I wrote a Beast Machines campfire story for the Transformers: Beast Wars 2022 Annual, in comic book stores on April 20, 2022 from IDW Publishing. Sitting with me underneath the night sky are Andrea Bell (art), Jake M Wood (letters), and Jazmine Joyner (edits).

Here's a little preview of the weird world you'll visit in The Morphlings...

I hope you dig what you see! I'm a huge Beast Machines fan, so I was stoked to bring a bit of that flavor to the IDW comics.

And... the first review of the Beast Wars 2022 Annual is already in, thanks to Megan Peters at ComicBook.com!

UPDATED WITH A SNEAK PEEK FROM HASBRO PULSE! In their April 12, 2022 Fan First Tuesday video, Hasbro revealed a first look at Andy Bell's art for our Transformers tale. It's a spoopy Beast Machines inspired campfire story called The Morphlings.

---

I'm writing a story for IDW's Beast Wars Annual, out this April. My rad collaborator on this 10-page tale is Andrea Bell. I can't wait for you to see her amazing vision for it! Here's the Previews code to order our comic at your shop: FEB220440.

two words: BEAST. MACHINES.

i'm writing a story with amazing art by @andyharvestyeah for the Transformers: Beast Wars Annual 2022, out in april from @idwpublishing. this sick cover is by @tgping_. thanks to editor @jazmine_joyner for encouraging my weirdest take. pic.twitter.com/H7fOAMH82H

— nick marino is making comics (@nickmarino) January 24, 2022

It's no secret that Gargantos broke the internet when the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally dropped.

Although he may not be a household name---even among comic book readers---Gargantos is beloved by a certain subset of Marvel fans: gamers.

Making his video game debut in 1995's Marvel Super Heroes, Capcom specifically requested to use the obscure monster in their now-classic fighting game. Despite Marvel's confusion and surprise, the publisher said yes and a legend was born.

Interestingly, Gargantos's default color was set to pink, a programming glitch that remains mysteriously unexplained to this day. The monster would assume his standard green hue in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, released two years later in 1997.

Gargantos lay dormant in his deadly Chaos Dimension until the release of the most infamous fighting game of all time, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, in 2000. The tentacled beast took gamers "for a ride" with his unforgettable moves and distinct fighting style.

Although this would be enough to cement Gargantos in the annals of gaming history, he wasn't done yet. As MvC2 videos began to proliferate on the internet, Gargantos became an underground sensation due to his use in tournaments.

Dubbed "Gahgantos" in a now-deleted viral video, the magical lord of chaos was soon featured in memes all over the web by the late '00s. He became known for his crispy moves, which were described by gamers as "so pringles."

There you have it, the strange and unexpected history of Gargantos in video games. From an obscure Marvel supervillain to a fighting game sensation, there's no doubt 2022 will be the year of Gargantos. But is the world truly ready to "embrace chaos"?