G1 Transformers Size, Power, and Mass

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
It's sad that no one ever remembers Bill Mantlo, Ralph Macchio (no, not the Karate Kid) and Jim Salicrup, who were the writers of the original four-issue miniseries for Marvel G1.

Bob Budiansky only started writing the series from issue 5, after the original four-issue miniseries.

And then there's Len Kaminski, who wrote Issue #16 of the Marvel US run, due to Bob having been unable to meet his deadline for that issue on time.

And Steve Parkhouse wrote to the very first Marvel UK story, "Man of Iron", before Simon Furman was ever brought in to write for the comic.
 

ooo-baby

BANNED
Citizen
Man of Iron?

Why do people like that? That’s a kid’s bedtime story.

No significance to the larger Transformers Universe. it’s a one-off if I ever saw one.

What was the point of that whole story? I couldn’t figure out what was going on? It was way above my pay grade.

Who was the Man of Iron even supposed to be?
 
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Tuxedo Prime

Well-known member
Citizen
...did he need it?
Well, it is a big change to the lore....

That being said, these were likely the same executives who thought that killing off Optimus Prime in multiple universes (as his toy went from regular retail to mail-away exclusive) would be No Big Deal.

So maybe toy-company executives don't make the best storytellers. And perhaps, as Larry DiTillio often said, if you want toy commercials hire ad copywriters, if you want stories, hire scriptwriters.
 

ooo-baby

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Citizen
Well, it is a big change to the lore....

That being said, these were likely the same executives who thought that killing off Optimus Prime in multiple universes (as his toy went from regular retail to mail-away exclusive) would be No Big Deal.

So maybe toy-company executives don't make the best storytellers. And perhaps, as Larry DiTillio often said, if you want toy commercials hire ad copywriters, if you want stories, hire scriptwriters.

Those stories need to be able to sell toys, so those scriptwriters need to be kept on a tight leash by marketing.

Make sure they’re selling the toys and not their stories.

Kids already have an imagination to create far superior stories.
 

Princess Viola

Dumbass Asexual
Citizen
I mean modern toy marketing nowadays is completely different than how it was back in the 1980s. This is just the general vibe I get from your posts, but it really does seem like you think marketing shouldn't have changed from that decade.
 

ooo-baby

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I mean modern toy marketing nowadays is completely different than how it was back in the 1980s. This is just the general vibe I get from your posts, but it really does seem like you think marketing shouldn't have changed from that decade.

I think people have forgotten what Transformers is first and foremost, a toyline, avatars for kids’ imaginations.

These new Transformers writers seem to care more about promoting their own careers than selling toys to kids, which should be their primary mission and what they’re getting paid for.

Thus, these IDW writers injected their own takes, explanations, biases, etc. That’s not what they were hired to do. Their job was to provide kids with a framework for them to use their own imaginations and come up with their own scenarios and stories.

Transformers is like Victoria Secret, and these writers have been putting out Playboy, leaving nothing to the imagination.
 

Princess Viola

Dumbass Asexual
Citizen
Is this the part where I point out that the IDW comics weren't meant as a 'sell toys to kids' thing?

Also Transformers being able to move past just being a literal toy commercial is a good thing. Of course, everything done with this franchise is ultimately meant to sell toys and other merchandise for Hasbro, that's very true. But having stuff that's actually enjoyable even if it weren't trying to sell toys is good.
 

ooo-baby

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Citizen
I usually read comics by looking at the pictures.

If I can tell what’s going on it’s a good book.

If I can’t make out what’s going on without reading the speech bubbles, then it’s not worth my time.
 

ooo-baby

BANNED
Citizen
is this a bit

are you doing a bit right now

No, I’m not.

I believe if the comic artist has done his job, I should be able to know what’s happening just by looking at the panels.

I don’t have time to read every comic book in detail. No one does.
 

Andrusi

Lun!
Citizen
No, I’m not.

I believe if the comic artist has done his job, I should be able to know what’s happening just by looking at the panels.

I don’t have time to read every comic book in detail. No one does.
Nobody's asking you to read every comic book, just the ones you want to present yourself as knowledgeable about.
 

ooo-baby

BANNED
Citizen
Steve Ditko would just hand Stan Lee his artwork and Stan would just go through the panels and add the dialogue just by looking at Ditko’s drawings.

Granted, not everyone is as creative as Stan Lee.

Voltron and Robotech are perfect examples of people watching Japanese cartoons with no subtitling at the time and being able to make out the story.

The Super Megatron story was a Manga spread with no words. The story was told simply by looking at the artwork, the visual storytelling.

Maybe comic books should not have any speech bubbles and narrative squares. This would force the writer and the comic artist to work closely together and collaborate to bring a true, pure, clear visual storytelling experience.
 

Gizmoboy

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Steve Ditko would just hand Stan Lee his artwork and Stan would just go through the panels and add the dialogue just by looking at Ditko’s drawings.

Granted, not everyone is as creative as Stan Lee.

Voltron and Robotech are perfect examples of people watching Japanese cartoons with no subtitling at the time and being able to make out the story.

The Super Megatron story was a Manga spread with no words. The story was told simply by looking at the artwork, the visual storytelling.

Maybe comic books should not have any speech bubbles and narrative squares. This would force the writer and the comic artist to work closely together and collaborate to bring a true, pure, clear visual storytelling experience.
Of course you CAN look at a comic and loosely figure out what is going on by looking at pictures, but to say a comic is good without reading it is like saying a piece of candy tastes good by sticking the tip of your tongue on it. You might understand it tastes good, but there's no way you are enjoying it to its potential without putting it in your mouth and eating it.
I will say you are by far in the minority in enjoying your comics in this way. The only time I will enjoy a comic without reading it is if it is in a different language. I understand that there is action going on, but I have no idea what is being said between the characters, which is a HUGE part of the story telling process.

To each their own, but I feel you are really selling yourself short by not reading the comics.
 

ooo-baby

BANNED
Citizen
Nobody's asking you to read every comic book, just the ones you want to present yourself as knowledgeable about.

At school and at work, in the real world, don’t you have to present yourself as knowledgeable about things when you didn’t have time to read the book or study the document.

People don’t have time, attention, and energy, especially as they get older, slower, and weaker. They read the headlines, not the entire article. We google things and watch YouTube videos, not check out books at the library. With the explosion of information we have to find and take shortcuts.

Much of the time we delegate research and fact finding and rely on others to know what’s going on. That’s why bosses have secretaries.

And yes, many times, most of the time at work we have to pretend like we know what we’re doing and talking about even when we don’t. That’s life. That’s just the reality.

Some times you have to just fake it till you make it.
 
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Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
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