Skywarp, Thundercracker, Starscream - on for sale posts, people refer to them as 'seekers'. Is that the way it was in the early '80s pamphlets? Thanks.

 

The word Seeker appeared officially in dialog from the first issue of the War Within comic.Before this, it was a very obscure term, only used by fans. It also appeared, before the official use, in J.C Penny catalogues from the 1984 holiday season. I quote

It was used in 2002, by Simon Furman in the War Within Comic.

 

i never use the term, i loathe it

 

Explain?

I like the term seekers although i do think the Bayformer term some how makes more sense basically ancient bots on earth.

 

Seeker (body-type) - Transformers Wiki

 

Yeah, it seems to make more sense (to me at least) because they were, well...actually seeking something.

 

I'm surprised the term 'seeker' has stuck.

I remember a few years back when everyone had a boner for the word 'gestalt' to describe the combiners. Glad that one didn't stick.

 

But isn't that what combiners are?

 

Except, you know, gestalt actually is entirely appropriate and fitting.

gestalt (n)

1. a configuration, pattern, or organized field having specific properties that cannot be derived from the summation of its component parts; a unified whole.
2. an instance or example of such a unified whole.

 

Yeah. I know what it means. And I know it's fitting. But it's still a stupid fan term.

 

How is it a stupid fan term? It's about the most appropriate thing, much better than combiners.

 

Stupid fan term = appropriate and fitting?

Yep, this is TFW.  

 

I like it, it sounds Alien; and yeah it definitively describes TF combiners being more than just a combining of parts but mind as well.

 

It's a fan term because not once was the word gestalt used in any of the cartoons. The Constructicons, Predacons, Combaticons, Thechnobots, Arealbots etc.. were never identified as gestalts till us adult fans came along and started calling them that.

 

But.. but.. fan naming is why we have the Punch of Kill Everything!

 

HAAAAAA! That's too damn funny. I see that sometimes on evilBay. Uber gestalt schadenfreud reuben!

 

Actually, according to the TFWiki, "Gestalt" was used for the bio of SDCC Titanium Menasor, IDW Spotlight: Optimus Prime, and the Animated "First (and Second) in Flight" comic. And I will remind you that the cartoons aren't the sole source of TF canon. So, sorry to disappoint you, but "Gestalt" is an official term.

 

The day that CHUGURTS ascends from fan-term status is the day that I go ballistic over toys.

On topic: The term seeker isn't all that bad, sounds appropriate for jetformers.

 

I always though Gestalt was way better a term the "Combiners"

 

Fan terminology also gave us "ruined forever" and "dull surprise".

And don't forget "coneheads".