Join us as we (well, mostly Sean) offer some insight into what makes Transformers a great source of sci-fi stories. Highlights (brought to you this week by Audra): We discuss some of the origins of the Autobots and Decepticons and why they become vehicles/dinosaurs/animals, talk loyalty and what it means in the Transformers universe, explore what it might be like to live on the all-robot Cybertron, get into some specifics about Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Bumblebee, and Arcee, hear what Sean really thinks about Inspector Gadget’s Penny, take a few last-minute Trek/Terminator calls, and explore tribble sex.
In! Perfect timing: I’m about to tackle some vacuuming. GWC podcasts make housework breeze right by!
Awesome! Goin’ nutz with the Gobots!
Aw yeah! VERY cool podcast this week! And a very cool surprise, too! I had to replay that a few times! 
“Near as I can tell, they’re born pregnant.”
–McCoy, The Trouble with Tribbles
Sean, you need to post a picture of your fully assembled Devastator!
Sean, thank you for an excellent Transformers primer. I think I fall somewhere between you and Chuck in terms of exposure to Transformers…I watched it some, but was more of a Voltron guy myself growing up. I am looking forward to Netflixing the 87 movie!
The discussion got me thinking, what does everyone’s Mass Effect character look like?
I made a thread 
http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com/showthread.php?t=7378
Great intro to Transformers for newcomers. However, Sean, I would argue that Shockwave is second in command of the Decepticons. Megatron left him in charge of Cybertron where he ruled in Megatron’s stead for 4 million years. Soundwave was more of a personal assistant to Megatron, and Starscream was Megatron’s lieutenant on the mission to capture the Ark.
There was dicussion regarding Triblles early in the podcast.
As you can see below, the Tribble’s reproductive system dominates its internal organ makeup.
My understanding, is that Tribbles simply have to eat to get pregnant.
Nice one Bedlam, I had forgotten all about Shockwave. I always forgot about Shockwave when I was a kid too. Mostly because he was less cool and more scary. He actaully carried out orders to destroy and capture Autobots without failing sometimes. Which always made me angry 
Though I would suggest that Soundwave was less a PA and more the LT in charge of recon. Megatron always loved him some recon and kept that info and those that gave it to him close at hand.
Rock on!
Kind of reminds me of an oyster which is about 40% gonad by weight…
When I was maybe 9 or 10 years old coon skin caps were a big deal.
We in the neighborhood like to pretend we were Davey Crokett or Daniel Boone, etc.
So, we of course had coon skin caps …like this:
Being the Trek-kid that I was, I of course, took my coon skin cap (and my brother’s) and cut off tail. And then stuffed it them with socks. Then I took needled and thread and sewed the cap shut.
The result: A TRIBBLE!!
My brother wasn’t too pleased about this, if I recall.
(I’m sure I’m not the only GWC/Trekster that did that when they were a kid, hmm?)
Tight podcast as always guys. Sean - you keep right on tellin us about the Transformers awesoemness!
I’m only 15 min in the podcast so far, but I’m so looking forward to getting my Transformers Education. I’m a total Transformers virgin, so I need me some schoolin’.
Same here! And the first ‘cast was very informative! I plan on re-listening today to soak it all in a little more, but I think Sean’s initial dive into what is obviously a HUGE pool of material was great. And who knew the little plastic b*stards all over my kids’ rooms had so much backstory!
Hasbro’s original factory (and now World Headquarters) is about 10 minutes away from me, and I’m seriously considering heading down there with a camera and seeing if they have any GWC-noteworthy Transformer stuff to photograph. I’ve never been in there but it looks pretty cool from the outside.
And TFG, thanks for the tribble-guts diagram, which I was moments away from posting! (You knew it was going to be you, me, or Talos!) And props to my mom, who, a long (long, long) time ago, having been begged for days to make me a tribble, tore the lining out of an old winter coat (grey faux fur) to make me a few!
See, that’s where you as a father of boys has an advantage over me (a father of girls), when it comes to stuff like Transformers.
Oh, if GWC ever does a Barbies, Disney Princesses or Fairies arc (the horror!! :eek:), I’ll be one step ahead of the average GWCer, but nope, there’s nary a peep of Transformers in this house.
I liked the last movie if I pretended it WASN"T the transformers. I pretended I was wathching an american Godzilla movie and had a good time.
As A kid I really loved the Transformers. The fundamental problem with the movie was that the main character was brillopad-hairdo nerd Shiah Lebouf, NOT the transformers. An episode of Tranformers might feture Spike… but the characters were the Transformers. They had personalities ( the Decepticons were the coolest) and their story was the plot. Ask any person who ever watched Tranformers and they can tell you about the robots and what their personalits are like. Can you tell me what the personalitiy of ANY of these Robots is like? No… and neither can the writers evidently.
This movie was more like a Godzilla movie. Where the plot was all about the people and how theu reacted to the robots in the background.
So I like the Transformers movie . I view it as a " big robot monter movie". It looks great, and the effects are cool. I am not saying that it’s not good. It’s just not Transformers.
( haveing transformers transform and nameing a No-personalty bad thing Megatron doesn’t do it justice. Other than borowing names and haveing Optimus… it’s really nothing like the original. It’s the equivalent of the 1988 Punisher movie with Dolph Lundren. It’s a good crime and punishment movie… but don’t call it Punisher)
I don’t see how likeing the original translates into a loyalty to this… In most of my friends, likeing the TV cartoon or comic acts against the enjoyment of this movie. I am not being a fan nerd and picking this franchise apart… I am saying that it is in almost NO WAY like the great cartoon
. Hopefully they took a que from a fan and gave Megatron a personalty, gave Starscream a personalty and made the movie only about 15% Indiana Jone’s kid and mostly Deccepticons in their base makeing evil plans!
To quote Sean at about 59 min into the podcast:
“…it’s sort like an Abrams tank verus a Zamboni.”
I dunno, man. This Zamboni looks like it could kick some sorryBarb.
Probably why we’ve never dared to invade Canada.
