Transformers, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

1: I've loved them from the beginning - since the first episode of the first season of the first iteration of Transformers aired in Australia. Still remember sitting there on a Saturday morning and my jaw just dropping at this super-cool new cartoon full of giant alien robots that turned into jets and sports cars and trucks!

2: I love the toys are lots of fun, I'd go into more detail but you all play with them - you know how cool they are ANd I love that so many toys they make now are homages to characters and toys I've loved since getting them as a kid

3: I love the characters that I've become so emotionally invested in over the last 32 years. Still can't watch Optimus die in the animated flick without getting all teary. Wept openly with joy when I saw Optimus transform for the first time in the first live action flick. Felt heartbroken when Pipes died in MTMTE. And the hijinks of the Lost Light crew just make me laugh and laugh!

4: I love that The Transformers pretty much beats every other sci-fi continuity!
*Death Star vs Unicron: Unicron EATS Death Star
*The Enterprise-E vs The Nemesis: The Enterprise could almost dock in The Nemesis' shuttle bay - no contest!
*Avengers vs Transformers: they did a 4-part comic of this and it was pretty accurate. Even 3rd tier grunts like Runabout took out the likes of Spiderman with ease. Basically all the goodie and baddy humans were just kinda in the way while The Transformers got on with the proper fight.
*Godzilla vs Trypticon: Trypticon picks up Godzilla in one claw and bites his head off
...and so on and so on

5: The people I've met. Living so remotely I don't get to meet a lot of other Ozformers members but I've still managed to meet up with Krayt at a toy launch, go see TF4 with M-bot, catch up with Reflector to trade toys and buy comics from Mechbiter. Plus I've made great online friendships on here and FB so I have lots of people to look forward to meeting in real life (you know who you guys are )

6: My son. Orion Samuel Hopkins. Not only homaging my love in his name but watcing him play with his RescueBots the other day reminded me why Transformers are fun. He kept loading and unloading Chase and Heatwave on and off Optimus' trailer while he had Bumblbee, Blades and Boulder working at Bumblebee's garage. I love my son more than Transformers - no question - but I take a certain extra joy watching him play with them as well as how when I get a new toy for me he helps me unbox it and give it a once-over play. It's that extra bonding experience that is just wonderful.

Thanks for all the joy you have brought me over the majority of my life Transformers - you rock!