I've read all of Marvel US, and now I'm on to reading the Marvel UK run. Can anyone tell me why the heck the early stories use the actual toys (and toy/box art) for their pictorial basis, and not the animation models, or the Marvel US comic book likenesses? My best guess is that they had very little reference material, being the UK often got the shaft for licensed stuff, and was a secondary consideration to the US market for Transformers comics/toon/toys. some characters don't look that different (eg Starscream) but others like Brawn look a bit horrific walking around on his spider legs. Megatron has his phallus in place, and Starscream seems a bit jealous. So if anyone has any insights, anything you can link to or talk about that would be great.
Your guess regarding reference materials is correct. The first few UK stories were done without the cartoon/comic designs. They end up fixing that pretty soon though.
I know right. I recently bought the first Volumes of Marvel UK Transformers on Comixology and I'm trying to get through Volume 1 right now. So far I don't like it that much. I mostly read a few pages every day. I hope I soon get to the good part. As of now it just does not appeal to me.
Even the US comics had very little reference, sometimes only the one single drawing of the cartoon model sheet (or not even that, with later characters). Thus the reused poses. Thus Delbo drawing Starscream wrong (one ear) every single time the character appeared. You couldn't see the one ear on the character model sheet, so Delbo assumed it didn't exist. Those UK colors were pretty sweet for the time, though. Look how metallic Megatron looks when you can print from markers and colored inks rather than just flat colors like in the US comics of the time. And check out the completely different lettering style. Yikes! It's well done, but nothing like the Transformers style balloons from the US series. Jagged tails even, as if they are just machines and not living characters. That didn't last.
LOL! "The Case of the Missing Con-Ear!" Soon to be a major action mystery thriller in a Cybertorium near YOU!
From UK Classics Volume 1. Mark Collins based his designs on the toys as they didn't get one of the Marvel US style guides until their first trip to meet Bob Budiansky in the U.S.
I loved them when they were drawn like the toys. It gave them more of an alien robot vibe - plus they looked like the toys I had or was thinking of buying. It's a shame a lot of the unique designs were lost in trying to make them look like standard metal people - like Brawn and Huffer's claws, Gears hunch, Ratchet's face behind a screen and Megatron's proud and erect trigger codpiece. Well, maybe not the last one but we just didn't think that way in the 80's did we?
Man of Iron did that brilliantly. All the Autobots are so distant and inscrutable. An unknowable force that barely even felt like they were on 'our' side in that story.
I agree. I always say it, but Man Of Iron is still one of my favourite TF stories and one at I used to show people who didn't know what Transformers were. I'd love to see it turned into live action mini film or something.
Yeah that's what I was wondering. Man I wish their were digital versions of those in house marvel folders that were shared as ref for Hasbro/marvel/sunbow.
I know buying digital versions probably isn't quite what you're after, but these do have the black and white style guides used in the cartoon and comics. Not sure if they're on Comixology or iBooks but worth having a look if you're interested.
MAN OF IRON's a fan-TAS-tic story. It's not what I'd want all Transformers stories to be, but it's a brilliant human-perspective story that totally sells the idea of these things as eerie, alien visitors hiding among us. It's no coincidence the first live-action movie took the same approach - it's truly the most effective, haunting, "cinematic" way to tell an early-stage Transformers story.
Agreed, everything about "Man of Iron" works. Regarding the toy-based designs, I love 'em! I enjoy the Ladybird book series illustrations for the same reason.
Hang in there! What's so great about those early stories is you can see Furman grow as a writer. Every few stores there's a sudden jump in quality and ability (ditto with the artwork). Target 2006 is when he finally got there, and the UK stories finally really started going. After that, Prey! and Death's Head! and Primus! and all sorts of goodness...... until it all starts to fall apart after Time Wars with the B&W era. If I was being overly harsh, I'd suggest that Furman has been coasting ever since Target 2006. Also, Man Of Iron wasn't a story I enjoyed either.
