[[Image:E01 rad gawps.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Transformerology lit."to tell about Transformers"]]
[[File:E01 rad gawps.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Transformerology - lit., "to tell about Transformers"]]
'''Transformerology''' (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_language" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Latin_language">Latin</a>: ''<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/transformer#French" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:transformer">trānsfōrmāre</a>'', "trans+forma, across the form"; and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Greek_language">Greek</a>: λόγος, ''<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/logos" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:logos">logos</a>'', "speech" lit. to talk about [[Transformer|Transformers]]) is a faux-serious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_degree" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Academic_degree">Academic degree</a> proposed by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave Comics]] Creative Director [[James McDonough|James McDonough]] and [[Adam Patyk|Adam Patyk]] in 2004 to describe the learning process needed in compiling the "[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More than Meets the Eye]]" [[Generation One|Generation One]], [[Profiles overview|profile book]], covering 20 years of the franchise history and more than 400 characters. Transformerology specifically relates to a study of the ''fiction'' of the Transformers franchise rather than its toys.
'''Transformerology''' (from {{w|Latin}}: [[wiktionary:transformer#French|trānsfōrmāre]], "trans+forma, across the form"; and {{w|Greek language|Greek}}: λόγος, {{w|logos}}, "speech" lit. ''to talk about [[Transformer]]s'') is a faux-serious {{w|academic degree}} proposed by [[Dreamwave Productions]] Creative Director [[James McDonough]] and [[Adam Patyk]] in 2004 to describe the learning process needed in compiling the "[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]" [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], [[profile|profile book]], covering 20 years of the franchise history and more than 400 characters. Transformerology specifically relates to a study of the ''fiction'' of the Transformers franchise rather than its toys.
{{quote|...we were going to make sure that each profile presented information in a diverse way that kept things interesting, while also ensuring that you didn't need a degree in '''Transformerology''' to get in on the action.|[[James McDonough]] and [[Adam Patyk]]|foreword to "[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]" volume 1.}}
To estimate the program level a "degree" in Transformerology represents... The time required to watch/read every episode, comic book sourcebook and novel published in the Transformers lexicon from [[1984]] through [[2004]] is between 800 and 1000 person-hours<ref>Ballpark figure based on ~600 episodes, ~700 comics, three movies, 6 full-length novels, 19 sourcebooks, annuals, specials ''et cetera.''{{now|18 March 2009}}</ref> allowing for no breaks, repeats or time for reflection. If one were to ''include'' the kind of repeat-viewings, comparative analysis, speculation, peer discussion and dissection essential to understanding what is essentially one very large convoluted story, the time-investment to acquire a "degree" in Transformerology is roughly equivalent to that of earning a {{w|bachelor's degree}}.<ref>This is a ''conservative'' estimate. As a rule of thumb, if an English-speaking fan has seen the Japanese series more than once, they've probably spent enough time studying Transformers to equate to a masters degree. And yes, [[User:Chris McFeely|McFeely]] has a doctorate.</ref>
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</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;"> ...we were going to make sure that each profile presented information in a diverse way that kept things interesting, while also ensuring that you didn't need a degree in '''Transformerology''' to get in on the action.
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<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—[[James McDonough|James McDonough]] and [[Adam Patyk|Adam Patyk]], forward to "[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|Transformers Generation One: More than Meets the Eye]]" volume 1</cite>
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The task McDonough and Patyk faced in 2004, familiarizing themselves with slightly less than half of the [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] franchise (much of it in pre-digested form), would have represented about 1/4 of that, perhaps the equivalent of an {{w|Academic certificate|undergraduate certificate}}.
To estimate the program level a "degree" in Transformerology represents... The time required to watch/read every episode, comic book sourcebook and novel published in the Transformers lexicon since [[1984|1984]] is between 800 and 1000 person-hours<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> allowing for no breaks, repeats or time for reflection. If one were to ''include'' the kind of repeat-viewings, comparative analysis, speculation, peer discussion and dissection essential to understanding what is essentially one very large convoluted story, the time-investment to acquire a "degree" in Transformerology is roughly equivalent to that of earning a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor%27s_degree" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Bachelor's_degree">Bachelor's degree</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup>
The task McDonough and Patyk faced in 2004, familiarizing themselves with slightly less than half of the [[Generation 1|Generation 1]] franchise (much of it in pre-digested form), would have represented about 1/4 of that, perhaps the equivalent of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate#As_an_academic_award" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Certificate">Undergraduate Certificate</a>.
{{quote|Transformers is serious business.|TFWiki.net motto}}
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
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<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—TFWiki.net motto</cite>
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==Footnotes==
<small><ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> Ballpark figure based on ~600 episodes, ~700 comics, three movies, 6 full-length novels, 19 sourcebooks, annuals, specials ''et cetera.''
<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> This is a ''conservative'' estimate. As a rule of thumb, if an English-speaking fan has seen the Japanese series more than once, they've probably spent enough time studying Transformers to equate to a Masters Degree. And yes, [[User:Chris McFeely|McFeely]] has a Doctorate.</ol></small>
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
Latest revision as of 18:43, 18 May 2023
Transformerology - lit., "to tell about Transformers"
...we were going to make sure that each profile presented information in a diverse way that kept things interesting, while also ensuring that you didn't need a degree in Transformerology to get in on the action.James McDonough and Adam Patyk, foreword to "Transformers: More than Meets the Eye" volume 1.
To estimate the program level a "degree" in Transformerology represents... The time required to watch/read every episode, comic book sourcebook and novel published in the Transformers lexicon from 1984 through 2004 is between 800 and 1000 person-hours[1] allowing for no breaks, repeats or time for reflection. If one were to include the kind of repeat-viewings, comparative analysis, speculation, peer discussion and dissection essential to understanding what is essentially one very large convoluted story, the time-investment to acquire a "degree" in Transformerology is roughly equivalent to that of earning a bachelor's degree.[2]
The task McDonough and Patyk faced in 2004, familiarizing themselves with slightly less than half of the Generation 1 franchise (much of it in pre-digested form), would have represented about 1/4 of that, perhaps the equivalent of an undergraduate certificate.
↑Ballpark figure based on ~600 episodes, ~700 comics, three movies, 6 full-length novels, 19 sourcebooks, annuals, specials et cetera.(Mar-18-09)
↑This is a conservative estimate. As a rule of thumb, if an English-speaking fan has seen the Japanese series more than once, they've probably spent enough time studying Transformers to equate to a masters degree. And yes, McFeely has a doctorate.