Transformers questions by newbies, and not-so-newbies

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I am now tempted to do a video of Drift but following the 'Poochy' cartoon sequences we saw on the simpsons, including his departure

Please do.

I generally am quite keen on new things being added to the Transformers franchise/experience. While I'm not advocating change just for the sake of change itself I'm more keen on something new that didn't go down so well (for example Beast Machines, or DonFigs new G1 artwork in the Ongoing, or McCarthy's hamfisted attempts at introducing a new character) than rehashing pre existing stuff in slightly new ways.

See, I'd just like whatever they do to be good, be it rehash or new stuff. Animated did great at this IMO.

I don't think it matters if they made a new character or used an old one.
Drift or some other random unused G1 character, they would have still been the same forced bad ass cliché character that would have been slammed. There were the same complaints about Perceptor when he suddenly became a super-dooper sharp shooter but because he had an established background in multiple continuities he avoided most of the flack.

Only if they were a forced bad ass cliché character. That said, there's always some section of the fandom always griping about everything.
Perceptor I can let slide since he does turn into a cannon and has displayed sharpshooting abilities in previous canon (shooting the Heart Cybertron in Microbots).

Don't worry Sharky, I like drift. I have a dislike for Animated and Bayverse but believe they are still for the greater good of us collectors to keep the line moving in some sort of direction. Our first decent (Yes Decent) new character in a while and people bag the hell out of it. I don't believe I could do a better job of creating a new Character can anyone else? Was that the sound of silence, highly unlikely I'm sure someone here has something to say and off you go.

I just made a thread for this exact purpose.
Also, I love Animated and cite Animated Prowl as a relevant example.

For myself, besides the Gary Stu aspect (annoying but sorta funny) and the fact there were existing characters like Carnivac that could have been used instead - even the less obscure sword-wielding Blitzwing deserts the 'cons in the US G1 cartoon - I only have one real problem with Drift. Instead of us getting a remake of a long-established character in the new Generations line, like a Classics-style Blitzwing, or the rumoured Rhinox (Headstrong repaint anyone?), or a G1 Scourge/Sweeps, or even a Hoist/Trailbreaker, we get Drift. Here in Oz we don't get Animated Arcee, the first Arcee that has a car alt-mode besides the Binaltech (which IIRC we also missed out on since she didn't make it through to Alternators), but we do get Drift. Thankfully the Blurr remold looks like it could have potential, but it still kinda irks me.

[griffin]

But that's the thing - Sunstorm's not really new. He first appeared in G1 episode #1. It's just that his character was later severely fleshed out.

But that wasn't Sunstorm (the character) we got in Dreamwave. A generic bot in the background that had no name and character was the inspiration, but the God-like, super-powerful character of Sunstorm was never in Gen1.

[GoktimusPrime]

But that wasn't Sunstorm (the character) we got in Dreamwave. A generic bot in the background that had no name and character was the inspiration, but the God-like, super-powerful character of Sunstorm was never in Gen1.

The character itself existed in G1. It's just that he had a whole new manifestation in the DW comics. You look at say IDW's Thunderwing - a rather different creature from his G1 counterpart. But that's not to say that the character didn't exist in G1. I'll grant you that DW's Sunstorm is a different character from G1 Sunstorm - but of course, they're different continuities. G1 Sunstorm was a random nameless Decepticon henchman, whereas DW Sunstorm was a super-powered god.

But at least Sunstorm existed in G1 - even if he was just a horrifically obscure character. Ditto Hauler! But at least they existed, whereas Drift just came from 'nowhere.' Sunstorm's a lot like Skippy the Jedi Droid; R5-D4 is a random obscure character who only appears briefly in Episode IV. Skippy exists in a different continuity from R5D4 in the main continuity proper just as DW Sunstorm exists in a different continuity from G1 Sunstorm.

An equivalent to Drift might be say if I created Moko, a Vulcan Jedi Grand-Master with a rainbow coloured light sabre; then placed this character in an alternate reality of the original trilogy where he finds Luke after Yoda's death and completes his Jedi training and becomes a teacher in Luke's Jedi Academy. And upon arriving at the Jedi Temple on Yavin IV, Moko seeks out the lost temple of Exar Kun and challenges his spirit to lightsabre duel, where he emerges victorious after having slain Exar Kun's ghost! Naturally Moko will become a central hero in this continuity's version of the Yuuzhang Vong War (where his Force powers always work on the Vong... that's how powerful he is!)!

If Drift appears in TF3, they'd better cast Chuck Norris as the voice and put him in a motion tracking suit so that Drift would use Chuck's moves!

[Sky Shadow]

You don't have to be a fan to just be dedicated to your job. Look at Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio - they've admitted that they weren't fans when they were first commissioned to write Beast Wars.

Indeed - that's why I specified "not a fan and doesn't care about Transformers". Lots of my favourite creators weren't fans when they started out: Forward, DiTillio, Furman, Isenberg, etc. but they cared enough to love what they were doing. Being a fan isn't important, having a passion for writing about Transformers is.

[Robzy]

As I have said before in the private "G1 fapping forum" of the board, the problem is that Shane McCarthy is not a fan and doesn't care about Transformers. (snip)

Before he'd even done anything for Transformers, Drift appeared, and all McCarthy has ever done since is write about a dozen issues that were so bad that he got replaced on the ongoing title and he only returns to write more about Drift - a boring cliché who should not exist.

I think the Mary Sue comments are what's most relevant here though. Sunstorm was generally well received despite being (essentially) a new G1 character, Drift is not because this character is "taking over the franchise" to a degree.

I agree with you both... that's why I actually had such a huge problem as a kid with Hot Rod - I felt like I was watching this movie based on my favourite TV show, and suddenly this guy pops up and he's the MAIN character... it's like Optimus was totally shafted! And to top it off, they tried to do the same thing as Drift by pretending that Hot Rod had always been there, having the original characters interact with them like they're old buddies, and forcing me to like the character (when I really didn't).

I remember thinking... who the hell is this guy? And then he turns out to be the freakin' CHOSEN ONE?! No wonder people hated Hot Rod for so long!

Lots of my favourite creators weren't fans when they started out: Forward, DiTillio, Furman, Isenberg, etc.

You forgot Michael Bay

[ITZTRU]

Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay. If i knew it would generate this much discussion, I would have opened up a new thread instead. Sorry about that, but thank you all for your feedback. But...a little TOO much feedback hehe. So much so, that I think I'm just gonna go ahead and buy the stories and make my own decisions about Drift! Having said that, are the comics still widely available and found in one place, complete, without having to search multiple stores for different issues/volumes?

[ITZTRU]

...oh. and are they reasonably priced enough?

[1AZRAEL1]

You know, I might weigh in on the Drift debate.

I haven't read any comics in a long time. Wanted to but missed so many that I could not be bothered to track them down. As a figure, he is pretty cool.

That is all

[SharkyMcShark]

...oh. and are they reasonably priced enough?

You can get the trade paperbacks at most comic book stores or specialist bookstores (bookstore I go to for gifts and the like has Infiltration - AHM in TPB).

They usually go for $30 - $40.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, get the TPB(s).

As a figure, he is pretty cool.

Other than the restricted shoulder articulation, yeah he's pretty neat.