G1 vs GI JOE

[RNSrobot]

When I was a kid, I -liked- GI JOE and -loved- TRANSFORMERS. However, I was not super-familiar with either cartoon show outside of a handful of episodes. I remember seeing MTMTE on TV, and my Dad took my brother and I to see TF:TM in the theatre (I was five). We had "Roll For It" and "Fire in the Sky" on VHS, and the local video store had TF:TM on VHS and FFoD, both of which I rented every few months. I saw even less GI JOE.

I knew both properties much more through the later years of the comic books, but primarily through the toys themselves. And I love me some TF toys. I think the biggest draw is that a Transformer in and of itself IS an 'action feature.' It's not just a guy with moving arms. And I like giant robots. I like the mythos (well, until recently). I like the characters. Joe had cool vehicles and figures and all but it wasn't as interesting.

But I really didn't see much of either show.

So. The majority of material on the SHOUT! DVD sets is 'new to me.' I watched all of TF s2v2 this past week. My buddy bought the Complete Series of GI JOE today and we watched about nine eps (including Arise Serpentor Arise). After having seen largely all of both shows now, I have to say...

Sunbow's GI JOE absolutely DESTROYS Sunbow's TRANSFORMERS.

Now I'm not saying that to get a rise out of anybody or start drama. I'm not saying it because JOE is high art or anything. But I'm not really viewing either show through 'rose-colored glasses' because I didn't see them back then. Season 1 of TF is decent, Season 2 started off alright, but I think there are three good episodes in s2v2. And there are TOO MANY THE PAIN!!! episodes. Just... THE PAIN. And the art is often just TERRIBLE. The animation is very poor. The voice acting single-handedly keeps most of TF G1 from being utter trash --- and even then I feel dumber having watched it.

GI JOE is not high art, and it's silly, and sometimes stupid, and is a toy commercial. But by and large the writing is much better and the art/animation is much better.

Frankly, I'm stunned by how much more I'm enjoying GI Joe. Yes, both are 'kid's shows' and I'm trying not to judge them too harshly but there are kid's shows I can enjoy and kid's shows that are just painful to watch as an adult. TF:G1 has been more painful than enjoyable. GI Joe has been almost entirely enjoyable. I'm still a huge, huge TF fan. That won't change, even if I'm come to the conclusion that almost all TF fiction has been mediocre excepting Beast Wars, Furman's run on the Marvel comic, and Animated.

I just find it weird that I like GI JOE's show so much more. =)

[CBII]

I'd agree with you on the episodes. I started watching the G1 episodes and ended up shuting it off. It was ruining my idea of how "good" Transformers was/where as a kid. The animated movie is still awesome in my books.

I'll admit that as a kid I liked JOES WAY better then TF's but I liked them just as much as the rest of the 80's toy's and shows. However now as an adult I love TF's more then ever. Probabaly because I can appreicate them a lot more. Beast Wars was good (currently rewatching them all again) and the new movies have really sparked my interest in TF's again. Yes say what you want about Bay's version of the TF's, but I like I like it a lot.

This all being said I think the old Joes cartoons are better yet I have zero drive to collect them.

[Tekkamanraiden]

Yeah there are quite a few episodes in season 2 that are not very good. I still have enjoyed re watching them. I never was much into GI Joe as a kid. I do remember them being quite well done.

[Team Jetfire]

I have the old Rhino series of transformers and I enjoy them for what they are. And yes there are a few stinkers, but I guess that is cartoons for you. I do need to check out GI Joe again as it has been a while.

[soundwaveCA]

I never really got into Joe.

Love the movie for it though, but not necessarily because I think it's a masterpiece but it's entertaining nonetheless (in more ways then one).

[Sureshot22]

i use to watch both as a kid and i had almost the entire collection of GI joe and still almost have the entire G1 TFs. never got into G2 and + but cartoon wise i loved both other then the fact that in GI joe no one EVER dies... omg laser everywhere... OMG im hit. (no one ever dies) annoying as shit. but i loved the show anyhow. but the TF cartoon bots die. sure some come back but they are bots after all not humans.

but between the 2 TFs i enjoyed waaay more. and i collect them now more then i did as a kid. though now i have the money to do that.

but the gi joe toys. ZERO interest in collecting them now a days. and looking at them my god they look like absolute shit. the figs are fugly on a good day. ill admit some of the vehicles are cool but thats all it has going for it.

my 2 cents

[RNSrobot]

The GI JOE movie toys are some of the worst toys I've seen. Then again I'm not a huge fan of the ROTF toys either. I have been picking up some of the 25th Anniversary figs and vehicles though. CONQUEST FTW.

In almost every other way I prefer TFs, just can't get over how good the Joe toon is compared to the pretty lousy TF toon.

[Mighty_Galvatron]

Originally Posted by soundwaveCA

I never really got into Joe.

Love the movie for it though, but not necessarily because I think it's a masterpiece but it's entertaining nonetheless (in more ways then one).

I love the original G1 Joe movie. Not that it touched the Transformers Movie, but I do like it a lot. Not familiar with the show itself though. Might get around to seeing it sometime.

[JLvatron]

I'm a fan of both and watched G1 TF as much as G1 GIJoe. Most of my love for both series is based on the show, waaay more than the toys.

That said, I found GIJoe to be alot of fun, but Transformers was simply outstanding. Very much among the top echilon of human achievement.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by soundwaveCA

I never really got into Joe.

Love the movie for it though, but not necessarily because I think it's a masterpiece but it's entertaining nonetheless (in more ways then one).

Same here.