A look at Transformers, old and new

I started writing these little rambles on the TFW2005 forums as a way to entertain myself. I'd started taking a few photos the modern Titans Return Titan Master toys alongside the old G1 figures they were based on. It kind of snowballed from there and suddenly I was writing a 700-1000 word comparison review to…

Scorponok

As much as I've embraced the opportunity to write about Beast Wars, it was always going to be a challenge for me. Writing about a handful of characters in T:30? No bother at all. I can write about Rhinox 'til the rhionos come home. When we get into double figures, as far as characters go,…

Tracks

Ah, Tracks. I should love you. You should, by rights, be one of my all time favourite Transformers. Along with the Pontiac Trans Am, the Chevrolet Corvette was one of the few cars I truly fetishised. For me, this should have been the perfect pop culture mash up of giant robot and American muscle car.…

Airrazor

It's interesting how many of the 'secondary' group of Maximals seemed so much better balanced and competent than the team that Primal was saddled with at the start. You can almost imagine Rhinox wanting to maybe go off and form another team with Tigatron and Airazor. And perhaps that why I never really connected with…

Dinobot

It's fair to say that Dinobot is a trope. you know, the baddie with the code of honour that comes round and learns to appreciate the goodies sense of altruism. But he's a hell of an example of that trope. I do think Dinobot was a well-thought-through addition to the Maximal team. Sure, the dynamics…

Inferno

I should like Inferno more than I do. He featured in two of my favourite mid-to-late Furman TF:UK stories, the apocalyptic 'Legacy of Unicron', where he went out like a total hero, and the smaller, more intimate 'Firebug', a story that really struck a chord for me. He was even a Wrecker, for Heaven's sake.…

Huffer

So the thing I don't get is how can someone who's menat to be that grumpy have such a cheerful colourscheme? Something ain't right here, man! To be fair, I never really got to see this trait played out in the comics. But I didn't really get to see Huffer do much of anything in…

Cyclonus

You know, I don't think I actually saw Transformers: The Movie until 1987. Maybe January, maybe February. Whenever the VHS came out. I had the little Ladybird story book and the UK 'Collected Comics', but I don't think I got those until maybe December 1986. By which time, Target:2006 had concluded, with all it's twists…

Optimus Primal

So we all know how Optimus Prime works. The big guy. Wise, noble, and deeply respected by his troops. The grand archetype of 'the hero'. Optimus Primal, instead, was a middle management dude who had absolutely no control over his subordinates and was not someone you'd be likely to describe as wise. Heroic for sure,…

BW Megatron

"Go on" What? "Say it" Say what? "You know..." Oh, come on, man. This is meant to be a serious endeavour. Not some fucking crowd pleasing Punch and Judy show where I say the catchphrase and you all honk and applaud like a bunch of (badly) trained seals! Have some self respect "Yeah, but say…

Blackarachnia

For me, Blackarachnia has one of the more interesting story arcs within the Beast Wars cartoon. A Maximal protoform turned Predacon, but forever scheming against Megatron. Eventually moving past her 'looking out for number 1' nature due to her relationship with Silverbolt to become an integral part of the Primal's team. For a show that…