Hasbro Q&A round 14

[Dominic]

But, really, "what's in a name?"

I think a Hasbro rep was quoted in Toyfare as saying that the PCC team names were essentially frachised, meaning that there would be more than one team with the same name.

edit: Scourge's idea makes as much sense as anything else we can come up with. And, working one misfit line in with another is nicely symetrical.

Dom
-wondering if anyone has made a Dinobot combiner joke yet....

[Shockwave]

I meant in context. There was even a UK Annual story titled "What's in a Name?" where Swoop gets into a fight with Divebomb because Divebomb stole Swoop's name (Swoop was apparently known as Divebomb on Cybertron).

[JediTricks]

Hasbro at Comic-Con explained that PCCs exist basically in the new continuity's version of G1, that these are more Dinobots, more Constructions, more Stunticons, etc., of those teams we already know and they existed merely "off-screen" from the main guys we do know. I personally find that to be an elegant method of dealing with where these fit in canon, although the Dinobots thing gets a little messier than the others. Then again, that was the same Comic-Con panel where they said the drones were originally going to have robot modes too, and Hasbro now says that was never the case.

Personally, I say put them with the concept they best fit. So, PCCs are part of... TF:Energon!

Drones? Check.
Minicons? Check.
Lackadaisical combiner aspects everywhere you look? Check.
Chunky, lazy sculpting? Double-check!

Mwah ha ha!

[Dominic]

Lets take this to the author intent thread, shall we?

[138 Scourge]

Hasbro at Comic-Con explained that PCCs exist basically in the new continuity's version of G1, that these are more Dinobots, more Constructions, more Stunticons, etc., of those teams we already know and they existed merely "off-screen" from the main guys we do know. I personally find that to be an elegant method of dealing with where these fit in canon, although the Dinobots thing gets a little messier than the others. Then again, that was the same Comic-Con panel where they said the drones were originally going to have robot modes too, and Hasbro now says that was never the case.

I dunno, the Dinobot thing would be pretty easy to explain. Autobot gets to Earth, figures he's got something to prove, wants to show he's pretty tough, he just decides "Screw a car, I'm scannin' a damn dinosaur!" Anyway, I do kind of like putting 'em in unexplored areas of new G1, it still brings in new characters but gives 'em a backdrop to work with. I still also kind of like the idea of "Just chuck 'em anywhere you need 'em", though.

Personally, I say put them with the concept they best fit. So, PCCs are part of... TF:Energon!

Drones? Check.
Minicons? Check.
Lackadaisical combiner aspects everywhere you look? Check.
Chunky, lazy sculpting? Double-check!

Mwah ha ha!

Yeah, but PCC's Dinobot combiner just beats the holy bejesus out of Energon's dino-combiner.

[andersonh1]

Hasbro at Comic-Con explained that PCCs exist basically in the new continuity's version of G1, that these are more Dinobots, more Constructions, more Stunticons, etc., of those teams we already know and they existed merely "off-screen" from the main guys we do know. I personally find that to be an elegant method of dealing with where these fit in canon, although the Dinobots thing gets a little messier than the others.

I like the idea myself. So, will they show up in IDW's comics, I wonder?

[138 Scourge]

You know what, too? As I fiddle with Steamhammer, I think that tossing these guys in with G1 would be appropriate because they just seem sort of Geewunny. The drones are bigger than Micromasters, but non-transforming combining drones seems like something that could have come out of the same school of thought as, say, "Pretenders" or "Whatever-Masters". Plus, y'know, the articulation of the combined modes...it's about on par with G1 gestalt articulation. They actually do sort of remind me of the Micromaster combiners, in a way. A good way.

[Shockwave]

There was a dino combiner in Energon?

[138 Scourge]

Of a sort.

I actually like Mega-Dinobot in a way, and like the individual Energon Dinobots quite a bit, but Grimstone's wwwaaaayyyyy better.

[Dominic]

I was actually making reference to that awful Furman idea from the pack-in comic about 5 years ago. Remember, "The Beast"? Scourge is the only person I know who likes the "Energon" Dinobots.

I like the idea myself. So, will they show up in IDW's comics, I wonder?

Honestly, I hope not.

Do not misunderstand me, I like PCC. And, you damned well know I like the current IDW comics. But, the minute PCC shows up in some kind of established context, the line arguably loses some of its charm.

Will PCC "ruin" G1? Of course not. Will G1 "ruin" PCC? Not really. But, as Scourge pointed out, right now, PCC is vague enough to just be "Transformers". Part of me wonders if Hasbro is being intentionally contradictory when fans ask what the deal with the line is as a way to keep it more kid friendly, and out fo the baggage laden realm of fan-friendly hobby=ism.

The minute PCC shows up in the comics, PCC is bound to G1. And, the minute PCC shows up in any media, the albatross shows up. As it stands now, there is no way PCC is going to be ruined by some hack writer doing something "kewl" with Searchlight and company. (As much as I like my "Timelines" Breakdown figure, it is unavoidably sullied by the character showing up in that damned "Generation 2: Redux" comic.)

As it stand now, I can just enjoy PCC for fiddlin' value. Dammit, this is a fun line. I do not have to worry about getting all of the figure. I do not have to worry about if a character's depiction in the comic will contradict the file card or if Furman will write something Idiotic that I cannot disassociate a figure from. My biggest worry with the line is that stores are too inept to actually stock them consistently. But, I have no reason to go completely out of my way to find them because I am just looking for fiddlin' fodder, rather than a representation of a character (Prowl, Sunstreaker).

On the other hand, I would not complain too loudly if Costa wrote some PCC stories either in the main book or elsewhere.