G.I. Joe Versus the Transformers

The Creator Roundtable

By Wolfen Moondaughter
July 1, 2006

Since this month's edition of my column, "Tart Time Machine", is about G.I. Joe and The Transformers, I thought it would be fun to interview creators involved with both franchises' comics runs. Mike O'Sullivan, editor for (and writer on several) Devil's Due's Joe titles, and Simon Furman, writer on assorted Marvel, Dreamwave, Panini), and IDW Transformers titles, were kind enough to oblige me.

Sequential Tart: Which G.I. Joe and/or Transformer-related comic titles have you worked on, and what did you do on them?

Mike O'Sulivan:: I have been involved with the editing (one way or another) of G.I. Joe #37-43; G.I. Joe: America's Elite #0-up; G.I. Joe: Data Desk Handbook; G.I. Joe: Declassified; G.I. Joe: Master & Apprentice II #1-4; G.I. Joe Special Missions: Manhattan; G.I. Joe: The Hunt for Cobra Commander; G.I. Joe VS. Transformers (vol III) #1-5; Sigma 6 #1-6; Snake-Eyes: Declassified #1-6; the trade paperbacks of most of these, and a bunch of other stuff ....

As a writer, I've written Scarlett; Declassified, Data Desk Handbook, G.I. Joe: The Hunt for Cobra Commander, short stories in the Red Shadows trade paperback and Special Missions: Manhattan, and some more things coming up.

Simon Furman: Lots and lots of Transformers. Takes a deep breath ... Transformers UK (Marvel), too many issues to easily list; Transformers US (Marvel) #56-80, Transformers Generation 2 (Marvel) #1-12; Transformers: The War Within (Dreamwave), two and a half series; Transformers Armada/Energon (Dreamwave) #6-30; Transformers Armada UK (Panini) #1-9; Transformers: Infiltration (IDW) #0-ongoing; Transformers Beast Wars: The Gathering (Dreamwave) #1-4 and (upcoming) Transformers: Stormbringer (IDW). Plus various convention comics, one-shots, Transformers: The Ultimate Guide and a short story in an i-books Transformers prose collection. Oh, and the final episode of the Beast Wars TV series.

G.I. Joe-wise, only the UK version, Action Force. I wrote a number of stories for the weekly and a few for the monthly (published outside of the UK as G.I. Joe European Missions). Oh, and G.I. Joe guest-starred in Transformers Generation 2 #2, so there's that.

ST: Were you a fan of the G.I. Joe and/or The Transformers animated series back when they first appeared, in the 80's?

MO: Started G.I. Joe collecting in 1982, Transformers in 1984. I've kept in touch with pretty much everything about them ever since.

SF: I was actually a little too old for the original animated Transformers series (if, indeed, one in my line of work can be too old). I was 23 when it started in 1984, so I came into it purely as a professional. That said, even I got all excited about the Transformers animated movie.... That really knocked me for a six and made me start writing (comic) stories I thought/hoped would match the sheer scale of that thing.

ST: Have you watched any of their later animated incarnations?

MO: I look in on everything, but am pretty purist when it comes to continuity, so most likely, if it's outside of mainstream continuity, I tend not to add it to my own personal collection. But, I enjoy most of everything that comes along with the characters.

I do tend to like new twists on them, though. I don't want them to be stuck in some nostalgic safe box all the time ... Everything needs to develop and grow, eventually.

SF: I never saw the retooled G2 cartoon, and Beast Wars I came into quite late. I figured (circa 1997) Transformers had rolled over and died, and it was only when I got invited out to a Transformers convention that same year that I was introduced to a) Beast Wars and b) Transformers fandom. I'm not sure what was the more exciting (scarier!). I learned to love Beast Wars, and when, in 1998, I got to meet Bob Forward (co-script editor on the series with Larry DiTillio) we got talking and he offered me the chance to actually write an episode. That turned out to be the final episode of season 3, "Nemesis, Part 2". A shame, because I'd have loved to do more. I was never as fond of Beast Machines, and Armada/Energon/Cybertron are just too anime for me. I'm slightly tired of all the Japanese-influenced animation out there. I yearn for a return to good storytelling and character-led TF animation...preferably without the annoying kids.

ST: Did you read the old Marvel comics of either title?

MO: Every issue of both titles, bought off the racks during both runs. I still have all of them, at varying degrees of condition.

SF: Before I wrote the Marvel (US) comic, I had to keep up with what was going on in that title, as we reprinted the stories in the Marvel UK version, weaving UK-original stories in and out of the ongoing US story. That gave us some huge headaches. It was easier once I was writing both, but still not foolproof. I think I contradicted myself several times.

ST: Do you collect the figures from either series? If you do, how big is your collection? Do you have any rare figures?

MO: Haven't bought the toys since the early 90s, but occasionally, I will pick up a cool one from time-to-time. I still have everything from my collections, though. All at my parent's house, much to their garage space dismay...

SF: During the Marvel/Transformers UK days, we had a whole host of toys (sent to us free) that filled whole sections of shelving. Unfortunately, I didn't think to nab any, which is a shame. Might have been worth something now. Overall, though, I'm not a big toy collector. I have a Grimlock (both G1 and Beast Wars), a Swoop and a War Within Optimus Prime statue. That's it. In fact, the toy I most wanted to own (again) wasn't a Transformer at all, but a Zoid, Kraak (from the UK range in the 80s). I finally tracked one down.

ST: Do you have any favourite G.I. Joe and/or Transformers characters? If you do, what about these particular characters drew you to them?

MO: G.I. Joe — Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Spirit, Firefly, Lady Jaye, Storm Shadow.

Transformers — Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Jazz, Starscream, Dinobots, Soundwave.

Various reasons for being my favorites, I guess ... how they were used in the books and cartoons, visual reasons, character traits ... Many different reasons, really....

SF: I like Grimlock, largely because I like conflicted characters, ones who tread a fine line between hero and villain. But there's a whole host of others: Nightbeat, Jetfire, Bludgeon, Thunderwing, Ratchet. What I like best is to take a little known, little used 'd' list character and really go to town on them, make them into an a-lister.

ST: Do you have any favourite episodes/issues/moments in any of the shows or comics, old or new?

MO: As cliche as it is to name something I worked on, I'm really proud of Snake-Eyes: Declassified. It turned out exactly as I wanted it to. Had to work very long and hard on that book, but the end result was worth it. It's probably because Marvel's #21 was one of my all-time favorite G.I. Joe stories. It felt great to sort of add to that, in a small way.

The first cartoons of both G.I. Joe and Transformers were my favorites... the origin of the Transformers? "The M.A.S.S. Device"? "The Weather Dominator"? Classic, fun TV.

SF: The Transformers (animated) movie was my high point, and the thing I can still watch over and over again. But Beast Wars had a lot of very fine episodes, "The Agenda" and others. Hard to pin down an actual favorite moment (though the opening credits of "Nemesis, Part 2" rank high, as that was my first screen credit). The trouble is, especially with the original series, viewing them as an adult, you could just see they were a bit rough around the edges... to put it politely.

ST: What are you working on now, and what will you be working on in the near future?

MO: All sorts of stuff ... most of which I've named already. Add all of the Dungeons & Dragons titles, Family Guy and Hack/Slash to that, (and a few surprises to come) and I've got a wonderfully full plate!

Working in comics is a total dream come true! What a grand life, to be involved in the continuing tales of my childhood heroes!

SF: More IDW Transformers (Stormbringer, Escalation and a couple of other titles), plus Annihilation: Ronan and "Death's Head 3.0" (in Amazing Fantasy) for Marvel. And some UK comic work, including A.T.O.M., Wallace & Gromit and Power Rangers. And that's just the confirmed stuff.

Devil's Due — The official site of the publisher of the current G.I. Joe comics.
IDW Publishing — The official site of the publisher of the current Transformers comics.