UNICRON TAPESTRIES
Like the Unicorn Tapestries, but with Unicron from "The Transformers: The Movie" (1986),
voiced by Orson Welles.
I. Unicron Enters the Woods
II. Unicron Witnesses the Death of Optimus Prime
III. Unicron Crosses a Stream
IV. Unicron is More than Meets the Eye
V. There Can Be Only One
VI. Unicron is Captivated by a Maiden
VII. Unicron Rests in a Garden
The Unicron Tapestries
Like the Unicorn Tapestries, but with Unicron.
Seven very very short animations—one for each tapestry
By Joshua Frankel
With audio from The Transformers: The Movie (1986):
Orson Welles as Unicron
Music by Vince DiCola
Go see the real Unicorn Tapestries at the Met Cloisters in NYC.
Stream The Transformers: The Movie on your couch.
Read my statement about this project
Unicron — voiced by Orson Welles in his final role — was the chief antagonist in the hand-drawn cult classic, The Transformers: The Movie (1986). He’s a Transformer so big he transforms into a moon.
Released at the height of the popularity of Transformers toys and comics, the film shocked children across the globe (including six year-old me) when they killed Optimus Prime twenty minutes into the movie. Imagine if the Paw Patrol movie featured the death of Ryder.
As a result, my expectations around plot twists became unreasonably high.
In honor of its 40th anniversary, The Transformers: The Movie (1986) was recently re-released in theaters. Hasbro dubbed this the “Apology Tour”. I took my own kids.
The Unicorn Tapestries (c. 1495-1505) are masterpieces of medieval art, on view permanently at the Met Cloisters in New York City.
They are about man hunting the divine. Strangely, it gets caught and put in a cage.
Unicron is the divine hunting us. He devours all. Like time. We can only fight him if we work together and become our best selves, to an epic synth soundtrack.
The Unicron Tapestries are my love letter to art, myth and childhood fantasy.
You can find more about my work at joshuafrankel.net.
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