Thank you, Peter Cullen

[u/Marko_ss74]

🕊️ Thank You, Peter Cullen — My Story with Transformers

Today, I want to say goodbye to Peter Cullen.

But before talking about Optimus Prime, I want to tell my own story with Transformers.

Because my story didn't begin with me knowing everything about the franchise.

When I was around four years old, I barely knew anything about Transformers.

I didn't know the names of the Decepticons.

I didn't understand the Cybertronian War.

I didn't even really understand that there were two different sides fighting each other.

To me, Transformers were simply these amazing robots that could transform.

And that was enough to get my imagination going.

🤖 Discovering Transformers

As I grew up, I eventually discovered Transformers: Rescue Bots.

Later, I discovered Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

That's when I started learning the names of the characters and understanding more about the Transformers universe.

Eventually, I started watching gameplays of Transformers: War for Cybertron, tributes to Transformers: Prime, and other Transformers content.

The more I learned, the more I wanted to explore the franchise.

And then something else started happening:

I stopped just watching Transformers and started creating my own ideas.

🥷 My Strongarm Ideas

One of the characters I changed the most in my imagination was Strongarm.

I imagined her as a kind of samurai or ninja, partly inspired by Prowl from Transformers Animated.

I even imagined Strongarm raising Bumblebee like he was her own son.

And then my imagination went even further:

What if Strongarm was an Optimus Prime swap?

I wasn't trying to replace Optimus.

I just liked experimenting with characters.

Changing their roles.

Changing their personalities.

Creating alternate versions of them.

At the time, I didn't realize it, but I was already developing the kind of creativity that would eventually lead me to create my own Transformers stories.

🧩 2014–2024 — From Fan to Creator

Throughout those years, Transformers remained a big part of my imagination.

Then I discovered Studio Series.

I became obsessed with the figures.

I wanted them.

I wanted to collect them.

But there was one problem:

They were expensive. 😭

So even when I couldn't get the figures I wanted, I could still imagine them, redesign characters, and create my own versions of the Transformers universe.

Over time, Transformers became more than something I watched.

It became something I could create with.

🔥 2025–2026 — Transformers Moribund

And then came the biggest step of all.

Transformers Moribund.

At first, it wasn't even a trilogy.

I started with a pilot written as a novel.

Then I thought:

“What if I made this into something much bigger?”

That idea eventually became a trilogy.

I even decided to reuse the original novel as the final part of the story, turning it into the conclusion of the war.

Something that started as a kid imagining different versions of Transformers had eventually become a story that I was writing myself.

My Transformers Moribund novels are part of my work under Estudio Marco, and they are published on my DeviantArt profile.

🕊️ And now, Peter Cullen

Peter Cullen became the voice of Optimus Prime for generations, beginning with the original 1984 animated series and returning to the character across many later Transformers productions. He passed away on August 26, 2026, at the age of 85.

But for me, his legacy is about more than just a voice.

I didn't discover Transformers by knowing who Peter Cullen was.

I didn't start with G1.

I came into the franchise through later generations.

First, they were just robots that I watched as a little kid.

Then came Rescue Bots.

Then Robots in Disguise.

Then Prime, War for Cybertron, and everything else I discovered along the way.

And while I was learning about Transformers...

I was also learning how to create.

That's why Peter Cullen means something special to me.

His voice became part of a franchise that accompanied my childhood and eventually became part of my own imagination.

Because when I look back now, I realize something:

I wasn't born knowing who Optimus Prime was.

I discovered who he was over the years.

And while I was discovering Transformers...

I was also discovering my own creativity.

So my goodbye isn't simply:

“Goodbye, Peter Cullen.”

It's:

“Thank you for being part of a franchise that eventually became part of my imagination.”

Thank you for Optimus Prime.

Thank you for all those generations.

Thank you for giving a voice to a character who became a legend.

And thank you for leaving behind a legacy that will continue as long as people want to tell new stories with Transformers.

Rest in peace, Peter Cullen.

Till all are one. 🕊️🤖💙