so bad, with the third the most polished (and rich) in special features.
• No, seriously mate, Madman was awesome. Dodgy, but enthusiastic. They couldn't be more Aussie.

External links

• Madman Entertainment's homepage
• A review of the Generation 1 Complete Collection DVD set at Botch the Crab.com