Blaster Blues
From Transformers Wiki
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 I woke up this mornin' Feelin' like I been used, And you know by that I Got these ol' Blaster blues | |||||||||||||
| "Blaster Blues" | |||||||||||||
| Production code | #700-38 | ||||||||||||
| Season | 2 | ||||||||||||
| No. in season | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||||||
| Airdate | October 23, 1985 | ||||||||||||
| Written by | Larry Strauss | ||||||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||||||
 Watch this episode on YouTube
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The Decepticons hijack Earth's airwaves. Yet somehow, you are still able to watch this episode.
Contents |
Synopsis
Spike and Carly are at a rock concert, having taken Blaster along for the music. Enjoying the concert, Spike wishes that the rest of the Autobots could hear the music, so Blaster begins transmitting to all of them. Off in space, Cosmos gets a real kick out of the music.
At the Autobot base, Optimus Prime and Sparkplug are observing Omega Supreme's target practice on Teletraan I, when Blaster's music from the concert begins playing on their channel. Sparkplug and most of the Autobots are not enjoying the overwhelming volume, but Jazz gets the chance to show off his dancing skills.
At the Haley Observatory, Professor Haley introduces his new creation, the Voltronic Galaxer, to his fellow scientists. The device is intended to translate Earth's recordings into other languages and broadcast them into space, in search of intelligent life. Seemingly, the Transformers don't count. During his first test of the device, the scientist is quite surprised when he gets a response... which turns to horror when he sees it's the Decepticons. Starscream, as he is oft wont to do, begins firing randomly, but Megatron orders him to stop, saying that they need the Voltronic Galaxer.
At the Autobot base, Optimus Prime is so annoyed by the music that he outright tells Blaster to "shut up", but to no avail. Only a distress call from the scientist finally gets Blaster to stop. After the Autobots arrive at the observatory, they find that the Decepticons have already fled with their prize. Optimus Prime vows to find it and bring the Voltronic Galaxer back.
Splitting up into groups, the Autobots begin the search. Powerglide, Spike and Carly have already searched half the hemisphere, while Cosmos and Blaster are searching outer space. They locate the Decepticons in a base on the Moon, where Megatron is plotting to take control of Earth's radio airwaves. Blaster and Cosmos are caught, however, before they can contact the Autobots. Blaster is forced into use as a transcrambler, while Cosmos powers the device. Megatron orders the Seekers to return to Earth as the radio blackout commences.
On Earth, the communications blackout is scrambling even the Autobots' radio channels. Red Alert and Inferno barely manage to stop a forest fire, while Prowl, Ratchet, Hoist, and Trailbreaker free motorists trapped on a frozen highway, where Ramjet and Thundercracker attack.
At an airport, Powerglide is attempting to land, when Ramjet and Thundercracker attack, damaging both Powerglide and Optimus Prime. Spike manages to strap a jet pack onto Powerglide, giving him some extra boost. As Megatron begins broadcasting his demands to Earth, Blaster plays music from the concert on the same channel. Carly recognizes the tunes and manages to track the transmission back to the Moon. They head for the Autobot base. Carly does some quick repairs on Optimus then the two teens and Powerglide load Prime onto Omega, who takes them to space.
Once Omega lands on the Moon, Megatron and Astrotrain attack him. Omega manages to get his hand on Megatron, but Astrotrain rams Omega in train mode, causing him to release Megatron. Astrotrain then flees and Omega transforms into rocket mode and follows. Seeing Optimus Prime defenseless, Megatron decides to hit him while he's down, only for the Autobot leader to reactivate just in time to defend himself.
With no one to guard them, Blaster and Cosmos cause the voltronic galaxer to receive feedback and explode. Seeing his latest technology ruined, Megatron retreats. After freeing them, Blaster mentions that he could rebuild the Decepticon moonbase into a new Autobot base. Cosmos likes the idea, as it would give him some company. Optimus agrees, but orders him to keep an eye on his volume.
Soon, however, Blaster is back to transmitting loud rock music over the air waves again. Some stereos never learn.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Where are you? In another galaxy?"
"Much closer than that!! Huhu~hwa~ha~hahaha~haha~hahaha!!"
- —Professor Haley contacts Megatron, the master of dry wit.
Optimus: My audio receptors! What is that noise?!
Hoist: Humans call it 'music'.
Sparkplug: Not this human!
Jazz: Sounds all right to me!
- —Sparkplug and the Autobots share their opinions on Blaster's choice in music.
"The Earth is but a speck on the arm of the universe."
- —Human scientist bolstering his race's importance in the cosmos.
"Blaster! Decrease volume! ... Blaster! SHUT UP!"
- —Optimus Prime in another fine example of subordinate management.
Ironhide: Where did the call originate?
Optimus: I don't know! All I can hear is that blasted Blaster!
- —Peter Cullen's annoyance at Blaster's loud music.
"Hey, talk about no place. I can't even get a bottom 40 station out here."
- —Blaster doesn't enjoy outer space duty inside Cosmos.
"It's Blaster!"
"Why that son of an 8-track."
- —Ratchet and Trailbreaker
"Release Autobots, Megatron!"
"Never!"
"Reeeelease them!"
- —Omega Supreme adds some "hands on" pressure to dealing with Megatron
"Looks like the big boy needs a little training!"
- —Astrotrain, proving the pun is indeed mightier than the sword. Unfortunately, it's not as mighty as Omega Supreme.
Notes
Production information
- First draft script: 13th March 1985
- Script revised by Ron Friedman: 18th March 1985
- First draft storyboards completed: 13th March 1985
- Dialogue recording: 16th April 1985
- Storyboards revised: 26th April 1985
- Storyboards slugged: 1st May 1985 (by John Walker)
- Final storyboard revision: 17th May 1985
- Shipped to Toei: 20th May 1985
Deleted scenes
Changed scenes
- The order of some scenes in Act II is changed from the draft script. Red Alert and Inferno’s scenes of firefighting and coming under attack are combined and moved to happen immediately after the train crash (originally placed after the Autobots roll out from HQ). Likewise, the scene of Blaster and Cosmos watching Megatron give his broadcast is moved until after Ratchet’s group are buried by the avalanche. Allowing all of the action in the mountains to flow as one continuous scene.
- When Omega Supreme grabs Megatron and demands “RELEASE THEM!”, he picks him up by the fusion cannon, crushing it in his fist. Hence why Megatron is limited to hand-to-hand combat during his fight with Prime.
Deleted scenes
- Omega Supreme’s target practice consists of firing “benign darts” at Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, who are racing around in auto mode. Cliffjumper radios Bumblebee that he’s going to use him for a ramp. Thanks to Blaster’s rock broadcast, 'Bee can’t hear this and hits the brakes, causing the speeding Cliffjumper to collide with him. Megatron has been watching all of this through a monitor and gets the idea to jam Earth’s communications.
- Optimus Prime arrives at the airport and offers to help Powerglide with guiding the planes to their runways. The boastful Autobot plane replies “I’ve got everything under control, Prime!” before immediately having to drop low to avoid crashing into another plane “Then on second thought, I suppose it couldn't hurt!”. Prime uses his gun to laser the words “LAND HERE” into the sky with accompanying arrows.
- Once Blaster and Cosmos have overloaded the Voltronic Galaxer, we cut back to Red Alert and Inferno, lying charred and damaged amid the spreading forest fire. Once they realise that their radios work again, Red Alert calls fire control for assistance, much to Inferno’s chagrin. “You’re calling for Earth firefighters? What am I…a toy fire truck?!
- With Prime having won the fight and holding him at gunpoint, Megatron radios Astrotrain for assistance, only to receive static as Blaster is using the circuits he is plugged into in order to “run a little interference – on a local channel!”
Continuity notes
- Jazz has righteous moves, but they are limited by his bulky body.
- Gadgets and powers:
- Blaster's boom box mode in the opening scenes is as tall as a human.
- Red Alert's "horns" flash to indicate Decepticon activity, just like in "Auto Berserk". This time they're orange, though.
- Ratchet and the rest can deploy tire studs to deal with snow-covered roads.
- Hoist deploys a long snakey tentacle with a claw at the end to catch a falling motorist. How many devices can he carry, anyway??
- This time, Trailbreaker's forcefield just kind of radiates out of thin air in front of his head. He's able to form it into a dome, which he can then place where he wants it... but, to his later misfortune, he remains outside the dome himself.
- Powerglide can deploy a suction cup line capable of carrying wounded Autobots around like limp ragdolls, leaving them flapping in the breeze.... say, aren't you supposed to not move the injured?
- Omega Supreme clearly leaves most of himself behind when he launches for the Moon. When he arrives there, he lands in rocket mode amid a cloud of smoke... and when the smoke clears, the left-behind bits have appeared. Later, he transforms out of just the rocket (conveniently off-screen) while in mid-flight.
- Where's the trailer go?:
- During the scene at the observatory, Optimus transforms and drives away, and there is an extended moment where his trailer drives off after him to catch up.
- Omega Supreme actually uses whole sentences in this episode. That's just crazy.
Real-world references
- The names of Professor Haley and his eponymous observatory are likely inspired by Halley's Comet, which was beginning its once-every-76-years trip through the inner solar system when the episode aired in late 1985.
- Star Wars sound effects:
- Millennium Falcon engine burst is strangely repurposed as the burning fires at the observatory as the Decepticons close in.
- X-Wings diving, Falcon engine burst, and Death Star superlaser all in a row as the Decepticons launch from the observatory.
- Falcon engine burst as Megatron takes off from Astrotrain
- X-Wings diving as the 'cons fly aboard Astrotrain
- Death Star superlaser as Astrotrain pursues Cosmos.
- TIE Fighter engine as Cosmos evades.
- The Death Star door slide is used as a steam engine sound effect.
- A Stormtrooper's laser gun is used to soundtrack Ramjet and Thundercracker's attack on Inferno and Red Alert, possibly taken from when Luke & Han ambush the stormtroopers aboard the Falcon.
- Falcon engine burst as Megatron launches from the Moon.
- Trailbreaker mentions 8-tracks. Did kids in 1985 even know what an 8-track is?
- "Bang, zoom, to the Moon!" - Powerglide's line is a play on a signature line of Ralph Kramden from The Honeymooners...whose actor Jackie Gleason was also the inspiration for Powerglide's voice.
- "Parting is such sweet sorrow!" - Megatron prepares to kill Prime while quoting one of Shakespeare's most famous lines.
Animation and technical errors
- The rock band at the concert is playing two songs at once, both "Cold Slither" and the generic big band/hard rock song. "Cold Slither" is missing a moment later when Blaster sends the music to the Autobots.
- The guitarist is seen 'playing' his guitar with only his right arm, as his left (which should be doing the fretwork) is up in the air.
- The arena's seats have more than a seat's width between them. The owners must've been expecting some seriously fat patrons.
- Cosmos's voice in his first couple of lines lacks his usual self-echo.
- As Megatron gloats on top of the observatory, his laugh plays over itself (i.e., the same laugh twice).
- Improbable viewpoints:
- So Blaster sends the music from the concert to the Autobots. How does he manage to send a 3rd-person view of himself at the same time?
- Do Tracks and Huffer have a video camera with them to report in to Prime?
- Does Prime have a camera stationed at the city docks to show Powerglide flying in aimless circles?
- The reporter at the observatory has already written down Professor Haley's words before he's finished saying them.
- Recycled footage:
- Prime's trailer rolling in from offscreen seems to be recycled from "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2".
- The shot of Ironhide, Trailbreaker and Hound converting to vehicle mode is lifted from "Atlantis, Arise!"
- The pan of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe transforming comes right out of "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1".
- The same "MTMTE1" scene is mined again to show Trailbreaker transforming as the Autobots deploy to deal with the loss of radio communications.
- Astrotrain has no transformation sound effect as he leaves the tunnel and converts from train to shuttle.
- Coloring errors:
- Trailbreaker's eyeband is black instead of blue as Optimus quizzes the professor about the Voltronic Galaxer. The points of his cheeks are colored blue instead.
- Cosmos's "cap" is green instead of red as he lands on the Moon.
- Prowl's head crest is white instead of red as he closes Ratchet's passenger compartment (and can't Ratchet do that himself?)
- Blaster's forehead is red instead of white as Megatron threatens him.
- Cosmos's helmet is green instead of red as Prime frees Blaster (which, by the way, seems to consist of just helping him to his feet, rather than freeing him from any "welding" done by Astrotrain.)
- Appearing/disappearing Autobots: Prime's initial squad fluctuates all over the place.
- The initial group receiving the transmission is Prime, Jazz, Ratchet, Ironhide, Hoist & Cliffjumper.
- Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Hound show up to transform prior to rolling out, and are not seen again. Trailbreaker shows up at the same time.
- Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and Prowl (or maybe Bluestreak) show up as the Autobots depart.
- The group that finally arrives at the observatory is Prime, Jazz, Ratchet, Ironhide, Hoist, Bumblebee & Trailbreaker, which means we've lost seven guys.
- When the Autobots drive away from the observatory, a shot of the Autobots from the front shows them driving over bare rock rather than the asphalt road.
- Powerglide's cockpit has changed from a fighter-plane-like single-seater (seen in "Dinobot Island, Part 1"), to a side-by-side like a passenger jet.
- When Megatron is first shown setting down the Voltronic Galaxer in their moon base, Thundercracker is to his left, Starscream to his right. In the very next panning shot showing Cosmos' approach through the window, Thundercracker is to Megatron's right.
- "This your idea of a joke?" Blaster's line lacks the usual processing.
- Red Alert's "horns" flash orange. Last time, they flashed blue.
- Despite knowing about the pending aerial attack, Red Alert keeps shooting at the trees. It seems likely that the animators recycled previous footage, perhaps not realizing he should be aiming skyward.
- Whatever damage Powerglide sustained from Ramjet pretty much disappears after Spike puts the jetpack on him.
- Blaster first pushes his left-most button. Later, it's the middle two that are deployed. After Megatron kicks him, all but one are engaged.
- The whole sequence of Megatron discovering Blaster's subterfuge is a bit wonky. Blaster sniggers loudly, Megatron suddenly says "What was that?", then there's a beep and the rock music is heard. The animators/sound guys seem to have not quite gotten the sequence of events down correctly.
- When Spike cheers on Omega Supreme, both his lips and Carly's are moving.
- When Astrotrain rams Omega Supreme's leg, Omega holds still for two seconds, then drops Megatron.
- If Astrotrain is big enough to hold all the Decepticons, then how big does that make Omega Supreme in the picture to the right here?
- One gun, many lasers:
- When Optimus fires at the fleeing Megatron, he only has one gun, yet four or five lasers streak past Megatron.
- Blaster has four small switches on his chest for most of the episode (clearly seen as when Megatron kicks him towards the end), but is drawn with three large ones after Prime frees him.
- At the end of the episode, Blaster seemingly is supposed to be playing his rock tune yet again, complete with Prime yelling at him for it and the other Autobots chasing Blaster off into the sunset... but the music is missing. Oops!
Continuity errors
- You have to wonder if Megatron thought out all the parts to this plan, given that it would be a lot easier for human society to adapt to life without radio, than life without electricity, petroleum and fossil fuels, and so on... Actually, how would we use said radio waves, without the power resources the 'Cons would strip out of the planet in exchange for ceasing their jamming?
- Furthermore, one might question the wisdom of leaving two conscious Autobots right across from the critical device... with one of them fully armed. The episode's teleplay explains this a bit better: in it, Cosmos is not treated so dismissively by Megatron, who needs his "magnificent super-sonic engines" to power the transmitter, and at the episode's climax, Cosmos was not supposed to shoot the transmitter, but rather, exploit his function as a power source to help Blaster overload the machine. Still, there doesn't appear to be any good reason they couldn't have done this a lot sooner.
- In a world full of Transformers running around on the evening news (and showing up in arcades, research labs, dams, power plants, and basically everywhere), why would a scientist still speak of alien life as though it were some unproved hypothesis?
- One of the journalists in the crowd that's listening to Prof. Haley explain the voltronic galaxer has a portion of the speech ("...enabling alien life to translate them to their own language.") already written on his notepad before the professor even finishes speaking that line.
- In a rare instance of a falling human seeming to incur some actual injury, Professor Haley is apparently knocked unconscious by falling off the Voltronic Galaxer. Of course, he's up and (literally) running by the time the Autobots arrive (and still hanging out inside the burning building, apparently).
- The joy of size changing: Blaster rides inside Cosmos to the Moon, and in the next scene Cosmos and Blaster are side by side and Blaster is almost twice as tall as Cosmos. Cosmos's improbably large interior has just enough for Blaster to sit inside of. "Sea Change" and "Quest for Survival" will portray it as even larger, with room for multiple passengers to walk around.
- The passenger jets at the airport are shown swerving and maneuvering as though they were small-scaled fighters.
- Maybe Astrotrain's alternate mode does make sense in the bizarre world of cartoon Earth... because the railroad workers are trying to clear the track for a steam locomotive.
- One of the railroad men says he will "radio [the train] to the auxiliary track", but no other track is actually shown.
- Only one guy leaps clear of the steam engine. Where's the fireman?
- Okay, so it's great that Optimus is directing traffic at this one airport, but... what about the hundreds of other airports out there? Much like "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2", the Autobots seem to lack a plan to deal with the actual cause of the problems.
- If Carly can trace the source of Megatron's transmissions, she really didn't need to wait until they heard Blaster's music.
- If Powerglide's jet pack is out of fuel, then how does he keep flying??
- Ratchet's team was mostly in robot mode when they were buried. They emerge from the snow in vehicle mode. Also, all the buried and exploded cars have vanished.
- Does Omega Supreme just keep some human-sized space suits handy? 'Cause Spike and Carly suddenly pop up in space suits when it's time to go to the Moon.
A loony lunar lineup of astronomical errors
- As with every other outer space episode in the series, Cosmos, Astrotrain, and all the rest get full sound effects in outer space and on the Moon's surface. Of course, media of far higher caliber than The Transformers have made the same error, generally because it'd be pretty boring to watch a bunch of silent ships fly around, so we'll let this one slide.
- The depicted activities of any Transformer on the Moon do not bear any resemblance to the movements of creatures under gravity one-sixth that of Earth's own.
- Cosmos really shouldn't have to switch off his engines once he reaches the Moon; he should have just switched them off as soon as he escaped Earth's gravity well.
- Blaster somehow manages to listen in on the Decepticons across the airless surface of the Moon.
- The burning Decepticon lunar dome base continues burning and trailing smoke as if it were in an atmosphere.
- Carly: "I've never been to the Moon before!" NO. REALLY??
- And she was just on Cybertron in the last episode. Wouldn't that have been a bigger deal?
Trivia
- Throughout the script, Trailbreaker is referred to as Trailblazer, a name which popped up during "A Prime Problem".
- Seriously. "I've never been to the Moon before!"
Foreign localization
French
- Title (Canadian and European French broadcasts): "La grande catastrophe" ("The Great Disaster")
- Title (European French DVD release): "Blaster a le blues" ("Blaster has the blues")
- Original airdate: ?
- The robotic voice effect is absent on Blaster's first line.
- For some reason, instead of "Prepare for target practice!", Optimus Prime says "Ready to do the tests with Olé". Why "Olé", nobody knows, and Omega Supreme's real name is used normally throughout the rest of the episode.
- Blaster's name is never pronounced:
- Instead of saying "Blaster! Decrease volume! Blaster!", Optimus Prime says "Hurry! Decrease volume! Do you hear me?".
- Ratchet's line "It's Blaster!" is replaced by "It's the music lover!".
- Instead of saying "If Blaster's on the Moon...", Powerglide says "If the music madman is on the Moon...".
- Powerglide's line "Hurry! We gotta save Blaster and Cosmos!" is absent from the dub.
- Prowl's line "Convert to snow tires!" is missing.
- The Autobots' lines as they drive away from the snow after recognizing Blaster are missing.
- Instead of giving Blaster a lesson about the use of his music, Optimus Prime tells Blaster that Megatron's plan was pretty good and that they will have to work on a parade to prevent him from doing it again.
- Blaster's dialogue during the last shot is missing.
Italian
- Title (dub 1): "Linee di raggruppamento" ("Meeting up Lines")
- Original airdate: ?
- Broadcasting-wise, not production-wise (keep this in mind), the actors in this episode are different from the previous ones, being the first to use a second group of voice actors. Mainly, Piero Tiberi replaces Diego Reggente as Optimus Prime, Mario Milita replaces Gino Donato as Megatron and Leo Valeriano replaces Claudio De Davide as Starscream. With this group of actors, Powerglide's name, which should be Jumbo, is bronounced "Joombo", despite being pronounced correctly in the episodes using the first group of actors.
- Title (dub 2): "Il blues di Blaster" ("The Blues of Blaster")
- Original airdate: ?
Japanese
Mandarin
- Title: "Lándiào Lùyīnjī " (蓝调录音机, "Blues Recorder")
- Original airdate: ?
Brazilian Portuguese
- Title: "O Ataque" ("The Attack")
- Original airdate: ?
Home video releases
1995 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Megatron Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1999 — The Transformers — Decepticon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2002 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 1 (Rhino Entertainment)
2002 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 4 (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — Transformers — Season 2 Part 1 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Collection 2: Series 2.1 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Volume 8 (Déclic Images) — European French audio only.
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2008 — Transformers — Volume 04: Stagione Due Parte Seconda (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 — Transformers — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2011 — The Transformers — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume One: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)
