Ok, picture time

Like I said, I reorganized the collection. The centerpiece, seen below, is where my Prime/Ultra Magnus/Optimus Primal collection is showcased:

Altogether on that shelf are these transformers:

Commemorative Series Generation 1 Optimus Prime
Commemorative Series Powermaster Optimus Prime w/Apex Bomber & Hi-Q
MP-01 Convoy (Japanese 20th Anniversary Prime)
Classics Voyager Optimus Prime
Classics Deluxe Optimus Prime
Alternators Optimus Prime
Titanium War Within Optimus Prime
Universe Spychanger G1 Optimus Prime
Titanium G1 Optimus Prime (3")
Robot Heroes (RH) Supermetal G1 Optimus Prime
RH G1 Optimus Prime w/Matrix of Leadership
Cybertron Leader Class Optimus Prime
Cybertron Legends Class Optimus Prime
Energon Leader Class Optimus Prime
Energon Deluxe Class Optimus Prime
Armada Supercon Optimus Prime w/Overrun
Robots In Disguise (RiD) Optimus Prime (in normal robot mode)
Titanium RiD Optimus Prime (Supermode)
RiD Spychanger Optimus Prime (Supermode)
Movie Leader Class Optimus Prime
Movie First Strike Optimus Prime
Movie Protoform Optimus Prime
Movie FAB Optimus Prime
Movie Legends Class Optimus Prime
RH Movie Battle Damage Optimus Prime
RH Movie Protoform Optimus Prime (really Jazz)
RH Movie Allspark Optimus Prime
RH Movie Sword Optimus Prime
Animated VoyagerClass Optimus Prime
Animated Deluxe Class Optimus Prime (Cybertronian)
Animated Battle Begins Optimus Prime
Animated Activators Optimus Prime
Animated Legends Class Optimus Prime
Beast Wars 10 Anniversary (BWX) Ultra Class Optimus Primal
BWX Deluxe Class Optimus Primal
Titanium Optimal Optimus (same guy as Primal)
RH Optimus Primal
Crossovers Captain America (he looks just like an Optimus toy)
Galaxy Force Vector Prime (Japanese release)
Cybertron Metroplex
Cybertron Scourge
Cybertron Evac
Cybertron Override
Commemorative Series G1 Ultra Magnus
Universe Leader Class Ultra Magnus
Animated Leader Class Ultra Magnus
Armada Overload w/ Knockout (to me, he's the UT analog to G1 Magnus)
Classics Ultra Magnus
Titanium War Within Ultra Magnus
Titanium G1 Ultra Magnus
RH G1 Ultra Magnus
Movie Legends Class Ultra Magnus (really Nightwatch Optimus Prime)

Hanging above all of those are Movie Scorponok, Energon Insecticon, and BWX Tarantulus.

Just above those guys is the Megatron shelf, and at the very top are the Starscreams:


On the Megatron shelf:

MP-05 Masterpiece Megatron
Classics Voyager Megatron
Classics Deluxe Megatron
Universe Special Edition Deluxe Megatron
Universe Legends Class Megatron
Titanium Megatron (Cobra version)
Titanium War Within Megatron
Machine Wars Megatron (really Megaplex)
RH G1 Megatron
RH Supermetal G1 Megatron
Cybertron Leader Class Galvatron
Cybertron Legends Class Galvatron
Cybertron Legends Class Megatron
Energon Megatron
Armada Megatron
RiD Megatron
Movie Leader Class Premium Megatron
Movie Voyager Class Premium Megatron
Movie Legends Class Megatron
RH Movie Megatron
RH Movie Supermetal Megatron
RH Revenge of the Fallen Megatron
Animated Leader Class Megatron
Animated Voyager Class Megatron
Animated Battle Begins Megatron
Animated Activators Megatron

And on the Starscream shelf:

Masterpiece Starscream
Commemorative Series G1 Starscream
Classics Starscream
Titanium War Within Starscream
Universe Legends Class Starscream
RH G1 Starscream
Armada Starscream
Energon Starscream
Energon Energon Starscream (not a typo...)
Galaxy Force Starscream (Japanese release)
Cybertron Legends Starscream
Botcon Shattered Glass Starscream
Movie Deep Space Starscream
Movie Starscream (G1-style version)
Movie Protoform Starscream
ROTF Legends Class Starscream
Movie RH Starscream (missle arm version)
ROTF RH Starscream
Animated Voyager Class Starscream
Animated Activators Starscream
Animated Legends Class Starscream

Off to the side I have a few Jetfires in vehicle mode:



Clockwise, starting with the space shuttle:
Armada Jetfire
Titanium War Within Jetfire
Energon Skyfire (officially Skyblast)
Classics Jetfire
Beast Machines/Universe Jetfire (officially RiD Storm Jet. Also my first eBay TF purchase)

Here's some of my Seeker collection:


Left to right, back row:

Cybertron Dirge (officially Universe/G1 Dirge)
Animated Sunstorm
Animated Skywarp
Armada Skywarp

Middle row:
Movie Overcast
Titanium War Within Sunstorm
Titanium War Within Thundercracker
Movie Thundercracker
Universe Skywarp (in vehicle mode)

Front row:

Classics Ramjet
Universe Acid Storm
Cybertron Divebomb (officially Movie Divebomb)
Cybertron Deluxe Class Thundercracker
Cybertron Legends Class Thundercracker
Cybertron Skywarp
Classics Skywarp (in back)
Titanium War Within Skywarp

Here's the work in progress Giant TFs/Movie/Revenge of the Fallen display:



At the very top I have 3 of my biggest transformers, Cybertron Primus, Energon Omega Supreme, and Armada Unicron (with the Dead End minicon). Also up there is the Headmaster unit from Animated, Cybertron Deluxe Class Unicron, the Unicron head that came with Primus, and RH Unicron (who's molded to resemble his original G1 appearance, not the Armada or Cybertron versions).

The next shelf down (the first proper shelf) is, right now, just an unorganized random smattering of (mostly recent) transformers. Left to right:

Classics Cliffjumper
Classics Mirage
Universe Galvatron
Universe Cyclonus (no, Nightstick isn't with him)
Universe Octane (officially Tankor)
Universe Inferno
Universe Hound
Animated Blazing Lockdown
Classics Astrotrain
Titanium War Within The Fallen
Universe Silverbolt
Cybertron Sideways

Second shelf: Also a bit unorganized, but it's got more Movie stuff than not. Left to right:

Movie Protform Bumblebee (from the 3-D card game)
Turtle shell
Lego shark
Movie Landmine
Starwars Death Star Darth Vader (Death Star mode)
Titanium War Within Grimlock (vehicle mode)
RH ROTF Springer
Movie Stockade
Movie Silverstreak/Bluestreak (really Camshaft)
Movie Voyager Class Megatron
RiD Scourge (the full-size version)
Movie Incinerator

Third shelf: Ok, here's where the movie stuff starts in earnest. Left to right:

ROTF Deluxe Class Sideswipe
RH ROTF Sideswipe
Movie Voyager Class Robovision Optimus Prime
Movie Deluxe Class Premium Jazz
Movie Legends Class Jazz (Allspark Battles version)
Movie Legends Class Rescue Ratchet
ROTF Legends Class Optimus Prime
Movie Legends Class Ironhide
Movie Legends Class Cliffjumper
ROTF Legends Class Springer
Movie Legends Class Bonecrusher
Movie Legends Class Brawl
ROTF Legends Class Jetfire
Movie Legends Class Skywarp (really Stealth Starscream)
Movie Legends Class Blackout
Movie Legends Class Barricade
Movie Legends Class Recon Barricade
ROTF Scout Class Ransack
ROTF Leader Class Megatron
ROTF Voyager Class The Fallen

Fourth shelf, left to right:

Movie Longarm
Movie Voyager Class Ratchet
ROTF Wasp (really Knock Out)
ROTF Deluxe Class Skids
Movie Deluxe Class Bumblebee (original Concept Camaro version)
Movie Wreckage
ROTF Deluxe Class Rampage
Movie Deluxe Class Bonecrusher
ROTF Deluxe Class Soundwave
Movie Deluxe Class Brawl
ROTF Voyager Class Demolishor
Movie Dropkick

Bottom shelf, left to right:

Movie Final Battle Jazz
Movie Evac
Movie Deluxe Class Cliffjumper
Movie Voyager Class Ironhide
Movie Arcee
ROTF Chromia
Movie Voyager Class Blackout
Movie Legends Class Scorponok
Movie Deluxe Class Premium Barricade w/Frenzy
ROTF Voyager Class Starscream
RH ROTF Sideways
ROTF Deluxe Class Sideways
Movie Leader Class Deep Desert Brawl

Reorganizing the invasion....

So I've finally got the reorganizing of my collection pretty much finished. I also finally took some pics to send in for that CNN iReport thing, so I'll post those here too. I also have a few comparison pics of 2007 Legends Starscream and ROTF Legends Starscream. The new one is much better, I'll tell you that. If you like the tribal scars, anyway.

Anyhow, I'll get some of the pics up (hopefully tonight). I've got a fairly nice ROTF collection going, with the most recent acquisitions being Leader class Optimus Prime (he's amazing) and the Walmart exclusives Skywarp and Ramjet, who are repaints of 2007 Thundercracker and Starscream, respectively. I initially only wanted Skywarp, and went to pick him up today (I bought him online with site-to-store) and caved on Ramjet too. Honestly, one of the best things about these two is the cards they come with. The art is great, lenticular, and the back are Simmon's notes on the robots, which are amusing, to say the least.

Review: ROTF Knock Out

Knock Out is one of the wave 1 scout class toys for the Revenge of the Fallen line. He's an Autobot and transforms into motorcycle ("street"/"racing" type, whatever you want to call it. It's not a Harley, anyway). This is kind of nice, since we haven't had a scout/basic class motorcycle in quite a while now - not since the Cybertron line with its Ransack (Velocitronian cycle) and Lugnutz (Harley-Davidson style) molds.

He's packaged in bot mode, but I'll begin by covering the motorcycle mode:

One of the nice things about scout/basic class motorcycle TFs is that they're closer to being in scale with other, namely automobile, TF alt modes. Knock Out's particular cycle mode has a really nice color scheme - mostly green and black (a favorite combo of mine) along with a decent helping of neon green, a few white stripes and some grey parts. Oh, and a bit of skyish blue and a weird cross between brass and gunmetal on the tailpipe. His one Autobot sigil is on the fuel tank right behind the cap and is made from black paint. It's superimposed on the neon green color, so there's good contrast that allows the sigil to stand out well. I should also mention that the black plastic is matte, not unlike a lot of the plastic featured on many of the TF: Animated toys. This helps the look quite a bit.

This nice color scheme is wrapped around a very sleek motorcycle. The front section with the headlights and windshield (what would be the hood of a car) is formed from a roughly triangular shape that comes to a point at the front. It looks a bit like the head of a wasp, actually (something that I'll come back to later). The detail level is pretty good, as you would expect from the movie line, but not over the top. Actually, it could fit in with some other TF lines, such as Energon, Classics/Universe 2.0, or Cybertron. Truth be told, it's about the same size and style of bike as Energon Arcee, a similarity that will carry over in bot mode. One nice touch that many bike TFs don't have is steering. The front wheel can be rotated to simulate a change in direction, and while it's not linked to the handlebars, the handlebars themselves form a small dial (speedometer, presumably) where they meet together.

Before I cover the robot mode itself, though, let's look at how to get there: the transformation.

First of all, the large side panels disconnect, bringing the legs that were largely hidden along with them. The heel spurs of the feet will need to be unfolded. At this point, the front wheel can be folded back, but you'll need to rotate it so that it will rest horizontally against the robot's back. It wont' naturally do this; there's a bit of plastic that prevents the wheel from goign completely horizontal. However, it can be forced, and in this case the bit of plastic adds friction to keep the wheel in place. Next, the handlebars are rotated forward a bit to allow the "hood" to be separated. Each half of the "hood" is pulled to the side and then back to partially cover the fuel tank/chest and reveal the head. The last major step is splitting the rear wheel/tailpipe assembly and swinging each half 180 toward the head. Rotate the two tailpipe pieces to reveal the right arm's gun and the left hand, and then position the wheel halves that are now on the shoulders however you like. One last optional step makes Knock Out a partsformer - the bike kibble on the legs can be removed and pegged into slots just above the front wheel to look like wings. However, I aesthetically don't care for this, so I just leave them on the legs.

Ok, robot mode. There's a lot of neat things going on here, especially in comparison to certain other TF toys and characters. A similarity to Energon Arcee (a mold that was reused twice during the original 2007 movie line) was mentioned above, and that similarity is even stronger in bot mode. This is largely due to the whole front wheel resting on the back with the rear wheel halves floating above the shoulders. Also, the general body shape isn't too different, although obviously more masculine (since this isn't a fem-bot). The head is a big divergence, though - on fist sight, it brings Marvel's Wolverine to mind, since it has a black "mask" with blade-like projections above the eyes. The underlying "skull" is neon green and the eyes are blue. Where there would normally be a mouth, there are parts that look somewhat somewhat similar to Bumblebee's mouth design; that is, more like a breathing apparatus. There are also exhaust pipe-looking tubes projecting from either side from the mouth area and toward the back of the head, somewhat similar to Armada Blurr. Aside from the head, however, it's hard to deny that there are superficial similarities to the Energon Arcee mold. Really, it's more like Knock Out's design is a perfection or improvement of that mold. What I mean is that Knock Out doesn't have many of the problems that Energon Arcee does, such as:

1. High heel foot design that makes for unstable standing poses
2. No thigh rotation in the legs
3. Front wheel sticking straight out of the back
4. Shoulder-mounted wheel halves that don't really do much
5. Elbows that only bend inward
6. Small, gimpy-looking hands

Knock Out dispenses with each of these problems.

The torso is formed by the fuel tank, but due to the transformation the tank is covered on its sides by the halves of the motorcycle's "hood." Because of the way the tank and hood halves are painted, this ends up making a sort of striped appearance on the torso. The Autobot sigil is front and center, just below the fuel cap.

Overall, the robot mode's design elements - colors, cannon arm similar to Bumblebee, and insectoid face with "wings" - make it so I can't help but feel that this is intended to be the Movie version of Waspinator/Wasp. Waspinator was a Beast Wars Predacon, and in Animated Wasp was an Autobot who was framed as a Decepticon spy, imprisoned and went crazy. He eventually was mutated into the technorganic Waspinator by Animated Blackarachnia (herself also based on another BW Predacon). It's easy to imagine, especially after reading him in the ROTF Prequel novel, that Knock-out is a young Autobot recruit eager to prove his mettle and regarding himself as an equal to battle-hardened soldiers like Sideswipe and Bumblebee. He would compete with the other Bumblebee fanboys, Skids and Mudflap, who he'd regard with disdain (despite thrir apparent effectiveness in combat). I don't see this "Wasp" going bad like the Animated version, though.

In summation, great little transformer. Visually striking with a good alt mode & transformation with a bot mode that really improves on a previous & very similar mold, Energon Arcee. It's also much better than the later red repaint named Reverb (unless you're just a gobot freak).

Revenge is here!

The initial waves of toys for the new Revenge of the Fallen movie were released over the past couple of days.

On Friday, I got:

Leader Megatron

Voyager Starscream

Deluxes Soundwave, Rampage, & Sideswipe

Scout Ransack

Legends Jetfire

Robot Heroes Sideswipe vs. Sideways

Gravity Bot Bumblebee (for my son, who just turned 2 last week!)

Yesterday, I also picked up deluxe Chromia and scout Knock Out in a moment of weakness. The only other TF I plan to pick up until July is Voyager Skywarp, a Walmart exclusive that the two Walmarts I went to didn't have yet. Also, my wife said she'd get me leader Optimus Prime for Father's Day, which is pretty nice. Tomorrow I'm going to begin working on cleaning up my TF room & reorganizing my display, largely to accomodate the new ROTF toys. I'll post some pictures later.

Happy birthday, Transformers (and happy graduation, me!)

Yesterday, May 8th, apparently marks the first time any Transformers merchandise was put on sale, namely the original Marvel Transformers comic series issue #1. This comic was actually recently reissued with the 25th Anniversary edition of G1 Optimus Prime, by the way. Anyhow, there was to be a celebration of sorts online with the different TF-themed blogs and websites. I haven't updated in a while, but I wanted to do something.

But I was busy! I had to work, compile one of my last assignments for my MAT degree, and then I graduated from said program (which is funny, since I still have one class left this summer; turns out there's a lot of people in the same position). My parents, wife and child attended, and it was pretty fun. We ate out at one of my favorite places beforehand.

Back on track....happy birthday, Transformers, from one 25-year-old to another. You brought me a lot of fun over the years.

I'll post a few celebratory pics later this week (hopefully after I find RotF Soundwave!)

Easter is almost here...

So, we're just over a week away from Easter. Other than celebrating the obvious on that day, I'll also be glad because one of the things I've abstained from during Lent is....here it....wait for it....transformers.

I know! It's been tough. Not too tough, though. There honestly hasn't been a whole lot of stuff released lately...or at least stuff that hasn't made it anywhere I've been.

I'd still like to see the 5th wave of the Universe Legends toys (Wheelie, Hot Rod, Cosmos, and WARPATH), but no luck there. I did manage to find and pick up Target exclusive Animated Sunstorm last week. He comes with Activators Ratchet, who I luckily hadn't bought yet. However, he's staying under wraps until Easter day.

I'd also like to get Universe Hot Shot and Ratchet. Ratchet is fine as is. However, I'm really considering ordering the Japanese version of Hot Shot (called Hot Rod over there). He's about twice as much, but he comes with weapons. The reason this is a big deal is because even though the mold has fist holes and additional holes on the forearms, they don't match the pegs to any of the weapons (which are 5mm thick) that come from the Unicron Trilogy lines that this character hails from. So the American version can only defend himself with his minicon, Jolt, a small helicopter. And honestly, I could work with that - small helicopters make good close-range spinning-blade weapons. But not if you can only attach them to the larger character's back, which is the case with Hot Shot. The Japanese Hot Rod, on the other hand, has two chrome tailpipes that become hand/forearm-mounted flamethrowers in bot mode with pretty blue flame missiles. They also looks pretty similar to Animated Hot Shot's flamethrowers, and since we'll probably never get a toy of that version of the character, these weapons are likely the only physical reference to him available.

So yeah. I'm probably ordering Henkei (Japanese) Hot Rod instead of paying $13 for the American version.

Speaking of Animated Ratchet (above), that character is apparently getting a new deluxe toy, this time with a Cybertronian alt mode seen in many flashbacks on the show instead of his Earth-based Ambulance mode. What's especially cool about this is that it increases the likelihood of an Animated Ironhide toy being made - all that would be required is a head remold.

Fun with money...

It's been a long time since I updated. However, I have managed to pick up quite an number of transformers since then, largely due to Christmas (big thanks to my wife, parents, and in-laws!).

However, my TF buying is going to have to be more infrequent for now. I was trying to maintain a budget of $50 a month, but now I'm having to shoot for even less. For example, the only thing I'll be buying in February will be Universe Dinobot - a mere ten dollars. Ah well.

I did manage to pick up the new Animated Jetfire/Jetstorm set about two weeks ago, and got it for only $15, too. They're both a lot of fun, and a bit different from most other TFs, too.

I'm getting terribly excited for the new movie line, especially the Devastator figure. It's supposedly around 2 feet tall and about $100. That'll probably be a birthday thing at this point.