View source for Nick Roche

{{disambig3|Nicholas|Nick/Nicholas}}
[[File:Nick Roche 2012 LSCC.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Trousers lie shattered in the background.]]
'''Nick Roche''' (born [[September 5]], [[1979]] <ref>[http://nickroche.blogspot.com/2008/09/twenty-nine-club.html "The Twenty-Nine Club"]</ref>) is an Irish comic book artist and writer for [[IDW Publishing]]. He is '''awesome'''.

Nick Roche is a native of County Wexford, but currently resides in Dublin, Ireland. Having always been a massive Transformers fan, Roche's produced artwork for fan fiction, including the [[Transmasters UK|Transmasters UK (TMUK)]] group, and UK convention publications, gaining a healthy fanbase within the UK, but remaining almost entirely unknown outside of the tight-knit UK fandom.

He pitched his work to [[Dreamwave Productions]] but had no response, something he's glad about in hindsight; he notes "at the time, I'd have worked for free but it turns out everyone else at Dreamwave was doing that anyway".<ref name="Moonbase Two">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref> Nick finally got his break into Transformers when IDW Publishing acquired the Transformers license. A friend of Nick's by the name of Dave Hendrick sent IDW supremo [[Chris Ryall]] Nick's samples.

Twenty minutes later there was an email back from Chris.

Nick started on the "Chrischarger" art before being given ''Spotlight''s, then ''more'' ''Spotlight''s (and a ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' fill-in) before being given the ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'' mini-series. He's also penciled numerous covers for the different Transformers series, including a piece for the ''[[The Transformers: Target: 2006|Target 2006]]'' reprints featuring the original team of [[Wreckers]], the covers for the [[Metrodome]] DVD sets of ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'', and a special comic and a piece of artwork packed with [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Generation 1'' DVD set. Nick has also worked on the new Transformers UK comic book ([[Transformers Comic issue 2|issue 2]]) and the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' comic for [[Titan Books|Titan]].

If that wasn't enough, Nick drew ''and'' wrote ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]'', which also has the distinction of being the first issue in the [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW G1 continuity]] written by someone other than [[Simon Furman]]. He co-wrote and drew the incredibly well-received ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' with [[James Roberts]]. He's even made the jump to TV, becoming a character designer for ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]''. And he also writes panto!<ref name="Moonbase Two" />

{{quote|Look: you can't comprehend the scale of trouser destruction that will occur. The current financial crisis? Pffah! There will be people wandering around this Christmas with next to no trouser coverage. And as for the potentially countless children who will lose their sight and sense of decency from flying pant-shards...well, it doesn't bear thinking about. No gusset is safe this Christmas.|Nick on the imminent release of ''Maximum Dinobots'' #1<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=106763#106763</ref>}}

==Writing==
Nick's writing often tackles or addresses the concept of change within Cybertronians, both as a shapeshifting race and a culture left in stasis by millennia of war. Many of his stories have unflinching and graphic robotic violence—dismemberment, decapitation, bodily mutilation, and copious amounts of blood, among other things. Like Roberts, he also has a tendency to use characters with little or no previous media appearances—''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' featured a cast almost entirely composed of European toy-exclusives and obscure Japanese characters, while ''Sins of the Wreckers'' introduced many characters from the Beast Era as antagonists. Also, he put [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] into the IDWverse, because that's just how cool he is.

*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Megatron]]''
*''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron]]'': #15 story 1: "[[Everything in Its Right Place]]"
*''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' (co-written with James Roberts)
**''[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]''
**''[[In Word and Deed]]''
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]''
*''[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye: Revolution]]'' (co-written with James Roberts)
*''[[Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers]]''
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]''

==Comic book art==
Roche's art style is instantly recognizable in a comic due to his strong shapes, exaggerated proportions and bold, simple character designs. According to him, he just "makes the hands bigger and the pointy bits pointier", and he would like to draw with "[[Geoff Senior|Senior's]] energy, [[Andrew Wildman|Wildman's]] expressiveness and [[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger's]] chins!". According to Roche, he finds he does change his art style automatically depending on the story; such as upping the cartooniness for "Spotlight: Hot Rod" and toning it down for a story from [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl's]] point of view.<ref name="Moonbase Two" />

[[File:FerreroRocher.jpg|158px|thumb|A lesser-known variation on the spelling of Nick's name.]]

===IDW Publishing===
*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Hot Rod]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''
**''[[Spotlight: Megatron]]''
*''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'': #1 ([[Apache]], [[Autocrusher|Autocrasher]], [[BB]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Break]], [[Big Convoy]]), #2 ([[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Guiledart]], [[Heinrad (BW)|Heinrad]], [[Injector (BW)|Injector]], [[Lio Convoy]], [[Lio Junior]], [[Mach Kick]], [[Moon (BW)|Moon]])
*''[[The Transformers: Devastation]]'': #3
*''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots]]'' (all 5 issues)
*''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron]]'': #15 story 1: "[[Everything in Its Right Place]]"
*''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' (all 5 issues (#3, #4 with [[Guido Guidi]]))
**''[[Dead Men's Boots]]''
**''[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]''
**''[[In Word and Deed]]''
*''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'': #13
*''[[Infestation (IDW)|The Transformers: Infestation]]'' (both issues)
*''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime]]''
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'': #1, #6, #24
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' (all 5 issues)
*''[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye: Revolution]]'' (Icon art)
*''[[Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers]]'' (with [[Geoff Senior]] and [[Brendan Cahill]])
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' (with [[E.J. Su]])

===Madman Entertainment===
*''Transformers Generation 1'' Complete Collection DVD set ([[The Transformers (Madman)|pack-in comic book]] and [[Matrix of Leadership]] chamber artwork with [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Josh Burcham]])

===Titan Books===
*[[Transformers Comic issue 2|Titan ''Transformers'' comic #2]]
{{creatorstub}}

===TakaraTomy===
*''[[Generations Selects Special Comic]]'' "[[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale]]" (guest artist)

{{-}}

==Character design==
===''EarthSpark''===
{{collist|3|
* [[Arcee (ES)|Arcee]]
* [[Bombshell (ES)|Bombshell]]
* [[Breakdown (ES)|Breakdown]] (Robot Mode only)<ref name ="ES2"/>
* [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]]
* [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]] (Robot Mode only)<ref name = "ES2">{{citesocial|quote=So, as far as I remember... Out of the new ones, I worked on the Bot mode for Breakdown, Bot mode for Grimlock... took passes at Nightshade and Dino Grim, but didn't make it (They're mostly Ciro's?) but Shockwave, Hashtag and Tarantulas started as my 2D designs!|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/1631974068445388803|site=Twitter|name=Nick Roche|year=2023|month=03|day=4}}</ref>
* [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]]<ref name ="ES2"/>
* [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]]
* Seekers ([[Nova Storm (ES)|Nova Storm]], [[Skywarp (ES)|Skywarp]])
* [[Shockwave (ES)|Shockwave]]<ref name ="ES2"/>
* [[Soundwave (ES)|Soundwave]]
* [[Skullcruncher (ES)|Skullcruncher]]
* [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]]<ref name ="ES2"/>
* [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash Malto]]
* [[Wheeljack (ES)|Wheeljack]]
}}

==Toy design==
Nick Roche was contracted to draw the initial designs for a handful of toys.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@fearmylaserface Sandstorm I actually did the design-work for...Coupla heads on TFCC CD&amp;RW. Homagey-ish ROTF Guzzle. Otherwise, you got 'em!|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/566974332816334848|name=NickRoche|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=2|day=15|(defunct=)}}</ref>{{citesocial|quote=And, by very kind permission from Hasbro, here's some concept artwork for Generations Voyager Sandstorm. http://t.co/2ai25Fm7S7|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/364780908349366273|name=NickRoche|site=Twitter|year=2013|month=8|day=6|(defunct=)}}

===''Thrilling 30''===
* [[Sandstorm (G1)#Thrilling 30|Sandstorm]]

===''Timelines''===
* [[Chromedome (G1)#Timelines|Chromedome]] (new head only)
* [[Rewind (G1)#Timelines|Rewind]]/[[Eject (G1)#Timelines|Eject]] (new head only)

==DVD cover art==
===[[Metrodome]]===
*''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Transformers Takara Collection Super-God Masterforce]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Transformers Takara Collection Victory]]''

==Convention appearances==
*[[BotCon]] ([[BotCon 2007|2007]])
*[[BotCon]] ([[BotCon 2009|2009]])
*[[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] (2009)
*[[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] (2010)

==Notes==
[[File:Derpnick.jpg|thumb|What can brown do for you?]]
*He has admitted to being "gay for [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]".
*He is also the first Transformers celebrity to have interviewed another Transformers [[Stan Bush|celebrity]].<ref>http://c3.libsyn.com/media/20749/EP_26_-_OLDMOON_OILBASE_INTERVIEWS_STAN_BUSH.mp3?nvb=20100909170039&nva=20100910171039&sid=fd4711763d08f49953c5982d42719c75&l_sid=20749&l_eid=&l_mid=2021798&t=0155622406f16c055d36b</ref>
*On Twitter, while talking about how more than five panels average a page is a burden for artists, he strongly indicated that James Roberts' masses of detailed panels are why they hadn't worked together in years<ref>{{citesocial|quote=@MMortAH Well, we haven't worked together in three years... make of THAT what you will... :)|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/665246818389856256|name=NickRoche|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=11|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref> (though they are still friends). 
*He also admitted he's an "asshole to myself" when he breaks that rule himself in his own scripts!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=.@RID_NightViper Furman aims for that. Everyone's different. I'm an asshole to myself, to be honest!|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/665238634531061761|name=NickRoche|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=11|day=13|(defunct=)}}</ref>
*At Auto Assembly 2010 it was discovered that Nick can do an uncanny [[David Kaye]] impression. Yesssssss.
*The way Shockwave was killed in "[[The Legacy of Unicron!]]" has haunted him since childhood.<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=601856 Moonbase 2 interview], 50:26 to 51:08</ref>
*Nick's redesign of the Dinobots in ''Spotlight: Shockwave'' and ''Maximum Dinobots'' led to his having a pterosaur named for him in 2018, ''Klobiodon rochei'', by Michael O'Sullivan (one of the hosts of long-running Transformers podcast Moonbase 2).<ref>{{w|Klobiodon|Wikipedia page for ''Klobiodon rochei''}}</ref>
*Nick's kids' original ''Transformers'' characters have gone on to appear in official fiction, beginning with his daughter's creation, [[Sharpclaw]], and followed by his eldest son's [[Vex]]. His two-year-old son is yet to meaningfully contribute.
{{-}}

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:SpotlightHotRod rush.jpg|[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] enjoys freefalling to a planet in "[[Spotlight: Hot Rod]]".
File:TFGenerations12.jpg|[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s never looked this cool before or since. Cover art for ''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|The Transformers: Generations]]'' issue #12.
File:SpotlightHardhead HardheadsHeadshot.jpg|[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]'s got a hard head in "[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]".
File:AHM15 SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] is [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]'s personal punching bag in [[Everything in Its Right Place|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]]
</gallery>

*''[[:Category:Images by Nick Roche|Extended Nick Roche gallery]]''</center>

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
Nick was sitting at a signing table at [[Auto Assembly 2009]] when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] barged his way past [[Gregg Berger]] and [[Liam Shalloo]], complaining about his absence from ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|''All Hail Megatron'' #13 cover}} One year later, [[Auto Assembly 2010]] attendees could apparently "buy Nick's pants" at [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s charity auction and tombola. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|''The Transformers'' #9 cover}}

==External links==
*[http://nickroche.blogspot.com/ Nick Roche's blog]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugL34N9Bh_k Int-Roche-Spective @ Wexford Arts Centre]

===Interviews===
*August 2006—[http://web.archive.org/web/20070309223141/http://www.transfans.net/interviews_roche.php TransFans]
*September 2006—[https://twitter.com/tfnationltd/status/1574715480627023873 Gorey Guardian]
*2007—[http://web.archive.org/web/20070502181400/http://fractalmatter.com:80/main/?p=549 FractalMatter]
*August 2009—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBqIcb2PXSA Auto Assembly] (with [[Simon Williams]], [[Jason Cardy]], [[Kat Cardy]], [[Kris Carter]], [[Lee Bradley]], [[Jon Davis-Hunt]], and [[Liam Shalloo]])
*August 2009—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Moonbase 2]
*December 2009—[http://web.archive.org/web/20091228083352/http://www.oneshallstand.com/articles/wreckers.html One Shall Stand] (with James Roberts)
*January 2010—[https://tfio.proboards.com/thread/716?page=1 Transformers Ireland Online]
*March 2010—[http://www.fictionalfrontiers.podcastpeople.com/posts/38222/ Fictional Frontiers]
*August 2010—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DPbginVXE Auto Assembly] (with James Roberts)
*August 2011—[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1eqng2 Auto Assembly] (with [[Simon Furman]], [[Andrew Wildman]], and [[James Roberts]])
*August 2011—[https://moonbase2.libsyn.com/the-underbase-aa2011-interviews-nick-roche-and-james-roberts The Underbase] (with James Roberts)
*May 2012—[https://irishcomicnews.dreamhosters.com/2012/05/17/the-big-interview-nick-roche-talks-in-depth-about-transformers-writing-mario-kart/ Irish Comic News]
*August 2012—[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1k0jz6 Auto Assembly] (with [[James Roberts]] and [[Livio Ramondelli]])
*February 2013—[https://moonbase2.libsyn.com/the-moonbase2-interviews-nick-roche Moonbase 2]
*August 2013—[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1lpoc5 Auto Assembly] (with [[James Roberts]])
*August 2013—[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1nkosy Auto Assembly] ([https://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-presents-aa2013-overlord-deconstructed alternate recording]) (with [[James Roberts]] and [[Chris McFeely]])
*September 2013—[https://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-presents-aa2013-idw-comic-panel Auto Assembly] (with James Roberts, [[Alex Milne]], and [[Andrew Griffith]])
*August 2014—[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24gm8a Auto Assembly] (with [[Jim Sorenson]], [[John-Paul Bove]], [[Casey Coller]] and [[James Roberts]])
*March 2015—[http://web.archive.org/web/20150403224447/http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-in-conversation-episode-122-with-nick-roche-scott-mccloud/ Orbital Comics]
*October 2015—[https://bleedingcool.com/comics/giant-robots-ninja-turtles-monster-motors-and-more-talking-with-nick-roche/ Bleeding Cool]
*October 2015—[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/twincast-podcast-episode-129-nick-roche-talks-sins-of-the-wreckers/34136/ Seibertron Twincast / Podcast]
*November 2015—[https://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/11/transmissions-episode-137-tea-time-with-nick-roche TransMissions] ([https://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/11/nick-roche-interview-transcript-from-transmissions-episode-137 transcript])
*October 2016—TFcon (with [[Bob Budiansky]], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGGEXw-kUSc Part 1], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSIHu4gxBCY Part 2])
*May 2017—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evxj40k1Iyo RetCon]
*May 2018—[https://podcastmaximus.podbean.com/e/podcast-maximus-episode-32-nick-roche-interview/ Podcast Maximus]
*June 2018—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFI_VKD4jLg The Full Force Podcast]
*July 2018—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IPFJ8HZzBo RetCon] (with James Roberts)
*August 2019—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8hTKMabLyk TFNation] (with [[Simon Furman]], [[E. J. Su]], and [[Kris Carter]])
*August 2019—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q70NHIyJjM4 TFNation] (with [[James Roberts]] and [[Jack Lawrence]])
*August 2020—[https://geekvibesnation.com/geek-vibes-interview-idws-scarenthood-artist-and-writer-nick-roche/ Geek Vibes Nation]
*September 2020—[https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/interview-nick-roche-channels-his-parental-anxieties-into-scarenthood/ Monkeys Fighting Robots]
*March 2021—[https://www.comicbookherald.com/creannotators-39-scarenthood-interview-with-creator-nick-roche/ Comic Book Herald]
*May 2022—[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ55ydPLBaE IDW Publishing]
*May 2022—[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/twincast-podcast-episode-300-last-pod-standing/46899/ Seibertron Twincast / Podcast]
*August 2022—[https://mega.nz/file/dksCwahA#5PaSEzP4gzR7NnXiwf705YBE_YCEu5PFoG67r7Z2SKM TFNation]
*August 2022—[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FpdWAyptjfXB4_o3Vzi1ln05VpW9NeBg/view?usp=sharing TFNation] (with [[Simon Furman]], [[James Roberts]], [[Jack Lawrence]], and [[Brian Ruckley]])

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Nick}}
[[Category:Generations designers]]
[[Category:Hasbro designers]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Timelines designers]]
[[Category:Titan]]
[[Category:Writers]]