Origins of LadyWreck on Transformers Fandom Origins

Turn up and shoot! Not as fancy as it gets with

us wreckers! You wanna spend all day calculating

tolerable margins of error? Call Prowl! This

is Optimus Prime, and you're listening to all

things Transformers. Hello and welcome to an

all -new generation of All Things Transformers

as we get the origins of any and all Transformers

fans that we can. I'm, of course, TFG1Mike, and

if you've been listening to All Things Transformers,

folks, in the recent months since the last Origins

episode, which was Hahi Prime, Steve Megatron

is back. He's running the news side of the stuff

I'm running the origin side of the thing and

tonight we have Amy aka lady rec with us and

she's gonna wreck and rule this podcast Absolutely

All right, so getting right into it did you grow

up with the transformers and at what age did

you remember first noticing the franchise? Well,

this is gonna be a good story. Yeah, I know because

I know the answer Like I could probably be the

poster kid for Fans out there would say I'm gonna

say the same thing that I'm sure a lot of people

have said I was about eight years old And leading

up to this a little bit. I have to lead up to

this I was raised with a dad who was a geek in

disguise I grew up on Star Wars. I grew up on

Disney. I grew up on a lot of really fun things

and movies were my thing. They were totally my

jam when I was a kid. I would listen to stuff

over and over and over and over again until I

memorized it. And then when we went on car trips,

instead of having like podcasts and a Walkman

to listen to in the car, we would sit there and

reenact in the backseat. movies of our favorite

movies that we watched and I was, me and my brothers

were quite fun and it was three of us. There

was me, I was the oldest and I had two younger

brothers. So leading up to this, I was a Star

Trek. Actually, I didn't get into Star Trek until

I was in high school. So I was into Star Wars.

I was into sci -fi stuff. I really liked space

and futuristic stuff, and I liked fantasy things

as well. So I was totally into that. That was

my thing. And I was into Saturday cartoons, as

a lot of kids were during that time. One of the

things, I can't remember what it was specifically,

but I was watching TV after school one day and

suddenly this really amazing ad ran and it was

about something with robots in the future and

I was like, oh, I am totally gonna see that.

And so. I quite literally, because at the time

I had no idea how TV programming worked and stuff

like that, but I found out because I wanted to

see this show. I was absolutely gonna see it.

And I didn't know when it was going to air. So

me just being, I think, I don't know what grade

it was in, but I was eight. And yes, do the math

and you can probably figure out exactly how old

I was. But... You mean how old you are now. Yeah.

I mean, come on now. How old I am now. Yes, how

old I am now. Let's see, if the show came out

in 84 and you were eight years old... 27. Something

like that. I don't know. Oh yeah. So... didn't

know when it was going to air I saw the ad was

really fast and I was like oh and I like quite

literally that was before we had BC ours that

we could record with so I had my tape recorder

like you know the audio tape recorders and all

I had was just like a little radio that could

record things now I was kind of a crazy kid to

be honest because me and my brother sometimes

would get together and play and we would record

the things that we were like enacting. So somewhere

on a group of tapes is a little Amy and her brothers

making shit up and enacting it. I have not found

it yet. We need to find these and we need to

put them into a podcast right now. I will keep

an eye out for them. If I ever find them, you

will have to get in line. I get to listen and

preview them first. We even made up songs and

stuff with our toys and stuff, so it was really

fun. I had a very imaginative childhood, which

is, I will come back to you again. Sure. Apparently,

yeah. Okay, so this is me growing up, and I saw

this, of course, show. Preview or not even a

preview was just a commercial and I was like,

oh so I was like I I watched like After school

the next day. I ran home from the bus boy. Oh,

I guess that show ran home and There was another

same commercial and I was like, I'm looking for

details. I'm looking for details When is this

gonna be and it didn't say when it was going

to air and it just drove me nuts and so of course

my little kid mind going, I've got to find out

when this is going to be on. So I started trying

to figure out, you know, I asked my parents,

hey, when I find out whether or not something's

going to be on, on TV. And, you know, they kind

of directed me toward the newspaper and I had

to figure it out from there. And it was tough.

But I kid you not, for two weeks, every single

day after school, I would book it home because

I did not want to miss the show. I did not want

to miss the first episode. I wanted to be able

to get in there and see it from the very beginning

because I thought, oh, this is the first time

I get to actually see a show as it starts. And

so, like, I kid you not, every single time I

got off the bus for the next two weeks, I booked

it home. because I had to be there at exactly

three o 'clock to make sure, because I wasn't

sure when it was going to be on. So, of course,

I fell in love with it when it finally came on.

I was like, oh, my gosh, this is the best thing

ever. And that was like the thing that I ran

home every day. And if it aired the same one

again, I was like, oh, jeez, why can't they just

play the next one in line? Because I was so...

Um, it was the bargaining chip to get me to do

my homework. Um, it was the, I will manipulate

all of my little brothers to let me sit down

and watch the show that I want to watch. And

if it was something I'd already seen, I was like,

Oh no, no, it's yours. Go ahead. Um, I just,

I was that kid. I was like running home and I

was loving it. And, um, I was enjoying everything

about it. And, um, I, at the time, Mean I never

got into the comics. I never got into any of

the other stuff It was just that was that was

my jam. So that's what I ran home to find Now

at the time I can't remember what it was It was

some sort of like commercial like commercial

licensing that was geared toward children some

sort of Let's see Thing that they had lifted

so that commercial companies could actually start

marketing things to kids, right? That lifted

around this sometime around while I was watching

Transformers. And I remember my mom and my dad

going, oh, we're not going to let our kids be

marketed to blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was

like sitting there going, what? What? It's like,

you know, I was like, you know, just a little

kid going, whatever, mom and dad, like, they

can't make us buy stuff if we don't want to buy

it. And they were like, oh, you know, they got

they jumped on that, you know, news. board that

was talking, the wagon that started rolling,

basically saying that it's going to ruin kids'

minds and their ability to make decisions, and

it's going to control them, and I was like...

This, that's nuts, that's crazy. No one can do

something against my will. Excuse me, I'm a kid

here and I say that it's not gonna happen. And

you fast forward 40 years in the future to now

where it's like, oh crap, iPads and this, that,

and the other thing are teaching our children

now. It's like... You know what, it's the same

thing. I just got an email from a family member

that was talking about the same thing and I'm

like going, guys... Is really It's just packaged

differently, but you're saying the same thing.

It's just It's a story. It's a toy. It's something

great. If my kids want to collect it when they're

older, that's great. I As we will get to this

podcast we'll get to it like I totally enable

but you know what? It's up to whatever Just whatever

Anyhow because of that and because like, you

know kids kids quarrel they do this I I probably

understand it more now that I am a mom to three

boys and You know what for whatever reason? My

parents, especially my mom just said you know

what? I'm not gonna do this anymore. If you guys

keep fighting, we're gonna disconnect blah blah

blah blah and We had cable at the time, but we

had gone a couple years without cable I think

we you know back in the day Disney Channel used

to have this really archaic looking box that

you'd flip the dial and then all of a sudden

you'd have the Disney Channel and we tanked out

on Disney for like months before this You know,

so it was always the threat my parents had was

that, you guys don't, if you guys don't listen

to what we say and you fight, we're going to

take this away from you. And so eventually off

and on throughout my childhood, that's exactly

what happened. So Transformers came. I watched

two wonderful seasons, bounced it out as best

I could with, you know, my two other brothers,

but I really liked this show. I wasn't like,

I wouldn't say I was like super. obsessed because

my brothers they got the toys I think one of

my brothers got a Starscream the other one got

an Optimus Prime and it was the one back in the

day like they were the the first wave where they

were like the metal ones and he was like you

did not want to throw this thing because you

could literally take out your brother you could

like poke his eye out you know major damage with

this stuff it's like it's like out of this primal

said in beast wars typecast construction it's

a lost art you know i mean yeah i'm on it but

i i really did i have to say i did ask my parents

for a transformer i wanted to have one but they

said no those toys are for boys you don't get

any so i was like that's ridiculous My parents

were very much very traditional, very conservative,

very, this is what boys do, and this is what

girls do. Right. And let's go in there, play

with your dollies, and have tea parties. That

was my grandmother. She was really disappointed

when I was like, hey, I like unexplained phenomena.

And if you have anything about Area 51, and you

said... Like I was totally into that. Which is

also the reason why when I had another cousin

that happened to be a female, she was the one

that got the dollhouse and all of the cute little

doll things. And I got like, oh, here's my special

edition of Little Women. And I was like, OK,

thank you. Yeah, exactly. Not interested. Completely

not interested. Whenever I go out to visit my,

you know, my grandparents, she's like, hey Amy,

let's have a tea party. And I was like, no, I'm

going to go outside and run around with my brothers

and ride bikes and we're going to go play army

and shoot them up. And I'm going to kick some

butt. It was so not that, I mean, I wasn't, I

wouldn't say I was like a complete tomboy because

I was girly, but I just, I just wanted - You

weren't dollhouse girly. I wasn't dollhouse girly.

I wasn't wearing dresses all the time and put

my hair in pigtails and go, hi, you want to say

hi to my dolly? I was not that kid. I was totally

not that kid. But I did get into collecting My

Little Pony. I didn't watch the shows though,

because they weren't on, they weren't on the,

either they weren't on or they just were really,

I just, I did not get into that. I got into the

toys, but that was about it. Around season two,

my parents were not very happy with the way things

were going in the household and we were fighting

or whatever. And I was like, now they look back

at it, I was like, we weren't obsessed. I wasn't

like, you could literally use it as a bargaining

chip to make me behave. Yeah, why were you thinking

that it was like oh because you guys like like

Transformers now suddenly you're shooting each

other and hating each other and arguing and quarreling

and saying mean nasty things I'm like when and

that is because of a TV show Yeah, really is

like we're kids we quarrel that's because we're

all independent individuals and you know it was

like the whole causation correlation thing just

didn't get me but yeah it's like oh my god if

somebody says you pathetic fools there is no

escape like oh my god that's a huge insult just

because you repeat a star screen line or something

i think we said something about stupid or something

like that and i was like wait well let me let's

fast forward this a couple years in the future

when I was struggling in math and my mom says,

well, what are you stupid? I'm like, that's passive

aggressive. I mean, I know that language now,

but when, as a kid, I was like, okay, whatever.

Okay, mom, whatever you say, just let me watch

my show. I will do whatever you want. And they

just didn't, they didn't get it. They totally

didn't get it. So. And of course, these TV shows

are evil because they're doing this to our kids

because the news says so. And oh, by the way,

they're also marketing all these toys to kids.

So this is the devil. I'm not kidding. They probably

did say that. I do remember them saying it's

evil. You shouldn't be watching it. Wow. It's

so funny. I believe this was after... the original

G1 cartoon was over. This was 88 when they were

doing the Power Master. So like the quote -unquote

season five episodes with Power Master Prime

and Tommy and all that. I think at one point

my Aunt Debbie... head was in the room dusting

or whatever and one of the episodes was on and

she could have sworn this was not the movie it

was one of the season three or season two episodes

or whatever i forget which one it was and she

said oh you can't watch that anymore that that

thing just said ass or that thing just said this

curse word or that curse word and like i said

i knew it wasn't the movie it was like season

two or season three i forget which one but it's

like really seriously Yeah, cuz that that oh

my gosh Growing up as a kid like oh just to have

it in the movie where they said damn and shit.

It was like a big deal. You're like Did you hear

what they said? They said damn and shit. I feel

so adult now cuz we're saying these big big words

All the 80s was so much fun So about this time

we started getting to the point where I would

try to sneak into watching the shows so that

my brothers wouldn't know I was watching it.

Especially like if my mom wasn't home or she,

you know, trusted us to do our homework first.

Sometimes I would get home, I would watch the

show and then I'd go do my homework as fast as

I could so that when she got home, I mean, she

wasn't always gone, but occasionally she would

be gone. And so on those times, you bet I milked

it for everything I could. We started getting

to the point where my parents were like, you

are sneaking around and watching these shows.

And it wasn't just that. I mean, there were other

shows that came out in the 80s that I snuck around

to watch shows. I snuck around to watch Gem.

I snuck around to watch Captain Power. I snuck

around to watch a lot of shows. Surprisingly

enough, He -Man and She -Ra were okay. because

they had a moral to the story, and it was consistent.

It was like, hey, Transformers has it, too, but

it wasn't consistent, and so was G .I. Joe. I

think G .I. Joe had a little bit of it, too.

But Transformers got me into G .I. Joe because

I really didn't care about it until I actually

saw that one crossover show, or was it? That

was actually in season three, so maybe not. But

some of the episode, like some of the voices

sounded the same. So I was, oh, oh, oh, oh, that

sounds like somebody that's in the other, oh,

it's G .I. Joe? So, you know, I was that kid

that was like, oh, I got to listen to it because

it's got the same voice actors. Anyhow, my parents

started grounding us from watching certain shows

and Transformers became one of them because whenever

you guys watch it, you guys start fighting. And

I was like, well, actually. I don't start fighting.

It's my brothers that start shooting it up and

acting like they're like the seekers and flying

around and shooting things. And I'd be like,

knock it off. Leave me alone. Because they'd

shoot at me, of course, because I was the sister.

And I'd be like, you know, don't. Don't. Just

stop or else I'm going to have to, you know,

stick a truck on you or something. But. So I

started sneaking around because like hey, I'm

already I really like this show. I want to see

where it's going So I got through season one

of season two and then of course I heard about

the movie and I was like gotta go see this and

Kids at school got to see it before I did because

we lived in a small town podunk out middle, you

know, who cares USA and Other kids I guess had

seen it before I did and Actually, some of them

gave me spoilers. I was like yeah, I'll just

prime dies. I thought he was lying I totally

thought he was lying. I was like no way they

would not kill off this prime. He's the dude

He's the guy in charge of the Autobots. There's

no way that they would do that Yeah, my little

child mind was so naive At least you weren't

that kid crying in a closet for a week I don't

know about that, but I was crying for a couple

different reasons so I begged my mom, I begged

her and begged her and begged her, and I said,

I've been so good. Of course, I'm lying through

my teeth going, I've been watching the show,

Mom, I've been listening to everything you say,

please, please, please, please, please. I do

my homework and I've been getting good grades

and I'm doing everything I was supposed to do,

please, can I go see the movie? And I begged

her and I begged her and begged her, and finally

she said, fine, fine, I will take you to see

the movie, okay? And then... you've got to do

something for me. You've got to promise that

you will never watch Transformers or bother me

again about it, ever again. And I was like, and

that's hard for a little kid to do, you know?

It's like, I've got to give this up. And I look

back on it and just want to slap my mom for being

such a... I'm not going to say, but yeah, I was...

Just I mean now as an adult looking back when

that was a terrible terrible thing you did it

was worse than what they did to the show Yep

So I promised And I went and saw it. There was

a little theater in town. We had to wait until

it was there because it was cheap and it was

really shit and like your feet stuck to the floor

and the seats were the most uncomfortable ones

ever. They were wood and they were creaky and

it smelled funny and sometimes you even stuck

to the seats. But we went in there. We saw the

movie and I loved every second of it and I was

bawling when Optimus Prime died and I was just

like... Totally thrilled with the music and and

beat, you know hopping up and down every single

time something happened and They said a swear

word and all of it. I just I loved it I completely

took it in and I was devastated that they were

right. They weren't lying to me Yes, so because

of that obviously I had such a connection there,

right Yep, I was hooked for life and then I turned

right around and gave it up because I had promised

to my mom that I would go in my little kid mind

I would go and watch the movie and I promised

to Never ask about it ever again, and I was true

to my word because optimus prime would have been

true to As crap as that is I mean and I literally

fell off the Transformer wagon. I knew that there

were comics. I had kind of heard a few people

say that there were. Like I said, it was podunk

town in the middle of USA. I don't even know

if there was a comic shop in my... I think I

had been told that there was. I think at the

time I had also asked my mom, hey, I heard Transformers

has comics. Can we go get some? Is there a way

that we can go find them? And my mom said at

that point, and it's stuck in my head for the

next 20 years, comics are for adults. That's

not for kids. Um, right. I know. Okay. But this

destroyed me as a kid because I was like, oh,

okay. And that's my little naive brain, you know,

my little naiveness. Didn't have any other person

saying no, that's not true So that was that was

my prejudice of comics and Transformers for the

next era of my life and sad to say I didn't challenge

that until I became an adult myself So there's

a little bit of a I mean it's one It's sad, but

two it means that when I finally got back to

it as an adult. I'm like going Oh my gosh, there's

so much to do. That's right. I'm a little kid

all over again. There's so much time I can waste

on this excellent franchise. Oh yes, and as we're

about to get into this podcast, you can see just

how devoted I became to this fandom over it,

I'm just saying. Yeah, because we're almost a

half hour in, folks, and that's just question

number one. Hey, you know it makes great podcasting

those makes great stories makes people come back

and listen yes some people out there had parents

that were like yeah sure go right ahead mine

were like Not so much. It's the devil. I had

to do it in secret, people. I had to sneak around

behind my parents' back. And I didn't actually

see... I mean, at that point, I did promise,

but there were a few times where I sort of turned

on the TV when Mom wasn't home, and I was like,

I got my homework done, popped on the TV, and

went smack dab right into the middle of something

from season three and going... shiny it's transformers

doing whoa whoa is that that's that guy from

the movie well what is going on and then chopped

me right into the middle of an episode and then

and then my mom would come home and I turn it

off real quick yeah it's that you know it's that

best leader ever Rodimus prime because Rodimus

rules and optimus dies Or, yeah, there was this,

or the episode where they were singing people,

they were singing on scene, and I was like, what

the hell is that? There ain't no harmony like

Carnage and C minor. Yeah. Alright, so... But

here's the other thing is that... Transformers

for me pretty much ended at the movie So even

though was there another season and and then

of course the the the wrap -up and season and

even I was trying came back It ended for me at

the movie. Yeah, so for me my little kid brain

stopped right there It was like that's where

things ended at so he never got back to Cybertron

and I was left hanging I was like Well, no, they

got back to Cybertron. Well, I didn't know that

Because in season 2 well you saw the movie right

I saw the movie, but that wasn't the end -all

be -all where they get to the golden age of Cybertron

Well, not the golden age, but I mean essentially

Yeah, yeah at the very end in rebirth right but

like for them if the movie was your end -all

point that could have been fine because Season

one and season two leading up to the movie was

that's that's what events were at the end of

the movie was You know the the end of the war

it was it was over it was done with they were

yes, but You know, Unicron took a big chunk out

of Cybertron, so there was a lot of stuff that

needed to be rebuilt, just saying. Well, yeah.

I mean, you know, it's not like, you know, you

can reformat the planet and become techno -organic.

We'll get to that later, folks. Yeah, we'll get

to that. Not yet. Alright, so, what's Transformers'

generation is your generation and why? Well,

G1 is definitely my generation. It's it's definitely

my I mean after all that after that 30 -minute,

you know talk about you know, how how things

started with me Yeah, that was totally my that

was my generation G1 was my generation which

is kind of cool because like it's it's awesome

being a parent now and watching my kids Find

their generation which is like awesome oh shit

what are we gonna do now so your kids list list

the reckless for us okay so by name you have

alex ian and zane right alex ethan and zane that's

what it is alex is 14 ethan is going to be 11

in may and zane is going to be three this weekend

Oh, wow. Alrighty then. So Alex is G1, Ethan

is Beast Wars, and Zane is animated. No. Alex

and Ethan's, their G1 is Transformers Prime.

They really got into Transformers Prime. We watched

it together. It was fantastic. And Zane's will

have to be Rescue Bots because he has watched

that with me. Now he's actually starting to watch

Transformers Prime. And occasionally I've put

on, um, transfer as animated and he's really

liked that too. So it just, it's working for

him and I'm going, I'm so excited. I get to corrupt

his young little mind. Yeah. So, um, what yeah

i don't have to get into the why of why it is

my g1 is my is my generation but yeah that's

it that's my generation so what other generations

of the transformers brand do you enjoy and like

so after i fell off the wagon forever um when

i went to college and i remember every single

time almost every single time as i got older

the moments where I'd turn on the TV and I would

see Transformers and that little kid, the eight

-year -old little kid or 10, whatever, that made

the promise would go, and then I would be like,

and I would be like, okay, I've got to sit down

and watch this for just a little bit. And the

second my mom or my family would come anywhere

near me, I'd turn it off right away because it

was just, I just, like I said, kids and promises.

I was true to my promises. So. The next time

I ran into Transformers again, because once it

was over with, once they got to the end of it

and ended, I was like, aw, sad. I didn't get

to see the rest of that, and I'll probably never

get to see it ever again. Aw, sad, sad, sad.

You know, and then just little kid wantings,

you know, wanting to have more of that, but,

you know, I couldn't. I ran into it again. After

I graduated, I was getting ready to go to college.

This was funny. So we go to the college that

I chose that I wanted to go to college. We go

there for like a, you know, in like a, what do

you call it? I'm trying to think of the word

and I'm not getting it. You go to visit and they

go through like an orientation, that type of

thing to tell you what their college is all about.

Class day or orientation, essentially orientation

is what it is. Yeah. It was in the middle of

the summer though. So we go, it was just me and

my mom. We went there. I was going there as an

art major and I didn't want to like specify.

I was like, it was actually art transfer track

that they had because I wanted to be an artist.

and she went out somewhere I think to get us

something to eat and we were in the hotel and

I had taken a shower and I was just chilling

and my mom hadn't gone back yet and I turned

on the TV and flipping channels and boom right

in the middle of Transformers Season 3 something

I hadn't seen and I was like oh and I was like

oh this is kind of cool I'm gonna sit here and

watch this for a little bit and I probably got

about five minutes and my mom got home and I

turned it off I was like ah But I thought, you

know, it was like, it was always there. It was

like following me through my life going, please

come back to us. Come back to us. We miss you.

Amy, this is, this is Transformers and we miss

you. You have to come back to our world. And

I was like, wait, oh, I really want to, but.

So that there was that. And then I ran into it

again. There was so that was like on the Cartoon

Network and we didn't have cable there were you

know I went through my x -files stage and all

you know we just got whatever was on like we

had Anna to antennas Because you know like I

said off and on throughout my life We had cable

and then we'd get rid of it because oh the reason

was is because the kids were fighting blah blah

blah blah blah Chucking heads whatever That we

were always the go -to excuse You guys aren't

doing well in school. Oh, you guys aren't doing

is like you guys are just looking for the perfect

excuse to save money Aren't you and blame it

on us? Yeah, I love passive aggressiveness can't

you tell So Then I I didn't see it again for

like years I got married I moved to a different

state. I went to the university and I'm right

in the middle of trying to get into my illustration

track that I tried to get into at Brigham Young

University and I'm flipping channels. I just

want to play something in the background while

I was working and boom. I put Transformers on,

or I put on something that says, oh, Transformers

next, or something like that. And I was like,

oh, huh? What is this? What is this, Transformers?

I was like, oh, I wonder if it's the stuff that

I saw. And lo and behold, it's something called

Beast Wars. I was like, what the hell is this?

I was like, what the hell is this? I come in

peace. No need for violence, Rhinox. I merely

wish to talk. Go ahead. It's a free planet. I'm

busy. Stop it, Maximal fool. He'll soon regret

this impertinence. I was like, and of course,

you know, it started running and I was like,

the animation was just like offensive to my eyes.

I'm sad to say that, but it was my first impression.

I hated it, I thought. And they were all animals.

And I thought, what the hell? What the hell?

I was like, where are my transforming cars? That

ain't Transformers. Click, turn the channel.

I was like, that ain't Transformers. That was

a deal stopper for me. And I was like, whatever

they're doing, they be smoking crack, because

that is not what I'd say is Transformers at all.

And I was like, there is no way in hell I'm going

to watch that. Yeah, about that. And then that

was it. Life happened. I was in the middle of

college, had a job. I was married. Then I got

divorced. And life moved on. And I didn't even

think about Transformers until years after that,

when I had my kids, when I started having the

Reckless, as I call them. My oldest was born

in 2003. And sometime around the 2000, sometime

around, like I thought, oh, it'd be great if

I could share kid shows with him. But then I

was like, oh, I'm a new mom and I don't know

what's the best thing for my kid. And so I had

him watch Teletubbies. Oh God, no. But he liked

it he actually liked it, you know, I let him

watch stuff that was on PBS which was education

oriented in Tell us yes hasn't been education

oriented since 1999 I know but they did have

some stuff on there. That was really kind of

not too bad. Like was it not Franklin but Arthur

Arthur Arthur had a lot of inter perm, you know

it kids having issues and conflicts that they

had to figure out how to resolve and As long

as we can agree Caillou is the devil. Oh I didn't

get into Caillou until a bit later than that.

Yeah, but Caillou was harmless too. It was that

darn Barney I mean he was evil. It's like I will

take teletubbies over Barney any day just say

so so you say So you say college you was like

you beast wars that ain't my transformers hashtag

not my transformers and we have our Co -creator

resident creator of this podcast Steve Megatron

He actually does an almost perfect impression

of David K. Beast Wars Megatron and there was

one time where he did a Barney Beast Wars Megatron

mashup where he's like I Love you, and then he

breaks into Megatron shut up bitch. I'm not no

Barney Barney can die a terrible death there

was one one show that I would totally say it

needs to die a terrible death it's Barney Teletubbies

aside Barney is the the worst it's definitely

Satan incarnate yeah I still to this day will

not watch Barney, but I'll tolerate teletubbies.

Barney comes on like, oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Especially if Zane is the one that brings it

up and starts watching it. Oh, no, no, no, no,

no, no. You can watch anything else on Netflix,

kiddo, but you put on Barney and that's where

mom puts her foot down. Go watch Transformers

Prime. Hell, go watch Blue's Clues. That's even

better. Oh, he loves Blue's Clues. Yeah, Blue's

Clues is awesome. All right. Yeah, go back to...

Don't get me into blue schools, because I could

start, you know, like, mail! We should do a podcast

on it, anyway. Oh, god. What was your very first

Transformers toy as a kid? Oh, okay. Oh, I didn't

actually... Did you ever eventually get one?

Hold on, hold on, I haven't finished the generations...

Oh, okay. That was the way I was working up.

So, I had a second kid, and I started looking

into Transformers, because I thought, hey...

We're in the modern era. There's YouTube. I got

my first Apple iPod or the little mini shuffler

or something like that. It was one of those.

I think it was iPod Nano. I started putting stuff

on it and stuff that I would get from the internet.

I was looking around online on YouTube to see

if Transformers existed on YouTube because I

thought, oh, well, they've got so many other

things on there. Why not have that, too? I mean,

I didn't think that. I thought, oh, it's an old

show. It's probably not even popular. And it's

probably like, you know, people probably just

like threw it on YouTube or whatever. And so

that's the way I can find it. And I did actually

start finding some episodes on there. But. I

started investigating this whole underground

thing that I thought was underground because

I didn't know any better because I had like,

you know, skipped that whole that whole era where,

you know, Transformers literally fell off the

place, you know, the the face of the earth for

a little while. And, you know, there were these

back places that you went and forums that, you

know, to meet other fans that like, you know,

existed. I didn't know any of that because to

me, like I said, it ended when I was, you know,

10. And I didn't get back into it, but I was

looking into it and going, hey. And so I found

there was a community of Transformers fans. What

is this? What is this? And I was like, oh, you

know, I can find out more about Transformers.

So at the time, I think animated was getting

ready to wrap up. And I ran into my like, like

it was like a. I was a kid finding out what candy

was for the first time. I walked into the candy

store of the internet and went, oh, what is this?

What is this? Oh, I've got to try this. And so

I was like, literally, I downloaded my first

podcast. I started looking at Transformers, like

the G1. I found that I could actually buy it

on disc. um, I found out that there's a current

one running right now and Really? I was like,

oh, how do I get the whole of that? and you know,

it's just like I quite literally it was like

I was back in my ten -year -old self going What's

out there and guess what? I don't have a parent

telling me I can't do that That's right. I am

the parent now and oh, yes. My mom doesn't come

over that often. So hey I'm the mom now. I get

to choose. This is fantastic. All right. Let's

go for it. And I started to experience Transformers

in a completely new way. Of course, I went out

and saw the movie when it came out and I was

not there to see how the fans reacted for me.

It was like, oh, it's a live action movie of

Transformers. You bet your ass I'm going to go

to that. And I came out just completely thrilled.

It was a little bit OK. I mean, there were some

things I thought, I wish they did this better,

would did that better. But it's a Transformers

movie on the big screen. Yeah. So I was quite.

thrilled with that um yeah I just dived in and

embraced it like completely um within a year

I started reviewing I went into the comic shop

for the first time and bought my first comic

um I was pretty much doing all of the things

that I had always wanted to do when I was a kid,

and I was doing it as an adult, and I got to

make all the big decisions and wear the big boy

pants. So I'm like, hey, yeah, this is great.

And then after getting my first comic and opening

it up, I started, I guess it on a podcast, and

then... Literally, I mean just I hit the road

with hit the floor running with it and I had

a blast and I went to my first convention and

Here we are five years later and I'm like, hey,

this has been a wild ride. Let's what are we

gonna do? What's the next five years gonna do

for us? I'm just exactly I think it was I'm trying

to remember It was back when and I'm sorry to

these people, but it's not just them It's like

I don't listen I I haven't listened to a podcast

and god knows how long I barely listen to my

own stuff because I'm editing it half the time

So I don't listen like I do one final listen

through of the factually I listen through it

as I'm editing it So I don't actually listen

to it after that, but it's one of those things

where Started out as a podcast listener then

I became a podcast producer, and I just don't

listen to people stuff anymore I just don't have

time Especially now with the new marriage and

buying a house and selling a house and all that

you know I just have no time life is yeah Yeah,

exactly, but I remember I I Forget what episode

it was I forget what the conversation was the

first time and I think this is like immediately

after First time I ever heard you was on radio

free Cybertron, and we've already talked to Brian

Kilby here on all things transformers origins

But you know after that I was like oh she sounds

fun. She's cool. I'll follow her on Twitter Next

thing I know we're having ten -hour conversations

and yada yada yada doing you know? when she's

what worry is six or five you were five or six

months pregnant with zane we're doing like a

whole year in advance gem podcast oh yes it was

so much fun it was like you know it's like wow

it was like and i've said this before and i'll

say it again ladies and gentlemen lady rec is

the den mother of the transformers fandom i don't

care what anyone says that's what she is Well,

I've been known to, you know, somebody says,

hey, you're going to that convention, right?

Could you pick me up some toys? I'm like, sure.

It's not even that. It's like the fact that,

yes, you have your opinions, whether you like

or dislike something, but you're the most person

in the fandom that I know that... doesn't say

your opinion sucks because your opinion sucks

or your opinion sucks because I'm like gee what

you know you you're you're you're an equal opportunity

fan you're not just you know you agree and disagree

with people but you don't sit there and say gee

one or nothing or beast wars are nothing or yeah

you know like Well, I mean, it's full of so much

variety. And when you've been like somebody like

me, where you've had a complete and total shutout

and denial of something because of whatever reason,

and you know what it's like to miss that. You're

like, hey. What is my G1 isn't your G1 and my

experience isn't like your experience, but oh

my gosh Am I so glad to have this? I mean because

for years I feel like I've been a closet geek

most of my life that I've been Walking around

and in my skin going I'm doing everything that

everything that everybody's expected of me But

at some point I have to do what's what's good

for me And when I found the transformers fandom

quite literally I said this is my tribe this

is my tribe i'm going to embrace my tribe oh

boy did i so that's that's my thing so i absolutely

every single thing i've tried i've looked at

most things i've well i take that back i have

not gone as far as um what are those things those

kiss player things i was like oh no that's not

for me yeah no like if it's for you that's great

but it's totally not for me yeah no I was like,

I'll pass on the kiss players. People keep on,

you know, back in the day when I was like, oh,

what's that? You know? Yeah. Oh, what's that?

It's like, yes, Google has edu -gum -icated me.

So I'm like, yeah, OK, that ain't for me. First

toy. I never got a Transformers toy. As a kid,

I wanted one. But again, I've already kind of

go back to that. Mom and dad, and I was like,

that's a toy for boys. That's not for you. I'm

like, oh my gosh. Believe me, when I say this

as a parent, if my kids said they wanted something,

if it was a doll, I got them that. My middle

son said he wanted a rainbow dash for one of

his birthdays. I freaking got him a rainbow dash.

So there, I'm not going to make those same mistakes.

Anything my kids wanted, if they were into it,

I let them get into it. Their kids, let them

experience whatever that is. Chances are in 10

years, if it really did make an effect on them,

then they probably will still kind of like it

at some point in the future. It's a passing phase.

Sometimes it is. And you know what? Sometimes

as a parent, you just have to kind of Just let

them be. Let them be kids. Let them experience

stuff. If they don't like it, they'll figure

that out. They will figure that out. If your

peers don't pressure them out of something, then

you don't think they might like it for a little

bit longer. And you know what? Imagination. It's

a cool thing. Let kids do it. Yeah, it's a very

cool thing. Not going to hurt them at all. Imagination

is a very cool thing the sad thing is there are

so few parents today like you that Encourage

that because like when I was growing up as a

kid I was encouraged to go out and pretend and

do this and do that and whatever else. Yeah,

I was also that couch potato kid sitting at home

in front of the TV watching cartoons and having

TV rot my brain, but it's one of those things

where... Didn't really, though. Didn't really

rot my brain. Well, of course not. It enhanced

it. Hello? I have 30, almost 38 years of, you

know, useless facts from TV and music and movies

and cartoons and all that. But anyway, my point

is, is that... imagination today is here kid

here's an iPad go nuts like that's not imagination

we'll get more on the imagination thing but like

yeah like have your kids experience things and

the way I look at it is My mom always said, as

long as I had my homework done, whatever, I was

fine. I could do watch whatever I wanted to watch.

It didn't really matter at all. Obviously I'm

not watching like Skinimax or, you know, softcore

nudity on HBO, but it's one of those things where,

you know, if I, yeah. Even like she would even

have like I can't do horror movies because I

get scarred at five years old from watching Nightmare

on Elm Street But it's one of those things where

you know That's what I mean like my mom would

let me watch a rated -R movie at five She's gonna

let me watch a Transformers cartoon with robots

shooting at each other It's not let you know

yeah, and the thing with the kids is you're right.

You know Getting back to my original point why

I even went off on this tangent was that My mom

encouraged me to use my imagination to like what

I like like like I just said on another podcast

before we started this Transformers Teenage Mutant

Ninja Turtles, He -Man, She -Ra, Thundercats,

Voltron, Mask, Silverhawks All of those 80s cartoons

shaped who I was becoming and who I am today

without any one of those Yeah, I probably wouldn't

be the same person I am right now. Yeah, you

know because all of those have Lessons within

them whether they have a PSA at the end or not.

Yeah, you know You know and it encourages kids

to go out and be imaginative and whatever else

and you know, we knew the different like we're

not gonna go out and get a gun and blow somebody's

head off because optimus prime shot at megatron

or megatron shot at optimus like we knew the

difference between pretend on television like

it's entertainment versus you know real life

and sadly today that line is severely blurred

Yes, it has. I mean, I would never think of being

able to pick up a gun and hurt somebody after

I saw what happened after his prime and somebody

picked up a gun and hurt him. I mean, yeah, I

was destroyed when he died. Yeah. Well, you know,

and here's the other thing. My my my oldest.

I. Let's just say this the fandom I had quite

a few years where I had some really amazing things

and they got me Through a lot of really crappy

shit that happened in my life, you know after

I had kids and stuff like that Not it was their

fault or anything. It just happened but one of

the things that we found out is my oldest son

has muscular dystrophy and He's also high -functioning

autistic. So when it came to imagination, this

is where I'm gonna tie it all together He didn't

Pretend play like other kids pretended play and

one of the things we were first looking into

him as he started going getting into preschool

age and into kindergarten is We do a lot of testing

psychology testing with him and he would not

pretend play I think that he did Pretend play

a certain point in his own head. He would not

like Be that way around other people and sometimes

not even around me I would have to really just

kind of listen and peek around the corner every

once in a while when he's in his room being quiet

And go is he doing something? And so for me,

I really encourage pretend play because my oldest

really didn't pretend play until I had my second

son and there's a four -year gap between the

two of them and He was like my oldest probably

not till he was six or seven. Did he pretend

play? And as a parent concerned about her kids,

especially since my whole childhood, as I was

pretty clear on the first 30 minutes, I was nothing

but in La La Land pretend everything. I was there

and I had two other brothers that also did the

same thing with me. We were recording stuff,

my heck. That was us. That was my life. I mean

that was I I loved my childhood Not you know,

even though I had some things about it that I

like. Hey, I really wish my parents weren't douches.

But hey, I There was a lot about my childhood.

I loved the pretend I loved we we had lots of

fun doing that. Um, but yeah Like to have kids

that didn't do that, you know, I was like, hey

you want to pretend play I'm all for it. Let's

get down and do it together because yeah having

alex not do it until he was six or seven honestly

doesn't surprise me because while by the time

i was to say two to four yeah i was pretend playing

with toys and that kind of thing but like pretend

playing like Don't want to sit here and call

it live -action role play because I don't think

it says that's not what we friggin called it

in the 80s And it's one of those things where

I didn't start that until I was in kindergarten,

which that was five years old So yeah, not even

with his MS and and all of that. It doesn't support.

Yeah, I'm sorry Yeah, you know, I don't you know

I don't see that as an issue. I mean, it was

an issue. I guess maybe I made it Yeah, because

I had other adults that were other professionals

in education that were saying hey This is what

we've observed and this is not like what and

I was like, oh do other kids not do that too?

Because I I was a new mom you learn things when

you're a new mom and I didn't think about like

oh Well, and I was a kid we did this stuff and

I thought well, maybe he's just shy Yeah so I

mean Of course, you know here we are fast -forward

ten years later. I'm like, hey, you know what?

It is what it is. You love your kids, you get

down with them. You know, they do what they do.

You just endorse and just follow right along.

When they're ready to do it, they'll do it. So,

you know, I've changed a lot since then. So question

five has kind of already been answered. Growing

up I always was the token female of course we

did undercats. We did transformers. We did GI

Joe We did he man she rush stuff I mean like

I can think of so many times there were you know

I loved it when like the the kids on the playground

especially the boys that had like other Transformers

got to bring them to school and I was like that's

so cool and I knew all of the characters they're

like what is wrong with you you know you know

this is oh yeah yeah I was like, I know exactly

who that is. And they were like, you are one

of us, but you're a girl. What's wrong with you?

Like Barbie and My Little Pony. I was like, oh,

I have my little ponies and I have one Barbie,

but I'm more I really like Transformers. And

they're like, where are your toys then? I was

like, I don't have any toys. Why not? Because

those are for boys. Regurgitate, regurgitate,

regurgitate. What? OK. Sorry. Sorry. You know,

yes, I did say that. But you know what? That

things change, just saying. I didn't do that

to my kids, so I'm not passing on that bad jargon

or whatever. Thank God. Puke. Blech. We're done.

Okay, so next question. Yes, we did play at recess,

and it was fun. Absolutely. Alright, so next

question, even though I know what the answer

to this is going to be because, you know, technically

we're not supposed to let anybody cheat, but

who is your end -all, be -all favorite character

from any Transformers incarnation? You can pick

one Decepticon and one Autobot, or you can pick

a team. I can pick a team, huh? Okay. So I will

say this, when I was a kid, Optimus Prime was

my man. I was his girl. He was like, dude, I

am totally on his team. I was on his team. I

think you and Heather are going to have some

fights now. No, no we aren't. She is Prime. She

regurgitates it better than I do. I'm just saying.

She is, it's in her head. Because see, now, now

I have, I have a conflict of interest here. Because...

I have another team that I really love that's

kind of taken over my heart. And so she can have

Prime because he's really awesome and she does

a great job being him. But my team is the records.

Do you have a con at all? You know, I sat down,

I thought about that one. Somebody out there's

probably going to say, oh, it's better Squadron

X. It's like, no, it's not Squadron X. Uh, you

know what? I had a hard time with this one because

for the longest time I was all about Autobots!

Autobots! Team Autobot! I'm totally Team Autobot!

Those Team Decepticons are just not my thing.

And, you know, yeah. So I liked some of them.

But I wasn't like like oh, I have to be on their

team I was like there were some characters that

I liked more than others, but if I was going

to like a character I probably would have said

sound wave because He just has a he had a different

voice and he was the loyalist and I really liked

the loyalist half of him Because he was just

he was always there. He was yes, sometimes he

made mistakes, but he had a cool voice and He

had you know, those tape things that got to eject

out of this chest and I thought that was kind

of cool I was like he's kind of unique. I liked

him. I liked him. He had a different voice than

anybody else I was like if he's gonna be so if

it wasn't Megatron it would have to be you know,

I couldn't I couldn't say Megatron because Optimus

Prime was my you know, he was I was on Team Prime

and this sound wave is no ordinary Cybertronian

inside or out so I would strongly suggest opening

him up so we can have a firsthand look at the

information recorded on his drives all right

he's downloading data no sound wave is erasing

data Autobots. Inferior. Everyone else, transform

and roll out! Soundwave superior. Constructicons.

Inferior. Who are you calling inferior? Nobody

would follow an uncharismatic bore like you!

Hey, nobody calls Soundwave uncharismatic! Yeah,

let's keep talking! Megatron must be stopped,

no matter the cost. We had a fist bump and a

handshake and everything. I couldn't be for Megatron

if I was for Optimus Prime. So, what is... No,

no, no, not yet. We still have to get to the

team aspect. So, how did the wreckers, how did

Lady Rek, the personality that is Lady Rek with

the big blonde hair and all that, how did that

come about? Okay, so like I said, once I embraced

the fandom and I walked into my first... I'll

just back up a little bit. Okay, so I started

listening to podcasts and TFYR was my first one,

which was really funny because then I totally

had a moment this last August when I was on the

same podcast with Ryan going... Oh my gosh! Wow!

That's right! It might be! My gosh! I'm going

to totally have a moment. Yes. And you recorded

the whole thing and I just felt like. Of course.

I was such a fangirl. I'm such a fangirl. No,

so then about the time I jumped on board and

listening to their podcast is almost about the

time that they wrapped up that podcast, which

was like, aw. So I was looking around for the

podcast and I ran into the Moonbase 2 crowd and

I was hit hooked in like one show. Dave and Andy

totally just like I was like these guys are cool.

Oh my gosh They have the really brilliant accent

to say they're from England. Oh my gosh. This

is too cool There's there's fans in England.

Oh, I'm so excited so I totally became like I

Opened up a simple text file and I started taking

stuff which half of it was way over my head and

I was like when I okay toys I I don't even know

where to begin with the toys toy collecting Oh

my gosh, and they would talk about all this stuff

and I was like, oh my gosh So I had to take notes

because I had to go research afterwards exactly

what they were talking about cuz I was like oh

my goodness this is so way over my head I'm gonna

be like lost for and I was for a couple of months

until I started getting stuff every single time

I listened to them on the podcast like I got

that reference I totally was like patting myself

on the back going yeah I did it I totally figured

out what they're saying but they started talking

about comics and I was like huh hmm That's right.

I'm an adult now. I can do whatever I want Hey,

maybe I should look into this maybe I should

look into that maybe I should look into this

and I thought about it I thought about it thought

about and like got all their recommendations

and stuff like that And I think all hell Megatron

was maybe wrapping up at that point They didn't

say a lot of really great things about it. So

I thought okay. Well, maybe I won't start there

then and They brought on I Want to say that they

brought Ender on around that time and because

there was a new book that was being announced

called Last Stand of the Wreckers and I don't

remember I don't remember because things get

a little fuzzy right about then but I do remember

around December of that year I walked into my

first comic shop and I went to where the Transformers

comics were and I picked up my first trade which

was I believe Infiltration by Simon Furman And

because I had to read that, oh my goodness. And

actually, I think I had already read it by then

because I did a little thing that was bad because

the internet is so easy to just find. And I thought,

okay, to undo the sin, I will go out and start

buying them for real so I can actually say that

I really did support all of the artists and creators

and things. Because yeah, it's kind of important.

So at the time that that happened, I didn't when

I first dived into comics for the first time,

I thought, oh, I hope nobody's watching me. It's

like I'm downloading porn or something because

I'm excited about reading this. But then at the

same time, I wasn't quite sure because my idea

of what comics were is what I saw when I was

a kid, which was like the Archie stuff where

it was like The printing process was just the

really interesting color, strange stuff that

I saw. Sometimes it was just black and white,

and I was not familiar with a lot of the comic

stuff that they had, which, you know what? I

look back on that and say, why did I not know

that this was going to be better? Because I was

an illustration major. I'd seen the printing

press. I knew how colorful things could be. But

I thought, oh, well, they're supposed to make

it that way. Yeah. Then I saw Dreamway for the

first time. time and my my jaw literally went

what's that and hit the floor and I was like

whoa That is not what I expected, because I went

from seeing a few things of Marvel going, well,

maybe I'll try it. Maybe I'll keep a little ways

from before going into that, because it's like,

oh, I don't know if I'll like it. And I don't

want to be like that fan that says, no, I couldn't

get into it. Sorry, guys. Especially since a

lot of the UK people were like, we really like

Marvel. It was so awesome. And I was like, wait.

And they had so many more awesome tales than

I did. And I went, ugh. I don't want to be that

fan. This isn't really wasn't for me. And they'd

be like going, what is wrong with you? You do

not fit our tribe. And I was like, oh, but I

really want to fit your tribe. But so I saw Dreamway

for the first time and I just went, oh, if this

is what it looks like now. give me some more

of that and then I of course found IDW and it

was a slippery slope it was so slippery it sucked

me in so fast I was like like overnight like

within minutes I became a total like comic give

me more give me more give me more give me more

and so that's why I went into the comic shop

and of course I had that moment where they're

looking at me like hey are you here to get something

for your boyfriend and I was like no this is

totally for me they're like really it's like

oh hell yeah here i am suburban looking mom like

with my suburban looking mom look walking in

there this is before i had t -shirts um and i

was buying a transformers comic i thought i am

so chic right now i was so smug about it too

um i feel bad that i was like hey you know i

was like i i walked out of there going yes i

bought this comic for myself Little did I know

that people do this all the time. I mean, come

on. But at that point, I thought when I heard

this podcast where Ender was saying, hey, they've

got this new thing that's coming out. They gushed

about it. And I went, OK, this is the one. This

is the one I'm going to jump on. And I'm going

to read it. And I'm going to be experiencing

comics for the first time, where I'm running

to the comic shop on a weekly basis to get the

next issue as it comes in. I knew it was going

to be like, no, actually, it's going to be a

monthly basis. So I get one month, then come

back the next month to get it, the next month

after that. And that's what I was like, OK, I'm

going to do it. I'm totally going to do this.

And I was so excited. I went down to the comic

shop and I got my first comic and then I said,

hey, are you going to be getting this one called

Last Stand of the Records? And of course they

said, we don't know much about it, but I'll put

that, I'll look it up and I'll, do you want me

to put a subscription, blah, blah, blah? And

I was like, I don't even know what that is. I

said, no, I'll just come in and get the issues

if you have them. I was like, well, and then

they had to explain what subscription service

was. And I was like, oh, okay, go ahead and sign

up for the first issue and I'll let you know.

Cause I was like, okay, I don't know what to

do. I didn't know what the right answer was.

So I just said, uh, I'll get the first issue.

And anyhow, long story short, I was just so naive.

The guys are probably going, okay, we don't care.

As long as you like support our comic shock,

we'll, we'll do whatever, whatever you want.

I was like, okay, yeah, sure. Okay. Anyhow. So

then I was getting on, I had been getting on

the moon base to form at the time, the moon base

to, um, They had a forum at the time. It's not

around anymore. They shut it down, or it moved

into something else and then that one died. They

were calling out for people that would be interested

in reviewing comics. They didn't say what, they

just said specifically just to review the IDW

comics. So I thought, oh, this is kind of cool.

I think a day or two before that, I had been

listening to another podcast because I was always

looking for a podcast. I had gone over to where

Ender was reviewing and running a podcast with

another guy on the Tformers forum. And so they,

unfortunately, this was not my year because TF

Wire ended up stopping their recording. And so

did Tformers that year. In fact, I listened to

their last show and went, It was like my first

and their last show. And I was like, wow, what

is wrong with me? What I keep on picking podcasts

that keep on ending. But one of the things that

Anthony on that said is that because he was he

was starting a new job. And that was the reason

why the podcast was going to stop recording.

And so it was like their little farewell show.

And he's like, yeah, this is an opportunity for

some other Transformers fan out there to take

the plunge and do something for your fandom.

And I was like, oh. cool that's such a great

idea that was such a great message yeah and a

week later i saw this post about you know reviewing

comics so i thought okay sure i'll i'll do that

that sounds like fun i'm that this would be my

thing to engage and be a part of the fandom i'll

provide something that people want to hear whatever

is like you know hey i'll write a comic review

so i answered it And it was the first time I

actually contacted Dave Wallace for the first

time, because he was the one that put it out.

And I was like, hey, I'll do it. And apparently,

me and one other person, Matt Kingrimmy, answered

that we answered his little outcome review for

the Moonbase 2. They're just going to be written

reviews. And I was like, OK, cool. Um, I got

my first comic and I was like, this is so cool.

Secret. I got a secret comic that nobody else

has seen and I get to review it and then write

about it. And anyhow, so that was like, I was

like, Hey, I feel so special. Um, and then he

said, Hey, now that you've written your first

review, you have to come on the podcast. And

I was like, What? Huh? What? He's like, yeah,

you got to come on a podcast now and talk about

it. I was like, Really? You want me on the show?

It's like, seriously? It's like, okay, I'll do

it. Then I thought, I don't know anything about

podcasting. What the hell am I doing? Yeah. So

the first one came and I was so nervous, but

I had so much fun. And what do you know? I came

back on again. And then he says, I'm going to

start making this a regular thing. And I was

like, really? That's cool. And so I totally was

on board with that. And we started reviewing.

And that's one of the first things he said when

we were on there, because we had just, I think

issue two or three of last 10 of the records

was out. I don't actually remember which. Comic

was the first one that I reviewed. I think it

was just, I don't know if it was Last Stand of

the Wreckers or if it was something else. I think

it was something else because I don't remember

it being Last Stand of the Wreckers. Anyhow,

we started the show after Wreckers had already

started, so got to read it, and he introduced

me as the Lady of Wreck. And I had a completely

different screen name at the time, but I thought,

huh, I'm doing something new. That totally has

a ring to it and I changed my name and that's

how I became Lady Rack I started out with with

Last Stand of the Wreckers. I've picked up every

issue and I Just loved it and I loved the team

and I loved podcasting And so it just seemed

like the right thing and it just it just it just

fit It was like one of those things. So yeah,

Dave Wallace named me Lady Rack and I went with

that so and i've been late iraq ever since so

was pretty fun sweet awesome five years later

five years later still kickin still kickin ass

uh... what are some of the other transformers

oh god what are some other transformers what

those are characters that you what are some of

the other transformers characters that you like

you know what now that i've gotten in so much

of transformers i don't think There's a lot of

characters that I like. I don't think there's

any one of them because I've read so many different

iterations of the same character and every show

is a little bit different and every comic well

for a while there was a little bit different

and you know it just everything just has a new

flavor to it there I don't think that there's

I mean I've just gotten to the point like I tried

to sit down. I think well What are other characters

are like let's go like like a lot of them But

there's a lot of characters that I just thought

huh that's a new take I never thought of and

I really like the way that they're doing this

So there's a lot of characters that I like I

mean It's just been Of course, I love my you

know my wrecking team, but the movie verse the

movie verse version eh not so much because it

was like But, you know, that's kind of, you know,

movie versus movie verse. Just, yeah, I mean,

I've liked several different iterations of RC.

A lot better than the G1 version. Well, G1RC

didn't really have a lot of time to shine, so...

Really didn't, but then, you know, she was also

in an era when they were still kind of like,

hey, it's a girl, so of course the girl needs

to be the caretaker of the little boy, and, you

know, mom hat. And I put the mom hat on her,

and I was like, eh, she's a robot, let his mom

be the mom. Thank you. You know, nurse bot, whatever.

I was like, eh, eh, eh. Yeah, well, that's so

cliche. I mean, you didn't know what cliche was

at the time, but I was like, oh, yeah, but there's

a lot of that in my world right now, and I really

don't need more of that. So really didn't. I

liked RC because she was a girl, but I didn't

like what they were doing with her. So, but I

loved the new kind of difference that they had

of RC in the IDW verse. I was like, oh, wow,

this is really different. I was like, that's

really different. And I was like, kind of like

it. And I kind of relate to it on a certain level,

so... Yeah, I don't think that there is any character

that I don't appreciate on some level just because

I've gotten to... There's so many flavors, there's

so many different things. Like, Transformers

Prime RC is so badass. RC reporting in. You're

listening to all things Transformers. As compared

to the original G1 RC, it was just like... Whoa,

wow, there's a really different thing to this.

And she's got some baggage, man. She wants to

get back at people for killing her partner. She's

tempted to kill Starscream. I'm like, go on,

that's deep, yo. It's a completely different

level. I mean, and then compare that to the RC

that's in IDW. And you're like, whoa, man. there's

some real different flavors out there of rc yes

there are those to the animated version who was

just like you know a zombie basically I mean

hey there's there's lots of different versions

so like each one is so unique and so different

and each it depends on the story that they're

in and I'm like here I've just named four of

them off and each one of them I liked at different

levels and different times in my life and you

know I I've liked them so there's I can't say

that I'm like what are some of you know just

a few like well actually I could probably go

through each one of them and pick out something

that I like about them so I'm like yeah um yeah

absolutely all right so you said that you appreciate

almost every transformers character out there

are there any that you downright hate absolutely

get away actually I don't hate him but part of

that is because his story is not over yet and

I'm waiting to see what James does with it and

I'm a little behind on lost light I know gas

but whoo i'm very behind on what i have no i

have not even read a single issue i haven't read

it since did the potato trail thing and left

them on a planet somewhere so i don't even know

i'm so far yeah get away his time is coming i'm

just saying i haven't gotten to their that point

yet but i suspect that there will be he will

get his karma uh... yes i hate i'd move this

character At least until recently. I was not

a fan of Starscream. I was not that girl that

was like, oh Starscream! I could never get that.

I never could get that. Starscream was... He

was the most backstabbing character ever. He

always screwed things up. Or... He was always

doing something to mega, you know, he was so

disloyal. I hated that. I hated that. I hated

that. I like he was such a user too. And I was

just like, totally hate that character. I want

that character to turn over and die when he died

in the movie. I was like, yes, yes, yes. Finally,

they killed him. Oh, I'm so glad. And then that.

Hate continued every single time I saw that character

just like seething with like, uh, dislike for

that character. And then John Barber got ahold

of him. And I was like, okay, let's see where

he's going to what he's going to do with this

sleaze ball. And then he did something that I

didn't expect. I was like, oh, okay. Made him

a politician. I could see that he's slimy. That

will totally work for him. And I was like, okay,

I still hate him. But you know, He's got some

personality now. I'm like, okay, um, he's a little

more than the disloyal dude He's actually trying

to be a leader even though he's backstabbing

behind everything, but he's wearing a pretty

face And then Marigred Scott got ahold of Starscream.

And I fell in love with this character. Like,

I was like, new appreciation and love for Starscream

bloomed in ways that I did not see coming, which

is kind of scary because with two writers, it

was like they planned it or something. You know,

and I liked Starscream in Transformers Prime

as well, too. I said the reason why I liked him

so much is he was such a complicated character,

and he always got shit upon. He really did. And

he did it himself. He did it to himself. But

it was just, like, I suddenly started seeing

the shift, and in my opinion of Starscream went

from hate to, like, you know what? He... I have...

I have empathy for this character. How did that

happen? How did that happen? Oh my gosh, I was

like, how did this happen? And of course I went

back and looked at it. Oh yeah. So it started

with the barber and then he just kind of like,

you know, got his foot in the door and then Baraker

just broke it completely open. And so now I don't

think there's any character that I hate. I don't

think there's any character that I hate anymore.

I think I love them all at some level. Even Getaway,

because you always have to have a villain that

you hate. And I don't know. Come back to me in

about six months, actually, when I have caught

up. And I'll tell you whether or not I hate Getaway

or not. Because right now, I could definitely

say I do have some hate for him. But I know that

James is not done with that character yet. So

I'm like, hey, he will get his karma. Yeah, absolutely

All right, so questions nine and ten kind of

go hand in hand So i'm gonna ask them both at

the same time question nine is over your lifetime

as you got older Did your interest in the transformers

franchise grow stronger or get weaker? And question

ten is was there ever a moment in your life when

you were through with everything transformer

So this is like after you're grown up and this

isn't when you're a kid Yeah, because I was gonna

say easily that one's already been answered.

Yeah, I was gonna say yeah, obviously, okay,

so You know, here's the thing. I've been on board

basically for the last six, seven years. And

the only thing that has kept me from being, well,

after five years of podcasting with The Underbase,

which is the podcast that I ended up going with

after Moonbase 2, when I got on there, we opened

a new segment called The Underbase. And it was

a purely... comic reviewing podcast. After a

couple episodes, we broke off from Moonbase 2

and we went like every week for five years. Every

Tuesday we would record and by Wednesday evening

we would publish a podcast. And it was like that

for five years. After about two or three months,

I think Dave edited for a little bit and then

when he turned the podcast over to us and we

became the under base officially For about two

weeks. I think he still we still sent him the

files and then I said Let me do it. Let me do

it because he really wasn't editing it to be

honest. He was just taking it publishing it and

it's raw all of every single little hiccup, every

single sneeze, every single, oh, wait, wait,

I gotta go to the bathroom, or every little hiccup.

And I was like, Dave, you have to edit this.

And he didn't have time. He was running the moon

base, too. He was just like chill. I was like,

eh, it doesn't matter. Everybody will enjoy it

anyway. It's just one big conversation that everybody

likes. So I was like, no, no, no, no, no. You

can't do this. It's like, I... I'm so new and

rusty to podcasting every little thing I say.

I go, I'm about a billion times. And I'm like,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We really need to

edit this. And I was like, he's not going to

do it. So I got to learn how to do it. So I had

to sit down and start figuring out how to do

it. And I did. I sat down and learned it. All

warts and all, every little hiccup, every single

time that we skirted up all the eight plus hours.

Editing that I went through the first couple

times going. Oh my gosh, this is so long, but

it was so much fun Anyhow And fast forward five

years and Then we broke off and we're doing teams

and like the underbase was just it was so much

fun and we did interviews and we had so much

fun doing it and You know, it just got to the

point where it was so much and I have two kids

And then I got pregnant with my third. And I

went, oh, there's no way I can continue to do

this. And like, you know, all of our people that

we had on, you know, people were beginning to

have lives. Like my co -host at the time, Matt

King Grimmie, got engaged, got married. All the

times he teased me about my kids and how I knew

the cages. And then he had a little one too.

He was so funny. Of course that all happened

after a year after we stopped recording, but

like literally our lives have gotten so busy.

Mine, Adam's, Matt's. Like we were just getting

to the point where we just couldn't do it. And

they were, they were wanting to go off and do

other things. And they were, you know, we were

all kind of like trying to get a group together

where we do the podcast a month instead of every

week. I think we did every week for like a solid

three and a half, almost four years before we

started breaking off. So anybody out there, you

want to listen to all of our podcasts, they are

still online. I'm still paying to make sure that

they stay up. That's the under base. the under

base at Libsyn .com or something like that. Just

type in the under base and Libsyn and L -I or

L -Y -N -S -I, no, S -Y -N, I don't know. No,

it's Libsyn. I got in it wrong. It's Libsyn.

It's L -I -B -S -Y -N. We'll put it in the show.

We'll put it in the show. It'll be in there.

Yeah. We haven't podcasted almost three years

now, it feels like. I think it's almost three

years. Yeah, because I had the baby. He'll be

three this weekend. So yeah. So yeah, you can

listen to all that. It was fun. I had a blast

doing it. And all of our interviews of the artists

and colorists and people that we got on the show

that were just like guests, like all of that

stuff is still relevant because we were asking

them basically origin stories like this podcast.

So Great way to to jump in and learn who they

are is just go go look at what we've got You

know, it's it's super awesome. But you know it

we've gotten busy And so the only reason why

I'm not like doing the podcast now is because

I had another kid and I was like You know, I

need to take a break. I I wasn't sure I was gonna

have another one and I wasn't like trying to

have another one. He was kind of our oops baby.

But I've really kind of enjoyed going back being

mom all over again because the first two kids

I had postpartum depression. In fact, about the

time that I started getting involved in the fandom

and I was embracing a new tribe, that was when

I was starting to come out of my depression for

the second time. And I was... meeting a community

to hang out with and Transformers became that

go -to thing to go do and it was really great

because I felt like I was getting in touch with

my inner kid and Life was becoming like kind

of full circle for me and so it was a really

great opportunity to kind of get in touch with

other people that were already in it, and I could

learn about what the fandom was like when I wasn't

in it, and what happened, how do people react

to this, what was their impressions of the Marvel

comics, which I never even got to experience

until I was an adult, and it's different. I was

listening to Heather's... origins origins earlier

today and she said that she just can't get into

the marble stuff i was like yeah i completely

understand that because like i read it but my

reactions to it is are a little bit different

because i'm not a little kid going oh this is

my weekly thing that i'm going to get every week

and you know i'm my My reaction to it is completely

different. I won't remember it like like say

Adam Oh my gosh, Adam is just like he everything

he says that comes out of his mouth is so poetic

about Marvel During those the Marvel UK and and

all of the things that really made a huge impression

on him as a kid Am I going I wish I had that

man. I'm mad at my parents Man can I hate on

my parents anymore in this fandom? But yeah,

so for I mean I completely hear what she's saying

because it looked it's just not my jam I don't

like it as much as say IDW stuff, which I'm like,

hey, yeah So as I've gotten older it what as

I've been in the fandom for about six to seven

years now I don't think it's grown. I don't think

I have run stronger or weaker. I think it's one

of those situations where I'm not as insane as

I was five years ago. It's more like - Yes, you

are. Don't lie. I'm less - My intensity has kind

of come down to a more normal level, rather than

being so into Transformers. It's kind of come

down to a more normal and sanity -based fandom.

I like it, and I'm still really enthused about

it, and I can sit down and talk for hours, obviously,

because I've already been there. I'm already

doing this after an hour. I can sit there and

gush about it, but my insanity level of how intensely,

how much that intense love is has started to

come down a little bit, so I'm not so, hey guys,

Transformers! You know? I've kind of grown from

being iron fist to, I don't know, say, Who's

the next one down from I don't know. I don't

know. I interest is pretty down on the totem

pole in my mind cuz you know Maybe I'm more like

rung now at this point when I'm being sensible.

Oh I know iron fist is a Transformers character.

The sad thing is I think that's stupid Netflix

Marvel series. Okay. Yeah knows iron fist you

You're a less excitable Swerve that's where you

are. Oh, okay. Yeah, but the swerve have any

friends. Come on. This is my tribe Okay world

Kind of fan, okay He's like that he's he's kind

of peeking at a point, you know, he went from

being like that dude that wants to kill everything

or, you know, I want my hands back and I'm going

to let everybody know it. To that guy that's

like, hey, you know what? Don't hurt yourself.

Now, I don't know what he I don't know what Roberts

has done with him for the last six months. The

last time I checked, he might be like the bro.

Cyclonus is bro. OK, so there might be more going

on there. I don't know at this point, but that's

the last. part I looked at and I was like, hey,

it'd be great if we start a relationship here.

Whirl and Cyclonus, the hug that stopped a fandom.

He's going to kill him. Yeah, we'll see about

that. I've heard rumors that something's going

on, that there's another hug involved between

those two. So I'm like, I'm kind of curious.

I'm going, oh, I hope I like it. I'm sure I will.

Or you'll be able to hear me say James from miles

away. So yeah. My interest in the Transformers

franchise, it hasn't grown weaker. I would think

after all of those years of being told that I

couldn't go look at Transformers forever, that

that would probably kill it. If it didn't kill

it, then I seriously doubt that some fan rage

online or somebody saying, Transformers isn't

cool anymore, is going to make me stop liking

the franchise. I went through a dark time in

my life and then my darkest hour was lit by something

and Well, actually was the movies actually And

that got me back into the transformers franchise

So, I mean if that if that's the path that I

went on I really don't think it's gonna go away

after You know a couple of years of being in

the fandom seven years and counting and I'm like

when no this has been really really great I've

really really enjoyed it and I will probably

continue to enjoy it I want to be this is my

goal is I want to be that one old lady that comes

to transformers conventions with her bumblebee

inspired shock stick and says back in my day

transformers was G1 and nothing else That's my

that's what I want to do. That's what I want

to do is I want to be that old lady that goes

hangs out in the bar Like when you're nothing

like what we expect a 70 year old woman to be

damn straight I want to be that And I'm sure

you will I will I will channer my inner, uh granny

apple Say no, this is not how things are gonna

be So, yeah All right with the internet giving

birth to the fans all having a voice about what

they like and what they don't like about Transformers

Do you find that your voice gets lost in the

shuffle or do you just shout louder? You know,

this is an interesting question when I read it

I was like, yeah, I don't really need to shout

and I don't feel like my voice gets lost in the

shuffle either I think it just comes down to

I'm confident of what I think about my opinion

of Transformers I will definitely tell anybody

that wants to ask Sure, sure. I'll talk about

it. Like I love the 80s. I there's so much stuff

in the 80s to love There's a lot to hate too

But you know for the most part You know, I don't

think that this is I mean it kind of doesn't

know I mean, I don't know maybe it doesn't apply

to me Maybe I don't feel this way just because

when I first got into the fandom there weren't

a lot of ladies Or at least there were very few

of them. And so I did feel like Because I was

a woman and I liked Transformers, it was like,

I had more dudes coming up to me saying, why

Transformers? Why are you attracted to this?

I mean, you're not really a toy collector, and

you still like to hang out with a bunch of dudes

that like to sit there and transform toys. I'm

like, well, because Transformers isn't just about

the toys. And then I would sit there and give

my opinion on why I'm, or whatever, my point

of view on that. It's been really kind of amazing

to see the franchise kind of bloom where women

are here. We've always been here. There are plenty

of G1 ladies that are out there like, oh no,

no, no, I was a G1er. and like that was my generation

and then I liked this and then I liked this like

there are a lot of women that have just come

out and I'm like really really glad that that

I was there to see it happen because and maybe

it was just I don't know I don't know what attracted

people um I'd like to say I think it might have

been more than ECI something about the, you know,

when you tell a really good story that everybody

can find some sort of emotional attachment to,

it resonates with people. And so they will continue,

they will come, they will flock to a good story.

And so that should say something to a lot of

creators out there. If you see a bunch of people

just suddenly getting on board, especially a

whole gender suddenly getting on board. You might

be doing something right because we wouldn't

just be coming out of the woodwork for nothing.

But yeah, I don't absolutely I don't feel like

our I don't think I don't think that way. I don't

feel like my voice gets lost in the shuffle and

I don't feel like I have to shout louder. I just,

you know, hey, sometimes the best way to get

your kids attention is to whisper. And so, you

know, I think that. Part of. You know, I think.

What really became really empowering to me is

just actually getting in front of a microphone

and just talking. Absolutely. I don't have to

really shout. My opinion is my opinion and I've

always tried to be consistent about how I hate

or love something. Or better yet, be constructive

and have a positive take away at least with.

some of my criticisms that i i've shot out had

a at certain parts of of transformers fandom

or or not and i'm but like franchise and i can't

wish this was better which is better you know

i just yeah you know i'd just i'd i'd i guess

i'm confident enough to say hey my opinion matters

and i you know if it matters to me And it matters

to the people that I hang out with. And it matters

to whoever decides to follow me on Twitter or

ask me a question. Say, hey, what do you think

about this? It's like, you know, sometimes I'll

be honest. I'll just I'll tell you what I think.

And if I don't know, I'll tell you. I don't know.

So I don't feel like I have to shout louder.

I hope that if there's anybody out there that

feels like they're getting lost. You know what

start a YouTube channel don't do it for like

hey I want to be like I want to be the guy that

has like 50 bazillion downloads or whatever it

gets endorsed by YouTube no no just do it because

you want to practice talking in front of a microphone

and you want to get your opinion out there and

you want to say something about Something that

you like or something that you hate because there's

a lot of that out there, too Just just try I

mean don't be afraid just be you do you Do you?

And people will be interested in that. Yes, they

will. All right. What is your Transformers personal

anthem song? This could be Stan Bush's The Touch.

It could be Dare. It could be a piece of music

from the Vince DiCola score. It could be a piece

of music from the movie. It could be a piece

of music from animated Beast Wars anything. Oh,

okay. I didn't realize it could do anything,

because then I thought, oh, okay, it's got to

be something to stay on Bush. Is it the touch

or dare? No, it doesn't. No, no, no, no, no.

Okay. Darn it. I didn't do my homework very well

on this one then. So when I saw that, I thought,

okay, let's go back to the original G1 because

that's my generation. And so I thought, am I

a touch or am I a dare? I'm like, huh. And I

looked at the lyrics and I thought about it and

went, I'm totally a dare. I'm a dare. I dare

you. I dare. So, oops, sorry. that I was listening

to the original score of the 86 movie, which

I love. And I don't know, there was one track

that I was like, I always liked this track. It

was always so much fun. And I think it was when

they were like getting ready to take the ship

and go someplace. And it was like. Really bright

and like positive like really building to something

and like hey, let's go This is gonna change and

I really like that that vibe that came off that

so I'm a dare girl I I love I love to dare their

life stare in the eye and say Try me, you know

So if I was gonna have a personal anthem song,

it would have to be dare How often do you go

back and rewatch any of the Transformers cartoons?

So, it's been a couple years, I think, since

I've seen the G1. Let's just say, in my mind,

it's a whole lot better than it actually really

is. I'm not afraid to say that. It's like, there

are so many animation errors, and, geez, some

of them are, they're all jerks to each other.

And, you know, even the conflicts, I mean, how

many times can the Decepticons screw it up? How

many times can Megatron have an evil plan that

doesn't work out, you know, it's just Exactly.

Yeah It in my head as a kid. It was so brilliant

and you know now it doesn't it's aged very interestingly

but I have I Really like Transformers Prime.

I Really like Transformers animated. I really

like Transformers rescue bots I've watched every

episode and I know it doesn't get nearly the

amount of love that it should because it really

is a montage to geekdom because every episode

is is a call out to something sci -fi or something

geeky or something nerdy and I'm like going okay

guys I see what you're doing there I tell you

it gets me every single time watching that show

and I never get bored of watching it because

it always makes me laugh at something I watched

the cartoons, let's see, I started watching animated,

let's see, this last convention that I went to

was TF Nation, and they were doing an animated

theme, so I binge watched most of it, almost

all of it before I went to the convention, just

because their comic was gonna be animated themed,

and so I wanted to be on the ball with that.

And then just randomly, sometimes my kids will

sit down and start watching Transformers Prime,

dab in the middle. And so like last week, I think

my son was getting to the end of season one.

And so I sat down and watched a couple of episodes

with him and went, oh, wow, I really miss this.

I really miss this. I don't randomly do that

with robots in disguise. I don't randomly do

that. And that's the thing that kind of like,

I was like, I can't sit down and do that with

robots in disguise. What do I? Why? Why is that?

And I was like, I couldn't get through the first

season. And there were parts that were great,

but then there's a certain point in there that

I just went, huh? And I just yeah, I don't remember

what it was The thing is is every single time

I turn it on right where I stop then I turn it

on I go. Oh, that's why I didn't like it. I block

my brain It's just kind of one of those things

like well, I just it's just not speaking to me.

It's like yeah There's more than that. I think

it's just I just I don't care. I really just

don't care. I mean I'm glad that wind blade was

in it, but I miss sensible female and she just

seems to be like oh look at me I am just so awesome

and ah you know I I fly and I she's just so full

of herself that I just went was RC that bad I

was like, I don't think RC was. I was like, so

I go back and watch RC, and then I like, oh,

that's right. I was watching Robots in Disguise,

but I'm still watching Prime now. It's just kind

of like, I just don't, I could care so less.

I just don't, I don't care. Robots in Disguise,

I have nothing against the writer, but it just

didn't jive with me. And a lot of fans said that

about there. And I'm like, eh. Yeah, yeah the

yeah the 2015 robots in disguise series was it

was good, but it wasn't as good as it could be

The comic you and I talked about the comic series

by Georgia ball That they had done that IDW had

done. I don't remember if I even read any issues

Yeah, we read issue zero didn't we that was you

and I right? Yeah Wow, see how much of an impact

it had on me? I don't remember. Well, like, that's

okay. But what I'm saying is, is that the comic

felt more interesting to me than the actual television

show did. I'm glad that they have been able to

meld prime and animated and become this rescue

bots thing, or not rescue, uh, robots in disguise

thing. Yeah. I still have not checked out rescue

like I've seen bits and pieces of rescue bots,

but I've never actually checked out the whole

show I have to eventually I think it's on Netflix

I could be wrong but for me and I've talked about

this before but like you know when I ask people

this question I expect something like you know

oh G1 I watch that every few years or so or Beast

Wars I go back to that or beast machines or animated

or prime or whatever and prime is old enough

now where you can say oh yeah i go back and revisit

it and whatever else but like mine would outside

of g1 mine is definitely beast machines i can

marathon that cartoon and enjoy every second

of it so i know i said that i thought beast wars

was not my thing well my first I think it was

my first auto assembly that I went to. They were

doing a Beast Wars theme. And I had, of course,

at that time... I was well aware that a lot of

people in the fandom, they really liked Beast

Wars. So I thought, OK, I've got to watch this

show. Even though my first impression was like,

uh, turn that off. I ain't watching it. Once

you get through the initial, because the animation

is so vastly different from G1. It's like way

different. And they're not trucks and cars and

airplanes. Once you get past that, it's like

the. Storytelling and it was so frickin amazing.

It was like it is. Oh my gosh Dino, but oh my

gosh I was crying. I was crying. I was crying

over him crying It's a little kid show that's

way dated and old but I loved it I thought wow

and I binge watched it like I thought okay I'll

just watch a couple episodes and I'll see if

I can get past it and then I ended up binging

it like big time and then after that I went straight

into beast machines and I was like okay this

is a little bit different and I didn't love it

as much but it had and I couldn't get primal

at all he was like whoa dude you're like on a

total trip what are you smoking what are you

smoking because you're really sounding very like

you're like you're totally on crack or something

um acid definitely acid Beast Machines is an

acid trip. If you go straight from Beast Wars

and into Beast Machines, and you just don't take

it seriously, it's fun. It's like you've discovered

alcohol for the first time. You're like, this

is so cool. That's Beast Machines. Yeah, the

music was great. I loved the music the music

was really But yeah, it was it's a strange flavor

It's a very strange flavor and it goes all over

the place. So I kind of like to refer to Beast

machines as the acid trip because it quite it

kind of quite it is it's a It's an acid trip.

It's just an acid trip But yeah, I haven't looked

at anything else other than that like I know

there's a unicorn Trilogy and the with the original

robots in disguise and the headmasters and the

Master Force and You can avoid the unicorn trilogy

altogether sort of neo something yeah Yeah, there

was Beast Wars 2 and then Beast Wars neo yeah

foreign things, but as far as like American stuff

Yeah, you can avoid the the original robots in

the skin armada. I miss that that's armada is

the beginning of the unicron trilogy you can

armada's okay energon and cybertron someday i

might actually go back and watch it and if i

do that my tweets will be very interesting yes

yes they will not that they already aren't now

but they are but they'll be even more because

yeah wow i probably gave headmasters and Masterforce,

the biggest go. I tried to actually get, and

I went through a couple of episodes of those.

I think they had subtitles. Now, here's the thing

with me. I like to sit down and listen to stuff.

But I don't like to sometimes sit there and watch

every little second of it because it just don't.

Sometimes I get distracted and sometimes I'm

running around after kids. So for me to have

to sit down and have to pause it every single

time that I have to get distracted so I can actually

not miss what's being said, it got a little frustrating.

So that's my biggest. That's my biggest hurdle

to get over with those shows as if it's got.

Subtitles I'm probably gonna miss it and that's

probably why I've avoided going through and actually

listening and watching it I think I got through

almost a whole season of Master Force or at least

up to episode 9 I think something like that where

it was almost double digits before I just I couldn't

been it I couldn't continue it because I just

couldn't get any further because of that reason,

because I was running after kids, and my attention

just couldn't support continuing to watch it.

But everything else is fair game. I will flip

it on at any given moment, or my kids will flip

it on at any given moment, and I'll sit down

and start watching it and easily look down at

my watch and I'm like, oh, that's a whole episode?

Oh, wow, that went by fast. Have to say it's

very rare that I'll sit down and watch from the

beginning to the end But when I do it's usually

a binge watch like cuz I But like right now I

can easily Transformers Prime and rescue bots

are the two that I probably see the most of just

out of order or I like oh I remember when this

first came out and you know my reaction to it

like the scraplets were awesome And the rest

of us, I was so great about it for the first

two seasons. And then I think I had, I think

around the middle of that, I might've had my

third child. So I was like, eh, I kind of didn't,

I wasn't on the ball watching it as it came out.

And I had to find it and it was harder to get

ahold of or whatever. And then I was really sad

when it ended because I was like, no, you can't

do that anymore. But they did. and i don't know

what i think about the new one i i don't know

when it'll come out i don't i'm not sure if i'm

gonna be like hey you you started you ended prime

and then you did robots in disguise and I wasn't

really a fan and so now I'm kind of like it's

the sequel to rescue bots and I'm not so sure

it's gonna be as fun because I'm kind of worried

that it'll end up being the same way as robots

in disguise it's kind of like it's kind of like

the thing that's going on right now and I haven't

been able to get into combiner whatever the heck

it is that they've been doing yeah I watched

it and I went that was so lame yeah and I'm not

the person that like says that like that but

I was like guys is this just like a little thing

that you just let these guys do and then they

did another one and they're supposedly had better

actor Actual voice actors that are like have

done worked in the industry for a while like

Wayne But but but you started out with these

other guys that were just fine. Did you just

decide after a while? Hey, let's actually get

some voice actors that we have to pay a lot for

but not improve anything else and I was like

Okay, guys I don't think you understand that

we're not liking this and a lot of people that

I've listened to and a lot of people on Twitter

and a lot of people that I you know, just generally

follow in the fandom Not everybody's really liking

it something going I don't get it You went from

having something on TV to only doing an internet

thing how much money you throwing into this Yeah,

really? Absolutely, that's nuts. I really great

and I'm like well I don't you making it for the

adult fans and the adult fans are not happy with

it. So just saying no just saying You know no

offense to the guy, but John Bailey Crumpton

is no optimist praise no peter cullen uh... that's

also on that uh... we all love transformers comics

and we've talked about earlier in this episode

of which information do you love and why hands

down i d w absolutely i i think sort of reviewing

them i've had a lot of really great things to

say about it if you i did not see the dream wave

era but my guess is i probably would have had

some fan rage about it Yeah. There's a reason

why Simon Furman is very tight -lipped about

that era. It was amazing to see them so blocky

and, like, bulky. I was okay with that. It was

something different for me. I went from looking

at a few Marvel pages to looking at Dreamwave,

and hands down, I was like, whoa, the colors

and the bulkiness and... Wow, that war within

was pretty fun. And like, hey, I just like, yes,

it got really strange. And if I remember correctly,

I want to say that Ender said it best. It's like,

hey, we get to draw Transformers comics. Hey,

we get to draw Transformers comics. Whoa, like,

it's going to keep going and going and going.

And are we going to be able to do this? Yeah,

they started out great. And then they lost steam.

but that's kind of like how the whole actually

that's Dreamwave in a nutshell right there they

started out great and then they lost Dean or

excuse me they played around with a little bit

too many reality toys and didn't pay the bills

so yeah hey I'm just saying that's the reality

that's true write your check and pay yep absolutely

All right, how big is your transformers toy collection

now? Okay, so I Don't like I said, I've mentioned

I'm not I don't consider myself a collector Because

I'm really not like trying to collect But I went

through a little phase I Counted today because

I wasn't quite sure I've not been really sure

how many Yeah, I've not really been sure how

many Figures I have now that should be an indication

right there. Hey, she's in denial about her collection

with quotes Collection she's in denial. It's

like The reason why I say I don't feel like I'm

a collector is because I'm not like actively

Collecting everything that I ever see and I don't

have a whole room. That's like devoted to it

I have like a bookshelf. That's about it most

of my comics fit on that. And I do have almost

everything comic -wise. There are a few things

that I don't have. I'm still kind of collecting

a few things. But for the most part, I have almost

every comic that there is. If I don't have it

in digital, I have a hard copy somewhere. And

I've even gotten a hold of some of the old books.

I guess there was a couple of novels that came

out way back in the day. It was like Hardwired,

like some old ones they're like i think i found

them on ebay or something i don't remember there's

like four or five of them and i was i i so i've

padded even the few things that i've missed now

i don't have like every version like i at least

have one version of marvel i have at least one

more one version of idw i have at least one version

of dream wave um But I wouldn't say, oh, I'm

crazy to get that specific one that has a special

cover. No, I just have one copy. I have a couple

copies of a couple other things, like some of

the old stuff that I've been able to find. Like,

oh, look at this. It's in a thrift store, and

it's only a buck. And I know I have the story,

but this is a version that I don't have. So I've

got maybe a handful of those. But it's enough

to fit at least on one whole bookshelf. Cool.

What was I going? Oh, yeah, so I don't that I

can totally do the comics in that regard I'm

a collector, but when it comes to the toys I'm

not actively trying to get all that. I don't

think I can like I don't think I could do that

But I have I counted out I have a little over

26 figures And some of them are in box still

there's only four that I have out of the box

And like I'm not like actively if I see something

that I really really really really really like

I probably get it but there are a lot of stuff

I see that I really really like that I'm like,

oh that's really pretty but I don't really want

to I'm like I follow a lot of people that collect

and they post stuff on Twitter of their You know

the stuff that they they've collected and I really

like watching what other people have But I don't

know if I really want to have a whole room dedicated

to transformer figures. And so a lot of the ones

that I have are from the Generations line, which

at the time when that came out, I noticed a lot

of them are from the War for Cybertron or the

Fall of Cybertron game because I had a thing

for that game, oh my gosh. I used to have Xbox

Fridays and I would get on and we would play

Transformers War for Cybertron every single Friday

for like the longest time and then I had another

kid and it stopped. But in 2013 I had like something

called like the sweet year where everything aligned

and I had like the best Transformers franchise

fandom. experience of my life. Which was just

basically the universe aligning to give me a

great awesome year because the end of that year

is the year that I found out my kid had muscular

dystrophy and it ended really badly. And looking

back in hindsight, that was the year. That was

the most spectacular year. And I just thought,

hey, this is, like I said, the universe telling

me, everything's going to be OK. Let's give you

a great year, because you're going to have a

couple of months where you're going to be like,

my mind is like, I'm worried that I'm going to

lose my kid. Didn't turn out like that. So like

the moral of the story is that you just sometimes

it takes a little bit of time to wrap your brain

around certain things I'm sure like if I was

told I had cancer I feel exactly the same way

like okay now we get to work afterwards and make

my life a better place, but you know anyhow so

2013 I did the trifecta I also got a chance to

go to And what I mean by trifecta for anybody

out there that's like, what's the trifecta? I

went to BotCon and then TFCon and then auto assembly

in that order. Yes, in that order. And then I

also got to go to San Diego Comic Con. I was

invited there because at the time I was doing

reviews for Tformers .com and they had... reached

out to tformers to ask uh they set up basically

that was when fall of cybertron was being released

and they invited somebody to come out from different

websites to help review the game before it was

released and i got to be the one that got to

go out and i was like i can't wait i can't wait

because the whole reason why I got War for Cybertron

is, again, Ender. He got on Moonbase 2 podcast

and gushed about the movie. No, not the movie.

Not the movie. He would slap me for saying that.

So he gushed about the game because he got to

go out and preview the War for Cybertron. So

after listening to that, I was like, oh, cool.

I have to get an Xbox. Yeah. This fandom is really

great at getting people into other stuff. I became

a game girl after that. I haven't been doing

that so much lately, though, because I'm a busy

mom, which is another reason why I'm not as active

in the fandom as I want to be. But I hope that,

you know, as kids get a little bit older, I'll

jump back in with, you know, my feet on the floor

again. But I got an Xbox. I played that game

to death and Then the fall of Cybertron game

was released and I was like begging please please

please please I want to go out and review it.

I want to review it. Please please I've been

playing the game so much. I know the ins and

outs of how this works Please please please and

so like geez woman stop I'll let you go already

Actually wasn't like that, but it sounds much

funner But yeah, I had great time. I know that

was the year. I also was on Twitter that I I

I entered a contest on X, like Xbox .com or not

Xbox, the Twitter for Xbox. They were running

sort of thing where they're like, hey, you know,

tweet this and be entered into this and you might

win that. And it was going to be like for winning

a follow Cybertron game or a few other things.

And I entered and I got third place and I got

this really, really nice like huge wall hanging

of and like a montage toward Fall of Cybertron.

And it's like this glass window box with a version

of the game. I haven't opened it up to see if

there's actual game in there, but I suspect that

there's actual game in it. But it's like got

an Xbox game, and then it's got this big mural

kind of picture on it. And it's like 20 by 20

or 30 by 30. And it's signed by like a whole

bunch of people that worked on the game. And

that's mine. It got sent to me. It was hanging

somewhere, I don't remember where, but Xbox gave

it away to some fan and I signed up for it and

I won it. So I was like, this is the best year

ever. Everything just aligned for me. And so

that game meant a lot to me. So I picked up a

lot of the figures because of that, because...

That was such a great year. I enjoyed playing

the game. Even characters that I was like, well,

I don't know if I really want to get that character

when it first came out. Like once Fall of Cybertron

came out, I was like, I want that. I want that.

I want that. Because I played the game so much

and I really liked the design so much. Like I

picked them up. So my first figure that I ever

purchased for myself was the first time I went

to a convention. I picked up a Cybertronian Optimus

Prime, which was the War for Cybertron, the first

build that they made for it. Loved it. I still

have it. I got the Axe, the Energon Axe that

the third party company came out with and made.

I don't remember what the company was called,

but I got the Axe for it because I was like,

I love that Axe and oh hell yeah, you think I'm

going to get that? Oh yes, I'm going to get that.

And so I pimped that baby out. I opened that

one up and I have that one as displayed. That's

like my favorite Favorite one and it's more because

the sentimental value that comes with it because

I really liked playing war for Cybertron Optimus

Prime, which some people don't but I just did

whatever I also got Eventually after all of Cybertron

came out. I was like, I really like sound wave.

I really like that sound wave Oh my gosh, I have

to get that sound wave. So I found I went to

some I found that one at a toy shop somewhere.

It was not even in the box. It was all together

as fine as used. It's great. And I got that one.

But that was like three years later. But the

first one I got, consequently, the first Transformer

that I bought, I was also given one that year

at the same convention. Nicole gave me a Transformers

animated RC. Sweet. Apparently, this one was

really, a lot of collectors really, really liked

her. So I got one. And I was like, so I came

home having bought my first and having been given

me my first animated one. And she never came

out of the box to still have her. I wanted to

do the, I guess a few people did some. What do

you call it when you modify mods? Some people

do a couple of mods and on YouTube I saw a couple

of those and I was like eventually one of these

days I'll probably open it up and do a couple

of modifications on her but for the most part

I was like, yeah, I got that and So that's what

I've done is I've picked up a lot of generations

The generations line like figures a lot of them

that have the game and that's what I've picked

But like I've never gotten a masterpiece I've

never gotten some of those third party ones.

Not that I don't want to, it's just I appreciate

a lot of them that are out there, but I'm just

like, eh, I don't know if that's for me. I really

like watching other people take pictures of their

collected toys. Well, their collected figures.

Follow a lot of people that do that online, but

I'm like I actually appreciate it more Having

somebody share what they've gotten and you know

show their love for that more than I probably

would myself I have to have more of a sentimental

value before I actually like collect it. You

know what I mean? So I mean that being said I

really like records and I only have I've got

Springer, but that's it. I just i don't know

i i maybe it's just the thing that i i want to

have i want to have stuff but i'm like i don't

want to have stuff at the same time exactly like

this i i i could just as easily like having stuff

versus not having stuff yeah it's kind of like

i'm trying to kind of go through this thing where

i'm like i'm more of a little i'm trying to become

more minimalist and yet i'm a collector So I'm

like ladies and gentlemen. She's trying to go

from being an ultra Magnus to a minimus ambus.

Yes Yes, so I don't know ask me in a couple years

if I feel like I'm a you know a Toy collector

or a figures collector at that point. We'll see

if I've just like fallen off the wagon and said

no No, I'm totally one of those. I don't know

but okay, so figures I have a little over 26

and I don't really know because I think I have

might have a few more that are loose somewhere

that I'm like oh I should put them all in one

place I have most of them all in one place but

eventually when I get it like a display box maybe

I'll take them all out of the box and actually

play with them more I don't know I'm so busy.

I don't really have time to sit down No, you

don't and so I'm like, you know I want to get

something that I know that I'm actually gonna

sit down and play with to be honest Because toys

should be played with I mean I guess maybe that's

my own set to is that they look at these as toys

and something to be Enjoyed not just something

like I'm going to have one in the box One that

I transform and one that stays in robot mode

the whole time Mcguine I don't know if I want

to do that Yeah, that's not my brand of collector,

but you know I follow people that do that and

I'm like I'm completely cool with you doing that

I just don't want to do that for me Yeah, absolutely.

All right, so say heaven forbid Let's say the

house burns down everybody gets out safe everything

all the family pets whatever is out But what

is the one transformers toy you would absolutely

have to get out of your house before it got destroyed

Okay, I'm gonna be the one fan that says none

of them but None of them. There's not one here

that I have that I'm like, hey, I absolutely

would take but Will say I will grab my art portfolio

of all of the original Covers or all the original

pages that I've bought in of Trent of comics

that I've gotten I will grab that baby. It's

got a handle on it and it's really heavy, but

The house and the Fisher saves that's what I'm

grabbing man. I have absolutely five consecutive

Five consecutive pages of Last Stand of the Wreckers

that I bought off of Andrew Griffith Now, I don't

know if you know anything about Nick Roach, but

he does not sell his pages very lightly. He kept

those ones. Like he let a few go, but it's like,

hey, he's cutting down. He will get to those

like when it's like crunch time, they are like

starving. He's not gonna let those go. And I

don't, he has let a few go. And I just think

there's more of a sentimental value for him,

too, as an artist, having drawn all of that.

But I got all of the pages I could get out of

Andrew Griffith that I could get. I got five

consecutive pages in a row, five consecutive

in the middle of last end of the record. So like,

hey, I got pages I'm not going to let go ever.

That I would grab. And actually, I have seven

pages, but five of them in consecutive order.

I'm like, yes, I would not let those burn. I

would I would suffer third degree burns for that.

And yeah, that's what I would do. Yeah, that's

what I would take. I've really thought a lot

about this because I'm like, yeah, that's what

I would get. What was the most money you ever

spent on a transformers toy item whether it's

an action figure whether it's a third party thing

whatever Coming back to this whole comic thing

and the fact that I'm lady wreck and the fact

that I just revealed that I have five consecutive

pages of lesson of the records actually I have

like I said I have I have seven pages but five

of them are consecutive and I'm really happy

that you did that I also did that whole IDW limited

Yes, you did And I got the black label of Last

Stand of the Wreckers. I counted today. I have

over seven versions of Last Stand of the Wreckers.

Seven. That means I didn't just double dip. I

didn't triple dip. I whatever seven dip is. Oh,

actually more than that, because I didn't count

the digital version as well. So. I'm just saying

I have. gone a little overboard with the collecting

of Last Town of the Wreckers, okay? Which is

funny because there's some Marvel versions, of

course, of the Wreckers, the original, and I've

got like maybe one copy of that. But hey, everything

that Nick Roche has done, you bet it. You bet

I've got a copy of that, and I've got more than

that. That's because you're his stalker. It's

such a negative connotation Just admit it. Alright,

so the biggest question of the night or at least

one of them because like the other 17 haven't

been big Yeah, do you like loathe or just indifferent

to the Bay verse? This is a complicated response

I Feel disappointed by the day Bay verse and

I I know I've been negative of it and what is

my first knee -jerk reaction is to be negative

about it. But and like I said, I'm trying to

come back to being constructive. I think it is

one of the most promising opportunities of Transformers

fiction that has not that has fallen by the wayside

because like it doesn't really it's wasted potential

like there's a lot of stuff that i feel like

it starts to do but then it doesn't like really

go anywhere right and it's i'm it basically implodes

on itself yeah it kind of every movie it Like

the first movie is is fine. It's okay There are

some bad parts, but it's not all bad Revenge

of the Fallen people are like oh the writers

strike and that's fine. That was what happened

That's factual, but still they could have found

a writer that would have written a better story

than that and yes I know Michael Bay is the biggest

egotistical asshole in Hollywood and he has final

approval on everything but You give one of the

worst like you want to talk about characters

that people hate most people hate every single

human in any version of transformers ever and

You take Sam Witwicky and you turn him into one

of the worst like he is to me Sam in the first

two movies he's Second worst transformers kid

character outside of kicker From armada or whatever

wherever they'll kickers from Yeah, and then

the third one they did that the fourth one the

fifth one They did that the sixth and whatever

they're gonna like yeah It just implodes on itself

every time they they try to make a movie make

sense, and then it just doesn't You know I just

I just feel like it might I've really just kind

of come to the conclusion. It's just wasted potential

And I don't mean that in a way that's like, oh,

well, they just like they come up with some really

kind of interesting ideas, but then they never

go anywhere with them. And the biggest thing

that I'd say is there's a lot of gimmicks. They're

just gimmicks. They're there to just be a thing.

And then they move. They forget about them. And

that's why I say there's a lot of waste of potential.

I think that it has potential if they had gotten

the right person It had the potential to become

maybe one of the best fiction out there, but

it just I Mean and I say maybe because it's on

a big screen and they've got so much more Pockets

to do whatever they want because yeah The reason

why we have we went we got the generations line

as long as we did and the reason why we got some

of the fiction that we did and the reason why

we got some of the stuff that we did was because

of the cash cow that is the movie franchise now

yeah i can't but who i can't i can't sit here

and moan on it too much because of that because

we wouldn't get some of the stuff throughout

and i granted it means that america and the world

that decided to go and spend that money to see

that popcorn movie basically paid to give stuff

to the fandom Yeah, it kinda is like that. If

everybody else figured that out, they probably

wouldn't do it. Or they'd maybe think twice for

a little bit, but then still gotta go, like,

eh, well, it's a movie, I'm paying for it, even

though it's $12 and it's $15 and it's in 3D.

It's like, it'll be massive explosions and robots

getting their heads cut off. And faces, too.

Okay, I'm alright with that. You know, maybe

half of America. Maybe most of the people that

saw it saw it are kind of a sellout or they're

secretly Transformers fans themselves. I don't

know. Well, you know... most of the movie stuff

like I get it I understand but you can still

write like I understand the plot of each of these

five films you still could have written a better

plot that placated to not only the mainstream

audience that may not know anything about trailing

the Transformers movies are not that they're

supposed to certain bits of them are supposed

to be for us the fandom but they're not meant

to get more money out of us to make their money

back after having a five million dollar budget

or whatever it is, that they're for the general

audiences who may not know. Yeah, and that's

the thing about them. The sad part about it is

that most of the general audience actually believe

it's pretty crap like most people that are in

the fandom, too. And that's how far they go,

and then they don't look any further because

they think all of Transformers is just that.

it's not worth it and that's the sad part because

actually it's just a small it's like the tip

of the iceberg it's the tip of the iceberg it's

the one that makes a lot of money but it also

supports a whole heck of a lot underneath it

and if you go under the water and you know you

know try to kind of get immersed in the rest

of it, you actually find that it's incredibly

rich. The characters are very compelling. There's

a lot. I mean, there's something for everyone.

There really is. There's a lot in Transformers

that's really great. And that's the sad part.

That's the one thing I see and I go, oh, I really

wish that more people would be interested in.

and what Transformers has to offer as a story

because there's so much more narratives out there

that are really amazing. I mean, so much so that,

you know, I can pick up a James Roberts comic

and cry in the middle of it or laugh or get angry.

I'm feeling a whole lot there. I can't know.

Sometimes you can even hear James. But I know

that it has a lot of potential because look at

what John Barber did with just the Transformers

movie verse comics that he got a hold of just

before he became and after he was the senior

editor at IDW. It's absolutely, absolutely possible

that we could have some really great stories

out of the movie verse. We haven't people move

on, you know artists writers move on to other

projects I think that we haven't heard the last

of the movie verse I think we'll continue to

get a couple more movies from them or whatever

they give us but don't count it out yet because

Someday we're gonna get a really good writer

or it's just somebody that has has the guts to

just sit down and write for it and you know it

might be somebody out of our own ranks you know

they'll make they'll make us love parts of it

that we've never even experienced before and

and give us a new narrative i mean look at what

margaret did when she first came in the dinobots

we hadn't gotten anything from that was a oh

what is it the the the trade that she took off

and ran with I keep on getting the name wrong

because when I got her to sign my trade, she

crossed out Rise of the Dinobots, put something

else in there. So every single time I try to

remember what it is, it's like I think of all

of the different things that she wrote in there

and it's not what the title is. And so then people

are like, what are you talking about? the sadness

of the Dinobots, the revenge of the Dinobots.

She started making up stuff and crossing out

the title and putting that in there instead.

It was hilarious. Somebody else is going to come

along and have something to say about a group

or a storyline that we've never heard before

and people will love it because it's a new voice.

that will take some of the same things that we

had right here in front of us the whole time

add a few things and give it a background and

a plot and a point and you know maybe actually

give us something to believe in with the characters

and suddenly all of a sudden that Story will

be relevant and it'll not only be relevant but

will like hey, I want to hear more I want to

know what this person wants to tell me out of

this I hope that that happens for the reverse

I would I would even be brave enough to say I'd

like to give the stab at that Yeah, absolutely.

All right Do you I don't think you do I'm switching

19 and 20. I don't think you have a story like

this But do you have a my parents got rid of

my toys story? No, like I know you I know you

have the I know you have the my I made the promise

thing My story is worse than they to get rid

of my toy story. It's it's you will leave this

fandom by force story. Yeah pretty much yeah

that's that's pretty bad yeah all right if you

could create any transformers fiction whether

it be toy cartoon comic movie television series

etc whatever what would it be and what story

would you want to tell with it i think i already

answered that one too i think i would jump in

and try to do something cool for babers i think

that that it's like i said it's wasted potential

i think it's screaming crying for somebody to

come and take the reins and tell something with

this that is engaging and interesting. I love

what IDW is doing. I wouldn't touch it. I would

just say, you guys are awesome. Keep on being

awesome. I mean, yes, sometimes they do some

strange things and they do some crossovers that

you're like, what are they doing? It's like -

Yeah, revolution was weird. But you know what?

Ever since I've been reviewing - IDW transformers

like they did the same thing. They've they've

done it every couple years They're gonna throw

something against the wall and they're gonna

see if it sticks and when it doesn't they change

gears That's just that's that's part of the business

But in the meantime, we still have James Roberts

writing on lost light more than meets the eye

is wrapped up but they've moved into lost light

and You know John Barber still telling some fun

stuff, too Every once in a while, when we're

not looking, he'll put out an issue that you're

like, we'll bring you to tears. Like, you know,

what happened to sideswipe? I don't know. You

know, change your perception of sound wave into

issues. I mean, he just he tells those stories.

He did that, too. So I'm like, he's a different

writer than James. But he tells some pretty.

interesting things too. And so I don't, like

I said, I've said this before, I think that I

would, I'm glad they have, I'm glad that they

did two stories or two ongoing right next to

each other for the years that they did that because

specifically just getting two different types

of story. One's gonna speak to one group of people

and one's gonna speak to another group of people.

And when one peaks, the other one wanes and it

goes back and forth. And I really have been quite

happy with how they've done things. I quite literally

think sometimes, as long as those two are constantly

writing Transformers, and I even throw Marigold

in there occasionally as well, because that -

Absolutely. They all were one. I was not happy

when they ended that. I was like, are you kidding

me? No, absolutely not. I respect the fact that

she wanted to move on and do other things and

whatever reason, that's the reason they gave

us. She'll be back if she she's going to go off

and do other things. And you know what she when

she decides to come back and jump in the pond

and play with Transformers for a little bit,

I'll be listening because she she wrote such

a great story. If she does, if she doesn't, that's

OK, too, because she's off telling other things,

too. And it's gotten me interested in other things

because she's writing other things. And I'm willing

to give other things that she's going to write

a chance. But, you know. Just I hope that they

continue to always get really great people on

it though I do have to say art of darkness did

happen. So you never know Yeah And I haven't

said anything yet about the artists and the writers

ever since we got John John Barber They have

been picking really great. They have not done

the thing where they did, well, Andy Schmidt

did before, where they are getting all new artists

that are great in other comic circles on Transformers.

Because we don't want to do too weird, too off

the scale. And I think most of them... like have

been really, really spot on. I really loved Sarah

Stone's stuff. I really, really liked Karen Howells.

I've loved Sarah. I can't say her last name and

I'm going to screw it up and I don't want to

do that. So Sarah, who did Till All Are One.

I loved every single one of these styles. I'm

really, really liking The Lost Lights. Jack Lawrence

is doing as well. I really miss Alex Milne. Got

back and did an issue recently and I haven't

looked at it yet, but I will because if he listens

this podcast He's gonna say I'm gonna hunt you

down Amy until you read it and punch your dreams

Yes, he would totally make you watch Twilight.

No, no, no, I've seen Twilight I've seen Twilight.

Okay, that's not painful. He will find my fatal

flaw and make me oh not not twilight what did

he make nicole he made nicole as 50 shades of

gray that's what it was yes that evil evil yes

evil stuff exactly i will never watch that ever

all right final question i'm gonna go completely

weird with this okay what is the one piece of

advice that you'd give the transformers fandom

and tf collectors in general okay so i listened

like i said to heather's The the two previous

interviews that you've done with them. I listened

to Heather how he's primes origin and then I

listened to Ryan's origin and I'm not gonna reiterate

what they said because They've already said I

agree with what they say I 100 % put a stamp

of approval two thumbs up on what they said to

I agree So I'm gonna do something different and

say something new that they didn't say because

of that I'm gonna say this Don't knock it until

you try it When you think oh, I will never look

at that This is coming back to a few things that

I said even in the podcast where I said Beast

Wars No, not my not my transformers. Don't knock

it. Do you try it? You never know if you give

something a chance and You Watch it and you give

it an actual honest go. You might actually find

that there's something in it That you really

kind of like there's a moment. There's a new

perspective on a character There's that one toy

they're like, it looks kind of chinky, but I

got it and I transformed it and I actually there's

some things that some you know Engineering things

that they put in here that really actually kind

of are not too bad. Don't knock it till you try

it Give something to go go look at something

that you haven't and you're like, hey I've heard

a lot of good things about this, but I'm not

quite sure if it's for me You know what? Kiss

players might be your thing. I don't know about

that one. That's stretching. That's a stretch

right there. Well, don't knock it until you try

it. Just dive in, read a comic little panel or

two, and if it doesn't work for you, at least

you can say, I tried it out and it wasn't for

me. There you go. I mean, I think if that's if

you combine that with the other two things that

the other guy said I think you will find that

you'll have more More to relate to with other

people that are really really excited about something

that maybe you haven't even thought about or

maybe they're excited about something You're

like, yeah, I tried it out. It really wasn't

for me But I can appreciate the fact that you

really like that like hey Puggles transformer

Puggles are really awesome You have a few, so

don't even start. I do. I have one staring right

at me. I love the Transformers puzzles, but there's...

He's a one -eyed bastard. Yes, I've got that

one, but the one I'm looking at is Arcee. Oh,

okay. But you never know. You never know until

you try something that if you like it. So, you

know, if you're wondering how to be more relatable

to other fans that are not like... you know,

like you, or they're gushing about something

and you're like, ehh, that doesn't sound like

it's for me. You know what? Don't knock it till

you try it. Go online. I'm some slash fiction.

Read it a little bit and you might... Okay, she's

had too much energon, folks. We're gonna get

the heck out of here. Where can people find you

online? Stop it. It could just work both ways.

Don't knock it till you try it. Stop it. We're

gonna be able to find you online. That's the

moral of my story this whole two hours that you've

listened or two and a half now I'm so sorry people.

I'm really really sorry I'm gushing on a podcast

because I haven't been podcasting for almost

well for a long time so Where you can find me

online. I promise I am very much less long -winded

I'm on Twitter. That's because Twitter's limited

160 characters. 40 I believe now, but yeah. Oh

they increased it by a hundred. And I don't know

if that's a hundred. But anyhow, maybe it's 200.

It was 140. So if it's 240, it's... math. I'm

not gonna go count it up and Google it. So Yes,

you can find me at lady of rec and I'm on Twitter

and that's probably the best way to get a hold

of me because it's kind of like my go -to Gateway

drug to the social media. I do have Tumblr I

have devia art. I have Facebook. I have all of

the stuff But Twitter is really the one that

I can really like, I can hang out on hours and

hours and hours. And if I'm bored, that's usually

where I am. But yeah, that's, that's, that's

where I'm at. That's my stomping ground, Twitter.

Awesome, very cool. Very cool. You can find me

at TF2 and Mike on Twitter You can follow at

all things TF v3 on Twitter for the show at geek

cast radio for all the other network updates

on Twitter geek cast radio comm and Next time

around we're gonna make the the fembot trifecta

happen here because next time hopefully when

she's feeling a little better We're gonna have

Nicole. Hey We I I have to put her in rungs a

therapist chair to analyze this whole cyclonus

infatuation she has Just like I have an infatuation

with world You know I do have a certain panel

with him facing off a certain kill master. It's

glorious Yes, that's another one of the you know

art pages that I've been able to grab Cool Alright

folks, that's what's coming up next here on all

things transformers origins I don't know when

Steve Megatron is gonna do another news episode

So stay tuned here on all things transformers

transform transcend transform roll out all that

good stuff We will catch you next time here on

the geek cast radio networks all things transformers

This is going to be juicy That was a little 80s

girl woohoo there for a second. What the hell

was that? Do we want me to do that again? Yeah,

sure, go ahead. Okay. There you go, that's better.