Transformers

[Rollo Tomassi]

I got Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Silverstreak this weekend. I am debating on whether to hunt down the earlier figures that I poo-pooed at. Mirage, Hot Rod, and some of the Decepticons. I also erroneously skipped out on Optimus Prime.

I like Sideswipe because they used the exact same body as Sunstreaker, but they modified it so that Sideswipes back is Sunstreakers chest, and vice versa. Different paintjob, and a new head, and bang! It's a new figure. I begrudgingly acknowledge Hasbro's effort there.

Ironhide has an Ironhide head! Which is about as the bestest thing you can do for that guy. 25 years and he's never had his cartoon/comic accurate face? Damn.

Silverstreak is just a redo of Prowl, but a damn skippy fig.

[anarky]

Got Sideswipe, Ironhide, and Silverbolt today. (I boldfaced to differentiate our finds, as I found no Silverstreak and finally broke down on the airplane that's afraid of heights.)

I'm wanting Blaster now that I read his Spotlight. I'd almost forgotten how bitching he is, and don't care if he's no longer a boom box. The robot mode looks right.

I'm on the fence about Blades, though. I've been passing on the new characters (aside from Acid Storm) and ones that are really unfaithful to the originals. I can't decide if Blades being six times the original size is a drawback. Of course, I got Powerglide, so maybe I should get him.

In the larger (Ultra and Voyager) sizes, there's Blaster, Blades, Onslaught, Powerglide, and Silverbolt who are actual G1 characters. Any others who aren't newer than G1? I didn't recognize names like "Dropshot."

Also, I'm on the fence about the upcoming Overkill. He's just a Grimlock repaint, which I think qualifies as "unfaithful." Also the comic 2-packs; I dunno if I want a half-assed repaint attempt at pre-bat Ratbat.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I saw an Optimus Prime for $20 plus shipping on ebay. I may get that. Then I'll have Optimus, Ultra Magnus, and Nemesis Prime.

By the way, I haven't forgotten about Thundercracker, you wank fucks at Hasbro!

[anarky]

Scored Silverstreak today.

Who are we missing from the original first generation (what my friends and I called a year's worth of figures, long before Hasbro made up Generation 2 and made us start calling the real Transformers Generation 1)?

We have (or will shortly have):

Leaders: Optimus Prime and Megatron
Minicars: Bumblebee and Cliffjumper
Cars: Prowl, SilverBluestreak, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Mirage, Hound
Planes: Starscream, Skywarp
Cassettes: Ravage

We're missing (and I'm not checking any lists; this is from memory, so feel free to add):

Minicars: Huffer, Gears, Windcharger, Brawn
Cars: Wheeljack, Jazz, Ratchet, Trailbreaker
Planes: Thundercracker (yes, he was made, but, like you, I don't consider 300 of him made for assholes who live in Mommy's basement to count)
Communicator: Soundwave
Cassettes: Rumble, Frenzy, Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw

Counting the sorta "half generation" from early 1985 (meaning anyone who appeared in the first season of the cartoon but wasn't one of the originals), add:

Haves:

Dinobots: Grimlock
Air Guardian: Jetfire

Needs:

Dinobots: Sludge, Swoop, Slag, Snarl
Whatever Shockwave Was: Shockwave
Guardian: Omega Supreme
Insecticons: Kickback, Bombshell, Shrapnel
Reflector: Spyglass, Viewfinder, Spectro

The Constructicons are a kinda weird case, as we got a Devastator, but it's not entirely right--missing some characters, and with totally "made-up" ones in place of others.

The only possible trademark issue I'm aware of is Slag. For some reason, both the animated character and the Robot Heroes G1 figure were called Snarl. Also, the Robot Heroes Shrapnel was named Insecticon, but I'm not sure if this is a trademark thing.

Thundercracker, Jazz, and Ratchet would be extraordinarily easy repaints (with possibly a tiny bit of new tooling) from the existing Starscream, Prowl/Silverstreak, and Ironhide. I'm really rather surprised we don't have any sort of Ratchet or Jazz in the normal Classics. (I don't count those fucking things that are smaller than keychains.)

[Rollo Tomassi]

Here's the deal with the names. After I open the package I can call him whatever I want. If they want to release a blue Decepticon jet and name him Betty so as not to piss off the 300 guys who spent their entire year's allowance and WankerCon buying Thundercracker, I'm fine with that.

Call Jazz Meister. Call Bluestreak Silverstreak. Call Slag Dinocharger or Chuck or Binky or whatever the hell trips your trigger. Because once I throw that packaging away, he becomes whatever I want him to be.

I think Jazz should be a slightly different sculpt. I know he look similar to Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen in robot mode, but he's always had a slightly different transformation, even in various lines.

I think the Dinobots should be larger than the Grimlock that was released. Rerelease him in bigger form.. Throw him in a box instead of on a card. Dinobots should tower over the regular "cars" even if just a little.

Gears and Huffer get no love. Ever. Do something with them, Pronto.

[anarky]

It'd be cool if the Dinobots were on scale with one another. Slag could be roughly Grimlock's size, Snarl a bit smaller, Swoop much smaller, and Sludge fucking huge.

Jazz could be the same basic transformation. The major difference in the classic figure was that the feet and lower torso were reversed, IIRC. They could make minor changes, like they did with Sideswipe. The classic Sideswipe had a totally different transformation from Sunstreaker, but here they're very similar and still wind up with very different looking robots.

Totally agreed on the names. Though recent Jazz figures have just been called "Autobot Jazz."

[anarky]

I gotta exchange Silverbolt. Some fucker--get this, because it's weird--apparently returned him with two lengths of pipe instead of his weapons. Why you'd go through that sort of trouble for the guns and not even take out the figure is confusing as hell. But I paid $27 for it; I want my whole fucking toy.

[Rollo Tomassi]

What the?! That's fucked. What is it with people?

Did you see the correctly painted Powerglide from Takara? I'm glad I didn't buy the Hasbro version.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Transformers: The Movie the way you've never seen it before.

Transformers:The Movie continues here if you "Dare"


And quite possibly the coolest thing on Youtube right now...
You've got "The Touch"


And then The Death and "I Still Function"

[anarky]

None of the links work.

[mabudon]

they all have ... in the middle instead of the whole string

[Rollo Tomassi]

Try them now

[anarky]

Holy fucking shit, that's AWESOME!!

[Rollo Tomassi]

GRIMLOCK will appreciate this one. He is a king, after all.

[vynsane]

it pisses me off that someone has the time to do this. but i'm glad they did, because it's awesome. julia enjoyed it too.