TRDQ: Transformers Annual 1985 Review 

ravage's fate is abjectly terrifying i think, and therefore "pretty metal". though he'd be pretty metal either way, considering he is a robot that transforms into a cassette

The most confusing thing is that puzzle with megatrons head resembles his actual head than the other models which interpreted the compartment in which its stored as part of the head

I should write children’s stories with existential dread for endings.

Something so pure about those annuals. This is what transformers was all about in the 80s! You could look at all this artwork and reread every word for hours!

I remember that awesome Prime story with Roller. What made it amazing is that Prime doesn't "jump out of the way" but collapses in agony (6:35) when Roller is destroyed (since they are the same person, over three bodies - kind of an Autobot Trinity). It's so clever, like the dark ending.

Just had to sit through a 25 second advert to see this. It was just about worth it.

1986 annual is my most iconic memory of the Transformers from my childhood somehow surpassing the movie, that short story with the Dinobots trapped in nightmares is always lurking there in my mind so sincerely hoping you do review it honestly

Oh, thank God comments are back online. Back to the subject at hand, I'm not from the 80s but that book gives me the vibes of one's that I had when I was 6. It's nice to have these videos that aren't just reviews of toys.

Great review - nice to discover I wasn't the only kid who loathed the prose stories. I also played 'Attack on Castle Decepticon' and spent an entire afternoon running away from Castle Decepticon. Great memories. Please review the rest.

I've never seen one of these before so yes I'd love to have a look at the others. You've also been doing a bangup job selling me on the Marvel comics so more of those would be appreciated as well. I swear Hasbro needs to hire you to do their marketing, I bought substantially less transformers crud before this channel.

Holy crap, the art here! I love the art of Prowl in the insecticon story, with his aviator shades, and gold Megatron! But then there’s that puzzle artwork…

Woow, those early designs are wild!

I came a long much later to Transformers and it always fascinates me how the UK had it's onw original content for a while. I knew the Annuals existed but I didn't know they were hardcover. You guys really got spoiled.

I have never seen these, but I grew up in the U.S. These are beautiful. Love this review. Just fantastic. Looking forward to seeing more of these.

You've heard of Transformers Reviews Done Quick eh? Now get ready for Transformers Annuals Reviews Done At A Moderate Pace.

It's like an 80s' Covenant of Primus. Would've loved this when I was a kid. :)

Lovely! You've done me a big favour here, I had the urge to re-read this recently but it's at the back of a storage area. Appetite sated.

I could watch these all day, my guy. 😬

Nifty! Wasn't ever into comics as a kid, so I always missed out on all this kind of stuff. (Except when my grandmothers got me the Beano & Dandy annuals.)

I really liked this! I don't know about anyone else, but please do the rest of that sack you had there at least please Sir! (Kiss arse comment activated. But nah. That'd be grand! Cheers for the laughs)

I love learning about ancillary stuff from G1, being someone who grew up a little bit too late for it. (2000’s was my childhood)

I will ASK you to do the yellow one with Skorponok on the front, because I definitely owned that one, and it’s nice when people take an interest. (That was really fun btw)

This is one of the biggest memory lane walks that Gavin has taken me down, or perhaps more fitting to his brand, a stagger down a toy strewn and urine soaked nostalgia back alley. I had all of these and cannot put my finger on when I got rid of them or last saw them. I do remember exactly some of the things that are referred to though, particularly the heady mix of joy that I had something else transformers related, and early continuity-nazi tendencies of rage that the annuals didn’t necessarily line up with the comics. Or toys. Or other media. They were excellent value though, as I also completely disregarded the prose stories for the first few years of annuals, and then came back to them later in that sweet spot of now actually being able to read but not yet thinking I was too grown up for it all.

Love an annual so I was very happy to see this in the feed! Also you mention the annual is from 1985 and the video title says 1986

Loved the ol annuals. The best one for me was that one with Scorponok on the front. I recall Highbrow taking out some other decepticon headmasters, then 'ripping' Scorpy's head off. Hardcore stuff. That cemented him in my mind as my favourite original headmaster.

I saw this in my notifications and started to giggle excitedly

I remember those "coloring and activity book" pages. I never cared for the puzzle sections, I just wanted to color big robots.

This was great! Some of that artwork is incredible wowee

Ya gotta love how at this stage they were still so raw that there was no template for a story. the idea of bumblebee fighting a python would NEVER fly now but back then anything goes and indeed IS metal as fk

Gawddamn Huffer and his word shenanigans!

Wonderful stuff. Even as a wee laddie I knew that so much of this annual was shite - but I still loved it, because it was Transformers, and I wanted every last drop. Big, strange, emotions seeing that Ravage illustration again.

Not as much posability as we've come to expect from modern transformers, but pretty standard for a 1985 release Great video all together 👍

Jim Sorenson said in an interview that the format of these annuals were part of the inspiration for the Allspark Almanacs.

Love all your videos. You deserve way more subs!!

I wish I could find copies of those in bargain bin book shops here. I always love the old school airbrushed covers. You just don't see those anymore.

3:19 They made a spelling error writing Aerith's name from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Loved this

Aw, this is so cute!

I love and still have all of my Transformers Annuals from Santa Claus, pity, young me decided to draw bums and willies all over the Dinobots in the 1985 book.

What an adventure!

Xaaron needs CHUG love.

UK folks really did have it such much better when it came to the comics, eh?

I had a Beano annual in the early 2000s. It had a weird comic in it where Dennis the Menace went to space and everything except him was a 3d render.

Keep doing these!

While John Stokes' art was a wee bit iffy, the colouring work on the prose stories is fantastic.

wow that last shot of dinobots glory!

"BOING!"

This is a good episode.

Annuals were a part of the UK comics experience, I never liked UL comics they were more like puzzle books and they talked down to the readers, case in point, in the US the editor answers the letters, in the UK a fictional character like Grimlock answers the letters, but the UK has always had the better writers.

Megatrons concept head looks handsome

Gav this was brilliant

Can you do the 1986 annual as well?

5:19 funnily enough he also looks like hes got cesar romero's painted on lips on the top of his head

Still have all of them apart from the Dinobot covered one 92 I think it is, no way am I paying over £100 for it now😢

Comic annuals still get made? Now they're just double-length special issues typically.

Would you please move on to 1986 already?

Ah, the Ronald Reagan annual!

Thumbnail says 1985 title says 1986 which one is the truth?

books gavin really?? why you have time to review boring books and no a dinobot kingdom or a new strika