The Machine Men Thread.

[Sky Shadow]

By now I know all of us are sick of people on this forum going on and on about Transformers this and Hasbro that. As we know, for decades now, Transformers have been unsuccessfully trying to emulate the brilliance of Machine Men (they even tried naming their own toys Gobots and Go-Bots, but to no avail.) So as a response to this, here is a focussed thread on the toyline that brought us all here in the first place - Machine Men. Yes, here is the place to discuss Machine Men, GoBots, Robo Machines, MachineRobo, Rock Lords and everything we love about them. Let the sharing begin!

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/2113/p5180489.jpg

Devilrock. Sporting lime green, purple and pink since 1986. Beware of imitators.

**********

[Sky Shadow]

Hmm... it seems people are a bit shy to start, so I'll go first.

The year was 1983. I was watching television, and an advertisement came on TV. "Now you see him..." it sang to me, while showing an image of a robot. "...Now you don't!" OH MY GOD! THE ROBOT WAS GONE, REPLACED BY A VEHICLE! And then the advertisement continued to do the same thing over and over with different robots and different vehicles. I knew then that I must have those magical disappearing robots.

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5222/machinemen.jpg

That 1983 toyline consisted of six characters - the ingeniously-named Cycle Man, Tank Man, Aero Man, Copter Man, Train Man and Racer Man. My first was Aero Man, who changed from an aero to a man. I know I also had Copter Man and that for my birthday that year I received Tank Man and Train Man.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5208/33949641.jpg

(This was all before those derivative Transformers came along.) So what are some of your own early Machine Men memories?

[Sharky]

Aero Man (Fitor) was my first one too and then cop-tur i think cop_tur is still in a box at home he is very beat up.

i remeber that add also... but i remeber seeing them in a toystore... they were all in a basket on the floor and one was opened and i was having a play with the figure.... not long after that i got my first one.. i never did get many of them..

[Paul Agnew]

What timing! Found a mighty menagerie of Machine Men on Sunday and bought Pathfinder and Spoons. :cool:

[Bartrim]

I had a few of the toys growing up and recently got the cartoon series off ioffer. But I would like to find a Machine Men wiki type page so I can follow it as because my memories are vague at best I'm having trouble working out who is who.:o

[Sky Shadow]

I had a few of the toys growing up and recently got the cartoon series off ioffer. But I would like to find a Machine Men wiki type page so I can follow it as because my memories are vague at best I'm having trouble working out who is who.:o

The best source is probably Counter-X http://counter-x.net/gobots/index.html It even has some specific Machine Men content supplied by Jhiaxus, Robzy and me.

[janda the red]

got the theme song "mighty machine men... mighty robots!!!!" running through my head now :D

i loved the show as a kid... dont remember the ad you guys are on about.

i had a few figures as a wee one... cant remember which ones though :o

anyone know how many card variations there are? i've only seen the gobot carded versions, the machine men card thats showing in sky's 1st post is all new to me. ( that i remember anyway....lol )

janda :)

[Bartrim]

The best source is probably Counter-X http://counter-x.net/gobots/index.html It even has some specific Machine Men content supplied by Jhiaxus, Robzy and me.

Cheers mate. Maybe I can get back into watching the cartoon with a useful guide like this:D

[Bartrim]

I was flicking through that guide and saw the write up for "Escape from Elba" I remember that episode from my childhood. I really enjoyed. It's listed as episode 40 and I'm only up to episode 4:(... Might have to take a break from watching them in order to view that one tonight when I get home

[Robzy]

Yeah, I love Machine Men! I realise that most of my love is nostalgic as opposed to the TV show's quality. The toys themselves are simply amazing! Anyone who pays out Machine Men/GoBot toys (as I've read countless times, esp on international TF sites) has obviously never actually seen or held one in person.

My first recollections of Machine Men were watching the cartoon on Sat mornings. I actually remember the first episode I ever saw, and it was, rather amazingly, the first episode of the entire series ('Battle for Gobotron'). I distinctly remember seeing Cy-Kill, Crasher and Cop-Tur standing around a desk talking to Braxis. I recall thinking how odd Cop-Tur looked (although I didn't know his name then) as he seemed to have a beak for a mouth. I was probably about 5 years old. It was around this time I saw my first TF episode (which was 'Transport to Oblivion') but I can't recall which was first. I loved Machine Men ever since, but sadly never had a huge collection of the figures. I had a lot more TFs, but the few Machine Men I did have, I absolutely cherished.

Now, my collection is huge. I still haven't bought the new GoBots DVD yet... mainly because Warner Brothers don't ship DVDs to Australia :rolleyes: and ebay's prices are a little steep. I will buy it eventually - hopefully they remaster and release the rest of the series too.

[liegeprime]

Never saw any Gobots commercials but have watched the series on Saturday cartoons morning, shame they didnt show the ending and kept on rehashing episodes when it was nearing the end ones. Never got gobots/machine robo for gifts either - got Soundwave instead:p. but Ive also made paper toys (people whove seen my TF paper craft know what Im harping about) version , even the doggie base although Ive never made much since I was more into Tfs. My first ever gobot was when Im already much much older - got in a group lot buy from Demonac here- junker lot but still displayable. I used to play with my cousin's who had the doggie base, creeper jeeper or viceversa(?)and buggyman, oh and that green insectoid/car robot - bugly or creepy,cant recall it's name, turbo, pathfinder and scooter. If Gobots only had better marketing it was a good toyline in my opinion.

[Sky Shadow]

That's better! ;)

The next wave of Machine Men consisted of:

(Dirge's favourite) Buggy Man, Truck Man, Bulldozer Man, Police Man, Space Shuttle Man and Ambulance Man.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4835/machinemenii.jpg

I always loved Space Shuttle Man's transformation - it was one of the first toys to have what might be referred to today as a 'dramatic head reveal'. :)

[SpeedBreaker]

Machine Men were awesome. I used to watch tv after school just in hope of seeing the ad for them. :p Jeep Man and Porsche Man (Crasher) were my favorites. The larger ones like Herr Fiend were great too.

[5FDP]

I was a big fan of Machine Men and anxiously awaited the free comics each month. I only had a couple of toys though (Pathfinder being the one I remember most :confused: - which BTW has been available MOSC at the last few Parra Fairs).

Is there anywhere you can watch / download episodes online? I've looked before and have only found dodgy quality ones :(

[Bartrim]

I was a big fan of Machine Men and anxiously awaited the free comics each month. I only had a couple of toys though (Pathfinder being the one I remember most :confused: - which BTW has been available MOSC at the last few Parra Fairs).

Is there anywhere you can watch / download episodes online? I've looked before and have only found dodgy quality ones :(

I bought a copy of the series for like $10 or something from ioffer but the quality is pretty bad... but watchable for my old eyes.

I had Pathfinder as a kid too. I also had Spay-C, Cop-tur, Fitor, Hanscuff, Turbo and a few others.

Watched Escape from Elba last night. So many memories... albeit slightly mixed up because I thought it was Van Guard and Heatseeker who sided with Cy-Kill:o:cool:

[liegeprime]

Wasnt there news somewhere of the episodes going for relase- digitally remastered or something. can't find the thread though.

[Robzy]

Wasnt there news somewhere of the episodes going for relase- digitally remastered or something. can't find the thread though.

I still haven't bought the new GoBots DVD yet... mainly because Warner Brothers don't ship DVDs to Australia :rolleyes: and ebay's prices are a little steep. I will buy it eventually - hopefully they remaster and release the rest of the series too.

That's what I was talking about :) The 5-parter DVD is here (http://www.wbshop.com/Challenge-of-The-Gobots-The-Original-Miniseries/1000207582,default,pd.html?cgid=HANNABARBERA), but again WB don't ship to Oz.

[Vector Prime]

I remember having the following as a kid, but can't recall what order I got them in - I do know that I received at least a handful of them before I received my first Transformers:

Cykill
Coptur
Loco
Spay-C
Buggy Man
Dumper
Hans Cuff
Dive Dive
Leader 1
Rest Q
Pathfinder
Scooter
Royal T

[Lord_Zed]

I liked the gobots/machine men with weird bestial features and alt modes (which is probably why I like Bayverse Movie Cons).

I had a whole bunch as a a kid, including some Japanese packaged ones that I got before TFs came out from an uncle who went to Japan, might have been a bit young for em though.

I had Leader one, Turbo and Cy-kill etc but my favourites were actually:
Bug bite
Pincer
Scorp
Vamp
That weird one with a face on his chest.
and Pathfinder

I was also actually quite fond of the Rocklords as some were quite articulate for the time, and had interesting beastly or other details in bot mode.

Still also have some sad Machine Men memories, when I went into hospital with quinsy I took (or got, it was a long time ago) Bugbite, but he got lost (or possibly another kid nicked him). And several years latter I lost my second favourite Pincer at school. :(

I miss those two machine men most, I think the rest fell apart over the years (other than Pathfinder) or were sold bar a Rocklord or two, I once found rusted bits of Scorp hidden among Starriors, but that's another story.;)

[tjparkside]

i liked these figures (build quality/ancient art of die-cast)and the t.v show-challenge of the gobots,as a child.
i still like the figures for the same reasons & would buy the 65? episode t.v series on dvd/blu-ray if it was officially released!(c'mon (hint) madman!)
my first figure was coptur.my fav is the combiner puzzler.
(you can check out my machine men stuff here- http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=254684#post254684 )

[Bartrim]

Is there anywhere you can watch / download episodes online? I've looked before and have only found dodgy quality ones :(

If you find it can you get me a copy? Turns out my copy is missing about 7-8 episodes:( There are some crap episodes (like G1) but there are also some really good ones too. I'm 2 episodes into "The Gobotron Saga" and I'm looking forward to getting home tonight to watch the rest.

I find the show interesting in the fact that the humans weren't the most annoying characters in the show:p

[liegeprime]

If you find it can you get me a copy? Turns out my copy is missing about 7-8 episodes:( There are some crap episodes (like G1) but there are also some really good ones too. I'm 2 episodes into "The Gobotron Saga" and I'm looking forward to getting home tonight to watch the rest.

I find the show interesting in the fact that the humans weren't the most annoying characters in the show:p

yeah, the human factor in COTG weren't helpless simpletons:D:D and are actually of use.

[5FDP]

If you find it can you get me a copy?

Sure thing buddy :)

[Sky Shadow]

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5128/motivator573533f1b1506d.jpg

[rocman12]

Just got my hands on the GoBots movie, time to start watching it.

[Sky Shadow]

I'm selling heaps of my Machine Men/GoBot/Rock Lord etc. doubles here:

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=280877#post280877

Let your eyes relish the awesomeness:

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8494/pb150523.png

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9743/pb150523a.png

[sideswipes brother]

I had heaps as a kid. They almost outnumbered my Tfs. This was only because my mum didn't know/care about the difference between a TF and a Machine man. To her, if it transformed it was the same thing, so for bdays and xmas i got a varying degree of both. Didn't really bother me though.

[Slag]

My only Machine men were Cop-tur and heart attack. My brother had one of the puzzler arms (yellow lambo)... I'm making up for it now though.:D
Those carded puzzler parts are tempting, but I need em loose or in a box set so i can form pinhead puzzler.

[Sky Shadow]

Those carded puzzler parts are tempting, but I need em loose or in a box set so i can form pinhead puzzler.

I own the boxed set too - it's beautiful and my 'playing' Puzzler. I almost have a complete minty set of GoBots now. The only 'regular-sized' moulds I'm missing are Gunnyr and Tail Pipe. At a point when I don't need to watch money so much I'll complete my collection of larger GoBots (I'm missing about ten of the now-expensive and rare ones from 1986-1987). Despite the attitude from our TF fandom, the GoBots toyline was classy from beginning to end, particularly in its retention of die-cast metal beyond its loss in Transformers.

[Slag]

Agreed.. I was totally more into GBots before i joined here ,now i'm swinging back the other way.

this is the last thing i see at night and first thing in the morning. Definitely in my top 5 toys:D (if there was a house fire I would run back and get these) These are the display ones. I've got monstrous loose, carded and box-set and 2 satan six box sets. But I did have heart attack as a kid so that might have something to do with it. Always wondered what he joined to:rolleyes:
Did you happen to win your puzzlers off ebay a year or so ago , from a woman who was selling sets of carded gobots/machine men. Only ask cause thats where my carded monstrous came from. (and rocklords)

The main reason I really liked rock lords was they seemed like an achievable set to collect and complete..(i think I've done it or I'm damn close)Unlike transformers which getting a complete set is mostly impossible to to the average human being.

[Sky Shadow]

This is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever seen:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle-Gobot-transformer-combiner-RARE-AWESOME-MINT-vintage-/220949540317?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33719e6ddd

[Hursticon]

This is possibly the weirdest thing I have ever seen:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle-Gobot-transformer-combiner-RARE-AWESOME-MINT-vintage-/220949540317?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33719e6ddd

WTH!?! :confused:

I've not seen anything like that before, that's one hell of a crossover! :eek: