I know we've just had the Definitive G1 Collection come out here in the UK, but I've always wanted a weekly partwork magazine containing TF character profiles, episode guides and general information about the history of the brand.

Ages back there was a Star Trek partwork that covered all series of the show with each issue containing character profiles, episode synopsis, information about the planets, technologies and ships of the Star Trek universe you could separate the pages out of and place into binders. I'd love something like that.

Just imagine a character profile that details personality, abilities and tech specs, with their history in the franchise, plus pictures of their various depictions over the years, including photos of the toys of that character.

Sure, we have many online sites that already offer this information, but I feel there's still a great appeal in holding a physical representation of that, especially one that can grow over time and be added to with updates as the Transformers universe continues to grow.

Unlike the £10 per issue Definitive Collection books we currently have, a cheaper fact file magazine each week that covers every version of Transformers might appeal more to children and introduce them to a wider TF universe they might not even know exists.

So... Yes or no?

 

Being a fan of both Transformers and partworks, my answer is of course "yay".

I remember collecting the Trek one very well - it launched at the beginning of 1997. First time I became aware of it was watching "First Contact" at the cinema in December '96 - the partwork was one of the adverts playing before the movie. Good times.

The publisher of any TF fact files partwork would need to think carefully about its arrangement. Consider (as an example) a profile for the character Bumblebee - you not only have multiple iterations (G1, Movie, Animated etc) but WITHIN each of those, multiple incarnations. For G1, would you use a generic "tech spec"-style personality profile, or go into detail about the G1 cartoon, G1 US/UK comics, IDW and so on.

It's a wonderful idea though - not sure there's enough public interest for it, I guess the Definitive G1 Collection's success will be a good indicator for future partworks (personally, I've always fancied a Transformers "Figurine Collection"-type affair, similar to Eaglemoss' Marvel and DC ones).

The idea reminds me of when, as 9 year olds, my friend & I tried to create our own A-Z of Transformers magazine at school. We got to "B" and gave up, but it was fun...!

 

Thanks for the reply.

I agree that character profiles would need to cover many aspects, especially with regard to the multiple versions many characters have just within G1. But that's the beauty of this kind of magazine as it can grow to cover all those varied aspects.

The Definitive G1 Collection is pretty decent, for sure, but it doesn't perhaps have the spur of the moment pocket money spend factor of a magazine for maybe a couple of quid for youngsters compared to the £9.99 of the often hard to find in stores DG1C which is more collector-orientated.

I could go for a figurine collection series myself too. I'd also quite like to see accurate models of G1 alt modes with all the correct livery. It'd be like those RPMs. So, maybe figurine and alt mode models. Or re-release the Robot Heroes figures one per issue as a covermounted gift with a Factfile Partwork. Or Kabaya kits. I dunno... Just something a bit different. TF seems to have so little non-transforming figure merchandise out there these days, especially right there in front of kids at the comic stands with pocket money just aching to be spent.