December 2005 Archives

G1 Richochet Commemorative Series IX

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G1 Richochet Commemorative Series IX

So yeah, I already own the Takara Stepper reissue which is the source for Hasbro's Richochet figure which was never released here in the states in the 80s.

He's pretty much the last commemorative reissue figure to be sold by Toys R Us, excluding Astrotrain, who is being sold by the online Hasbro Toyshop.

Anyway, I wasn't going to get the Hasbro release unless I found him way cheap. Recent stops at the WeBeToys price scanned him at $34 which was just way too much to pay for him.

Even today, at Hamilton Road WeBeToys he was $34.

Now Giga and Evebird, while running around tonight, managed to hit the West Broad WeBeToys and guess what? He was frigg'n $9!!!

Nine dollars!!!

Why can these stores differ so greatly? It is insane. It is like this at Target and the much despised W place too.

Number in Collection: 1526

Most awesomeness JUSCO display ever!

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Now this is one big ass Galaxy Force Convoy from a JUSCO display.

I would love to have this display!!!

Cybertron Spiral, Oval, and Backtrack

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Cybertron Minicon Speed Team

I heard a little voice in my head and I think it was Baby Jesus saying "I didn't get enough Christmas presents. You buy some more minicons and keep them in your attic for army building and I'll pretend they are mine" so I bought some Speed Team minicons.

Well. And they were really cheap too.

Numbers in Collection: 1523, 1424, 1525

Alternator Skids

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Alternator Skids

Wow!

What a plastic cracky week!

I found Alternator Skids at a Target we rarely frequent. Yay!

Yeah. I don't care about him since Hasbro, with always the best thoughts of the collector at heart, choose to do the Alternator Skids in a totally non-homage color scheme and put hideous ugly flames on a frigg'n Scion. Ugh!

Thankfully Takara has released Skids with his original blue/red coloring so I'll be snagging him for my "official" Skids.

And for those on the look out, there are now tons of Prowls, Tracks, and Sunstreakers all around the Cowlands.

Numbers in Collection: 1522

10th Anniversary Beast Wars Cheetor, Rhinox, and Waspinator

And lo, to my suprise, there was wave 1 of the 10th Anniversary Beast Wars figures so I picked up Cheetor, Rhinox, and Waspinator.

Now yes. I own the originals. But of course, the addict in me needed 1/2 of the Transmutate figure they come with. Six pieces of Transmututate being spread out among waves 1 and 2.

So basically Transmutate ends up costing me $90.

*sigh*

What's a crack addict to do?

Numbers in Collection: 1519, 1520, 1521 (and 1521.5 if you count half of Transmutate)

Alternator Sunstreaker

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Alternators Sunstreaker

There's plastic crack in them thar stores!!!

I was shocked to find an Alternator Sunstreaker at Lennox Target of all places. They never have anything new!

Someone had snagged the Skids and Prowl. Just Sunstreaker and Tracks and I'm willing to bet someone thought he was a Dragstrip since at first glance they kind of look the same.

But you are finally home in the Attic where you belong with your brother Sideswipe. We know that Dead End was supposed to be you. Yes. We do.

Number in Collection: 1518

12-29-05-swerve-swindle.jpg

Ok. I'm gonna flat out say it: I loves me this Clocker repaint known as Swerve!

Mr. McBeard says "Swerve looks like the Batmobile for Alpha Flight" and that's true. He does. And I love it! (If Marvel owned it he'd be definitely done as Guardian's transforming vehicle in that mechamorph shit crapfest.)

Once again I think it is because of the simple color palette. I like the silver exhaust pipes. I like the huge black windshield. I'm not a fan of the huge autobot symbol on the hood but hey, I can't win everytime.

Swindle is a repaint of Hardtop and to me looks like a knock-off Transformer. The plastic even feels sort of knock-off-ish.

If he had black rubber wheels I'd probably like him a helluva lot better. I mean, as a vehicle he's suppose to have wheels that help him blend in as a "robot in disguise" so brown doesn't cut it. Ever!

Why Hasbro just didn't call him Beachcomber, color him blue and grey like the G1 Beachcomber who was the first TF dune buggy, and call it a day is beyond me. Kids wouldn't care and collectors who tend to like G1 shit would buy it as an homage. So I'm laying bets on this being a 2006 or 2007 Botcon exclusive.

Cybertron Swerve: Yay!

Cybertron Swindle: Meh!

Thunderblast. You poor thing. You suck!

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Yay!

In the past line Energon we got Arcee and in Cybertron we get another female Cybertronian in the form of Thunderblast.

Alas, unlike Arcee, Thunderblast has a lot to be desired.

I had such high hopes for you when I saw the original unofficial pics of Galaxy Force Terra Shaver's unpainted prototype.

There was something about you, without any idea of your scale, with just solid grey/green plastic that just made you appealing.

Alas, your final Hasbro product color just leaves me meh. But I do love your sculpt/mold.

Now if you know me at all you then you know that I really can't knock on Transformer basics, the low end of the price range for Transformers figures.

But man oh man, a figure was released that really has made me realize I have to verbalize the amount of balls that are sucked in this guy.

And he goes by the name of Cybertron Backstop.

Nala hits 1500 transformers by end of 2005

Well it had to happen. Wasn't sure if it was going to or not since it all depended on UPS or the Post Office.

But the illness that is my transformer collecting officially took me over 1500 transformers today.

Quite sick indeed.

And due to an obvious accident on the part of MC I ended up with 2 of everything.

Now I wasn't charged and I do feel sort of guilty about it but it would be a pain in the ass to ship this all back and then try to get credit for the postage and all. I probably should call them though and explain what they did and see if they want the 2nd set back. (If not, I'm really at 1517!!!)

More Cybertron Minicons!!!

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Cybertron Mini-con 2 Packs!

It appears that I was send a 2nd set of minicons so these guys will definitely be the army building bunch for this current line of plastic crack for me!

Numbers in Collection: 1506-1517

Cybertron

Cybertron Payload, Ascentor, Shockwave, Tankor, Kobushi, and Landslide also arrived today from Master Collector and have now joined the attic.

I'm extremely happy that the Shockwave name was reacquired and can forgive the use for a silly mini-con since I'm all for saving the class names via small bot/tier 6 product such as these mini-con 2 packs.

I'm also a fan of the new Kobushi name!

Numbers in Collection: 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1505

Cybertron

So Cybertron Scattorbrain, Monocle, Sky Lynx, Thunderblast, Razorclaw, and Steamhammer arrived today from Master Collector and have now joined the attic.

Numbers in Collection: 1494, 1495, 1496, 1497, 1498, 1499

Cybertron Thunderblast and Brimstone

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Cybertron Thunderblast and Brimstone

On a rare geek run run with Giga and Evebird I found the of the Cybertron figures I wanted least: the shellformer Thunderblast and the way too colored Brimstone.

Unfortunately they were acquired from the W place that I hate to buy from but alas, that was the only store out of oh so many other places we travelled that had them.

Hell. With yesterday's crack and these 2 there was really only new stuff in 2 stores... and only those 2. Nothing more except shelves and pegs of old shit. Target did have that big ass Starscream for $22 still so Evebird bought one. I wish I would have waited too. Oh well.

Numbers in Collection: 1492, 1493

Cybertron Swindle, Backstop, and Swerve

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Cybertron Swindle, Backstop, and Swerve

A quick detour this evening to the WeBeToys resulted in finding Cybertron Swindle, Backstop, and Swerve. I was rather shocked because I didn't expect to find anything remotely new.

What sucks the major balls is that Target had that big ass Starscream for $22. I know I should have waited. You would have thought I would have learned my lesson with Armada Unicron's adventures in shelf-warming too. Grrr...

If the mini-cons I ordered arrive this week I will definitely hit 1500 figures by end of year.

Bad craziness.

Numbers in Collection: 1489, 1490, 1491

G1 Headmaster Mindwipe

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G1 Headmaster Mindwipe

Mr. E. gave me a complete G1 Headmaster Mindwipe as a Christmas present.

Number in Collection: 1488

Unclean! Unclean!

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12-22-05-minicons.jpg

I suppose it is because I am the lame.

I ended up just buying the Cybertron mini-con 2 packs online at the Master Collector store of all places.

I feel guilty and dirty inside.

For one I bought mini-cons that I already have in some shape, color, or form. Sometimes more than one.

And secondly I bought them from the collector store and paid their shipping and handling.

Dirty. Very dirty.

Then again I no longer possess the ambition to wander Cowtown's retail stores on a plastic crack hunt. I shouldn't feel dirty.

Dirty yes. All plastic crack purchases no matter how small should make an adult feel unclean.

Guilty? Probably not.

Talk. Talk. All you do is talk talk.

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Not much on the TF front.

While others have had luck in finding new crack in the Cowlands, yours truly has pretty much given up and quite frankly, I'm too old and don't care enough to run around to stores anymore.

So. I'll get things when I find them.

I doubt I'll even get anything for the holidays since there's not been too much around.

No biggie really.

I've lost interest in Transformers for the moment anyway.

But I do need to get Frowny's Mach Alert in the mail soon.

Everybody knows that Optimus Prime is Jewish right?

So if you are Jewish as well why not have an Optimus Prime Menorah this year for Chanukah.

Everybody knows that Optimus Prime is Jewish right?

So if you are Jewish as well why not have an Optimus Prime Menorah this year for Chanukah.

And then Sara bonked Hot Rod on the head.

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So maybe if I find time over the holiday I'll get some time devoted to fleshing out the plot of Transformers: Splintered a bit more.

Evebird brings it up every now and then and while I have to get my specific chronology down, I think it might be time to get more of plot issues resolved and see if my story beats will work.

Probably not. I suck at this. But that's not the point.

I keep writing this as if there's a storyboard to go along with it much like my old school animation days but I don't possess the talent or possess any other techniques to work with right now.

Then again, getting the plaster redone in the master bedroom is more important in the scheme of things so perhaps I'll just work more on this in 2006 and let the notes keep piling up in a chaotic form until then.

Yes. Painting comes first.

Unclean! Unclean!

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Ok. I've pretty much kept mum about it but I realize now that I just can't sit back and hold my opinions in.

Mixing Transformers and Star Wars as Hasbro has done is an unholy abomination that is just ugly as all hell.

Yes. An unholy abomination!!!

In the eyes of nature and gods it is an abomination as unholy as mixing Kool-Aid and Wyler's together in one pitcher.

There is a little known book in the The Apocrypha that documents Jesus' younger years and in which he turns milk into Kool-Aid. The younger John-Not-Yet-The-Baptist, prefers Wyler's drink mix and mixes Wyler's into Jesus' pitcher.

Jesus looks at him and announces that "For my Father said that unto you thy powdered drink mixes should not be one. For in the eyes of my Father the resulting abomination is unclean. Even for menstruating lepers."

This is the same thing that Hasbro has down with making Star Wars Transformers.

G1 Astrotrain Commemorative Series IX

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G1 Astrotrain Commemorative Series IX

When is a reissue not a reissue? When he's the Hasbro G1 Astrotrain "reissue" done in a color palette that never existed in G1.

Yup. The final Hasbro reissue figure has been acquired via the Hasbro Toy Shop online store.

Number in Collection: 1487

Cybertron Evac

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Cybertron Evac

Droooool-worthy. That's something you don't see me say often about Transformers anymore.

I finally found a Cybertron Evac this morning and I am so so so so so so so happy.

Evac is the proverbial "bomb" for me.

I loe his color palette. I love his transformation. I love his bot mode even with the winch and blades hanging off of his arms. I love him.

His alt modes rear prop makes an excellent set of "wings" when in bot mode.

His force chip gimmick is pretty much hidden and with the chip inserted doesn't totally activate the missile launchers.

All in all... he is a 100 outta 100 in my book. And that's something very rare for me.

In other words... Evac is totally erect!

Number in Collection: 1486

Car Robots Speedbreaker, Mach Alert, Wild Ride, and Fire Convoy

Yeah. I kinda got burned but it is my own fault. Oh well. It happens when you are a doy.

While they are not all mint and all have been opened, they at least are complete and most of the packaging is intact.

I still really wanted that vertical Fire Convoy instead of an damn empty box. Grrr...

Number in Collection: 1482, 1483, 1484, 1485

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

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I so got fucked over by this auction I won recently.

I failed to take note of the "one of the large fire Convoy box is empty" comments.

While it is my fault for bidding on this lot since all I wanted was the two Fire Convoys there's a mild deceptiveness to including the empty box in the photo since I'm pretty sure most people tend to look at the photos in more detail than the text. Just my guess since we typically are visual animals.

Grrrr...

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

This and that.

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I need to see what Time Warner is charging for Howard Stern In Demand and I do need to get my shit together on finding a Sirius satellite radio system and account.

I failed to find an Evac today. I swear I just can't seem to come across this damn Transformer anywhere.

Grrrr...

Hasbro Reissue AstrotrainAn email from Frowny McBeard caused me to break down yesterday and purchase Hasbro's reissue Astrotrain.

I kind of went against my usual personal rules about paying full price for something and what I consider exorbitant shipping and handling. While laying in bed last night I was informed that Evebird was wanting to know if I wanted to go in on an order to save on s/h but unfortunately I had already placed mine hours earlier.

It really isn't technically a reissue either.

I mean, Hasbro has never released this mold in this specific color palette and detail before so I don't think one can call this a reissue. If they'd have done Astrotrain like his original release I think it would be considered a reissue..

I kind of wish they'd done the e-hobby actual anime color release which resembled the cartoon Astrotrain more than any previous release.

Oh well.

Hasbro has always had some kind of psychological barrier against show color accuracy when they choose the color palette for the figures.

My latest copy of Master Collector and the Transformers Collectors Club Official Newsletter recently arrived and as usual I just don't feel as if this has any value to me in any way whatsoever.

Perhaps my career in publishing has jaded me to dated content. To some degree I'm at the forefront in web publishing of heavily-worded content. Receiving a bimonthly full-color "zine" feels like a waste of dated content and misuse of resources in 2005.

The internet and the web destroyed the function that zines and newsletters such as this served prior to 1998 or so. The Master Collector trade paper is affected by Ebay and other auction sites in much the same way.

Others may disagree.

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Much of the issue is devoted to an article entitled "My BotCon '05 Experience" by Shaun Christopher. Today is December 5, 2005 the Dallas BotCon is now several months old. Since Master Collector ran the con and also publishes this zine the review is somewhat suspicious since some of the comments seem to be almost 180 degrees from a lot of what I've heard in the general fandom.

I've especially shocked… yes shocked… by the description of the dealer room.

…and there seemed to be just as many dealers and tables as past events.

Um. Were you on crack? This show was far smaller than in previous years and I don't think it is a perception issue brought about by the smaller venue space. If it wasn't then Master Collector needs to ante up the actual figures for the number of actual dealers there. I'm not talking number of tables either. Actual dealers! I'd love to know the number of paid attendees too because when I compare notes with Evebird, as well as photos I took last year and this year, 2005 bombs bigtime.

Personally, I can't disagree more about the Saturday Night Awards Dinner comments, an utterly pointless and event for the most part. Christopher states that the "food was good and the entertainment was original and entertaining". See, if that entertainment was original he must have been smoking crack. It was the same old derivative "let's make the voice actors do something barely witty" scripted banter that I've been exposed to far too many times now.

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Zero Mayhem's Victory Leo art shown in the issue was excellent. I'd love for a poster to be made of this. It so needs to be 18x24, matted, and framed.

Kudos to RainKing's Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime 3D work.

Clay Thomas' Alternator Menasor is also top-notch!

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There was an entire page of "filler" with all these pictures of a G.I. Joe figure.

Utterly worthless.

Now if the page had been about people from the con trying on Michael Chain's frilled leather jacket then I would be all over it.

Alas. It was not.

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No comment on the mini-comic that's in this newsletter suffice to say that I just don't see the point in this fiction in this setting. It amounts to little more than filler to me.

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What's really disappointing is that the "Next Issue" blurb will include "More Botcon '05 Coverage". So 2 months from now they'll still be spreading thin what didn't amount to all that much substance anyway.


The pug drool is still warm...

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Costco Exclusive Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime

Thanks go out to M down in Hurricaneville who snagged me a CostCo 2006 Exclusive Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime Giftset.

Of course, these two bots are two of my all time favorite TF molds ever, originally God Magnus and Super Fire Convoy from Car Robots back in 2000.

And yes, I do own 9 versions of the same basic bots... but as Waylon Smithers said about the 200th Malibu Stacy reissue..."But she's got a new hat!!!!

Number in Collection: 1480, 1481

This is why I call it plastic crack.

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Evebird sent me a link to this auction.

Um. I'm sorry. I know there are some "holy grail" Transformers that I want to some day own that run in the $1000 range but they are few and far between.

$6000 for a protoype of G1 Swoop is just too insane.

I don't understand people who get off on the prototype thing. It is just plastic kids.


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