no3Ljm Posted November 4, 2024 Posted November 4, 2024 (edited) Ramen Toy's prototype of MaKiNa MKN04 Mobula (previously known as Purple Ray). Edited November 4, 2024 by no3Ljm Quote
sh9000 Posted November 15, 2024 Posted November 15, 2024 The stand for Great White will be shipping out without a required redemption code. Quote
Tober Posted December 23, 2024 Posted December 23, 2024 My stand for Great White arrived today. It took about 6 weeks from China to Australia. Quote
Big s Posted January 19 Posted January 19 3 hours ago, sh9000 said: Violet Widow. I wish I had the space for these. They do seem like they’re very interested in completing the lineup Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 19 Posted January 19 (edited) 7 hours ago, Big s said: I wish I had the space for these. They do seem like they’re very interested in completing the lineup Likewise, both space and money. M.A.S.K. is another notable toy series from the 80s that had some really standout toys, and honestly, if Hasbro wanted to, they could just dust off the old molds, perhaps add a few new ones to complete the roster, put a little publicity behind it, perhaps hire a studio to give the show a modern makeover, and just let the money roll in, as I think the toys and the concept as a whole still have the power to captivate and intrigue. Since it shares the transformation gimmick with their other huge franchise, I'm surprised that Hasbro hasn't at least tested the waters by reviving M.A.S.K. for a new generation, if only in a limited fashion. Perhaps they could produce some video shorts to create publicity and gauge interest before committing to new toys. But I think it still has strong appeal that kids and adults alike would respond to. As to Ramen Toys, the passion and effort they put into these toys is obvious and remarkable. I'm constantly amazed by the abilities and commitment of fans to create today the toys we wished we'd had as kids. Chinese fans, notably, are killing it as they form toy companies dedicated to making modern interpretations of 80s and 90s toys; it's shame we don't see that same level of dedication or craftsmanship on our own shores, since these properties all originated here. Edited January 19 by M'Kyuun Quote
Big s Posted January 19 Posted January 19 25 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said: As to Ramen Toys, the passion and effort they put into these toys is obvious and remarkable. I'm constantly amazed by the abilities and commitment of fans to create today the toys we wished we'd had as kids. Chinese fans, notably, are killing it as they form toy companies dedicated to making modern interpretations of 80s and 90s toys; it's shame we don't see that same level of dedication or craftsmanship on our own shores, since these properties all originated here. I think it’s not so much that Americans don’t want to do third party toys, but that it might be a lot tougher. Over here it’s much easier to be prosecuted over copying from another license and a lot of these companies tend to start off  in the bootleg way before getting into the actual licensing if they do get them at all. The labor is the other big issue. Over here the labor and material costs and overall manufacturing are too high compared to those overseas costs, but just being a start up in another country gets a good start communication wise with the manufacturers to get things rolling faster. A random fan from the U.S. has to not only have the skills for the design, but has to have the communication skills and connections to do the overseas manufacturing. Otherwise I think a lot more of these older franchises would have been handled by American fans. Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 19 Posted January 19 40 minutes ago, Big s said: I think it’s not so much that Americans don’t want to do third party toys, but that it might be a lot tougher. Over here it’s much easier to be prosecuted over copying from another license and a lot of these companies tend to start off  in the bootleg way before getting into the actual licensing if they do get them at all. The labor is the other big issue. Over here the labor and material costs and overall manufacturing are too high compared to those overseas costs, but just being a start up in another country gets a good start communication wise with the manufacturers to get things rolling faster. A random fan from the U.S. has to not only have the skills for the design, but has to have the communication skills and connections to do the overseas manufacturing. Otherwise I think a lot more of these older franchises would have been handled by American fans. Good point about the licensing; I wasn't thinking about that aspect but focusing more on the creativity side of the topic. However, that's definitely an obstacle which the Chinese seem to contend with on a much looser basis without as many legal repercussions. I don't agree with stealing IPs, but at the same time, my hypocritical self has bought numerous third-party Transformers over the last decade or so, and quite honestly, I think they're smartly cornering parts of the market that Hasbro and Takara aren't really operating in, like the legends scale market, and doing it brilliantly. Moreover, I think they approach toy design, much like Takara does or used to, by trying to make the best toy and then assigning a price instead of working within a set budget and making adjustments to the toy until it fits, which often means the toy is far more limited in parts, features, paint etc. It's a shame that everything is so much more expensive here in the States, but that's the reality of our times, and the situation will likely never improve alas. There's obviously passion at both Hasbro and Takara, and I'm exceedingly glad that they've put the designers out in the public space to talk about what goes into the toys. They're obviously working under constraints, and by talking about that, if only tangentially at times, I appreciate the candid perspective and I hope it quells some of the bitching and moaning among the fandom. We're still going to complain, because humanity, but for those of us with a modicum of empathy, seeing the bigger picture regarding the circumstances in which they labor to try and make good toys allows for a bit of forgiveness if a toy comes up a little short in our minds. Even third-party toys come up short from time to time, but man, what a wonderful time to be a fan of 80s stuff with folks like Ramen Toys , 3P Transformers makers, etc, realizing our childhood dreams through passion, skill, talent, and drive to create the toys we wished we'd had when we were kids. We're spoiled, and I'm loving it. Quote
Big s Posted January 20 Posted January 20 8 hours ago, M'Kyuun said: I don't agree with stealing IPs, but at the same time, my hypocritical self has bought numerous third-party Transformers over the last decade or so As far as the whole morality thing, I’m definitely more interested in something from a franchise where the holders of the license are just sitting on it rather than doing something about it . M.A.S.K. Hasn’t had a toy in decades that was legit. And may never get one from the big companies. Or there’s Marshall Bravestar and a few others that Ramen sometimes gets a license for and other times not so much. But that goes for other companies as well. I ain’t gonna live forever, and if I see someone put out a great toy that I have the space for that the ligit license holders aren’t putting out and have no plans to produce, then a third party figure or bootleg or whatever you want to call it is sometimes the only option and I wouldn’t feel at all bad about it. Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 20 Posted January 20 14 hours ago, Big s said: As far as the whole morality thing, I’m definitely more interested in something from a franchise where the holders of the license are just sitting on it rather than doing something about it . M.A.S.K. Hasn’t had a toy in decades that was legit. And may never get one from the big companies. Or there’s Marshall Bravestar and a few others that Ramen sometimes gets a license for and other times not so much. But that goes for other companies as well. I ain’t gonna live forever, and if I see someone put out a great toy that I have the space for that the ligit license holders aren’t putting out and have no plans to produce, then a third party figure or bootleg or whatever you want to call it is sometimes the only option and I wouldn’t feel at all bad about it. You've pretty much summed up my feelings about third party. My days on this Earth are ever receding, and with the license holders of these properties sitting on those licenses when there's an audience for stuff to be made, unofficial options become the only options, or in the case of many Transformers, interesting, unique, or superior options compared to, or in the absence of, official releases. I look no further than XTransbots' Omnibots, which haven't had toys since their original American releases in 1985, and of course their earlier Diaclone toys. As the only option for toys I've long wanted and waited for, I'm all in for the three G1 variants that XTransbots are releasing. They're not the best toys, as some of the design decisions are questionable, but in the absence of any other Omnibot toys official or non, I happily parted with my money for them. Likewise, my newest acquisition, Newage's Romulus, a well-done CHUG scaled G1 Megatron that turns into a Walther P38ish pistol, a toy we shall never again get officially, unless Takara makes it for the Asian market. That was a huge want, and I'm pleased to finally have a figure to fill that hole in my collection. No guilt, no regret. Much joy. Quote
sh9000 Posted January 20 Posted January 20 @M'Kyuun The Loyal Subjects got a license from Hasbro to release new MASK toys. On 9/10/2024 at 8:51 PM, sh9000 said: https://www.toyark.com/2024/09/10/m-a-s-k-jem-my-pet-monster-r-o-m-and-more-coming-from-the-loyal-subjects-544123 The Loyal Subjects will be producing official MASK vehicles and figures in its original scale and style.  Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 21 Posted January 21 8 hours ago, sh9000 said: @M'Kyuun The Loyal Subjects got a license from Hasbro to release new MASK toys.  Very interesting news. I've never heard of this company, but I'm guessing I've seen their stuff while perusing the toy isles. Very curious to see how they approach M.A.S.K. As little room as I have for much of anything anymore, I have a feeling I'm going to be sorely tempted to pick a couple of these up. The Ramen Toys stuff looks amazing thus far, but I've not invested. But if the TLS' stuff is right there on the shelf in front of me, all bets are off. I never owned a single M.A.S.K. toy as a kid, despite seeing them in stores and watching the show. I thought they were amazing, but my budget was severely limited so I stuck to the occasional Transformer or LEGO set. Lack of space is my main detractor now, but if I find one or two that really pique my interest, I may just have to snag 'em. Quote
RavenHawk Posted January 22 Posted January 22 On 1/20/2025 at 10:47 AM, M'Kyuun said: You've pretty much summed up my feelings about third party. My days on this Earth are ever receding, and with the license holders of these properties sitting on those licenses when there's an audience for stuff to be made, unofficial options become the only options, or in the case of many Transformers, interesting, unique, or superior options compared to, or in the absence of, official releases. I look no further than XTransbots' Omnibots, which haven't had toys since their original American releases in 1985, and of course their earlier Diaclone toys. As the only option for toys I've long wanted and waited for, I'm all in for the three G1 variants that XTransbots are releasing. They're not the best toys, as some of the design decisions are questionable, but in the absence of any other Omnibot toys official or non, I happily parted with my money for them. Likewise, my newest acquisition, Newage's Romulus, a well-done CHUG scaled G1 Megatron that turns into a Walther P38ish pistol, a toy we shall never again get officially, unless Takara makes it for the Asian market. That was a huge want, and I'm pleased to finally have a figure to fill that hole in my collection. No guilt, no regret. Much joy. Agree here, especially on the Omnibots. Downshift has been a favorite since I was a kid, and I played with him both as a Transformer and, when not caring about scale, as a MASK toy. I'm not a fan of XTransbots, but this was a no-brainer for me. Â On the general topic, I'm a big believer in NOT infringing on someone else's IP, big or small. That said, if there is zero activity on it by the owner, sometimes us collectors really want that itch scratched... As long as I know it isn't causing the IP owner any damage. Quote
Chronocidal Posted January 22 Posted January 22 1 minute ago, RavenHawk said: On the general topic, I'm a big believer in NOT infringing on someone else's IP, big or small. That said, if there is zero activity on it by the owner, sometimes us collectors really want that itch scratched... As long as I know it isn't causing the IP owner any damage. This kind of thing is why I'm so happy that 3D printing exists at all, even if the results are incredibly labor intensive. I wish there were more viable business options for selling printable/printed kits for assembly, but the only real differences between printed kits and resin garage kits are trading handcrafted master molds for detailed CAD models, and trading limited use molding materials for printer hardware and maintenance costs.  Still, I'm just happy that these sorts of production technologies exist, and thankful that CAD modeling is so much more accessible than carving masters for resin casts. I've got a long list of obscure designs on my print queue.  Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 23 Posted January 23 2 hours ago, Chronocidal said: This kind of thing is why I'm so happy that 3D printing exists at all, even if the results are incredibly labor intensive. I wish there were more viable business options for selling printable/printed kits for assembly, but the only real differences between printed kits and resin garage kits are trading handcrafted master molds for detailed CAD models, and trading limited use molding materials for printer hardware and maintenance costs.  Still, I'm just happy that these sorts of production technologies exist, and thankful that CAD modeling is so much more accessible than carving masters for resin casts. I've got a long list of obscure designs on my print queue.  The technologies that exist now are like our childhood sci-fi tropes come true- pretty amazing stuff, and in the case of 3D printing, much more accessible, as you said, than most of the other methodologies for producing plastic toys and models. I haven't handled a fully 3D printed figure, but I've bought a number of add-on kits for my Transformers and I'm pretty impressed by their durability and the shapes that are possible. I imagine that as the technology matures, it'll eventually replace extrusion molding as a cheaper, faster, equally durable method for producing parts. Quote
sh9000 Posted January 26 Posted January 26 Preorders coming next month. Â Another one to add to my collection. Quote
Chronocidal Posted January 27 Posted January 27 I might bite on that one, it's pretty slick. Have to admit, I'm mostly waiting to see if they make a Switchblade though.  Quote
Big s Posted January 27 Posted January 27 6 hours ago, Chronocidal said: I might bite on that one, it's pretty slick. Have to admit, I'm mostly waiting to see if they make a Switchblade though.  I think that’s definitely a fan favorite there. Kinda surprised that it wasn’t done yet Quote
Big s Posted March 3 Posted March 3 On 2/28/2025 at 12:15 PM, sh9000 said: New pics. Was watching a video from one of the toy shows and they were showing these off. Gotta kind of wonder what this does to a company like Ramen that had basically been doing the same thing but without the license. I kinda get what Ramen was doing since nobody else was attempting to do touch this franchise with anything close to a real product and then they barely get a couple things made and another company grabs the license to make their own versions more or less at a similar size with updates to the original designs. on on hand I do feel like getting the license is the more legitimate way to do it, but it also kinda feels like without Ramen then this company probably wouldn’t have even been interested Quote
Scyla Posted March 3 Posted March 3 So the Loyal Subjects one are basically reissues of the original toys? Owning a Rhino has been a lifelong dream for me. But I really don’t want to start a new toy collection. Quote
Big s Posted March 3 Posted March 3 1 hour ago, Scyla said: So the Loyal Subjects one are basically reissues of the original toys? Owning a Rhino has been a lifelong dream for me. But I really don’t want to start a new toy collection. From what I’ve seen on YouTube when they interviewed them at a recent toy fair, they’ve redone the figures. They may be slightly bigger. Kinda sounds closer to G.I Joe size, but have more articulation than the og stuff while keeping to the looks of the classics. The vehicles have similar design and transformation to the originals with newer tech and new gimmicks and effects pieces. They seem to be brand new toys and not just reissues. Quote
Scyla Posted March 3 Posted March 3 21 minutes ago, Big s said: From what I’ve seen on YouTube when they interviewed them at a recent toy fair, they’ve redone the figures. They may be slightly bigger. Kinda sounds closer to G.I Joe size, but have more articulation than the og stuff while keeping to the looks of the classics. The vehicles have similar design and transformation to the originals with newer tech and new gimmicks and effects pieces. They seem to be brand new toys and not just reissues. I would assume they had to redo the moulds since the original ones are probably nowhere to be found. That said, the whole M.A.S.K. line is only around 50 releases. I think I have more Gundams and Masterpiece Transformers in my collection. Quote
sh9000 Posted March 3 Posted March 3 https://comicbook.com/gear/news/the-loyal-subjects-and-hasbro-reveal-toy-fair-first-look-at-m-a-s-k-toy-line-exclusive/ The Loyal Subjects: Â Reissue vehicles with minor updates to the vehicles and figures. Â Figures are same scale to the original. Ramen Toy: Â Fully updated vehicles and figures. Â Figures are same scale to the original. Quote
M'Kyuun Posted March 5 Posted March 5 On 3/3/2025 at 10:52 AM, sh9000 said: https://comicbook.com/gear/news/the-loyal-subjects-and-hasbro-reveal-toy-fair-first-look-at-m-a-s-k-toy-line-exclusive/ The Loyal Subjects: Â Reissue vehicles with minor updates to the vehicles and figures. Â Figures are same scale to the original. Ramen Toy: Â Fully updated vehicles and figures. Â Figures are same scale to the original. It's certainly an interesting time for M.A.S.K. fans. After nigh 40 years of no offerings, suddenly there are two competing companies, one official, one not, producing what look to be well-done toys again. I'm actually a bit surprised that The Loyal Subjects' toys are virtually identical to the originals, but I've long maintained that the originals were so well done that Hasbro could simply reissue them as-is and I believe they'd still sell. Apparently, The Loyal Subjects believe the same enough to do just that, with minor improvements. I'm curious to see how the line does. As for me, with my house all but bursting with too many toys and not enough space already, as much as I'd love to pick up a number of these, I'll likely restrain myself to the Condor. I actually found a decent copy a couple years ago in an antique store, minus the Brad Turner figure. My quandary now is whether I should pick up a copy of the TLS toy with improved Brad Turner or wait for the likely superior Ramen toys version. My internal query brings me to the other shoe, as it were: Ramen Toys. I am most impressed with their efforts thus far and tempted, as I appreciate the passion, care, talent, and effort going into their M.A.SK. toys, which I think will undoubtedly prove superior to TLS', but at a significant cost difference as well. However, you get what you pay for and in this case, I believe Ramen Toys is making the better product. they have yet to submit a proto for their take on the Condor, but I've no doubt it'll be forthcoming and I'm curious to see how it differs from the OG , and TLS' clone. Moreover, RT's figs already benefit from better articulation. I'm already tempted by their excellent take on Vanessa Warfield's flying car. I've been intrigued by flying cars ever since first seeing the SHIELD flying car in cartoons, and later by Wheels and Roadie in the Pole Position cartoon (technically, they only hovered, but they still made an impression), not to mention everyone's favorite Delorean. Like Gloria's submersible car, Vanessa's flying car was never released by Kenner, so the Ramen Toys version is the only option for either, and that flying car sings to my soul. That and their eventual Condor may find a home here. Quote
tekering Posted March 5 Posted March 5 7 hours ago, M'Kyuun said: Vanessa's flying car was never released by Kenner We had them in Canada... Quote
M'Kyuun Posted March 5 Posted March 5 24 minutes ago, tekering said: We had them in Canada... Ok, so I thought that I'd seen it, but after looking at a few MASK fansites that didn't show it among the lineup, I just figured I'd conflated the Manta with another of the toys. My memory sucks, too, so I can't always be sure that what I recall is correct. How I envy those with an eidetic memory; if there's a negative analog, surely I possess it. Anyway, I appreciate the confirmation that it actually exists, and perhaps I'll have to do more researching. Seeing what Ramen Toys has done in updating this thing, I'm ever so much more tempted to go in on a PO as it's right up my alley. I wonder if the RT toy will come with a poster too. 😜 Gotta say, like so much 80s box art that promised what the toy didn't deliver, seeing Vanessas's elbow bent is a bit of salt in the wound. Fortunately, RT's Vanessa would pull it off if their version of the car wasn't fully enclosed (as it should be). Should The Loyal Subjects get around to it, it seems they'll follow the same formula of cloning the OG toys, and their figs, like the Kenner figs, have no elbows either. A little disappointing as the figs really beggared, more than the vehicles, for updating and I was hoping they'd get elbows too. Quote
sh9000 Posted March 5 Posted March 5 On 4/16/2022 at 8:20 AM, sh9000 said: If Hasbro had the old molds then I’d love to get some vintage reissues just like what they’ve been releasing with Transformers, GI Joe, Star Wars, and Ghostbusters. There’s potential for an updated line from Hasbro.  It would be nice if they made some new toys. About time. Quote
Big s Posted March 5 Posted March 5 7 hours ago, M'Kyuun said: Should The Loyal Subjects get around to it, it seems they'll follow the same formula of cloning the OG toys, and their figs, like the Kenner figs, have no elbows either. I didn’t even check think it was odd that they pretty much redid the joints on theirs more like G.I.Joe, except for adding the elbow joints and a waist articulation. The other joints go some petty good upgrades, but if they just went that little bit more, these would’ve been tough to pass up Quote
sh9000 Posted Friday at 07:13 AM Posted Friday at 07:13 AM On 6/4/2023 at 9:24 PM, sh9000 said: Possible tease for Switchblade. Switchblade coming soon. Quote
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