Dear AARGH! MY OPTICS! Fan(s?) After 4 years Virtual Dave and myself are calling it a day on everyone's least favourite Transformers podcast. Drop us a line to tell us how much (or little) our podcast meant to you and how sad (or elated) you are to see us go. I'll put it in the final episodes.

Issue 39 Saturday 7th December 1985 Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #39 UK No. 1: "I’m Your Man" - Wham! Cover Artist: Herb Trimpe Highlights : Shockwave puts the sweats on Rumble! The Decepticons discover their phones are being tapped! Optimus gets new EVIL head! #tfukforty

Yes yes I know its been ages but for you 5 lovely people who've subscribed (and those who haven't damn it!) I've finally posted my well crafted highly entertaining summary of The Transformers issue 4 over on Dumb Stubbies! dumbstubbies.substack.com/p/the-transf...

Merry festivus, and so ends the series of pull out calendars provided throughout 1985 in The Transformers for us little guys to tick off the days. In Decembers calendar... Soundwave! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #38 UK No. 1: "I’m Your Man" - Wham! Cover Artist: Herb Trimpe Highlights : Introducing Jetfire! Smokescreen and Bumblebee resort to throwing rocks! Buster has better luck with his new superpower! #tfukforty

And while I'm here, the second part of our long... but in my opinion ENTERTAINING... chat about issues 5-8 (or in Marvel UK numbering 22-28) is now up on the We've Got Back Issues Podcast. Lots of talk about the UK comic, the back matter at the time and how shit it was! #tfukforty #wgbipod

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #37 UK No. 1: "A Good Heart" - Feargal Sharky Cover Artist: John Ridgway. Highlights : Outstanding art by Hulk veteran Herb Timpe! Jetfire is created! Iron Man 2020 enters the fray in Machine Man! #tfukforty

Around about this time 40 years ago the second Marvel UK Transformers 'Special' AKA Collected Comics 2 was published! It featured a full colour reprint of issues 3 and 4 of the US comic AND a fun anagram challenge! #tfukforty

In the latest episode of We've Got Back Issues/AARGH! MY OPTICS! we may well have gotten to the bottom of where Optimus Prime got his name from. Listen to this and more for free right now on all good podcast apps. #wgbipod

So I got the band back together and wanged on about The Transformers comic for over 3 hours. Sorry, not sorry. Check it out on both the We've Got Back Issues and AARGH! MY OPTICS! Podcasts. #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #36 UK No. 1: "A Good Heart" - Feargal Sharky Cover Artist: Kyle Baker Highlights: Robot war II fill us in on the story so far! The anti-climax of the year as the Constructicons Unite! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #35 UK No. 1: "Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush Cover Artist: Will Simpson Highlights: Optimus Prime becomes a parent to 6 bouncing baby Constructicons! Introducing Bomber Bill! #tfukforty

Oh yeah its November innit, here's your 1985 Transformers calendar! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #34 UK No. 1: "Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush Cover Artist: Mike Manley Highlights: Jazz abducts G.B. Blackrock! Circuit Breaker looses her shit! Secret Wars goes full colour plus ZOIDS! #tfukforty

Go on... humour me... read my latest post on Substack exploring issue 3 of Marvel UK's The Transformers! dumbstubbies.substack.com/p/the-transf...

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #33 UK No. 1: "Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush Cover Artist: John Higgins Highlights : A printing error results in new colour schemes for everyone! Circuit Breaker is born! Win a stunt flyer! #tfukforty

Fancy listening to two guys reading and commenting on a scary comic that (for a change is) was actually published this century? Well listen to the latest Halloween episode of We've Git Back Issues then!

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #32 UK No. 1: "Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush Cover Artist: Will Simpson Fact File: Inferno Highlights : The wrath of Grimlock! Headless Prime! Swoop saves the day but pays the ultimate price? Back to the US story next issue! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #31 UK No. 1: "Power of Love" - Jennifer Rush Cover Artist: Will Simpson Highlights : Another Simon Furman original with Barry Kitson on art duties! The Dinobots meet their match? #tfukforty

Dumb Stubbies #2 'dropped' the other day. It's like my #tfukforty posts only a bit more in-depth. Go on try it, you might like it! If you do please subscribe. IT'S FREE FFS! dumbstubbies.substack.com/p/the-transf...

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #30 UK No. 1: "If I was" - Midge Ure Cover Artist: John Ridgway Highlights: That scene from the cartoon with the energy axe and the mace on top of the dam and so on! Guardian is back and he's pissed! #tfukforty

I forgot to post 1985s October calendar... well here it is 5 days late. As you can see it's (crappy) reworking of the awesome front cover of issue 22 drawn by Mark Bright (RIP). Fast forward 40 years and this looks very much like the Blokees version of Shockwave! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #29 UK No. 1: "Dancing in the Street" - David Bowie and Mick Jagger Cover Artist: John Ridgway. Highlights : Marvel UK re-tell ‘Arrival from Cybertron’ their way... around the campfire to the Dinobots! Soundwave does a little admin! #tfukforty

What happens when a supervillain has the same expertise, same intelligence, same combat skills same wonderful toys that Batman has... Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's Nemisis apparently!? Listen to our latest episode to find out what we thought of it!

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #28 UK No. 1: "Dancing in the Street" - David Bowie and Mick Jagger Cover Artist: M.D. Bright and Kyle Baker Fact File: Snarl Highlights : Ratchet double crosses a double crosser! Machine Man is revived in the cyberpunk future of 2020! #tfukforty

Optimus Prime's dodgy alt-mode is just one of the many weird and wonderful things in issue 1 of Marvel UK's Transformers. Read my new Substack Newsletter 'Dumb Stubbies' to find out more! #dumbstubbies dumbstubbies.substack.com/p/the-transf...

Introducing my brand new Substack Newsletter Dumb Stubbies! A sort of long form version of my #tfukforty posts where I take a closer look at my old issues of The Transformers and wang on about what's in them and what they meant to me then and mean to me now! dumbstubbies.substack.com

'Think back to your childhood. Do you remember when the anxiety started?' Yup!

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #27 UK No. 1: "Dancing in the Street" - David Bowie and Mick Jagger Cover Artist: Robin Smith Highlights : It's Transformers UK's Birthday! In celebration let's go weekly and full colour! Ratchet revives Slag! Shockwave trolls Megatron! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #26 UK No. 1: "Dancing in the Street" - David Bowie and Mick Jagger Cover Artist: Mark Bright (amended Megatron by Herb Trimpe) Highlights : Changes are afoot! Ratchet cooks protein cylinders and gets in in a scrap with Megatron! #tfukforty

September is coming... and 40 years ago Transformers obsessed kids were poised to start ticking off the days on this bad boy. The image of Ratchet used was an adaptation of William Johnson art due to appear in issue 27 a few later this month... tbf the original artwork is better. #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #25. UK No. 1: “Into the Groove" - Madonna. Cover Artist: Alan Kupperberg. Fact Files: Warpath and Ramjet. Highlights: Megaton (temporarily) puts Shockwave in his place! Machine Man gets an update! Good riddance to Planet Terry! #tfukforty

Listen as I FORCE Galactosh to read the work of my personal favourite creators Mike Allred and his comic book alter ego Frank Einstein AKA The Madman of Snap City. Available NOW!

Around this time 40 years ago the UK Transformers comic got itself a new editor and a new look. Gone was the usual 'Opener' page, replaced by a more compact 'Transformation' catch up/contents page and a dedicated letters page hosted by none other than Soundwave! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #24 UK No. 1: “Into the Groove" - Madonna Cover Artist: John Higgins Highlights : Shockwave takes command of... an oil rig!? A lady gets hurt! Buster gets a bit of a headache! Win Transformers transfers! #tfukforty

I loved the first volume of Cindy and Biscuit, I'll be heading down to Dave's Comics ASAP to get the second. Highly recommended.

To all those attending TFNation "Pick your targets and make sure your wallet can handle it"

OK OK I'm about a week (and 40 years) late again. Here is your 1985 August Calendar featuring, no question, the best Deception seeker.. .Skywarp. #tfukforty

Well what a turn up for the books! I've enjoyed both this summers Super-heroic movie offerings! I guess I'll have to find some way to chat about them soon. Yes I do have a favourite.

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #23 UK No. 1: “There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" - Eurythmics Cover Artist: John Ridgway Highlights : Shockwave takes charge! 'Discover Prime's Fate - Inside!' Ahem... on the back cover for all to see actually... SURPRISE? #tfukforty

There's a new Fantastic Four movie out this week... looks pretty good! This podcast on the book that inspired it would be the perfect primer no?

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #22 UK No. 1: "Frankie" - Sister Sledge Cover Artist: Mark Bright Highlights : Ian Rimmer becomes editor and ushers in a new look and a new custodian of the letters page! Shockwave witnesses something a little different on the telly. #tfukforty

'Grail' piece acquired. Yeah I know... He's bloody weird but I love him, plus it replaces my old one who succumbed to 'brown sparkly plastic syndrome'.

This line.... Transformers MissingLink. it's the stuff dreams are made of. #transformers #missinglink #takaratomy #sunstreaker #cordon

Dashed home on my lunch to receive these little beauties!! Absolutely gorgeous. #transformers #missinglink #takaratomy #sunstreaker

Another great evening in the pub supping overpriced pints and playing with our toys in Brighton. Personal favourite of the night, Newage Cordon. #transformers

It's July, and in 1985 we were treated to Sunstreaker on our Marvel UK calendar, 40 years later Missing Link Sunstreaker is released! Co-incidence? I think not! #tfukforty

Released on this day 40 years ago: The Transformers #21 UK No. 1: "Frankie" - Sister Sledge Cover Artist: Mike Collins Highlights : Sheila Cranner's last issue as Editor! Transformers Tell-A-Tale book and Cassette! Windcharger & Ravage save the day! Megatron makes a ‘spectacular exit’! #tfukforty

This month's We've Got Back Issues is now available for download. Listen to me and Galactosh try to make sense of the most expensive comic to ever be printed... and it's all down to the the inclusion of a certain pyjama wearing psychopath. #superman #actioncomics

Released around this time 40 years ago, The Transformers Collected Comics 1 AKA the 1985 Summer special, recapping the US story so far in glorious full colour. #tfukforty