The modern comics universe has had such a different take on G1, one that's significantly represented by the Generations toys, so they share a forum. A modern take on a Real Cybertronian Hero. Currently starring Generations toys, IDW "The Transformers" comics, MTMTE, TF vs GI Joe, and Windblade. Oh wait, and now Skybound, wheee!
On the left next to Crane Brain. Using Counter-X's pic again, but hosted on photobucket. Yay and all that.
Don't really remember his personality all that much. He's a Renegade. He's a tank. He's a giant drill. I thought to myself, let's see if we can't find a real vehicle that's close to his alt. Just search for some excavators or something. There must be something. Surprisingly enough- there is! There's an actual type of drilling tank called the Roadheader that fits the bill more closely than I thought I'd get!
These roadheaders are about as phallic as Crane Brain's giant . . . crane, so there you go. But whatever, I found a bunch of different types and it looks like you can swap out drills depending on the job. I got lucky and found some pointy drills (seriously- the other drills were even more phallic looking). Yeah. Pretty happy with this one. Don't think we can get much closer to a real-world counterpart alt-mode for this guy. What do you think?
Meh, I was fairly hardcore with my TF fandom back in the day and always looked at Gobots as "not Transformers." Had the same attitude towards Voltron and Robotech too. If it didn't have an Autobot or a Decepticon logo on it, I didn't want it. I could see integrating some of the Gobots into the TF line, but I always thought the robot modes looked stupid, so I'd like a more definitive "TF-Esque" look to them. I noticed they used the name "Leader-1" for Megatron's Mini-con in Armada.
There's actually a part of me that takes comfort knowing that we'll never see the original Gobots reissued (since they were produced by Kenner and Hasbro now owns Kenner).
In fairness, the old GoBots were comparable or better than the Minicars and other blister-carded TFs. Some were even better than the boxed TFs.
Starscream might be a better character. But, Leader-1 was a better realization of a character design. Of course, as I have argued before, branded characterization carried huge weight.
The Gobot that looks suspiciously like Optimus Prime, except he's pulling a flatbed trailer. Sadly, another guy that I'm just not familiar with. I used to have RR when I was a kid, and the big deal with having him was that he was a cheap substitute for Optimus. Hehe. Anyway, how's this for a new alt-mode:
I thought I heard somewhere that flat-nosed semi-trucks were outlawed from being made in the U.S. (you can still drive them though) due to safety concerns, but Renault is a french car compnay, so they don't care!! I like the trailer but RR is one of the few robots in known existence to have a flatbed trailer. If anything makes him uniques, it's that. Must have the flatbed. I think the Radiance only comes in yellow, which I'm fine with. Aside from having too many red Guardians as it is, I think we could do him a favor by giving him a color scheme different from Optimus. Make him his own person instead of the guy that everyone mistakes for Prime. Yep. What do you think?
Dominic wrote:In fairness, the old GoBots were comparable or better than the Minicars and other blister-carded TFs. Some were even better than the boxed TFs.
Starscream might be a better character. But, Leader-1 was a better realization of a character design. Of course, as I have argued before, branded characterization carried huge weight.
Meh, I disagree. Bumblebee in robot mode looks way better than the VW Gobot which was little more than a shell former. Then there was one Gobot that turned into a tank that had the turret for his head, these are poor designs in my opinion and were repleat throughout the Gobots line. Then you throw in terrible names like Leader-1 and Cy-Kill and the whole thing was just epic fail in my opinion.
I have to agree, actually. It's why I like to imagine what they'd be like if they were done better. But to be fair, we have Vehicons like Tankorr, Thrust, and Strika with their heads plainly visible in vehicle mode. But at least they had actual *heads*, not just a windshield or a turret that was supposed to double as their head. And the names- the names really kill it for a lot of the Gobots. Some of them have managed to transcend their unoriginality and become memorable, but for the most part it comes off as a lack of care when it came to branding and building the Gobots IP. I don't know if Tonka foisted this batch of toys onto Hanna Barbera and told them to come up with names and fiction (like Hasbro did with Marvel), or if it was the other way around, but you can tell nobody much cared, when it came to the names. I suppose I should've been asking for new name suggestions as we went along with each character.
If you look at the Gobots fiction compared to other Hanna Barbera stuff of the time, I think there is evidence that they were trying to do some universe building and develop a back-story for the 'bots. But by the same token, it's Hanna Barbera and they're not exactly known for high drama, which other 80s properties of the time achieved, even if only occassionally.
I'm going to do this real quick:
NAMES!
*rebuilt so far*
Sparky- I like. Keep it.
Dive Dive- Not so much a name as a command. Change.
Crasher- Her name is pretty plain, but it's become sort of iconic over the years. Stay.
Crane Brain- Change. Absolutely change.
Cy-kill- *sigh* I don't care if he is the most recognizable Gobot these days. That name is just crap. Change it.
Hans-Cuff- Change
Small Foot- A play on Big Foot back in the 80s, but I've grown to like it. Keep it.
Klaws- Boring. Change it.
Herr Fiend/ Dr. Go- He's got two names and they both suck. Change it.
Well if we're going to redesign and rename them, I don't really mind them popping up in TF fiction, but then at that point you have to wonder: Aren't we at this point just creating new TF characters? Heck, for that matter I don't even mind the actual Gobots showing up in the background shots of the comics. Like when Cy-Kill gets killed by Megatron in Origins. But then I also liked it when the Battle Beasts showed up in the DW comics. I know I bagged on GB for having terrible names and designs, but I do have to admit that TF hasn't done much better sometimes. Tankor and a lot of the BM vehicons would likely qualify. Heck, the current Botcon exclusive, Autobot Spark, is one of the worst TF names I've heard since Signal Flare. I will commend the GB line for having more female characters though.
Crane Brain would make a great addition to the "Kiss Play" line huh?
Tanka definitely skimped on developing the IP for "Go-Bots". Given how new the business model was in the early 80s, the mistake is forgivable. And, to be fair, many of the cartoons in the 90s pitched lower than the cartoons of the 80s. There were some exceptions, such as "Exo-Squad". But, most of the cartoons in the 90s were comparable to "Go-Bots".
I think Tonka's biggest mistake might have been that they went cheap in exactly the same genre that a competitor was investing heavily in.
Having Cy-Kill show up just to get killed off always struck me as the writers being petulant. (Ohoohohoho, we Transfans are sooooo much kewler than the Go-Fans. We are *not* nerds. Oh no.) Yes, TF outlasted "Go-Bots", and apparently that was the biggest victory too many fans ever enjoyed.
Tankor's head was not prominent piece of the vehicle mode, in contrast to some of the larger Go-Bots. (And, I agree, the larger Go-Bots were awful.)
Dominic wrote:Having Cy-Kill show up just to get killed off always struck me as the writers being petulant. (Ohoohohoho, we Transfans are sooooo much kewler than the Go-Fans. We are *not* nerds. Oh no.) Yes, TF outlasted "Go-Bots", and apparently that was the biggest victory too many fans ever enjoyed.
I didn't really think it was that, I thought it was more like Hasbro saying "yeah, remember that line TF competed with? We now own them. And now it's official."
