Why are you a Transformers fan?

[Kyle]

Toys. The rest is details.

Who the slag voted for Machine Men?!?!?

Probably roller...

[autobreadticon]

i collect and watch transformers series i like, not a fan that just purchases something just because it has a t/f logo on it.
I enjoy the aspect of collecting and displaying, the main reason is i love transforming things in my hand ^^

[TheDirtyDigger]

I enjoy the G1 toys and the cartoon because of the nostalgia associated with them.

I enjoy the new toys for display purposes, their engineering and the fun factor and I really enjoy the IDW comic.

[roller]

definetly the g1 cartoon

the characters rocked!!!! I remember compared to other shows at the time, tfs were great, i still dont understand why people my age prefer super humans/superheroes to transforming robots.

I only had 3 g2 toys when i was growing up, and now that i have some g1s, i dont think the toys alone would have made me a fan.

[STL]

Probably roller...

Oi. Give a guy some credit, will you?

[dirge]

Note that Roller hasn't actually denied it...

[Golden Phoenix]

I am in it for both. It is good to see how a character develops in the story and it is also good to have a good figure. I won't buy a figure I don't like, but if the character is good I am usually willing to overlook some design flaws.

[roller]

Note that Roller hasn't actually denied it...

denial activated

[k.wong23]

Mainly the toys, just something about a deskfull of transformers that makes you feel good

Of course without the cartoon there are no toys...so I guess it's equivalent but I prefer playing then watching in a sense.

[STL]

Finally have more time for a reasoned response.

The reason I chose the Machine Men was... oh wait...

Anyways, more seriously, this was a topic I had floating around in my head for a column i'm hoping to start doing. I think that really what it comes down to is that most people who collect the toys base their collecting on already established mythos. They accept caricatures of Ironhide, Prowl etc. which are the basis of their affection for TFs. That's why most of us discuss the toys rather than the fiction. For the majority of us, we already have established feelings about the TFs themselves.

And given the priceand accessibility of comics, it makes it hard for those to make a meaningful impact. So generally we just stick to the cartoons - good or bad b/c they're utimately free and don't require us to devote time to read. So yeah, it short, most ppl talk toys b/c it continues their affection of the franchise which especially helps when new toy lines carry pre-existing names.

For me personally, I've developed from a purely character/fiction mindset to a broader universe of TF toys one. I'm pretty much after anything that transforms and looks good these days. But the stuff that really gets me is the Henkei/Classics stuff. I'll by doubles, triples, you name it. I think I have at least 2 of each figure from those lines and my enthusiasm comes purely from the fact that I'm G1 nutjob and it gives me a bundle of joy chasing them down .

Galaxy Force is probably the best example of where I've never even been exposed to an iota of the fiction yet am keenly pursuing the stuff. I think they're great toys and I enjoy hunting them down even tho I have the Cybertron versions already.

So yea, I think I have a more segmented collecting habit now. Different lines for different reasons which all have different priorities. But alas, I'll save that for another column.