Title: TBD, but potentials include:
- ‘Til All Are One: Gender, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Gender Expression (SOGIE) in Transformers
Editors (Collaborators): Elizabeth Sanders, Daniel M. Look
Description / Call for Papers:
We are soliciting chapters/articles for an edited academic book on topics relating to the Transformers franchise and gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.Proposals from academics and independent scholars covering official continuity/properties, fanfiction, the fandom, and content creators will be considered. Proposals should be for new essays, not republications of previous works.
Since its inception in 1984, the Transformers property has had a complicated relationship with concepts relating to sex and gender. During the creation of the names and personalities for the original characters, Bob Budiansky proposed that Ratchet, the medical robot, be a female character. Hasbro rejected the idea, reportedly saying "this is a boy toy. We don't wanna have, you know, girl robots."
However, during the Sunbow animated series, we are introduced to (unfortunately, one-dimensional) ‘female Autobots’ in the episode “The Search for Alpha Trion” and, in 1986, Transformers: The Movie introduced the first recurring female transformer in Arcee.
In the US Marvel comics continuity, the transformer Cloudburst states that for transformers “there are no men, no women…no mates!” Female transformers exist in the Marvel UK comic series, but this is primarily a result of that continuity incorporating aspects from the 1986 animated movie.
Starting in the animated series Beast Wars, cast inclusion of one or more female characters became more commonplace, but they were still heavily outnumbered. Likewise, their gender and gender expression and relationships, when they existed, were cisgender and heteronormative.
The 2005 IDW comics continuity changed this landscape and moved gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and more diverse relationships closer to the spotlight with, we add, Hasbro’s endorsement and support. We see an incredible explosion of topics ranging from homonormative societies, gender without the “biological” concept of sex, transgender robots, and concepts for close, platonic relationships (amica endura) and spouses (conjunx endura).
These topics are complex and not something expected from a ‘toy’ franchise. Further, there was a directed effort to include women and LGBTQIA+ creators and consultants to write these stories in believable and sensitive ways. That effort has continued in follow up cartoon series, including Transformers: Earthspark, which introduced the first non-binary Transformer. Although some of the expected pearl-clutching occurred, the response was, by and large, positive. However, beyond interviews with creators and fan articles, little academic attention has been paid to the Transformers franchise and its relationship to these topics.
To our knowledge, there is no published academic work relating to this material. Our hope is that this edition will not only stand on its own, but also welcome and encourage further scholarship in this field.
Contributions could include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
Potential Sections & Chapter Ideas
Why “Genderless” Means Male
- Portrayals of Masculinity
- Boys Toys = Boys: Hasbro specifying only wanted male character ers for G1 cartoon
- How “Genderless” Appears in Comics: more as “sex less,” but really all monosexed/gendered as male
- One of Those: Intimacy and emotions not being the focus (traditionally)
- The Trouble with Gobots: Gobots had many female characters and, for the most part, you could not tell male from female from their body design
- Monstrous Reproduction
- Physically monstrous: Budding, Protoforms
- Ideologically Monstrous: Made to Order, Vehicons
- Frankenstein Approach: “Firstborn,” Dinobots, Tarantalus, Quintissons
- Sacred Well: Vector Sigma, Quintus Prime
- The Problem of Fembots/Femmebots
- Arcee’s Journey as “The Only One”
- Toys for Boys: Fembots/Femmebots as Sexual/Romantic Objects
- All Hail the Queen: Black Arachnia / Airachnid
- Bringing Balance: Caminus (IDW), Fan Polls (female Megatronous/Victorion) + Windblade, Mairghread Scott (author)
- Queer Identities
- Found Family: Conjunx Amica
- MLM and WLW: Conjunx Endura
- Trans-Transformers: Anode, Lug, Arcee
- A Wonderful Experience: Nightshade, Non-binary Transformer
- Intention vs. Interpretation: Knock Out and Breakdown
- Frenemy or “Will they/Won’t They?”: Ratchet and Drift as a romantic partnership that would have been predicted had they been perceived as male/female
- Humans (Fans and Creators)
- Own Voice: Queer Creators in Transformers (writers, consultants)
- Importance of seeing yourself in your fiction
- Unchecked Privilege and complaints about Genderswapping: “If you want more female characters create new characters”
- Won’t someone think of the children?: Fan reactions to themes related to gender/orientation in fiction for children
- Fan reactions: “don’t get your politics in my toys”
- Cultural differences in reactions from international fanbase
- Misc.
- Bishojou Figures
- Kiss Players (tread carefully here)
- TFs in love with humans, aliens, mermaids, etc. (Seaspray and Powerglide) as explorations of gender identity/sexual identity
To express interest and receive details about submitting a proposal, please contact the editors at esanders5@lamar.edu and dlook@stlawu.edu.
This edited volume will be organized into thematic sections around these topics and others that emerge from submissions. Prospective authors should contact the editors with any questions, including potential topics not listed above.
Please submit a 300-500 word abstract of your proposed chapter contribution as a Word Document (not PDF) with a brief bio (in the same document), current position and experience with the topic, affiliation (if any), and complete contact information to editors Elizabeth Sanders and Daniel Look by May 31, 2025. Full chapters of 6000-8000 words are likely due December 2025. A publisher has shown preliminary interest.
Please share this announcement with anyone you believe would be interested in contributing to this volume. Proposals from academics and independent scholars covering official continuity/properties, fanfiction, the fandom, and content creators will be considered.
Note: Acceptance of a proposed abstract does not guarantee the acceptance of the full chapter.
