Transformer of the Day for April 9, 2009
HARDHEAD
-Faction: Autobot (Headmaster)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Ground Assault
-Motto: “It’s Either My Way - Or No Way”
-Notable Toy: Regular (Hasbro, 1987)
Notes: Headmasters like Hardhead must be the hardest characters to write. At least the Headmaster cartoon (Japan) envisioned the heads as independent robots who build transforming interchangeable armour for themselves. North America had to decapitate sentinel robots and either insert driver (cartoon) or creat merged intelligence and personality. Gives one a headache. Anyway, it is nice to see Hardhead still around, in one form or another, at IDW.
(Apologies and thanks to shmax.com and bbts.com for the toy images.)
Transformer of the Day for April 8, 2009
FRENZY
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Generation One (1984-1993)
-Function: Warrior
-Motto: “Sow Panic and Surrender Will Bloom”
-Notable Toy: MusicLabel (TakaraTomy, 2007)
Notes: Having established the Rumble-Frenzy controversy, let me admit where I fall down on the great Transformers divide. Illustrations to the contrary, Frenzy is the BLUE one. The cartoon made a mistake. And while I’m stirring up trouble, how is it that we can get two fan-designed neo-Classics trailers for Optimus, full armour for Ultra Magnus and even the long-lost Auto-Scout tape for Soundwave, and yet no one has made pile drivers for our G1 brothers?
Transformer of the Day for April 7, 2009
BULKHEAD
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Transformers: Animated (2008-Present)
-Function: One Robot Wrecking Crew
-Motto: “Sorry, My Bad.”
-Notable Toy: Leader Class (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: How can you not fall in love with a character like Bulkhead? One part Rhinox, one part Gen1 Grimlock, his attributes seem to consist of post-modernism, friendship and space bridge technology. And while the Voyager toy should be enough for anyone, how can one pass up the chance to purchase a headmaster unit with additional vocal tracks. It helps that it puts him in proper scale too.
(Apologies and thanks to Espen Grundetjern for the amazing character images.)
Transformer of the Day for April 6, 2009
BRUTICUS
-Faction: Predacon
-Era: Robots in Disguise (2000-2001)
-Function: Dungeon Master
-Motto: “Who Goes There?”
-Notable Toy: Universe (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: Alas poor Bruticus. You began your meagre existence as a prototype Maximal for Beast Machines. But you came about too late for that line, so maintaining what look like prototype colours, you emerged as a Predacon as part of Robots in Disguise. Later it almost seems as if your memory is channelled into Cybertron Scourge, an orange three-headed dragon. Ironic then that this mould, three-headed and yet not cerberus-related, would not only return you to store shelves in Universe, but somehow represent your adopted series in said same toy line.
Transformer of the Day for April 5, 2009
SURVIVE
-Faction: Maximal
-Era: Beast Wars Neo (1998-99)
-Function: Military Strategist
-Motto: “Fall in Line or Fall Out”
-Notable Toy: Two-Pack (Takara, 1999)
Notes: A repaint of Polar Claw, Survive closely resembles his Botcon Japan cousin Barbearian, who himself is a homage to the Polar Claw prototype called Grizzly-One. For some reason, the brown paint applications really suits this mould. Certainly it seems less likely to fall victim to plastic discolouration that is the scourge of plastic toys. And who can resist a grizzly that comes with an evil Triceratops like Killer Punch.
Transformer of the Day for April 4, 2009
KICKBACK
-Faction: Decepticon (Insecticon)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1993)
-Function: Espionage
-Motto: “Friend is Another Word for Fool”
-Notable Toy: Statue (HardHero, 2003)
Notes: Like Bombshell and Shrapnel, Kickback’s fate is to turn into one of Scourge’s Huntsman by Unicron. But twenty years earlier, he was the defacto leader of the Insecticons. His Takara origins provides space in his chest for a diaclone driver. But it is his HardHero rendering that really brings him to life, if even on a mound of earth.
Transformer of the Day for April 3, 2009
AIR RAID
-Faction: Autobot (Aerialbot)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Warrior
-Motto: “If You Look First You May Not Leap“
-Notable Toy: Generation 2 (Hasbro, 1994)
Notes: I don’t seem to remember Air Raid getting a lot of particular focus compared to his Aerialbot colleagues in the cartoon. But an Autobot jet based on the same F-14 as the Decepticon seekers is pretty cool. And there is something charming about his G2 paint applications. Almost vaguely Leader One-esque…
(Apologies and thanks to shmax.com and bbts.com for the toy image.)
Transformer of the Day for April 2, 2009
WASPINATOR
-Faction: Predacon
-Era: Beast Wars (1996-1998)
-Function: Aerial Attack
-Motto: “Waspinator Tired of Being Universe’s Chew Toy”
-Notable Toy: 10th Anniversary Edition (Hasbro, 2006)
Notes: If nothing else, Waspinator blow up real good. One of the better coloured original Beast Wars toys, his Takara reissue is superior to the North American anniversary reissue. So why include it? Besides the fact that you need to convert the DVD player to play Japanese DVDs, Hasbro made a lot of fans happy with the inclusion of a build-a-figure set of Transmutate parts. And Waspinator gets the head!
Transformer of the Day for April 1, 2009
STEELJAW
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Tracker
-Motto: “What the Eyes Don’t See, The Nose Knows”
-Notable Toy: Single Pack (Takara, 1986)
Notes: Steeljaw is the Autobot’s answer to Ravage. While commonly sold with Rewind in North America, Steeljaw could be purchased with Blaster or on his own in Japan. The later reissue of Blaster also included a reissue of Steeljaw and he’s rumoured to be part of the second set of reissued cassettes expected later this year. It’s only slightly disturbing when he speaks…
(Apologies and thanks to shmax.com and bbts.com for the toy images.)
Transformer of the Day for March 31, 2009
SWINDLE
-Faction: Decepticon (Combaticon)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992), Generation Two (1993-1995)
-Function: Munitions Expert
-Motto: “Make Deals, Not War
-Notable Toy: Alternators (Hasbro, 2004)
Notes: While Swindle might be a double-dealing cheat, the artist behind his portrait is certainly not. Sewingstars is not the first artist to go with a cutesy style of G1 goodness, but her style is totally her own. Her website is the home of all kinds of crafty goodness, including her latest feltformer creations. Run, don’t walk, to check out her work. Tell them Swindle sent you.
