Unofficial guidebooks - Revision history

BerylRoll: /* Mark Bellomo Books */

2026-02-16T15:23:20Z

Mark Bellomo Books

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:23, 16 February 2026
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	*'''Transformers: Identification and Price Guide'''		*'''Transformers: Identification and Price Guide'''

	Developed by Krause Publications, written by Mark Bellomo this guide lists every American [[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1 toy]] released from 1984-1990. Each chapter covers a year with a short intro, though the 1984 intro is longer, as it includes a section on [[pre-Transformers]], the 1984 overview, and the franchise's success. It then lists all of the [[Autobot]] subgroups in a somewhat random order, then the [[Decepticon]] subgroups in a similar fashion. Each character is listed in alphabetical order within its correct subgroup with its ''original'' [[Tech Spec]]s and [[bio]]s, as well as commentary by the author, full-color photos, and the occasional comparison (e.g., [[Frenzy (G1)\|Frenzy]]'s gold versus silver guns). It draws heavily on the [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|''Generation One'' continuity]] in its description of the characters, including their [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'']] profile books.		Developed by Krause Publications, written by Mark Bellomo this guide lists every American [[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1 toy]] released from 1984-1990. Each chapter covers a year with a short intro, though the 1984 intro is longer, as it includes a section on [[Pre-Transformers\|pre-''Transformers'']], the 1984 overview, and the franchise's success. It then lists all of the [[Autobot]] subgroups in a somewhat random order, then the [[Decepticon]] subgroups in a similar fashion. Each character is listed in alphabetical order within its correct subgroup with its ''original'' [[Tech Spec]]s and [[bio]]s, as well as commentary by the author, full-color photos, and the occasional comparison (e.g., [[Frenzy (G1)\|Frenzy]]'s gold versus silver guns). It draws heavily on the [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|''Generation One'' continuity]] in its description of the characters, including their [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'']] profile books.

	*'''Warman's Transformers Field Guide: Values and Identification'''		*'''Warman's Transformers Field Guide: Values and Identification'''

BerylRoll at 15:22, 16 February 2026

2026-02-16T15:22:44Z

Usfmm at 21:15, 16 August 2024

2024-08-16T21:15:48Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:15, 16 August 2024
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	==Transformers and Philosophy: More than Meets the Mind==		==Transformers and Philosophy: More than Meets the Mind==
	This unique book — part of Open Court Publishing's "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series — examines Transformers media and character concepts from a philosophical and moral point of view. It was pretty clearly released to tie in with the increased popular interest in Transformers since the [[~~Movie~~ (franchise)\|live-action movie franchise]] came out. The book, edited by John R. Shook and Liz Stillwagon Swan, is an anthology of essays that compare various Transformers media and themes to the writings of well-known philosophers, as well as tackling questions such as non-human emotions, the nature of probable alien life, and how even professional academics who never heard of Transformers until last year think ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' is gross. The majority of Transformers material cited comes from the 2007 live-action movie, but there is also a great deal of examination of the Generation 1 cartoon and comic, as well as an occasional Beast Wars reference. In multiple essays, various authors accept without controversy that Transformers form romantic attachments with each other. Essay topics include "Will we meet Optimus Prime in heaven?", "Megatron, Fascist Philosopher," and "Beyond Good? Beyond Evil? Beyond your Wildest Imagination?" Another essay, "Optimus Prime in Therapy," takes the form of a fanfic by Swan in which she plays the role of psychoanalyst for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)\|that character]] after he is plunged into a depression by the death of [[Jazz (Movie)\|Jazz]].		This unique book — part of Open Court Publishing's "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series — examines Transformers media and character concepts from a philosophical and moral point of view. It was pretty clearly released to tie in with the increased popular interest in Transformers since the [[Transformers (2007 franchise)\|live-action movie franchise]] came out. The book, edited by John R. Shook and Liz Stillwagon Swan, is an anthology of essays that compare various Transformers media and themes to the writings of well-known philosophers, as well as tackling questions such as non-human emotions, the nature of probable alien life, and how even professional academics who never heard of Transformers until last year think ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' is gross. The majority of Transformers material cited comes from the 2007 live-action movie, but there is also a great deal of examination of the Generation 1 cartoon and comic, as well as an occasional Beast Wars reference. In multiple essays, various authors accept without controversy that Transformers form romantic attachments with each other. Essay topics include "Will we meet Optimus Prime in heaven?", "Megatron, Fascist Philosopher," and "Beyond Good? Beyond Evil? Beyond your Wildest Imagination?" Another essay, "Optimus Prime in Therapy," takes the form of a fanfic by Swan in which she plays the role of psychoanalyst for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)\|that character]] after he is plunged into a depression by the death of [[Jazz (Movie)\|Jazz]].

	Though the book is not licensed by Hasbro, its cover illustration and fonts are.		Though the book is not licensed by Hasbro, its cover illustration and fonts are.

Cyberlink420 at 19:24, 16 May 2022

2022-05-16T19:24:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:24, 16 May 2022
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	Written by [[Doug Dlin]] and Harold Tietjens, and published by Antarctic Press from 2001-2002, ''Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide'' is a series of unofficial but highly useful guidebooks; its seven volumes encompass all American toy releases within ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|Generation 2]]'', ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers\|Machine Wars]]'', and the first several waves of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]''. To this day, the series remains one of the most comprehensive English-language reference texts available for American toy product.		Written by [[Doug Dlin]] and Harold Tietjens, and published by Antarctic Press from 2001-2002, ''Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide'' is a series of unofficial but highly useful guidebooks; its seven volumes encompass all American toy releases within ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|Generation 2]]'', ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers\|Machine Wars]]'', and the first several waves of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]''. To this day, the series remains one of the most comprehensive English-language reference texts available for American toy product.

	Two pieces of fan art commissioned for ''Cybertronian'''s covers subsequently became official art when they were among the works selected for publication in 2003's ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' coffee-table book.		Two pieces of fan art commissioned for ''Cybertronian''{{'}}s covers subsequently became official art when they were among the works selected for publication in 2003's ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' coffee-table book.

	==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==		==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==

Time Lord Enthusiast: /* Prime Targets */

2020-02-10T00:28:11Z

Prime Targets

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:28, 10 February 2020
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	==Prime Targets==		==Prime Targets==
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow Productions\|Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''

Sabrblade: /* Vital statistics */

2019-11-01T04:27:10Z

Vital statistics

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:27, 1 November 2019
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	'''Publisher:''' Lulu<br>		'''Publisher:''' Lulu<br>
	'''Date published:''' [[July 26]], 2015		'''Date published:''' [[July 26]], 2015


			'''Volume 2: 1987-1989'''

			ISBN-10: 0244313849<br>
			ISBN-13: 978-0244313845<br>
			'''Pagecount:''' 370<br>
			'''Publisher:''' Lulu<br>
			'''Date published:''' [[July 20]], 2017

	[[Category:Fandom]]		[[Category:Fandom]]
	[[Category:Reference texts]]		[[Category:Reference texts]]

Doomdorm64 at 16:38, 23 November 2018

2018-11-23T16:38:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 23 November 2018
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	==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==		==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==
			[[File:Early Sales Concept .jpg\|thumb\|250px]]
	A high quality fanzine written and published by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] in 2004, with input from [[Jon Hartman]], [[Karl Hartman]], and others. Written in both Japanese and English. It covers the official convention from 1994 to 2004 in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, and includes guest interviews, event and panel summaries, and picture spreads of the events themselves and their exclusive merchandise. Its glossy, magazine-quality photo galleries are especially notable for their emphasis on the unproduced toys and concept art displayed at various conventions over the years. The book excludes [[OTFCC 2003]] and [[OTFCC 2004\|2004]].		A high quality fanzine written and published by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] in 2004, with input from [[Jon Hartman]], [[Karl Hartman]], and others. Written in both Japanese and English. It covers the official convention from 1994 to 2004 in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, and includes guest interviews, event and panel summaries, and picture spreads of the events themselves and their exclusive merchandise. Its glossy, magazine-quality photo galleries are especially notable for their emphasis on the unproduced toys and concept art displayed at various conventions over the years. The book excludes [[OTFCC 2003]] and [[OTFCC 2004\|2004]].

Bumblevivisector: /* Prime Targets */ Someone who double-checked the book, which does have a Bumpin' Bumpers section for The Agenda.

2018-09-29T18:29:35Z

Prime Targets: Someone who double-checked the book, which does have a Bumpin' Bumpers section for The Agenda.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:29, 29 September 2018
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')

Thylacine 2000: /* Prime Targets */

2018-08-08T01:46:47Z

Prime Targets

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:46, 8 August 2018
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The ~~iauthor~~ also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')

Thylacine 2000: /* Prime Targets */ -who erased this???!?

2018-08-08T01:46:29Z

Prime Targets: -who erased this???!?

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:46, 8 August 2018
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	==Prime Targets==		==Prime Targets==
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

			The iauthor also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:29, 29 September 2018
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:46, 8 August 2018
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The ~~iauthor~~ also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.'' Stranger still, there is no "Bumpin' Bumpers" segment at all for "[[The Agenda (Part 1)\|The Agenda]]", despite [[Rattrap]]'s bold jokes about [[Silverbolt (BW)\|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)\|Blackarachnia]]'s "positions".

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:22, 16 February 2026
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	For a property as successful and enduring as [[Transformers brand\|Transformers]], there have been surprisingly few officially-licensed publications that catalogued the history and diversity of the franchise — and even fewer in English. [[Fandom\|Fans]] and publishers in the toy collecting industry have attempted to fill this gap over the years with unofficial works of varying scope, production quality, and accuracy.		For a property as successful and enduring as [[Transformers brand\|Transformers]], there have been surprisingly few officially-licensed publications that catalogued the history and diversity of the franchise — and even fewer in English. [[Fandom\|Fans]] and publishers in the toy collecting industry have attempted to fill this gap over the years with unofficial works of varying scope, production quality, and accuracy.

	==Transformers: Ten-Year Retrospective==		==Transformers: Ten-Year Retrospective==
	A fanzine assembled by David Kolodny-Nagy and distributed at the very first [[BotCon]] in 1994.		A fanzine assembled by David Kolodny-Nagy and distributed at the very first [[BotCon]] in 1994.

	==The Transformers In Japanese Missions==		==The Transformers In Japanese Missions==
	Fanzine by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] distributed at [[BotCon 1995]]. Though it's nothing compared to Akiyama's [[Transformers Generations\|later work]], it was notable in its time for being the first comprehensive checklist and image gallery of Japanese-[[exclusive]] Transformer products, written almost entirely in English. It covered the Japanese [[variant]] versions of G1 items such as white [[Astrotrain (G1)\|Astrotrain]], then all of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)\|Headmasters]]'', ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)\|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)\|Victory]]'', ''[[Transformers: Zone (toyline)\|Zone]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)\|Return of Convoy]]'', and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)\|Operation Combination]]''. The pamphlet ended on an intriguing note, with images of new "armored" versions of the [[Cyberjet]]s meant for a then-upcoming Japanese extension to the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|''Generation 2'' toyline]], though in fact they were never released.		Fanzine by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] distributed at [[BotCon 1995]]. Though it's nothing compared to Akiyama's [[Transformers Generations (guidebook)\|later work]], it was notable in its time for being the first comprehensive checklist and image gallery of Japanese-[[exclusive]] Transformer products, written almost entirely in English. It covered the Japanese [[variant]] versions of G1 items such as white [[Astrotrain (G1)\|Astrotrain]], then all of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)\|Headmasters]]'', ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)\|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)\|Victory]]'', ''[[Transformers: Zone (toyline)\|Zone]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)\|Return of Convoy]]'', and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)\|Operation Combination]]''. The pamphlet ended on an intriguing note, with images of new "armored" versions of the [[Cyberjet]]s meant for a then-upcoming Japanese extension to the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|''Generation 2'' toyline]], though in fact they were never released.

	==Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide==		==Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide==
			Written by [[Doug Dlin]] and Harold Tietjens, and published by Antarctic Press from 2001-2002, ''Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide'' is a series of unofficial but highly useful guidebooks; its seven volumes encompass all American toy releases within ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|Generation 2]]'', ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers\|Machine Wars]]'', and the first several waves of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]''. To this day, the series remains one of the most comprehensive English-language reference texts available for American toy product.
	Written by [[Doug Dlin]] and Harold Tietjens, and published by Antarctic Press from 2001-2002, ''Cybertronian: The Unofficial Transformers Recognition Guide'' is a series of unofficial but highly useful guidebooks; its seven volumes encompass all American toy releases within ''[[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1]]'', ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)\|Generation 2]]'', ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers\|Machine Wars]]'', and the first several waves of ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]''. To this day, the series remains one of the most comprehensive English-language reference texts available for American toy product.

	Two pieces of fan art commissioned for ''Cybertronian''{{'}}s covers subsequently became official art when they were among the works selected for publication in 2003's ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' coffee-table book.		Two pieces of fan art commissioned for ''Cybertronian''{{'}}s covers subsequently became official art when they were among the works selected for publication in 2003's ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' coffee-table book.
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	==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==		==[[BotCon]] Legends: Ten Years' Chronology==
	[[File:Early Sales Concept .jpg\|thumb\|250px]]		[[File:Early Sales Concept .jpg\|thumb\|250px]]
	A high quality fanzine written and published by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] in 2004, with input from [[Jon Hartman]], [[Karl Hartman]], and others. Written in both Japanese and English. It covers the official convention from 1994 to 2004 in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, and includes guest interviews, event and panel summaries, and picture spreads of the events themselves and their exclusive merchandise. Its glossy, magazine-quality photo galleries are especially notable for their emphasis on the unproduced toys and concept art displayed at various conventions over the years. The book excludes [[OTFCC 2003]] and [[OTFCC 2004\|2004]].		A high quality fanzine written and published by [[Fumihiko Akiyama]] in 2004, with input from [[Jon Hartman]], [[Karl Hartman]], and others. Written in both Japanese and English. It covers the official convention from 1994 to 2004 in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, and includes guest interviews, event and panel summaries, and picture spreads of the events themselves and their exclusive merchandise. Its glossy, magazine-quality photo galleries are especially notable for their emphasis on the unproduced toys and concept art displayed at various conventions over the years. The book excludes [[OTFCC 2003]] and [[OTFCC 2004\|2004]].

	==TransManual==		==TransManual==
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	Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow Productions\|Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).		Perhaps unique among unofficial guidebooks, ''Prime Targets'' (written by Lars Pearson, published by Mad Norwegian Press) isn't a toy catalog or retrospective (though it does sport a ''Toyfare Magazine'' price guide in the back), instead approaching the [[franchise]] from a story-based perspective. It has just a few illustrations of generic robots, so as to avoid legal action from [[Hasbro]]. It consists mostly of summaries and fan commentary for every single episode in the [[Sunbow Productions\|Sunbow]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)\|Generation 1]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'', and [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|''Beast Machines'' cartoon series]], plus every issue from [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|Marvel and Marvel UK]], minus most content from the British annuals. The authors show some disdain for every [[Headmaster (technology)\|Headmasters]] origin story, the latter half of [[Bob Budiansky]]'s Marvel run, and ''Beast Machines'', despite accepting the latter series and ''Beast Wars'' as being ''the'' future of American cartoon continuity rather than a vague G1 past. Sunbow seasons 2 and 3 have their episode order altered a bit to try and reconcile continuity errors, and following this order on G1 DVD releases without Hasbro's permission apparently got [[Shout! Factory]] in trouble. The comic section is potentially the most useful for Marvel novices wishing to tackle all the American and U.K. books in order, but a contentious shuffling is again done to stories published in 1989. After that, [[Earthforce]] is dealt with by placing [[The Hunting Party (Marvel)\|The Hunting Party]] and the following three [[Survivors]] stories just before "[[...Perchance to Dream]]", then dropping the whole chunk into the two-year gap between the end of the U.S. G1 run and the beginning of the G2/Joe crossover, ignoring several resultant continuity problems (to be clear, ''any'' "approach" to working Earthforce in is [[fanon\|fanwank]]).

	The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''		The author also includes a sub-section in each episode review called "Bumpin' Bumpers," which consists of every imaginable bit of sexual innuendo that one can reference from each episode. These segments seem to have been heavily shaped by the author's wildly active imagination and, at the same time, probable unfamiliarity with the English language. For example, in the description of [[Five Faces of Darkness]], there is a "Bumpin' Bumpers" notation that [[Dead End (G1)\|Dead End]]'s cry "What difference does it make if death comes from the front or the rear? Death is death!" means that, since French philosophers referred to orgasm as "the little death," Dead End was talking about anal sex. ''No, seriously.''

	A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')		A ''Prime Targets II'', set to cover the Japanese series, was announced but has yet to appear. The same writers and publisher did, however, produce a similar guidebook for G.I.Joe fiction called ''Now You Know'', which contains new content addressing the crossover episodes "[[The Killing Jar (episode)\|The Killing Jar]]" and "[[Only Human]]" (though its reviews of Marvel Joe/TF crossovers are recycled whole-cloth from ''Prime Targets'')
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	'''Date published:''' [[January 23]], 2002		'''Date published:''' [[January 23]], 2002

	==Transformers and Philosophy: More than Meets the Mind==		==Transformers and Philosophy: More than Meets the Mind==
	This unique book — part of Open Court Publishing's "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series — examines Transformers media and character concepts from a philosophical and moral point of view. It was pretty clearly released to tie in with the increased popular interest in Transformers since the [[Transformers (2007 franchise)\|live-action movie franchise]] came out. The book, edited by John R. Shook and Liz Stillwagon Swan, is an anthology of essays that compare various Transformers media and themes to the writings of well-known philosophers, as well as tackling questions such as non-human emotions, the nature of probable alien life, and how even professional academics who never heard of Transformers until last year think ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' is gross. The majority of Transformers material cited comes from the 2007 live-action movie, but there is also a great deal of examination of the Generation 1 cartoon and comic, as well as an occasional Beast Wars reference. In multiple essays, various authors accept without controversy that Transformers form romantic attachments with each other. Essay topics include "Will we meet Optimus Prime in heaven?", "Megatron, Fascist Philosopher," and "Beyond Good? Beyond Evil? Beyond your Wildest Imagination?" Another essay, "Optimus Prime in Therapy," takes the form of a fanfic by Swan in which she plays the role of psychoanalyst for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)\|that character]] after he is plunged into a depression by the death of [[Jazz (Movie)\|Jazz]].		This unique book — part of Open Court Publishing's "Popular Culture and Philosophy" series — examines Transformers media and character concepts from a philosophical and moral point of view. It was pretty clearly released to tie in with the increased popular interest in Transformers since the [[Transformers (2007 franchise)\|live-action movie franchise]] came out. The book, edited by John R. Shook and Liz Stillwagon Swan, is an anthology of essays that compare various Transformers media and themes to the writings of well-known philosophers, as well as tackling questions such as non-human emotions, the nature of probable alien life, and how even professional academics who never heard of Transformers until last year think ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)\|Kiss Players]]'' is gross. The majority of Transformers material cited comes from the 2007 live-action movie, but there is also a great deal of examination of the Generation 1 cartoon and comic, as well as an occasional Beast Wars reference. In multiple essays, various authors accept without controversy that Transformers form romantic attachments with each other. Essay topics include "Will we meet Optimus Prime in heaven?", "Megatron, Fascist Philosopher," and "Beyond Good? Beyond Evil? Beyond your Wildest Imagination?" Another essay, "Optimus Prime in Therapy," takes the form of a fanfic by Swan in which she plays the role of psychoanalyst for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)\|that character]] after he is plunged into a depression by the death of [[Jazz (Movie)\|Jazz]].

	Though the book is not licensed by Hasbro, its cover illustration and fonts are.		Though the book is not licensed by Hasbro, its cover illustration and fonts are.
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	*'''Transformers: Identification and Price Guide'''		*'''Transformers: Identification and Price Guide'''

	Developed by Krause Publications, written by Mark Bellomo this guide lists every American [[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1 toy]] released from 1984-1990. Each chapter covers a year with a short intro, though the 1984 intro is longer, as it includes a section on [[~~Pre~~-~~Transformer~~]]s, the 1984 overview, and the franchise's success. It then lists all of the [[Autobot]] subgroups in a somewhat random order, then the [[Decepticon]] subgroups in a similar fashion. Each character is listed in alphabetical order within its correct subgroup with its ''original'' [[Tech Spec]]s and [[bio]]s, as well as commentary by the author, full-color photos, and the occasional comparison (e.g., [[Frenzy (G1)\|Frenzy]]'s gold versus silver guns). It draws heavily on the [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|''Generation One'' continuity]] in its description of the characters, including their [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'']] profile books.		Developed by Krause Publications, written by Mark Bellomo this guide lists every American [[The Transformers (toyline)\|Generation 1 toy]] released from 1984-1990. Each chapter covers a year with a short intro, though the 1984 intro is longer, as it includes a section on [[pre-Transformers]], the 1984 overview, and the franchise's success. It then lists all of the [[Autobot]] subgroups in a somewhat random order, then the [[Decepticon]] subgroups in a similar fashion. Each character is listed in alphabetical order within its correct subgroup with its ''original'' [[Tech Spec]]s and [[bio]]s, as well as commentary by the author, full-color photos, and the occasional comparison (e.g., [[Frenzy (G1)\|Frenzy]]'s gold versus silver guns). It draws heavily on the [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|''Generation One'' continuity]] in its description of the characters, including their [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'']] profile books.

	*'''Warman's Transformers Field Guide: Values and Identification'''		*'''Warman's Transformers Field Guide: Values and Identification'''
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	==Transformation: A Personal Journey Through the British Transformers Comic==		==Transformation: A Personal Journey Through the British Transformers Comic==
	A series of self-published books by Stuart Webb, it collects entries from his ''Solar Pool'' blog and irreverently reviews every issue of the [[Marvel UK]] run in order. Each review covers the story and art, related Marvel comics, and the assorted ads and letter pages and editorial pages.		A series of self-published books by Stuart Webb, it collects entries from his ''Solar Pool'' blog and irreverently reviews every issue of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK\|Marvel UK]] run in order. Each review covers the story and art, related Marvel comics, and the assorted ads and letter pages and editorial pages.

	===Vital statistics===		===Vital statistics===