G.C.I and the Feral Cons: Ready to Slash!

Chances are that if you're reading this title and you know what a "Feral Con" is, you may be thinking that as cool as these figures are, they're old news.  While these figures have been out for quite some time and have gotten rave reviews from fans, what lies ahead isn't a focus on the figures specifically, but a really nice addition to some already cool figures.  I think that if you're a sharp G1 fan - particularly of the Predacons - you'll want to read on!

Masterpiece - Initial 3rd Party Speculative Thoughts

It's time for more Masterpiece Transformers speculation!  It's one of the things that prompted me to start this blog initially, and I enjoy backing up my posts here from what I contribute to the discussions over at TFW2005.COM.  If you've missed my previous speculation, you can catch up by clicking here.  From there, you can see where I may have been on the mark and where I totally missed the bull's eye.  That's ok, as that's been much of the fun - posting what I think will happen, and then seeing how it compares/contrasts with what we actually get.

This post is much different.  This post revolves around the ever-growing trend of 3rd party products.  With the increasing number of collectors flocking to the Transformers Masterpiece line, the demand for official - and unofficial - products increase as well.  What's in store for the future?  Let's venture on to get a good start anyways!

(Close enough?  Igear Weapon Specialist and Masterpiece Bumble)

Skyfire - Did He Die?

A great many Transformers fans were devastated to see many of their favorite characters killed off in the 1986 The Transformers: The Movie feature film.  This, of course, was an obvious attempt by Hasbro and Sunbow to usher out one cast of toys and introduce a new, core cast.  The death of Optimus Prime rattled not only a fanbase, but a franchise back in the day.  Starscream's coronation is a short-lived, "bad comedy" - put to ash by the rebuilt Megatron as Galvatron.  Speaking of Megatron, who can forget Ironhide's gruesome death by having his head completely blown off by Megatron's fusion cannon (albeit mostly off screen)?  The Battle for Autobot City saw fan-favorite casualties on both sides for the Season 1 and Season 2 cast.

(Line artwork by me, colors by TFW2005.COM member BDixonarts)

Despite the horrible deaths of fan-favorites, not everyone was killed off.  Season 3 of The Transformers does see returns from previous cast members, such as Perceptor (who end up becoming a fairly prominent cast member).  Blaster is even put in a security position in charge over Metroplex.  Omega Supreme also continues as a carrier for the Autobots, though Sky Lynx pretty much takes over as the deep space carrier for the Autobots.

Speaking of carriers, we arrive to the subject of this post - Skyfire!  Until Omega Supreme arrives, he is prominently the Autobot's transport.  As a character, his introduction in "Fire in the Sky" and his return in "Fire on the Mountain" are his most prominent episodes.  He continues along, yet just fades out for the events of The Transformers: The Movie.  So, we don't see him get killed, and we can presume he makes it through into Season 3.

Therein lies our problem.  There's a fun little mystery as to the fate of Skyfire.  However, Season 3 offers some conflicting information, so let's explore:

X-Transbots Ollie - Good gollie!

When this figure came in for me, I was super-excited about getting it!  I took a few snapshots and was asked to share a few initial thoughts.  While I am quite the fan of Wheelie, I really wanted to look at this piece very objectively and give it a fair handshake.  While I can sometimes burst out into rhyme, for this blog post I surely won't take the time!  Perhaps if you're on the fence with this figure, reading on will help you decide whether or not to get it....

Momentary Lapse: Part 2

Quite some time ago, I posted this.  It's bound to happen.  Burnout, life issues, holidays...life can throw a lot atcha sometimes!  Well, while I've not been completely inactive online, blogging had to take a back seat.  If you're wondering why, perhaps the biggest reason is that I suffered a major notebook crash.  Place that on top of a time when "Tis the season," then one has a recipe for less blogging.

Kronos is MY Masterpiece Skyfire!

Hey guys, quick post, as I just want to share some of my photos taken of my new arrival: DaCa Toys Kronos!  After the photos, I am mirroring some thoughts I've posted at TFW2005.COM as well.  Go!

Roadbusted!

Recently, I had an unfortunate incident where my G1 Roadbuster's arm broke off.  Initially, one may think that was is a result of mishandling the figure.  However, anyone who knows me well enough would know that I tend to handle my Transformers very carefully, especially my G1 and Masterpiece figures.  This is mainly due to the cost of replacing a part that may break, as either line can be pretty expensive for repairs.

As such, I posted a want ad in a group I help administrate on Facebook, the G1 Transformers Buying Trading Selling group.  A member there, Andrew Zamarripa, messaged me with a generous offer to help.  After chatting a bit to make proper arrangements, I happily sent payment.

Fast forward just a bit, as I got the box with Roadbuster from Andrew for repairs.  With the spare in hand, I was able to perform an arm transplant.  It's a pretty simple operation, as there's a screw on the front and a screw on the back.  Simply removing both separates the abdomen portion from the back, exposing the pins which hold the arms.  The pins aren't beveled, so just a little finagling will slide the pin up just enough to grip.  I've used a pair of needle-nose pliers on this in the past, but it's not required; I removed the pin with just my fingers this time around.   As it would turn out, I'm going to have to swap the hoods out too, as mine has a small chip from where I transformed it so much as a kid.  

(Roadbuster, it's what's for dinner!)