Today we have another question from Lucille, all the way in South Africa!
Big Angry Trev, how do you plan a romantic fun treasure hunt for your other half’s bday?
Well Lucille, a fun treasure hunt usually involves items hidden all over town.
A romantic treasure hunt usually involves items hidden all over your body.
So how to combine the two?
Easy! Don’t use your body.
The face of romance
If one follows scavenging animals for long enough, one will usually come across a corpse. Could be a homeless bum who froze to death, could be a junkie that shot up one time too many. Heck, could even be someone who saw how much a damn coffee costs these days and had a heart attack! The point is, search and ye shall find.
Now when you hide items all over town they can be pretty much any size. When you hide items on your body, they usually need to be tiny in order to hide under the fall of a breast, cleft of a buttock or behind the meaty curtain of your average scrotum. By following the method outlined below, you should be able to meld these two concepts into something both romantic and fun!
Items Required:
*Treasure Hunt items (none bigger than say a fish bowl)
*Several corpses located in different parts of town
*A scalpel
*Needle and twine
*Hand sanitizer
*A treasure map
Step 1: Load up your sack full of the different items you want your other half to find.
Step 2: Wander around town until you find your first corpse. Mark on your map where it is located.
Step 3: Using your scalpel, cut an incision in the corpse. Where you do this will depend on what you are planting there. If jewellery, just behind the spleen or even the lung cavity are perfect spots. If something larger like a new teapot or a DVD Box Set, then I suggest the gut. If the person is fat enough, you can even hollow out a buttock cavity and pop a toaster in there.
So many fun places to hide a fancy bottle of wine!
Step 4: Sew the corpse back up.
Step 5: Continue to do this with every corpse you find, making sure to mark them on your map.
Step 6: When defiling your last corpse (I suggest at least half a dozen), the most special gift should go in there. Usually plane tickets for a romantic trip are the most appropriate, as well as getting you out of town for a while in case the police take interest in your activities.
Then on the day you give your significant other their surprise (in Summer I suggest as soon as possible, in Winter you have a while before the dead begin to really smell) meet them at their house dressed in your loveliest clothes. Present them with the map, the scalpel, the hand santizer (otherwise the whole exercise would just be yucky), the sack and tell them to get searching!
Follow along and watch the surprise and delight your romantic fun treasure hunt gives your loved one as they rummage through intestines and bladders to find their special gifts! Then wing your way to take a well-deserved holiday, all while the police search in vain for whoever has been committing these foul deeds.
I hope this works for you Lucille. Given it’s my 10-year wedding anniversary in a few months, I might just be doing the same for my lovely bride!
A few years ago we had a golden age for Australian collectors of… er… collectibles.
Ebay was growing exponentially, the Aussie Dollar was worth more than the US one, and not only were all the physical stores stocking a plethora of toys, but fledgling Aussie Toy Importers were opening businesses on the net, making it even easier to get those rare collectible toys from places such as Japan and America.
Sadly it’s all now changed.
In the last couple of years many of the Aussie online toy importers have shut down or are under investigation. The introduction of GST on all overseas purchases under a thousand dollars has made importing many toys too expensive – especially since you have to pay an extra 10% on the postage as well. Any overseas companies such as the US branch of Amazon who don’t comply with the new GST laws are simply refusing to ship to Australia from this point on. And now the biggest toy stores to find in this land – Toys’R’Us – are shutting their doors forever.
So whether it be in real life or online, avenue after avenue that was once available to your Aussie toy collector are disappearing. The Golden Age is Over.
To see how this is affecting your average collectibles buff, we talk to three toy collectors and find out their take on the current situation – Dallas, Darryland Jason.
Question 1: What effect do you believe the application of GST by the Australian Government to all overseas purchases will have on your collecting?
Dallas
A lot of what I buy overseas is not readily available here. There are one or two importers who sometimes stock it but otherwise I will continue to buy from overseas. the only difference may be that I buy less stuff, but it will probably just mean I spend 10% more than I used to.
The secondary effect of this being places like Amazon.com no longer being available to me. I will be surprised if the exclusive items or super deals I used to occasionally find on there will be available through the Amazon Australia site.
To be ‘real’ my international purchasing really slowed down when the dollar dropped from 1.05US to 0.75 US. that’s a 30% price increase, another 10% hurts but it’s not the end of the world for something that I possibly can’t find anywhere else.
Darryl
Aside from having to pay a little more, I doubt it will deter me much. I find myself having to import later waves of a line due to distribution rarely making it up my way so if I want a figure, I just have to lump it.
Jason
The only impact that the application of GST is going to have will be to increase the cost for obtaining any of the Transformers that I am currently collecting. Most of my spending on current collecting is purchased through Australian retailers so I am already paying GST and that cost is factored into my collecting. It is the items that do not receive an Australian release that are going to cost more.
Given that sites such as Amazon.com are no longer allowing sales to Australia for such items, it is going to cost a lot more to source these harder to find items from other overseas stores or pay significant amounts on postage to freight forwarding companies as well as the GST on top.
I understand that the point of the GST is to charge end users a flat tax across the board and that the purpose of applying it to low value goods is to create equality in trade between Australian retailers and overseas retailers, however the issue is that the Government has created for itself is a situation where they have reduced the possible supply/variety of goods into the country whilst relying wholly upon foreign entities to voluntarily remit GST. The compliance costs will be astounding and it will be interesting to see if any actual profit is generated for the economy from this or if there is simply more funds moving offshore.
Question 2: What effect (if any) has the behaviour and subsequent closure of Australian-based online collecting stores such as PC Collectibles, TFI Downunder and MaynStream Merch had on the availability of collectible figures on a local level for you?
Dallas
I have a lot of money tied up with PC. They used to be great, I have received a lot of excellently priced product from them, until they fell off the wagon, it must be nearly 2 years ago now. I hope to get my money back, but that’s up to the judge I guess. I never shopped at the other two stores. I never minded waiting for my stuff a bit longer as I often pre-order in batches and I nearly always collect faster than I open toys so I never ‘suffered’ the indignity of not having anything new to open because PC was taking longer than everyone else.
Lately I have been making lot of purchases at TLTC and TBI. Both are reliable and both have excellent prices on different product. I’ve actually been buying a lot of stuff from these two stores that I used to import, long before the GST was introduced. I guess it’s a sign of a good competitive business that has moved with the times.
Darryl
I was fortunate in that while I had issues with PC, I didn’t lose any money to them (nor did I get the stuff I ordered). That being said, it left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m reluctant to deal with any Australian based online retailers unless they are a well established business.
Jason
I was a huge fan of PC when I stumbled across the online store in mid-2015. There was a solid 1 ½ years where I was a very happy customer and I moved a lot of my purchases from overseas retailers to PC. However, it all started to unravel in 2017 and it has left myself, and a lot of others, out of pocket.
PC’s demise and the way in which PC conducted itself no doubt put a dampening on my collecting enthusiasm. All of a sudden, I went from using my spare time to research what Transformers I was wanting to buy to using my time to attempt to correspond with PC, reading forums such as Ozformers for guidance on dealing with PC/Banks and corresponding with the Banks and attempting to do chargebacks.
My hobby went from something enjoyable to something more akin to my job. However, there have also been some other stores pop up recently (or that have just come to my attention) such as Toybot Importz and The Little Toy Company and I am willing to give them a chance. Neither have disappointed me so far and I hope that neither will. Both have shown exceptional communication and competitive pricing. Whilst the range (and pricing, but we now know why PC’s pricing was so good) may not be the same as PC, I am able to source most of the Transformers that I want from these two online stores.
Question 3: What effect will the closure of various brick’n’mortar toy stores (such as TRU) have on your collecting? Especially since so many online avenues have been closed off?
Dallas
The closure of TRU is a bit sad. I have purchased a lot of exclusive items from them over the years and I’ve often made use of their 20% off sales or price matching policy. It’s likely that I’ll have to resort to more expensive avenues to find those special items that they would have otherwise stocked. Even TRU US supplied me with the recent Titans return Grotusque and Arcee. I would like to think Hasbro Australia will find another avenue for this product but only time will tell and I imagine if prices through alternate channels are too high I may end up skipping a lot of stuff.
Darryl
Probably won’t affect me much. My nearest TRU is over an hour away so I didn’t get there very often, in fact, with my local K-Mart as the only close source for TF’s (Target, Big W are also an hour away) I’ve accepted that I’m going to have to go online more to get the figures I want. As much as I want to support local stores (even if they aren’t owned locally) they haven’t been very supportive of me. So sadly, it looks like any money I will be spending on my collection will be heading off-shore.
Jason
I don’t think that so many online avenues have been closed. There are now quite a few Australian online retailers and a lot of the overseas retailers still appear to be selling to Australia.
I was never really one for buying Transformers for my collection from brick’n’mortar stores. The convenience of online shopping and having the items delivered straight to me is to irresistible to pass up. Not to mention, I often found the prices online (even from Australian online retailers) were far more competitive than in store prices.
Whilst it will not impact upon my collecting, it may impact a little on my younger son. He is really getting into Transformers at the moment and we enjoy going to stores like TRU together and picking ones out for his collection. Whilst we have a great time doing this, it seems as though stores such as Big W now have such a large selection of toys that they have effectively replaced the need for speciality toy stores such as TRU.
Many thanks to these three fine lads for sharing their thoughts with us. How have all the recent changes effected you? Let us know in the comments section below.
I’ll put my hand up to not being a massive Transformers Crossover toy fan. Oh I’ve got a few token ones – a couple from Star Wars, a couple from Marvel, heck – even one from My Little Kitty. So I was kind of bemused when I saw they were making to celebrate it’s 30 year anniversary Street Fighter II Transformer figures.
But then I saw some pics and knew I had to have some!
Nerd Nirvana!
The Bison/Ryu set didn’t hold much appeal. I thought the reuse of an Optimus mold as Ryu to be particularly poor (I mean really, Ryu has a faceplate now?) but the Chun-Li/Ken set looked great! The only way it could have appealed to me more was for it to have Vega instead of Ken so I could recreate that awesome fight seen between him and Chunners from the great animated movie from the 90’s.
The whole gang
So today I received the figures. Now, unlike other reviews I write, I’ll be going from a purely aesthetic viewpoint as I intend to keep these figures relatively MIB. That means no transforming and minimal removal from packaging. I’ll be including a marketing pic at the very end from Google Search but otherwise all the pics are mine. And I invite anyone who has opened and transformed their figures to pop in a review in the comments section – if good enough I might even add it to the review and credit you!
I… I just cant bring myself to play with toys these, though by Primus I want to!
To be honest, I think this is a set you would want to keep MISB, especially given the price tag for what is a couple of Deluxe figures. Chances are you already have these molds as other characters anyway. Ken is redone from Rodimus and Chun-Li is redone from Arcee. I’ve got a couple of each mold (including the fantastic Legends Nightbird) so am able to restrain myself, though I am sorely tempted to see how Chun-Li looks in vehicle mode.
Just so friggin well done!
The paintjobs are fantastic, though Ken’s eyebrows look even more ridiculous than in the video game which is no mean feat. Chun-Li is most definitely the stand-out of the two, all the little details and changes in colour work surprisingly well on many levels – just superb!
The box-art is very good, showing the SFII origins of these two. It also shows how each character can be put into one of their special moves, and indeed they are packaged with Ken throwing a Dragon Punch and Chun-Li performing a Spinning Bird Kick, a testament to how artciulated the Arcee mold is.
Do you need these toys? No. But will you want these toys? If you are of my age, you may remember just what a huge deal SFII was, it was a revolutionary game and many of us bought a SNES just so we could play it! I’ve been a rabid SF fan for most of my life, though kinda lost track after Street Fighter Alpha. This set will sit with pride within my display case for years to come.
Got something to add, or actually bit the bullet and played with these toys yourself? Would love to read about it in the comments section below!
Once again, we have a question from a long time reader – Madds in Melbourne.
When the polar ice caps melt, and release an apocalyptic gas cloud from the arctic tundra / or when Trumples and Kimbo wage nuclear Armageddon what is your post apocalyptic action plan?
Like when planning against the Zombie Apocalypse, I live on a remote farm (not the same one) that is well inland hours away from the ocean. Even with the ice caps melting the seas will not rise enough to cross the Blue Mountains to reach our local and since we are now much further north, the apocalyptic gas cloud should only affect the more southern part of this continent, thereby rendering us relatively safe from this eventuality.
However when Trumples and Kimbo wage Nuclear Armageddon is another matter.
‘Radiation Burns? Na na, it’s just an STD I swear!’
They’ve been having recent chats but I am not hopeful. Kimbo is likely to turn around and launch a missile on a whim and, given how rude he was recently to the Queen of England, Trumples is antagonistic enough that if he doesn’t start a Nuclear War with North Korea, he is going to eventually start a war with someone.
So what is my action plan then?
Well as I said we are well situated. About half way between Sydney and Canberra we lie outside any blast zones or radiation fallout areas. Whilst millions in the region will die, we will be fine.
We will look to our sustainability first off. We have rainwater tanks as well as our own creek with a water purification system, so will maintain a reserve of clean water well after others have run out. We have a solar panels and a diesel generator, so as long as the sun shines and we can scavenge fuel for a while we will have power. We have goats, chooks and ducks so we will have access to eggs and meat on top of having fruit & nut trees and vegetable & herb gardens for sustenance. We will be OK. Worst comes to worst there are enough Kangaroos on our land to eat heartily for decades!
Which puts us in a position of power!
Like in the old world, in the new world order power will be paramount. But now as a permacultralist who has fresh food, water and also electricity, we will have the power! We will lord it over all the bankers, lawyers and politicians who currently earn 20 times more than I do. And they will come begging.
Eating hearty while they all die of radiation poisoning – not that I’m smug about it or anything
I will strengthen the fences of our farm and patrol our lands. Anyone looking for fresh food and water need to be able to negotiate for entry. Either with resources of their own in tow, or useful skills such as medicine or mechanical repairs will be required to join us. As our numbers grow, we will attract more people with a wider diversity of skills. Carpenters, midwives, butchers, bakers, candlestick makers – all will wish to join my our community and soon a working village will establish itself, with folks able to support each other with goods and services, even after all resources able to be scavenged from beyond our borders have been depleted.
But what of those that wish to undermine the new order?
Tracking the spoor of an intruder
Easily fixed. All newcomers to our community, once properly vetted, will be branded with a hot iron on the back of their left shoulder blade with a mark resembling my benevolent visage and a hand giving the thumbs up underneath. Any pretending to be part of our community who are not will be fed to the pigs – human flesh being of considerable dietary benefit to the porkers. This ensures security and loyalty amongst my flock.
But what of raiders?
Whereas with the Zombie Apocalpse, where zombies will be the biggest worry regarding transgressors, it will be Mad Max-like bands of marauders roaming the land that will be of major concern. These groups will have regressed back to the ‘might-makes-right’ mindset, with the biggest, burliest and nastiest forming gangs around themselves. Though a mixture of violence and fear they will control their followers and scour the land, refusing to create but rather steal the toil of others. Their main goals beyond destruction? Obtaining fuel, food and women.
Luckily we also will be prepared for this. Even man in my new order will be trained in marksmanship with a scoped rifle, able to knock the gnat off a rabbits dick from 500 yards. All womenfolk will be trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat, as well as the proficient use handheld weapons – particularly knives.
Not only does this empower women within my new world order community to know that on a one-to-one basis they can beat the living crap out of or even kill any man who tries to get overly fresh with them, it will surprise the hell out of raiders!
Imagine a scavenging road gang, having breached our gates, coming into the main compound ready for combat. Now any man they would see they would immediately kill on the spot. Not women. Women is what they are after. They see a few dozen apparently unguarded ladies with smiling and somewhat lascivious smiles on the faces. These raiders will think they have reached the promised land!
Leading by example, I will of course also offer myself as irresistible bait
Of course, as they dismount from their motorcycles and dune buggies and approach these fair maidens, hidden snipers from every conceivable angle will take them out. Any left standing will be sliced from scrotum to sternum by the women of our clan, relishing the feeling of spilling the guts of their would-be aggressors onto the soil below. These pricks wont stand a chance!
As the years progress, I will retire slowly from the community, becoming more of a holy figure amongst the people as my offspring continue to command the rabble and expand our territory, annexing new towns and hamlets by the score. By the time some of the radiation from the capital cities has receded, I will be lying on my death bed, surrounded by my loved ones with the palace-like-homestead I inhabit beset by thousands of worshipers crying in lament, me content in the knowledge that I have set humanity upon a path to redemption and that statues in my likeness proclaiming me as the true messiah will stand for generations to come, my will controlling the fate of the human race long after my passing.
‘The Church of Trev’ – as long as ya worship me ya can sin as much as ya friggin like!
Of course, humanity one day will recover enough to bring back the sciences of the past and improve upon them. It is with a satisfied certainty I know that when, in about a thousand years when humanity gets close to destroying itself for a second time, these technologies will be used to revive me to the land of the living to save civilization once again, and thus take my rightful place as overlord of the new age of man, extending my influence to the stars and beyond. I will through inspiration, charisma and my natural musky scent, lead us all to conquer the heavens above and I will live forever as Big Angry Trev the 1st – Grand Space Emperor Supreme! All will love me and despair – or I’ll have their balls chopped off!
The Power of the Primes toyline continues at a good pace, and just in time for some midyear toy sales, the next two leader class figures – both sporting the evolve gimmick – have hit the shelves. The first of these is a brand new mould and likely to excite those who are Beast Wars fans – Optimal Optimus! The second is a recolour (albiet a very cool one!) of a previous figure and a brand new (sorta) character – Rodimus Unicronus!
Optimus Primal
Robot Mode
‘I aint no stinkin ape!’
Optimus Primal looks quite good here, reasonably faithful to how he looked on the cartoon, though minus the hair, and very well proportioned. He comes with two guns instead of his signature swords, and though that is unfortunate it is forgivable. His backpack is fairly visible, personally I fold the cockpit up when looking at him head on to minimize this. The red on the body, along with the Maximal sticker, give the figure that little bit of contrast in his colours which makes him pop more.
Hoverboard-Spaceship thing
An Uber driver for Silver Surfer
Primal’s alt-mode, instead of being a gorilla, is the flying surfboard that was used by his second incarnation back in the Beast Wars cartoon. While personally I think this is a good way to incorporate all of the forms he had back in the day, purists will be annoyed at the lack of Beast Mode. Optimal Optimus can affix to the top fairly well without falling off.
Optimal Optimus
Robot Mode
The big fella! One of the biggest Beast Wars figures has been very well recreated here. The guns from the smaller figure can be combined into one large rifle, or else can affix to his chest to represent the weapons that the original had. Likewise the armour from his forearms can be removed and added to his shoulders to make him appear more like the original. The face sculpt is very good and, the colour scheme is well done and he has those gigantic orange signature hands. Overall pretty good.
Cyber-Gorilla Mode
“OK, I lied – I am a stink ape”
Really just the robot mode but with shortened legs and a different head. Works well on the hoverboard but you would be hard pressed to call this a proper transformation. The hoverboard can transform into a gun-toting backpack for some variety.
Cyber-Jet Mode
“I beat Victory Saber in the ‘weirdest spacecraft’ competition”
This is pretty much the robot mode lying down with the hoverboard attached to the back to add a cockpit and guns. It’s not bad, but certainly not great, I haven’t been less impressed with a Transformers flying mode since RID Twinferno.
Nemesis Hot Rod
(Please note: As I have already reviewed POTP Rodimus Prime, I will be giving an abridged review of this figure. For a more comprehensive review of this toy mould, please check out my review of Rodimus HERE)
Robot Mode
The Hot Rod of nightmares
Geez the colour works well here! I was that in love with the Unicronus mode that I didn’t think I’d pay much attention to how Hot Rod would look, but one look at that face changed my mind completely – almost makes me wish I had the cash to buy a second so I could have both the robot modes on display!
Sports Car Mode
Kit from Knightriders bad-news cousin
Really sexy! Got that evil-mirrorverse motif down-pat! Looks exactly like a macabre version of Hot Rod should look!
Rodimus Unicronus
Robot Mode
“You can tell I’m the evil twin because I have a beard”
Oh he is just cool! I’m absolutely loving the beard! You just see him and Motormaster arm-wrestling while they pound some Energon-brews in some dingy cyber-pub somewhere! Big, black, bulky – just great!
Cybertronian Winnebago Mode
What Hells Angels go touring in when they retire
Probably the least impressive of all the modes for this toy. It has the faults that Rodimus Prime has, but a lot of the cool little details are hard to see because there is too much black in the paintjob.
Overall
I can’t say I’m hugely overwhelmed by Optimal Optimus, however my son, who is vaguely aware of the existence of Beast Wars at best, can’t stop playing with him so that’s a big tick. And personally I am loving Nemesis Hot Rod/Rodimus Unicronus and plan on picking a second one up if they ever become super cheap. Both would do well to find a place in your collection.
Got anything to add to the above review? Write it in the comments section below!
How do you avoid spoilers for major movies/comics/stories etc in the age of the internet? What is an appropriate time delay before spoilers are OK in a public forum? What should be done (if anything) to those who spoil things for others?
Ah spoilers, people do tend to forget that the major word within that is ‘spoil’ don’t they eh! That by giving away the plot and/or ending they are spoiling that potential experience for someone else.
So how to avoid spoilers in the age of the internet?
The problem with major movies is that half the time the trailer IS the spoiler – they are that desperate to get you to see their flick instead of the other thousand other competing movies that come out that month, that they put in clips of all the best parts, which usually includes images of the climax of the movie! It’s a pain in the arse is what it is! So what hope have you of avoiding spoilers when even the trailers can spoil movies for you? And comics and stories aren’t much better.
So to avoid spoilers from the internet, I suggest the following:
See no spoilers. Hear no spoilers.
*Step 1: Announce to the world via social media that you will be logging off for the foreseeable future and that A: you are not dead, just uncontactable, and B: You will hurt anyone that tries to break your embargo.
*Step 2: Unplug your computer
*Step 3: Smash your smart phone
*Step 4: Fake an illness and get a month’s leave from work
*Step 5: Erect a barricade made out of old furniture and razor wire on your front lawn, leaving a small hidden Hogan’s Heroes-esque tunnel so that your kids can still go to school and your wife can still bring home food.
*Step 6: Go into the basement
*Step 7: Apply a blindfold and earplugs
*Step 8: Get your wife to feed you and empty your potty until the day of the movie/comic/story release, then get her to lead you, still in a state of sensory deprivation, to the cinema/comic/bookstore.
*Step 9: Wait until you are seated with the book in your hand or the movie is starting (NOT while the trailers for other flicks are still running) then with a prearranged signal from your spouse, remove earplugs and blindfold and enjoy your spoiler-free experience.
And the beauty is, you will probably smell so much by then that most people will want to stay the hell away, which lessens the risk of spoilers in the future.
What is an appropriate time delay before spoilers are OK in a public forum?
Six months. That’s the golden rule – six months. Unless it’s me and it’s a movie and then it’s a solid two years because that’s how long it takes me to get around to watching a flick (unless it’s Deadpool or Transformers in which case I’m there front row centre!).
What should be done (if anything) to those who spoil things for others?
They should be turned from their homes. They should be stripped naked and paraded through the streets where they can be jeered and pelted with rotted fruit by the populace at large. They should be marched up the steps of the nearest town hall where, via the medium of a car battery and a wet towel, their genitalia is repeatedly fried again and again so that they can not produce another generation that cant keep their damn traps shut!
I wish you luck Michael, in this day and age avoiding spoilers is almost an impossible feat, but with the love (and potty emptying skills) of a good woman I’m sure you will manage it somehow.
Got any other advice for Michael? Add it in the comments section below!
During the Combiner Wars toyline, many G1 fans were screaming for the line to be widened to include the creature themed gestalt groups. Well with Predaking on the way and the latest offerings available now, Power of the Primes has come through on this score. And in Wave 2 of POTP we get to see a group that was last featured in the Predacons Rising line – the Terrorcons*
(Note: There were already zombie robots called Terrocons in that line so the actual Terrorcons were referred to as ‘Predacons’ – confusing eh!)
Today we will be looking at the two first Terrorcons to be released – Rippersnapper and the Terrorcon Leader – Hun-Gurrr.
Rippersnapper
Robot Mode
“With this face and shoulder guns I’m sure to come first in the ‘Crankcase Lookalike Competition’!”
The colours are quite strong here and I like the fact that he can either have his guns mounted on his back or hold them as hand weapons. Besides that there is nothing really inspiring about the figure, since he is yet another retool of the much used CW limb mould so looks very much like every other bot. You can place his shield on his chest, but frankly that looks stupid.
Battle Mode
Land-Shark-Monster Mode
“Overbite and I go to support groups together”
A very nice update of what was a weird toy back in G1 and never made much sense. I really like the silver on his teeth that makes them stand out. His legs are moveable and do provide some poseability . As long as not looked at directly from the back, his shield actually adds some colour and bulk that works for him with the guns attached. I have no idea why his teeny bio on the back of the card refers to him as a ‘Ground Attack Specialist’ since he is supposed to be mainly a shark, albeit a bipedal one.
Battle Mode
Hun-Gurrr
Robot Mode
“If being a Terrorcon doesn’t work out, I’m going to become a ballerina”
Like the G1 toy, the robot mode suffers from being a bit bland without a great deal to recommend it. Don’t get me wrong, the proportions are fine and the colour scheme is, well, G1 accurate, but he just isn’t very striking. The arms are a bit bulky but not overly so and can have Abominus’ feet attached to them to provide arm cannons. Legs, arms and head can all be moved about with ease to put him in a variety of poses on his rather comically dainty feet.
Battle Mode
Two-Headed Dragon Mode
FREAK-ING COOL!
Wow – this is where he shines! It’s like he magically bulks up, looks like he could almost be Leader-Class rather than Voyager-Class. His necks are HUGE but can be moved about to a variety of poses and given the joints just behind the heads and at the base of the necks Hun-Gurrr can be made to take on most any pose you like! There are only two things that detract from this mode: the chest armour for Abominus is on his undercarriage and given its strong pink colour is very visible from the sides. The other is that while his back legs are big and chunky, his forelegs are tiny! They really don’t look like they belong on the same creature. The Feet/Cannons can be put on his thighs for extra firepower and look ok but not fantastic there. Despite these few quibbles, I am extremely pleased with his beast mode in general.
Battle Mode
Abominus
“‘Told ya we shouldn’t have given the other three the evening off!”
Sadly the pattern continues of them spreading Combiner Group characters over a couple of waves in order to keep you coming back to the toy isle in your local store, so so far I have only been able to make his head and arm. I’d say he is shaping up to look quite good when finished. I am extremely disappointed that the Takara Tomy versions of the Terrorcons are going to be identical to the Hasbro versions (much like Trypticon was). Part of the appeal of the Unite Warriors line was it was in many ways subtly different to Combiner Wars so you didn’t feel ripped off buying a second lot in order to have both the Gestalt and the Individual Bots for your display. One can only hope a slightly altered gift set of all 5 characters comes out one day down the line.
Fake Rubsigns
LIES!
I got such a delighted surprise when I looked upon the bonce of Rippersnapper to see a rubsign there! But very soon it became apparent it wasn’t real. I call this a tease rather than a nostalgic nod to the Cons of yesteryear.
Overall
While the robot modes are not particularly inspiring, I really dig their monster modes and if you are a G1 fanatic then it will be hard to bypass these two characters, certainly worth picking up!
Got anything to add? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
Deadpool was the movie that surprised everyone with its popularity at the box office. Not only did it out-earn the vast majority of its peer super hero movies, but received rave reviews across the board for both its humour and it’s adult take on the comic book world. So not surprisingly, this year we have been treated to Deadpool 2.
Deadpool 2 takes place not long after the end of the previous movie, with Wade and his love interest deciding to start a family. But naturally, she gets shot and killed (even before the opening credits!) and thus the stage is set for Deadpool 2 go on a journey of heartbreak and self-discovery.
First off I have to say that this is one of the few times I genuinely got choked up at a movie. I enjoyed the weird romance from the first flick and loved the character played by Morena Baccarin. So I was genuinely upset when I saw her die, and I’m not a man who has much, if any, interest in love stories usually.
Deadpool subsequently tries to kill himself, but since he is incapable of dying all he manages is to blow himself to pieces, those pieces collected by Collosus and returned to the X-Mansion where Deadpool heals his body, if not his heart.
It’s Deadpools first mission as a trainee X-man that sets up the rest of the story. They go to subdue an out of control young mutant from a orphanage, but in the process Deadpool finds that the boy has been abused so kills one of the attendants. This results in both he and the boy going to a prison where mutant abilities are subdued. Wade starts dying all over again since his healing factor no longer retards his cancer and when you think things can’t get worse, Cable shows up and starts blasting!
Cable has been around in the comics for many years as a time-travelling violent hero, but not everyone realizes that he and Deadpool have a long history together and even shared a comic series for a few years. Thus Cable was a sensible and worthy addition to the second flick and is portrayed very well. Domino is another character introduced in this movie that has been associated with Deadpool for a long time, and despite lacking the sarcasm and pale make-up she…
… you know what? Lets stop with the plot synopsis and character dissection! There are so many things that warrant inclusion and it’ll take too long!
Let’s just say this is a damn fine flick! Yes, not as great as the first one, but the first one was that fantastic that I reckon that’s forgivable. This movie is darker than it’s predecessor (and considering the first one was full of constant violence and murder that’s saying a lot) and Deadpool isn’t quite as flippant in his discourse. But his struggle to save a kid that doesn’t want to be saved works well as a plotline, there are a ton of Easter Eggs for those who are familiar with the comics and the humour and action never cease. Two stand-out scenes are definitely when Deadpool’s new X-Force meet gruesome ends not long after being introduced (and thus totally Lampooning so many other Marvel team movie titles) and when Cable comes to Blind Al’s house to find Deadpool growing back the bottom half of his body, all of his bottom half.
So I heartily recommend Deadpool 2. Ryan Reynolds has nailed it once again and it is indeed a most worthy successor to the first flick, and whatever you do don’t leave when the credits start to roll, otherwise you will miss some of the funniest post-movie sequences ever!
Rumor’s continue to fly thick and fast regarding both the robot and human cast of the upcoming Bumblebee Movie, a prequel to the successful last 5 live-action Transformer movies. However unsubstantiated reports suggest a new entry that no one saw coming.
Inside sources from Hollywood have reported that apparently Australian Singer/Actress/Model Sophie Monk has been slated to play the classic Decepticon character Octopunch.
“When casting for Octopunch, a character covered with gripping tentacles, we decided we wanted someone who was adept at really clutching at anything. Thus the first place we looked was at any celebrity who had appeared as a contestant on reality television. No one shows the skills of grasping at straws as strongly as a celebrity determined to stay in the public eye better than those people” says one unnamed source.
“We had many celebrities in mind for the role, but once we saw the 2017 version of The Bachellorette Australia staring Sophie Monk, we knew our search was at an end”
For those that do not know, Sophie Monk played the Bachelorette on Australia’s version of the well-known reality TV show, ‘pashing on’ with multiple men before she made her decision on the ‘man she truly loved’. To the surprise of few, this ‘true love’ was short lived and ended as soon as the hype about the show did, briefly getting Monk’s name back on peoples lips.
Eternal and never ending love…. for a few months.
Sophie Monk has a long history of Reality Television. She has appeared as a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia and even on Popstarsall the way back in 2000. She has posed for many men’s magazines, including FHM, Maxim and Playboy.
When asked if being associated with such a clingy character could be detrimental to an icons reputation, one studio executive said ‘Possibly, but we believe Octopunch will get over it’.
‘I’m being played by WHO?!’
Apparently Monk however was not the first choice for this role. Another Australian singer, Nikki Webster was also considered for the role.
“Webster would have been perfect for the role” stated one Hollywood insider “She shows a level of grasping desperately at chances to revive her all-but-deceased celebrity status that puts Sophie to shame”.
Nikki Webster captured Australia’s heart when she sang at the 2000 Olympics and went on to have some moderate success as a singer. However when she got older she, like Monk, started posing for men’s magazines. Instead of engendering lust in the readers, it caused a distinct uneasiness as the public still primarily saw her as that cute child who sang for the nation.
“Na” says Mick from the local RSL “Ya felt like a bloody pedo staring at the tits of that kid from the Olympics. It was creepy as!”
At least she wasn’t on a wrecking ball.
In 2001 Websters song ‘Strawberry Kisses’ did extremely well in the charts. In 2017 she re-released the song via a breakfast television show almost unnoticed, except for mild derision in some music circles for the poor attempt to add a rap element into the song.
“We thought Webster would be great to play Octopunch when she re-released that song of hers” says the unnamed source “But at least people beyond Gen X know who Monk actually is. Besides, Monk seems like she can take a joke, we were afraid that if someone said the wrong thing Webster would start ringing radio stations and abusing people”.
So is there any truth to the rumors that Sophie Monk will play Octopunch in this upcoming multi-million dollar movie? Only time will tell, but fans seem to believe given her ability to fake being in love, Monk will be perfect to play a Pretender on the big screen.
Neither Sophie Monk nor Nikki Webster have been approached for comment.
*Editors Note: Like pretty much all Pop-Goss stories online, the above article is completely fictional (the difference being we admit it!). It is written for satirical purposes only with no malice intended. Bigangrytrev.com wishes both Ms Monk and Ms Webster continuing success in their respective careers.
In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Dallas, a great bloke I was privileged to meet at the Collectormania Toy Fair last year (he even bought me a beer!). So lets chat to this fine fellow and avid collector of all things Cybertronian.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU Real name or what friends call you?
Dallas, D, big D. some of the guys on my baseball team have droppd a D-rod, or D-Train here and there. None of it really sticks.
State you live in?
NSW.
Your occupation?
Would you believe, Trained as an Aerospace Engineer, employed as a Mechanical engineer working on Boats and Submarines and trucks posing as radar targets…
Your dream job?
Drummer in a band, an internationally massive band.
Your age?
Why do you ask, is this some sort of scam?
Single/married/kids?
We’ve just been blessed with twins this last year. They are now the centre of our universe. And we’re married, just gone 9 years! We met nearly 18 years ago.
What other (non-toy) interests do you have?
Baseball.
Star Trek
Star Wars,
The Phantom
General Science fiction, some fantasy, squash, I dabble in lego from time to time.
Do you collect anything besides Transformers?
I’ve selectively picked some of the Star Trek Starships collection.
I’ve been collecting the Phantom Comic regularly since I was about 13, (with the exception of a few years while I was at uni and couldn’t afford it)
I have a hand full of Keaton Era and Batman Animated Batmobiles.
Apparently I collect drum kits as well. I have the one my parents bought me when I was 10 (it was 20 years old then), the good acoustic kit I bought in 1995 and the Electronic kit I bought after I finished uni and had a full time job.
How would you rate yourself on a C scale? With C1 being ‘Junker not worth it even for parts’ to C10 being ‘Perfection’.
C6, fairly good condition, some loose joints. Nothing a bit of spit and polish * wouldn’t fix.
Editors Note: I’ve told you about 20 times now – I’m not giving you a ‘spit polish’ no matter how many times you approach me about it!
How would you rate how sexually attracted you are to Trev? With 1 being ‘Extremely’ to 10 being ‘I dress up as Chrissy Amphlett and sing ‘I Touch Myself’ by the Divinyls into a hairbrush as I stare at the poster I have of Trev on my wall’.
It involves a Mankini *, where does that fit on the scale? Editors Note: I’m hoping it was just an educated guess on your part that I actually do have one of those!
TRANSFORMER QUESTIONS Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?
Autobot –Engineering Corps
Your Techspec motto if you had one?
Wait, What?
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?
Is there someone that’s a cross between Jazz and Wheeljack?
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?
Skywarps teleportation, we love to travel and that would take so much of the shitty bits out of it.
Fan/Collector since (year)?
1984-85 I’m pretty sure it was that Christmas that I got my first two transformers. There have been periods when I wasn’t an avid collector or even aware that there was a series on tv.
What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?
I can’t remember, it’s so long ago. Probably the excitement of giant robots and the Robots in Disguise element, still the best gimmick of the line.
I slowly lost interest towards the end of G1 and G2. I remember seeing all the G2 stuff with these huge stickers on them that ruined the ‘robots in disguise’ concept. Like the G2 Optimus that had the massive sticker down its side with his name emblazoned in big bright lettering on an otherwise black truck. The G2 show disappointed me as well, I was looking for new shows/stories not just the original show re-edited. I remember how excited I was when I saw the CG intro, and then how devastated I was when I saw that it was just the old cartoon. For years I lost touch with the brand, not through lack of interest but through lack of knowing anything existed. I kind of missed beast wars, when it was on TV, I didn’t like that they had moved away from vehicles and that they were re-using the names of characters without them being the same characters. I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just give them a new name? I’d visit toy sections every once in a while through late high school and Uni but never felt any attraction to the toys for these reasons. Names of G1 characters being applied to toys that bore no resemblance to the character as I knew it, and mostly vehicles that could not be considered ‘normal enough to be in disguise’ anywhere. I don’t think I even realised that RID 1.0 or the Unicron Trilogy were actual shows. My collecting started again in 2005 when I was out of Uni, had a full time job and found out about these things called Alternators. I bought some from eBay and Casefresh. They were incredible, then I saw the Masterpiece line. As an Aero Engineer, the MP starscream was the most stunning transformers toy I’d ever seen. A colleague saw him on my desk once and thought it was a legit model aircraft. I got back in to mainline toys when the ‘generations’ line started creating new moulds reimagining G1 characters. I’ve been collecting steadily ever since.
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?
It’s quite likely that I will in some capacity, though there has to be limits. I can’t imagine the space needed to store and display transformers collected over a 120 year period. Editors Note: You are gonna live 120 years?! You must eat a frag of a lot of kale!
Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?
My first transformers came to me from my parents (Mum did all the Christmas purchasing) and Santa Claus. So in that respect yes, supported. Over time my Dad hasn’t quite understood the long running interest. He’s generally not said much but once in a while he’s dropped a comment indicating what a waste of money he thinks it is.
In Primary school Transformers were the business so there was no hiding, the only frustration I had was someone stealing Thundercrackers rocket launchers from my bag after lunch once.
The rest of my family, even married into family seem to accept it if not support it. My sister just went to Japan and asked for a shopping list before she went.
My friends and colleagues vary in their acceptance. Some get it and are as bad as me with other types of collections, others just don’t understand. My wife was a bit misled as when we met I wasn’t actively collecting, it was only after we’d been going out for several years when my interest in collecting was reignited that she saw that side of me. Long before we tied the knot though.
I don’t believe in hiding my passions and interests it defines who I am. I do filter them a bit from time to time though.
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?
Have I ever! I’ve been to Botcon 2011 and 2014. I had a great time at both, probably the biggest highlights of my experiences as a collector.
I used to go regularly to the Parramatta collector fair and the post-fair breakfast at the Westfield. I now mainly go to the Penrith fair, it’s a bit of a hike but there are a few good stalls and a lot of others generally turn up so some good chats are had.
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?
I have always liked creativity. I dabble a bit in drawing, though I realise I’m pretty bad at it.
I have done some designs that I’ve had made on shapeways, they didn’t pass the prototype stage but I thought they were solid concepts and if the CAD package I’d been using hadn’t had a 30 day trial limit on it, I might have continued dabbling in that. I have a whole lot more ideas in my head and on paper. Keep an ear to the ground for a company called ******* toys, if it ever happens, chances are it will be me and my buddy, Myself.
Customising class – Botcon
I participated in the Custom class at Botcon both times I went. I really enjoyed it and it gave me a good understanding of the structure of transformers. That gave me the confidence to pull apart a few here and there and fix internal damage or change something.
I have a lot of plans for creative stuff. I have a couple spare deluxe Airachnids from TF-Prime, I plan on modding one up to have the right number of legs. I have a couple Revoltech Starscreams, I need a third so I can repaint two into the other two seekers. It’s not something I want to spend a lot of money on though and those things are expensive.
I have a big thing for creative/dynamic displays, shoulder to shoulder displays are great for saving space but they are often over crowded and very static. It feels like a waste to have all these awesome figures that are so articulated and not have them posed doing something. (Saying that, Sinnertwin has a very well organised display with bots standing in columns and rows and his collection room is almost breathtaking.). My display is often spread out, with many bots in alt mode and others facing off across the shelf. I try to augment my displays with interesting risers and backgrounds. The DOTM leader box internal sleeve was good for this. I have one as a background in my display cabinet at the moment. This last week I finally went to throw out the stock cooler for my CPU that I bought in 2009, I realised that under all the crappy fan cowling plastic there was a nice solid flat heat sink. I’ve kept that bit and plan on using it in a display in the future. I have manufactured some risers out of left over polycarbonate from work and some stand-offs from eBay. I also have some aluminium structures left over from prototypes that I have or plan to modify into risers and stands for my display. It will need some paint, sometimes there is a fine line between looking interesting and other worldly and looking like you’ve been picking through someone else’s rubbish. I have purchased a number of display panels (the machine robo nests and the recent Zeta EX display stands that ToyBotImportz were stocking. I haven’t incorporated them yet but I’ve started touching them up with gundam markers to add some colour and they’ll be getting added to the display at some point.
Favourite series/era/year, and why?
I’m always going to be a G1 fan, that’s where it all started for me and it’s the baseline for my expectations of modern interpretations of characters.
But, the series I’ve enjoyed the most was Transformers Prime, outstanding design, excellent show from so many perspectives and an outstanding toy line. Imagine being a 10 year old and having that as your G1!
Least favourite series/era/year, and why?
That would have to be the Unicron Trilogy, I didn’t even realise it was on TV at the time. Probably because I was at Uni and for a few years didn’t even have a TV. But at the same time, I was perusing the toy isles at the time and the toys just didn’t appeal. I’ve always felt, if you’re going to make a new character, in a new show that has a different personality, different strengths/weaknesses and abilities you should give that character a new name, not re-use the name of a character from an earlier interpretation of the franchise *. I get the whole different universe’ thing and generally accept it, a lot more now than I used to.
Editors Note: I agree with this 100%!
Collect any comics (which ones)?
YES.
In the G1 era I didn’t even know they made transformers comics. My interest in comics started when I was a young fella delivering papers for the local newsagent. They’d let me read them in the shop after I’d finished my round. I became a collector of the Phantom comics, still am. I saw my first transformers comic at Comic Kingdom in Sydney in the late 90’s. I was very excited but at the same time confused, it was a G2 comic and didn’t seem to have any relationship to the re-hash tv show. I bought it anyway.
I then was super excited when I saw a digest style transformers comic at the supermarket. I bought that and then chased down all the Dreamwave Trades and the singles that never made it into trade. I have since never stopped. I collect trades, it’s more affordable, I prefer reading the stories in larger chunks and with less advertising. They also look better on the shelf. I’ve picked up all the TFCC comics and even went out of my way to get hold of the TFcon TF Animated comic that was released last year.
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?
Probably the first issue of the Dreamwave G1 comics, seeing those characters in vibrant artwork with a story after all those years was a joyful moment. I missed Dreamwave when they fell apart. I had no idea at the time and hate Pat Lee for the way he treated his employees but I enjoyed the art, it was vibrant and colourful and while the style was unrealistic I felt it was very polished and clean. I’ve never been a fan of scratchy looking artwork in comics, I thought the early IDW work felt unfinished.
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?
The G1 episode where Jazz in car mode cranks out a super funky tune that disrupts the Decepticons. It was a type of music I’d never heard before, I thought, if this is Jazz, I need to find more Jazz. Turns out it was more of a funk/rock. But I have grown to love many different types of music from the drive to discover more music that this episode ignited.
Favourite Video/Board game and why?
Probably the Fall of Cybertron game. Great fun from start to finish and a more polished gameplay than the War for Cybertron.
Favourite Character, and why?
I’ve always liked Jazz, the attitude, the stylings of his alt mode, the G1 toy was a standout for me, being a fairly different transformation to so many of the other early autobots.
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?
I honestly find sexifying transformers, or other franchises, kind of weird and uncomfortable. I’d never turn up in the Boudoir wearing a transformers Mankini and expect the missus to get excited. Editors Note: Make the Mankini metallic with gun-ports – that might rev her engine!
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?
Most definitely Jazz, then we could Jam!
Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc)?
I honestly have no idea. When I was a kid I counted my G1 collection as some number around 120. Since then I’ve collected a bunch more G1 toys/reissues. I’ve collected every mould and some remoulds/repaints of the Masterpiece line and the Alternators/Binaltech line. I’ve been collecting Generations toys since the time they stopped just repainting Unicron trilogy toys and started actually making dedicated new moulds for classic characters. I tend to have at least one of every mould type. I have two complete sets and 2 mostly complete sets of Botcon toys and I’ve collected a lot of Movie toys since 2007, again generally having one of most mould types of the main line of scout/Deluxe/Voyager and Leader toys. I have the entire cast of animated, Prime and RID. I’m going to have a ballpark guess and say somewhere around the 1500 mark. It’s literally over 25 years since I did a collection count.
Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?
My general intent is to be an out of package collector, there are caveats though. I collect faster than I seem to open transformers. Part of the driver for this is that I have limited display space so generally when something is opened it replaces something else on display. So I have a lot of sealed stuff that is patiently waiting for its time in the sun/artificial light.
Some things, like the TF Prime New York Comic Con exclusive pack with Bumblebee and Arcee have stayed in package since they look so good like that and I have both moulds otherwise.
How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?
I honestly don’t want to think about it. I could probably buy a very nice car with the money that I’ve collectively spent on transformers over the last 20 -30 years.
Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?
Probably the rarest would be Botcon 2011 Custom Class Minerva. The most expensive would be the Mega Action Series Optimus Prime, actually no a G1 Skorponok that I bought several years ago, in excellent condition, I think I paid about $280 for that.
The Chevy Aveo Swerve that was released years ago, I picked one up at Botcon 2011.
What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?
Mega Action Series Optimus, soon to be joined by Mega action series Megatron. One day they will be the centrepiece of my display space.
I still have my metal food tray from when I was a youngster that has the stunning box art of Metroplex on it. I have a stunning Beanie that I bought from BBTS that has the Decepticon Logo on it, it’s exceptionally good quality being a New Era product. The Transformers Legacy book has my name in it, I sent the Author a bunch of High res scans of some of my original toy boxes that he was having trouble procuring original art for.
First Transformers toy?
As mentioned above, I received Thundercracker and Skids at the same Christmas, I can’t tell you which one I opened first.
One toy you most want?
This is a tricky one, I’ve done a good job of buying some representation (Either reissue or good condition 2nd hand) of a lot of the big ticket G1 toys, especially the western characters. I had no knowledge of the existence of a lot of the Japanese characters until more recently (In the last 10 -15 years). So unless it was in a G1 show or toy catalogue here in Australia, my drive to collect other toys is a little lower than others. I’d like a G1 Overlord. Some of the bigger MicroMaster base toys.
If this was a hypothetical question, I’d want a Masterpiece Jazz. Now.
The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?
It’s not even on display at the moment but I really do love the MP-04 Optimus prime. I really like the recent Masterpiece Inferno and other recent G1 masterpiece toys. They all look so good and are a lot of fun, many of the ones from the teens have had articulated hands added to them making them a fair bit more expressive.
Favourite toy in your early years of collecting (if it was more than 10 years ago)?
Thundercracker and Skids hold a special place in my heart, and always will but again, G1 Jazz was unique amongst his peers and was a favourite. However, now that I think about it, Skids must have been a favourite as my original is so worn out it won’t hold together at the waist any more.
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?
I think the Dark of the moon Ravage variants are definitely in the top 5. They are flimsy, the plastic feels cheap, especially when compared to other movie toys at the time and it transforms into a lump of robot cat. It’s representation of the screen character is OK detail wise but it’s not fun in the slightest. I do feel that it’s a victim of the movie script however. The 2007 movie Scorponok is a close second, at least it has markings that look like it could be part of a helicopter.
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?
The Ravage above, I expected it to be shit and even though I bought it on special I was still disappointed with it.
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?
I’ve always felt that Transformation is the best Gimmick of the transformers toy line. I get so much enjoyment out of a transformer that has two clean modes and an elegant transformation.
Having said that, I really like light piping when it’s done well, but I also really like well-defined eyes that aren’t light piped (Generations Deluxe Warpath is an excellent example).Gimmicks that inhibit the transformation or muddy the appearance of one mode or other of the toy irritate me. I much prefer a leader/Ultra/Voyager toy that doesn’t have a huge box at its core full of electronics because I feel that sort of thing greatly inhibits the freedom of the transformation design. The same often applies to deluxes that are forced to keep a space available for a cockpit. I feel that that’s one of the greatest pitfalls of the headmaster concept. Having a removable head allows for the transformation to not need to accommodate it, but instead it has to accommodate a cockpit space that is often bigger than the head. I think that was best handled by the Fans project Smart Robin (Brainstorm), an inspired but simple transformation design.
Non-convertible transformers are something that I used to not really like/understand. Especially statues. I picked up some statues from BBTS years ago on clearance and I have to say I really like them. I have a hard time justifying spending much on them because, ‘they don’t transform’. But, statues and action figures can achieve appearances that traditional transforming toys cannot. They can look a lot more like the on screen/page appearance. They don’t feature much in my collection but I definitely have some and will be getting more.
Thoughts on unlicensed fan-project figures/accessories?
I was initially very cold on the idea of complete ‘indie’ transformers inspired figures. All the usual arguments about IP applied but I also felt that there were problems with essentially non-professional designers making engineering decision on products that require very detailed rigorous engineering. This was highlighted for me on one of the very early Megatron figures that used clear plastic in the ratchets for its knees. I was able to handle someone’s brand new figure at a meetup and just picking it up I could see small flecks of clear red plastic around the knees, I quickly put it down without moving the legs. Design work like that, clearly not taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of mating materials is pretty bad, especially on product that costs more than $100. Other things that irritated me about ‘Indie’ transformers for a long time and often still does is the lack of finish on a figure. If you pick up an official toy, and have a very close look at the corners and edges, you’ll see that nearly every single one has a small chamfer or radius on it (unless it mates with another part to create a smooth surface), it’s not a sharp edge. This is a sign of good finished design. It takes a lot of time to apply that sort of finish to a complex CAD model but the completed appearance is much less harsh looking and also has other benefits of being easier to manufacture the moulds and allowing for easier part release, less opportunity for plastic deformation as a result of different areas of a part cooling down at different rates. It also feels smoother in hand and allows for better tolerance in the motion between parts that swing past each other, though this is minor it also reduces the opportunity for edges to burr when they do contact. Very many early Indie toy designs didn’t have this and many still don’t.
That all being said, I have the original city commander armour that Fans Project released and I like it a lot, it definitely has issues, some born of the above discussion. Is it ‘redundant’ now that I have the more recent Takara IDW inspired Magnus, I’m not sure. It’s certainly going to keep a place in my collection at the moment.
I really like Indie additions to existing HasTak product, they often flesh out the figure in a way that may not have been realistic for the original product, even if it’s as simple as a bigger sword or the inclusion of a gun. I do find that a lot of the more recent add on kits, especially for the combiners are way overpriced to the point of lunacy. If you compare some of the recent add on kits, for part count and complexity against entire masterpiece ‘scale’ or style Indi transformers and then compare the price the ratio isn’t close to equivalent. Plastic makes up a very small amount of the cost of a toy, just look up the cost of a few kilos of raw plastic pellets and you’ll see what I mean. These kits often have a lot of unnecessary parts that I personally wouldn’t want, to essentially ‘value add’ and justify a higher price tag.
I also really like that there is a lot of choice because of the Indie companies, and product available that would otherwise never be made by Hasbro. I’m talking about the DJD that MMC have developed, I can’t see HasTak releasing a transformer that turns into an electric/torture chair. I also have caved and bought the Fans toys Dinobots and a few other third party figures that I didn’t think HasTak would ever be able to justify. Some of those I was wrong, but at the same time I can’t seem to bring myself to pick a favourite and get rid of the other. I’ve been very selective with my Indie purchases because they are expensive and its money that I could be spending on official product. As a result most of the Indie product I have is fairly well designed and manufactured and most of it is unique, at least for the moment.
Thoughts on the Transformers Brand over the last five years?
The transformers brand has gone from strength to strength over the last 15 years. Over the last 5 it may have waned a little with the loss of popularity in the movies and associated toys. I have been frustrated by the lack of broad cast product from the movies, especially the last knight. So many Decepticons that should have had a toy representation, especially when compared against the random non-existent characters and repaints from the first two movies in the series.
I’m still dirty that we didn’t get a three pack of dreads with an identical alt mode and three different transformations and bot modes. I hope they find a production house to make another game as good as the War for and Fall of Cybertron series. The amount of choice that still exists between main line toy show, kids show product and collector oriented lines is astounding. I only hope it continues. I would like to see more of the ‘modern update’ designs for G1 and later characters rather than the ‘original toy with articulation ‘approach.
Which single TFs toy should every fan own?
yes
That really depends on the person doesn’t it? Where their interests lay. Car, Truck, Gorilla, Dinosaur, Jet, biplane, futuristic other worldly race car. All of these things are very different and that’s part of what’s so awesome about the transformers brand. I could probably recommend a favourite of each but I’ve already waffled on enough. Generations Warpath.
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?
That’s a tricky one, some of the previous answers to this question have been quite romantic and I wouldn’t have thought of them. Perhaps a version of Hound or Jazz, characters who even though they are good at war, their main drive is appreciation of the beauty around them be it physical in terms of flora and fauna or more spiritual in the form of music and companionship/mateship.
FAN Questions
BigAngryTrev Question: I really enjoyed meeting you at both Collectormania and the Hasbro Sneak Peak last year. Do you find a lot of your toys and figures at these kinds of meets? Or do you usually do your TF shopping in stores and/or online?
Well thank you, I too enjoyed the company of the Enigmatic Trev.
I have a habit of wanting to buy something when I go to an event like Collectormania. The old Parramatta fair was particularly ‘bad’ for this because I’d want to have something with me for the get together in the food court afterwards. I ended up bringing a new toy from home that I hadn’t opened yet, in case nothing piqued my interest at the fair proper. When I was at Botcon those two times, I bought a whole lot of Transformers, luckily when the customs officials ask what’s in the box and you say toys, they dismiss them as not having much value…
Normally my collecting is mixed between bricks and mortar and Online. Primarily these days, I buy online between a couple local companies and overseas for Japanese and some “Indie” product. I would buy more at shops but online is often cheaper, than even the sales.
Seraphim Question:How do balance collecting and being a new dad?
I don’t. I try to but, invariably a lot of my personal time has disappeared. Most of my online shopping happens at lunch times at work, I get less shopping time and when I do I feel like I’m letting the team down by not doing something for the kids or my wife. I have a stash of unopened toys and unread comics in the ‘office/study/music room’ and also in the corner next to the couch in the lounge. This gives me the opportunity to open something up and play with it while we’re watching an hour of TV in the evening between our chores and trying to get some sleep.
Mayza Question – As the twins are now 1, when do you plan on introducing them to Transformers and which series?
They have already been exposeexposed. I have watched most of Transformers RID in the lounge, where they play most of the time. Often early on the weekend when I have taken the kids out of their cots after waking up so they don’t disturb their mum. Once fed and changed we have a play in the lounge and I’ll put on something that my wife doesn’t like to watch, Transformers, Star Trek, Agents of Shield, the Orville. It sometimes takes an hour and a half to watch an episode if the kids are cranky or need extra attention but I get there. They generally don’t ‘pay much heed to what’s on the TV yet but they do perk up from time to time, especially with the younger target audience animated stuff.
Once they are a bit older, I’ll be making the G1 Series available to them, I have all of the available Rescue bots on DVD, and by the time they are old enough I’ll have all the recent RID as well, as its released in season box sets.
Trent Question: As nerds, we already face ridicule and mockery from general society by essentially being grown men who collect/play with toys.*How do you then face the “double whammy” that also comes from being a drummer? I mean, as a toy collecting skin beater you must be the butt of every joke that you hear! Editors Note:What’s this ‘we’ you speak of paleface?
They’re called heads, you Musical Luddite. Drum heads, only people that don’t know what they’re talking about call them skins.
Question: Also, I have garnered that space is a significant issue for you and as such a majority of your collection is in storage. Do you think that most of your collection will remain in plastic tubs for the rest of your life or do you have a plan? A vision? A goal? And do you see that goal as realistically being achieved before you grow sick of the hobby?
I don’t understand ‘grow sick of the hobby’ can you re-phrase the question?
Well, yes, at the moment we are in a 3 bedroom apartment with a lot of stuff. I admit a lot of it is mine, between collecting transformers and having 2 drum kits. And two kids worth of stuff. We have a lot of stuff.
I would love a ‘collection room’ but have come to realise from seeing the struggle of others, and how much space a collection like Griffins takes up, that even a small bedroom converted into a collection room probably isn’t a big enough space.
I would one day like a decent size mancave space to put my collection in and display it but it would have to be a space where I had some sort of central volume/area that I could use for a more dynamic display, something I could pose the figures on rather than just having them all in cabinets. I think I will probably always have some element of my collection in storage, I just hope that in the long run, we move into a place that has room for the majority of it to be on display rather than in storage. I will probably have to do a cull eventually but it will be a struggle. (Not pictured, 6 large plastic bins and 3 epic BBTS boxes full of opened and unopened transformers respectively.)
Carlo Question: Is Botcon (though gone now) something that every Aussie TF fan should go to/experience once? Equivalent of TF Mecca or is buying the toys enough?
I would say that it’s something that most dedicated fans should try to attend. It’s a very expensive venture and to make it worth the trouble of international travel you really need to do the full ticket that the show has to offer and try to experience as much of the event as you can. The closest thing now would be Hascon or TF con, one being official and the other more dedicated specifically to Transformers with a strong bent towards the Indie scene. If I was overseas around the time of a TF Con, or even Hascon I would try to fit it into my trip.
The script reading panel. Actors from G1, and Rescue bots. As for buying toys, when the Aussie dollar was close to parity the dealer room was a veritable Transformers Mecca. Many lines available at US prices, so cheap compared to here and a lot of ‘antique’ older line transformers available from some sellers. I didn’t do the numbers but Griffin has commented in the past that the dollar value he saved on all the toys he purchased while on a Botcon trip pretty much met the cost of his flight. Probably the best purchase I made at a Botcon was the Hard Hero Devastator bust for $15. MISB. I haven’t opened it yet so I hope it’s not full of bricks.
Question: If your kids aren’t interested in TF , what will you do with your toys in the future?
I don’t have any plans to stop collecting, and while it will be a bit saddening that I can’t share my biggest hobby with them, I will enjoy it like I do now and probably one day sell a lot so it’s easier to get rid of when I eventually move on to be one with the Allspark.
Michael Question: Dallas, you seem like such an amiable, friendly and positive guy online. Let us see a little bit more of your “dark side” – What are your pet peeves? (TF related or otherwise). What really burns your biscuits? What makes you see red? Editors Note: Squirrels! He stomps squirrels to death – I’ve seen it!
The term Lazy Design. This is one of the most bullshit descriptions I see in comments or reviews on toys. People don’t get into toy design to make money, they get into toy design, because they love designing, or they love toys or both. It’s a rude thoughtless label. I can guarantee you that the reason there is an apparent design flaw in a toy is because of budgetary or time constraints most likely enforced by someone who has no idea of the effort required to design something properly from scratch.
Litterers: I don’t care how busy you are, or how far it is to a bin, there’s no reason to leave your garbage behind, be it food wrappers, cigarette butts, gum. You’re selfish laziness is just creating work for others, or it’s getting into the environment causing problems. So much of our rubbish doesn’t break down.
People parking in visitor spaces: Our apartment complex has 98 apartments and 25 visitor spots. Nearly always all taken up by residents who all have at least one and many have either a double length garage or two garages. I have family visit from all over the country and they often can’t get a park. I feel that guests should be given priority, mine or someone else’s.
Pro tip, I’m a pretty friendly guy, but don’t get on my bad side. It’s a short list but once you’re on there, getting back over the fence is extremely hard.
Just Chillin’ Question: You and your partner have been together for a long period of time now (congrats ), so my questions is: How did she react when she found out you collect these little plastic toys? and as a follow up: how does she react now when you bring a new one home?
Wife/Girlfriend, she hates the term Partner, we don’t run a business together. 😉
We met in late 2000. She had a pretty good idea I was a nerd from the get go. We both worked at the Coles not far from the university campus and one night, while I was working she bought up her flatmate to check me out. Her flatmate popped her head around the end of the isle and turned around and burst out laughing!! ‘That’s the president of Spocksoc” I was at the time the president of the Campus Science Fiction, Fantasy and Animation club. Her flatmate knew because she had been to our Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenings. I wasn’t collecting at the time but as mentioned above I started again when I was not long out of uni and Alternators were hitting the market.
These days we keep 10% of our incomes to ourselves to do with as we please (it also helps hide how much we spend on each other for gifts). So there’s never any complaining about spending ‘our money’ as it’s only ever used for the household. However given the aforementioned space issues, when I come home with a large order from somewhere or if a few parcels turn up in the space of a week, I occasionally get comments like’ where is that going to go’ and to be fair they are warranted. I’m starting to think I am going to have to do a big cull of boxes because they are taking up too much garage.
Thank you all for the questions, I’ve really enjoyed answering them!
Got any more questions for Dallas? Pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them!
