Interview with Floro Dery

TFPH : How are you? and whats the big news about Mr. Floro Dery?
Floro Dery: How am I? Definitely, I'm not getting younger, hahaha .... Nothing big news about me, and also nothing big about me from the top of my head to the sole of my feet.

TFPH :Aren't you with the hype of the release of the live action film ?
Floro Dery:Nothing excites me anymore, except the coming Armageddon. But I'm going to watch the movie to see if Transformers move to a higher evolutionary stage.

TFPH :Regarding the designs, how important to you each concept for TF ?
Floro Dery:Well, I consider all my creative designs important because I spent time and effort on them.

TFPH :When was the last time you got an interview?
Floro Dery:I got interviewed recently with the valiant , Randy Valiente .

TFPH :How old are you when you did those concepts for TF?
Floro Dery: Isabel is younger when I did the concepts for Transformers movie, Honestly, my age is nearly out of the calendar when I did the designs.


Joey Dery, brother of Floro Dery hang out at the TransFormers Philippines booth

TFPH : How do you come up of the character Unicron and where it get an idea of the concept?
Floro Dery: Since Unicron is a villain and because I was fooling around at that time, I decided to make him look demonic with goatee, horns, bat-like wings and eagle talons for feet. I got the idea of Unicron from the planet Saturn and Satur.

TFPH : Who is the TransFormers character you where motivated to design the most in the series or in the movie?
Floro Dery: I was motivated to design Unicron because it was a joke for me.

TFPH : Why the name "Unicron"? does it symbolizes something too?
Floro Dery: Actually, the original name was "Ingestor," but the writer changed it to Unicron when he saw the design, probably because of the "horns."

TFPH : What major characters that you given much attention in designing it?
Floro Dery: Again, Unicron.

TFPH : Do you have any worst design in mind or least character in your roster?
Floro Dery: I don't like Wheelie.

TFPH : How many TF characters have you done? and how many that didn't make it in the animation?
Floro Dery: A lot. Just a few did not make it in animation because of mechanical breakdown, hehehe ....

TFPH :Who's your favorite TF character?
Floro Dery: Hot Rod and Sharkticon.


Luis Dery, brother of Floro Dery, at the Floro Dery Art Exhibit at the 6th Philippine Toys, hobbies and Collectibles Convention 2007. Also he accepted the award for Floro Dery here in Manila, Philippines

TFPH :How long does it take to design one TF character concept ?
Floro Dery: A minimum of 30 minutes to do a good rough design.

TFPH :Someone told me to ask you about the human character Carly, from the TF movie classic, who is this Filipina model that you used for reference for her character ?
Floro Dery: Carly was modeled after a young pretty Filipina girl I met by chance at a bus stop. She posed for me but I forgot to ask her name. I tried looking for her everytime I was waiting for a bus, but I never saw her again.

TFPH : Any other works before and after TF ?
Floro Dery: If I enumerate my works before and after Transformers, it will be like a big pack of haystack. But go to my website to see the list of my works. here's my web address: http://hometown.aol.com/kuest144/

TFPH :Which character is the hardest to design, from toy to animation and vice versa.
Floro Dery: Unicron for both.

TFPH :Any idea who created the autobot and decepticon insignia?
Floro Dery: I'm not sure who created the insignias for autobot and decepticon. My strong suspicion is it was designed by a Korean animator who was working at the studio at the time.

TFPH :Are you familiar with the new generation of TF series? Any idea which modern art style that still follows on one of your designs?
Floro Dery: I'm no longer familiar with the new generation of Transformers series.

TFPH : Do you have any backside story or trivia behind the characters of :
Unicron, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Rodimus Prime, Arcee, Planet Junkion, Wreckgar, Sharkticons and the Quintessons.

Floro Dery: I told you about Unicron. But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those "stupid people". Cyclonus was a small time demon. Rodimus Prime is actually the old version of Hot Rod. Arcee is the naked mechanical equivalent of Princess Lea of Star Wars. The inspiration for the planet Junkion is a "trash" galaxy. I was inspired to design Wreckgar from a motorcycle I saw in the parking lot of the studio. Sharkticon is a shark. And the Quintessons was based on my cylindrical toy I designed a long time ago.

TFPH :Are you involved in the japanese animation production for Transformers Headmasters?
Floro Dery: Not involved.

TFPH :Can you tell us some trivias or story behind the Matrix of Leadership?
Floro Dery: The inspiration for the Matrix of Leadership is a thermonuclear bomb.

TFPH: If you told to create Unicron in your style, do you think he still be a planet? or something else? like a giant space crab perhaps.
Floro Dery: I was not told by anyone when I created the design of Unicron. In fact, the writer's idea is different from mine.

However, if I redesign Unicron again, I will make him bigger and like a galaxy.


TFPH : We didn't saw Snarl (the dinobot) in the animated movie, do you want to share with us on what happened to him?
Floro Dery: Probably, edited out. I'm not sure.

TFPH : Do you have any TF toys? or collection ?
Floro Dery: I still have almost all the Transformers toys. The are still in unopened boxes gathering dusts in my garage.

TFPH : Are you aware that Unicron, one of our favorite creations you've made, is now a toy. Did you like it?
Floro Dery: I am aware. They looked demonic.

TFPH : If youre going back home in the Philippines, what will be the first thing you will do here.
Floro Dery: God willing, I'll be going back to the Philippines. The first thing I'll do there is get off from the airplane, then I will inhale the polution, and then "bumunghalit" of of of.... what? Its up to you to think what "bunghalit" means hihihihih!....seriously, I may publish my art book, Its cheaper there.


the exhibit

TFPH: Thank you Mr.Floro for giving us a chance to interview you, many TF fans will be happy to hear your answers.

Interviewed by : Azrael Coladilla



Also check out Randy Valiente's blog site for a feature interview with Floro Dery
you can read it here http://usapang-komiks.blogspot.com/2007/05/interview-with-flory-derry.html

(interview is in Filipino Language)

Napakarami nating mahuhusay na artists noong araw na hindi na kilala ng mga bagong dibuhista ngayon ng komiks, lalo pa’t impluwensya sila ng mga foreign artists. Sa mundo ng international comics, animation at advertising, maraming nakakalat na mahuhusay na Pilipino. Isa na rito ang batikang dibuhista sa komiks noong araw na si Floro Dery.

Para sa kaalaman ng marami, isa si Floro Dery sa maituturing kong isa sa pioneers ng modern style sa komiks illustrations ng Pilipinas noong 1960s hanggang 1970s.