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Wow. Who would have thought things would last this long? I've spent the last quarter of a Century making fun of Transformers, Transformers Conventions, the Fans, and even the uber-powerful Hasbro. I've created kitbashes, custom characters who are alchoholics, womanizers, and even offensive stereotypes. I've written fiction that would make a fan of Japanese Kissplayers blush. I've documented variations that even a Hasbro employee would have been hard-pressed to find. And I've dragged a substantial number of you with me along the way. Why? Because I Love It All. And So Do YOU. What you find here would not even have been possible if there weren't a dedicated number of Fans with the same dream. Like me, you've had a few laughs, sampled the kool-aid, and cut the cheese. This website is the result. What more could a Fan ask for? Fred's Workshop is, in-essense, a culmination of it all; a site that contains what could reasonably (and unreasonably) be expected to interest a Fan of the highest calibre. The things that won't all fit into your head, or even into a single Transfan's life, because to do so would literally make your head explode! Sure, there are sites that are better. More serious. More informative. But do they have even a fraction of this much Love? I don't think so. So many years. So many memories. And so many friends. This is what Freds Workshop means to me. Something so far-reaching that it brings together what could seriously be called a number of people's life work. Because it's not just about Fred. It's about Joe. And Matt. And Lewis. And you, too, gentle reader. So many people have contributed information, ideas, entire websites of their own...and more. Over the years, Freds Workshop grew. Grew to include Kitbashes. Grew to include Variants. Grew to include an entire cheese-themed Convention (Dairycon) under one roof. Fred's Workshop has both led (and been led by) the fans of a popular culture that has only recently gone mainstream. And then it was gone. It's no lie that, a number of years ago, I became very ill. And I hid it. From friends, from family. From everyone. I was not about to let the rock on which a number of people relied on to realize that he now needed their help in order to live, much less continue the Cause. And it was then that I discovered what true friendship, and the fandom was all about. Because you were *there* for me! You saw thru it. You knew I was hurting. You took me on your adventures when I could no longer drive. You visited me at home when I could no longer walk. You stayed with me in the hospital when I could no longer breathe. And some of you even completely found and rebuilt my website when it all came crashing down. You were there for me. With words of encouragement, donations of time and effort, and a hardcore love of the franchise that surpassed even mine, you were there. How does one even begin to describe what that's like? That's what Fred's Workshop means to me. Not just the good times, and the laughs. But the fact that you cared enough to see this brought back when it was gone. To see *me* brought back when I was nearly gone. I can't tell you how much that means to me. Words fail me now just as my body had failed then. I have finally, after many surgeries and much time and effort, healed physically. I am once again The Rock upon which others rely. But this website? From you? My friends, you've healed my SOUL. THAT is what Freds Workshop means to me. You've supported my efforts over the years, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You've brought my characters to life, visited with me in my darkest hours, laughed at the funny (and sometimes not-funny) jokes. And now you've restored the representation of what all that means to me from the past, present...and future. It's not just friends. It's not just fandom. It's LIFE. And what a wonderful life I have. But only because you're in it. Thank you.
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