Simon Furman

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[[Image:|right|180px|thumb|But... but Swoop is neither vast nor predatory nor even a bird! What is he playing at?]] <table style="border-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: transparent;" class="cquote" align="center"> <tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 9px 10px 0pt; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20"> “ </td><td style="padding: 4px 10px 5px;" valign="top"> Who can I kill? </td><td style="padding: 10px 10px 0px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" valign="bottom" width="20"> ” </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0pt;"> <p style="font-size: smaller; line-height: 1em; text-align: right;"><cite style="font-style: normal;">—Simon Furman's first question upon being brought on to write for <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Beast_Wars_%28cartoon%29" title="Beast Wars (cartoon)">Beast Wars</a> <a href="http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/%7Esstoneb/tf/tidbits/botcon2002.txt" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/tidbits/botcon2002.txt" rel="nofollow">[1]</a></cite>

</td></tr></tbody></table> Probably the most well-known of all <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_brand" title="Transformers brand">Transformers</a> comics writers, Simon Christopher Francis Furman was editor and author for much of the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Marvel" class="mw-redirect" title="Marvel">Marvel</a> <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Generation_1_%28Marvel_Comics%29#Marvel_UK" class="mw-redirect" title="Generation 1 (Marvel Comics)">UK</a> run, and began writing for the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Generation_1_%28Marvel_Comics%29#Marvel_US" class="mw-redirect" title="Generation 1 (Marvel Comics)">Marvel US</a> comic after writer <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bob_Budiansky" title="Bob Budiansky">Bob Budiansky</a> left.

Since then, Furman has also written Transformers comics for <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Dreamwave_Productions" title="Dreamwave Productions">Dreamwave Productions</a>, <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/IDW_Publishing" title="IDW Publishing">IDW Publishing</a>, and <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/3H" class="mw-redirect" title="3H">3H</a>, and scripted the final episode of the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Beast_Wars_%28cartoon%29" title="Beast Wars (cartoon)">Beast Wars cartoon</a>, "<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Nemesis_Part_2" title="Nemesis Part 2">Nemesis Part 2</a>". His IDW run is notable for being the only instance where he has actually created the mythos from the ground up. Every other series has had Furman coming in after someone else had already set everything up.

He has also written and created many non-Transformers characters, including <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Death%27s_Head" title="Death's Head">Death's Head</a> with <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Geoff_Senior" title="Geoff Senior">Geoff Senior</a> and "Brute Force" with <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Jose_Delbo" class="mw-redirect" title="Jose Delbo">Jose Delbo</a>. He is an editor at <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Titan_Books" title="Titan Books">Titan Books</a>, which publishes collections of Transformers comics, among other material.

Furman is a highly prolific writer and well regarded in the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Fans" class="mw-redirect" title="Fans">fandom</a>. As a result, he is often the first, last, and occasionally only resort in penning Transformers literature, with a deep involvement in a wide variety of product. Notably, he penned <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_The_Ultimate_Guide" title="Transformers: The Ultimate Guide">Transformers: The Ultimate Guide</a>, a book which described the background of several continuities which he was not particularly involved in crafting. This book has seen significant criticism for being biased towards comic <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Canon" title="Canon">canon</a> (particularly that which he penned) and, in places, inventing continuity wholecloth without any precedent in prior fiction. In such instances, it has since been assumed that Furman was filling in neglected areas of the (at the time underdeveloped) <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Dreamwave_Generation_One_continuity" title="Dreamwave Generation One continuity">Dreamwave continuity</a>.

Contrary to the popular opinion that he is an outspoken critic of the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Generation_1_%28cartoon%29" class="mw-redirect" title="Generation 1 (cartoon)">Generation 1 cartoon series</a>, Furman has stated in an interview that he loves the series. He explained that when he was involved with the Marvel comic books as a twenty-something-year-old writer, he thought the show was pitched a little young and that the stories were simplistic and had huge logic flaws, but conceded that he saw them from a different perspective than the generation that grew up watching the cartoon and buying the toys as kids, and so he concentrated on his work, which he believed was more "adult" in tone. He added that, in hindsight, he went back to watch the series and now really enjoys it, particularly Season 2's strong character stories. When he wrote for Marvel comics, he was averse to episodes that dealt with the character back-stories because they clashed with his own back-stories and also caused him to worry that he wasn't presenting the characters as intended. But now he had the freedom to take the series as a viewer and admire the way they were building upon their own mythos.

In the same interview, he thought <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/The_Transformers:_The_Movie_%281986%29" class="mw-redirect" title="The Transformers: The Movie (1986)">the 1986 animated movie</a> was "fantastic", and one of his stated reasons was that "characters died." <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup>

These days, he's a big fan of <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_Animated" class="mw-redirect" title="Transformers Animated">Transformers Animated</a>, saying it's the best cartoon since Beast Wars. <sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup>, despite a relative lack of violent deaths. He's also a fan of West Ham United football club <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a></sup>, which perhaps explains his bloodlust.

In his spare time, Furman enjoys drinking <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Corona" title="Corona">Corona</a> and killing off hordes of background characters. And <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Nightbeat_%28G1%29" title="Nightbeat (G1)">Nightbeat</a>.

<a name="Alternate_mode"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Alternate mode">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Alternate mode</span></h2> When Furman became the editor of the UK Transformers comic, it opened up a dilemma, as Marvel policy, enforced by Marvel US editor-in-chief <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Tom_DeFalco" title="Tom DeFalco">Tom DeFalco</a>, frowned on editors serving as their own writers. To circumvent this problem, it was agreed that senior editor (and frequent Transformers letterer) <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Richard_Starkings" title="Richard Starkings">Richard Starkings</a> would serve in an advisory capacity on Furman's own strips.<sup id="cite_ref-darkdes_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-darkdes-3" title="">[4]</a></sup> When an editorial credit for the comic as a whole was required, Furman used the credit "Chris Francis", derived from his middle names.<sup id="cite_ref-2ndgen_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2ndgen-4" title="">[5]</a></sup>


<a name="Fiction"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Fiction">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Fiction</span></h2> <a name="Unicron_Trilogy_continuity"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Unicron Trilogy continuity">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Unicron Trilogy continuity</span></h3> The flesh creature known as Simon Furman pleases <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Unicron" title="Unicron">Unicron</a> with his accurate depiction of Unicron's omnipotent magnificence. <span style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: 0pt 1px; padding: 0pt 5px; font-size: 10px; background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" class="tt1_nowrap"><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/The_End" title="The End">The End</a></span>


<div style="border: 2px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); margin: 0pt auto 0.2em; padding: 2px; width: 90%; background-color: rgb(239, 239, 239); text-align: left;">Note: In the final issue of <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Dreamwave" class="mw-redirect" title="Dreamwave">Dreamwave</a>'s <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Armada_%28Dreamwave_comic%29" title="Armada (Dreamwave comic)"></a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Armada_%28Dreamwave_comic%29" title="Armada (Dreamwave comic)">Armada comic</a><i>, Unicron used his ability to gaze across parallel dimensions into a world where he was only a comic-book character and answer letters from readers. He was apparently unaware this issue ended with his defeat.</i></div> <a name="Titan_Magazines"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Titan Magazines">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Titan Magazines</span></h3> According to <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Starscream_%28Movie%29" title="Starscream (Movie)">Starscream</a>, Furman is a <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Maximal" title="Maximal">Maximal</a> disguised as a "strategically shaved ape. Especially on his head." <span style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: 0pt 1px; padding: 0pt 5px; font-size: 10px; background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" class="tt1_nowrap"><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_Comic_issue_7" title="Transformers Comic issue 7">#7's Star Screams</a></span> When Starscream captured the Titan offices, only Furman escaped capture and is still at large <span style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-width: 0pt 1px; padding: 0pt 5px; font-size: 10px; background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" class="tt1_nowrap"><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_Comic_issue_21" title="Transformers Comic issue 21">#21's Star Screams</a></span>.


<a name="Comic_bibliography"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Comic bibliography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Comic bibliography</span></h2> <a name="Marvel"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Marvel">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Marvel</span></h3>

<a name="Dreamwave"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Dreamwave">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Dreamwave</span></h3>

<a name="IDW"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: IDW">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">IDW</span></h3>

<a name="Titan"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Titan">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Titan</span></h3>

<a name="Bibliography"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Bibliography">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Bibliography</span></h2> <a name="DK_Publishing"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: DK Publishing">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">DK Publishing</span></h3>



<a name="Titan_Books"></a><h3><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Titan Books">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Titan Books</span></h3>

<a name="Trivia"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Trivia">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Trivia</span></h2>

comics letters page, setting the precedent for having a Transformer "host" reply to the kids' letters, but without patronising them. This tradition has been followed up on in <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Armada_%28Panini_comic%29" title="Armada (Panini comic)">other</a> <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_%28Titan_Magazine%29" title="Transformers (Titan Magazine)">UK</a> comics.

  • If his last words before dying aren't <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Furmanism" title="Furmanism">"hnng...never did want to live forever"</a>, there will be much sadness.
  • Apparently, if <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Pat_Lee" title="Pat Lee">Pat Lee</a> wants back in Transformers, he will have to climb over Simon's cold, rotting corpse to do it.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5" title="">[6]</a></sup>

<a name="See_also"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">See also</span></h2>

<a name="References"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: References">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">References</span></h2> <ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> Simon Furman's interview on Madman Entertainment's Beast Wars Season 3 DVD set <li id="cite_note-1"><a href="#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-touch-animated/" class="external free" title="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-touch-animated/" rel="nofollow">http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/a-touch-animated/</a> <li id="cite_note-2"><a href="#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_furman3.php" class="external free" title="http://transfans.net/interviews_furman3.php" rel="nofollow">http://transfans.net/interviews_furman3.php</a> <li id="cite_note-darkdes-3"><a href="#cite_ref-darkdes_3-0" title="">↑</a> Starkings, Richard "Prophetic Words" in Dark Designs <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Trade_paperback&action=edit" class="new" title="Trade paperback">Trade paperback</a> (London; <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Titan_Books" title="Titan Books">Titan Books</a>, 2002), page 4. <li id="cite_note-2ndgen-4"><a href="#cite_ref-2ndgen_4-0" title="">↑</a> Unknown author "Transformers UK" in Second Generation <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Trade_paperback&action=edit" class="new" title="Trade paperback">Trade paperback</a> (London; <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Titan_Books" title="Titan Books">Titan Books</a>, 2004), page 6. <li id="cite_note-5"><a href="#cite_ref-5" title="">↑</a> Based upon a comment Furman made at BotCon 2008 when asked if Pat Lee would ever work for IDW Publishing</ol> <a name="External_links"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Simon_Furman&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: External links">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">External links</span></h2>

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