REVIEW: Masterpiece MP-11NT Thrust

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It’s a good time to be a seeker collector (that’s the name we give to Starscream and his Decepticon jet pals). It’s not such a good time for Takara’s seekers, however. Its first conehead release (the three jets where the cone sits above the head in robot mode), Ramjet, was hit with one of the worst QC controversies we’ve had in the official line, with huge numbers of copies coming with incorrect shoulder assemblies. For a figure that cost so damn much (even by Masterpiece standards) it was a shocking error, and one that weighed heavily for anyone pre-ordering its next conehead – Thrust.

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REVIEW: Generation Toy J4zz

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The Masterpiece Autobot cars are, I’d say (and I’m always right so that’s a fact), one of the best and most consistent series Takara has produced. The Lamborghini and Nissan molds are both top-tier stuff, and even the molds that don’t reach quite those heights – Tracks, Wheeljack (arguably), Hot Rod – are all big, big winners.

But the line has always lacked something. Specifically, a Porsche-shaped something. Jazz, possibly the most popular Autobot car of them all, is STILL missing in action from Takara’s line-up. Popular myth will have you believe that it’s due to Porsche’s unwillingness to license the 935 for a “war toy”, a category which an armed robot sort of falls into. These theories are lessened somewhat by the fact that Porsche owner Volkswagen licensed out its Beetle for Bumblebee, but it’s still a compelling narrative.

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My first piece of post-MCV freelance

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And it’s for a solicitor, oddly. BLB were the folk who my wife used in her compensation claim for her accident. They completely altered my perspective on lawyers, if I’m honest – decent people doing things for decent reasons. They really did care and their efforts changed our lives, so am delighted to be working with them.

15 WAYS TO SUPPORT A PARTNER WITH CHRONIC PAIN
blbchronicpain.co.uk

A Transformers magazine, you say?

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So, for a while now I’ve been throwing about the idea of doing a magazine (digital, presumably) about the Transformers toy collecting scene.

Now, having worked in publishing for over a decade I’m all too aware of the challenges. And honestly, at this stage I don’t even know if the idea is even viable. Step one was asking around among the community. I’ve done that, and the feedback was pretty positive. Step two is to try and get some more structured feedback.

So…

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REVIEW: Unique Toys Y-04 Allen

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That fucking green, though. He’s so green. Like, really green. It’s wonderful. Not that I’m saying Transformers have to be green to be good. I mean, Devastator is green and is good. Trees are green, in part, and I really like trees. Grass is green and grass is really good. But I look over at my collection and really there’s very little green. The chest panels on Maketoys Visualizers. Ironwill. Gundog. Acid Storm. Generations Allen. There’s a real green deficit going on, and Allen’s here to plug that gap.

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REVIEW: MP-32 Convoy (Beast Wars) Optimus Primal

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I’m going to come straight out of the gate here and confess that I don’t much care for Beast Wars.

I’m not saying it’s bad. I’ve tried to watch it a couple of times but have never been able to get past how ugly it is. It’s kinda like Dora the Explorer. Dora’s not a bad show, but I could barely tolerate my little one watching it because every aspect of the visual design made my soul itch. In The Night Garden, on the other hand, is some sexy shit. Lovely trees, well kept grass, and Makka Pakka is a total dude. Nickelodeon’s Ninja Turtles? Beautiful. Adventure Time? Glorious, in every way.

Yeah, anyway…

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