gojira77

Leader Prime and the megas all look like they'll go well with my Alternators, while still providing a good contrast. I think as collector I tend to gravitate to either uber-cool single pieces or else things that go with the rest of my collection, especially when I already have one of that character. I'll probably stay away from the deluxes and other smaller-scale figures for that reason, though Deluxe Jazz is awesome. I wish they'd make a leader-class Starscream... I won't get either of the Megatrons, which are essential giant protoforms. He's not "fugly". I can live without NRA Megatron, in part because I'm more of a 'Galvatron fan', but Movie Megs doesn't seem to fit in with my other toys. The "Big and creepy" position is already pretty much filled by Unicron.

Brothers, don't let hasty comments polarize us into artificial Traditionalist or Liberal Transformer camps. We are All grown men who play with toys and can not explain this passion to our girlfriends or wives! I would only like to add a few comments from my own experience... My father was the coolest guy in the whole world. I barely saw him when I was really little because he had to work long hours at a salvage yard to keep food on the table. In the mid-80s, after unionizing the workers to insure better bennefits for everybody, he got tired of dealing with the money-grubbing owners and returned to his old profession as a long-haul truck driver. My dad would be out of town for days, and then-- all of the sudden-- I'd see this Freightliner that looked like Optimus Prime parked in the yard on my way home from school! My dad didn't have much in common with a nerdy kid who loved comic books and superheroes, but we both liked my G1 Prime with his detailed cab and trailer. When my dad died suddenly of cancer a couple years ago, my Mom actually had to live with my wife and me while the whole family learned to cope. I was a little embarrased for her to see my toy collection all over the appartment, since she never liked that I still played with toys in High school. But when she complimented the truck mode of my Masterpiece Convoy I knew it was gonna be okay... Yeah, I'm excited about the Movie. I'll be at least buying leader class Prime.

How many out there like to tinker a little bit with their toys? Maybe it's just filling in that missing paint application of the prototype pictures on the box, or correcting a weird defect or assembling error fom the factory. Maybe you always wanted an Alpha Trion for Optimus to look up to and you saw potential in a loose Vector Prime, or you wanted to kitbash your own renegade charcter. Pictures of finished customs pop up here, like Silverbolt's awesome fleet of G1 Seekers, or on other boards, but how many of you out there are in the midst of a project or three? And, to paraphrase an 'Oprah Winfrey question', what gives you the itch to alter your loose toys? And-- deeper and more important still-- where can I find a laser gun to go with my TF Classics BumbleBee??!!

So, uh, how much DIRT do you have on Santa Claus? Questionable pictures of him with the elves, perhaps...? If only your robot legions would do your bidding! Breath-taking collection, man! I especially love how you let 'bots from different lines and series freely mingle in a peaceful, utopian society of mutual tolerance and understanding. My wife has a Pallisades Muppet Kitchen (like the one often seen in Toyfare) and He-man and Godzilla often come over to help the Swedish Chef make waffles, so I think I can understand. Some geeks' heads explode when a guy puts his Batman too close to his Marvel figures... @sad@

Thanks! I feel like a schoolgirl sharing her poetry... in, uh, a MANLY way, I mean! Really, it's easy enough for anybody to do themselves. The hardest part for me was getting the acrylic silver right, since metalic paints don't want to go on as smoothly. It took a lot of layers and vehement swearing to get it right. The chrome decals where the fun part, and I've found many more uses for the Mono-kote trim stuff, including awesome new head and tail lights for G1 Bumblebee. I'm developing three ideas right now for my next project, which all stem from minimal improvements to make great toys even better. None of these customs would come near the level of that guy building his own Masterpiece Metroplex (if I only had a bandsaw and a den...), and could probably be called "slack-bashing" at best. 1. Updating the Porche racing stripes of G1 Jazz to a pattern more suitable to Alternator Meister's street version RX-8 (Alt. Shocky is technically the racing version). I plan on using bright red Mono-kote in contrast with icy metalic blue pin stripes which are the same brand as Prime's stripes. No big deal, but I'd personally like to see if something can be done to spruce up the 'bot mode without sacrificing the look of the car too much. Poor guy looks like a Stormtrooper... 2. A moble gun placement trailer for Classics Bumblebee to haul around instead of his little jetski thing. This would provide his alt mode with some more, well, USEFULNESS in combat. This trailer would look very functional, almost war-surplus, and wouldn't transform (maybe it could go get a beer with Prime's old trailer...), but the actual gun would become Bee's muchly needed hand weapon when he's in robot form. 3. Leader-class Movie Prime's Truck Mode: I won't know what to do until I actually have the toy in my hands, but I'd like to fabricate a separate piece that would slide into the back and more-or-less seemlessly fill the gap in his Sleeper (my dad was a trucker ) and still accomadate his BFG if I wanted. This will most likely require styrene and pvc from the hobby shop, but I'll probably experiment with materials. I have a few ideas about how to do rivets on the sides, too.

Oh, and a "final" Prime needs an "official" bio: “The defense of freedom requires the dedication of the mighty.” Before the last of his deteriorating Quintesson implants failed, Optimus managed to download his personality components into a new, faster, more energon-efficient form. Shoulder-mounted blast shields can absorb energy from the battlefield and channel it directly to his weapons system. Lightweight composite armor shields him from many forms of electro-magnetic detection. Carries a ‘sawed-off’ photon eliminator in addition to his reliable laser rifle. Most valuable asset may be his immunity to the devastating effects of the evil Nemesis Prime’s Death Matrix. Dedicated to bringing down the cunning robotic terrorist-- before the villain can evolve his awesome powers into the nucleus of a new Unicron! @firedevil@

The bold red spot at the end of his riffle barrel is cut from Mono-kote Trim Tape, just like his added chrome accents-- great stuff, and cheap at your local Hobby shop! Below you can see how I continued the racing strips back to his spoiler in Dodge Ram mode. It was a pain in the butt to get those things to line up straight, after the trial-and-error of figuring out how to best fit the stripes on the raised portion of his hood!

Here's a close-up. I used acrylic silver on the knees, belt, and shoulder-guards, reflective 'racing stripe' tape on the hood/chest, and chrome-accent tape on his forearms and center of his belt. [FYI, I later thought the highlights on his arms were too shiny so I replaced them w/ more of the subdued striping tape that was used on his chest.] His vintage laser riffle started out packed with a CRAPPY knock-off of Masterpiece Convoy I found at a dollar store; I sanded off the peg, and then added several layers of acrylic gloss black and some touches of silver. There are also some touches of acrylic 'Chevy' Red paint on the shoulder guards that you can't see in the photo. The yellow and black on his belt are acryllic, too, just like the "lights" I painted on his toes which you can see above. The riffle looks more "roughed up" in person, with a lot more silver showing to look like the black paint has worn away. I wanted it to look like the guy had die cast parts (w/o the customary paint-chipping hazard...)

Awhile back I mentioned how I added a couple stripes and a dash of paint to my Alternator Optimus Prime to just give him a more "finished" look. I really think this is where Hasbro was headed before they nixed paint apps to keep this big fella profitable at the $20 price point. I really like the 'anime' color palette they used (even though it lead to some unfortunate transparency issues) and the chunky "function-over-form" aesthetic of the mold, so I didn't want to go so far in modifying him as some of the other customs I've seen. What he needed most was something to break up the over all red, and then mask those unsightly screws in his chest w/o drawing too much attention there.

Laserbeak spots his prey...

Yeah, Diaclone drivers were really cool and I bet I could get some off Ebay. Some of them were sold in the U.S. back in the 80s, too, under the Diakron line, I think. It would be cool for G1 Prime to carry something else in his cab besides his New Year's matrix, and I think they fit '84-'85 era Autobot cars as well. But I'd also like people for my larger scale 'bots. Anyone ever heard of Accoutrements, a Seattle-based toy company that makes kitchy action figures of librarians and professional bowlers? They actually made a set of PVC "B-movie Victims", which were 3" stock characters that appeared to be running from an unseen monster, including a 'Screaming Couple' and 'Attractive Young Woman Who Tripped and Fell'. I've almost bought them but I didn't like the paint job on their over-the-top faces. The Homies figures also have a sub-line of 1/24th scale guys on custom bikes or packed with pimped-out model cars. I guess they'd work if the Decepticons tried to start trouble in a different kinda neighborhood... So, am I crazy for putting so much thought in this?

Have faith, everybody-- an actual, honest-to-goodness American cartoon, especially a Cartoon Network exclusive, will be awesome and lead to a whole new generation of fans. Takara and Hasbro have done a lot of great work together over the years and are truly Optimus Prime's Mommy AND Daddy. Unfortunately, the two companies market the toys vary differently (Takara seems to make them both overly juvenile and disturbingly 'adult'), and I think the American audience is best served when Hasbro takes over the animating chores. Like "Justice League", the animation might have a smaller budget, but there will be great action and character development. A young Prime will probably be more like War Within's Optromix; a very different character than Hot Rod or the Thundercat's Lion-o! And, hopefully, the Cartoon Network staff will have the freedom to give our 'bots a over-due fresh approach!

Ah, Mr. Nonsense, your argument in fact makes... a lot of sense. And you have played the game well-- not only naming a childhood favorite, but also demonstrating why Hasbro would make that particular decision. However, though Max and the other big guys can't pass the infamous "drop test", I wouldn't rule all the gestalts out. If they can sell Ruination giftsets, they call sell Bruticus (I only wish they still had the molds to Devastator). You know, another factor behind the Soundwave re-issue is that they actually used the rarer Soundblaster mold, previously a Japan exclusive. Remember the odd choice of Targetmaster Stepper AKA Ricochet and a 'Black and White' Astrotrain as the previous editions to the Commemorative line. Hasbro's strategy was to revive interest in the line by bringing over toys that we couldn't get in the U.S. before (Hm, apparently nobody told them about BBTS or HLJ...). I wonder if this wouldn't improve the chances of a possible G2 re-issue: Laser Rod Optimus Prime with working electronics AND a Takara-inspired Chrome-plated Tanker trailer. They've already done Original Flavor and Powermaster Prime w/ Apex Armor; they're kinda running out of vintage Primes.

I'd love a Blaster, too, especially since he could come with Steel Jaw just like the Takara version. One question: What would they have to call him? "Blaster" is probably too generic on its own for trademarks these days, and I always assumed that it was short for the slang term for his alt mode-- ghetto blaster. Talk about un-PC... Would he be "Autobot Blaster" or maybe use his Japanese name like Jazz and be "Broadcast"?

To those out there who like to display loose Transformers (vintage or modern)-- do you pose any tiny human figures beside them? I think it gives the robots an awesome sense of scale to show them towering over some puny flesh creature, and it makes sense for realistic vehicles to have drivers. In Toyfare #116, the Hasbro exec wouldn't confirm or deny any Shia or Megan Fox figures in the Movie Line, but that hasn't stopped them from including a silver holo-driver with Voyoger Prime. In the meantime, where could a budget toy collector score some roughly-to-scale humans? Army men perhaps, or some gashapon? All I have right now is a Kiss Player Melissa, which I probably won't keep due to 'buyer's remorse', and the Heroes of Cybertron Spike that came with Bumblebee. Spike looks awesome with my G1s, but he couldn't stand up on his own, so I made him a custom stand out of the soft plastic inner-seal of a 20 oz. Coke bottle.

My pick: a Gestalt Gift-set! My top pick of course would be Predaking, Combiner of Combiners, but as an alternate, I'd have to choose Bruticus. Hasbro could whip one up fairly easily based on the RID Ruination molds with refurbished die-cast parts. Predaking may have been a better toy, but the Combaticons' characters made them my favorite team.

From what I've heard, Soundwave has been a lot more successful for TRU than the last re-issues they tried to carry in their stores. I'm sure the timing was better, catching the wave of nostalgia cresting right before this summer's blockbuster (fingers crossed!). But I think the bigger reasons were that they had a smaller wave (one guy), a far more iconic character, and a much more reasonable price. Seriously, how many 'mid-card' Autobot cars were they pushing for the inflated price of $30-- twice what they wanted for Hot Rod, the STAR of the '86 Movie! So, if there is any life left in Hasbro Re-issues, either at TFU or on Hasbro's website, I think there's a good chance they'll follow Soundwave's example: Pre-existent Takara mold, Leading Character, One-Guy-Per-Wave. What do you all think? And IF Hasbro did follow this route-- who would you like to see as the next Classic Commemorative Edition Re-issue?

Probably the smartest way to go, man. And we thought Dateline caught all the on-line predators...

Man, my wife won't even let me HAVE a re-issue Megatron. I, mean, she's cool otherwise, and geeky enough to want a second honeymoon at San Diego Comicon, but I swear that the woman hates guns worse than Batman! I may be the only soul out there who might actually want one modified with a sissy orange cap... And, though Convoy's been done a lot already, I think there are still plenty of us out there who missed out on a Takara Soundwave the first time. Hey, Rodimus... how MISB are you? 'Cause Ages3andup sells full-length chrome stacks for li'l G1 Primes, too. That TRU re-issue Prime was a really cool version otherwise, and I bet you could even slip him back into his neat retro box with the new stacks and he'd still fit.

Y'know, if they modify that Megatron's gun barrel, I'd like to see if you can still get his frigginfracken silencer on. And by the way, is there anybody left in the world-wide fandom who doesn't already have a G1 Convoy? I mean, I've already got the New Year's Special Edition with the blue eyes, diecast matrix, and Fat Riffle. What am I s'posed to do with two of them-- make 'em race??

Lips, huh? Well, Arcee and Elita-1 never minded...

Here's my top three... 1. Throttlebots-- Sure they were too simple and coulda used a POINT of articulation, but com'on, how can't you love mini-cars with pull-back motors that still work in robot mode? I wished all those little G1 cars had that feature! 2. Electronic Laser Guns-- This is why Shockwave was better the Megatron and most kids forgave Galvatron for being Grey instead of Purple. I'm surprised my parents didn't have to take me to the hospital to get Galvatron's trigger surgically removed from my hand! Lights, Sounds, and role-play Violence make for a very awesome toy. Hasbro has let to use electronic action sounds as effectively in the modern era... 3. Playsets A.K.A. City-Formers-- This had nothing to do with that scene in Big where Tom Hanks tries to explain to the clueless toy exec why kids won't play with a robot that turns into a boring skyscraper. He-man had Castle Greyskull, Skeletor his Snake Mountain, and Darth Vader a couple of floors from the Death Star. Optimus needed a place to park his trailer that had a little more panache than, say, the classic Playmobile airport. It needed guns, it needed ramps, it needed its own robot mode so that Prime and the playset could bond and have that "little chat". One of the cool things about the Transformers is how they wildly varied in size, from a-little-bigger-than-Spike to the size of the Friggin' Moon. I think where the G1 cities came up, ahem, short is that they just couldn't make the guys big enough to fit all the scales available. Metroplex was only really big enough to provide a safe daycare environment for Bumblebee and his friends. Maybe we need something like the Star Wars Micro Machines bases from awhile back.

Transforming Outer Shells, Motorized Walking, Shooting Sparks... Really, gestalts and combiners were just the tip of G1's gimmick iceberg. We've had "micro master"-esque Mini-cons since Armada and transforming role-play items seem to be coming back with Classics Megatron and the Real Gear robots, but the Old Skool gold mine of crazy added features is far from tapped out! In the end, TF will always be about Robots in Disguise: realistic vehicles and real world objects that convert into highly detailed fighting robots. But the gimmicks are FUN and help your new acquisition stand out from the 50 or so you bought last year! That said, what classic gimmicks would you like to see more of in the coming main-line Transformers?

Energon Optimus Prime used to combine with himself... until he went blind! baDUNK-Chsh!

Kinda of like Jack Daniels, I admit I have a weakness for Ko's. They are perfect for filling out crowd scenes on Cybertron, Lithone, or-- depending on quality-- Junkion! Rite Aid has some fairly bitchin' diecast transforming motorcycles for only 5 bucks, as well as a scarred-up (a la Peter Jackson's King Kong) KO of v2 Optimus Primal. But the Holy Grail of transforming KO's has to be a wind-up toy of the doomed steamship THE TITANIC. It was available in gas stations shortly after the Leonardo Di Crapio/ Selene Dion Tearfest came out, and despite a strong historical likeness, actually converted into a Japanese-style robot that would have made Mazinger Z proud! If anyone has one of those lying around Mint-in-Package, they could name their price. Really, I'm not above selling my own blood...! I mean, imagine how much better the movie could have been... Kate Winslet and a Lad she looks like she's baby-sitting have just steamed-up and violated someone else's car in the cargo hold. The ominous looming shadow of an approaching iceberg divides the night-time waters. Just as the ill-fated ship is about to rupture its hull, spilling countless Irishmen into the frigid abyss-- the entire Industrial Revolution-era hulk lurches backward, whirring gear sounds rumble across the Atlantic! And a collosal Samurai warrior hurls himself into the sky as the shining stars vanish behind a cascade of vertical action lines!!