Well this is just odd.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:13 am

When I first got back into Transformers and discovered the Transformers Internet Community, I couldn't find a site by searching "Transformers." It brought up a bunch of sites about electrical equipment. I had to search the word "Autobot" to find a website about TFs. Back then, we were moving towards the final episodes of Beast Wars. Optimal Optimus was popular because he changed from a robot into a car/jet/ thing and was as close to G1 as we were ever going to get. People would trade G1 episodes around as VHS tapes. Some people even knew about the series that continued after G1 in Japan.

Now...

Every episode of The Transformers TV series has been released on DVD. Even the Japanese episodes have been released outside of Japan in subtitled form. All of Beast Wars has been released on DVD, as has Beast Machines and RiD.

Many of the original figures have been reissued multiple times. Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, and even UBER rare figures like Stepper and Soundblaster.

The Masterpiece and Binaltech line have provided fans with high-quality recreation of their favorite characters from Optimus Prime to Megatron to Starscream and a slew of Autobot cars.

Most of the original comics have been reprinted in nice looking collections. New G1 comics have been released by Devil's Due, Dreamwave, IDW, and soon, Marvel Comics. Many of them written by the same guy who made them so great in the first place.

BotCon features 500 dollars worth of exclusive figures every year...and they sell out within a few hours!

A 200 million dollar movie, from Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay is set to be released in 71 days and the original voice of Optimus Prime is returing to voice the characters.

Weird.

veritech · Post by **veritech** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:27 am

It is weird to think that just 10 years ago TF was still teetering on the brink. Marvel TF comics were in the quarter bin at your local comic shop. Now those same back issues are going for big bucks and have been reprinted . . . . some twice!

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:44 am

Ah yes, we have it pretty good nowadays. They're even starting out a new UK-comic, it's gotten to the point where such a mag is once more valid and sellable.

On the other hand, maybe we've had it TOO good. Takara and Hasbro is pretty much giving us whatever we point at, to the point where we've gotten quite a bit spoilt. This is something wich I hear from fans of other 80's franchises quite often, that the majority of TF-fans are incredibly nitpicky, loud and often not just a little bit too fanatic.

I tell ya, the he-man fans would cut off an arm to get to be in the position we're in now. I should know, since I'm a bit of a fan of He-man myself.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:08 am

Transformers - it's what the Internet was made for.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:12 am

If I was told 10 years ago that we'd be in this situation I would have eaten my hat and vomited it on my mother.

I lived at home then.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:20 pm

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 87,00.html

A big article from a major magazine on this very thing, complete with Orci/Kurtzman ass kissing.

It IS kinda crazy.

But you know, to either generalize it beyond recognition and/or set off a firestorm, is this not what the Internet does, for better or for worse?

To elaborate, before the Internet, you had disparate individuals spread out amongst the globe. I like TF. Perhaps I know someone else who also likes TF. If I'm really lucky, I meet like 10-12 TF fans in my city at local toy and comic book stores. But still, within my community (defined by geography), I'm outside the norm in liking an 80s toy during my 20s.

But now, with the Internet, I can be instantly connected to other people who like TF. Now, instead of a group of a dozen marginal people, I could potentially be smack dab in the middle of a bustling community of thousands. For example, who knows that Vince guy who runs TFW2005? Not many people in his town, I would bet. But here, he's SOMEBODY. But more than being somebody, the effect of being in a community is legitimization. You're no longer on the fringes of the big pond, you've found a small pond, and it's full of fish like you.

Now this phenomena has always been around, but the Internet has increased it exponentially.

My point, and I'm slowly getting to it, is that this function has no morality. Yes, the Internet has all brought us together and formed a community and codified our love for TF in a way that a smaller quantitative group might now have, but the same processes that allow us to go, "You know what? It's cool to like TF/GI Joe/Veritech/He Man/whatever" are the same processes that allow other people to go, "Hey, look at this site where they love Hitler/hate blacks/enact rape scenes/like naked boys! There are lots of people here! I'm not bigoted or violent, I'm just different, but now I've found my community, and we can all hang out and spit crap together!"

So personally, I think it's a fascinating double edged sword. The internet creates a global community, where it's virtually impossible to like anything and NOT find a message board about it, and this creates a legitimization of the activity, whether it's being a vegan and driving an electric car, buying old toys and reading comic books, or being a racist misogynist.

But yeah, it's pretty cool that TF is cool again. lolololol

Is the original TF run going up in value? My mom has a bagged and boarded collection of the original run (she bought an issue for posterity every time I bought one), and she's got every single issue plus TFTM and the Headmaster LS. And one of those MOSC Bumblebee boards/Cliffjumper figure things. Would you say that if you were ever going to sell those things, right now, riding the crest of the movie, would be the time to do it? [/url]

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 9:23 pm

There was a time when I thought no one cared about TFs as much as me.

The internet was the quickest way to prove that I was wrong.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 9:57 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:There was a time when I thought no one cared about TFs as much as me.

The internet was the quickest way to prove that I was wrong.

Hallelujah, brother!

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:40 am

spiderfrommars wrote:There was a time when I thought no one cared about TFs as much as me.

The internet was the quickest way to prove that I was wrong.

That same or nearly same its what I get when in my endless path as a transfan I find someone and tell him of the peruvian Tf community (Ive brought half of its members). Internet definitely helped a lot to gather the different protoforms.

All said and done, and whatever happens with the movie, is a good time to be a transfan. And I guess there will be many new -or old- fans joining.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:17 am

Ryan, the guy who runs Seibertron.com, told me that he started his site so that he could get a decent collection of TF images. As the only sources for images were grainy VHS copies of the TV series and random shots of the toys, it was a long process.

His site now has DVD screencaps of nearly every scene of every TF episode in addition more than 1,000 photo galleries of figures from G1 to current.

I also remember when TFTM was rereleased...on VHS back in 1999. The idea that it would ever be released on DVD was laughable.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:27 am

i thinmk i started posting because some drooling idiot was p*sting sh1t about Blaster.

if you can imagine.

of course the internet can be a terrifying place - imagine the dark realisation that some people preferred the cartoon.

"Wait...those people...actually..exist? What?"

I think it may have been at that precise moment i realised humanity was buggered.

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:17 pm

Rebis wrote:
spiderfrommars wrote:There was a time when I thought no one cared about TFs as much as me.

The internet was the quickest way to prove that I was wrong.
Hallelujah, brother!

Amen, bruthah'! Amen!

Best First wrote:i thinmk i started posting because some drooling idiot was p*sting sh1t about Blaster.

if you can imagine.

of course the internet can be a terrifying place - imagine the dark realisation that some people preferred the cartoon.

"Wait...those people...actually..exist? What?"

I think it may have been at that precise moment i realised humanity was buggered.

Pheeew... glad to hear I'm finally absolved from blame of that. ^^

Also, I didn't know you was a fan of Blaster too? That means we have something in common!!

( other than any of the other obvious things..) So.. antennae up, visor down, or as Wildman for some odd reason prefers it, antennae down, visor up?

( This is actually a trick-question, hrrrm)

veritech · Post by **veritech** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:31 am

Professor Smooth wrote:I also remember when TFTM was rereleased...on VHS back in 1999. The idea that it would ever be released on DVD was laughable.

I can say that I spent the better part of my college years (mid-1990's) trying to find a copy of TF:TM on vhs. All Suncoast and other stores had the movie listed as "In Moritorium", meaning that it was no longer available for ordering. I even tried to coaxe local video stores to sell me their 20 year old copies to no avail.

Then I discovered ebay and picked up the Canadian release . . . from a seller in Canada! I almost threw a party when it arrived in my mail box. A couple of years later I find the dvd at my local suncoast. Amazing.

Post by **Best First** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:31 am

Predabot wrote:[
Also, I didn't know you was a fan of Blaster too? That means we have something in common!! ( other than any of the other obvious things..) So.. antennae up, visor down, or as Wildman for some odd reason prefers it, antennae down, visor up?

( This is actually a trick-question, hrrrm)

Indeed, it is, because the answer is in fact: Shut up.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:47 pm

I remember thinking that I would never, ever be able to read the UK TF issues. I actually cried over it. So many stories denied.

I also didn't think that I would be having a drink with some blokes in England based on our mutual love of the TFs.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:07 pm

As a kid reading TF,

post Man of Iron: UK TF seems like it sucks.

post Simon Furman: This guy's wrote other stuff and I can't have it! *shakes fist in air* Nooooo!

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:38 am

That was the question my dad couldn't answer. "Why can't I buy British comics in Southern California?"

"Uh, son, let me distract you with this ice cream from the harsh reality of life..."

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:48 am

Nobody else I knew still liked TFs after the comic finished. But I figured there had to be other people like myself, who were still interested in the characters and that huge amazing comic story ([composite word including 'f*ck'] the cartoon). So years later, the first thing I ever did the first time I got on the net years ago was a search for 'Transformers'.

(I was in a computer lab at the time otherwise it would of course have been for porn.)

I don't think I got many hits and had to hunt around for TF discussion boards to lurk at. There were very limited options, and most of the discussions seemed to be written by hardcore fans who snapped and quarreled with each other over nothing. (yes, newsgroup messages put me off joining in with TF discussion for years...although it did result in me getting hooked up with a certain CD ROM).
Now there are a lot more options...to read much of the same arguing.
Love it.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:57 am

KingMob wrote:Now there are a lot more options...to read much of the same arguing.
Love it.

Post by **snarl** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:04 am

Oh, how I regret the day when I decided it was time to "grow up" and binned more or less my entire comic collection and gave away all the toys...

But I kept the end run of the comics... great stories... and every now and then would find them whilst going through all my stuff and would inevitbaly sit down for a bit and re read.

So one day, I decided, lets get on the ******* interflap and find out where I can buy back all the sods...

Finding G2 was the cats pyjamas.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:02 am

Yes, G2 was an amazing treat wasn't it.

Here's some stuff you have not read... AND ITS THE TITS!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:35 am

I was trying to fill in the gaps of my G1 collection, called a comic shop and they said "did you know the comic's coming back and it's G2?"

Pure fluke, and I couldn't believe how good it was. I was naive to think it would last too.

Found Dreamwave by chance too. Ambled into a comic store and saw issue 2 of Prime Directive on the shelf. Flicking through it, I liked Pat Lee's art at the time but was appalled by the story.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 1:10 pm

...I just realized that I've been on Transfans (.com before .net) for somewhere between 8 and 9 years). [composite word including 'f*ck'], I feel old.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:05 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:I was trying to fill in the gaps of my G1 collection, called a comic shop and they said "did you know the comic's coming back and it's G2?"

Pure fluke, and I couldn't believe how good it was. I was naive to think it would last too.

I'd never heard of G2 until I joined TransFans.

I think, aside from 1 episode of Beast Wars bastardised by GM:TV during a half-term in 1998, I had no 'new' contact with TF between the end of the UK run and finding this place in the autumn of '01.

spiderfrommars wrote:]Found Dreamwave by chance too. Ambled into a comic store and saw issue 2 of Prime Directive on the shelf. Flicking through it, I liked Pat Lee's art at the time but was appalled by the story.

I thought you were here pre-Dreamwave?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:11 pm

Rebis wrote:
I thought you were here pre-Dreamwave?

Look left at my joined date.

Circa issues 4 and 5. I seem to remember the big debate at the time... What was Devastator looking at?

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:20 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:
Rebis wrote:
I thought you were here pre-Dreamwave?
Look left at my joined date. Circa issues 4 and 5. I seem to remember the big debate at the time... What was Devastator looking at?

I was expecting Omega to appear or something like that. The next issue was a shame (not that the others werent).

From the end of g2 to BW I was wandering the world looking for other fans in my country (usually walking from place to place). I found a couple. And as time passed on I found many more. Many years later I registered to a few international boards, but Ive only remained in this one and since last year, in the movie boards (just to mock people).

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 12:48 am

I was pumped when I heard about G2 coming out, and I bought the first few issues, but it was right at the time the last of the newsstand comics were leaving, and I was unable to find it after 8 or 9.

Picking up that 2nd G2 TPB was one of the first things I did as a Born Again Transfan. lol

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:22 am

I got so burnt out by the mid-90s comic world that G2 #12 was my last purchased comic for four years. I was furious that so much crap self-perpetuated when Transformers was getting cancelled again.

Great way to go out, though. The next comic I picked up was one of Busiek's run on Avengers.

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:07 pm

sprunkner wrote:I got so burnt out by the mid-90s comic world that G2 #12 was my last purchased comic for four years. I was furious that so much crap self-perpetuated when Transformers was getting cancelled again.

Great way to go out, though. The next comic I picked up was one of Busiek's run on Avengers.

I must say, smashin' choice to get you dragged into it again.

I consider that era, cirka late 97-98 the point where things started to turn again, when quality crept back into Marvel and DC comics.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:10 pm

Comics have always been an emotional crutch for me. My good friend and bandmate had just moved away in 97-98 and I was seriously lost. Those Avengers comics made the whole Avengers and Marvel idea into something big and hopeful that you wanted to believe in and be part of.

It's funny how writers get recycled in this business. I haven't read Busiek's stuff for years. I imagine Bendis will end up in a similar state.

When the original Marvel series was cancelled, my friend would pick me up new issues at the comic store. He started to read them before he gave them to me and he actually bought #80 "because it will be worth something." I got a laugh out of that. Transformers worth something? Then, a few years ago around the time of Dreamwave's startup, #80 actually showed up in the Wizard "hot comics" list! I was floored. I wonder if he sold his copy?