Why G.I. Joe and not Transformers?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:03 pm

http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/607/

Hasbro lets IDW write mature G.I. Joe comics with bloodshed, now making them into ongoings, but not with TF?

********.

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:16 pm

Beats me...

I've always thought that maybe Transformers suffers as it is not based on people, rather than because it is a licensed property.

You can add different plot elements such as romance, cheating, love-triangles. Things that you can't really pull off with giant robots. It seems to work for X-men!

Maybe people can relate to these things more.

Post by **snarl** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 11:50 pm

To be honest, I think the majority of Transformers fans are ******* idiots.

I am a bit tired, I'll expand on this tomorrow

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:47 am

I thought this was gonna be about Resolute.

http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=6147

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:11 am

Yaya wrote:http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/607/

Hasbro lets IDW write mature G.I. Joe comics with bloodshed, now making them into ongoings, but not with TF?

********.

If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with TFs having less than a dozen human characters.

What level of maturity do you want from a giant robot comic that you haven't already received in the old Marvel (US/UK) stuff?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:27 am

I assume because Transformers is a PG friendly film property and they'd prefer it was represented as such in the comics (wasn't the violence in AHM toned down in light of this?)

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:54 pm

In this wave of new maturity...can I see Circuit Breakers rat out please?

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:55 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:
Yaya wrote:http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/607/

Hasbro lets IDW write mature G.I. Joe comics with bloodshed, now making them into ongoings, but not with TF?

********.
If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with TFs having less than a dozen human characters.

What level of maturity do you want from a giant robot comic that you haven't already received in the old Marvel (US/UK) stuff?

How about some character deaths every once in a while? I mean, this is a war. In war, there are heavy losses. Often times, brutally gruesome losses.

My point was that, why is it that G.I.Joe can show people getting shot with blood flying everywhere, whilst TF can't as mandated by Hasbro?

Not that I want to see all-out violent mayhem, but it just irks me to know that the potential to take TF to different heights in terms of realism is being shackled by corporate mandate.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:15 pm

I'm of the mind that killing a TF should be incredibly difficult. They're robots. If they were easy to kill, the great war probably wouldn't have lasted however many millions of years it has. One side would have won or both would have been wiped out.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:42 am

It's like, what makes a story "adult?" Love? Death? Grandiose themes like religion and our place in the world? For TF fans, we've already had at least two out of those three. Last time people said they wanted to make Transformers more realistic, we ended up with Michael Bay.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:44 pm

Shanti418 wrote:It's like, what makes a story "adult?" Love? Death?

I think in a story based on war, sacrifice and loss make it a mature story.

Two things of which we have seen little of since IDW got the license.

When Sunstreaker went down, it made an impression, even to AHM naysayers. Not to be morbid, but death hits home, strums those sentimental chords.

TF fans still talk about that Scrounge moment, that Scorponok moment, that Impactor moment.

And that Optimus moment in that video game

. Well, okay, they talk about it, but not quite in the same way.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:21 am

Yaya wrote:
Shanti418 wrote:It's like, what makes a story "adult?" Love? Death?
I think in a story based on war, sacrifice and loss make it a mature story.

Two things of which we have seen little of since IDW got the license.

When Sunstreaker went down, it made an impression, even to AHM naysayers. Not to be morbid, but death hits home, strums those sentimental chords.

TF fans still talk about that Scrounge moment, that Scorponok moment, that Impactor moment.

And that Optimus moment in that video game . Well, okay, they talk about it, but not quite in the same way.

OK, well that's what I'm saying - When it comes to "mature" themes in the material, Transformers have had a plethora even if most of them happened over a decade ago, whilst to my knowledge, GI Joe has been more boxed in to stories for general audiences. So if they finally want to make a MAX version of GI Joe, bully for them.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:54 am

Shanti418 wrote:
Yaya wrote:
Shanti418 wrote:It's like, what makes a story "adult?" Love? Death?
I think in a story based on war, sacrifice and loss make it a mature story.

Two things of which we have seen little of since IDW got the license.

When Sunstreaker went down, it made an impression, even to AHM naysayers. Not to be morbid, but death hits home, strums those sentimental chords.

TF fans still talk about that Scrounge moment, that Scorponok moment, that Impactor moment.

And that Optimus moment in that video game . Well, okay, they talk about it, but not quite in the same way.
OK, well that's what I'm saying - When it comes to "mature" themes in the material, Transformers have had a plethora even if most of them happened over a decade ago

Yes, but isn't that strange, that whilst everything else became more mature, TF hasn't really kept up? I mean, where is Transformers:Ultimates? Why have the most poignant stories with TF occurred a decade ago?

Maybe I've just become a hardass, and things don't phase me as they did as a teenager, and it just takes more to "move" me, so to speak.

Post by **snarl** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:58 am

I saw that comment about Starscream fangirls in the other thread, reminded me about this...

Right, I think that TFs are by and large not taken all that seriously... from a creative standpoint...

I mean, look at Screamer fangirls... why are you going to pitch a proper, mature comic when your fanbase is, by and large, screamer fangirls...

Too risky.

Simon was doing his thing, but they shelved it to move to the smoking stack of cocks that is AHM, to appease the ******* idiots that by and large make up the fandom.

That's my opinion anyway.

I mean, look at the people here - we're ******* geezers, lets not beat about the bush... but there aren't many of us is there? And I'm going to be a bit arrogant here, but our board shits plainly over every other TF board in terms of the quality of the posts and the posters...

Dont get me wrong, I'm being a bit blunt and mean spirited here... I browse some of the other, larger, proper established boards and there are some frankly amazing forums, I'm referring to some of the creative fandom, the artwork I see at other places, the kitbashing... brilliant stuff.

But I think that is what the bulk of the fandom wants / expects from TFs - cool toys, cool pictures...

They're not here like a lot of us, because they got bored one day and thought "****** ell I'm bored... " and then just rememeber out of the blue "how awesome were TF comics back in the day... T2006... What was that guys name... ****** Impactor..." and then ran home and ransacked the loft to read them again.

IMO we're in the minority, the people with the product want to get as much $ as they can so they'll focus on what generates that - cool toys, cool pictures.

It's not really a comic property, we just get lucky and get a cool comic every now and then.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:14 pm

The other thing is, I think TFs have a lot more 'casual' fans then GI Joe and I also think GI Joe isn't as internaitonally widespread as TFs.

When I was a kid, everyone loved TFs, but hardly anyone had heard of GI.Joe. Additionally I have a few friends who 'like' transformers to the point that they have the DVDs or maybe the odd toy, but not to the point that they would, say, join a forum, or maybe collect the comics.

Transformers will also always have a stronger appeal to children then GI Joe.

I guess Hasbro recognises that one of transformers greatest strengths is its ability to appeal to a range of ages, and thus does not one to alienate one fanbase at the expense of another.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:56 pm

Mr Tigg wrote:... and thus does not one to alienate one fanbase at the expense of another.

Err... [everyone knows the obvious remark to make here]

The casual fans thing is a good point though. Many people our age, when you talk to them about TFs, they get incredibly excited and say how much they used to love it, but show them a comic that isn't Optimus Prime being uber-heroic or Megatron being uber-nasty and their interest quickly dies down. I get the feeling then that Hasbro are eager to keep all issues at the level where one of these more casual types, even if they've no idea what's going on, recognise the whiff of their childhood in it.

Or, I dunno, the other alternative is that it's just coincidence. IDW, and Dreamwave before them, can only embark on one 'new direction' at a time - so we've had only two, maybe three chances of a radical change in tone, and it just happens that each time, the lead writer's ideas aren't to do it grim and gritty. Joe fans just got luckier.

Mr_Tigg · Post by **Mr_Tigg** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:34 pm

Jack Cade wrote:
Mr Tigg wrote:... and thus does not one to alienate one fanbase at the expense of another.
Err... [everyone knows the obvious remark to make here]

FFS, I mean't for the "sake of another". Shouldn't you clean your flat or something instead of being pedantic about my posts?

I agree with you regarding casual fans. One of my friends will happily tell other people "I love transformers", but if you actually queried him about some of the complexities of the mythology, he would look back at me with an expression of "you know too much about this. weirdo".

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:47 pm

Actually, I didn't notice the typo! The 'obvious remark' I was referring to would be something along the lines of: alienating part of their fanbase is exactly what they've been up to recently.

Now you know why all the others find me annoying, eh?

Post by **snarl** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:56 am

Been watching GI Joe Resolute this morning - I really like it.

If they ever do something like this for TFs I'd be all over it.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:57 am

Jack Cade wrote:Actually, I didn't notice the typo! The 'obvious remark' I was referring to would be something along the lines of: alienating part of their fanbase is exactly what they've been up to recently.

Now you know why all the others find me annoying, eh?

Banned! Banned banned banned banners-a-way!

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:55 pm

Why did I start this in the General Forum anyway?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:00 pm

Yaya wrote:Why did I start this in the General Forum anyway?

Dunno. I could move it for you, but that might make you just look stupid, asking why you posted it in the General Forum, when it's actually in the Comics, etc. Forum.

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