Fan Interviews & Art, Transformatorium

Transformer Fan Interview – David Lee

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For several years we have been doing Transformer Fan interviews with different Aussie collectors.

Well as the Big Angry Trev Blog grows, the borders of our great brown land are no longer big enough to contain it!  So with our first international interview, coming all the way from Malaysia, we have Transformer Collector David Lee, giving us the low down on his favorite hobby.

Name and/or nicknames:

David Lee / Sifu-David

Family:

Divorced, Mom, Dad and Sister all intact

Career:

Once an Accounts person but now a full time tertiary educator and the Head of Academic of a local Malaysian private University College.

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’?

I’d rate myself a solid C7, not too shabby, not too shambled.

Fan/Collector since (year)?:

1987 or 1987 when I was a kid, my late grandmother introduced me to Powermaster Optimus Prime and here I am with my collection.

Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?

I feel the Autobot cause is more for me as I always felt Freedom is the Right of all Sentient Beings.

Your Techspec motto if you had one?

“Between Logic and Emotions, nothing in between exists”

What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?

I would say it be Hot Rodimus / Rodimus Prime. As a leader at work, I always feel the doubt of my own abilities to lead and to bring a better future to the team.

Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself? 

I would personally like the ability to teleport/warp like Skywarp as there are places I need to reach which I can’t sometimes.

What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?

My late grandmother did. She introduced me to something which is for boys and said these robots seem to be a very good fit for a little boy at my age of 3 to 4.

Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?

Collect and keep them yes. But keep on buying, maybe not. I just have a specific wishlist to complete. Once it’s up, it’s done.

Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)?

Yes, people do know and they do have very much negative things to say about it.

Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?

All my friends and family know about my collecting toys. At first my parents were kind of against it as it eats up space but as I got my own place, I got to do what I like, stock up more toys.

What does your partner think of your hobby?

My ex-wife was kind of on the fence on this. It made me famous in the local toy scene so she was riding along that fame, else, she did not like the toys clogging the house.

Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions, Special Events?

Many but not many Transformers related. Recently I participated to display some cool Armada Era Transformers at a local RoboCon.

Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)? 

I did have a story board in my head on a specific Transformers story culminating all Transformers series from G1 to Cybertron (my favourite list) and how ONE story can connect TILL ALL.

Favourite series/era/year, and why?

Super God Masterforce 1988. The first series that I was introduced on TV when the infamous Star TV dub came on air. I was mesmerised by how powerful Powermaster Optimus Prime (God Ginrai) was and how he single handedly defeated Black Zarak.

Collect any comics?

Nope, none.

Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?

I never really read them but I did the 1991 or 1992 Transformers Annual which was a hard cover compilation. I like the story on how Carnivac actually turned against the Decepticons and not liking the cause.

Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?

If I were to choose, I will go for Super God Masterforce’s Ep 15 The Birth of Super Ginrai. That was the episode that first saw Ginrai becoming a Super Robot, something that not many Transformers could do at that time.

Favourite Character, and why?

Ginrai. The human + the robot. Although he lacks in leadership and judgement, he covers up with compassion and care towards his subordinates like how he risked his life saving Go Shuta when he was lured into the Decepticon sea base.

Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?

I’d say Arcee. The only robot that is definitely sexy.

Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?

I’d like to see a Star Saber in real life and see how a plane of such mass can work.

Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, 2000s etc): 

Probably close to 300s I think.

Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?

PLAYER. I’d like to pose my Transformers out of their plastic / cardboard graves.

How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?

Probably close to US$5,000?

Any rare/expensive figures in your collection? 

I have a G1 Refurbished Complete Black Zarak. That is the rarest and most expensive piece in my collection.

What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?

I do have a Bumbleebee pillow from Universal Studios Singapore.

First Transformers toy?

G1 Powermaster Optimus Prime which is still around this day.

One toy you most want?

Takara Micron Legends Convoy Final Battle version set aka the Japanese version of the Powerlinx Optimus Prime from Armada.

The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?

LG custom repainted Fire Guts God Ginrai done up in pure Orangey goodness.

Favourite toy in your early years of collecting?

It will have to be the Energon Prime with Energon Omega Supreme.

Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?

I would have to say the G1 Duocons. They look funny, so off proportions and they don’t really have arms.

Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?

LG35 Super Ginrai. My first official Transformers after a long hiatus of not buying Transformers and my God, it sucks. The legs are wobbly, some joints are loose, so many problems. I don’t know where criticisms should start.

Legends ‘LG35 Super Ginrai’ vs Titans Return ‘Powermaster Optimus Prime’

Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?

I’d say some gimmicky stuffs like Minicons from Armada are pretty nice and the Cyber Keys from Cybertron are very neat. However, I do stand my point on non-transforming Transformers being not Transformers at all.

Which single TFs toy should every fan own?

A WFC / Earthrise Optimus Prime. That is the closest to a G1 Optimus Prime you can get.

Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?

POTP Optimus Prime. To signify the young lad (Orion Pax) will now slowly evolve into a full grown man (Optimus Prime).

Toys Review – POTP Optimus & Rodimus Prime

Do you collect other toys? 

I collect Tokusatsu stuffs from Japan mainly Sentai, Kamen Rider and Ultraman.

What is your favourite TF themed post on this website?

The Transformatorium.

Video: THE TRANSFORMATORIUM!

How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com?

Facebook

 

Many thanks to David for sharing his hobby with us.  Got any follow up questions for him and his fantastic Transformers collection?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Fan Interviews & Art, Transformatorium

Transformer Fan Interview – Michael Vella

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It’s been over two years 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 Michael Vella, a young bloke who in recent years has become well known to many fans  of Transformers down under.

Name and/or nicknames:

Michael Vella but I also go by Tha_Phantom online.

Family?

Married to my hobby:

What a breathtaking life partner he has!

Career? 

I rearrange things out of order they happened so that they make sense.  What I’m trying to say is that I do video editing for a living.

Website/Fan-pages?

I help admin a Facebook group called Transformers Down Under with fellow collectors Ben Keenan, Adam Templeton and Justin Masaru.

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’?  

Probably a C6. Acceptable at a glance, but definitely some many issues present…

Do you accept into your life Big Angry Trev as your toy collecting savior and the Alpha (Trion) & Omega (Supreme) of all things?

Yes.

The admiration is palphable

Fan/Collector since (year)?

I started getting into collecting and watching Transformers around 1999. I know I was aware of Transformers earlier than that, though. They’ve sort of always been around because of my older brother being a fan. If memory serves correctly, 2005 is the only year since 1999 that I didn’t purchase at least one Transformer. I’ve taken a step back from collecting at certain times here and there, but ever since Combiner Wars I’ve been constantly buying and haven’t slowed down.

Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?

Maximal, because who doesn’t want to yell “maximise” as they transform?

Your Techspec motto if you had one?

“Prime’s death was an inside job.”

What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?

Probably Starscream. Always ambitious, but never getting there.

Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself? 

Skywarp’s teleporting sure would come in handy.

What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?

I think it’s the obvious aspect that you get two (or sometimes more) toys in one. I love that each toy is a unique experience and they have covered so many different alt modes now – especially since Bot Bots! I quite often will buy a figure based on the alt mode if I don’t already have a connection to the character and quite often the alt mode is why I will pay attention to a character. 

Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die? 

Yes, definitely. There’s always something to add or replace in the display. It’s never finished.

Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)?

Most people I interact with do know I collect. I don’t try to hide it but I also don’t go out of my way to bring it up unless it’s somehow relevant.

Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?

There was a bit of disapproval in my teenage years but now everyone in my family has accepted that’s what I do. I think they also like seeing that I’ve made a lot of new friends because of it since joining the online fandom.

Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions, Special Events?

Yes, I’ve not only attended but organised plenty of Sydney and even Melbourne fan meets over the years and helped run Transformer-related stands at a couple of Supernovas. As far as special events go, I was there for the POTP reveal at Hasbro Australia headquarters in 2017. I also contributed some of my own figures to the More Than Meets The Eye exhibition at Kings Comics earlier this year and I most recently was at the Sydney premiere of the Rise Of The Beasts film thanks to Hasbro Australia!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Special Preview Screening Event!

Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)? 

I’ve mildly dabbled with customisation, but nothing worth showing off. I usually get someone else to do it.

Favourite series/era/year, and why?

G1 era for sure. Those characters and designs always stuck with me from watching the cartoon, even though I grew up at a time when Beast Machines, RID and Armada toys were on shelves. As a kid I would often pretend that the current toys of the time were those G1 characters if they vaguely resembled them in some way! The vintage G1 toys have a such unique charm to them as well, despite the lack of articulation. So I’m thankful to be a part of online communities where I can back-collect them and learn more about the different variants and such.

Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?

My favourite cartoon episode is War Dawn from G1.I felt it had a good message and it was really cool to see the origin of Optimus Prime.

Favourite Character, and why?

Gee, that one’s a mystery:

That’s a lotta Bumblebee’s!

Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?

Blackarachnia, easily.

Man, that original toy of Black Arachnia had a rack on her eh!

Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?

G1 Jazz.

Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, 2000s etc): 

Currently at around 1200.

Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?

Out of packaging for the most part. I am the type of person who has to transform everything at least once. I do have some sealed items, but in most cases those are doubles or variants of loose figures I have, because curiosity would get the better of me otherwise.

How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?

I wouldn’t be able to guess, but it’d be an insane amount.

Any rare/expensive figures in your collection? 

Yeah, I’ve always had a focus on the rarer items so I won’t go through them all. Some highlights would be a set of MOSC G2 Stunticon limbs, G1 Battle Gaia, a couple of test shots/prototypes etc.

What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?

An employee-only Happy Holidays RPM Bumblebee and 5/6 colour variants of the 1985 McDonalds Bumblebee toys (these toys were released only in a test market in the US).

First Transformers toy?  

The first Transformers I ever bought were Beast Wars Scarem and Air Hammer at the same time with some confirmation money.

One toy you most want?

A Powered Convoy DX set, but realistically that’s never going to happen and it’s not technically a Transformer anyway. My current Transformer grail is a lucky draw Armada Prime, which I mostly want for the Sparkplug as I have all of his other colour variants. Sparkplug was a very special toy to me as a kid because of the obvious similarities to Bumblebee.

The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?

Probably my proudest acquisition would be my Diaclone red Mirage, but again that’s not technically a Transformer. So let’s go with my 1991 reissue Bumblebee as it was the first Bumblebee I ever got and I will never part with it even if I got out of collecting.

Favourite toy in your early years of collecting?

I can remember being so over the moon when I got Beast Machines Jetstorm and that is a big part of why I got so into collecting Transformers as a kid despite the lack of G1 on the shelves at the time. The metallic deco and overall aesthetic just grabbed me.

Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?

Not that I owned them, but I got to mess with a few of the first year Cyberverse toys and they were pretty bad especially for the price. Thankfully the line improved after that.

Ask Trev – Your worst figure, why should I still buy it?

Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?

It’s not something I tend to think about a lot, but Earthrise Bluestreak disappointed me so much so that I reverted back to the Siege version. Titanium War Within Optimus didn’t impress me much either because of the poorly thought out use of die cast. 

Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?

I think that we as fans (but more so Hasbro) often forget that the most important gimmick for a Transformer should be that it converts from one thing to another, so generally I don’t care for other gimmicks that get in the way of that. I also have very little time for non-converting toys for that reason too, since that downgrades Transformers to being just like any other toyline. All that said, I do have exceptions to this rule. Especially from the 1987 G1 year as a few of those gimmicks were pretty cool.

Which single TFs toy should every fan own?

G1 Bumblebee! Such a timeless conversion that I’ll never get tired of and it’s easy to carry around with no accessories to lose. I may be a tad biased there, though.

Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?

Probably some Transformer themed cufflinks or a watch.

Do you collect other toys? 

I do have interests in other toylines and collectables, but none come close to the extent of my Transformers collecting. My non-Transformer interests are Digimon cards and tamagotchis, Beyblades, McDonalds toys, Power Rangers, Star Wars, Tazos and DBZ anime cels.

What is your favourite TF themed post on this website?

Since you mention Transformers in it, I’m going with your 12 days of Xmas song! 

How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com?

I remember seeing your posts on TCCA when I was fairly new to the online community. Because of that, I already knew who you were when we met in person for the first time at the POTP reveal.

 

Many thanks to Michael for his excellent interview.  Got any more questions for Mr. Vella?  Pop them into the comments section below!

Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Special Preview Screening Event!

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Rise of the Beasts, the highly anticipated seventh live action Transformers movie, officially hit cinemas around the world on Friday the 9th of June, 2023 (June 22 in Australia).

A June 22 release for the rest of Australia, but a few of us lucky ducks didn’t have to wait that long

However, as befits a multi-million dollar movie of a beloved toy franchise, Paramount and Hasbro held a Special Preview Screening on Thursday the 8th, and for those notables lucky enough to receive an invitation, what an event it was!

If you are going to see a movie, do it in style!

Here in Sydney Australia, the event was held at the Hoyts Entertainment Quarter, and much excitement was in the air.  One could attribute part of this excitement to the fact that due to international date lines, it was the 8th here in Australia before the majority of the world, making this one of the first ever showings of the movie!

Love getting invitied to these special events – thanks Hasbro and Paramount!

The attendee’s were made up of executives from both Hasbro and Paramount, professional movie reviewers and various celebrities such as actors, social media influencers and even cosplayers.  Naturally everyone’s favourite radio star and blogger Big Angry Trev was on hand, much to the excitement of the crowds!  Photographers snapped pictures and a film crew was on hand to interview guests.

Video: Interviews at Transformers Rise of the Beasts Preview Screening

There were even some extra special guests in the form of some of the movie cast themselves – Bumblebee and Mirage decided to come along to grace their fans with their presence and pose for pics.

Mirage
Bumblebee

Over the course of the year we have seen many Transformers events here in Sydney, such as the Beasts Base Camp at Taronga Park Zoo, and the More than Meets the Eye Exhibition at Kings Comics.  What was wonderful to see with all these events, were not only the usual cream of society invited, but also notable members of the Australian Transformers Fandom.

Big Angry Trev & Miguel Maestre at the Beasts Base Camp

In attendance for this Special Preview Screening event were Transformer Exhibitors such as Lisamaree Chiu, Ben Keenan and Michael Vella and Transformer Superfans such as Trent Munn and Dallas Roderick.  Yes, the royalty of the Aussie fandom were on hand to strut their stuff and I know all were appreciative of how Hasbro and Paramount have included the fandom in this years movie festivities.

Big Angry Trev and his trusty sidekick Orion posing for photo’s with Superfans Dallas & Trent

Free soft drinks and popcorn was on offer for all attendee’s as they entered the theatre, where individual recliner seats, soft and plush, were on offer to cradle every buttock.  And for the very crème de la crème of the attendee’s, Hasbro reserved some very special seats dead centre of the theatre for the optimum viewing experience.

What’s better than attending an exclusive event? Getting VIP seating at the exclusive event!

These Special Preview Screenings were not only held in Sydney, but also Brisbane and Melbourne, making it not only a regional but national event!

The Brisbane event, photo courtesy of M.K Griffin of Ozformers
The Melbourne event, courtesy of Jason Murray of TCCA

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts turned out to be a fantastic movie, earning a well deserved round of applause from an appreciative audience.  I heartily recommend everyone get out themselves out there to watch this fun and entertaining flick.

Movie Review – Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Sadly, this event was likely the last event for the Transformers social season this year.  Lets hope that the powers that be make the next highly anticipated instalment just as fun!

Were you one of the favoured few to get to attend one of these Special Preview Screening Events?  Lets us know in the comments section below!

 

Random Rants, Random Reviews

Movie Review – Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

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After a 5 year absence of giant shape changing alien robots in theatres, Transformers Rise of the Beasts has hit cinemas worldwide June 9th.  Thanks to the generosity of Hasbro and Paramount Pictures, some of us lucky folk even got to attend Special Preview Showings on Thursday 8th, being able to quench our thirst for Autobot antics a day early.

Even Mirage got invited to his own flick! Love Hasbro & Paramount putting on these special events!

Warning, this is a Movie Review – so SPOILERS!

One of the main complaints of the live action Transformer films is having to wait around for ages to finally see some robots.  No such complaint can be made here.  One of the main groups of protagonists – The Maximals, and the main antagonists – The Terrorcons and their gigantic master Unicron, are introduced at the outset, setting the stage for much mayhem to come.  We are also introduced to the Allspark Matrix Control Pillar Seed Staff of Merlin Transwarp Key, a… glowy thingie… which will be used as an excuse for robots to travel to Earth, trapse all over the globe and fight each other to obtain it.

I can eat whole planets – but can be defeated by the lack of a glowy thing the size of your forearm

And then of course we transfer to the obligatory human characters and their backstories.  Firstly Noah Diaz, an ex-solider who is about to embark on a life of crime in order to support his younger brother who, I dunno, has a pain in his hand or something.  And Elena Wallace, an undervalued researcher in a museum.  So yes, we have humans but good news – there is no romantic subplot!  That’s right folks, a live action Transformers movie with no romantic awkwardness between teens or overt sexualization of young women – can I get an amen!

We are never scantiy dressed or sexually attracted to each other – are we sure this is a Transformers movie?

Anyways, these humans need to meet the Transformers for the plot to advance, so Noah tries to steal Mirage, police chase ensues, they escape and we get introduced to the bulk of the Autobot cast.  Brooding Optimus & perky Bumblebee, the mainstays of the movie series are on hand with Arcee, returning for her third outing, combining her robot look from the Bumblebee movie with her motorcycle altmode from ROTF.  But its Mirage who takes the staring role both in this scene and for much of the movie (oh thank you, thank you Primus for not making yet another movie all about Bumblebee and Optimus again!).

We are fam-i-ly!

Lets take a look at Mirage shall we.  Originally in Generation One the character was a blue & white Autobot Warrior, a member of the upper class who wants the war over so as to return to his lavish lifestyle on Cybertron, who could turn into an Indy Racer as well as cloak himself with invisibility.

‘A giant robot race car that can cloak? I rock!’

Here he seems to be a pastiche of other G1 Transformer characters.  He has the youthful exuberance of Hot Rod, the altmode of Jazz and the holographic powers of Hound.  That said, at least there is some resemblance to previous incarnations there.

‘You are  really going to enjoy me’

Mirage also seems to be able to turn into anything.  Yes I know that’s the point of Transformers, that they can change their forms, but Mirage can change into most anything on a whim.  In short order he transforms into a Porsche, a Lamborghini and an Indy Racer (in an homage to his G1 counterpart).  Yup, all cars approximating his mass and size, so what’s the problem?  No problem as such yet, but a short time later he transforms into a garbage truck bigger than Prime himself, and near the end an exo-suit for Noah which is not much bigger than the human.  By making Mirage seemingly able to be anything, it waters down the specialness of the transforming ability in general.

Wait, wasn’t I like 100 times bigger only an hour ago in the movie?

It isn’t long before, in pursuit of the glowy key thingie, the Autobots meet the Terrorcons, with much fighting and general violence taking place.  Thankfully for the franchise it learned from Dropkick and Shatter from the last flick as in a few fleshed out bad guys can prove more interesting than an army of generic ones (don’t worry, that happens later too). Scourge, the Terrorcon leader and main Herald of Unicron, is powerful and commanding enough as the main villain, though can’t be said to be breaking new ground – at least he comes with a couple of deployable Freezer minions.  Battletrap is pretty cool, using chains with clamps and wrecking balls on the end in both his modes to hurt his opponents, often using the environment around him to help smash his foes.  Nightbird can fly to provide her group air support, she also produces her signature swords near the end of the movie but doesn’t do much with them.

I will use the one ring to rule you all!

The glowy thingie is found, but oh no!  It got all broke up and now we need to find the second half!  Cue off to Peru, courtesy of Stratosphere, a pretty cool old transport plane character.  They meet up with Pablo Wheeljack who has an idea where the second half may be.  There we see the Autobots actually using their ‘robots in disguise’ moniker by hiding around the city in vehicle mode while the humans do their thing.  Then off to the jungle where the Maximals are hiding out where they are most definitely not robots in disguise.  Don’t get me wrong, they look cool.  But they are all way bigger than the animals they are supposed to be disguised as (the glowing eyes don’t help much either).  Maximals and Autobots team up, get their arses kicked, the glowy thing is put back together and thus the final act is underway.  The transwarp portal is opened, allowing Unicron to come and chow down on Earth.

‘Wait, you can tell that I’m not an Earth-gorilla? How?!’

But things don’t happen that fast.  Despite the transwarp portal castle thing materializing in seconds, it takes a long time for the portal to open enough for Unicron, so even though Airazor is now dead and Bumblebee near death himself, the remaining bots go to stop the portal opening, Optimus and Noah learning the magic of friendship (or something) and trusting each other.  Here we get the big final battle, with all the good guys who survived near dying at some point but never quite managing it, while the bad guys (along with the promised hordes of weaker bad guys to go smashy smashy on) get their comeuppance.  Cue some post battle scenes and that’s a wrap folks.

Movie Review – Bumblebee

So yes, the plot is very formulaic and nothing you haven’t seen in a hundred other flicks.  So is this movie worth watching?

Yes, yes it is!  This is actually to my mind the best live action Transformers movie to date, as well as being the most fun!  The majority of robots are treated like actual characters, receiving their fair share of screen time and character development, not simply murderbots to show up to kill each other between prolonged human scenes.  Speaking of, they finally seem to have struck the right balance for robot-to-human screen time – it’s a Transformers movie with actual Transformers!

We are in the film! We are in the film lots!

The only time I got sick of the squishies was the final battle scene; a huge stunning battle taking place with the Maximals and Autobots fighting the Terrorcons and a legion of their minions while Unicron decends from above, and they halt the action for two full minutes for Noah to have a heart-to-heart with his brother over a walkie-talkie?!  Shut the hell up Noah – we want to see the robots fight!  This did detract from the exo-suit scene for me, as I was all pissed off with Noah ruining the flow, but thankfully times like this in the movie were rare – no 10 minute scenes of Sam Witwicky having a mental meltdown in class, followed by talking about how a kiss had a deisely tinge to it.  The pacing of the movie is spot on, keeping you entertained without things going so fast you don’t know what’s happening, the humour gives you a few genuine laughs without it ever sinking into the gutter, in short this movie seems to have listened to all the fan gripes about the first 5 movies and rectified them, producing a fun and entertaining flick about our favourite giant, shape-changing alien robots!

I give Transformers Rise of the Beasts 9 out of 10 stolen Autobot badges.

You like me, you actually like me

Have you seen this movie?  What did you think of it?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Movie Review – Transformers: The Last Knight

Fan Interviews & Art, Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium, Videos

Video: Interviews at Transformers Rise of the Beasts Preview Screening

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On Thursday the 8th of June, here in Australia, some of us lucky few were chosen to attend a Special Preview Screening of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Love getting invitied to these special events – thanks Hasbro and Paramount!

The lads Mikey and Clinton from the Toy Reel channel were invited along to do a pre-movie taping, discussing the potentials of the new film as well as interviewing some of the special guests attending.  This included professional film reviewer David Quinn, as well as fans Wes and Kelvin.

And naturally, if they are interviewing people they weren’t going to miss out on that master of all things Transformers, the curator of the world famous Transformatorium, Big Angry Trev himself!

I’m here, and I’m fabulous!

So enjoy this discussion from the lads from Toy Reel and their 4 interviewee’s (if you want to be naughty and watch the bit with me first, its at the 8.20 mark 😉)

 

Don’t forget to check out all the other video’s on the Toy Reel YouTube channel, and give them a like and subscribe while you are there 😊

Other Big Angry Trev Interviews:

Video: Interviews at More than Meets the Eye Exhibition

The Transformatorium Makes Front Page News!

 

Fan Interviews & Art, Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium

The Transformatorium Makes Front Page News!

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The Transformatorium, my personal collectors shed with over 5000 pieces of Transformers merchandise, was featured in the Mudgee Guardian Newspaper last month.

Front Page News!

It appeared on the newspapers website on the 24th of May 2023 and was printed on May 26th.  The link to the Mudgee Guardian website story can be found HERE.

It was also featured in the Maitland Mercury, the link can be found HERE.

A full Page 3 spread!

Something that was a bit of a laugh was when I went to pick up a copy of the newspaper, the guys in the newsagents recognised me from the front page and had me sign a bunch of copies.

Signing autographs: gotta keep the public happy

For those readers who are not local to our region, and therefore unlikely to have an online subscription to the newspaper or have picked up a physical copy, please find a roughly accurate transcript of the interview below, as originally written by Mudgee Guardian Editor Benjamin Palmer.

 Inside a relatively nondescript shed 40 minutes from Mudgee lives one of the largest collections of Transformers figures and merchandise in the world.

 The collection is owned by  ‘Big Angry Trev’ who has spent nearly his entire life amassing a seriously impressive collection of more than 5000 pieces of Transformers paraphernalia from its inception in 1984 to present.

 The Mudgee Guardian was invited to Trevor’s purpose-built shed that he has dubbed the ‘Transformatorium’ to view the collection and talk to Trevor about his passion for the shiny shapeshifters.

 Trevor was seven years old when he received his first Transformers figurine, a generation one Decepticon named Dirge that transforms into a jet. Trevor, as he put it because his son was in the room, ‘lost his poop’, and the love for Transformers has not waned in the nearly 40 years since.

 “It was just something new and interesting I hadn’t seen before, it wasn’t the usual superheroes flying around with their capes with their underpants on outside. It seemed to have everything,” he said.

 “If you liked robots, there’s robots. If you liked cars, if you liked planes, it had all of that. If you liked dinosaurs it has giant robot dinosaurs – so it really captured my imagination from the beginning.”

 Upon entering the Transformatorium it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of items housed inside the shed which sits adjacent to the family home.

 You’re greeted with floor-to-ceiling views of Trevor’s collection which includes more than 4000 individual figures of all sizes and rarities from all generations as well as more than 1000 pieces of merchandise like t-shirts, DVDs, video games, cushions and even a floor mat.

Photo courtesy of Mudgee Guardian Website

 Trevor spent his time during COVID lockdown fitting out the interior with enough shelving to display the collection, which continues to grow.

 “This is one of the largest collections in the world. I hadn’t intended to reach this [point] – it was more I just really enjoyed it and it was a fun, harmless hobby and it seemed to interest other people.

 “People would pass on their kid’s older toys or they’d pass on their old toys from when they were kids themselves…,” he said.

 “I just kept collecting and they kept bringing out new versions of classic characters and great new characters, then they started making new cartoons and live-action movies and it just became a hobby that I thought was dead but now is suddenly alive and brimming once again.”

 Trevor’s collection and his prolific online presence mean he is well-known among not only the Transformers community but has also attracted the attention of Hasbro and Paramount, the owners of the franchise and the publisher of the Transformers films respectively.

 “There’s been a lot of promotional events around the release of the latest film,” Trevor said.

 “I got invited to do the Beasts Base Camp at Taronga Zoo, after [the company] wanted some representatives of the fandom. Also the More than Meets the Eye Exhibition. It’s been very gratifying to be invited to take part in these events.”

 “It’s a bit of fun. My son Orion is a big Transformers fan too so he usually comes to these events with me.”

Photo courtesy of the Mudgee Guardian website

 Trevor’s 10-year-old son Orion, who sported a Transformers shirt and pants himself on the day of the tour, said he is as much of a fan as his dad.

 “They [Transformers] all look really cool and the cartoons are really good,” Orion said.

 “My favourite is the Bumblebee movie, it’s really good. [And I like] Bumblebee, both old and new.”

 According to the Guiness Book of World Records online, the largest collection of Transformers memorabilia consists of 5,150 items, and was achieved by AJ Ard in the USA on 5 September 2022. Trevor hinted that he might have a go at besting that record one day.

 “It is getting crowded but we’re not out of room just yet,” he laughed.

Photo courtesy of the Mudgee Guardian Website

 With visitors travelling to the from as far away as Sydney to view the collection, Trevor embraces all corners of the fandom and distilled his love for the franchise, while also lamenting the sometimes toxic online discourse around it.

 “I do it for the love of it. It’s toy robots, it’s supposed to be fun,” he said.

 “If you’re not having fun what’s the point?”

 The Transformatorium is not open to the public, however anyone who wants to get in touch for a tour or would like to donate any Transformers items can get in touch via the Big Angry Trev’s Transformatorium page on Facebook or the Big Angry Trev website.

Random Reviews, Tales of the Trev, Videos

The Darling Hotel Penthouse, Sydney

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One comes to enjoy the perk’s of being a celebrity.  Whether one is acknowledged for their skills as a radio personality, film star, internet blogger or Transformers expert, it is nice that society values you above the regular folk and treats you as such.

Ask Trev – What’s it like being a Radio Star?

Earlier this year I took my family to Sydney to experience some live shows.  My son and I were off to see Weird Al Yankovic, while my wife and daughter were off to see Hairspray.  As Hairspray was showing at the Casino, our family decided to book a modest room at The Darling Hotel next door.

Of course, the inevitable happened.  Despite having booked a normal room, once the staff saw Big Angry Trev walk through the doors, we were immediately given a free upgrade to the Penthouse (not bad since it cost over $3000 more a night than the room we had booked!).

So when one is treated so well, it is only fitting to give some words of thanks in return.  So lets take a look at The Penthouse Suite at The Darling.

Now THIS is what a Hotel Room should look like

I loved the fact that our room had it’s own foyer you walked through before you reached the actual room.  Upon entering one is treated to a gorgeous open-planned kitchen, dining and lounge area, with one wall made up exclusively of floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of Sydney Harbour.

The view by night

Exploring the area, one finds that not only is every room climate-controlled – but dual climate controlled, so that if one person wants their side of the room at 26 degrees, and the other at 28 then the room can accommodate.  Handy for when you have more than one person sharing a bedroom.  And the bedrooms – I swear they must have murdered a dozen flocks of geese to make the beds that soft, perfect to watch the multiple widescreen televisions from.

The bathrooms (yes, plural) that also were climate controlled, were fabulous.  The showers had their own room – 2 showers with 3 heads apiece side by side.  At the other end of the Penthouse was a private steam room, with a spa bath next door that could accommodate a small family.

Dressing Room
Multi-Head Showers
Private Steamroom
Spa Bath Room

When not enjoying the opulence of our Penthouse, we decided to take a dip in the rooftop swimming pool and jacuzzi  – just the thing to help us relax after a hard day of comfort and luxury.

Rooftop Swimming Pool
Rooftop Jacuzzi

The next morning, we decided to order a room service breakfast, easily accommodated given the 11am checkout time.  You have to appreciate a hotel that gives you this many options for eggs.

Awaiting my breakfast

So when staying in Sydney, do yourself a favour darlings and stay at The Darling.  Friendly staff, incredible food and accommodation worthy of even Big Angry Trev himself!  5 Stars darling, 5 Stars!

Random Rants, Transformatorium

The ROTB Wheeljack Controversy

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There is only about a month to go until the new Transformers Rise of the Beasts film hits theatres and the hype is building, with everything from toy lines hitting shelves to art exhibitions taking place to celebrate the upcoming flick.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE EXHIBITION

However, it wouldn’t be a Transformers movie without there being something contentious to make the fandom all scream at each other, and in this case it’s the design of Wheeljack.

“Did I do that?’

Wheeljack, the very first Transformer to ever hit screen, was the Autobots mad-scientist, always coming up with whacky inventions and weapons that more often than not backfired.  This combined with his distinctive headscuplt,  easy-going personality and slick Lancia Stratos Turbo race car alt-mode meant that he was a fan favourite and one of the better known Transformer characters.

Wheeljack nearly appeared in the Dark of the Moon Transformers movie, but the decision was made at the last second to call the character ‘Que’ instead, as an homage to James Bond’s gadget guy.  Still, this decision was made so late that some toys and in the associated video game the character was still called Wheeljack.

‘Hey, it could be worse – I could look like this in the new movie!’

Wheeljack made his proper live-movie appearance in the Bumblebee Movie.  Whilst he had but a single line, he could be seen battling on Cybertron at the start of the flick and was instantly recognisable.  Despite being on screen for a very short amount of time, he received a very cool Studio Series figure which had an altmode of a Cybertronian HoverCar, instead of the Cybertronian HoverVan mode he had in the G1 cartoon.

In the upcoming Rise of the Beasts movie, a sequel to the Bumblebee flick, Wheeljack has completely changed from the previous film, with a completely different robot mode and altmode to any he has sported before.  Some fans are really not happy, with other fans really not happy that those fans are not happy.

So where does my opinion lie in all this?  Well let me tell you:

Toy Review – Studio Series Airazor

“Don’t be a slave to G1, don’t be a sook – characters change!”

This is the argument that a lot of fans are giving to those that don’t like the look of the new Wheeljack.  And I think they’ve got the argument slightly wrong.   I believe it’s not that people are annoyed that this incarnation of Wheeljack in not a carbon copy of his G1 incarnation, it’s that he’s not really recognisable as Wheeljack at all.

VW fans however are gonna be psyched!

People, for the most part unless they are the most staunch geewunners (which do sadly exist), don’t mind some changes to characters, as long as they retain some key essence of the original. It keeps the characters fresh and interesting.  Fans had no issue with Wheeljack being a Wrecker with a rebellious personality in Prime (2010). Wheeljack having a country accent and a mouth in Cyberverse (2018) and the new Earthspark (2022) cartoon have also been received without complaint.  Despite some changes these incarnations were still instantly recognisable as Wheeljack, due to either their physical appearance and/or personality. This incarnation doesn’t look, act or sound like Wheeljack (that we’ve seen thus far – who knows what may happen in the film).  So I completely understand why some fans are going ‘Why not just make it a new character instead of completely changing an old one?’.

These WERE the droids you were hoping for

 

To use an example from a different pop-culture franchise – it’s like Batman; there are dozens of different iterations of Batman with varying costumes and personalities, but you can generally pick up a comic or see a movie and still go ‘yep – that’s Batman’.

All slightly different in looks and personality – but all still definetly Batman.

No one is demanding that every Batman look like Adam West, they just want it to still be recognisable as the character.  If they did a comic where Batman was actually a 6’10” Slavic insurance-claims adjuster who lives in Brisbane, and at night throws rubber ducks at criminals whilst making poultry-puns, people would be like ‘WTF? That’s not Batman!’

 If we were to use a Transformers character such as Grimlock, we see the pattern repeated.  He is usually a grey Cybertronian T-Rex with a rebellious attitude.  But we have seen different versions of him over the years.  In the Alternators toyline he turned into a Ford Mustang, in Titanium a Cybertronian tank, in Rescue Bots Academy a Dino-cycle, in Age of Extinction a Gigantic Rex-Dragon.  In the RID15 Cartoon he was back to being a Cybertronian T-Rex again, but now green with a teddy-bear like head and a goofy personality.

All slightly different in looks, personality and altmodes, but all still Grimlock.

Each of these differed greatly from the core G1 character, but there was still enough recognisable elements that you could look and go ‘yup – that’s Grimlock’.

 

‘There have been different Wheeljacks before – they reuse names all the time, get over it!’

Armada Wheeljack

Yes, lots of characters got their names reused in Beast Wars, then again in early 00’s in shows like RID & Armada, but those were generally exceptions where they just randomly used names in order to keep the trademark.  Wheeljack in Armada was a bitter Autobot that swapped allegiance, and besides a car altmode had nothing to do with the original.  Similarly Grimlock, whom we were discussing earlier, turned into a excavator in RID and had zero connection to the original character.  So the precedents are there.

One of these Grim’s is not like the other ones…

That being said, Hasbro has taken a far more uniform approach to their characters in the modern era and, outside of the Movieverse, these aberrations have happened very little over the last 15 or so years.

 

So am I going to boycott the movie because Wheeljack is essentially unrecognisable?  No – I’m still looking forward to it!  And for all I know I might really like the character on the big screen and go out and buy the SS figure of him.  But do I understand why some fans have a beef with how he is being portrayed – yes I do.

Causing more mixed feelings in fandom than a female Ghostbuster

So my 2-cents are: if you don’t like how you think the ROTB Wheeljack looks/acts/sounds – go watch the movie next month and see if he grows on you.   Heck, he might be good enough that he earns a right to simply share the name, like G1 and Beast Wars Inferno do.

To those who have a problem with others disappointment in what the character looks like so far, give’em a break eh – it can be a bit heartbreaking to see a character you’ve loved for years changed beyond recognition for no obviously discernable reason.  But yes, when you’ve read the 50th ‘they’ve destroyed the character!’ rant, I can understand how your patience would wane.

Can the Transformers fandom just chill out a bit?

And my final words are – it’s all just toys and movies, don’t take it so seriously, just have fun!

 

Got an opinion on the whole Wheeljackgate?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Fan Interviews & Art, Tales of the Trev, Transformatorium, Videos

Video: Interviews at More than Meets the Eye Exhibition

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For the past 6 weeks the fabulous More than Meets the Eye Exhibition has been on show at Kings Comics in Sydney. This has consisted of original Transformers artworks by recognized modern artists, as well as toy displays by prominent Australian collectors, showcasing Transformers merchandise from the past 25 years.

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE EXHIBITION

I was lucky enough to be invited to the VIP Opening Night of the exhibition and while there, along with Eddie Zammit – the curator of the exhibition, and Toy Exhibitor Lisamree Chiu, I was interviewed by the lads from Each To Their Own in their That Figures! series of videos.  Check out their video below:

You can find more video’s by these talented guys at @EachToTheirOwn – make sure to check them out!  And speaking of checking things out, make sure you get down to Kings Comics to see the Exhibition by Radio Velvet before it finishes up at the end of April!

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Studio Series Airazor

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The new Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie is less than two months away, and figures are already turning up on shelves in anticipation of the latest instalment of the franchise.

Movie Review – Bumblebee

When I attended the Beasts Base Camp experience at Taronga Zoo I was lucky enough to be given a gift bag by Hasbro that contained, amongst other things, a Studio Series Airazor.  Then when attending the MTMTE Exhibition at Kings Comics my son was lucky enough to receive the same!  So being the first foray for both of us into the new movies toyline, thought it only fitting that we give you our thoughts on the figure.

 

Robot Mode

Given that Airazor has not, as of the writing of this post, had her robot mode shown in any footage, it is hard to give a proper account of how screen accurate the figure is.  It is certainly a nice looking figure, with an avian-like head, consistent colour-scheme, good proportions and decent articulation.  The wings give a cape-like appearance and the missiles on the arms lend that combative look of an alien robot about to enter the fray.  The face is not particularly feminine, but then very few Airazor figures in the past have had one either so one could say its true to form.  The feet should be turned so that the smaller talons face the front, but I personally think she looks that bit cooler and more bestial with the larger facing forward.

 

Falcon Mode

The figure really shines here.  A beautiful wingspan that can be adapted to a number of different configurations and poses.  A sufficiently detailed head and claws really give that metallic-bird appearance, with this Airazor not having an organic outer form like previous iterations of the character.  Looking from below she doesn’t look great, but then to be honest most real life birds don’t from that angle either (I raise ducks and chickens – trust me on this) so I personally find it forgivable.  The only main detractor is that the outer wings unclip very easily.  They can be clipped back on with similar ease so it’s a mild irritation at best.

 

Worth Getting?

Studio Series rarely lets us down in terms of screen-accurate & highly detailed figures, and has not disappointed once again.  The figure boasts a lot of detail, though more detail in the Transformation would have been nice, you definitely don’t need the instructions for this gal.  The figure shares much of its engineering with Kingdom Airazor so anyone who has that figure will know largely what to expect.

If you are into Beast Wars characters, or are looking to pick up toy representations of characters from the upcoming movie, then Studio Series Airazor fits the bill nicely and I welcome her as the first Maximal to enter my Studio Series collection.

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

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