Theory: Remake the G1 toon.

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Darkstorm Zero
I just thought I'd gather up everyone's ideas into a 'what-if' they decided to do a remake of the G1 toons with todays tech and storywriting potential.

What would you like to see in a potential remake, what would you remove/add in/alter?

Doctor-Alvis
It would probably end up like all the versions out now.

If they did do it I'd like to see it aimed more at adults. I fact, I'd like to see a lot of comic cartoons go that direction. Either aimed at adults or have some kind of layer that adults can appreciate like some cartoons have.

Sadako of Girth
With the Alternators and Masterpiece TFs, It has been proven that you could have Bluestreak, Prowl, Jazz, mp Prime, Magnus, Starscream Megatron and Thundercracker, Skywarp etc that you can a have a cartoon accurate robot design and convincing alt mode.

And you can with the right amount of time spent designing it, make em G1 or Updated.
So character designs wise that'd be the way.

Id go with the original premise and pick it up where the G1 series left off, setting it in 2009/2010.

Prime could be Leader after Rodimus' tenure.


The animation style would be all old school G1 in appearance and rendering, but maybe with CGI assisted mechanicry involved too.

The series could be involved in LOST style flashbacks showing a revised/revisited classic G1 comic and cartoon storylines in the new rendering. (Some of the best comic lines were involving time travel also.)
That way you could have the "Back in the day where robots really did have to disguise themselves" aspect of TFs sneaking around etc,
and also the TFs being accepted or hated by the public that coexist with them in the current timeframe.

OR you could just go reboot and have the ark crashing 4 million years ago, but reactivated by a recent eruption in 2009.


An interesting question in anycase..

Scythe
They could just do the exact same thing they did with Transformers Animated, only make the characters look like the IDW pages. TF: Animated had lots of fanwank that made their hardcore fanbase, not it's missed by many.

Sadako of Girth
But that young optimus shit is for the birrrrrrrrrrrrrrds man.

Scythe
Originally posted by Sadako of Girth
But that young optimus shit is for the birrrrrrrrrrrrrrds man.

Yeah, it's one of the shows very few downsides. Besides the character models, opened plot holes, and human villains, it is a great show that would be even better if it had IDW styled bots and a similar Prime from G1.

Darkstorm Zero
I personally would like to see at least a few seasons of G1 pre-Earth TFs. as for animation style, I dunno, Armada was done well, but eliminate stock footage transformation tapes, or at least minimise it's use. Then, chain, pre-Earth seasons into earth landing, and run with it from there.

Tenebrous
I would like a remake. I also wouldn't mind a "continuation" but they have to keep in mind that the Japanese cartoons continued the G1 canon when the U.S. cartoons finished, so they can either go off of those, or start a new continuity.

I would really like a mature, dark series that focused on the Great War. Obviously, that would never happen, but the mythology is rich enough to really make it a very, very good show.

A conflict that turns a golden paradise into a charred gray husk of a planet, that lasts for over 4 million years...there's a lot of story that can be told in there.

The "horrors of war" could also be really depicted here. Say ravage and lazerbeak capture bumblebee. The decepticons are preparing to make a daring strike at iacon but they need to get some intelligence first.

Soundwave and lazerbeak would take bumblebee to soundwave, and soundwave would take him to shockwave, military operations commander. Now ordinarily tv shows cannot show graphic torture...but because this is specifically a show about robots, there is no such "censorship" that goes into play. For ex. they could show shockwave threatening to rip out bumblebee's optics, and then show him to actually do it.

That isn't to say that they should show it for the sake of providing shock value...but they show it to depict "the horrors of war" in a way that could never be depicted ordinarily using human-based characters.

So they can elicit the same emotional response from the audience, without breaking any censorship rules. Therefore the writers could theoretically "break the rules" every episode, but because it's a cast of robots, the whole story ends up becoming much more life-like and real (meaning, everything isn't always a happy ending, and shi+ happens when you have good guys and bad guys fighting each other) than would be otherwise possible with human beings, ironically.

Darkstorm Zero
Well, given the fact that most TF fans are kn their twenties, especially G1 fans, that kind of shock value is definitely doable, a War Within type story for a decent slice of seasons would be really good, then follow through to Earth awakening and beyond. Retell the story in a coherent and competent way, forget that stupid censor rule and make it M or MA, most kids know diddly about G1 and care even less.

Scythe
These are all some great ideas, guys.

Sadako of Girth
Originally posted by Scythe
Yeah, it's one of the shows very few downsides. Besides the character models, opened plot holes, and human villains, it is a great show that would be even better if it had IDW styled bots and a similar Prime from G1.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

Scythe
Same here. Rumor has it there's another TF cartoon in the making. Not sure if it'll follow the Animated look though.

Kazenji
I reakon a remake of G1 could be done really good they manage to do a decent remake of He-Man can't see why Transformers can't be accomplised.

Sadako of Girth
Originally posted by Darkstorm Zero
Well, given the fact that most TF fans are kn their twenties, especially G1 fans, that kind of shock value is definitely doable, a War Within type story for a decent slice of seasons would be really good, then follow through to Earth awakening and beyond. Retell the story in a coherent and competent way, forget that stupid censor rule and make it M or MA, most kids know diddly about G1 and care even less.

I agree. Even more so:

In their early thirties too.

If you were like 5-12 in 1984 then thats the 30-37 range covered.

Sadako of Girth
Originally posted by Kazenji
I reakon a remake of G1 could be done really good they manage to do a decent remake of He-Man can't see why Transformers can't be accomplised.

Licensing might be the biggest issue. Even moreso now, thanks to Bhey and his friends, the dollar bills.

Tenebrous
Originally posted by Scythe
Same here. Rumor has it there's another TF cartoon in the making. Not sure if it'll follow the Animated look though.

Not sure either...apparently Hasbro did say that Animated set a new standard in quality for Transformers cartoons. Honestly I didn't really care for the animated-style designs...largely why I don't collect the animated line. I did really enjoy the writing of the show however, and that was enough to make me look forward to it on my DVR schedule. I didn't like the designs per se, but the show itself was quality, and that makes it a winner with me.

That being said, if they are going to set Animated as the new benchmark against which future programs will be measured, I'm pretty optimistic.

Sadako of Girth
'Animated' ends at season 3 finale, according to its producers.

Tenebrous
Originally posted by Sadako of Girth
'Animated' ends at season 3 finale, according to its producers.

Yeah, and they've confirmed a new tv show is in the works, which they'll use animated as a benchmark for. That's good news to me.

Sadako of Girth
Will they bother to get Prowl right this time...?

'Cause that was f***ing blasphemy lolz

Tenebrous
huh really? Actually I agree with you. Slightly surprised though as a lot of people seeming like this cyber ninja shi+. I don't particularly like it but it doesn't annoy me...too much.

I'm glad they really fleshed out prowl's character, which was sorely lacking in the G1 cartoon. However I was hoping they pimped up his "2nd in command" role that was in the original toy bio but never convincingly made it to the cartoon.

Sadako of Girth
The Prowl I remember was fleshed out quite well in the comics.

He was so bent on logic at times it verged on coldness.
He was a bit war hawkish too.
One instance that springs to mind:

Even though he was depicted as Prime right hand man, I remember in "Crisis of Command" he opposed Prime very strongly.
The issue was on the newly freed/reassembled Prime with Matrix returned to him feeling pressure from several of the others lead in the discussion by Prowl who felt that it would a critical must to use the Matrix to create a bunch of massive Autobots who would be Decepticon killers to engage and destroy the earth-based Decepticons for once and for all.

Prime had the problem with Prowl's plan that most of Earth's population would be liable for heavy casualaties and opposed
Prowl at risk of losing his followers confidence.

It was this thinking though, and this thread that would eventually lead to the construction of the Special teams:
The Aerialbots and Protectobots.

Scythe
Originally posted by Tenebrous
Yeah, and they've confirmed a new tv show is in the works, which they'll use animated as a benchmark for. That's good news to me.

There is talks at Botcon of a War Withn style cartoon with an almost Animated style. Almost though, not exactly like it. Here's hoping.

Sadako of Girth
I'd definitely watch that.

Way better idea than basing it on animated imho.

Scythe
Originally posted by Sadako of Girth
I'd definitely watch that.

Way better idea than basing it on animated imho.

But, the thing is, they want to animate this possible War Within toon the same exact way TF's Animated looked.

Tenebrous
Originally posted by Scythe
But, the thing is, they want to animate this possible War Within toon the same exact way TF's Animated looked.

meh. I'm not a huge fan of animated's style but if the writing is of the same caliber, then I really wouldn't mind.

Guess I prefer the old school animation. Anyone remember the G1 episode "Call of the Primitives"

I'd love to see a TF series with that style animation. And, the resultant toys rolling on floor laughing

Scythe
Originally posted by Tenebrous
meh. I'm not a huge fan of animated's style but if the writing is of the same caliber, then I really wouldn't mind.

Guess I prefer the old school animation. Anyone remember the G1 episode "Call of the Primitives"

I'd love to see a TF series with that style animation. And, the resultant toys rolling on floor laughing

I do remember that. I watched it last week. I know what you're saying, and that would be bad ass.

Sadako of Girth
Im definitely on the same page as Tenebrous here.

Darkstorm Zero
Ah, Call of the Primatives animation was of the same calibur as the 80s Movie, I would love to see that.

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