In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Angela and Matt gear up for a major info dump, breaking down the origins of the Transformers franchise—revealing a bot-tastic blend of autism, coding, and lore. From canonically autistic characters to autistic-coded icons, we explore how these stories resonate powerfully with the neurodivergent community.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• The origins of the Transformers franchise and how autistic traits are woven into its lore.
• Meet two canonically autistic Transformers—Transmutate and Geomotus—who embody traits like sensory sensitivity, bluntness, and difficulty with conventional social cues.
• The work of autistic voice actor Corey Burton, whose performances (including Shockwave!) showcase authentic autistic expression.
• How Transformers characters explore intersections of gender, sexuality, gender fluidity, and carving space in ableist worlds.
• Why autistic-coded characters like Shockwave resonate deeply with fans who see themselves reflected in logic, intensity, and difference.

Resources:

• https://autistic-characters-of-the-day.tumblr.com/post/162050689439/netbug009-autistic-characters-of-the-day/amp
• https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transmutate_(BW)
• https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Perceptor_(G1)
• https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Geomotus
• https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Lost_Light

Related Episodes:

Beauty and the Beast is Autistic

Animation is Autistic

Disney is Autistic

Cats are Autistic

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