TRANSFORMERS MOSAIC: "How Much Longer?"

Deep.

This side of Thundercracker is getting more and more attention lately, wonder if Furman will run with it at all in the IDW run.

Thundercracker and Skywarp have always kicked ass, but whenever they're shown they're never given much personality beyond "goon". Good to see at least one of them given quite a bit more.

That is pretty deep. I'm glad this side of Thundercracker has been touched upon.

Wow. Its about time this sort of stuff was explored, the mosaics are fantastic.

And is it just me, or are the Decepticon Mosaics infinately better written than the Autobot ones?

This is realy good, I always loved that about him, sceptical about his possision!

Nice to see a new side of Thundercracker.

As always, bad guys are more interesting to write about. Good to see that someone other than me remembered this part of Thundercracker's bio.

This was a good story, but it kinda gayed him up.

Its as 'matcho' as you are gonna get for a seeker.

I think it's too much, actually.

I know I wrote a little while ago in some thread that Thundercracker is more interesting BECAUSE he's an uncertain quantity, but this is sort of a sudden turnaround, I think. Why has he suddenly got all this motivation for thought and change?

On the inside of the glass, Skywarp's probably thinking "what a wuss".

'Matcho' - is that a brand of matches? I think that the spelling is 'macho'.

Okay, I've got one question; where did the idea that Thundercracker has doubts about his role as a Decepticon start? I really like the idea, I'm just wondering where it started. This piece was really well done.

cool i hope there is going to be a part 2 for that well done!!!!!

Ultra Magnus wrote:Okay, I've got one question; where did the idea that Thundercracker has doubts about his role as a Decepticon start? I really like the idea, I'm just wondering where it started. This piece was really well done.

It came from his original toys tech specs. The last line of the bio is: "Doubts about his cause sometimes impede his effectiveness."

As for the mosaic itself; very nice. Thundercrackers doubts seem very believable. I could imagine myself having that same conversation if I were in his shoes. Tje cell shaded CG is very nice and works well.

it comes from his bio.he is like the decepticon equivalent of mirage as needlenose is their version of jazz

Not really. Mirage is an Autobot through and through - he just wishes to return to the good life he had back on Cybertron.

ARE YOU SAYING THUNDERCRACKER IS GAY NOW? cos thats what im getting from this...sure its good to have feelings and all but it seems a lil out of place...reminds me of skybite from RID...but he was funny.

We all know the seekers have got to be "Brothers" of some kind. They don't just go to a parts store on Cybertron and say "Hey, I wanna look just like him!" I've wanted to do a story on this for some time...

Glad to see everyone enjoys seeing more of Thundercracker. He's a popular Mosaic topic, and you're going to see even more of him!

I liked it, even if it was a little bit 'too much'!

Every mosaic to this point was good. (Except this one)

I like the focus on Thundercracker. It may come off a little "strong", but it is another solid effort. I also like how each one has its own art style.

There is a danger in criticizing these works, mainly due to the fact that the artist and writers are really within arms length. The things we say, and would probably just unleash upon IDW or DW are going to be tempered somewhat. Afterall, we don't want to discourage what is essentially, awesome work.

This however latest work either fails to imply a real sense of brotherhood, or means to imply some kind of intimate/lover relationship. The first being an unfortunate aspect of a one page limit, the second being an unwelcome unnecessary extension of a certain group of fans.

I dislike what this comic implies just like I did not like how the Counterpunch comic entirely removed Punch's responsibility for his actions.

I think extending story is good, filling in time gaps is good, but fundamental stuff of characters should be left alone.

It might have been better to show Thundercracker thinking of leaving the Decepticons only to be brought back in through something inspiring or dreadful that Megatron did.

This however, 'Too far' indeed.

Fantastic work! Great characterization for one comic page. Nice to finally see some focus on this pilot-episode character.

As for the rest of you, remember that it is ONE PAGE, so don't too wrapped up in its meaning. Just enjoy it!

Cool... Is there a thread that has all of these archived so far?

Very Deep. Shows Thundercracker in an interesting way. Love the cg style drawing too. Almost Energon/cybertron like.

Skywarp and Thundercracker are like the Decepticon equivilant to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe if you think about it. Compared to the 'three Fairlady' (Prowl, Smokescreen, and Bluestreak) the three Seekers were always somewhere with the odd man out on Starscream.

Good Mosaic!

I really like the colors on this piece

Thundercracker's lines don't sound right if you imagine his G1 cartoon actor saying them. The lines are more suited to someone softer spoken. Perhaps the gruff voice is just an act and he's free to talk as he wants to here, saying things that he normally wouldn't ever say around anybody else.

If he said "Skywarp's a brother" instead of "Skywarp's a friend," I think it would have gone a long way in removing the homoerotic vibes people are getting from this.

Love the art style and the delving a little deeper into a character that was never really fleshed out too much beyond his tech spec card. Nice work!

I personally love it! I think it really delved down into the core of indecision that Thundercracker feels. Him worrying about Skywarp is exactly the sort of thing I feel he would do. This is some wonderful work!

I never really thought Thundercracker had so many isssues of being a Decepticon. I just love these things, they add so much more to the stories I already know & love & just make them that much better for me.

Thundercracker = Emo-con.

A neat little fleshing out of Thundercracker's character. He rarely gets any characterization now that I think about it, and wasn't in Infultration/Escalation much either(haven't picked up Devastation yet).

Homoerotic? It's not like Thundercracker is crying, "I wish I knew how to quit you, Skywarp!"

I liked it.

Thanks everyone, looks like we picked the right piece to kick-off the twice-a-week fun!

Fantastic portrayal of hints of pacifism amongst the warmongering ranks of the Decepticons. I'm pleased to see some genuine feelings from these sentient metal beings surfaced beyond the standard duty, honor, and other such nonsense that usually is attributed to military thinking. As a lifelong Transformers fan and lifelong homosexual, I'm a little irritated at a few of the comments posted here. If you want feeling and free-thinking robots, rather than dull drones, you have to accept all the feelings and all the thoughts, not just the conventional ones. Not all six year olds who play with red big-rig trucks grow up to be macho.

Southwake wrote:As a lifelong Transformers fan and lifelong homosexual, I'm a little irritated at a few of the comments posted here. If you want feeling and free-thinking robots, rather than dull drones, you have to accept all the feelings and all the thoughts, not just the conventional ones. Not all six year olds who play with red big-rig trucks grow up to be macho.

No one, well wait, let me put it this way, I am not expressing any intolerance over the potential of homosexual characters.

I personally do not like when some parts of the fandom attempt to turn the seekers into somekind of yaoi or slash club. Even if they were all somehow together in an intimate fashion, it would be bad story telling in how obvious it was to turn a group of 'pretty boys' gay.

At any rate, my point is that I do not have a problem with any kind of homosexual concept in a character or even a Transformers character. I just don't like it applied to this particular character in this particular relationship. It seems unfounded if indeed it was what the author intended (which he may or may not have).

Bass X0 wrote:Not really. Mirage is an Autobot through and through - he just wishes to return to the good life he had back on Cybertron.

but at the same time he does not wish to participate in a war that he considers beneath himself

Counterpunch wrote:

Southwake wrote:As a lifelong Transformers fan and lifelong homosexual, I'm a little irritated at a few of the comments posted here. If you want feeling and free-thinking robots, rather than dull drones, you have to accept all the feelings and all the thoughts, not just the conventional ones. Not all six year olds who play with red big-rig trucks grow up to be macho.

Southwake wrote:As a lifelong Transformers fan and lifelong homosexual, I'm a little irritated at a few of the comments posted here. If you want feeling and free-thinking robots, rather than dull drones, you have to accept all the feelings and all the thoughts, not just the conventional ones. Not all six year olds who play with red big-rig trucks grow up to be macho.

No one, well wait, let me put it this way, I am not expressing any intolerance over the potential of homosexual characters.

I personally do not like when some parts of the fandom attempt to turn the seekers into somekind of yaoi or slash club. Even if they were all somehow together in an intimate fashion, it would be bad story telling in how obvious it was to turn a group of 'pretty boys' gay.

At any rate, my point is that I do not have a problem with any kind of homosexual concept in a character or even a Transformers character. I just don't like it applied to this particular character in this particular relationship. It seems unfounded if indeed it was what the author intended (which he may or may not have).

Agreed on that last bit. Thundercracker and Skywarp have always been, basically, jerks with wings. Skywarp's a little crueler, but more upbeat than TC.

If I were writin' this, TC would come off as more bored than concerned, more frustrated than thoughtful, and would most likely be waiting around on a flight deck instead of wasting his time in the CR Chamber. The charisma on both of these guys is low, low, low, especially Thundercracker. When Skywarp shows up after the repairs, TC might say something like "what kept you?"

To me, concern is the opposite of Thundercracker. He may be undecided about the Decepticon cause, but it feels more motivated from apathy and lack of direction that from serious, philosophical monologue. Not how he feels about Skywarp, but how he doesn't really feel that much about anybody, I suppose.

he's an interesting chaacter int hat he's undecided and kinda emo, but he's no hero waiting to happen and really, just a jerk with wings.

Southwake wrote: If you want feeling and free-thinking robots, rather than dull drones, you have to accept all the feelings and all the thoughts, not just the conventional ones.

You say what I think my friend. It thrills me when I find out or read something that helps flesh out a character. It's inconceivable that Starscream is just a back-stabbing jerk who is a coward. Sentient beings are not two dimensional like this. There is ALWAYS something more. That's just how sentient beings are. Comics like these show it and just make the characters richer.

Just for the record though, I don't think Starscream is a coward. I think he just likes living a bit too much to risk premature death.

Is there any thread that has all these "Mosiac"s archived? I'd love to read them all, but finding it hard to search through so much...

csusandman: I think your best bet is to go to their DeviantArt page:

http://transformers-mosaic.deviantart.com/gallery/

They post previews there, too, so it's a neat place to see everything at once. (Can't wait for that Perceptor one, for instance. ) Although I hope they make a proper website one day.