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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Toyhax is probably the best known third party sticker producer.
  2. M'Kyuun
    New pics of MP Arcee are up on TFW2005. The face looks better than the first pics we saw, but everything else is pretty much the same. The chest I think I could live with, but I have to wonder if they couldn't have tried a little harder to compress that backpack. Rather unsightly. Her feet look weird, too. The 'I just moseyed into the saloon for a drink' pose isn't the most flattering.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I agree, but only if Dave Filoni is at least lead writer. I saw another interview where he expressed his reluctance to direct live action at this point, although he's learning a lot from working with Jon Favreau. From all the positive vibe that surrounds The Mandalorian, they sound like a good team, and I wouldn't balk if they chose to collaborate on a live action Ahsoka movie or series. Anyway, I wasn't crazy about her character after seeing the feature length Clone Wars movie, and probably still lukewarm after the first season or so, but as they developed her character over the years in Clone Wars, and then in Rebels, I've come 180 on my thinking. She's become an essential part of the story, which really shows the merits of good writing/acting to give her import and presence. I hope her story's not over yet, whether it be live action or animation. She's become too interesting to retire.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I just got my New Age Megatron today; I bought the three-Seeker pack and it shipped at the same time, but for some reason didn't come today. Fed Ex says tomorrow, so hopefully, I'll have 'em in hand then. But Megatron is really an ingenious little figure, with a transformation that's very reminiscent of the G1 toy, just more complex (many more moving parts, and a very G1 animation accurate bot mode). To compare it to MP is rather apt, especially at legends scale. I find myself wishing it were voyager scale instead, as it'd make for a great G1 Megs for the CHUG shelf. We all know we're never going to get another pistol alt here in the States unless the gun laws as they apply to toys are greatly eased. History indicates the opposite is more likely. As for the Seekers, I watched vids of both New Age's and Magic Square's Seekers, and ultimately went with the NA. TBH, I think the intakes are more real world F-15 accurate on the MS, but as a total package, the New Age design cinched it. I do have to say that MS's Megatron looks pretty sweet from the proto pics, cleaner in bot mode than NA's, and I may snag one of those, too, if reviews are positive. According to ShowZ, there are two options for MS' Soundwave, as a cheaper option comes with one cassette, and the slightly more expensive version comes with two (about a $4 difference), although the promo pic shows Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage, Ratbat, and that weird repair droid cassette that one of the third parties came up with years ago (KFC, I think). ShowZ says they don't know which cassette(s) is/are coming with either version, so that gives me pause. I'd be pissed if I got that stupid repair droid thing instead of one of the canon cassettes. I want that Ravage, so I'm hoping they'll sell these things separately or in two-packs- something like that.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I'm assuming you're talking about the black bits at the forward tip of the canopy. AFAIK, there are no parts in the palette currently whose shape would allow for a seamless continuation of the canopy's curvature, let alone in clear. The canopy is a new piece, but quite reminiscent of this cone , so I can see the potential for it's showing up in future rocket sets. TBH, I never noticed the front of that thing until you mentioned it, Dobber. It's not the most elegant solution, but it doesn't really bother me, either. I'm not getting the set, as I've always seen the A-Wing as a rather uninteresting design. I have a number of the System sets, including the dark green one from 2019, so I'm good. It might be a good parts set, but I haven't even looked to see if there's an inventory posted yet. I've been wishing for years that they'd make an inverted boat stud that could round off the tip of a 4x4 cone. Something like that would fix your issue, I think.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Even when F-16 Fighting Falcon became the official name, Viper stuck around and became the unofficial nickname for the F-16. The name "Viper" is even officially used for the Joe Bill Dreyden "Semper Viper" award, which is awarded for excellent airmanship by F-16 pilots. While I have no way to confirm or deny, all of this sounds legit to me. I can definitely attest to attitudes of the higher ups and their concern with public image. I can also understand the analogy of the Colonial Viper, since the F-16 must have seemed a rather futuristic aircraft when it was introduced. Battlestar Galactica also presented a romanticized and heroic view of fighter pilots, so a lot young pilots at the time likely made that association. It was the Top Gun of the late 70's. As to the name 'Lawn dart', I'd use it, still do from time to time, without any real malice intended, regardless of its pejorative origin. Truth be told, my admiration of the F-16 was one of the reasons I joined the Air Force. Ironically, I never got to work on them, as in the USAF, crew chiefs do all the hydraulic maintenance on fighters, with an occasional assist from backshop. Backshop is staffed with specifically trained hydraulic technicians, which is what I was. In that capacity, I had the rare opportunity to work on the F-15 as an Airman or Airman First Class (A1C). Beyond that infrequent bit of experience at my first base, my only other experience with a fighter was, IIRC, trying to reattach a hard-to-reach cannon plug on an F-18 transient that landed at Fairchild AFB. I'm a short little guy with T-Rex arms, and I just didn't have the reach, so someone else was the hero that day. But it was cool to get up and personal with a Navy fighter, and I love the F-18, so it was cool.
  7. M'Kyuun
    As a mecha show coming from Kawamori and Satelite, I'm surprised there are no toys or models to be found. The show itself didn't really grab me (I have yet to finish it after getting about 2/3 through it nearly two years ago), but kawamori's mecha designs were cool, and I wouldn't mind having some DX versions from Bandai.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Guilty! That unfortunate moniker was earned from the high rate of crashes in its early days from mechanical issues, flameouts, or pilot error. Fly-by-wire's great until there's a computer glitch or a crossed wire. In an inherently unstable aircraft, the pilot's completely dependent on it to maintain control. Similar issues cropped up with the F-114. Pilot's in the early days called it the "Wobbly Goblin".
  9. M'Kyuun
    Wasn't aware of a finale, so thanks for the heads up.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I can understand why- it's fragile and finnicky for sure. But I wanted that particular model of the Delta Plus specifically b/c it had perfect transformation. I happened to see it in WR mode in a display at my local Hobbytown, and asked about it. Once I found out what it was from one of the employees, I did a little research and settled on the MG. No regerts. I think it's lovely in both modes. I have the transforming VF-25 model from Bandai, but I only completed about a third of it. I have a terrible track record of starting models and never finishing them. I also have a VF-19, which I started and never finished. Toys definitely appeal to me more, especially in the transforming realm, but at the time I bought the VF-25 model, Bandai had only released their first DX toy at that time, and I thought it was terrible. The model was more accurate, especially in the hip placement in B-mode. Typically, I started it, and but didn't finish, and then Bandai came out with V2 of the VF-25 which fixed all that was wrong with the DX, and the model basically got shelved. Not sure why I'm like that, TBH. I thoroughly enjoy the assembly process. With the quality fit of the parts these days, there's an immense sense of satisfaction in putting them together. What I don't like is all the trimming and sanding to try and eliminate sprue marks. It's a necessary evil that takes a lot of time, but worth the time it takes to minimize their appearance. I'm not the best at it, admittedly, but I try. I avoid painting as much as possible, as I paint by hand, and I've little talent for it. I relegate painting to detail work only, which is why I'm such a fan of how the Bandai models use dual molded parts or layering of different colored parts in assemblies thus eschewing the necessity of painting. If they sold these things pre-trimmed, and all you had to do was assemble, that'd be fantastic.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I worked heavies most of my career, so most of the fighter jargon was over my head. The vid with the Spanish pilot was funny, though. I did a full 20 in aircraft maintenance, and was stationed on a base with F-16s for a few years, and never once heard them called 'vipers'. Anybody shed some light on where the nickname originated? Funny how much fighter pilots like to pick on the A-10. Different roles to play, and nothing does the job like the Warthog. The F-35 is supposed to replace them, but, um, no.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, in terms of features, this outshines all previous AT-AT sets. The skinny legs and lack of printing on the leg joints are the only detractors. The original AT-AT, 4483, is still the best, IMHO, for creating a balanced look and having those printed dishes. The upper joint, where it connects to the body, should be slightly greater in diameter than the knee joints, but on the last few AT-ATs, they've used the 4-wide dishes for both. The original set got it right in that regard- 6 wide at the body, and 4 wide at the knees, not to mention the legs were 4 stud wide plates rather than the three-wide LEGO's been using of late. As I said, a little modding of the legs and it'll be right as rain.
  13. M'Kyuun
    In regards to LEGO's Saturn V and Cobi's, due to the differing parts and techniques they use, both are unique building experiences with little in common. Cobi's is very much a studs up stacking build, whereas the majority of LEGO's was heavy use of SNOT building techniques. The latter is one of the coolest LEGO sets I have ever built, and I've built quite a few. Cobi: https://www.amazon.com/COBI-S-T-E-M-Collection-Saturn-V/dp/B079K7KLL2 LEGO: https://bricktasticblog.com/blog/21309-nasa-apollo-saturn-v-review/
  14. M'Kyuun
    I was thinking the same thing throughout the whole season, but especially through the last three parts. Just incredible storytelling, and all the VAs slipped back into their roles seamlessly. I wish they'd put Filoni in charge of the last three numbered episodes; I think we would have gotten a very coherent and fitting end to the Skywalker Saga instead of the convoluted mess it turned out to be. He certainly understands how to tell an engaging story within the Star Wars universe. The production value was impressive for this last season, especially for the last three eps. It didn't have as strong an emotional impact for me as the end of Rebels, but it still struck a chord, especially that particular touching scene with the Clones, which made Order 66 all the more jarring, even though you know it's coming. I kinda wondered if that was Ray Park- the moves were so on point. Ray's still incredible. Kudos to Lauren Mary Kim for providing a perfect physical foil as Ahsoka's mocap stunt woman. It's definitely worth the few minutes to watch the vid of them creating the fight scene. Overall, a great arc to cap off an excellent series, and finish that part of Ahsoka's story before we see her reappearance in Rebels. Thank you, Dave Filoni and Company, for making me want to continue the story in a galaxy far, far away.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I never really had much interest in Cobi before, but the turn of the conversation made me curious. Looks like they've got the license to do Top Gun: Maverick sets. I didn't realize they were a Polish company; TBH, I figured they were Chinese, or Japanese. Regardless, they make some nice looking kits, and the prices are really reasonable, especially when looking at the prices on some LEGO stuff. If they ever did a YF-23 or a Horton 229, I think I'd bite. Coming back around to LEGO, looks like the rumor was true; there's an AT-AT set coming this summer. It took them 20 years, but they finally made an AT-AT than can accommodate not only two drivers, but also Gen Veers, within the head. The legs are terribly skinny and disproportionate, though. Might have to mod those when I get a copy or three.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I'm a G1 fan, having grown up with it from the beginning, but, honestly, I wish and I hope they create something new for this movie- a whole new cast from the top. I don't mind references to Prime, Megatron, and their respective gangs, but give the kids of this generation their own story to carry forward, rather than recycling one that's 30+ years old. It would serve to enrichen the overall Transformers universe, and give us new toys. Time to move on. TBH, my nostalgia for G1 runs rather shallow, i.e. first season. I like the '86 movie, too, but it's certainly not without its faults, the greatest of which is how casually they dispatched half of the G1 Autobots, killed Prime, and turned Megatron into a weird space cannon, all in the name of merchandising. I realize they're a toy company, but it tells me that Hasbro had no connection to these characters they'd created; their animation properties were advertisements, pure and simple. Not a knock, just how it is. I don't think they ever imagined that it'd still be one of their best selling properties of all time thirty-some years down the road, and when some of the old-timers behind the scenes wax warm and fuzzy about the show and these characters, I take it with a heaping cup of cynicism, no sugar please. It's cool that they pander to the fanbase, which has kept them in business churning out these wonderful toys all these years, as well as merchandise and media of every kind. I appreciate that they appreciate the passion of the fans, especially since some of those fans grew up and now work for them (a lot like LEGO in that respect). I've always been in it primarily for the toys, although I retain an undying love for the first season, as that's where they established the core characters and set a tone that was more mature than the rest of the series would enjoy. It kinda devolved into silliness thereafter, and I became disheartened with the show, so I never really forged a passion for anything else G1. Thus, without the heavy anchor of nostalgia weighing me down, I'm ready for a new continuity. I'd still love to see it set on Earth, just maybe another 100 years in the future, or in a different part of the world, or even set in the Eighties, but operating independently of Prime and Megatron, similar to how the Insecticons had operated on their own for untold years. I like the idea that little groups of these crafty Cybertronians could have been living among us for centuries without detection, adapting and changing their alts to suit their environment and the emerging technologies of their host planet. I think there are plenty of stories to tell. I don't read the comics, but I know peripherally that some of them have touched on these themes, and I think it's fertile ground for a new story to be told, and this is a perfect opportunity to tell it. And, more importantly, a perfect opportunity to crank out new toys! Edit: A day after writing this rambling diatribe, I read the blurb on TFW where it clearly states that this is going to be a G1 prequel set entirely on Cybertron. That doesn't really get me excited, as the history between OP and Megs and their war has pretty much been told. Where they've been doesn't interest me as much as the legacy of the events of the '86 film, or just a whole new continuity. Regardless, looks like we're getting a prequel.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Finished the MG Delta Plus yesterday, and transformed it to Waverider today. What a chore that transformation is, and the directions aren't the best. I wish they'd used actual photos instead of illustrations. I kept referring to the box photos to sort it out, and eventually got it together. I eschewed the little add-on stabilizer bits, opting for perfect transformation. It's a little fiddlier, I imagine, but the joints are all tight, and it maintains well enough to pick it up and swoosh it. I couldn't get either of the forward canards to rotate out- just too tight a swivel, and they give you no fingernail indent. Overall, though, I'm quite pleased with it. I've watched a number of reviews of it, with the majority opinion being that it's trash. Not my assessment at all; on the contrary, for a transforming model at that scale (1/100), I think the engineering works well, and the sculpting is beautiful. It's only hampered by the fact that it is a model first and foremost, and so there's an element of fragility there that must be observed and respected. This was only about the fourth Gundam model I've ever fully assembled (still have a partially built F91 laying around somewhere that I bought in '91- need to finish that guy), and I'm always blown away by the fit and sculpting of these things. If they keep making them this good, this Gundam stuff might just catch on.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I was watching Jang give his opinions on the sets, as he has a keen eye, and often points out things that I may have missed. Looking at the Bat Mobile Base (the tractor-trailer), he drew a nice allusion to the old Highwayman and Street Hawk shows, both of which I watched as a kid. I'm not sure if it was intentional on the part of the designers, but a case can be made at least for similarities to the Highwayman. Ah, the Eighties. Thanks. Yeah, I'm always on the lookout for trans-yellow. Sadly, they didn't follow suit with the canopy on the cockpit for the Bat-buggy thing that comes with the Joker trike. I initially thought the Bat-buggy was the Arkham Knight Batmobile, but sadly, upon closer inspection, it's not, darn it! I do like how they used the canopy piece, in black for the first time, as fenders and the engine cover at the rear. Great use of that part. It would have been a cooler feature if that lifted to reveal a rocket thruster in the back. Missed opportunity. Looking forward to getting both of these Bat-tastic sets. Oh, and there are two additional capes for Batman in the Bat Mobile Base- the stock cape, a new 'flying cape' (looks like McGuiness' cape from Batman Beyond), and a cape where the bottom scallops curve to one side a little to give a 'swoosh' appearance. Nice to have those options after having the same basic cape since 2006. And, hopefully we'll get some Batman Beyond sets in the latter part of the year.
  19. M'Kyuun
    The best thing they said in there is that it's apart from the Bay films; hopefully that is an all-encompassing statement. The G1 cartoon, IIRC, gave snippets of the OP/Megatron origins. I definitely remember there being an Orion Pax story. Kinda curious how they're going to approach it, and from what continuity, if indeed they base it on a prior story.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Sucks to have catastrophic failure in the middle of a demo; kudos to the guy for just pressing on as if nothing had happened. Sorta looks and sounds like Dick Cavett; no wonder he quit toy demos to be a talk show host; people usually don't suddenly snap in half when you're talking to them. Never was a fan of the Hovertank; looked like a flying brick to me. It's even more egregiously bad after seeing the beautiful VF-1 doing its thing.
  21. M'Kyuun
    I'm down for that Bat tractor-trailer, which echoes the trucks from previous Agents sets. Not a bad thing, IMO. There are a few mecha in the upcoming Ninjago line that appeal, especially the bull mech and the rhino mech (don't recall the set names offhand). The Fire-Stone mech looks interesting, too. At first I thought maybe they finally made a new hip joint, but frustratingly, no; they're still using the old AT-AT leg joint. They made a new lightsaber hilt with an elongated center section that will fit in a 1x2 plate with clips, with a bar receptacle at either end. I've been wanting a part like that for a long time, so I'm glad they finally made it. Too, the Bat tractor-trailer comes with the 8x6 bubble canopy and the large windscreen in trans-yellow. That'll make Classic Space fans happy. There's a Helicarrier playset coming, too, but it's pretty disappointing. The UCS Helicarrier, which I passed on, was done accurately, but at micro-scale, just didn't appeal. I was hoping for a Helicarrier done the same way the Star Wars capital ships are done, but this thing looks like a shoebox with wings attached. Screen accuracy was discarded in favor of a working mechanism to rotate the four fan blades, which sit well above the wings, rather than being enshrouded within, and look awkward. Not the best. There's a small ship that comes with it, but it sure doesn't look like a Quinjet. I would have loved a chibi Quinjet, especially after building the little TIE Fighters in the Death Star and Vader's Castle, and the sweet little Slave I in the Bespin Playset. Yeah, I'm bummed. I'll probably get it anyway, but there may needs be some modding involved to make it gooder.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I'm 48, and grew up watching Looney Tunes. As a teenager, the satire and self awareness of the humor began to dawn on me. Even in the late 70's, early 80's, some of the stuff in there had no relevance to me (parodies of Cagney, Lorre, Bogart, and other stars of the 40's and 50's). My folks weren't movie watchers, so none of these people were known to me as a kid. It wasn't until I was in my twenties, when I started renting classic films (Thank you, Blockbuster. RIP), did I begin to understand and appreciate some of the caricatures in Looney Tunes. Of course, the slapstick, visual gags, catchphrases, etc all appealed to me from a young age, even if I didn't understand all the references made. One of the greatest aspects of the show was their decision to score it with classical music. My parents' idea of high culture was country music, so LT was my introduction to classical music, for which I'm ever grateful. And yeah, Mel Blanc was the best. It takes a team of VA's today to do what he did virtually by himself. I saw a documentary on Mel; he almost wasn't the voice, but his persistence paid off. All these years later, and he's still considered the pinnacle of his art.
  23. M'Kyuun
    If only this had been the route taken in 2007. Aside from Bee's pacifier face as an obvious Bayformer holdover, this whole sequence is full of awesome. The '86 Movie Theme fits the action here, too. Almost makes you wonder if this is what the ILM guys were listening to when they created it.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Summer sets are nearly upon us. More pics can be found on Brickfan.
  25. M'Kyuun
    For its size, that's an impressive dragon mode. Beast modes are often wont to, ironically, suffer from a lack of articulation, so the range on display here is excellent. It looks quite proper on all fours. 'Preciate the show & tell, Kuma.
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