I'm sure at one point or another in every little kid's life, he or she has wanted to have a robot BFF. All the potential for wacky fun and scientific misadventures would make up for the inevitable human/binary language barrier, and, when I think about it, I still totally want a robot buddy. I mean, from my time on this Earth, of two things I am sure: Lists are fun and robots are awesome. So, despite the fact that my age numerically suggests I shouldn't be thinking about this sort of stuff, I am all over this list.

I should also note that, upon completion of this depressingly nerdy post, I am legally obligated to punch myself in the face for a solid fifteen minutes and then steal my own lunch money. Let's just get this over with, shall we? Here are the top eleven robot buddies from TV, in no particular order, because each robot is special in its own way. Also, I don't want any readers to kill me for not ranking to their liking.

And now we return to E! True Hollywood Story -- Optimus Prime.

The early 21st century wasn't kind to the Autobot leader. With revenues from his successful 80's cartoon drying up, the accumulated losses he took from his investments in WorldCom and Enron, and the disaster that was the short-lived game show Autobot or Decepticon, Optimus Prime could barley put a cube of Energon on the table. He tried to get back in television with small bit parts on According to Jim and Still Standing but no one was really watching.

To honor the release of the Transformers movie, I thought today would be a good time to reminisce about the original heyday of the vehicles and weapons that were 'robots in disguise'. Of course, I am talking about the 1980's, when Transformers cartoons ruled the weekday afternoon airwaves.

Oh, what a glorious time that was for the tween set! Running home from school, dropping our books on the kitchen table, then plopping ourselves down in front of the television to watch Transformers, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, and M.A.S.K. right before our parents called us to the table for dinner. Sure, we ended up not doing our homework. Okay, our grades slipped. Yes, we had to repeat 9th grade a few times. Still, it was a time we would never forget!

Our buddies over at Autoblog can hardly contain themselves over these photos of the new Transformers action figures (they're crazy for cars, and cars that turn into robots are their ultimate dream). The newly-styled gizmos will be released this summer, in conjunction with the live-action Transformers film which comes out on July 4th. The figures are designed based on the style of the movie, of which we've seen only a few clips.

The new Transformers look tougher than the plastic ones I remember as a kid (I had three brothers, so Barbie was out). Specifically, their faces are a little more mencing. Even Optimus Prime has been updated with a new paint job. And check out the Optimus Prime Arm Blaster. It would be okay for a grown woman to have a Transformer on her desk, right?

Paper Robots has created its greatest achievement: Optimus Prime. This site gives downloadable instructions on how to cut-out and shape your very own Transformer... and it actually turns into a truck.

I downloaded the instructions and it looks simple enough that even a person like myself, who has absolutely zero craft-making skills, can master it. You just need a color printer, an exacto knife, tape, and the ability to fold paper. This is going to make an awesome addition to my desk, right next to the Dwight Schrute bobblehead doll.

Click here to see photos... and here to see an Optimus Prime with a shout-out to Say Anything).

The Transformers were right up there with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and GI Joe as part of my action cartoon diet as a child, so I was excited to find this interview with Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime. Apparently, he's also doing the voice of Optimus Prime in Michael Bay's upcoming adaptation of the cartoon series, something that slipped past my radar because I have no interest in the movie, considering I despise anything with Bay's name attached to it. But that's another rant for another blog. Cullen has also provided voices for a number of other cartoons, including The Smurfs, GI Joe, Winne the Pooh, Scooby-Doo, Rescue Rangers, DuckTales, and a little forgotten gem from my youth, The Secret World of Og. The most interesting part of the interview was that Cullen had no idea how popular the Transformers or his character were until long after the series ended.

[via Toon Zone]