Personally, and acknowledging that this is more theory than anything, the fact that TFs has such a HUGE array of characters, and a probably wide array of color options between them, probably made it somewhat different than other franchises.
That assessment really doesn’t hold up to the facts of the situation though, G.I. Joe may have been around for years but it was all but dead in the public eye at the time It was absolutely no guarantee that it would work, not to mention that there were dozens of other license properties at the time that will completely untested and yet they still provide a better color and techniques for them Not to mention that at the time marvel was kind of using a streamlined production technique when it came to producing all their comics Changing one of their production/coloring techniques for a single book or a small amount would likely actually lead to greater cost then it would save them money I’m not saying you’re wrong but I just don’t think your exclamation really since the facts of the time
Transformer characters weren’t that great in numbers at the start, and GI joe had the same kind of numbers sorry I just can’t see that as the answers Sorry I don’t understand you this time
I don't think the Joe comic started with so many... and even so, they were all human, which means not quite as wide an array of color designs as the TF cast. But I'll leave that be for now. It was just a thought. ARAH = A Real American Hero. In 1982, the GI Joe franchise was revitalized. The concept HAD been low in public-consciousness for some time before that, but the reinvention of the line as "A Real American Hero," giving heroes code-names and setting up Cobra as a specific enemy faction, turned that around. And it was still a couple of years before the TF comic started. Recognizing, of course, that part of the argument is really tigatron's not mine. But I think he's talking about the post-1982 franchise, not the moribund state it had been in before then.
Thank you very much Well keep in mind the transformers Comics had humans as well and they were minutes so offputting when it came to colors With G.I. Joe I was more talking about the vehicles that from what I could remember we’re pretty much as colorful as the transformers cast thanks for clearing that up funny that I actually never saw that acronym for the series But I’m not that big into G.I. Joe anyway I was just using them as example to this coloring conversation And asked to the color and conversation I just seen no practical reason why it looked “inferior” as many describe it To me it seems like it was just a creative avenue they chose to take
G.I. Joe first appeared decades before a real American hero,1964 A real American hero was their attempt at bringing G.I. Joe back to the public consciousness The original G.I. Joe’s didn’t have much for characterization.....Not even names hence the word G.I. Joe G I stands for general issue
Actually real world militarily speaking....At least according to Wikipedia. G.I. ... has been used as an initialism of "Government Issue" or "General Issue", but it originally referred to "galvanized iron", as used by the logistics services of the United States Armed Forces. During World War I, American soldiers sardonically referred to incoming German artillery shells as "G.I cans”
At the end of the day, I imagine you're more or less right. I mean, even if everything tigatron and I have speculated is the actual truth, there's no reason why those reasons couldn't have applied to some other book that simply didn't make the same decisions re: coloring that Nel Yomtov did on TFs. Ultimately, he simply did what he did.
Late to the party here. My thoughts: LOVED the art! Not sure if it's just the nostalgic coloring or the old Marvel TF designs, but it was so refreshing to instantly know who everyone was. Nice cameos by all the season 3/4 characters. I especially liked the use of Punch/Counterpunch. HATED the retcon though. Why can't heroes just be normally heroic anymore? I mean there is flawed and then there is flawed. Any of the Ark crew would have still volunteered if they had known "the truth" because that's just how inspiring Optimus is supposed to be. But instead it's such a dick move that really just taints the whole run imho if if you let it, no thank you. I dunno if exploring the consequences from a remorseful Optimus would redeem this recon or not, but the world will never know, because this was a one-shot. And I'm honestly just wanting to leave it there like this issue never happened.
Deconstruction is in, and being a secret douchebag is meant to give him some kind of depth I guess. I'm with you. Don't really feel it. I mean, do I think this is something Marvel Prime MIGHT do? Probably. He did have a weird habit of not always being super straightforward and/or making really, really stupid decisions like suicide ragequitting a video game, but I dunno about going totally liar and setting his pants and everyone within a 5 mile radius of his pants on fire like he did in '84.
I agree with this. Furman must be doing this for the shock value. Sure his original UK Marvel and later US Marvel were quite the trailblazing Uncanny X-men of the 80s plot applied to Transformers that have left an indelible mark on the lore for the past 35 years but turning Optimus into this conniving Machiavellian character (more like Bayformer prime which even Peter Cullen called out). If you read the original #1, Optimus was a bulwark of hope for the hopeless! During the "conference of elders" when the outside threat of asteroid collision was near imminent, Optimus was adamant at saving their world from the outside threat while at the same time was focused on ending the war. he foresaw the possibility of a Decepticon ambush (playing up his "wise and powerful beyond understanding" characterization). Even after the act of destroying the asteroids, he was still open to doubling the efforts to end the war. (Yup, I had to dig up the 4 issue limited series I kept in my attic to reread that amazing piece of pop culture marketing) Now this retcon puts to doubt his character of a caring principled leader into a conniving nihilistic one? He set his friends up to die for the greater good? Nope! Not my Prime.
Back in the 80s, there was no "digital color separation" techniques. Just the simple newsprint tone Benday dots style for newsprint. It was all budget budget budget. Now, the latest generation of fans are now "spoiled"(not a pejorative btw) with all the option that digital colors can give (at a hefty mark up mind you). Fyi, the TF mini series back then cost 75cents over the main line comics like Unc X-men which cost 65cents. So TF cost more back then(it even used a much more expensive type of paper, issue#4 especially had a different printing process)
I hate the wannabe retcon too. It's Furman defecating over Optimus same way he was defecating over Scorponok in ReGen 1. It's "wannabe retcon" because Furman's not Shooter, not Budiansky and it isn't written in the eighties so IDW can pretend all they want and it still doesn't count as anything to be taken seriously. Guidi's art still is the selling point of this book. For all what it matters, it could be an artbook with no story.
But he didn’t really “shit” on Scorponok. That was simply the original Scorpy, not the Zarak minded version that died in 75. Though, Scorps story in ReGen did suck. Big time. For me, it’s not shitting on OP per se. it’s just a story. Take it as canon or don’t. Just depends on the reader. As I’m currently re-reading Marvel US and have just read 1-7, I see this as fitting for OP. But, it doesn’t have to be canon.
