G1 Gobots Bio Info
Douglas Dlin
share these tidbits with the rest of the English-speaking online world...
Decepticon/Autobot Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
G1 GoBots
Bug Bite
Bad Boy
Treads
Pathfinder
Road Ranger
Smallfoot
Function...Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
These are the first group of robots on Cybertron to call themselves
"GoBots." Equipped with completely standard outward appearances and
transformation functions of Transformers, they are, in fact, undercover
operatives of a species that came from a completely different universe.
They are a special-duties unit comprised of initially opposing powers
who joined forces to save their brethren from a crisis threatening to
destroy their homeworld. Even as they conduct such secret activities on
Cybertron as intelligence-gathering, diplomacy, and dimensional
interference experiments, they have brought technologies such as their
distinctive transporter devices and biomechanical engineering to this
world, contributing to the birth of new generations of TFs like the
Spychangers.
Weapon(s)...Various built-in firepower
STR 7
INT 9
SPD 7
END 6
TWK 2
CRG 8
FRP 7
SKL 9
NOTES: "They," of course, refers to the GoBots written about here. I
didn't want to make this a simple misappropriation of the names, but
rather a virtual crossover within the limits permitted by copyright.
Treads was originally a good guy, but joined the "D Team" to keep an eye
on the other two.
The categories on the tech spec chart conform to those of the Japanese
Micromasters.
It was decided at one point that Road Ranger's name would be changed.
There were three alternate candidates:
1. Stacks
2. Greasepit
3. Hauler-bot
Now, of course, it's all academic, as the individual toy names have been
eliminated. Such a shame...
Doug Dlin
apcog at hotmail.com
TransRazor
But... RID... and Car Robots... and... um... err...
*head explodes*
Aberration
Because the Spychanger molds originated in Generation 2, when
they were called... Gobots. Clever.
Maybe I'm nuts, but I'd like to see more convergence between
the Transformers and Go-Bots universes. Hasbro has the Leader-1
name, why not have the real deal show up in Universe? (And by
"real deal", I mean a G2 Cyberjet recolored silver, and a vague
bio going something like, "A warrior from another dimension,
LEADER-1 was the GUARDIAN of his homeworld, protecting it from
RENEGADE machines. Now, he joins the Autobots in the battle
to stop Unicron, blah blah blah..."
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Derik Smith
>After a long wait for the toys' release date to draw nigh, I can finally
>share these tidbits with the rest of the English-speaking online world...
*claps*
>Decepticon/Autobot Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
>G1 GoBots
Is that the full title? Are they identified as Decepticon/Autobot, or as
Destron/Cyberton? (Relevant, given how delicately continuity is being minced.)
And are the individual names listed anywhere? Your later text makes this
unclear.
>Function...Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
>These are the first group of robots on Cybertron to call themselves
>"GoBots."
Being G1 gobots, and all the latter misappropriations of the term coming
into play G2 on. Go on.
>Equipped with completely standard outward appearances and
>transformation functions of Transformers, they are, in fact, undercover
>operatives of a species that came from a completely different universe.
INTERESTING.
> They are a special-duties unit comprised of initially opposing powers
>who joined forces to save their brethren from a crisis threatening to
>destroy their homeworld.
*pleasenotunicron*
>Even as they conduct such secret activities on
>Cybertron as intelligence-gathering, diplomacy, and dimensional
>interference experiments, they have brought technologies such as their
>distinctive transporter devices and biomechanical engineering to this
>world, contributing to the birth of new generations of TFs like the
>Spychangers.
>Weapon(s)...Various built-in firepower
Ha! No built-in weapons-- they shoot beams from their firsts! (Like, you
know, the Gobots)
>STR 7
>INT 9
>SPD 7
>END 6
>TWK 2
>CRG 8
>FRP 7
>SKL 9
Teamwork 2. Well, what do you expect of a Guardian/Renegade mixed force?
>NOTES: "They," of course, refers to the GoBots written about here. I
>didn't want to make this a simple misappropriation of the names, but
>rather a virtual crossover within the limits permitted by copyright.
Generic terminology was used because Takara couldnt' clear the use of all 6
copyrighted names. Gotcha.
By general contrast- Hasbro now owns the CotG universe IIRC, and thus
Dreamwave's use of the character likenesses is semi-kosher. (They didn't
LISCENCE the GB's is the only sticking point, ignoring that the liscence would
be relatively worthless.) Arguably Gobots in the US now goes hand in hand with
TF as a liscence, given how much Hasbro, Dreamwave and Takara have done
internally to break down the barriers between the universes. And comics (for
whatever reason) aren't subject to the same naming restructions as toys.
(Dreamwave can use names Hasbro cannot.)
Hrm. 'Transfomers v. the GoBots'. Now THAT's a mini with potential...
>Treads was originally a good guy, but joined the "D Team" to keep an eye
>on the other two.
Interesting.
>It was decided at one point that Road Ranger's name would be changed.
>There were three alternate candidates:
>1. Stacks
>2. Greasepit
>3. Hauler-bot
Stacks being the best alternative, Greasepit being a terribly generic one
(whose only real ressonance is as an unreleased G2 Go-bot.) Hauler-bot....
would make my head hurt.
Okay, so, let me see if I have this right...
These are the 'first' GoBots. has the term been used in Japan at all
prior to the Big Adventures line?
They are from another universe, apparently the GBots cartoon universe,
where the Renegades and Guardians have had to join forces to save themselves
from destruction and. To do this they send a covert team to the G1 TF
universe, where the team (I gather) broke into two units and joined the
Cybertrons and the Destrons (Treads on the Destron team despite being a
Guardian.) They're also introducing their own teleportation and biomechanical
(the GoBots actually being cyborgs) technology, which is part of what brings
about the Spychangers?
*scratches head*
…who do they mean by the Spychangers? The G2 Go-bots? The Spychangers
proper? Phrasing makes me suspect the G2 GoBots were named for them, and
they're just being called Spychangers. (Much as the fandom now refers to them
as Spychanger molds.) Of course, the last assortment of Super Spychangers also
powered up the entire team in preperation of some unknown looming threat…
sounding rather like the one facing Gobotron.
Damnit, I HATE UNICRON.
So, these guys aren't just name-homages. They actually ARE their CotG
counterparts in new forms.
Can anyone TELL me anything about Bug Bite, Bad Boy, Treads, Pathfinder,
Road Ranger and Smallfoot? Zob?
I mean, there is NO biographical information of the scads of GoBots that
were released online. And it's not like they didn't have any. Baron Von Joy,
for instance, was Prince William's bodyguard. Did GoBots have official bios on
their cards/boxes?
-Derik
Press Alt+F4 to participate in my Transfan IQ experiment!
Semper Idem Excretum, sed Sole Profundum Variat
I resolve to be more positive. Not nice, just positive.
James Byun
"Autobot" sets and how much? So, from your description, no individual
artwork or bios? :(
-JB
"Douglas Dlin" <ap...@texas.net> wrote in message
news:hI6dnbq2UZ4...@texas.net...
Zobovor the Know-It-All
> Can anyone TELL me anything about Bug Bite, Bad Boy, Treads, Pathfinder,
>Road Ranger and Smallfoot? Zob?
Err... my memory of the Challenge of the GoBots cartoon is rather spotty.
Pathfinder and Small Foot were both notable female Guardians, each of whom made
semi-regular cartoon appearances. I'm afraid their personalities must not have
been distinct enough to leave a lasting impression on me, as I couldn't really
tell you anything about either of them. (Pathfinder was voiced by B.J. Ward,
which means she sounded a lot like Scarlett from G.I. Joe.)
It's worth mentioning that all of the Mini Autobot toys chosen as these GoBots'
new forms are quite fitting. Pathfinder was a UFO (I hesitate to call her a
flying saucer, as she wasn't perfectly round in the way that Cosmos is); Road
Ranger was a flatbed tractor trailer (which means that his new incarnation is
technically missing a piece... I think Stacks would have been a more apt
selection); and Small Foot was a 4WD pickup truck (think Big Foot, only...
well, smaller). Bug Bite was a Volkswagen Beetle (shaped like a real car,
rather than the super-deformed style of Bumblebee); Bad Boy was an A-10
Warthog, just like Powerglide; and Treads was a tank. So, the choice of these
specific GoBots characters here is eminently appropriate.
>Did GoBots have official bios on their cards/boxes?
Sadly, no. Tonka's GoBots line really *was* a case of lifeless plastic robots
until the cartoon series injected some life and personality into them.
Derik Smith
>
>Sadly, no. Tonka's GoBots line really *was* a case of lifeless
>plastic robots until the cartoon series injected some life and
>personality into them.
Bah! But- Nuggit has a bio! What, were bios one of thsoe things injected
into the line post-movie to prop it up? Biulder and magmar have them too!
Hrm, they battle over the rock planet of Quartex... interesting TFism
there, yes... *mumble**mumble*straighten up and pyrite*mumble**mumble*
Anyway- these guys had personalities. Some of them had TWO. Baron Von
Joy being a case in point. I read his writeup in an old wal-mart catalog, the
same one that actually used the term Seeker. But Joecustoms.com isn't hosting
the pics anymore. Did anyone save them?
But hey- speakin' of things Joecustoms IS hosting:
http://www.joecustoms.com/customs/customs_specificitem.php?id=109&kind=veh
icle&page=1&thumbs=off
Ant any rate, my point is, someone who is not me must be charged with
gathering up these scattered Go-bot bios and reuiniting them with their toys...
on the internet. Like, an internet hookup, where we learn that Staxx is
actually a 400 poind furvert who dresses like Chetara.
(No offense to the furries on this group Kil.)
Bermuda Mohawk
> Generic terminology was used because Takara couldnt' clear the use of all 6
> copyrighted names. Gotcha.
That doesn't make any sense, cause they wouldn't NEED to clear any
copyrights. Takara must have felt that using the names would then mean
more work, and instead went with the group bio instead of 6 seperate
ones.
> By general contrast- Hasbro now owns the CotG universe IIRC, and thus
> Dreamwave's use of the character likenesses is semi-kosher.
Not at all. Hasbro owns the names, and ONLY the names. Hanna Barbara
and Bandai are the ones who hold the majority of the works here. And
no, Dreamwave's use of the Machine Robo characters is no remotely
"kosher" if it's due to a mistaken idea that Hasbro owns them. Maybe
through parody or some artistic license they can get away with it once
or twice, but I wouldn't suggest they do it often.
> Hrm. 'Transfomers v. the GoBots'. Now THAT's a mini with potential...
Won't ever happen legally of course.
> I mean, there is NO biographical information of the scads of GoBots that
> were released online. And it's not like they didn't have any.
They had bios, some good ones too.
> Baron Von Joy,
> for instance, was Prince William's bodyguard.
Oh? Your souce for this?
--Dave
Not new, just repackaged.
Contact me at: bermudamohawk(a)yahoo.com
"Money has nothing to do with the value of life...You call me up and
talk about money, I don't want to hear anymore about money...You put
yourself up for sale, You're all sold out"
Bermuda Mohawk
> Derik Smith wrote:
> >Did GoBots have official bios on their cards/boxes?
>
> Sadly, no. Tonka's GoBots line really *was* a case of lifeless plastic robots
> until the cartoon series injected some life and personality into them.
Actually, yes they did have bios before the show, just not on the
cardbacks.
In the bios you can see where Tonka wanted to go with the
characters/story, and where Hanna Barbara later went a different
direction. The original Go Bots bios were more reminiscent of the
early Transfomer MtMtE mini series storyline. In fact, some aspects
are exactly the same. And the Gobot's bios were out 8 months before
MtMtE aired, and 5 months before the dates marked on the Marvel
production drawings.
Derik Smith
>all 6
>> copyrighted names. Gotcha.
>
>That doesn't make any sense, cause they wouldn't NEED to clear any
>copyrights. Takara must have felt that using the names would then mean
>more work, and instead went with the group bio instead of 6 seperate
>ones.
Why, exactly, would Takara not need to clear any copyrigts? Does Japan
somehow lack protection for copywritten names? Can Takara not lose these
names?
>> By general contrast- Hasbro now owns the CotG universe IIRC, and thus
>> Dreamwave's use of the character likenesses is semi-kosher.
>
>Not at all. Hasbro owns the names, and ONLY the names. Hanna Barbara
>and Bandai are the ones who hold the majority of the works here. And
>no, Dreamwave's use of the Machine Robo characters is no remotely
>"kosher" if it's due to a mistaken idea that Hasbro owns them. Maybe
>through parody or some artistic license they can get away with it once
>or twice, but I wouldn't suggest they do it often.
See, I thought Hanna Barbera owned the cartoon and Bandai owned the molds.
Rather similar to how Sunbow owned (owned, Rhino now) the cartoon and Takara
has TF's molds. Hasbro doesn't just own the names, they own the universe, the
character likenesses (though not the molds on which those likenesses are based)
etc. Unless you've heard differently, woudl explain why we couldn't get a
minicon named Gobotron, since I doubt someone else is using the term.
Anyone who understands copyright law familiar with just how Hasbro picked
up a legal claim to it anyway? I only have a vague idea that they have one.
>>I mean, there is NO biographical information of the scads of GoBots that
>> were released online. And it's not like they didn't have any.
>
>They had bios, some good ones too.
*snaps fingers* That's right, you're a MRR buff, aren't you?
>> Baron Von Joy,
>> for instance, was Prince William's bodyguard.
>
>Oh? Your souce for this?
Cited elsewhere in this thread. Sadly, joecustums isn't hsoting the
catalog scans anymore, and archive.org didn't catch them. Did anyone save the
pages in question? (The wal-mart catalog that caused a stir about a year and a
half ago because it actually used the term 'Seeker'.)
Hotmissile
fray!
>
> I saw a pack of 3 of these guys, are they releasing "Decepticon" and
> "Autobot" sets and how much? So, from your description, no individual
> artwork or bios? :(
Is this the picture you're thinking of?
http://www.fantofan.com/photo%20gallery/minibot/CFTF2.JPG
It may initially look like there are three Minibots in there, but
there are actually all six. You can just see Treads & Road Ranger, but
Pathfinder's completely hidden.
I believe they only come with that one card you can see in the
photo. Looks like you could need to do a fair amount of work for their
tech specs. (Unless... I wonder if that's a group picture, or six
pictures stuck together. If it's the latter, someone with e-hobby
contacts might be able to get hold of individual portraits.)
Mic // Hotmissile
hotmissile_lives is the answer.
That is all.
Bermuda Mohawk
news:20040327065903...@mb-m12.aol.com...
> >> Generic terminology was used because Takara couldnt' clear the use
of
> >all 6
> >> copyrighted names. Gotcha.
> >
> >That doesn't make any sense, cause they wouldn't NEED to clear any
> >copyrights. Takara must have felt that using the names would then mean
> >more work, and instead went with the group bio instead of 6 seperate
> >ones.
>
> Why, exactly, would Takara not need to clear any copyrigts? Does
Japan
> somehow lack protection for copywritten names? Can Takara not lose these
> names?
Well, actually they could use the names, cause like many names,even
trademarked in America, those with copyright protection and people's names,
Japanese can use them via katakana. The names were originally in katakana on
the E Hobby site, and these are not names Bandai ever held in Japan. There
really is no reason legally they could not have used them.
> >> By general contrast- Hasbro now owns the CotG universe IIRC, and
thus
> >> Dreamwave's use of the character likenesses is semi-kosher.
> >
> >Not at all. Hasbro owns the names, and ONLY the names. Hanna Barbara
> >and Bandai are the ones who hold the majority of the works here. And
> >no, Dreamwave's use of the Machine Robo characters is no remotely
> >"kosher" if it's due to a mistaken idea that Hasbro owns them. Maybe
> >through parody or some artistic license they can get away with it once
> >or twice, but I wouldn't suggest they do it often.
>
> See, I thought Hanna Barbera owned the cartoon and Bandai owned the
molds.
> Rather similar to how Sunbow owned (owned, Rhino now) the cartoon and
Takara
> has TF's molds. Hasbro doesn't just own the names, they own the universe,
the
> character likenesses (though not the molds on which those likenesses are
based)
> etc. Unless you've heard differently, woudl explain why we couldn't get a
> minicon named Gobotron, since I doubt someone else is using the term.
Why would it explain Gobotron? That's a Tonka name.
The likness of all the toys,were held by Bandai. Nearly every one of the
toys was produced through Bandai. Tonka licensed the liknesses form Bandai,
therefore when the partnership of selling the toys was ended, Tonka's rights
to the likeness of the characters ended as well. All they had left were
names. This could be why we've never seen the Gobots cartoon on Cartoon
network, Bandai may not allow it.
> Anyone who understands copyright law familiar with just how Hasbro
picked
> up a legal claim to it anyway? I only have a vague idea that they have
one.
>
> >>I mean, there is NO biographical information of the scads of GoBots that
> >> were released online. And it's not like they didn't have any.
> >
> >They had bios, some good ones too.
>
> *snaps fingers* That's right, you're a MRR buff, aren't you?
>
> >> Baron Von Joy,
> >> for instance, was Prince William's bodyguard.
> >
> >Oh? Your souce for this?
>
> Cited elsewhere in this thread. Sadly, joecustums isn't hsoting the
> catalog scans anymore, and archive.org didn't catch them. Did anyone save
the
> pages in question? (The wal-mart catalog that caused a stir about a year
and a
> half ago because it actually used the term 'Seeker'.)
I think Seeker was a term that Hasrbo was going to use, because it's come
out in several sales catalogs. I have a clip form a JC Penny's catalog that
also refers to the jets as Seekers. It was probably sales sheet text that
was sent out to promote and sell the toys and was later changed.
Anyhow, I think the write up for Von Joy may be a mistake on Wal Mart's
part, not knowing which "Prince" Tonka was refering to. I can't say for fact
however, cause I can't see the pic you are using as a source.
--Dave
Not new, just repackaged.
Contact me at: bermudamohawk(a)yahoo.com
"Just because he cries sometimes when he's kicked your face and smashed your
spine, we're going out to find him and beat him up"
Bermuda Mohawk
news:Wze9c.17505$t16.9...@newssvr28.news.prodigy.com...
> > >> for instance, was Prince William's bodyguard.
> > >
> > >Oh? Your souce for this?
> >
> > Cited elsewhere in this thread. Sadly, joecustums isn't hsoting
the
> > catalog scans anymore, and archive.org didn't catch them. Did anyone
save
> the
> > pages in question? (The wal-mart catalog that caused a stir about a
year
> and a
> > half ago because it actually used the term 'Seeker'.)
After a bit of looking I find that there was in fact no Wal Mart ad that
showed this, it was the same Pennys ad I seen a few years back.
Aberration
> I believe they only come with that one card you can see in the
> photo. Looks like you could need to do a fair amount of work for their
> tech specs. (Unless... I wonder if that's a group picture, or six
> pictures stuck together. If it's the latter, someone with e-hobby
> contacts might be able to get hold of individual portraits.)
I'm guessing it's the latter. Those six poses don't make sense
for six bots standing so close together.
Firefly
> share these tidbits with the rest of the English-speaking online world...
>
> Decepticon/Autobot Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
> G1 GoBots
>
> Bug Bite
> Bad Boy
> Treads
>
> Pathfinder
> Road Ranger
> Smallfoot
Smallfoot rules. Had him as a kid (actually my brother had him, he liked
go-bots more than TF....can you imagine?) loved that little guy. I also
liked my man Scratch....definitely Trailbreaker's lil' bro.
Firefly
Steve-o Stonebraker
> Actually, yes they did have bios before the show, just not on the
> cardbacks.
Neat. And you actually mean English bios for Go-Bots, not Machine Robo
bios? In what manner were they available? Are they online anywhere? I'd
love to see them.
--Steve-o
--
Steve Stonebraker | http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/
sst...@yahoo.com | Transformers, astrophysics, comics, games, cartoons.
David Willis
> minicon named Gobotron, since I doubt someone else is using the term.
Orson said he didn't use Gobotron because he decided that it was too
goofy and that fans might throw fits.
Which is too bad.
--David
www.itswalky.com
Thomas Hamann
the following thoughts into your brain cells:
>>> Generic terminology was used because Takara couldnt' clear the use of
>>all 6
>>> copyrighted names. Gotcha.
>>
>>That doesn't make any sense, cause they wouldn't NEED to clear any
>>copyrights. Takara must have felt that using the names would then mean
>>more work, and instead went with the group bio instead of 6 seperate
>>ones.
>
> Why, exactly, would Takara not need to clear any copyrigts? Does Japan
>somehow lack protection for copywritten names? Can Takara not lose these
>names?
>
therefore did not use those names.
Machine Robo is to Gobots like Diaclone is to Transformers (well,
except in Europe, where Robo Machine (which was clearly meant to be an
international release of Machine Robo) and Gobots flowed into each
other..., but we're talking USA and Japan here.).
>>> By general contrast- Hasbro now owns the CotG universe IIRC, and thus
>>> Dreamwave's use of the character likenesses is semi-kosher.
>>
>>Not at all. Hasbro owns the names, and ONLY the names. Hanna Barbara
>>and Bandai are the ones who hold the majority of the works here.
Yep. Please note that for Europe, Bandai hold the rights to many
names, too, as Tonka only played a minor role there (Tonka owns a few
names, perhaps bits of the universe, and the toys that Tonka
designed).
>>no, Dreamwave's use of the Machine Robo characters is no remotely
>>"kosher" if it's due to a mistaken idea that Hasbro owns them. Maybe
>>through parody or some artistic license they can get away with it once
>>or twice, but I wouldn't suggest they do it often.
>
In which comic did they do that again? Should that comic be released
in Europe, I wonder if said image will be edited not to show the
Gobots...
> See, I thought Hanna Barbera owned the cartoon and Bandai owned the molds.
Bandai owns the molds, but also has rights to the cartoon, quite a few
of the names (in fact, some Gobots names were used on packaging only
featuring the Bandai logo and name (around 1983)...), and likenesses.
> Rather similar to how Sunbow owned (owned, Rhino now) the cartoon and Takara
>has TF's molds. Hasbro doesn't just own the names, they own the universe, the
>character likenesses (though not the molds on which those likenesses are based)
>etc.
If Tonka had prevented Hanna Barbera from allowing Bandai allow to
produce a foreign translation of the Machine Robo cartoon that used
Gobots names and terms, then they would probably have owned the
universe.
As it stands, Bandai holds the copyright, together with Hanna Barbera,
to a cartoon called "The Revenge of the Gobots"("La revanche des
Gobots"), which is an edited dub of the "Machine Robo: Revenge of
Cronos" anime using Gobots names and terms, and presented as a
continuation of the "Challenge of the Gobots" cartoon.
Perhaps Hasbro holds part of the franchise in the US, but outside the
US? I don't think so.
And I think they should watch out with what they do, because I think
Bandai doesn't like them hijacking "Machine Robot Rescue" just to
prevent Bandai from accessing a market. That's called 'making misuse
of a monopoly'.
<snip>
>>>I mean, there is NO biographical information of the scads of GoBots that
>>> were released online. And it's not like they didn't have any.
>>
>>They had bios, some good ones too.
>
> *snaps fingers* That's right, you're a MRR buff, aren't you?
>
. . .
What, exactly, does this have to do with things?
Thomas
--
Website: http://www.geocities.com/hamann_td/
Rec.Arts.Anime.Models Posting Policies: http://www.geocities.com/hamann_td/faqs.htm
email: hamann_td 'at' yahoo 'dot' com
Thomas Hamann
the following thoughts into your brain cells:
>>
>>Sadly, no. Tonka's GoBots line really *was* a case of lifeless
>>plastic robots until the cartoon series injected some life and
>>personality into them.
> Ant any rate, my point is, someone who is not me must be charged with
>gathering up these scattered Go-bot bios and reuiniting them with their toys...
>on the internet. Like, an internet hookup, where we learn that Staxx is
>actually a 400 poind furvert who dresses like Chetara.
> (No offense to the furries on this group Kil.)
>
motor and a lame transformation, not to mention something like two
points of articulation.
Stacks is a orange and black (or blue) Super Gobot, featuring diecast
metal, two guns, good arm articulation, and interesting
transformation, and, in certain cases, a large blue trailer.
Thomas Hamann
<aberr...@NOSPAM.hotmail.com> beamed the following thoughts into
your brain cells:
>TransRazor wrote:
>> Spychangers?
>>
>> But... RID... and Car Robots... and... um... err...
>>
>> *head explodes*
>
>Because the Spychanger molds originated in Generation 2, when
>they were called... Gobots. Clever.
>
>Maybe I'm nuts, but I'd like to see more convergence between
>the Transformers and Go-Bots universes. Hasbro has the Leader-1
>name, why not have the real deal show up in Universe? (And by
>"real deal", I mean a G2 Cyberjet recolored silver, and a vague
>bio going something like, "A warrior from another dimension,
>LEADER-1 was the GUARDIAN of his homeworld, protecting it from
>RENEGADE machines. Now, he joins the Autobots in the battle
>to stop Unicron, blah blah blah..."
>
its ass sued by Bandai.
In fact, the above will be true for quite a few 1980s-Gobots-inspired
items made by Hasbro...Bandai probably still holds the rights to quite
a bit of the franchise in Europe (where Tonka did not play much of a
role, except in the licensing of a couple of names...).
For example, the reason we Europeans will never see Hasbro's TFU
Inferno and Ratchet figures (you know, the ones featuring the
blatantly ripped off "Machine Robot Rescue" name...), is that Bandai
could easily point out that Hasbro is infringing on their intelectual
property (Gobots were first released as and later featured the name
"Robo Machine" here in Europe, and in 1993 Bandai released a line
called "Robo Machines")...
Thomas, really wishes Bandai had brought out Robo Machines in the US
in 1993 (Bandai had reserved the name for future use)...
Thomas Hamann
the following thoughts into your brain cells:
<snip>
>>Weapon(s)...Various built-in firepower
>
> Ha! No built-in weapons-- they shoot beams from their firsts! (Like, you
>know, the Gobots)
>
fact.
Eg.
- I have a cassette containing the Gobots theme song and featuring a
bad-ass drawing of Leader-1 holding two blasters and firing at Cop-Tur
(Cop-Tur, like any good renegade, is of course firing back - no lame
fleeing away from the good guys!).
- "Revenge of the Gobots" had heavily armed Gobots and real guns.
- Many Super Gobots had guns. Many smaller Gobots have molded in
details showing blasters, barrels, and whatelse you may need to blow
up your enemy. Plane-alt-moded Gobots usually have their wings folded
up in such a way that they can launch their missiles and rockets
without problems.
<snip>
> Hrm. 'Transfomers v. the GoBots'. Now THAT's a mini with potential...
>
Coming to your local courthouse real soon...
<snip>
> Greasepit being a terribly generic one
>(whose only real ressonance is as an unreleased G2 Go-bot.)
Er...Greasepit is the name of a Micromaster Station that turns into an
artillery base.
<snip>
Thomas
Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale
news:20040327011706...@mb-m27.aol.com...
> Derik Smith wrote:
>
> > Can anyone TELL me anything about Bug Bite, Bad Boy, Treads,
Pathfinder,
> >Road Ranger and Smallfoot? Zob?
>
> Err... my memory of the Challenge of the GoBots cartoon is rather spotty.
> Pathfinder and Small Foot were both notable female Guardians, each of whom
made
> semi-regular cartoon appearances. I'm afraid their personalities must not
have
> been distinct enough to leave a lasting impression on me, as I couldn't
really
> tell you anything about either of them. (Pathfinder was voiced by B.J.
Ward,
> which means she sounded a lot like Scarlett from G.I. Joe.)
Well, of the batch of GoBots chosen for recolors, the two female characters
probably had the most screentime in the original Hann-Barbara series. To
boil their personalities down quite simply, Pathfinder was calm and
level-headed but still tough, much akin to Airazor later on; Smallfoot was
young, hasty tomboy, often getting into trouble and needing rescue, and at
times, Res-Q, should she have become disassembled.
--Ant
*******************************************
Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale
*******************************************
Webmaster - www.tfu.info
*******************************************
Aaron F. Bourque
>Maybe I'm nuts,
If you are, then so am I!
>but I'd like to see more convergence between the Transformers
>and Go-Bots universes. Hasbro has the Leader-1 name, why
>not have the real deal show up in Universe? (And by "real deal",
>I mean a G2 Cyberjet recolored silver, and a vague bio going
>something like, "A warrior from another dimension, LEADER-1
>was the GUARDIAN of his homeworld, protecting it from
>RENEGADE machines. Now, he joins the Autobots in the battle
>to stop Unicron, blah blah blah..."
It doesn't have to be another dimension, unless you need to stick
him into Universe.
Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; the "mad" crazy!
--
Women supposedly mature at a faster rate than men
If that is true, how come they live so much longer then . . ?
Nothing says maturity like transforming toys for ten-year-olds.
Did Megatron's giant Sphinx come from US parts?
James Byun
time.
I can't remember which artist did the card, I think I've seen his work
before.
As for techs, I might just use the G1 pics and recolor them myself. Not
sure
what to do about Bumblebee's (Bug Bite?) new face though. Also, their gobot
origins will make the bios a bit harder to write up. Hopefully e-hobby will
release more of their characters.
-James Byun
M Sipher
news:Izg9c.17172$gZ3....@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
> Smallfoot rules. Had him as a kid (actually my brother had him, he liked
> go-bots more than TF....can you imagine?) loved that little guy.
Her. Small Foot's a her.
M "No, Really. 1/3rd Of This Set Is Female" Sipher
--
King Weasel Productions
Home of the productions of King Weasel!
Original stuff, Transformers, MegaMan/RockMan and more crap!
http://www.fortunecity.com/tatooine/simak/109/
M Sipher
news:slrnc6b8ka....@campbell.mps.ohio-state.edu...
> On 27 Mar 2004 03:49:29 -0800, Bermuda Mohawk wrote:
> > Actually, yes they did have bios before the show, just not on the
> > cardbacks.
>
> Neat. And you actually mean English bios for Go-Bots, not Machine Robo
> bios? In what manner were they available? Are they online anywhere? I'd
> love to see them.
I sent Creepy's to Ant for TFU, dunno if he ever put it up. It came on an
instruction sheet/cross-sell.
M "Bug Bite's HOCH Bio Has Been Changed To Reflect This Info" Sipher
Aaron F. Bourque
>"Firefly" <hey...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>news:Izg9c.17172$gZ3....@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
>
>> Smallfoot rules. Had him as a kid (actually my brother had
>> him, he liked go-bots more than TF....can you imagine?) loved
>> that little guy.
>
>Her. Small Foot's a her.
Oh, well then now I hate her.
Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque
--
Defensis Prime
>Date: 3/27/2004 1:34 PM Central Standard Time
>> >> Greasepit being a terribly generic one (whose only real ressonance is as
an unreleased G2 Go-bot.)
>>Er...Greasepit is the name of a Micromaster Station that turns into an
artillery base.
AND the name of an unreleased Go-Bots road rig--a tractor-trailer whose trailer
unfolded into a launch ramp with a green & blue recolor of G2 Gearhead. A pic
exists in the September 1996 issue of Lee's AFN&TR (#47) that covered BotCon
'96...ah, and another can be found here (phew, no digging in the magazine
piles!):
http://www.pretf.com/gobots/proto/proto1.jpg
--Defensis Prime: Psychotic Completist (R)
"...Transformers should have blinding neon color schemes--it oughta HURT to
look at 'em..."
Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale
Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale
message
> news:slrnc6b8ka....@campbell.mps.ohio-state.edu...
> I sent Creepy's to Ant for TFU, dunno if he ever put it up. It came on an
> instruction sheet/cross-sell.
D'oh, ignore the last blank post....
Just uploaded the bio, Siph. Forgot it was sitting in my inbox. It's now on
the site for all to see.
Firefly
> "Firefly" <hey...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:Izg9c.17172$gZ3....@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
>
> > Smallfoot rules. Had him as a kid (actually my brother had him, he
liked
> > go-bots more than TF....can you imagine?) loved that little guy.
>
> Her. Small Foot's a her.
I did not know that. I never followed the cartoon, I just liked the Go-Bot.
I'll probably always think of him as a him. Thanks for the info though.
Firefly
Kil - Michael McCarthy
> Ant any rate, my point is, someone who is not me must be charged with
>gathering up these scattered Go-bot bios and reuiniting them with their
>toys...
>on the internet. Like, an internet hookup, where we learn that Staxx is
>actually a 400 poind furvert who dresses like Chetara.
> (No offense to the furries on this group Kil.)
...what the hell?
-Kil
----
Michael "Kil" McCarthy
The Kil File - http://hometown.aol.com/michaelmcc79/index.html
"'Suck' is a relative term." -God, "Joan of Arcadia"
Douglas Dlin
> regen...@aol.com (Derik Smith) wrote in message news:<20040327005704...@mb-m12.aol.com>...
>
>
>> Generic terminology was used because Takara couldnt' clear the use of all 6
>>copyrighted names. Gotcha.
>
>
> That doesn't make any sense, cause they wouldn't NEED to clear any
> copyrights. Takara must have felt that using the names would then mean
> more work, and instead went with the group bio instead of 6 seperate
> ones.
Actually, Takara rolled over purely because cause of FUD (for those
wondering, that's Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, a common advertising
gimmick) caused by some fans online, best I can sum it up. Here's the
rundown according to Ichikawa-san:
"When e-Hobby first announced the G1 GoBots, hardly any Japanese fans
understood their background info. When it was learned the character's
names were 'American brand names for Machine Robos,' some people on the
net apparently said that 'Takara has infringed on Bandai's copyrights.'
In Japan, brand name copyrights basically depend only on title (which
in this case is just the 'G1 GoBots' part), so however Takara named the
characters for the content, there shouldn't have been any conflict over
questions of rights. From what I hear, though, a "well-informed" person
said, 'Bandai's the kind of company for which there's no telling what
they'll do if they get upset,' and he rather firmly recommended the use
of the names be discontinued. As expected, even Takara had to
reconsider, and as a result, the personal names of the GoBots were
completely eliminated from the product. I think it was a pretty
ridiculous idea, myself, but since I can't make a client bear risk, even
if it's a one-in-a-million chance, I didn't really try to refute it.
(By the time I heard about the situation, it was already a done deal, so
opposing it would've done squat-all anyway.)"
So while there SHOULDN'T have been a copyright issue causing problems,
some people put uncertainty into the minds of the Powers That Be, and it
was enough to make them eliminate the names just to avoid even the small
potential of trouble.
Doug Dlin
apcog at hotmail.com
Douglas Dlin
> Doug wrote:
>
>
>>After a long wait for the toys' release date to draw nigh, I can finally
>>share these tidbits with the rest of the English-speaking online world...
>
>
> *claps*
>
>
>>Decepticon/Autobot Dimensional Exploration/Experimentation Team
>>G1 GoBots
>
>
> Is that the full title?
Yep. What, doesn't it have enough words for you? :-)
> Are they identified as Decepticon/Autobot, or as
> Destron/Cyberton? (Relevant, given how delicately continuity is being minced.)
Destron/Cybertron in the Japanese spec, but Ichikawa-san wanted me to
convert to U.S. equivalents.
> And are the individual names listed anywhere? Your later text makes this
> unclear.
The names were originally included on e-Hobby's site when the set was
first announced. So even if the names aren't being used any more, I'd
still say that makes them semi-official.
Paul Segal
>
>Actually, Takara rolled over purely because cause of FUD (for those
>wondering, that's Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, a common advertising
>gimmick) caused by some fans online, best I can sum it up. Here's the
>rundown according to Ichikawa-san:
(snip)
>(By the time I heard about the situation, it was already a done deal, so
>opposing it would've done squat-all anyway.)"
I'm assuming you translated this whole explanation from Japanese. Given that,
I'd REALLY like to know what the Japanese idiom is that's equivalent to
"squat-all". (Assuming it was a colloquial phrase to begin with...)
-Paul Segal
Email: aster...@yahoo.com AIM: asterphage
Website: http://asterphage.lunarpages.com
This newsgroup is ridiculous.
Douglas Dlin
> Douglas Dlin wrote:
>
> (snip)
>
>
>> (By the time I heard about the situation, it was already a done deal, so
>> opposing it would've done squat-all anyway.)"
>
>
> I'm assuming you translated this whole explanation from Japanese. Given that,
> I'd REALLY like to know what the Japanese idiom is that's equivalent to
> "squat-all". (Assuming it was a colloquial phrase to begin with...)
Basically he said there was nothing he could do, but in a conversational
tone, so I went with the general feel of it. It's not so much a
separate word or idiom as a combination of the normal word plus the tone
of the conversation.
Devastator
> > ...I'd REALLY like to know what the Japanese idiom is that's equivalent
to
> > "squat-all"...
>
> ...It's not so much a separate word or idiom as a combination of the
David Willis
"Devastator" <deva...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:oqednZnLVv_...@adelphia.com...
> What the heck is "squat-all?" Who says crap like that?
Yo' momma.
--David
www.itswalky.com
Steve-o Stonebraker
> What the heck is "squat-all?" Who says crap like that?
It's just a phrase for "nothing", derived somehow from "diddly squat".
Now for an amusing anecdote. One of my freshman-year roommates and his
friends used to say "jack shit" for "nothing". They said it so often that
their use of it began to evolve. Before long they started to say "Two
things: jack and shit" as a way to be silly, and eventually went to just
"two things". So, in order to express the idea of "absolutely nothing"
they would say "two things", which I think is pretty funny.
ShadowWing
"Anthony "Tonyfitz" Brucale" wrote
> "M Sipher" wrote
>
> > I sent Creepy's to Ant for TFU, dunno if he ever put it up. It came on
an
> > instruction sheet/cross-sell.
>
on
> the site for all to see.
Is that the one from the mail-away green Creepy? (Which happens to be
the one I have.) The closest things I've ever seen to an official bio would
be this.
http://www.tfu.info/Gobots/Renegades/GreenCreepy/creepy.htm
There was also the illustrated booklet that came with Zod (or in a bin
at K-Mart), a few kids books, and the comic section in the GoBot Magazine.
That and the cartoon does it for media exposure. All the illustrated booklet
really told us was that Cy-Kill figured out GoBots can convert, and that
Dumper and Pumper were a brother detective team. The Magazine comics can't
give a whole lot of character in six pages. So the cartoon is the only
source I know of.
ShadowWing
"Thomas Hamann" wrote
> >
> > Ha! No built-in weapons-- they shoot beams from their firsts!
(Like, you
> >know, the Gobots)
> >
> Some of them. Depends on the cartoon, too. Depends on the media, in
> fact.
>
> Eg.
> - I have a cassette containing the Gobots theme song and featuring a
> bad-ass drawing of Leader-1 holding two blasters and firing at Cop-Tur
> (Cop-Tur, like any good renegade, is of course firing back - no lame
> fleeing away from the good guys!).
The illustrated booklet also had the characters using weapons. Except
for Pete and Nancy, of course. :)
> - "Revenge of the Gobots" had heavily armed Gobots and real guns.
That wasn't originally GoBots, though.
> - Many Super Gobots had guns. Many smaller Gobots have molded in
> details showing blasters, barrels, and whatelse you may need to blow
> up your enemy. Plane-alt-moded Gobots usually have their wings folded
> up in such a way that they can launch their missiles and rockets
> without problems.
Cop-Tur could use his big blade as a weapon in robot mode, and Tank
could hold his guns.
Thomas Hamann
<the...@SPAMBLOCKADEsnet.net> wrote:
>
>"Thomas Hamann" wrote
<snip>
>> - "Revenge of the Gobots" had heavily armed Gobots and real guns.
>
> That wasn't originally GoBots, though.
>
The same is valid for the Gobots toys themselves...especially those
with a Bandai copyright.
>> - Many Super Gobots had guns. Many smaller Gobots have molded in
>> details showing blasters, barrels, and whatelse you may need to blow
>> up your enemy. Plane-alt-moded Gobots usually have their wings folded
>> up in such a way that they can launch their missiles and rockets
>> without problems.
>
> Cop-Tur could use his big blade as a weapon in robot mode, and Tank
>could hold his guns.
Destroyer and Defendor can hold their guns, most car-alt-mode Supers
have roof/head-mounted weapons, etc.
Thomas
Robert Powers
Lo, for here, hewn into the very living rock may be found the last words
of ShadowWing :
>Dumper and Pumper were a brother detective team.
Pumper and Dumper?
Tried that, but I ended up getting slapped was all.
--
Robert Powers
repo...@uwm.edu
| Rob's Pile of Transformers!
| http://members.tripod.com/repowers/
| Things, fanfic, items, reviews, stuff, knockoffs, misc, etc.
|__________________________________________________________________
| alt.toys.transformers FAQ by Steve-o Stonebraker:
| http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/attfaq.txt
|_______________________________________________________________________
Paul Segal
>
>Basically he said there was nothing he could do, but in a conversational
>tone, so I went with the general feel of it. It's not so much a
>separate word or idiom as a combination of the normal word plus the tone
>of the conversation.
Oh, okay. I was hoping for a funny non-literal phrase.
ShadowWing
"Robert Powers" wrote
>
> Lo, for here, hewn into the very living rock may be found the last words
> of ShadowWing :
> >Dumper and Pumper were a brother detective team.
>
> Pumper and Dumper?
>
> Tried that, but I ended up getting slapped was all.
{waps Rob upside the head with stocking cap} Bad Rob! No cookie for you!
Zobovor the Know-It-All
> Pumper and Dumper?
>
> Tried that, but I ended up getting slapped was all.
I'm waiting for somebody to make the obligatory Screwhead reference now.
Robert Powers
Lo, for here, hewn into the very living rock may be found the last words
>>>After a long wait for the toys' release date to draw nigh, I can finally
>>>share these tidbits with the rest of the English-speaking online world...
>>
>>>G1 GoBots
[snippo]
I just wanted to say, I absolutely adore this backstory. The obligatory
reference to probably-Unicron is an irritant, but I love the idea of a
small team of erstwhile enemies, boldy and covertly venturing into unknown
territory and blending in, in a bid for their own survival. Makes me wish
I knew more about the GoBots universe, now.
(I can just picture their first report: "These guys shoot lasers out of
*guns*!!" "....what's a 'gun'?")
Thomas Hamann
Know-It-All) wrote:
In these kind of matters, Screwhead knows the drill...
<runs>
Thomas...