The Energon Pub

How would you improve any of the characters or the series or cartoons or comics? The movies? Or do you like to ruin things?

For the G1 cartoons: Give them a believable and respectable Cybertronian designs and transformations.

For the 1986 Movie: Get more G1 characters involved. Even just in the background. Give them a little bit of action, and show how each of them got killed. All 5 Dinobots deserves to be complete.

For the TF toys: Give them proper scale sizes.

For the comics: Connect them to cartoons storyline. Don't be independent.

For the 2007 Movie: I got 101 suggested improvements. But it will be too long to enumerate them here. But most, if not all, have a commonality: Bay. So i suggest just remove Bay, and get someone knowledgeable of Transformers to direct.

In the cartoon, I'd explain what happened to everyone. There were many who just vanished without a trace. I'd say whether they were alive or dead.

Auto Bot wrote:For the comics: Connect them to cartoons storyline. Don't be independent.

Surely that should be the other way around, then?
Marvel started the comics before they did the cartoon, so wouldn't that be the 'source material'?

Ramrider wrote:

Auto Bot wrote:For the comics: Connect them to cartoons storyline. Don't be independent.

Surely that should be the other way around, then?
Marvel started the comics before they did the cartoon, so wouldn't that be the 'source material'?

I thought TF started out in 1984 as a tv cartoon series?

Well, obviously it started as a toyline.

I don't think there wasa big gap between the release of the comic and cartoons, but every version of events I've seen had the comics appearing a little while before the cartoon.
I'm just trying to find a 'definitive' history to link to (as definitive as possible anywho)...

How early did the first comic came out?

Comics and cartoons both came out in '84. I'm can't find any refernce as to whether they appeared at exactly the same time, or whether there was a small gap one way or another, and it's starting to hurt my head to look...
Whichever is the case, it seems logical to assume the Marvel comics would take precedence, particularly since it was they who created the original backstory in the first place (specifically it was Jim Shooter and Denny O'Neil who initially came up with the civil war brought to our world, as well as naming the likes of Optimus Prime).

This is the best history I've found in my headache-inducing search for clarification. There's probably better, but I'm not looking right now...

Never, ever try to find a definitive canon/ story line in transformers. You're face will melt, your brain will explode, and your family will all turn into potted plants as a result.

Trying to find a definitive TF canon turned me into a newt.








... I got better.

I would show how, some of the characters appeared, because most of them appear out of nowhere

The Master Blaster wrote:Never, ever try to find a definitive canon/ story line in transformers. You're face will melt, your brain will explode, and your family will all turn into potted plants as a result.

I wasn't. I was trying to find a definitive history of the franchise.

Trust me, I've spouted that lecture too many times myself to start looking again now for the "one, true continuity".

Ramrider wrote:Comics and cartoons both came out in '84. I'm can't find any refernce as to whether they appeared at exactly the same time, or whether there was a small gap one way or another, and it's starting to hurt my head to look...
Whichever is the case, it seems logical to assume the Marvel comics would take precedence, particularly since it was they who created the original backstory in the first place (specifically it was Jim Shooter and Denny O'Neil who initially came up with the civil war brought to our world, as well as naming the likes of Optimus Prime).

This is the best history I've found in my headache-inducing search for clarification. There's probably better, but I'm not looking right now...

Anyway, whichever came first, whichever started the story, my point is that they should both stick to one storyline. Be it cartoon or comics.

Quite right too. Realistically, I'm not sure how much of a problem that would have been. Both would have been worked on at the same time, so it would be tricky from one medium to take its cues from another that hasn't been published yet.
However, I know Marvel had something to do with the Sunbow cartoon, although I'm not sure how much, I don't know whether the cartoon makers would have had potential access to Marvel's currently unpublished comic material.

Either way, this is an idealised situation we're talking about, so who cares? Yeah unified 'toon and comic continuities!
And better QCs on the 'toon. Decide how many eyes Devastator has and stick with it!

I also agree with AB's point on the Cybertronian designs, although the same point really applies to all transormation schemes. Think it through! Somehow the same robot mode that converts into a VW Beetle also sprouts those huge wings as a hovercar. Robot modes with definite F-15 kibble become... those tetrahedron things. And Punch. He does not switch modes by raising his arms, dropping them and changing colour!

I guess it all extends to the QC point though, and generally not being lazy with the animation designs.

How many eyes does Devastator have? Are there variety of versions?

It was just an example, but yeah, in the toon sometimes Dev has two eyes, sometimes he has the single visor affair; sometimes he has green thighs, sometimes they're silver.
And sometimes, Soundwave's an Autobot.

He and Perceptor get together and swap insignias on their days off, just for kicks. Some days they forget to swap back. Mayhem ensues.

Soundy and Percy must be drinking buddies.

If I could change any thing Transformers wouldn't have "Drinking Buddies"

about the, "what came first comics or cartoons?" I looked in my book that has a history/timeline and all it said was:

Pre 1984:
Hasbro, looking for something to accompany their new G.I.Joe: A REAL AMERICAN HERO line on the shelves, saw Takaras New Microman and Diaclone:Car Robot toys and saw opportunity. Marvel Comics, who had been tapped to write stories and characters for G.I.JOE, was assigned the task of turning these toys of tiny toy robots and lifeless, piloted mecha into living characters fighting an intergalactic war for energy, as told through packaging bios, comic books and animated TV shows.

1984:
TRANFORMERS launches in the the spring in the US and rocks the market, becoming Hasbros best-selling boys toyline for the year by Christmastime. Kids are drawn to the new play-pattern, and the accompanying media entices them further. Already work begins on a full-length animated motion picture.


It pretty much goes through each year and each series to the present, but this is the part that applied to the topic.

Kinda seems like the comics and the cartoon came out at the same time, and Marvel was the ones who came up with the characters and stories.

Malikon wrote:about the, "what came first comics or cartoons?" I looked in my book that has a history/timeline and all it said was:

Pre 1984:
Hasbro, looking for something to accompany their new G.I.Joe: A REAL AMERICAN HERO line on the shelves, saw Takaras New Microman and Diaclone:Car Robot toys and saw opportunity. Marvel Comics, who had been tapped to write stories and characters for G.I.JOE, was assigned the task of turning these toys of tiny toy robots and lifeless, piloted mecha into living characters fighting an intergalactic war for energy, as told through packaging bios, comic books and animated TV shows.

1984:
TRANFORMERS launches in the the spring in the US and rocks the market, becoming Hasbros best-selling boys toyline for the year by Christmastime. Kids are drawn to the new play-pattern, and the accompanying media entices them further. Already work begins on a full-length animated motion picture.


It pretty much goes through each year and each series to the present, but this is the part that applied to the topic.

Kinda seems like the comics and the cartoon came out at the same time, and Marvel was the ones who came up with the characters and stories.

Marvel came up with the stories. And yet, they created separate story lines for comic and cartoon. Weird.