Transformers: My all-time favorite comics

        I've been a fan of Transformers since I was a kid in Grammer school.. I don't remember exactly when I first became a real fan. But I do remember when I got my first toy of a Transformer.  It was on a St. Nicholas Day back in the 80's I could probably figure it out but i'm too caught up in the subject now, I'll post it later.  The Transformer was the Autobot Prowl. He has been my favorite ever since.
  I honestly liked the toys but I LOVED the comics when I discovered them a year later. One of the kids in my class brought a few to school and I knew I had to see it. I went to the local comic shop (which is the same on I use today), and bought my first Transformer comic. I began collecting them after that and soon had more comics then I had toys. I also became a fan of the TV series following it as it went, catching as many episodes as I could, especially re-runs.
   Since my youth I have always been a fan, and to this day I still collect the comics and watch the TV series that are on now. Though I stayed away from the more "kiddy" type shows involving the Transformers, I have embraced the movies and more adult aspects of the subject matter.
  I regret that I haven't really experienced the video games and card games of the subject, but that was never really my style. The mythos and stories of the Transformers was always my biggest draw. I see them a in a way kids see Greek Gods and Heroes. They are Legendary in the aspect of their size, strength, duty, spirit and wars. There really is some magnificent tales involving the Transformers, in both comic and novel forms.  Especially when you find a particular character that hasn't really been drawn, but you can picture what they look like in your minds-eye.
  What's really interesting about the Transformers is the variance in what they look like.  There have been so many artist's rendering of them that you almost can always find a favorite because of how it looks and the characteristics it shows.  So many different and talented artists have worked on the Transformers comics, tv shows, toys, movies and cards that you can find 5-20 different forms of your favorites and even ones you never new existed.

  In more recent years, the series has gone through major changes and re-vitalization's. Different publishers of comics have had rights to the subject of the Transformers and written their own style of mythos behind the giant robots. Even created new types that didn't exist before and allowed their writers to re-tell the stories from the original series or create their own new stories relating to current events happening around our planet. In essence creating a new universe for the Transformers to exist in beyond their original story. In the same way the movies and TV shows have expanded the universe and the variance of the Transformers story into something completely new and exciting tale of adventure.
       I truly hope and pray the series never ends and continues growing.

 Now, in the matter of the Video Games of Transformers. Most have never really been that exciting. though with the advancement of gaming tech, new games have come out that take us to a new level of enjoyment. What I would love to see more than anything is a new fighting game using the Transformers.  It should be in the same class as Marvel Vs. Capcon or Mortal Kombat, but be done in a styling in reference to 2 games that were popular arcade and console titles Tech Romancer and Virtual-On: Cyber Troopers.    
   Something that existed in the Transformers universe was that no two robots were the same. Each had different abilities and skills that made them unique to a specific task or fighting style.  This has changed over the years with the different writing and story-lines that  have been created, but nonetheless the same principle has always been there.   This could play out very well in a fighting game. Each character could be portrayed on the side they fight for and you can select the characters and fight either the A.I. Or against a friend in the room or online.  The atmosphere is very hot right now for fighting games and this would be a new take on a classic subject.
   Not to mention that Marvel Vs. Capcon and Mortal Kombat, employ bringing in characters that are not from their particular game/story history in order to add a new element to the fight. So why not bring in other robots to the fight. I think this would be a great concept to add plus allows for a plethora of DLC and multiple game titles for new and growing fans.

  When it comes down to it, like other series like Star Wars and Star Trek, Transformers has stood the test of time and marketing to come out of the 1980's and 90's to stand now in the 2000's as a popular and relevant interest.

Why I read Marvel Digital Comics

Originally posted : By Tj Shields · Saturday, September 19, 2009
http://marvel.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=4022144&highlight#4022144 - no longer exists because removed by Marvel Comics

Why I read marvel digital comics…….

In August 2009 I went to the Wizard World Comic book Convention in Rosemont IL, just outside of Chicago.

   I go to this event every year. Usually to pick up the comics I have wanted to get and to see all the cool people, costumes, figures, movies, etc. that are always at this event.   This particular year I was looking forward to the Marvel panel that was being held and the subject is on the ULTIMATE Marvel universe. 

  Now I had not finished reading ULTIMATIUM at this time, but I still love the series.  Which comes to my main point, I have primarily read almost all of the Ultimate Marvel Comics series through Marvel Digital Comics or digital media of one type or the other.

   This started when the Ultimate X-men series had come out on CD-ROM in stores.  Now I had been introduced to Ultimate X-men by a friend through his collection of trade paperbacks, but now I had a way of reading the whole series up to a point, so I purchased it and started reading.  Because of my busy schedule, it took me 3 months to read the whole thing. That’s 70 comic issues and I LOVED IT!!  By then I had gone out and purchased the Ultimate War trade paperback so I could fill in the blanks and thought about collecting the comic from then on.

    A week later, before I had a chance to start buying comics I got a notice from my Marvel Comics newsletter in my email.  Marvel is starting a Digital Comics Library.  My jaw hit the floor. I instantly looked at the site and was struck with awe.  This was the answer I was looking for. I now had a way to look at my favorite comics without having to go down to my storage area and pull out the comics from their storage bags and read them, and in the process get my greasy hands all over them and demean their value. Not to mention the chance of getting them dirty or catching a page on the scotch tape on the bag, which isn’t a big deal for some but for me it is a huge deal. Insert your “Mallrats”/“Jason Lee” joke here….

    Now I didn’t care about the subscription fee because of the possibilities that this library offered, so I signed up and have been happily paying my fee ever since.  Now because of this subscription, I had free access to all of the comics on the site and all the comics that I; already owned, had always wanted to read or didn’t even know existed.  Such comics were the Ultimate series.  As I read I found that I loved every single one of them but the collections were incomplete and I had to wait for months before the next issues came out.  Being the patient man that I am, I was able to push it aside, create my “Must Reads” list and wait.

   Now back to the convention and the Panel:  I walked in excited to learn what was going to happen and what I would learn about all the characters that I loved and hoped to hear about.  The panel starts and I listened intently and enjoyed all the jokes and comments that came from Mark Paniccia, Mark Millar and a very young and attractive woman, whom I’m sad to say I forgot to write her name down (please post if you know) as well as the rest of the panel. Then came the moment I had been waiting for, the open forum. I waited for a few people to get their questions out of the way before I stood up, walked over the microphone and nervously started to ask my question. “Hello, um…First off I would like to say I love the Ultimate comics series and I have read almost all of them on the Marvel Digital Comics site.  And…” Before I could get out my next word a Scottish/British voice comes up and says…. “CHEAP!” 

   I actually froze.  I felt myself freeze and from around me there was a chorus of laughter. I thought I was either going to burst into tears or pass-out from embarrassment.  But I sucked it back and continued on with “…I’ll let that go for now. But I wanted to know if there would be any exclusive Ultimate Comics releases on the Digital Comics Website?”  The panel then went into an answer which I can’t recall word for word but the gist was of no plans at this time but please purchase the comics from the stores.

   The rest of the questions sort of slipped past my ears as I sat cold and hurt in the room. I left at the end of the panel with the rest of the room but in a state of shock.

   It’s only now that I can truly say what I wish I had said at that moment when I had been called “CHEAP.” Talk about waiting till after the fact that the comeback comes to mind eh?

   I have my reasons for reading the comics through the Digital Comics and they are good ones. They are truthful, real and honest reasons.  It honestly has nothing to do with the money.  I’m not strapped for cash to the point that I can’t pay for my comics. I have several hundred comics that I have collected since I was 11 years old (34 now). My collection ranges from Alpha Flight to Transformers and Amazing Spider-man to X-Men and not just Marvel Comics.  This collection has grown to considerable size and I have had to let go of many because I just don’t have the room to collect all that I want.  Many great stories I have had to purchase through trade paperbacks because I can’t find all the issues to the series.  My collecting now is down to the comics that stand out as truly unique and special. Which is very small compared to the size it was 10 years ago. 

   The digital comics gave me a way to purchase my comics and read them over and over and over again without fear of damaging them or losing them or missing out on issues I couldn’t find.  It’s a wonderful dream come true for a fan of comics like me.  To have a way to not only read all my comics whenever I want, but I can now access them from wherever I am!  All I need do is open my laptop, open a my Android or iPod-Touch app, and there they are!

    But I’m “CHEAP” because of it.  I go months without reading my comics because my schedule is so crazy I don't have time to pick them up from the store.   I not only pay for my Subscription to Digital Comics but all the series I collect from the same comic book store that I have been getting my comics since I was small. (Comic Collector - Harlem Ave. Riverside, IL. Deadpool and Ghost Rider to name a few.)

    I would pay the cover prices online if they would give me the comics.  I’ve emailed into Marvel asking to make individual subscription plans for people who want to get specific series. I’ve called in pleading for the comics to be made available for whatever price I need to pay to get them. Yet nothing has changed, and I’m called “CHEAP”.

    Because of this I have had to start purchasing the new Ultimate Comics series to keep up.  Unfortunately I can’t read them yet, because I haven’t finished reading the series behind them. I love my comics stories they fill me up with creativity and life that is beaten down so many times by the world.  The art work, the characters, the stories, so masterfully written and drawn and I love them all. I love reading them, collecting them and hopefully one day they will return the favor.

   I’m not writing this to start a fight or cause a ruckus. I just want to say what I have been thinking and plead for peace of mind.  Let me pay for my comics and read them digitally.  I’m still going to buy other comics because I just want to read them in hand, but let me get the others online so I can collect ones and enjoy the others.

   I know I’m not the only one who enjoys this convenient and fun way of reading comics. I’m not trying to steal money from the artists and writers, I just want an easier way to store and read my comics. 

   Oh and just for the record…..On average I pay between $40-$50 dollars a month on Comics add in my subscription to Digital comics and that goes up to around $60 a month and $720 a year. 

   And I’m “CHEAP”!?

  As my favorite Merc-with-a-Mouth would say:  “YEAH RIGHT! And Bea Arthur was just another Pretty Face you irishsprings'mellin, whiskey'swillin', leprechaunkissing, cornedbeefandhashmicrowaving', mutantscum --taunt me, will you?! I'll show you taunting! I'll taunt you till you bleed out of your ears and run home to mama!” - (Deadpool - Wade Wilson, The Crimson Comedian, The Regeneratin' Degenerate,The Merc With A Mouth. Marvel's Ultimate Slapstick Killing Machine and My Favorite Marvel Anti-Hero!) 

  

    

Wolverines - More than just a cool comic book character.

From Facebook Notes by Tj Shields on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 11:21pm

Wolverines - More than just a cool comic book character.

Wed. Oct. 20th 2010,

Tonight I was at Brookfield Zoo listening to a lecture on the North American Wolverine and how it's current population in the United States and Canada is in danger of becoming Extinct.

  Due to changes in climate and infringement by human beings, this magnificent mammal, one of the few survivors of the Ice Age, is numbering only a mere 500 specimen's in the North American Continent.

The lecture was given by Douglas H. Chadwick, who with several other researchers and naturalists set out to study and track these creatures through Glacier National Park in Northern Montana.  During this lecture I discovered that the wolverine is not that much different then the well-known character in Marvel Comics.  It is a small creature no bigger then the size of a Golden Retriever, yet this relative of the common weasel is one of the most fierce-um and rugged animals to roam our country.  In many ways the Wolverine is the truest survivor of our wilderness and is one that is not to be messed with.  These animals are known to bring down full size Caribou and Moose and will drive a male Grizzly bear from its kill-carcass.  They are scavengers by nature but they do hunt smaller creatures as well as larger animals when food is scarce. Wolverines bodies have a very high metabolism which makes their body temperature very hot and causing them to eat large amounts of food in order to survive. 

   One of the most interesting points about this lecture is the amount of land these creatures can dominate. A male Wolverine can cover distances of over 30 miles in minutes,  and this is not flatlands they are roaming. These animals are able to scale a almost shear mountain face in under 90 minutes, where a skilled mountain climber would take 3-4 hrs. 

  I have seen videos on Animal Planet and Discovery about these creatures but not with this kind of detail.  I look forward to reading "The Wolverine Way" and doing my own research into this creature, which is the name sake of one of the most well known "Canucks" of Marvel Comics.