Now that I'm getting some page views that aren't from me, I'll make an about me post.
Like a lot of Transfans, I was drawn to the Transformers at an early age. Lucky for me, I was there at the beginning in 1984. My first memory of a Transformer sighting was at a Mervin's department store in San Diego, California. It was the Frenzy/Ravage two-pack. My mother quickly shot me down when I asked for it. A few weeks later, I got Huffer.
Not long after I got Huffer, the cartoon premiered and an obsession was born. Everyday after school, I made sure to watch the series. Every episode made me want to buy more. It's almost like they had planned it that way...
I made it my mission to get as many Transformers as I could. Every gift giving occasion was accompanied with a request for a Transformer. Every dollar of allowance was saved for the express purpose of buying more. There were times when I wouldn't eat lunch just so I'd have more money to buy Transformers. Sure there were occasional lapses where I wanted Star Wars or Masters of the Universe, but more often than not, I wanted Transformers.
My Transformer obsession lasted right up until the Action Masters were taken off store shelves. I remember seeing Generation 2 figures, especially the multi-colored Dinobots, and thinking that they were a perversion. Thus ended my love affair. I still read the comics, but it was over - finished! Up into my parents' attic they went.
My interest was piqued a few times. I got a few Beast Wars figures and watched the show when it was on and I was at home. Robots in Disguise got my foot in the door a little more. The figures, not the show. I think that the fact that they were cars, and not animals had something to do with it. I got a few of them. I still watched my VHS copy of TF:TM a lot, but that was about it for me.
Sometime around 2000, I read an article in Wizard Magazine about 80's properties and there was a Transformers article with art by Pat Lee. I noted that it looked pretty good, but quickly forgot about it. Then I read about Dreamwave getting the license to produce Transformers comics and I was back in. Then I discovered that there were Transformer websites on the Internet. Holy crap.
My Internet presence was mainly confined to the Dreamwave boards and a Transformers Roleplay site that a friend had created. Once the Dreamwave boards went down, I had pretty much lost all free time to maintain any kind of Internet presence.
During Dreamwave's run, Takara started doing their book style reissues. Before I ordered my first one, Prowl, I had to make sure that mine was I. As bad a shape as I remembered. A few trips into my parents' attic later, and I couldn't find him. Since my father was in the Navy when I was growing up, I lost a few toys here and there during moves. Apparently I lost quite a few during the final move when my father retired. Damn. That just meant that I had to buy them again. Which makes me thankful for reissues.
My main goal as of right now is to get to 400 Transformers. Once I get there, I'll figure out where to go. I'd like to start getting Japanese only G1 figures, but I feel that I should complete the U.S. run first. We'll just have to see.
Why did I choose the name Optimal Omega? When I joined the Dreamwave boards, I didn't want a known name, so I decided to create my own character. Optimal Omega is Omega Supreme, Junior. He's 3/4 Omega's height, but more heavily armored, which makes him slower. He even splits into two vehicles - a tank and a jet capable of carrying the tank and passengers. The picture on the homepage was created by Makotron for me. I've been known to go by Sir Optimal Omega and Sir Optimal Omega, IV.
