The Energon Pub

Hi my names Zafraan Iqbal and im doing a magazine article as part of my college course. i decided to do it on the Transformers community and i was wondering if any members of Seibertron.com would mind taking a bit of their time answering these questions. i would greatly appreciate it and i will send you the finished article as well if you'd like to see it.

1) How did you become a fan of Transformers?

2) What do you think is the appeal of Transformers?

3) Do you think Transformers is just a 30 minute long advert for a line of toys or does it try instil morality and life values in its young viewership with characters like Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime?

4) Do you think Transformers appeals to just children or does it appeal to teenagers and adults as well?

5) Do you receive any criticism for being a Transformers fan?

6) This is a question about you as a person do you create your own props, make your own fan films or fiction, listen to the DVD Commentary. Basically has Transformers become a part of your personality?

7) What is a “Transformers fan” to you? I.e. what characteristic would they have, what pieces of Memorabilia would they collect etc.

8 ) Do you attend any conventions and if so why do they appeal to you?

9) Do you like engaging with other Transformer fans?

10) How do you feel the relationship is between Hasbro the makers of Transformers and you the fans? I.E. do you feel they would listen to you if you had any criticisms of the product?

11) With the each new Transformers series being different to the next do you feel they actually change? Keeping in mind events like Megatron always changing into Galvatron.

12) What are your thoughts on Transformers memorabilia? Do you feel there’s too little or too much, are the quality of the said products to your satisfaction?

13) What do you think has changed from the original 1985 Television series to the recent Michael Bay epics?

14) In your opinion what do you think was the biggest change to the Transformers on a whole?

15) And finally what is the one thing you’d like to change in the Transformers universe? I.E.
storylines, memorabilia, designs.

I would be very happy to, I have been a transfan and collector for 18 years since the age of five so I think I can give you some good info.

1) I became a transfan when my father purchased a large tub of original transformer toys for me at a garage sale when I was five. It has simply snowballed since then.

2) From a kids point of view I believe it is that the transformers universe is so vast. Also that the transformers have so much play value. Altogether I believe this means that the kid's imagination is very well engaged, which,I believe, tends to be a positive experience for most kids. From a parent's point of view transformers provide a fun activity for their child that is simultaneously cool and educational as the process of transforming the toys engages the child's brain i.e. motor skills, hand eye coordination, and even memory in remembering how to transform each toy without instructions. For adult collectors I believe the appeal is either financial gain, as transformers hold their value very well, or that they, as I, have been collecting since they were a kid. When a child grows up and gets a job they all of sudden have the ability to buy all of the toys that they wanted but couldn't have as a child. Also the vast and interesting transformers universe and fan community provide an escape from the real world which is not always so fun.

3)As a marketing and management major in college myslef I can tell youy it can be both. Hasbro/takara advertise their products in a positive way for a reason. First it makes the parents more likely to allow their children to watch it. Second it enhaces the brand image of Hasbro/takara tomy. The net result is that hasbro/takara tomy get their profits (a good thing!!!) and therefor continue the transformers brand and the kids get all of the benefits mentioned in #2 as well as important life lessons. Let me just say that Optimus Prime represents a significant source of the important life lessons and values that I hold true in life.

4)All ages for many reasons. see #2!

5)once in a while I get guff for it but I dont care. I know what I like and its important to be able to be who you want to be in spite of other people's opinions. Besides maybe the people who make fun of others for their interests are the ones who should be looked down upon!


6)I dont create anything as I am a very poor artist and dont have the patience to sit down and write fiction. however when I am bored in class there is only one thing that I ever doodle- transformers. Also, as I mentioned in #2 transformers has instilled much of the morals and life lessons that have contributed to making me who I am today. Transformers is literally part of me.

7)A transformers fan is simply someone who likes some aspect of transformers. reading through even one discussion page on this forum will tell you that everyone enjoys transformers in their own way. some are more similar than others but lets face it people are very diverse- there is no right way to like transformers!

I dont simply because I spend my disposable income on transformers themselves lol. but I would love to go to botcon very much becuase it provides an opportunity to interact and bargain with sellers of many generations of transformers toys directly. As well you have access to exclusive figures as well as being able to interact with hasbro directly

9)When I get a chance to yes. Its always fun to talk to someone about something you both like very well.

10) I belive they do listen, otherwise we wouldnt have toy lines such as alternators and masterpiece/classics/generations/reviel the shield. In fact the name of the reveal the shield line refers to a feauture of transformers called rubsigns that reveal their faction shields when rubbed/touched/exposed to heat. This was a feature that many kids today would never know originated in the original line in the '80s. this shows that hasbro has specifically recognized collectors of this era of transformers in the production of these toys. Also i do not believe that it would be too difficult for hasbro to eliminate, in a legal fashion, the ever evolving third party producers of non- transformers. I, personally, believe that hasbro recognizes that the parts, add- ons, and supplimental characters that third party producers create only add to the play value and overall appeal of their products at not additional cost to Hasbro. For example hasbro came out with a figure called hardhead a couple of years ago. In the original series in the '80s this character was a headmaster. this means that his head actually transformed into a smaller 'partner' character called duros. The new hardhead that hasbro released was not a headmaster, therefore, i did not buy it when it was new in the store. When a third party maker came out with an add- on kit to make him a headmaster i bought the add on and payed extra money for a hardhead as it was no longer available in the stores. This happens quite often these days.

in short hasbro must focus on children in their marketing who in turn get the money from parents as their major source of income. however they have not forgotten who made transformers what they are today!

11) If you mean do the characters change, yes, in part. As for secondary/ supporting characters, such as prowl, sunstreaker, wheeljack, etc. they aren't always present in new lines, rather new characters replace them as secondary characters. other characters, such as Optimus Prime and Megatron, represent more than just toys and team members. They literally make or break the image of the transformers product in the eyes of consumers. They are always there. Their personalities change often in small ways but their overall characters stay the same. For example the bay movie optimus prime is very aggressive while the '80s optimus prime is very forgiving. However they both declare "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"- a phrase that has come to mean much to me as a fan and as a human being

12) There can never be too many transformers! I cant afford them all but if I could i would buy all of them. as to the quality i believe it is excellent. there is the ocassional defect but with any man made product there will be error. becuase humans are not perfect. I would always prefer more detail in my transformers and chrome/metal parts and so on but I also realize that in order to expand the transformers universe and continue to create value in the product in the eyes of consumers hasbro must sacrifice individual toy detail/quality for the sake of creating many characters. I am fine with this. Id rather have a whole army of pretty good transformers toys than only one or two very detailed figures for the same price!Besides once in a while we get spoiled with very good transformers such as the alternator/binaltech and masterpiece lines. Even generations/classics/universe has produced some excellent molds. heck, all lines have.

13)what has changed is the number of people interested in and willing to spend money on transformers- toys, movies, books, or whatever. The more people that do spend money on transformers the more hasbro/takara tomy can and will respond by expanding both the width and depth of their transformers product portfolio. Its the effect of the cartoons- fun, creativity, even some jones effect as a child- as an adult- its the jones effect again but also nestalgia, a sense of euphoria in escaping the real world- as a parent its an activity that keeps the child occupied and satisfied as well as being educational on both physical and mental levels. and for everyone its that transformers are just plain COOL! even people who dont collect them or watch the shows/movies will admit, yeah theyre pretty cool. This is word of mouth advertising which results in a snowball effect until suddenly you're hasbro and your transfomers brand is 25 going on 30!

14)in my opinion, The biggest change was the inception of ball joints and 'made- to- break' snap off parts in the toys,as demonstrated by beast wars, for articulation and endurance all while retaining the ability to transform. This has allowed the toys to remain relevent and competitive with other brands such as gundam, power rangers, gi joe, etc. All of which have excellent articulation and therefor superior play value and therefor appeal. At the same time, moving to plastic rather than die cast has allowed for lower per unit costs for the toys. this is good for everyone- hasbro- its suppliers, buyers, and owners. This is a concept that hasbro would loved to have been able to implement in the '80s as exemplified in their action master line. but at the time the technology was not there to support both articulation and transformation so the attempt did not have quite the same effect.

15) the only change i would change is to have made the japanese only g1 lines available in the u.s. either back then or reissued. I want a goshed darned grand maximus but its like either that or a car lol. on the other hand, taking the grand father paradox into consideration, i wouldnt want to really risk altering the way things are now for transfans. we've got it pretty good compared to those poor voltron,he-man, ninja turtle, or thudnercats fans whoe really dont have much going these days. our universe just keeps growing and getting cooler every year!

hope i helped you! i actually enjoyed answering these questions and am thrilled that someone has taken an honest interest in the views of us transfans. hopefully this interview of sorts will result in more of that superb word of mouth advertising! take care

matt d

by the way i would love to see the finished article! thanks

1. For me, when I was growing up in the 90's, I watched not Barney, Sesame Street or Teletubies, but Transformers. You could say I wasn't normal, but I don't care. I grew up with epic awesomeness.

2. Toy-wise, it's the fact that they are three toys in one. You get a cool car, plane or animal. The process of transforming is like a puzzle, a rubiks cube if you will. After the whole process is done, you get an action figure with cool weapons. Show-wise, it's a typical boy's show, action, action and more face-melting action. That and they always make some of the characters really memorable for kids.

3. It really depends on the series, while the argument can be made that they all are, some of them are very story-oriented, for example, Animated and Beast Wars. And after all Optimus Prime and Duke weren't every boy's father in the 80's for nothing

4. Well, considering this is a site dedicated to adult Transformers collectors, I'd say it appeals to everyone.

5. Not very often, most people think it's awesome. If they do criticize me, I just shrug it off or ignore it.

6. I do Youtube reviews, and hope to be starting a podcast with a few people, and I keep in contact with some Transformers fans I've met via the internet or in person. Not to mention how many people that I have gotten addicted to Tf's and Gunpla.

7. Honestly, I've seen all kinds of fans, so there is no one type to me, I guess for what they collect, if they have more than ten, chances are, they are addicted.

8. Does PAX count? Tried to go to Cybcon last year, but I had to work. So I can't really give you a straight answer.

9. It's always nice to talk with people who know what you're actually talking about, instead of staring at you with a blank look on their faces. On the other hand, it's fun to put people in their place when they think they know something about the subject. Er... ignore that last part lol

10.If classics and generations is an indication, we have a pretty good relationship. Of course, there will always be haters, but I'm generally happy with the direction it's going in. I mean, anything's better than Armada (let the hate mail commence! )

11.I prefer to think of them as re-imagining of the original, but each is unique in their own way.

12. I have no problems with any Transformers products, save for the obligatory bad figures in every line (see Blazemaster), but I don't buy them, so I am very happy with the memorabilia.

13. The robot designs. It's always cool to see how the creator designs the characters. Each series has its own distinct look, and that's what I find really cool about Transformers.

14. Build quality and the story. Sure the stories are similar, but how they expand upon it is really cool. The toy designs have only gotten better, compare say, G1 Cyclonus to Classics Cyclonus, the difference is really astounding.

15. Nothing, I'm content to let the creative teams do their thing, they continually do a good job. Even if I don't like it (and I give everything a fair chance), I don't buy/watch, so it doesn't bother me. Sure, I complain sometimes, but that's the beauty of sites like this, we can share our opinions.

I really enjoyed doing this, and I second wanting to see the article when it's finished.

PM me if you need any more answers.

Good luck on the article!