Way back in the annals of Toy Bender, I geeked out over a classic version of the Transformer Soundwave reissue that I’ve been waiting for years to get made. After several delays, the elusive Transformer from my childhood is finally mine.
Awhile back images of some “protoform” Transformers from the upcoming Transformers movie hit the net. To the dismay of Transformer fans everywhere, these pre-Earth based vehicle forms had the distinguishing characteristic of being in similar shape to a turd.
While these are some pretty hideous designs, I’m still holding out hope that this can be a decent film. I’m not going to jump on the bandwagon saying how crappy the film is before I’ve even seen it. Still, things aren’t looking very good at the moment. Anyone else feel like this thing might sort-of/maybe be okay?
Making my own custom toys has never really appealed to me due to my lack of talent and money for all the times I’m sure to screw up. However, a very simple an inexpensive modding without a whole lot of effort.
Reprolables.com makes custom stickers for a few different types of toys, most notably for Transformers. Just add some stickers to certain Transformer figures and you’ve got a different look. Check out this Wheel Jack:
That’s some great G1 goodness. A lot of the other stickers make figures that I wouldn’t have thought about getting before almost worth it. There’s lots of other goodies there as well like customized license plates, an evil Jet Fire color scheme, and different faction stickers including a Cobra symbol.
Okay, I think I’m done geeking out for now.
Matrix of Leadership, why do you hate me?
Okay, so he failed to deliver in crunch time when Galvatron came a-calling, but Ultra Magnus is still cool with me. After all, he was voiced by none other than Robert Stack AKA Elliott Ness and the Creepy Voice of Unsolved Mysteries. TFormers.com put up a bunch of pictures of the Classics version of Ultra Magnus if you want to check him out.
For a simple repaint of the Optimus Prime Classics version that’s already been released, there’s just something about this Ultra Magnus that makes me like him. I think it’s that when I see a toy with the name of Optimus Prime, I get my critical pants on. Optimus Prime is not a name that shouldn’t be slapped on any old toy truck. On the other hand, if it’s a decent looking truck in the Ultra Magnus colors my expectations are lowered. Way to go Ultra Magnus, you’ve lowered the bar since 1986 and it works for you. Keep on Truck’n.
Yes, I am happy to see you.
If you haven’t been following news of the Masterpiece Megatron, then I really haven’t been doing my job. To get you up to speed: Japan is going to have a Masterpiece Megatron that kicks arse. In prototype pictures his legs have looked a little skinny, but he’s looked better than I’ve ever seen him before in both his robot form and his true not screwing around gun mode. Don’t get too excited about seeing him come over stateside just yet. Tformers.com posted a short article about why he most likely won’t make it over here. The reasons given are solid and it confirms my suspicions in this matter so if you want one, you’re going to have to import one.
This is a pretty big bummer, especially since my 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is itching for a fight with his arch-nemesis.
UPDATE: If your interested in Masterpiece Megatron, be sure to check out important Megatron information right here!
Well, I had a bit of nerdgasim the other day when I posted a link to all those pictures of Jetfire. Time for another one! TFormers.com posted a review of Jetfire. Head on over there if you’re interested in finding out more about this re-do of a classic generation one character.
I’ve got to find out where I can get my hands on one of these. The only Transformers from the classics line I see in stores are the pegwarmer Astrotrain and slightly less peg warming Bumble Bee. It’s good that these things are mostly selling out for the future of the classics series, but bad if I actually want to own one someday. Jetfire and Grimlock, you will be mine!
Not much was happening on the internet in respect of new toy news, then blam… TFormers.com posted a billion pictures of the new classics Jetfire. Holy sweet banana in heat, I’m so excited that these pictures have me coming up with bizarre phrases.
For those of you who don’t know much about him, Jetfire is here is a handy Wikipedia article to get you acquainted. For those of you with lives, I’ll give you a short run down. Jetfire was known in the cartoon as Skyfire where he looked almost completely different than his toy counterpart. This is because Jetfire the toy came from Robotech and was just used as a Transformer. His cartoon version is basically the effort to avoid angry lawyers bashing down Hasbro’s doors.
Anyway, this figure does an excellent job of really meshing the two designs together. While it’s a little closer to the cartoon version, that’s pretty much what fans have wanted for awhile now. What’s really cool is that this version can still be transformed into the Robotech “gerwalk mode”, the half fighter/half robot design of the original. Holy hopping jingle bells, I need one!
Thank you Soundwave, you are my most trusted and competent Lieutenant.
As Soundwave indicates in his crudely done image courtesy of Paintbrush, today looks like its one of the slowest toy related news days since the inception of Toy Bender. To stave off the vicious beatings I may incur from my 451 Press overlords, I’ll update despite the difficulty. Worry not, dear readers. I’ve dug into my back log to find at least something to keep you from working for at least a few minutes. Click here to read an article featuring none other than the voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen! I referenced him in my recent Optimus Prime review as being THE Optimus voice, so I figured this article was a good link since it gives insight into the man behind the legend. Read it and be dazzled! Or read it and then use your bedazzler. It’s up to you!
I finally got him. After weeks of waiting in quiet desperation for Hasbro.com to free him from the hell of back orders, my 20th Anniversary DVD edition Optimus Prime is now all mine.
Tformers.com posted pictures of a Transformers Movie Protoform Starscream that’s worth taking a look at. I’m not exactly sure of what a Protoform Starscream is, but I’m assuming its the M. Bay helmed Transformer Movie’s version of what Starscream looked like before he became an Earth based vehicle.
Does this mean we’ll get to see Cybertron in the new film? I’m starting to get nervous about this prospect, but I’m not on the “it sucks” badwagon just yet. I can tell you that if this figure is real, I’m not too hot on the robot designs. Does that really look like a Transformers robot? No really. at least, not like a G1 robot. Be sure to head over to Tformers.com and join the discussion if you really want to hem and haw over this puppy.
I recently discovered an interview with the creator of the Master Piece edition of Starscream. Apparently the original was in Japanese so here it is in all of its translated goodness. I’ve got to warn you, if you don’t know anything about the Transformers line, especially pertaining to the Japanese Transformers line, then you might get a little lost.
Reading this article really makes me want to pick one of these figures up, since I’ve always been a fan of Starscream. Once thing I could never understand was why I liked him in the first place. He was such a tool. Maybe it was that he was a tool in such a grand way. There wasn’t any plan to screw over Megatron that he didn’t mess up. His voice, provided by the late, great Chris Latta, is probably the other reason I liked him. How can you not like a Chris Latta voiced character? It’s impossible, I tell you. Impossible!
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