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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I embarrassed to say that I hadn't realized the logo had changed. Too, I've never heard it called "The Worm" before, and I've read a number of books about NASA related topics. In fact, I'm reading Last Man on the Moon by Gene Cernan currently. Anyway, good to see America's return to launching people and resources into space without having to rely on the Russians. I appreciate the bonds that have been forged by that arrangement, but pride in my country and its heritage makes me glad to see that symbol emblazoned loud and proud on the side of that rocket.
  2. M'Kyuun
    PrimevsPrime put up a video review for the upcoming commander class Sky Lynx. Up front, I've never been a big Sky Lynx fan, but this figure really caught my attention from New York Toy Fair coverage back in February. The articulation is really well done throughout, although, at least on the reviewer's copy, lacking in adequate strength in certain areas. Of note are the wing linkages, which have nice ratchets at the base, but friction joints on a knuckle that were very loose on PvP's. Hopefully, HasTak will get some feedback about that before they go into full scale production and that joint gets fixed. Given how much mass is on the end of that linkage, it should have a ratchet, too. The bird mode's legs didn't appear to have the best load strength, either, although more attention was paid to the wings. The Lynx mode is excellent, and my only suggestion to HasTak would be to improve the lateral range of head movement. Shuttle and to a lesser degree, carrier modes, are pretty well done, although the orbiter, with its rich detailing and NASA livery, stands out. The Lynx's carrier mode would be better served if the leg could somehow collapse, placing the faux treads in a more centered position under the legs, but it's more of a nitpick than a deal breaker. The orbiter is by far more important to me, and in that respect, I'm really pleased. It really shines a glaring light on what's wrong with Astrotrain's orbiter mode. Moving on, the the base mode is so-so- I'll likely put it in that mode once, and the rest of the time my copy will be in it's combined Sky Lynx pseudo-robo-apatosaurus mode, which , IMHO, is where this figure really shines. He's big and has just enough menace to be taken seriously, while packing a lot of articulation throughout, so the posing potential looks to offer a lot of range, which is rare, and fantastic on a figure this size. I've had mine Po'd for a few weeks, and what I see in this review only increases my anticipation.
  3. M'Kyuun
    And I keep wondering why some fourth party doesn't glom onto these designs and pump out some voyager scaled versions to go with the rest of my Siege/Earthrise figures. The official Earthrise figure is disappointing, especially after handling the superior Siege figure, insofar as articulation goes. The Earthrise toy only exacerbates some of the less desirable traits of the Classics toy it emulates, especially the ugly chest band, the giant hole between the intakes, and the awkward placement of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers at the feet. It's sad when a legends scaled figure so completely outclasses a voyager scaled toy, but New Age did a great job.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Well stated. We're exceptionally fortunate that this franchise has continued to thrive 30+ years after its inception, with so much merchandising support from many companies, official and non, ongoing cartoons, comics, and statuary, tee shirts, etc ad nauseum. Having been in it from the very beginning, it's really an amazing thing, as out of the majority of other properties from my 80's childhood, and there were many, most are now defunct, but my favorite of them all has survived and continues to bring me joy through the various toy offerings available. I believe the same is true for Kuma, who likes beautiful representations of these characters without the compromises that arise from including the transformation mechanics. I can appreciate that, even if it's not my personal preference. I see it as comparable to a high end statue or a even a professionally drawn bit of 2D artwork depicting these characters. Neither of them can transform, either, but I consider both on their artistic merits. Transformers from Metal Earth, Revoltech, Flame Toys, and Takara, to name a few, offer 3D representations of varying levels of quality and capability for the discerning collector, and I think having that range of product is fantastic, as it provides something for everyone, dependent only on preference and how deep your pockets are. Regardless of what anyone's Transformer preferences are, I just celebrate the fact that Transformers as a brand is still going strong, that there's a fervent dedicated fanbase supporting it, and that Hasbro, Takara, third parties, and other licensed companies are pumping out Transformer stuff the likes of which I could only dream of at thirteen when these characters burst onto my tv screen for the first time and filled me with awe and wonder that still resonates to this day. Whatever Transformers means to you, just be glad that it's still available. I thank Primus everyday.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Except for transformation. And that's kinda the sticking point for me- they're beautiful figures, but a high grade non-transforming Transformer is like a Lamborghini with the wheels removed and the wheel wells paneled over seamlessly. It's pretty, but the intrinsic point of the thing has been removed. Alas, to each his own. I'll keep my eye on Pulse, as I hope, like a lot of the NYTF stuff and some other exclusive stuff, it gets put on there as well. Pulse has turned out to be a pretty good resource, so I'm glad Hasbro created it. I still have to turn to other sources from time to time, but on the whole, I've filled out my Siege, and now Earthrise collection from Pulse. And yeah, I hear ya about the other two Seekers- whoever in marketing at Hasbro thinks limiting the sales of major character figures to a single retailer needs to be fired. I was lucky to finally find Ratchet at one of our Walgreens; I think I'd checked twice before with no luck. Fortunately, we have numerous Walgreens down town, but for those who lived in areas where there isn't one, and you really wanted Ratchet, you were almost certainly a sacrificial lamb for the fleecing online, and that's an artificial situation that could be mitigated by making these things widely available. This exclusivity stuff just encourages scalpers. I've never attended a TF con yet, but I wish the folks who do would bring this up at Hasbro's panels- it's just a crappy practice.
  6. M'Kyuun
    God damn you Hasbro for exclusive shenanigans like this! I want those clones, but making them exclusive always opens the door to f#cking scalpers buying up the lot and then selling them at exorbitant prices, which I refuse to indulge on principle. A pox on scalpers, bunch of F-ing low-life greedy sons of bitches. Taking a breath-- I wonder if Hasbro is going to make these simultaneously available on Pulse? If we're at the mercy of Target-only sales, it's gonna be a messy crapshoot to try and get a copy of these guys at MSRP. I so vehemently despise exclusives. I appreciate the news, Mike, but it's bittersweet, as I'll likely never see them in stores, and who knows how availability will be online. It may as well be vapor.
  7. M'Kyuun
    OK, I see what you're saying. What I see in my head, as opposed to what's physically possible in order to arrive at the same shot, are mutually exclusive things, and I'm probably thinking more in line with compositing a shot. I dunno; I've very little experience with photo-editing myself. I know, to make it look good, takes time and knowledge of editing programs beyond my rudimentary skills. Carry on as if I'd said nothing at all, sir. That Drift is lovely.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Rock Lords were the American Gobot branding for Machine Robo characters. I'm not sure how they fit into the MR storyline, but here in the States Tonka marketed them as a spinoff line following the movie Gobots: battle of the Rock Lords in 1986. Thanks Wiki. I don't think there were any transforming rocks in the Convertors line, but I could be wrong. It's happened before. I had several Convertors, but very few Gobots, and no Rock Lords that I can recall. Like many, I was more interested in the Transformers, both toy and cartoon. There was definitely a more mature style to the TF toon, at least initially, than Gobots, and that appealed to me, and I loved the detail and sticker work of the TF toys over their smaller Gobot counterparts. But I liked just about anything that transformed (little has changed over the last few decades), so stuff like Convertors, or Bandai's Egg Planes, commanded my attention. My funds were abysmally low as a kid, so I picked and chose carefully, as I was also into LEGO and Brik Blox , so I learned early to budget and balance my spending. It's a lesson that has served me well.
  9. M'Kyuun
    I enjoy going to the theater, although, I find there are less and less movies that interest me enough to go anymore. It saddens me, b/c I want to support my local theater. When I do go, I often buy a drink and some nachos, both b/c yum, and b/c it helps pay the wages for the staff, hence the jacked up prices on theater food/drink. But I do agree that Hollywood seems to have run out of ideas, at least original ones, and tv , especially the pay per views and streaming networks, have really upped the ante so far as telling good stories and producing shows worthy of merit. TV certainly has the advantage of time to develop both story and characters over a greater arc, and for many a director and actors, that has to be very alluring over making a 1.5 - 3 hour film, where everything has to be condensed. But films like the Marvel films, or Godzilla, are made to be seen on the big screen, and I definitely love that format- I just don't get that same sense of spectacle watching it on my 55" flat screen with no sound system in my little living room. Even with a sound system, it still wouldn't be the same. So, the toll this pandemic is having on the film industry, and by extension, theaters, is a little worrisome, as a lot of theaters are just breaking even, and I don't want to lose ours. I'm a sci-fi nerd who grew up in the 80's with very unimaginative and country-minded parents who had no interest in going to the movies, and so the few movies I actually saw in the theater as a kid were usually with friends. Out on my own, catching a movie at the theater was something I looked forward to, and still do, if less frequently. Looking back at the 70's into the 90's at the amazing library of films, and all that creativity that informed them, it was such a great era to be a movie buff. Into the millennium, that gusher of creativity and imagination turned into a dripping faucet, and I have to wonder why. People are still creative, but it seems like Hollywood isn't interested in originality, so recycling seems to permeate the business. I get that films are an investment, and retreading old ground is, in their eyes, a safe bet, but one need only look at how many gambles paid off throughout the 80's, as they're still recycling many of those properties today. I wish some of that 80's spirit would return, so far as attitudes towards forging new film properties and franchises.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the clarification. BBTS still had the Neca 1/10 scale, and after watching several reviews, I went ahead and ordered a copy. It's not perfect, but at that price, it's a pretty nice piece, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Having scouted a bit on the interwebs, my impression is that this is a re-release of the 2014 Neca toy. The original release went for $80, but the scale is the same, so I'm not sure. If this is indeed a re-release, then it's going for half the original price, for a decent toy. If I'm right about the re-release, then I almost wish that Neca had done improvements to the original toy to add some features, even if it raised the price to $100 or so, it 'd be worth it, if the improvements were indeed just so. At the very least, a moving armature to position the missile launcher accurately would be great. Hot Toys also released an improved version of their ED-209 in 2014, and that thing is glorious, but that heady amount of goodness came at a $400+ price tag. Not sure how I missed that release, but I probably still would have passed on it for that price- just a little much. I'm still wondering how I missed the 2014 Neca release. Anyway, ED-209 is one of my all-time favorite robot designs, so I'm very curious about this release, as, if this is the Neca toy, at $80 it was a good toy, but at $40 it's a great toy.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Great action shot, Kuma. Not a criticism, but an honest question: have you ever given thought to editing any of your shots to eradicate stands and insert a background conducive to the action in the fore? Your photography is beautiful, and your staging of the figures evocative, so much so that I can't help but wonder how it'd look with some photo-edting. Regardless, thanks for sharing.
  13. M'Kyuun
    The Collings Foundation needs some serious oversight, and a reorganization under leadership who insist on good maintenance practices IAW FAA standards. I don't know how it was back in the day when these planes and their pilots were young, but in the modern Air Force, pilots are in no way involved in maintenance activities, which is performed by various trained enlisted entities across a multitude of specialties. Crew chiefs are the front line, and thus it's imperative that they know their stuff, as they're involved in, or have peripheral knowledge of most maintenance activities that occur, whether or not they're actually performing the maintenance. The sense I get from reading the quick and dirty details of the FAA's findings is that these B-17 pilots were just that and, with no formal maintenance training, tinkered with the aircraft over the years, learning enough to be 'dangerous' but neither proficient nor thorough, and who took on an inexperienced crew chief who they probably used more as an errand boy than a true maintainer. The elderly pilots were probably very protective of their baby and wanted no other hands in the pot, so to speak. Old planes need a lot of maintenance- I worked on our aging fleet of KC-135s, most of which are over 50 years old and flying regularly, with constant care and upkeep to keep them in the air. Even while I was active duty, there was beginning to be a relaxation of certain inspection criteria on those planes to milk out their longevity. As I watch them fly over my house day after day, I sometimes wonder when our good fortune will fail us tragically. I digress. Hopefully the FAA will step up and exercise their authority to either influence the maintenance culture at Collings, or shut them down if they balk. This was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
  14. M'Kyuun
    For quicker reading concerning the FAA's B-17 crash outcome
  15. M'Kyuun
    The painted bits are what really stand out to me- the blue on the repair droid and the on the trailer's undercarriage, both of which should have been molded in blue , but weren't (kinda like Prime's inner legs). The stickers do enhance an otherwise nondescript trailer, though, especially the roof/repair bay sides. Odd that they didn't mold some detail into those areas, too, but it is what it is, and the stickers alleviate that blankness.
  16. M'Kyuun
    In today's dollars, and given the the costs of materials, equipment, and other resources, $10 mil is low cost, especially for govt/military projects. A little out of my budget, though. What's really disturbing to me is that that drone was developed to be a stealth target drone intended to be shot down by the AF, and that $10m is considered low cost for that purpose. I was watching the new season of Mega Machines last night, and they featured a 'flying car' concept in development by a British startup called Vertical Aerospace. More akin to a human-sized drone than the Spinner from Blade Runner, it's nonetheless a rather interesting aircraft that could prove revolutionary if they can bring it to a mass production stage. Anyway, the guy who started the company worked on F-1 racing cars, and applied those technologies to this project. He also recruited people from all over in the aviation industry to work for him. While it may not have the glitz of fighter aircraft, tech heads would probably be interested, as they're bringing a lot of cool technologies together to make it work. One aspect I thought was really cool was that all 12 props on their newest project are produced by a company in England that makes wooden props for older aircraft. They CAD milled the props due to their complex shape. It was pretty neat.
  17. M'Kyuun
  18. M'Kyuun
    Looks really nice, Mike, especially the trailer. I didn't realize just how blah that thing looked until I saw it next to your 'after' pic. What a difference. Still waiting for Sure Thing to ship my copy, but seeing the possibilities makes me think about, at the very least, painting some of the same areas on mine. I gotta wonder what HasTak were thinking putting all that grey plastic into Prime's legs. I'm not crazy about putting that many stickers on the trailer, so I may forgo the stickers, but I may have to paint a few things. Now all you need is Roller.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Oh man, I forgot about Device Jaguar when I was writing my earlier post. I wanted one of those, as it was so perfect an evolution from the cassette, and it was Ravage! But I wasn't as savvy with online buying at that time, and never managed to get one. I'm glad you posted that, as it's still a relevant device, and it'd be neat to see if some of the other cassette characters could be made into data sticks, especially ones that are actually functional. A laptop seems the perfect update for Soundwave, although the sweet gimmick of carrying around his storage device minions internally would no longer apply, except, perhaps, as a bot-only feature. Not quite the same, but halfway is better than not at all. Edit: Found some pics of the Ocular Max Autobot cassettes, courtesy of Planet Steel Express. Hopefully these will be released this year.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Oh yes, I have them- I didn't pick up Frenzy, but I have the rest. Their condors weren't as well done as I would have expected, but Jaguar and Furor are just excellent-really well done. I, too, wouldn't mind Ratbat, or any of the other cassettes, especially the dino cassettes, at that scale and to that degree of engineering. Like you, I don't mind the scale of MP Laserbeak or Ratbat as mini-cassettes. I think it works, as relative to real-world size, they fit. Jaguar and Furor, ie. Ravage and Rumble, look much better scale-wise in their bot modes next to the rest of the MP figs. I think Ratbat would be cool at full sized cassette scale just due to the potential engineering that could be brought to bear. I'm rather surprised that they didn't go ahead with more cassettes; IIRC, they showed off protos for the Autobot cassettes- Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Eject, and Rewind at some convention, but there's been little ado about them since. I would have welcomed them with open arms and wallet. All the others, too. It does suck that they have no compatibility in their cassette modes, but unless they made a grotesquely oversized Soundwave, the feasibility just isn't there. But, mine are displayed in their bot modes, as I'm sure most are- cassettes aren't the most exciting of alt modes, but the gimmick remains one of my favorite 80's anachronisms in the toyline, and shall forever be cherished. I find it somewhat sad that a similar analog doesn't really exist today, with the advancement of electronics, to continue the tradition with a modern take on Soundwave. I liked the drone with a drone idea for Prime, but it still wasn't quite the same, was it? There just isn't much that functions the same way as the cassette player/cassette relationship post-nineties, at least in a form that can be turned into a decent robot. Maybe, with extraordinary advancements in micro-joint tech, we'll see CDs/ DVDs that can transform, but I don't think we're there yet. And by the time that tech arrives, CD and DVD tech will likely be obsolete in lieu of something even smaller, thus the quandary persists. Poor Soundwave.
  21. M'Kyuun
    I never had either of these guys as a kid, as I found them, even then, to be utterly terrible. But I think they are perfect illustrations of how a bad design can be updated brilliantly in the modern mainline. I have both of the TR figures, and I think they're great. Topspin is my favorite, too, as I like his flight mode as opposed to the other's drill tank. I never was a big drill tank enthusiast, but in the context of his being an update, it works. Finally saw Earthrise deluxes at my local Wally today. As I already have them (Thanks Hasbro Pulse), I took note and carried on. But I'm glad to see them starting to make their way into stores; my Walmart, in particular, gets Transformers Generations figs in very infrequently and sporadically, and they seldom carry anything bigger than deluxes, although occasionally they get voyagers in, and on very rare occasions, leader class toys. It never used to be like that, especially back in the mid-2000's when the Bayformer figs were out and then the Prime cartoon stuff- they carried everything plentifully. Not sure what happened between then and now, but over the last 5-6 years they just don't seem to order much Generations stuff. It's a Super Walmart, too, and the only store of its size within 15 miles of Spokane, so one would think they'd try to keep it stocked, but for whatever reason, the TF section is almost always empty.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I'm in for their Astrotrain and Blitzwing if it continues as is, or improves further. Their first take on Blitzwing wasn't the best, so I'm glad they redesigned it, as the newest version looks much better, especially in jet mode. However, there's still no release date in sight, so, not holding my breath for it. Out of all the third party contenders, I think theirs looks the best across modes, so I'm willing to wait. Their Astrotrain, Thomas, looks amazing right out of the gate, although AFAIK, all they've released thus far are renders, which can be fudged towards the positive compared to a fully transformable prototype which has a tendency to show the rough spots in a mold. I hope it turns out well- I want a decent Astrotrain, especially since the Hasbro WFC version was a huge letdown. I'm waiting to see how FT's Warpath turns out. TBH, I think Badcube's had much better presence, as they took some stylistic license, but my understanding is that it wasn't the funnest thing to transform. I'm surprised that Takara haven't shown any interest in doing more of the minibots beyond Bee. I have MP Bee V1, BC's Huff v2, and MMC's Cliffjumper thus far filling out my minibot ranks, but it'd be nice to have some official versions of these guys to at least contemplate. Then again, I'm not crazy about the toon emphasis informing the bot designs, so perhaps, for me, third party is the way to go. I'm also considering FT's Brawn, but so far I haven't PO'd any of these guys yet. I'm a terrible fence-sitter, but I've found that it's sometimes beneficial to wait for a review or two to see how a figure actually turns out. FT's Arcee is a good example- looks great, ostensibly, but I wasn't crazy about the transformation mechanics; I went with MMC's Azalea, and never looked back. Likewise with FT's Scoria vs Cesium; I held out for Cesium, and after watching vids for Scoria, I'm glad I did. I, too, have no interest in replacing my MP Soundwave; even with a few years under its belt, it still holds up just fine, and really garners no replacement in my mind. But, I love the cassettes, and while takara's condors were , and still are, impressively done, and Rumble/Frenzy were done well, Ravage, my favorite of the cassettes, stands out as needing improvement, so I welcome Fans Toy's take, which captures the jaguar mode much better than the official, and as I mentioned previously, I hope they sell these guys separately so I can get my hands on a copy without shelling for a new Soundwave I really don't want or need.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Not a bad looking Jazz, but I wish it had a few more toy details, especially the details on the chrome bit below his car chest. That and the G1 toy knee sticker details are what persuaded me to go with Zeta's Jazz. Well, that and I preferred the overall foot transformation which skewed towards the toy and eschewed the faux fender bits of the Maketoy design. Anyway, as you say, given FT's proclivity towards projected releases, it will likely not see a prompt release, and will likely undergo several changes before then. Kudos to FT for shrinking the fenders in bot mode, not that I really mind them being their normal size, but for toon enthusiasts, it fits the aesthetic better. Just the same , I'm not a fan of accurate highly detailed cars turning into bland flat detail-less robots just to match a poorly animated show. I want those details to cross over between modes and incorporate, when possible, details from the G1 toys as well. But let's be frank, both toys, and the toon which followed, were rather poor, but each made up for shortcomings of the other: the toys had nicer details, but the bot modes were sadly devoid of articulation, whereas the toon gave them more humanoid proportions and demonstrated the articulation we wish the toys had. I'm all for a balanced marriage of both in my Transformers. Anyway, I digress. Where is Chosen Prime posting these TFCon pics? I've been searching for them, without avail. I saw any number of FT's projected releases on Tyderium Hangar's Youtube, and went in fruitless search. I will say, if they release their Soundwave and cassette bots, I hope, as well as with Soundwave, as they should, that they also make them available separately, as I'd love to pick up their Ravage, which looks much better than the official MP. Thanks in advance to anyone who can point the way to Chosen Prime's TFCon pics.
  24. M'Kyuun
    You and me both. As much maintenance is required to keep a tilt-rotor operational, that Boeing design looks nightmarish. Bell made some improvements over the Osprey with this design as well, so they took the lessons learned and applied them to the Valor. I hope they get the contract. Not in the slightest. Other than the pusher prop, it's reminiscent of Russian helicopters, as they seem to favor the coaxial rotors design. But yeah, it kinda looks like a step backwards, technology wise.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Coming from a military background, it just sounds odd to me to refer to her by her rank as if it's her name. In referencing a military member, one addresses them by rank, i.e. Sergeant, Chief, Lieutenant, etc. When referencing a military member to another military member, then 'the' is placed before the person's rank, especially when referencing Chief Master Sergeants and above. I'm speaking from an Air Force POV. The ranks differ among the various branches, especially the Navy, but the etiquette of address remains the same. So, after twenty years of living that environment, it's ingrained, and to hear something different just strikes me as odd and out of place. To folks with no military experience, I wouldn't expect it to sound as odd. I've never read the manga, so my only familiarity with GitS is the movie and the SAC series. In the movie, while speaking to Batou, she mentions, when they're out on the boat (start at 1:34), that Section 9 owns their bodies and cyber-brains. So far as cyber-brains go, it's purely my inference that they are devoid of organics. It makes more sense to me, but if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time, and I doubt it's the last. SAC established that Motoko had been a cyborg for most of her life, having survived a plane crash at an early age, and given full-body prosthesis to save her life. I hadn't recalled this particular detail, but according to the Wiki, only her brain and spinal cord remain of her original organic body. So, I was certainly wrong about her brain being fully artificial. I guess she wouldn't be a true cyborg if there wasn't something organic remaining. I concede the point. The trailer for the new show isn't grabbing me. There's a simplicity to the dialog that makes it feel like this is GitS Lite, as if it's targeted to a younger demographic. SAC was a mature show, both in terms of subject matter and dialog, and set a benchmark, in my mind, that will be hard to better. This new show, subsequently, feels like a step backwards in the franchise, based on the trailers. I didn't enjoy GitS: Arise as much as SAC, but it was still written to a mature level. I guess Netflix is trying to cast a wider net for their audience, but I get the sense that the show is just going to be a cliche ridden kid's show.
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