From: pmm34393@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Dr. Claw )
Subject: Re: Transformers T.V. Series History
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 01:40:25 GMT

In article <l8orp0INN970@aludra.usc.edu> rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung) writes:
>In article <1992Aug14.170830.23546@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> gavigan@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Ryan P. Gavigan) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug14.093626.1@hamp.hampshire.edu> chedberg@hamp.hampshire.edu writes:
>>>	The Transformers began as a Marvel Comics endeavor to ride the wave
>>>of transforming mecha which was currently the rage in Japan. It was a
>>>four-issue limited series, but it did so astoundingly well that they made it
>>>into a full serial.
>>
>>Not to pick nits , but there are FIVE Transformer series, of which 
>>ONLY 2 were done and brought here in the US.  What is known here as "The Trans
>>formers" was done as two sereis , "Fight, Robots of Life:The Transformers" 
>>(original time setting), "Fight Robots of Life:Transformers 2010" (post movie)
>
>  So you're saying that the American TV series wandered to Japan, which
>continued production after the American series ended?
>
>>A full SERIES (30 some episodes) of Headmasters, "Transformers:Supergod 
>>Masterforce", and "Transformer Victory", totalling some 150-200 episodes.
>
>  For all of us drooling robot fans in the assorted newsgroups getting this
>message (I know I'm not the only one), is there any information on how to
>order/buy/import this additional material?

I,too, would be greatly interested in getting copies of Transformer episodes
that were never shown in the US. Could someone provide a summary of the
Headmasters, Masterforce, and Victory episodes?

>
>>The Headmasters and Supergod MAsterforce have been dubbed in English for
>>the Hong Kong/Malaysia/Singapore markets.  Nothing official has been said, 
>>but rumors hold they it will(transformers) return to the air in 1993.
>
>  You mean the Asian market, and not the American one, I presume. If the
>Transformers make a comeback in the States, I'll be very surprised...
>
>>>"Transformers: Number 60 in a four part limited series"
>>		       ^^ 80
>
>  Tying this in to rec.arts.comics/rec.arts.comics.misc, anyone care to
>speculate how Simon Furman would have continued his US TRANSFORMERS comic
>storylines if the title wasn't cancelled? Issue #76, for instance, had a bit
>of exposition by Grimlock about the "inevitability" of the Transformers
>duality, making allusions to Yin and Yang...

One of the problems I had with the series were characters that were
introduced and then disappeared. In particular, guys that were created
by the merging of other groups: Aerialbots/Superion, Constructicons/Devastator,
Protectobots/Defensor, Predacons/Predaking, Combaticons/Bruticus, 
Stunticons/Menasor, Omega Supreme. These guys should have been major
factors in stories 'cuz they were so powerful, but Budiansky never
even touched them. It would have been nice if someone had reminded him
that there were some heavy-hitters in the Transformers Universe that
basically disappeared. The movie was outdated the moment that it came
out because all these guys came out before the movie, yet, except for
Devastator, none of them were in it. Autobots:"Oh no, there's Devastator,
nothing we have will stop him!" Oh well, it was stilll good. I find
it interesting that Furman would choose Grimlock to be a philosopher. 
There was also the storyline he started concerning the nucleon that
Grimlock gave a all the Dinobots. With the death of Scorponok, I wt
Grimlock gave the Dinobots. With the death of Scorponok, I assumed
that Megatron would take control of the Decepticons again. The leadership
of Ratbat and Scorponok really didn't accomplish much. It was almost
asbad as the leadership of the insane Galvatron for the TV series. Would
be nice for Transformers to make a comic comeback...as long as 
Budiansky is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT involved!!!!

PMM


-- 
"Is it madness, my dEnchantress, which drives a man of my genius to strive
 for an impossible prize..or is it the striving for that which is ever just
 out of reach which prevents madness from overtaking me?"  
					Dr. Doom, Secret Wars
Newsgroups: rec.arts.animation