In what could be said to be one of the biggest toy events in Transformers history and perhaps the most anticipated Transformers toy of all time, we have the biggest official Transformer figure of all time – Unicron! Yes The Chaos Bringer has finally shipped out to all those all over the world lucky enough to be able to afford this behemoth, and he does not disappoint! So lets have a look at what the ultimate evil looks like in his 27 inches of glory.
Planet Mode
Frick-en HUGE! The main body of the planet is bigger than a soccer ball, and his halo of struts makes him absolutely massive! The sheer scale of this figure really does dwarf everything that has come before. The colours are spot on and the amount of detail with the spikes around the midsection, the different strata of layers and the planet jaws that open and close are just beautiful. Yes its essentially a big (expensive) ball which limits its playability and poseability but that’s OK – this is the ultimate display piece and mainly for looking at and going ‘wow – just wow’.
To make up for the lack of playability in planet mode Unicron’s head comes detached (like it was at the end of TF:TM and in S3) and has a few features of its own. You can change the beard and you can change the face as well to the battle smashed version. Or you can remove the face all together and swivel those creepy eyes around. The Head comes with it’s own display stand like the main figure, and also has an Autobot ship as well as a tiny Rodimus & Galvatron to round it out.
Robot Mode
Again we get to see the scale of Unicron here, so much bigger than even the biggest of Titan toys. The amount of detail put into this figure is staggering, Haslab going above and beyond to make him resemble his animated appearance as much as possible. He has great articulation for such a huge figure and nearly every part of Unicron has movement; the neck, waist, knees, elbows, feet, wrists and so on all have different degree’s of swivel and articulation. By keeping Unicron on the stand you can pose him however you wish, even the legs in stances which would let a normal toy fall over. The articulation of the fingers on each hand is unprecedented, with every finger having 3 points of movement.
There has been a great deal of discussion about all the kibble. Most of this can be removed. However I like to leave it on, for me it shows that this really is a functioning Transformer that can be changed into a different configuration – its not simply a statue. His backpack is not a major downside for me and neither are his calves. The skeletal wings really polish off what is a massively impressive figure.
Transformation
Get yourself a coffee and some snacks because you are going to be there a while. The first time you do it will probably take you the best part of an hour. The majority of this time is taken up with folding all the layers of the planet shell on top of each other to form the backpack and calves. The inner robot is fairly simplistic and will present no challenges. At no point did I find any part of the transformation overly fiddly and when you finally get him in robot mode that first time you may well feel a true sense of satisfaction. According to blog-fan Trent, a good way to keep track of how to transform him back to planet mode is to take photo’s throughout the initial transformation – this helps you remember where everything was at different stages and reverse the process, though getting those planet panels back into position can be quite fiddly and awkward at times.
Overall
Unicron is a big fella and came with a big price tag (which has already been eclipsed by the new auto-transforming Optimus toy). With only 12000 units made, we are already seeing Unicron’s on ebay going for 3 times what they cost. Personally I bought two for my different displays and kind of wish I’d bought a 3rd so I could now sell it to pay for the other two. Is he perfect? No. The inner chomper walls of the planet should have been painted silver as should his lower teeth. The transformation to planet mode can be irritating at stages. Also some extras such as lighting for the eyes and outer ring would have been appreciated, as well as would have a detachable leg like in the movie. The backpack does detract from the way he looks from the back and many may not like the calves. However on the whole this is a brilliant figure that will easily become the crowning centerpiece of any Transformer collectors collection!
Dallas:Just assembling the planet mode out of the box required separating a lot of panels. It’s awkward to manage because of its sheer massive size. The way all the ring components assemble, the spike strips install and lock in place and the shell components separate and reintegrate speaks of well thought out elegant engineering. The fact that it’s been designed to allow transformation on the stand indicates a real understanding of the intended use, anyone who says they can transform this thing without the stand is talking out their arse.
Orion: It’s awesome – biggest Transformer ever! And Dad let me transform his butt!
Jason:The missus gave an almighty headshake when she saw me come home with a box that size!
Got your own thoughts about this giant figure? Pop them in the comments section below!
It’s been a few months since the last installment, but we have another entry in the ever popular Transformer Fan Interviews! In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Trent, a good bloke who is always willing to help a mate out with a sought toy, or provide some online sparring to entertain and amuse.
Name and/or nicknames: – Trent
Family? Yes
Career? Tiny cog in the ever churning capitalist machine
How would you rate yourself on a C scale, C10 being MISB Mint perfection, to the lowest C1 ‘junker not worth it even for parts’? C6 – 99% complete but has significant wear in joints and stickers are faded. It would also appear that there are no reprolabels available for my model.
How would you rate your attraction to Big Angry Trev? With one being ‘very’ to 10 being ‘I purposely shave my head and paint a red dot on top in the hopes Trev mistakes it for a giant breast and lavishes it with his tongue’? – Sorry. I’m not attracted to overcooked lobster.
Editor’s Note: Smarmy arsehole
Fan/Collector since (year)? So, I was thinking about this a few weeks ago. I was trying to figure out when I got my first Transformer. The earliest TF memory I have was of stealing a G1 Hot Rod from the kid that lived across the street. He brought it over to play with and I thought it was so awesome that I hid it under my bed and he went home having forgot about it. My elaborate ruse came undone however when I took it to school and the taxi driver noticed that my shiny new Hot Rod was the same as the shiny new Hot Rod that the kid across the road had lost. So I sadly marched over to his house and proclaimed that I had found it under the lounge! Hooray!! After that I recall a G1 Optimus and Ultra Magnus showing up as well as a Kup. It kinda snowballed from there. I stopped collecting once I hit year 6 or so and agreed to sell all my TFs to assist with some family financial troubles.
I watched a bit of Beast Wars when I was a teenager but it wasn’t until my 20’s when I saw an Armada Starscream in K-Mart that my interest rekindled. I loved that Starscream and still have it today. I collected quite the number of Armada, Cybertron, G1 reissues and so forth but stored them all at my mother-in-law’s place when we bought our first home. It wasn’t until some years later I went back to get them that I realised she threw them all out without even asking me. While at the time I was beyond pissed these days I don’t hold it against her though as they are just things, not people. These days I collect a bit of everything. MP, G1, Generations, Cyberverse, third party, whatever tickles my fancy really.
Transformers Allegiance, if you had one? I suppose it’d be Autobot? Being a Decepticon seems like a lot of effort. Like Megatron would expect you to do things, and not pay you overtime for it. Optimus seems a bit more laid back. Like he’d let you take of early on Friday and would understand if you threw the occasional sicky on a Monday.
Your Techspec motto if you had one? Megatron can kiss my shiny metal @*$!
Editor’s Note: Referencing Whirl referencing Bender? Very meta.
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you? G1 Outback
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself? Mirage’s invisibility. Maybe then I could get a minute of peace and quiet.
What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector? Giant fighting robots that transform. I’m a bit of an engineering nerd. I’m not an engineer, because that would be a horrible job. But cool engineering of any kind fascinates me and I have a very logical brain. So I view them as a sort of 3D puzzle.
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die? I ask myself this a lot. I’ve been through enough up and down collecting phases that I’m not too bothered when I get a bit bored with the franchise. In fact I’m probably not at my most interested right now. I have a ton of unopened TFs and my displays are in a bit of disarray. However I know I’ll come back around. And my son is obsessed with TFs and playing games with him is seriously one of the highlights of my life. But will there be a time to get out of the hobby? I’m not one who sees this hobby as an investment. If you think you’re gonna cash out of this hobby ahead or even anywhere near equal are you need to go speak to a financial advisor and prepare yourself for a shock. But that’s not why I do it. I buy them because I think they’re really neat. And as long as I enjoy them, then I’ll keep them. I think my son will happily take my collection when I die and that would be the best possible outcome for me. As it is he’s become somewhat of a TF collector himself and the grand old age of 6. He’s particularly into toy photography and he’s not bad at it. I’ve added a few of his photos for a bit of fun.
The kids got talent!
Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)? Maybe 6 people at work know. I don’t advertise it. I work in a blue collar industry and while I don’t care what other people think of me, I also don’t see the point of making my life harder than it has to be. Because while some of my colleagues are great people, they’re old school and if they found out I collected toys, there’d be no malice in it, but I’d literally hear about it every single work day until they all retired or I left because I work with some BIG personalities.
Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends? Family aren’t worth squat if you have to hide who you are from them. My dad kinda rolls his eyes and grumbles at the money I sometimes spend but he’s cool. My mum usually notices when I add new ones to my displays and asks me about them. My brothers are cool too.
Editors Note: I get the feeling Trent’s son approves of his hobby as well
What does your partner think of your hobby? My wife is the most awesome person ever. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive partner even though she’s not into any of my “Nerd Stuff” as she calls it. She bought me that Armada Starscream all those years ago and more recently, when I was worried about the cost, told me if I didn’t preorder the HasLab Unicron, she’d do it herself. I sometimes feel really bad because she doesn’t collect anything. So I make sure when something does catch her eye, she gets it.
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions? Been to lots of Paramatta Toy Fairsover the years. I don’t live in Sydney so it’s always a bit of a hike for me to get to these things. Been to a few Penrith fairsbut my god! I don’t go that far on holiday so I only went to them on occasion. And now with COVID canning everything I haven’t seen anyone all year. I do have a chat group with a few fellow TF collectors and that has actually grown into solid friendships with all of them so that is great. We are always there to chat with one another and they have helped me through a few rough times, if only by making me laugh.
Editor’s Note: Back atcha buddy
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)? I did draw an Optimus Prime the other day. We had a new appliance delivered and my son wanted the box to turn into an art space. I’d just like to let IDW know that I am available and that I’m sure we can work out a mutually agreeable fee.
Favourite series/era/year, and why? The default answer is G1. I grew up with it, it’s what started it all and it still permeates every part of the franchise to this day. But to leave that as my answer would be a disservice to the franchise. I think there are so many good stories and toys that the franchise has put out over it’s life that they need a mention. Animated would be the one that comes to the forefront of my mind. It was so divisive when it came out. The new aesthetic and take of the story was a radical departure from what had come before and even I didn’t like it at first. But it grew on me and now my animated figures are a highlight of my collection.
And as a subgroup, even though it is G1, I can’t not mention Micromasters. Any TF fans with kids will know what I’m talking about. They are just so much fun and so easy. Once you add in the big sets like Skystalker or Countdown, maybe throw in a G1 Fort Max as a base and watch your kids play, or even play with them, you really have distilled the whole franchise down into its purest form.
Collect any comics? I collect the collected IDW editions. I’m about 5 years behind but slowly catching up. On my ipad I have read up until around the time that Megatron defeats the DJD and just haven’t had the time to go back to them to finish them, but I will.
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why? I love Autobot Megatron in MTMTE. The idea of a reformed genocidal maniac responsible for the deaths of billions of beings across the galaxy getting stuck on a ship sharing command with an egotistical brat, an almost OCD second-in-command and a crew of clowns on a quest is a marvellous concept. The way James Robert’s was able to set the light, humorous tone but also incorporate moments in which the gravity of who Megatron was and what he had done was fully realised by the reader was great writing.
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why? I, like everyone else, was always partial to Call of the Primatives. I wish the whole series could have been animated to that level.
Favourite Character, and why? My favourite character has always been Ultra Magnus. I have a strong suspicion that the G1 UM was the first TF I ever got. And I loved it. I remember playing with it and taking it everywhere. I even kept it in its box.
You can imagine my disappointment then when nearly every iteration of Magnus throughout the franchise has been, in my opinion, a chump. G1 Magnus was this hulking, powerful bot yet hardly ever did anything of value. Animated UM was an arrogant tool, only outdone by Jerky McJerkface himself. The original Marvel run saw him have a very cool story however it eventually led to a very unsatisfying end. IDW MTMTE was good and his latest iteration, the Netflix Siege version, had a decent ark I suppose but still didn’t live anywhere near up to the expectations 5 year old me had.
I’ve always wanted to see Magnus as a more measured, logical and restrained version of Grimlock. A powerhouse that could unleash hell when he needed to but was always conscious of the fallout and collateral damage that doing so would cause.
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character? Rung. Because I’m sure there’s fan fiction about that alt-mode…
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real? Sky Lynx. Because Sky Lynxis awesome and anyone who disagrees can bugger off.
Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc): 200-300? My collection has always been this evolving thing. But it’s starting to climb in numbers. Especially now my son is kinda a young collector.
I think our sons would get along real swell
Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector? Open them. Let your kids play with them. Otherwise you’re just like The Man Upstairs in The Lego Movie.
How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit? Lots.
Any rare/expensive figures in your collection? A few. It’s not why I collect plus I’m also terrible at picking what will go up in value. In fact if I ever buy a TF because I think it’s going to be rare/worth something, just hold off until it’s on clearance for $10.
What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have? None that I can think of. I like commissioning comic artists but haven’t gone nuts with that. I got this earlier this year as a group by a friend organised. It’s wonderful.
First Transformers toy? G1 Ultra Magnus (I think)
One toy you most want? MISB G1 Ultra Magnus. I’d love to have a pristine example of the toy that started it all for me.
Editor’s Note: Wow – you are really into Magnus eh! Remind you to show you my one from the Titanium toyline 😉
The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)? Not a toy but that megaposter I mentioned earlier. Every time I take a moment to stare at it I notice something new.
Favourite toy in your early years of collecting? So as to give a different answer, I’ll say my G1 Galvatron. That was a cool toy.
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion? Those things from the last year or two that only half transform. I can’t even….
Editors note: I agree! Those figures from Cyberverse that don’t transform fully are total shite!
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them? The recent Earthrise Quintessonwhen I got it was disappointing. I mean it looks great, until you transform it into that jail thing and then it’s like, what is even going on here?
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertable Transformers toys? Gimmicks can be successfully integrated, they can also ruin a toy. MP-44 is an example of a toy that had a gimmick successfully integrated.
Which single TFs toy should every fan own? I suppose a G1 Optimus. It’s not the first, but it is a defining toy that is still being released today.
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present? I mean, I wouldn’t. But maybe a Chromedome/Rewind cake topper?
Do you collect other toys? Lego sets that catch my eye. I have a UCS Millennium Falcon sitting in the bottom of my wardrobe to be built when I eventually get a house with somewhere to put it. As well as some other cool sets. I still have a few classic space sets from when I was a kid.
I also collect Macross Valkyries. Although I don’t get anywhere near as many of those as they aren’t cheap. I also just realized you could probably call me a Voltron collector.
What is your favourite TF themed post on this website? What website? Does Trev have a website? I never even suspected.
Editor’s note: Double Smarmy arsehole
How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com ? Trev never shuts up about it.
Editor’s note: Fricken Triple-smarmy arsehole!
Many thanks to Trent for this interview (I think) . Got any more questions for Trent? Pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he’ll happily answer them.
After Bushfiresand Pandemics, apparently it’s now time for Floods here in New South Wales in Australia. We have had a huge amounts of rain in the last few days, causing massive floods in parts of the state.
Here in Rylstone we haven’t had terrible floods like other parts of the state, but a large amount of rain for our region nonetheless. 2 inches of rain less than a week ago, then 4 inches of rain in the last 48 hours, with far more predicted today.
Through Rylstone runs the Cudgegong River. For years of drought this river has resembled more of a creek than a river; a small and stagnant waterway that meanders its way through the small township.
Find below a few images and a short video of what that usually small & stagnant river looks like this morning (23/03/2021). These were taken from the It will be interesting to see what it looks like after even more rain today (Edit: Same size but faster flowing).
‘You’re a busy man.How do you make that work without either having a clone to help you out or somehow create a 36 hour day?’.
Well Michael it’s true, I am a very busy man. Between this blog, my radio show, working full time, performing househusband duties, managing my giant Transformer collection and building furniture for their shed, as well as hobby farming where I raise goats as well as ducks and chickens, boredom is something that receded from my life many years ago. Add on top of that the most time-intensive activity of all – being a father of two young children – and spare time in non-existent.
The many faces of Trev
First off – I will never clone myself. Never! Do you know how big my ego is? How much attention seeking behaviour I indulge in? I don’t need another one of me running around telling my jokes, eating my meat and vying for all the attention that should rightly be mine!
And now there’s more of me… him… us
Also I’m married. What if my wife can’t tell me from the clone? I don’t need no stinkin clone getting busy with my missus! Plus, Primus forbid, what if it turns out by some quirk of the cloning process that he is better in bed than me?! I don’t think my ego, large as it is, could take the hit of my wife saying ‘last night was the best sex we’ve ever had Trev!’ and I hadn’t even been at home!
As for 36 hour days, well manipulating the time stream to that extent is beyond even my capabilities. Sure I could take my family to Mars where the days are at least 25 hours long – I could get a lot done in that extra hour – but it seems like a hassle. It was hard enough moving my Transformer collection from one state to another without taking it to a whole other planet!
So how do I manage my busy lifestyle?
Well there are several things I do – some are time management and some are just sacrifice.
*Giving up hobbies: I have way too many hobbies. Like way too many. So some have had to be toned down and others sacrificed completely. This blog for example, has gone from an entry each week to about two a month. I’ve given up video gaming, though to be honest I think the gamer in me had run its course anyway. I used to brew my own beer and had to give that up. And I don’t farm as many fruit & vegetables as I used to, though still enough that each week we eat at least one or two things that come from the garden. I’m also a bit of a bibliophile, but reading a book for my own pleasure has been relegated to the odd 5 minutes in bed before blissful slumber.
For a while juggling being a gamer and father was so easy!
*Multitasking: Except at work where it is a requirement, I don’t schedule. Don’t believe in it. What I do do is do multiple jobs in the same room at the same time. So for example when I’m in the kitchen (with quasi-laundry attached) I might be wiping benches, preparing meals, stacking the dishwasher, loading the washing machine and unloading the dryer all at the same time (well not literally – thanks to the failure of mutation science I only have two hands).Then the same goes for other rooms and even parts of the farm – nothing like chasing off some feral goatsin the ute while you are on your way to go cut firewood in the back paddock.
Sigh… I remember when multitasking meant drinking and rocking out at the same time.
*Be Married: Dear sweet Primus let nothing ever happen to my wife! Not only because she is the love of my life, but also because she does so many chores to manage the house & kids and our lives in general. Chances are if she disappeared from our lives my children and I would be huddled round a fire in tattered clothing, eating beans from a can and hoping it would rain soon so we could wash ourselves. Our existence would be akin to those survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
Make sure you treat your wife right – romance is a lot easier than being a single parent!
*Child Labour: Those damn kids can work for their food! OK, so maybe I don’t actually deny them sustenance and or send them down mineshafts to search for coal. But at 6 & 8 years old respectively they are at the age they can chip in with the chores. Every day after school, before they are allowed to go play with toys or video games, they need to help unstack the dishwasher, unpack their school bags, put all their breakfast and lunch dishes in the sink and most importantly go feed all the animals. Not only does it teach them responsibility, but it means they are spending time with their pets. How kids can ignore a real-life dog but spend hours training a dog to obey in Minecraft is beyond me.
Wish all my chores were this cute when I was young
Of course the children love to be involved with all the constant projects going on around the farm and house too. They help plant and pick all the vegetables, which not only helps me out but makes them more inclined to eat what we grow when it come to fruition. My son loves to help out with my construction projects and is currently helping me build a display table for the Transformers shed, and my daughter loves to bake with her mother and make muffins for their school lunches.
Dig boy! Dig!
*And lastly, what I do most, is go, go, go! All day, every day. Sigh… Every. Damn. Day. I would be lying if there wasn’t part of me that would like to spend a day just lounging on the couch, eating potato chips and rewatching Deadpool movies. But if I wanted that I shouldn’t have had kids and chosen to live on a farm. Life is so rewarding, and so very, very tiring.
Sometimes I fake back injuries just so I can lie down in the emergency room for an hour and rest
So that’s what I do Michael, that’s how Big Angry Trev manages his life. And maybe I have kind of inwardly cloned myself in this one body. There is Big Angry Trev the blogger, Big Farmer Trev the hobby farmer, Big DJ Trev the radio host. And most importantly (Big) Dad (Trev) the father. Big Gamer Trev is dead and buried but I hope to resurrect Big Brewer Trev at some point and start making my own beer again. But then that begs the question – would I ever have the time to drink it?
Thank you for your question.
Got any other ‘Ask Trev’ questions?Pop them in the comments section below!
With the Transformers Kingdom toy line hitting the stores we are seeing a shift away from the Micromasters that have made up a decent part of the Siege and Earthrise toylines. Whilst some may be happy for this, others will miss not being able to complete the sets of these classic (if obscure) characters in their updated forms.
Luckily for us, if not so lucky for those with limited online store access, there are still a few sets being released under the Generations Selects line. Today we will look at the latest to be released; it containing three old characters and three (well, 2 1/2) brand new ones! So lets look at the Micron Micromasters set from the Galactic Odyssey Collection.
Motorhead & Runner
Both are recolours of their teammates and will give fans the ability to complete the classic Race Track Patrol. Runner was originally named Barricade in G1, but with the name Barricade firmly affixed to the Movieverse character, this figure has been renamed Runner which was his pre-war name in the Dreamwave comics.
Fireguard & Roadburner
Once again these two are recolours, this time of the Decepticon Micromasters Direct-Hit & Power Punch. And once again we have a name change. Fireguard is most obviously Wheel-Blaze, but since Wheel-Blaze had already received a new figure, they had to rename him and make him a new character.
Disappointingly Roadburner has the cannon of his Decepticon counterpart instead of a fire ladder. I suppose one could argue that it is meant to be a cannon that shoots water rather than laser fire.
Stingracer and Windstorm
Now these two are a bit interesting. The toys are (sigh) yet again simple recolours of other WFC Micromasters that have come before, but they are brand new characters. The most interesting bit is that their colour schemes are homages to MASK vehicles. The Decepticon Stingracer (the brown one) and the Autobot Windstorm have both lifted their paintjobs from toys from the MASK line and even their altmodes have a decent resemblance. I particularly like the colour scheme of Windstorm – the mint green colouring combined with the flame job on the vehicle hood really pops!
Weapons Modes
All these characters can become guns for larger characters or combine to become a double-weapon. Sadly they pretty much suck across the board and there will be few people that use them for this purpose. (For some examples of Micromaster weapons modes SEE HERE)
Worth Getting?
If you are a completionist then yes. If you are after a few new characters instead of the same G1 ones being trotted out time and time again then yes. However if you are after new figures that don’t resemble toys that have come before then don’t waste your time here. Besides colour schemes there is nothing new to recommend these figures, although I must say that the limbs on them are surprisingly tighter than those that have come before. I was able to transform all characters multiple times without limbs detaching, which is something to date that none of the other WFC Micromasters has managed for me. So this set isn’t bad and has a reasonable price point – grab it if you are inclined.
Living in a tiny town like Rylstone it is very much the case that there is only a finite amount of places to go out to eat. For great Mexican there is always Pepino’sand for a decent burger there is The Globe. However there are not many other venues, let alone secluded little café’s the romance the object of your affections.
This Valentines Day I did something that I don’t usually do. Being a relatively blokey Hobby Farmer I tend to stick to only 3 drinks in my life: coffee, water and beer. Wine does not come up on my radar except for something I sometimes I have to drink a glass of at weddings. There is red that gives me a headache, and white that I find bearable. There is the extend of my grand knowledge of crushed grapes. So I don’t generally do Wineries.
So this Valentines’ Day I stepped out of my comfort zone and took my wife to one of the few other places to eat around here – Naked Lady Vineyard.
First off, – misleading name for the place. Upon arrival, unlike Confest, there were no naked ladies. Not a one! No nubile wenches bereft of clothing lying around on a chaise’lounge or splashing about in fountains. It was in fact a lovely little winery a few minutes outside of Rylstone with a big barnlike structure in the center. So whilst there were no naked women, at least it meant I could look about in a relaxed fashion without my wife saying ‘Are you staring at that woman’s breasts?!’
Wine tasting was $5. For that you get to taste 5 or so different wines on the menu, and if you buy a bottle that $5 is taken off the price. My wife quite enjoyed doing this and I did try a glass myself, even if only I could go for the cheap laugh of sniffing it, swilling it around in my mouth and then looking for a bucket to spit it into.
My wife ended up purchasing two wines. I tried the white which was very nice. The red (according to her) was nice too. And… um… it was wine? Phew! Pushed my wine knowledge to the hilt with that one!
What goes well with wine? Cheese apparently. What goes well with cheese? MEAT! Though to be fair meat goes well with everything (I always thought Vegans might be happier if they wrapped their soy burgers in a bit of bacon). And much like Bootleggers, you could order a platter for two that had multiple cheeses and at least four kind of meat.
Classed as an Antipasto Platter (I’ve always been pro-pasto but that’s just me) this platter came with spicy chorizo, huge slices of cured ham, prosciutto and salami slices. It came with a variety of cheeses with varying bite, as well as pickles, chutneys, olives, strawberries, crackers and freshly baked bread goods.
Despite having swapped to beer at this point (they had 3 standard varieties) all of this did go very well hand in hand with the wines on offer. Indeed my wife and I quite happily grazed on the platter for nearly an hour as we chatted, drank, enjoyed the peaceful surrounds and the rare treat of each other’s company without our kids in tow.
So if you are a meat enthusiast, cheese enthusiast, wine enthusiast or even just want to have somewhere different to go to your usual pub or restaurant, I highly recommend Naked Lady Vineyard. And who knows, buy your partner enough bottles of vino and you might get to see a naked lady after all 😉
As I mentioned when reviewing theE-I-E-I-O burger, I love a meal where there is more than one meat contained within the dish. And on a recent visit to Katoomba NSW I discovered a restaurant-slash-bar that had on its menu a dish that contained not two meats or three but indeed four!
So lets have a gander at the Bootleggers Meat Share Plate.
A meal made in Trev-heaven!
So the description of the meal is a Share Plate and it is indeed intended for two people. Given it was our anniversary I relented and shared this plate with my wife, but being the kind woman she is she let me devour the lions portion of it.
The meal comes with four meats from two different animals. Beef brisket and links (sausages) and chicken wings as well as fried chicken. Personally I would have preferred the links be made out of pork but you can’t have everything.
Along with the above came enough non-meat foods to ensure that you would have some chance of being able to pass your next bowel movement. Slaw, Corn, Pickles, Potato Salad and Chips. Good to see that at least 40% of the sides were spud based – potatoes being that good that they should almost be considered an honorary meat!
Unto the breach!
The meats were all very tender. The fried chicken was done very well, not remotely oily or greasy like that one would get from a fast food restaurant. The chicken wings were lightly spiced so not as hot as buffalo wings but at least had a bit of bite to them. The brisket was very tender as brisket should be. The only meat that didn’t impress me was the links. They weren’t bad in any way, but just your average beef sausages so were somewhat overshadowed by the rest.
The non-meat stuff was good too. I think. I dunno, I wasn’t really paying attention.
Exploding Hot Sauce!
Sauce made by chef Wile. E. Coyote
The waitress brought out two types of hot sauce, espousing their virtues about how they were made on site, not simply store bought. As readers of my blog would know I love hot sauces so was eager to try them out. The red hot sauce was indeed very hot, not as hot as the likes of Mad Dog 357, but still had a helluva kick. The green sauce? Well I went to open it…
…and it exploded!
Perhaps exploded is not the right term. The heat had built up in the bottle so as soon as the top was twisted it made a sound like shook up cola can and the sauce blew forth! It covered my shirt, splattered my face and even left a sorta Trev-shaped splatter pattern on the window behind me.
The poor young waitress was very apologetic. After ascertaining that it had not gone in my eyes she brought multiple wet paper towels for me to clean myself, then later appeared with a shirt from the restaurants merchandise stash for me to wear home. So sadly, unless I had chosen to lick my clothing I never got to sample what the green hot sauce tasted like.
The shirt I wear when doing my radio show, though my music isn’t bootlegged – the CD’s are just really worn
Overall
This meal is nearly $80 but its certainly enough for two people (as long as one isn’t me) and its very good tasting. Besides the volatile hot sauces the only other accompaniment was a small bowl of BBQ sauce – personally I would have preferred to get a hearty gravy but perhaps that would push the meal into the realms of making a coronary a certainty. The bar had a different selection of wheat beers on tap which were quite nice, but if you’d take my recommendation skip the ginger based beer, it was pretty average. So yeah, do yourself a favour and if in Katoomba drop past Bootleggers – you will get a decent feed and maybe a free shirt!
This month – January 2021 – marks 20 years of me being an adult collector of Transformers.
It also marks the 20 year anniversary of my first (very short lived) marriage. And the two are not unconnected.
As a kid we didn’t have a great deal of money, though I never went without a roof over my head or food in my belly so we did OK. I’d get a few transformers each year with my bit of pocket money I earned mowing the lawns at home or turning in rabbit skins when visiting my dad. And I sometimes got a Transformer for a birthday or Christmas as well.
My collection circa 1987
In my teens G1 was coming to an end. However this was also the time that my mother began running a small Toys & Gifts shop. This meant that I could get my Transformers wholesale! It was also the time of reissues so as well as being able to purchase Micromastersand Action Masters at cost, I was also able to grab theCombaticons, Arielbots, Protectobots and even a few bigger figures like someDinobots & Autobot Cars. Yes sir, it was a golden time.
Primus bless reissues!
Sadly I strayed in my late teens as so many young men do. G2 didn’t hold much appeal for me and suddenly beer and girls were very interesting. So my collection, which at the time equalled 1 gross – 144 figures (if you counted individual bots such as Micromasters and Target Masters) – was put away in a box and did not see the light of day for many years.
I never stopped loving Transformers, even when I moved to Melbourne to go to Uni. But once again partying, friends and girls seemed somehow more important. I hated BeastWars (I appreciate it now but back then thought it was an abomination) and sometimes my mates used to get me liquored up and goad me into a ‘trukk not munkey’ rant. To be honest to this day organic alt-modes still do little for me. So Transformers stayed waaaaay in the background of my existence.
Now comes January 2001
I got married. Stupidly. It was partly as I’d always been too lazy and cowardly to break up with the girl and partly because she had a balcony you could do Shakespeare from (I was young, shallow and dumb OK – a large chest seemed more important than a pleasant personality!). A couple of dear friends of mine were filming the wedding for us and asked what present we would like. I replied filming was more than gift enough. When they persisted I said jokingly ‘Get me a G1 Optimus Prime’.
Well the night of the wedding we are unwrapping gifts. I’m trying to stifle my boredom as they are mainly ‘grown-ups’ gifts like linen and breakfast trays (once again – I was 23 and immature). Then I unwrapped the gifts from Tammy & Michael.
And there… lo…. was a loose GENERATION ONE OPTIMUS PRIME!!!
Me on honeymoon with Optimus Prime. I swear he got more action than I did
There was also a Wreck-Gar(whom I already had but now they could ride each other!) and a Chop Shop. I squealed like an excited schoolgirl! For me it was the highlight of the night!
And thus after nearly a decade away, I came back to Transformer collecting. I discovered eBay and found so many G1 toys that my ranks quickly swelled. With a new career I had more money, and from big toys like Omega Supreme, Metroplex, Sky Lynx & Trypticon, to smaller figures like the Throttlebots, those G1 gaps were filling fast!
7 months into the marriage it ended. Shan’t go into details but let’s just say my ex worked in education and I discovered she was doing some very ‘private tuition’ with one of her teen students and leave it at that. So the marriage died which in the long run was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me; I ended up moving in coincidentally with the friends who had given me Optimus. But though my marriage was dead, my love for Transformers was thriving! I continued to buy G1 stuff online, and the new Robots in Disguise toys hit the shelves in Australia, bringing back all the concepts I loved like vehicular transformers and combiners.
My G1-cartoon cast in the early 2000’s
My collecting has continued ever since. By the end of 2001 my collection, which had stagnated at a count of 144, was over two hundred and I had no inclination to just how far it would end up going! I’ve continued amassing Transformers right through all the cartoons from Armada to Cyberverse, throughout all the live-action movies and especially the G1-inspired toylines such as Generations, right up to the latest Earthrise figures. I’ve travelled many parts of the globe and brought back figures you couldn’t find in Australia. I got married again 12 years ago but this time it was for all the right reasons and I couldn’t imagine loving my wife more. If I’m 100% honest the fact that she is so tolerant of my hobby makes up a small part of that (only a small part, there are a plethora of wonderful things about her to love!). And my kids love to play Transformers with their Dad!
They even have their own playtables set up – bless their hearts
Now 20 years on I’m sitting at around the 3500 figures mark along with about another thousand pieces of TF merchandise, have my own Transformatorium shed and indeed this blog where I often share my love of the hobby. So I’m a pretty damn lucky guy!
“Who says I have an obsession?!”
I can’t even remember the exact day in January 2001 I got married on, but I damn sure remember getting that G1 Optimus Prime.
With Haslab’s Unicron due to ship out in a few months and 2021 being the 35th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, it’s seems the perfect time for Hasbro to cash in on the nostalgia that still surrounds this cult classic movie to this day.
To this end, their higher end Studio Series line is taking a departure from the live-action moviesto make figures intended to look as much like their onscreen counterparts as possible from the 1986 animated movie. The preview pictures online have had many fans frothing from the mouth with excitement and today we get to look at two of the Voyager class figures – Scourge and Hot Rod.
Scourge
Robot Mode
As someone who owns nearly ever iteration of the Sweeps commander, I can confidently say this is the best looking Scourge we’ve ever had! All the little details from the red claws to the facial hair, along with the larger details such as the bat wings, are just spot on. This really is a beautiful looking figure. He feels really solid with high quality materials used and is very easy to pose.
Scourge the Tracker. And his huntsmen – The Sweeps
Cybertronian Hovercraft
Once again a fantastic representation of how he looked on the screen. The only downside for me is the feet on the rear end of the hovercraft mode which precludes him having his usual rectangular booster. Given the feet were a problem with Earthrise Ratchet’saltmode as well I hope this isn’t a trend we see continued. However this is a minor quibble. You can attach Scourges weapon to the side of the Hovercraft and with a bit of fiddling about you can make his head pop up just like when he was asking to ‘gut Ultra Magnus’.
Peekaboo!
Hot Rod
Robot Mode
Hot Rod isn’t nearly as big as Scourge and indeed looks more like a Deluxe Size than a Voyager. However when you see all the options his body comes with along with the accessories you will understand why.
Hot Rod comes with a slew of options from the original toy and movie. As well as his two pistols he comes with;
His arm blasters and visor
His welding hand and circular saw
His Matrix of Leadership
All this adds up to being able to recreate a ton of iconic scenes from the movie and I deny any TF:TM fan to resist recreating many of these cinematic moments. Play value through the friggin roof yo!
Vehicle Mode
A very nice looking Hot Rod. I can’t say it has a giant ‘wow’ factor as we’ve gotten quite a few nice looking vehicular Hot Rod’s over the years. But it’s still pretty damn good and like Scourge you have the options to add weapon details such as guns from the engine (like his Targetmaster incarnation), his circular saw and also flames coming from the exhaust.
Transformations
Both of these figures have very cool transformations. They are quite involved and I recommend using the instructions the first time out, but there are never any moments where you feel lost or frustrated.
Worth Getting?
Oh hells yes! These are both fantastic figures and great representations of their movie incarnations. The only minor quibbles I have are Scourges booster as mentioned earlier, and I found one of Hot Rod’s arms very stiff and apt to pop out during transformation. I also would have liked to see his flame add-ons to be orange rather than matrix-fire blue. But these are all minor detractions. These figures, along with their display stands, will look great in anyone’s collection. I managed to get my figures for nearly half price due to a scanning error at the shop, but would feel I was getting my money’s worth even if I’d paid full price.
So go get these figures now – nothin’s gonna stand in your way – not tonight!
Got something to say about these two figures? Pop it in the comments section below!
As the Earthrise portion of the War for Cybertron toy trilogy wraps up in preparation for the Kingdom line, people are still receiving exclusives that have been ordered and delayed due to the Covid Crisis.
I’ve just received one of these exclusives and it contains two characters that have historically been very hard to get in the Generations line. So without further ado let’s look at the Paradron Medics duo from the Galactic Odyssey Collection – Ratchet and Lifeline.
Ratchet
Ratchet has been a real bastard to get over the last decade for those who have wanted Generations versions of him. The only one that has seen mass release in the west was Rescue Ratchet from the Hunt for the Decepticon toyline. Being a movieversetoy with a G1 recolouring this did not sate fans who wanted a representation of the Ratchet of old. Then there was the Universe version, which saw a very limited release which lead many collectors like myself to pay stupid amounts to get him online. After that came Siege Ratchet, once again very hard to get as it only saw mass release in countries like Malaysia. Whilst Earthrise Ratchet is still an exclusive, at least he has been relatively easy to obtain through Amazon.
Robot Mode
Very G1 (cartoon). Looks really stocky and strong. Nicely proportioned and with decent articulation too. His windshield is more aqua coloured than blue which helps him match his partner Lifeline. Due to this Ratchet, despite having a Terran alt-mode, being based on Paradron he has no Red Cross stickers on his shoulders. The minimal red in his colour scheme makes him look a tad bland.
Ratchet comes with a shield (the ambulance roof) and a gun that is highly reminiscent of the G1 toy. Personally I liked how Siege Ratchet came with actual medical tools and feel that would have been good here.
Like the G1 Ratchet toy the roof becomes a sort of mini-medical bay thing. Not nearly as cool as the G1 version, this one does come with the same gun placed at the front. Personally I prefer to use it as a shield for him, making him look more like a combat medic.
Vehicle Mode & Transformation
For only the third time Ratchet is once again an old fashioned ambulance van. The transformation from robot to this mode really showcases how this Ratchet is actually a retool of the Siege version, and if it wasn’t for the new roof and the differently shaped windshield they would be near identical. It’s a great looking retro ambulance, the only drawback is those awful huge feet at the back of the vehicle.
“I can get to the hospital fast with these boosters! Just a shame I can’t carry any patients”
Lifeline
“I’ve got the expression of your Aunty at Xmas when she gives you that extra slice of pie”
Yep, if you appeared in the G1 cartoon you get a toy – that’s how it works these days. Lifeline was in one very tiny scene, tending to an injured Cyclonus, in S3 of the G1 cartoon. She never talked, never transformed and was never seen again. But like Lancer and Greenlight , she now gets her own figure.
Robot Mode
The only other figure produced of Lifeline was a Timelines version from the TFCC that was a recolour of Thrilling 30 Arcee. Likewise this Lifeline is a recolour of Earthrise Arcee. I actually like her more, her colours really do it for me and I think it’s a really nicely proportioned toy. When in group shots I tend to use T30 Arcee so that there is that bit more differentiation between Lifeline and her.
Arcee secretly plots to kill Lifeline out of jealousy of her slimmer thighs
You can remove the backpack for it to become a sort of sled. Lifeline also comes with an Energon Infuser which is obviously a gun. Like Ratchet I would have liked to see her receive some actual medical tools. Still, it’s a good looking figure with some really great articulation.
“Check it out – I’m doing the final scene from the Footrot Flats movie!”
Vehicle Mode & Transformation
Like Earthrise Arcee and Netflix Elita, Lifeline is a Shellformer, and not a very good one at that. It is so frikken hard to get her body to squeeze into the car shell properly, and when you do manage it the slightest nudge makes the legs pop back out which pretty much ruins her play value in this mode. She looks nice from certain angles but otherwise this is a very disappointing alt-mode and it’s embarrassing I have three different versions of it now.
“Errr, pay no attention – those are just the brakes for my hovermode. Yeah, thats it – the brakes”
Worth Getting?
Being an exclusive (like half the Generations line seems to be these days) these figures are more expensive than those on the store shelves. Ratchet’s vehicle mode is compromised by the feet at the back and Lifeline’s by the legs that constantly emerge from her undercarriage. These negatives may cause you to bypass if you expect top quality from your Generations toys.
However overall I’m quite happy with the pairs other attributes. Both have great robot modes, both match each other very well and both are a lot easier to obtain than the previous figures of them that have been released. So if you are looking to finally add a G1’esque Ratchet and Lifeline to your Generations line-up than these two are well worth grabbing.
Got something to say about this medical duo? Pop it in the comments section below!
