Transformer of the Day for December 13, 2009
OCTOPUNCH
-Faction: Decepticon (Pretender)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1992)
-Function: Salvage
-Motto: “Anything that Can Sink is Worth Sinking“
-Notable Toy: Deluxe (Hasbro, 1989)
Notes: Yes, Octopunch is another monstrous Pretender. But he hides his monster head within a primative divers helmet, making him this odd amalgam of both the fish and the fisherman. While I am not necessarily a fan of the colours, I am a fan of the mould. Oh Octopunch, you are nothing if not unique.
Transformer of the Day for December 10, 2009
MEANSTREAK
-Faction: Autobot (Powermaster II)
-Era: Generation Two (1993-1995)
-Function: Street Fighter
-Motto: “Leave Nothing But a Blurr”
-Notable Toy: Powermaster (Hasbro, 1995)
Notes: I’ve always wondered the origins of European exclusives like Meanstreak. Were they a throwback to the days when Hasbro relied on other companies like Palitoy to distribute their wares, or someone getting creative in head office with tailenders? Even stranger, just as Generation Two was moving forward into something approaching the articulation of what we would see in Beast Wars, these Powermasters have battle charger levels of mobility. Still, can you complain when you get a rare toy racing across the floor?
Transformer of the Day for December 11, 2009
SWINDLE
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Animated (2008-2009)
-Function: Weapons Specialist
-Motto: “Hey, Man, Wanna Buy A Plasma Cannon Cheap?”
-Notable Toy: Deluxe (Hasbro, 1989)
Notes: The original Swindle was the sole Combaticon besides Onslaught to get decent face time in the cartoon. Somehow Animated Swindle gets even more, and a better transformation to boot. Given his personality, he seems much more appropriate operating on his own, with his own ghost zone for supplies. He certainly makes for a terrific toy.
Transformer of the Day for November 15, 2009
SOUNDWAVE
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Armada-Energon-Cyberton (2002-2006)
-Function: Communications
-Motto: “Leave No Trace but Your Reputation“
-Notable Toy: Voyager (Hasbro, 2006)
Notes: The hardest thing to do with a revision of Soundwave is to turn him into something other than a cassette player. Since his Generation One days, he’s been a Gobot (G2), a missile truck (Machine Wars) a mutant bat/crocodile fusion (Beast Wars), a satellite (movie) and an SUV (animated). Turning him into a space ship is just par for the course. Where Hasbro showed a little love and care is to give him his own mini-con, in the form of a depth charge-changing Laserbeak. This one touch made the rest worthwhile.
Transformer of the Day for December 6, 2009
WING SABER
-Faction: Autobot
-Era: Armada-Energon-Cyberton (2002-2006)
-Function: Transport
-Motto: “Courage and Fortitude are the Foundations of a True warrior”
-Notable Toy: Two-Pack Exclusive (Hasbro, 2006)
Notes: Wing Saber is somewhat notable for having been introduced in Energon and then continuing to have a role in Cybertron. In both cases, he is capable of merging with Optimus Prime to do battle, and you wonder if this transformation wasn’t the basis for the Movie’s partnering of Optimus Prime and Jetfire. While the Energon toy is somewhat unique in that it was not subsequently redecoed for sale, you really can’t go wrong with a two-pack of this calibre, which originally offered a hundred dollars of action for less than $40 at Costco.
Transformer of the Day for December 5, 2009
CALCAR
-Faction: Decepticon (Trakkon)
-Era: Generation One Plus
-Function: Battle Analyst
-Motto: “It Doesn’t Matter Who Suffers, It Only Matters That Evil Wins the Day“
-Notable Toy: European Exclusive (Hasbro, 1993)
Notes: While Calcar reminds me a bit of the Autobot Vehicle Pretender Gunrunner in vehicle mode, they are quite clearly not the same guy. Given he was part of the second wave of non-U.S. exclusive, the wave that didn’t make it to Canada, he’s harder to find than some of his contemporaries. And he’s certainly worth the chase, even if he has a face only a mother could love.
Transformer of the Day for December 4, 2009
FIREBOT
-Faction: Go-Bots
-Era: Playskool Gobots (2002-2005)
-Function: Rescue
-Motto: “With Me Around, Danger’s All Wet”
-Notable Toy: Gobots (Playskool, 2003)
Notes: Part of Firebot’s charm is that you can almost see him as a Gobot Red Alert. Even his toy face is red, which practically screams cartoon reference. For yet another repaint of the original Speedbot body, the paint applications really do him justice. Even better, Firebot features the kiddy autobot logo, as the toy came out before the formal shift to the Go-Go-Gobot line, where the logo was replaced with a stylized G.
Transformer of the Day for December 3, 2009
SPY STREAK
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Beast Machines (1999-2000)
-Function: Aerial Reconnaissance
-Motto: “I Am The Eye In the Sky“
-Notable Toy: Basic (Hasbro, 2001)
Notes: There was so much potential in Beast Machines, within the concept of the vehicon drones, that you wish the series had more time to create more. Alas, Spy Streak never had his moment on the big screen, likely because who wants another jet fighter after Jetstorm. That said he certainly made excellent cannon fodder for Hasbro’s parade of repaints.
Transformer of the Day for December 2, 2009
SLAG
-Faction: Autobot (Dinobot)
-Era: Generation One (1984-1993)
-Function: Flamethrower
-Motto: “I Have No Need for Friends, Even Less for Enemies“
-Notable Toy: Deluxe (Hasbro, 1993)
Notes: The Dinobots are clearly fan favourites and it’s a wonder they’ve not been recreated for reissue purposes. It would be nice to get an office Slag in cartoon colours, for like Swoop, the toy never quite matched the show’s artwork. Which is saying something, given that his Generation Two mould came in three different colour palettes.
Transformer of the Day for December 1, 2009
DISPENSOR
-Faction: Decepticon
-Era: Movie (2007, 2009, 2011)
-Function: Thirst Quencher
-Motto: “No Quarter“
-Notable Toy: Robot Heroes (Hasbro, 2008)
Notes: Given my disdain for various all-spark charged little monsters in Transformers 2, you can be forgiven if you would think that I would loath Dispensor. But he was a highlight for me of the battle scene, an illustration of how a little humour can work well but too much can ruin a movie. And while the Transformers 2 has given us a transforming toaster and microscope (neither of which are anywhere close to scale), can it be only a matter of time before Dispensor gets a transformer of his very own? In the meantime, we have just one figure from the Robot Heroes line, which is as good an excuse as any to fawn over this super-cute line of Generation, Beast Wars, Beast Machines and, yes, Movie 1 and Movie 2 characters.