G1 Transformers

[runinruder]

I have most of the Marvel comics myself.  I used to even have issue 1 but I can't find it, so my collection starts with issue 2.  It ends somewhere around The Mechanic's second or third appearance.  It just stated getting boring and the new characters/toys just weren't very interesting.

The Mechanic stuff was awful.  After the Shockwave-dominated arc and with a few occasional exceptions, the story went from really dark and interesting to really campy, from Prime being beheaded and Autobots being chucked into smelting pools to cosmic carnivals and Decepticons starring in movies.  I have to admit that some of the goofy stuff was a guilty pleasure for me, but a few stories were just plain bad.

Things got good again towards the end after Simon Furman came on to do the writing.  He brought back a lot of "legends" like Ratchet and Shockwave, focused on character development, and added a dark overtone to the series. 

[ParanoiaDragon]

Ah, as far as toys, I was a huge collector.  I still have most of my old G1 stuff, but also have bought all the US released G1 reissues, as well as a few Japanese ones, like Megs.  I have virtually all the Beast Wars, Beast Machines, RiD(probably my favorite line), Armada, Engeron, Cybertron, Classics, Generatsion, Titaniums(the transformable ones, & a few of the non TF ones), Universe, US Masterpiece(& Megs), Alternator's, Animated, the first Bay movie figures, & some Machine Wars.

Animated is the last main line I decided to collect all the characters for, as I just can't do the combo of $ & lack of space.  I didn't bother with the 2nd & 3rd Bayformers, aside from a couple that are pretty sweet.  And obviously I haven't been collecting Prime, with exception to Airachnid(a female Decepticon, I had to).  I'll probably get a Prime & Megs of the Prime show eventually.

As far as Beast Wars in general goes.  I used to have a hot blood passion of hatred for the show.  I remember crying out something along the lines of "this isn't MY Transformers, this sucks!".  However, around when Beast Machines came out, I noticed that the final form BW Megs took, was a Dragon.  I love Dragons, & I love Transformers.  So, that opened an avenue for me.  Plus, since it's in the same timeline as G1, I started to take some interest in the show.  Eventualy, I ended up loving the show, & most of the figures.  A few G1 characters showed up(like Ravage & Starscream), but most were new(even if a bunch of them has stupid names, like Dinobot).  Probably my favorite character in the show was Dinobot, & his struggle with being naturally born of the warrior class(where all con's initially came from in G1), but disagreeing with that era's Megatron.  He was incredibly noble, & in some ways even reminds me a bit of Cyclonus, who also had a noble side to him shown in the Killing Jar episode.

Anyways, BW isn't for everyone, but, like I said, I used to loathe that show, & now I love it.  My favorite TF shows are G1 & BW.  The other one's just haven't done it for me, though, people seem to rave about Prime.  I have the first season on Blu ray, but havn't finished it yet.

[runinruder]

He was incredibly noble, & in some ways even reminds me a bit of Cyclonus, who also had a noble side to him shown in the Killing Jar episode.

Was that the one where he saved Ultra Magnus' life and then was like "Warriors like us should die on the battlefield"?  That was one of the cartoon's best moments.  It needed more scenes like that and less stuff about Megatron making/stealing some super-duper death gun or Optimus sending in Bumblebee and the kid in the wheelchair to save the planet. 

[lord_cack]

When I was a kid I loved the G1 show, saw the original movie in the theaters back then. But, as has been said, I don't think that the show holds up as well as some other shows of its time. But, I have kids now that are young enough to be into the shows and I must say that "The Animated" series (on Cartoon Network) and the recent "Prime" series (which is on Neflix if anyone uses that) are actually both very cool shows. Plus the action figures are ALOT like the TV show counterparts. Something that the G1 figures didn't really do (Hound and Ironhide come immediately to mind).

[Emerald Rocker]

My favorite issue of the comic series was the one where Cloudburst almost married an amazon woman.  I liked how the cover was all grim, with her holding Cloudburst's severed head, but it was actually a love story.  That was a tricky way to get teenage boys to buy it!

[ParanoiaDragon]

He was incredibly noble, & in some ways even reminds me a bit of Cyclonus, who also had a noble side to him shown in the Killing Jar episode.

Was that the one where he saved Ultra Magnus' life and then was like "Warriors like us should die on the battlefield"?  That was one of the cartoon's best moments.  It needed more scenes like that and less stuff about Megatron making/stealing some super-duper death gun or Optimus sending in Bumblebee and the kid in the wheelchair to save the planet. 

Yup, that's the one.

As for Chip Chase, even as a kid, I had mixed emotions about him. I didn't mind Spike, but, Chip...  Still, for me, G1 holds up very well.  There are other shows that I've tried to watch that I love as a kid, that I just can't get into anymore.  I did get the M.A.S.K. boxset, but haven't watched it yet.

And yeah, today's figures, like em or not, do closely resemble the show models.  Ironhide & Ratchet.  Man, I want them to release reissue's of them stateside, but....hmmm.  I'm glad they all got redesigns for the show.

[soop]

And yeah, today's figures, like em or not, do closely resemble the show models.  Ironhide & Ratchet. 

Gonna say, Hound was spot on.  Man I love Transformers.  My favorite story was Target: 2029.  The scraplets were good, Deaths Head was a good story line though the character sucked.  Starscream becoming omnipotent with the database... Cyclonus, Soundwave and Ratbat all leading the decepticons at some point... the special teams (though Devastator is the original and best), Omega Supreme...

I haven't read those comics in 20 years, but I still remember the great storylines.

Oh, but the space bridge transforming?  That was gay.

[KnightWarrior]

1984 is the Best..

I had Starscream I wish I could collect the G1 Toys

[esteban]

TOYS: I only had a few of them because they were expensive. But I thought they were kool.

CARTOON: I enjoyed watching it. Even as a kid, however, I knew that the GI JOE cartoon was better.

COMICS: I only read a few random comics as a kid. I REALIZE NOW THAT I MUST READ THEM. The same applies for GI JOE comics (I only remember reading one--where Major Bludd blows up (with a bazooka?) a station wagon driven by nuns  ). NUNS!

TANGENT: A few years ago, I was excited because I noticed that the G1 cartoon series was being aired on TV...BUT IT WAS A RE-PACKAGED (edited?) version of the show with horrible CGI transitions. It made the show even choppier than it already was. I was sad. So I went to the dollar store and bought the spanish-language VHS of a new (at the time) GI JOE series. GOOD GOD THAT WAS AWFUL, TOO. Luckily, I also picked up an episode of C.O.P.S. on VHS, which I never liked much as a kid (too juvenile compared to GI JOE, hah!). C.O.P.S., compared to the other crap, seemed AMAZING. Lesson? Everything is relative.

[Duo_R]

Heads up Thundercracker is now available online through ToysRUs

[Joe Redifer]

G1 Thundercracker?

[CPTRAVE]

Transformers, Yeah I am a huge fan wouldn't miss an episode. I still have the original Optimus prime, and another transformer that I can not remember his name "Decepticon" turns into 7 different things, anyone know?

[GohanX]

Do you mean Six Shot? He transforms into 6 different things.

[Joe Redifer]

I wouldn't say those things are all that "different".

Anyone remember the Deluxe Insecticons?  I thought they were pretty bad-ass but they never showed up in official cannon.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Don't quote me, but I "think" the deluxe Insecticons(& the Jumpstarters, & the Deluxe Autobots) have appeared in the more recent comics, either Dreamwave or IDW.  I've kinda stopped collecting those comics, since there's just too damn many of them, & I'm not much of a reader, so it takes forever for me to go thru them.