The Transformers began as a comic book, after all.

Well, that’s a bit of a simplification. It’s more accurate to say that the first Transformers product made available to the public was the limited series by Marvel Comics. The book started as a 4-issue mini designed to sell toys, and ballooned into an 80-issues series with complex stories (compared to the cartoon) and a rich mythology…designed to sell toys. Much of the Transformer back story was even created by Jim Shooter and Denny O’Neil! (Though neither of them worked on the comic)

A poster at the Allspark Forums (think the Transformers version of CBR) pointed out that May 8th, 2009 is the 25th anniversary of the first issue’s release. That’s right, it’s Optimus Prime’s birthday! (And he’s younger than me, and I’m gonna go kill myself as soon as I finish writing this)

So happy birthday, red truck guy. Happy birthday, gun guy. Happy birthday, black-voice-sounding guy. Happy birthday, gay Volkswagen. Happy birthday, cassette-tape-who-turns- into-a-kitty-cat. Happy birthday, guy with the voice. Happy birthday, other guy with the voice. I’ll see you all when your new movie comes out next month. (Except you, black-voice-sounding-guy, they killed the hell out of you).

Click on the birthday boy for links to other blogs celebrating this event!

Or click on the other guy to see Jazz get beaten up by the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard. Why not? You’re obviously not busy.