robots/monsters/misadventure

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Weekly Spotlight: Ultra Magnus

Consistency is victory.
Ultra Magnus is all soldier. Most comfortable when carrying out Optimus Prime's orders. Possesses magnificent fighting skills, courage, and a gift for battlefield improvisation. Uncomfortable in the mantle of leadership, but presents strong profile as a commander. Carries missile launchers capable of hitting a target 30 miles away. Resolute, fair, and courageous beyond reproach. Ever ready to sacrifice himself for the good of men and mission.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

I love discount robot cartoons

Micro-Commando Diatron 5
I've mentioned before that I'm a casual fan of Korean robot cartoons, and that stems directly from buying el cheapo robot cartoons from discount bins. They're usually dubbed Korean super robot movies that in a lot of cases outright have stolen robot designs or even footage from Diaclone, Microman, Gundam, and other shows. 

Space Transformers (dubbed Diatron 5)
While the quality of these shows are usually bizarre and usually pretty funny (I recall watching one on a very fuzzy VHS, with a cutaway to a villainous lair that was an inserted cell of Castle Grayskull and Batman ran by in a crowd of soldiers.), I've always enjoyed watching them. In some cases it's the only animation ever made on some robot lines (not counting Transformers for the Diaclone and Microman bots). I've managed to get quite a few of these movies by just digging through discount bins at stores usually for about a dollar each. Sometimes you can really luck up on them at discount stores such as Ollie's or Roses whom have a wide selection of low rent videos. I've even seen the entire movies uploaded to Youtube, which if you want to watch a few would be a good way without digging past endless copies of Dunston Checks In.

Diaclone Waruder Mecha


Weekly Spotlight: Shattered Glass Goldbug

The least likely is always the most dangerous.

Goldbug was once a young Cybertronian drifter known as Bumblebee. He survived on the streets of Polyhex with no real purpose. Over time, he became skilled at sneaking around, stealing, eavesdropping and blackmailing. When he heard of a new cause being led by Optimus Prime, he eagerly joined the Autobots in hopes of finding a place to belong and where his unsavory activities would be tolerated. When the war began, Bumblebee showed extreme bravery in battle and often sought ways to be noticed by command. In time, he worked his way up the ranks of the Autobots and when the Autobot Seeker Drench was destroyed, Bumblebee was offered an upgraded form and a new identity as Goldbug, to take his place. Although he holds a high position in the Autobot hierarchy, he is paranoid that someone will one day try to betray him and take his place as he has done to so many others in the past.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Goshogun intro


Daltanious *fixed later post*



This was almost Voltron instead of GoLion.

*The original video I put up has since been pulled, so since I can't find another version of the intro and the post's been getting extra hits lately. Here's a Spanish language commercial for the show. Enjoy!*

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Transformers Armada/ Micron Densetsu intros

Armada version 1

Micron Densetsu version 1

The US version of the show got a rushed production to meet scheduled airing time, while the Japanese version got more time and resulted in a better quality production. Both have really nicely done intros, however.

Transformers and their Armada

YOU!
Transformers Armada was a series I enjoyed a whole freaking lot and had a ton of fun while it was going on (despite the poo-poo pants of some poopy corners of the fandoms poopy efforts to poop on it). A super cool fanzine dedicated to Armada was available last weekend at TF Nation (I'd really like to go one year, that show really seems to match up to stuff I'd like in a convention) and is now online as a PDF for us who missed the show. I'd check it out if I were you, it's a good fun read by folks who enjoyed the series like I did.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Building Metal Defender Voltron

One down, four to go.

This past winter I built the Legendary Voltron, a 16" giant Voltron figure. I had used some gift cards from Christmas to buy the 4 limb lions and my pre order for the black lion had fell through (I've developed a grudge towards toy pre orders since) Fortunately my wife picked me one up as a get well soon gift when I came down with the flu around late January. It's a impressive figure that I'm quite proud of owning as a lifelong Voltron fan and a fan of the current Netflix show.

After completing the giant figure, I began wishing for a smaller figure of the current version of Voltron. There's action figure of him on the shelves that I hadn't picked up as I wanted a combining set. Soon as I learned of the Metal Defender series, I was stoked. A smaller Voltron with die cast lions, sign me up!

So far the Metal Defender series is available in a gift set and as individual lions. I started building my Metal Defender Voltron this past weekend by beginning with the black lion (since he was a challenge to get last time). I've decided to do it individually as the gift set is may be available, but also a big hunk of change to spend at once. 15$ a week for the lions is a little easier and really won't take long to finish collecting.

I'm really looking forward to completing my new Metal Defender Voltron. Playing with my new smaller black lion has been a treat and that added heft of die cast is extremely pleasant. I really recommend the new set to any fan of Voltron or robot toys in general. Once you get one in hand, you'll see why.

Weekly Spotlight: Transmetal Optimus Primal



Changed into a mighty, metal gorilla by the planetary destruction device, Optimus Primal has a built-in, rocket-powered hoverboard that lets him hang ten on the air-waves of the Beast Wars world! Stronger and faster than ever, he converts to become the huge, organically enhanced Maximal General loaded with weaponry. Predacons who value their health best avoid any monkey business with metal Optimus Primal!

Monday, August 14, 2017

Admitting my ridiculousness


I've mentioned before that while I was in college I worked at an Office Max. Our store had a copy center in the back that I off and on again worked in. One of my guilty pleasures was printing out images I'd bring from home on a 3.5 disk and making nice big pictures to put on my wall. Sometimes laminated, sometimes just posters. I still have the one I made from this image (or one of the variations) somewhere in a box. I had it on my refrigerator until roughly 2007. I'd probably put it on ours now, but it's kinda yellowed with age and smells a bit musty.

I wish this never ended


The 3H version of the TF fan club wasn't without it's problems, but that one lone issue of the magazine was spectacular.

Jurassic Clash looks great


Sunday, August 13, 2017

Friday, August 11, 2017

The Rebirth took me a minute


So, around 2001 there was a DVD release of The Ultimate Doom. It was a multi part episode from season one of the classic TF cartoon. I was given it as well as a DVD of the 1986 Transformers movie and a DVD player that Christmas. It was my first DVD player and I was very excited to finally make the move into all the cool stuff that came with DVD's. I had several Transformers VHS tapes, some extremely well worn to the point of almost breakage and it was nice to have much higher quality copies of my cartoons. I was eagerly anticipating the upcoming Transformers box sets and man, it was a good time for TF on home video.

Around spring 2002 (I think) Rhino put out The Rebirth on a DVD and I was really looking forward to getting it. On it's release I headed directly to my local Media Play (remember those) to grab a copy (man, I miss Media Play). There they were, about four copies. I grabbed one and checked out before heading back home. I pretty much had to get dressed and go straight to work, so upon getting back home that evening I stopped and grabbed some pizza and was ready to bask in the glory that was The Rebirth. Turn on player, push play...

The Ultimate Doom?

Somehow I got a screwed up copy of my video. Well crap. So the next morning, I went and exchanged it. Same story, went to work, came home, popped in DVD...

The Ultimate Doom...

Getting a little peeved, I went back to Media Play the next morning, same cashier and exchanged it again. The cashier thought it was weird, but believed me as it has The Rebirth label even on the DVD and what did I have to gain by exchanging it for the same movie? Went home, didn't have to work, put the DVD straight into the player...

DAMMIT.

Went directly back to the store, this time a manage helped me as this was the last copy. The manager didn't believe me, and kept questioning me. I told him, to pop the DVD in the TV they had at the register and got an apology. Before I left we put the last copy in the same player and...

The

Ultimate

Doom.

So, the manager ordered me a new copy, had me help write up the problem for some report and I had to wait a few days. I had got home and decided to sit on my porch to calm down a bit. I wasn't super angry, but I was annoyed. I remember my roommate showing concern and then laughing at me when I told him about the whole thing. Within a few days, the new shipment of The Rebirth got to the store and the manager personally called me to let me know. I went to the store, we opened a copy and...

Oh hey, the movie I tried to buy 4 times now came on. Cool. So I went home with a new and fifth attempt to buy The Rebirth. Of course I had to work and watch it later that evening. With a new pizza, I had ate the one I bought earlier.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Battle City Fever


I was just sitting at my desk working when I decided I should post a picture of Battle Gaia fighting Guard City.


If I was running the fan club, I probably would have tried so many times to make Combiner Wars versions of these two.  I'm excited for the new fan club, I really wish I was helping out with it on some form. 

4 years ago

GNAW WAY
Thanks to that Facebook memories thing, I was reminded that the best Transformers convention ever was 4 years ago. Hard to believe it was so long ago, but that's the march of time for you. If you weren't there you really missed out on something special. It was literally everything I wanted in a Transformers convention.

There's an element you only get when something is made from pure love. When the people making something just want it to be what people want. When they say to themselves, "I want this to be the kind of show I'd want to go to".


Unpolished Metals



A thread earlier in Talk Transformers combined with my earlier post got me missing those older BotCons. They were basically officially recognized fan conventions. A little rough around the seams, but still pretty great. These days of even small run comics being super slick makes me yearn for these older convention comics even more.

Should get a Big Mac and flip through my old copies.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Ironically

Man, I love Machine Wars packaging.

I was thinking earlier today. The exact reasoning that I started this blog/site/whatever (I feel weird calling it a blog) comes directly from me wanting to create a series of zines focusing on more forgotten/looked over series of Transformers. It was going to start with Machine Wars, then McDonald's Beast Wars, onto the Walmart Dinobots, the Mutants, and so on. I literally had been sitting on this idea for over a decade. I've mentioned before there was a pre-cursor to Zone Base in the form of a short lived Tumblr. I did it at an odd point and it didn't really last long. Not long enough to work that forgotten series into it. So at some point I decided to make Zone Base. Which I made and promptly sat on forever. In between self doubt if anyone would actually read it and general life keeping me busy, Zone Base sat empty for awhile and at some point I made a "I promise there will be something here at some point" post. Then more time passed and I finally decided to get off my butt and do something with it, I mean what's the actual worse that could come from it?

So I decided the most appropriate time to launch Zone Base officially (even though I didn't buy an actual url until a few days later, so it was blogger.com/zonebase) was during BotCon 2016. It was the last BotCon, and say what you will about Fun Publications years on the convention, it was around long before them and meant a whole lot to us Transformers fans. I really wish I could have gone, but at that point I was just priced out. Though, they seemingly had an exclusive just for me. I mean, I know they didn't make it with me in mind, but let's just say they accidentally did. They had an Under 3 homage toy (I got Kilby to grab me one at the con).

McDonald's Beast Wars is a big deal to me and that toy was just that last special BotCon thing, just for me. Earlier in the evening, I said goodbye to BotCon (though I had done that originally before the Fun Pub version, it was a different con with the same name really) and did a soft launch of Zone Base on Instagram. It was a picture of a Big Mac and a Combiner Wars Shockwave. I had grabbed a Big Mac meal just for the occasion as I always ate a Big Mac at least once at BotCon (pre Fun Pub, though I did eat one at Charticon, because that was a return to those old BotCons to me). I've said before and I'll say it again: I've always associated McDonald's with Transformers and occasionally I guess it'll make sense to people.

But that Instagram post had a little blurb about Big Macs and BotCon and that was that. It was generally well received on social media (man, I share everything) as most folks who saw it got it. The next thing I posted was a little later that night, and that was the introductory Zone Base post. Fortunately Zone Base has been really well received and I've really enjoyed making it. Though, I gave that little insight to why I created this site/blog/thing to explain what's ironic.

I was thinking today that I still haven't made anything with that zine idea. *shrug* I guess I'll get to it eventually.

31 huh?


I freaking love this art.

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the 1986 Transformers movie. I figured since I said enough on social media that I didn't need to say anything else about it. Of course I feel guilty about that and am making a post now to make up for it. I wrote a pretty well received post on it last year, I feel like it stands to be plugged here as it really says it all.

Weekly Spotlight: G2 Redux Sky-Byte

Flash of metal fins. Sharkticons tear foes to shreds. Die quick, Autobots.

Sky-Byte is a Predacon by design, but, like his Quintesson creators, works with the Decepticons from time to time when it's profitable to do so. He leads the new-generation Sharkticons into battle, ruthlessly shredding all cars and robots on his way. He sees himself as a sophisticated warrior poet, the self-proclaimed "greatest shark around," composing haiku about the robots in disguise he's about to deactivate. Exposure to forestonite has given Sky-Byte a devastating new ability; he can unleash a "Tsunami Blaster" freeze attack from his chest, paralyzing his foes. Combined with an already impressive arsenal, air speed, and his Sharkticon hordes, he's a menace to everything in the air, land and sea. Were he more competent and less given to overblown theatrics that leave him vulnerable, he'd be one of the Autobots' greatest threats.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Speaking of that Hasbro slide show from earlier today....

I'm the bald guy.

New cartoons!


According to TFW2005 the new TF cartoon series will be arriving next year and fall under the name Cyberverse. Ironically, I once ran a TF fan blog called Cyberverse on Tumblr! I took the name from the at the time subline called Cyberverse, which was composed of legion figures and the commander class (which is what we call legends now) with vehicles and playsets. I thought the name was rad and sounded like a fanzine name. In many ways it was a precursor to Zone Base (along with a short lived site I had called Bot Files around 01-02).  Though really it was a much more simpler blog that mainly posted pictures of neat things.


The outlook pleases me, from all impressions, the show might be somewhat G1 in nature. I've been speculating that for awhile that the follow up to RID might be G1-ish, based on the obvious push in G1 stuff towards kids recently. While I'm always open for new ideas, a return to form does look fun. The RID toys are really imaginative and the cartoon is a lot of fun. That type of approach could go well with the classics. Not to mention world build more. I really did like RID, but 3 seasons is a good run and something different on TV wouldn't be a bad thing.

It's good to see Rescue Bots continuing in some form for the little kids. It's certainly popular and I've enjoyed the occasional toy or 200.

I'm definitely happy to see the movie news at top. While I enjoyed TF5, it certainly isn't making the killing at the box office that prior movies did. I know that a big company won't kill a money machine without attempts to revive it and by all accounts the Bumblebee movie just might be the rejuvenating elixir the franchise needs after a decade. The part 6 might be shaky until we here more, but an animated film has been in the works and is still on the way. So that could really be a positive. At most, it might be the movie fans have wanted for years. Being animated and not live action, it could really just be that all robot on-screen experience that we've all wanted.


It really was.


It's just that good.


Just been thinking how much I'd like to be at Universal right now.