Comics Corner: The Transformers 3

   

Title: The Transformers
Issue Number: 3
Release Date: January 1985

Highlights

• Starscream flies his prisoner, Sparkplug Witwicky to the Decepticon's base
• Megatron informs Sparkplug that he has the ability to create fuel for them
• The leader of the Decepticons makes it clear - He will help, or cease to exist
• A hidden Easter egg of US 1 driving over an overpass as the Transformers head down the road below
• Nick Fury tells Dum Dum that they need to check out Oregon, but it better not be the big green fire snortin' lizard, referencing Godzilla, a series which S.H.I.E.L.D. also appeared in
• Joe Robertson sends Peter Parker out on assignment to get photos of whatever walked off with a power plant
• The army sends out a transmission to the Decepticons that they have come to their base in peace, and are met with cluster bombs from Thundercracker and Starscream
• Spider-Man confronts Gears, and after being saved by the Autobot, accepts that they're both on the same side
• Disguised as an army solider, Spider-Man drives Hound through the closed line of army troops, leading the other Autobots with him
• Gears thinks to himself that Spider-Man reminds him of Bluestreak by the way they both seem to like to hear themselves talk
• Spider-Man and Gears infiltrate the Decepticon's base and rescue Sparkplug
• Gears is damaged greatly in the rescue from a fall from the top of the base to the bottom of the canyon, but is collected by his fellow Autobots and restored

Low Points

• Spider-Man's involvement was only a ploy to boost sales, while also using him to establish the Transformers as part of the the Marvel Universe

Oddities

• When Spider-Man drives Hound through the closed line of army troops, the soldiers ask what's up with the other vehicles going through, only for another to say, "Who cares."

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: The Transformers The Movie

I've never pretended to be a big Transformers fan, both of the toys or television show. In fact, I never even saw the movie until the 90's, when a friend of mine from high school ordered me a copy of the VHS from Canada - The only place it was available from at the time. It was okay, but what stood out to me much more than the film itself was the awesome soundtrack.

There's an evil new force in the universe. A monster planet that devours everything in its path. And it's heading for the small planet of Cybertron where a unique race of transforming robots continues to fight a civil ware-a war between good and evil that has raged for millions of years.

The evil Decepticon Transformers, led by the manical Megatron, have sworn to crush their enemies, the Autobots. To this end, they have relentlessly pursued them across the galaxy from planet Cybertron to planet Earth and back again. But the heroic Autobot Transformers and their courageous leader Optimus Prime are not easily defeated. - Back cover of the original VHS

One of my favorite aspects of this album is how "raw" it feels. Lots of thrashing style songs, heavy guitar licks and amazing drumming and bass work make it equal to that of your high profile heavy metal hair band of the 80's. It's mixed well with a handful of wonderful ballad and uptempo synthesizer led instrumental tracks from Vince DiCola.

Some of my all time favorites include Instruments of Destruction from N.R.G., Dare from Stan Bush, Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way from Spectre General, The Transformers from Lion and Escape from Vince DiCola. Though it's by no means the only way you can hear or get it, I also enjoy how the album ends with "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare To Be Stupid, a track heard in the film during the scene on Junkion.

It's got its hits and misses, but overall, The Transformers The Movie album is pretty solid and it stands up to the test of time. Unfortunately, it's a little tough to come by these days. It crops up on ebay in batches, but it's going to cost you between $30.00 and $70.00, depending on the seller.

There's also an equally costly 20th Anniversary edition which includes a few bonus track, all of which are from Vince DiCola. Additionally, there's an alternate take of the opening theme by Vince DiCola and Stan Bush. After having a listen to this version, I'm glad Lion got the honors for the theme. Their version is far superior. 

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Squirt Robot (Gig)

Squirt Robot
Gig
1990 Something

♫♫♫ The Squirt Robot - More than meets the I have the power?

Hmm....

He is Squirt Robot - Or Robot Spruzza Acqua - translated in English from Italian as Robot Spray Water. The figure is so deeply rooted in 1980's nostalgia, yet many collector's have no clue what he's all about. Most fans passing by the figure would suspect it to be nothing short of a Transformers knock off. To some this would be an interesting enough aspect to make them take a second look, and possibly buy it. However, if you're strictly in it for a Transformers reason, you'll soon find yourself disappointed.

Squirt Robot here has an incredibly fun story / history surrounding him, and oddly enough, it leads back to Mattel's original Masters Of The Universe line, and from there grows out even further.

In the 1985 Mattel catalog, the Evil Robot prototype was showcased in a full page spread. The figure / character was captioned as serving Skeletor and his Evil Warriors - Despite his colors and bat insignia associating him to Hordak and his Evil Horde.

The figure would have incorporated a mechanism allowing it to throw water from his rifle when moving his right arm. Though we're not sure why the figure was scrapped in the long run, we can speculate about it all day. Our guess would be that its overall look and design simply didn't fit into the MotU style of figures. What's your theory? Share it in the comment section.

Despite being dropped by Mattel, LJN picked up the mold, and incorporated it into their Voltron line with a newly molded hydro-cannon. We searched briefly, but couldn't find the particular figure that this mold was used for. Please share in the comments section if you're a Voltran fan, and have any information.

Fast forward to some point in the 1990's when Gig Italian produced the subject piece in question - Squirt Robot. Obviously the head of Evil Robot didn't make it into the equation, and the paint scheme was changed to red and white. Unfortunately the cardback has no date markings, so we're unable to narrow it down to the specific year the figure was produced.

The mold has since been reused by a Chinese company that is producing multiple colors of the robot under a different name.

Not a bad bit of history for what would become a unique foreign figure - Or bootleg if you will. We love how it has roots in so many classic 1980's toy lines. These are truly the gems in collecting that make unique conversation pieces.

For a bit more information, you can check our our main source for this article "HERE". It's not the most well written article in terms of grammar and spelling, but it shares some good information on the subject if you can make it through it.

Prices are all over the map for folks looking to track one down. While he's not in abundance, there are a few to be found here and there. Unfortunately prices have ranged from $34.00 for poor carded versions, to almost $80.00 for mint loose ones. It's possible that the main driving force behind the price is based on collector knowledge. Meaning if someone who thinks it's a neat bootleg Transformer figure finds it, they may offer a low price. If someone knowledgeable about the figures history / roots is looking then a bidding war might occur, and prices drive upwards. All speculation of course.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Heroes of Cybertron (Transformers) (Hasbro)

Heroes of Cybertron
Hasbro
2000 - 2003

Transformers that don't transform?  Despite lacking that key element of play, fans of the Transformers ate up the Heroes of Cybertron line from Hasbro. Each mini figure came individually carded on a very retro style card reminiscent to that of the generation one Transformers of yesteryear, and despite their small size were meticulously sculpted to encompass an amazing depth of detail.

SERIES 1

Arcee*Optimus Prime*Power Master Optimus Prime Apex Armor

SERIES 1

Megatron*Skywarp*Starscream

The biggest complaint among collectors when series two hit was that Hasbro immediately rehashed the sculpts of three of the series one characters to produce a whopping four out of the six figures available in the second wave. It was an incredibly lazy tactic.

SERIES 2

Optimus Prime (with Plasma Weapon)*Paradron Medic*Power Master Optimus Prime Spark Attack*Ultra Magnus

Megatron (with Plasma Weapon)*Thundercracker

By series three, Hasbro was back on track with all new sculpts and characters, and in turn fans embraced the series even more by way of buying up every bit of merchandise they could find.

SERIES 3

Grimlock*Iron Hide*Rodimus Prime

SERIES 3

Cyclonus*Galvatron*Soundwave

Series four took a page out of Hasbro's other popular line of toys, Star Wars, and incorporated the "Build A Figure" campaign. Each of the six figures came with a piece that when combined would create the figure Fortress Maximus.

SERIES 4

Autobot Espionage Team*Autobot Jazz*Perceptor*Wheelejack

SERIES 4

Dirge*Power Master Galvatron

SERIES 4

Fortress Maximus

Series five would be the last series to date of the Heroes of Cybertron line. Much like the fourth series, this wave would also include pieces packed in with the figures to create the figure, Metroplex. Once again Hasbro was back to producing rehashed figures, and as a result fans simply gave up.

SERIES 5

Autobot Rachet*Omega Supreme*Optimus Prime with Communicator

SERIES 5

Construction Devastator*Megatron with Laserbeak*Starscream with Crown

SERIES 5

Metroplex

Hasbro pretty much shouted at fans, "Just give us your money," with the 2003 Bot Con exclusive Seeker Jets six pack. All three of the named characters were nothing short of repacks, while the other three jets which were all sculpted the same were simply named "Decepticon". This obvious cash grab showed fans that Hasbro really didn't care about the line. The second exclusive, Sunstorm, was better received by fans, and to date remains one of the more expensive pieces in the series on secondary markets.

2003 BOT CON EXCLUSIVES

Seeker Jets Six Pack with Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and three jets all named Decepticon

Sunstorm

Hasbro has this problem of getting lazy with their franchises, and the Heroes of Cybertron line is a perfect example of how even one of the most popular franchises to this day can fail to succeed on the market when handled sloppily.

Join us next time when we take a look at MC Hammer!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

The Transformers (Marvel Comics)

The history of The Transformers and Marvel Comics begins in 1984 with the 1st mini series issue, though Marvel is certainly only one of the many comic companies who have held the license, and produced several books based on the characters.  The first two issues took off quickly among young readers, and grew even more popular with issue three featuring Spider-Man in a cameo appearance.  With the story arc's conclusion in issue four, fans were eager to have more books, and Marvel was more than willing to comply.

Eighty issues encompass what is known as the Generation One series of Transformers comics.  In its entirety, the series ran from 1984 to 1991, where it sadly met the same fate as so many other popular boys toys lines of the 80's - Kids grew up, and lost interest.

During the late 1980's, Marvel ensured that fans got all the Transformers their little eyes could take in.  This was achieved via numerous additional mini series which ran side by side with the monthly series.  The first was the highly popular, yet traumatizing three issue mini series of Transformers The Movie Adaptation produced in 1986.  To this day many children remember crying during the movie, or comic book adaptation as Optimus Prime meets his end at the hands of Megatron.

In that same year Marvel produced a Transformers Universe mini series.  This four issue series was not actually a story arc, but rather a guide to the various characters which encompassed the Transformers Universe.



In 1987, Marvel combined two of its hottest kids show entities when it produced the four issue mini series, G.I. Joe and The Transformers.  This was actually the first time that Transformers were referred to as "The" Transformers in comic book format.

Because the G.I. Joe series from Marvel was more "serious" in nature when it came to the stories (as opposed to the Transformer series), this crossover series featured very violent scenes, and was touted for the more mature reader.  Though the series is riddled with continuity issues should one be a fan of both titles.

At the tail end of 1987, and concluding in early 1988, Marvel produced the mini series Transformers Head Masters.  This series was key as it helped to introduce several new characters into the ongoing monthly series, and to date features one of the best story arcs in any Transformers book.

In 1993, Marvel tried to re-launch The Transformers with the all new Generation Two series.  This series focused on bringing back the characters that many fans were sad to see go throughout the original series, and took a more serious approach to the stories.  Sadly it wasn't enough to bring the fans back, and the series lasted for only twelve issues.

With the New Millennium came a resurgence in nostalgia for many children of the 80's.  We remembered all those great toys and cartoons we had, and for many of us, we wanted those years back.  As the popularity of collecting our toys from our childhood grew, so to did our interest in the comic books we once had.  With it came all new stories of our favorite characters.

Marvel stepped back into the spotlight with the poorly received The New Avengers/Transformers mini series which ran for four issues.

At the time of this writing, these have been the last issues of The Transformers produced by Marvel Comics.

Prior to Marvels Avenger tie in series, from 2002 to 2004, Dreamwave Productions brought us all new stories in comic book format, all with great artwork and to an extent, more mature themes to help keep us interested.  Though the series was successful, it wasn't enough to keep this small, new company alive, and Dreamwave sadly filed for bankruptcy in 2005.

Today an all new series of books is being produced by IDW, but none more so well received as Transformers: Regeneration One.  This series is highly popular not only because it focuses on the Generation One era of Transformer, but also because it started with issue 81, right where the original Marvel series ended.

Join us next time when we take a look at The Love Boat!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.



The Transformers 1984 (Hasbro)

The Transformers
Hasbro
1984

Collect vehicles and playsets, or figures? Why not both? That's what you got with the Transformers because, after all, they were more than meets the eyes.

The Transformers, or “Fight! Super Robot Life Form Transformer” if you were in Japan, started in 1984 as both a cartoon in syndication, a comic book series, and a toy line. The series followed the struggle of the Autobots against the evil Decepticons as they fought to save their planet Cybertron for their own factions control. The battle eventually leaves both groups stranded on Earth where the war continues several years later.

Hasbro had the best of both worlds in those days, what with the G.I. Joe series on top of this one. Not only that, but the shows were on back to back, so children across the U.S. couldn't help but be exposed to both. In fact, while they never did in the shows, the two were known to occasionally cross paths in the comic book world.

Transformers was certainly one of the more larger series that launched as far as quantity went. A whopping 28 characters were available upon its initial release. This helped jumpstart children's imaginations as they dueled out their own Autobot versus Decepticon battles in their rooms.

The figures were broken up into three particular groups. There were small, medium and large available. Obvious price variations would occur from this, as well as the overall quality of the figures. The smaller ones didn't maintain the quality that the larger ones did as the attention to detail was never present. While this would get a little better over the years, it wouldn't be by much. However, the larger ones were not without fault, and often times were more fragile, and susceptible to breaking off limbs than the smaller ones.

The following Autobots were released;

Optimus Prime

Bluestreak, Hound
Ironhide, Jazz

Mirage, Prowl
Ratchet, Sideswipe

Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker
Wheeljack

Two variants were produced of the smaller figures. Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were both produced in red and yellow. Between the two Bumblebee figures, the red color one is considered the rarer version. Between the two Cliffjumper figures, the yellow one is the rarer version. It is presumed, but not confirmed that the reason these characters both got different color variants was due to a quality control error by Hasbro who mixed up of which character was which during production.

Fans have come to name the yellow Cliffjumper figure - Bumblejumper, which can cause confusion to new collectors who are not aware that this is actually the variant Cliffjumper figure, and not a whole new figure.

Braun, Bumblebee, Bumblebee (red) Cliffjumper
Cliffjumper (yellow), Gears, Huffer, Windcharger

But, you can't have a bunch of heroes without villains, now can you? The following Decpticons also hit shelves in 1984;

Megatron

Soundwave and Buzzsaw (two pack)

Starscream, Thundercracker
Skywarp

There is a known miscarded version of Frenzy and Laserbeak to be in existence. The miscarded version depicts Frenzy as a red and blue cassette tape, when in fact, this is actually Rumble.

Frenzy and Laserbeak (Miscarded Rumble), Frenzy and Laserbeak
Ravage and Rumble

Each small figure was carded while the medium and large figures came in boxes stuffed with form fitting Styrofoam and/or cardboard. This ended up also making the figures a little more presentable on the shelves, and thus stood out more.

To this day Transformers figures continue to be released in various sets, though the original series officially ended in 1990. What makes this toy line stand out the most is that not only does it still continue on strong, but it's managed to do so long after the cartoon series ended. Even the original line continued on for a few years after the show was officially cancelled.

Whether you love them, hate them, or have no opinion either way, it's clear that Transformers are here to stay.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.