Tag: Topspin

Transformers Collectors’ Club

In the the spirit of Thanksgiving I wanted to pause and remember the Transformers Collectors’ Club.

I was a member from the start to the finish and always looked forward to the annual membership exclusive figure.

Inspiration

Tomorrow will see the final mark-down in the closing sale of the TFCC store with everything dropping to 90% off. I’ve been following the thread on TFW2005 and some of the conversations there got me thinking about how much I’ll miss the Club. I’ve made three purchases from the clearance sale so far, only two of which have arrived, and expect to make one final purchase tomorrow.

Purchase #1 – Machine Wars Starscream, formerly attendees-only.

Purchase #2 – Diaclone Zaptrap with Spy-Eye and Beet-Chit.

While preparing this article, I took a look at my collection and realized just how many Fun Publications figures are still prominently displayed.

The Beginning

For me, it all started with Nexus Maximus and the translucent member exclusive figures that populated the first five years of the club. Here are Topspin and Breakaway from years 4 and 3 respectively.

The other three members may be referred to as Bots-Not-Appearing-in-This-Blog.

2007

The only Botcon that I was able to attend was the 2007 convention in Providence Rhode Island and it made a lasting impact. Not only was it the perfect theme for me with it’s continuation of Classics but it was close to home and allowed me to attend the premiere of the first Transformers live-action movie. Here are Dreadwind, Thrust, Thundercracker and Bugbite from that year’s set.

Still my favorite, toy-accurate, version of Thrust.

Seekers

The Classics Seeker mold is still a favorite of mine. It was also a favorite of the club; not only did we get Thundercracker and Thrust years early, we also got the More Than Meets The Eye Rainmakers (Bitstream, Hotlink and Sunstorm), G2 Ramjet and Japanese G1 catalog inspired Nacelle!

There is no other official mold with as many different versions available.

G2

Generation 2 was a weird time in the franchise that not only spawned some neon repaints but also introduced modern levels of articulation. Botcon 2010 featured the Generation 2: Redux box set. Here we have Ramjet (not technically from Botcon but still G2), Rapido, Spark (rear), Streetstar and Breakdown.

Diaclone

Botcon 2013 brought us several Diaclone figures including Lift-Ticket and Zaptrap (with Spy-Eye and Beet-Chit) and the Waruder set (not pictured).

Club Exclusives

Punch took a mold that I already loved, Sideswipe/Sunstreaker, and cleverly updated the double-robot-moded G1 spy.

Side Burn from 2011 took another mold that I liked and gave it a new bluer life.

Subscription Service

I was very disappointed when the Reveal the Shield Demolition Rumble was cancelled and I’ve wanted to pick up the United UN-20 Rumble & Frenzy set for years but never pulled the trigger. The Club Subscription Service gave me an opportunity to finally own this mold when they released it as Rewind & Eject as part of Series 2.

Based on an early prototype of Thrust from a G1 Japanese catalog, Nacelle gave me another opportunity to get the Botcon Thrust mold.

The Masterpiece

As mentioned in a previous post, one of their last exclusives (and the only Masterpiece figure that they released) was a Marvel Comics inspired repaint of the Ratbat mold, the only time this mold has been officially available in the US.

I should be in charge!

Shattered Glass

Probably the biggest thing the Club and Botcon added to Transformers lore was Shattered Glass, Transformers’ own “Mirror Mirror” evil doppelgangers. Not only was this revisited by the Club several times, there is even an official Masterpiece version of Shattered Glass Optimus Prime. Here we have heroic Decepticons Treadshot and Ravage.

Other Botcon Stragglers

Turbomaster (aka Scorch) and Spinister have also managed to remain on display over the years.

The Vitriol

Anyone who’s spent any time in any TFCC-related thread on the TFW2005 boards knows that there is a certain portion of the fandom that simply cannot help themselves but to express their deep hatred of the Club and their glee that it is no longer around. I will never be one of them. I feel that the end of the Club and Botcon is a huge loss for Transformers collectors and, I fear, we are unlikely to ever see the same breadth of obscure characters again.

November 23, 2017
Bringing the Unexpected: Part Five – Jumpstarter Targetmasters!

According to Planet Iacon Takara will be releasing both Jumpstarters as Targetmasters!

You can read more on TFW2005 and Seibertron.

I was already debating the Takara versions before this announcement but now I’m eagerly awaiting the preorders!

October 2, 2017
Bringing the Unexpected: Part Four – Twin Twist

Twin Twist has finally arrived at Junkion HQ and the Jumpstarters are finally complete!

In photos Twin Twist’s tank treads can look very thin and Topspin’s wings do not lock in place so I had been a little concerned about how the treads would work. But with the actual toy in hand I’m happy to say that they stay in place very well in both modes. There’s no real lock but they are tighter than Topspin’s wings.

Like his mold-mate, Twin Twist has a great transformation that compacts everything into the vehicle mode for a very solid feel. Not only is it a great update of the original, but the cockpit is very well integrated and feels like it should always have been there.

Also like his mold-mate, Twin Twist’s biggest difference from the original is the height difference. There is no question that these are the same ‘bot. You may notice that my G1 Twin Twist is not exactly pristine – it is my original toy and features a catalog Autobot symbol that I glued on after the sticker wore off.

After seeing a solid color parts swap of Twin Twist and Topspin on TFW2005 and realizing how much I loved Topspin I decided to double-dip. After much debate I finally settled on donating these bodies to Clobber and Ptero. I thought that he blue for Ptero would evoke the Diaclone figure while the white Clobber would have a Beast Wars feel.

Swoop was another figure that I owned “back in the day” and I was very excited when Ptero was announced, especially after seeing how great Clobber’s beast mode turned out. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by Ptero’s mini-vehicle and am much happier with him in his new form (at least until we receive the true Swoop next year).

October 1, 2017
Bringing the Unexpected: Part Three – Clone #2

Today we found out that the last two clones will be arriving in a two-pack instead of with larger box sets as had originally been expected. Hopefully the other two box sets that we’ve been anticipating will still happen just without the clones.

Will we get sets to fill in the other two icons?

Since my Siege on Cybertron box set recently arrived this seemed like good timing for a review.

The Box

For some reason the Siege on Cybertron box set comes branded with the Beast Wars logo. I suppose it does come with a puma and a guy called MetalHAWK but it’s still a bit of a stretch.

Brought to you by Beast Wars and the letter H

Beast Mode

As mentioned above, Pounce’s beast mode is officially a puma but, to me, it looks more like a robot on all fours wearing a dog costume. Still, like Fastclash, it’s a little figure.

To integrate with Titan Masters Pounce features a saddle on his back where the figures can be attached.

While his front legs are a bit spindly at least they’re white to match the head instead of the purple used on the G1 version.

Transformation

His tail folds back onto the pink hindquarters and the puma head folds back into the Titan Master saddle. Straighten the rear legs and fold the beast feet into the robot shins. Spin both shins so the beast feet are on the same side as the tail. Fold the front beast legs together then push the robot arms around to the side. Push the beast front legs down so they sit flush on his back against the puma head. If you twist the arms to hide the hollow bits in beast mode like I do rotate them back so that the forearms can fold forward normally. Twist the robot head and you have transformed Pounce the clone.

Robot Mode

The key aspect of the clones was their identical robot modes and the new version stays true to this. There is no doubt that these are clones.

In robot mode all of the beast parts are pushed into a good sized backpack with what looks to me like formal suit tails.

To enable sitting you can change the suit tails into a duck tail.

Like Fastclash, Pounce also includes the unexplained second set of hinges in the hips. Hopefully, now that the other two clones have been revealed we’ll find out what this is about soon. [UPDATE: now that we’ve seen more photos it’s clear that the extra hip joints are part of the transformation of the final two clones. They’re not just designed to look the same they’re using the same engineering – true clones!]

Comparisons

When seen with the original G1 versions the pedigree is obvious, they did a great job with the new clones.

While the new versions are slightly shorter than the originals they easily make up for that with their expanded articulation.

I mentioned Pounce’s backpack earlier, this is the biggest difference from the original G1 version which hid the alternate head inside the torso.

Here Pounce is with Fastclash from the back with his prominent kibble visible.

Conclusion

Like Fastclash I’m enjoying Pounce more than I would have thought when they were first announced and can’t wait for the final two clones. My only issue with the figure is the back kibble, especially the tail section which often gets in the way when posing.

Yeee Haw!

June 29, 2017
Bringing the Unexpected: Part Two – Comparisons

Yesterday’s post was inspired by the arrival of Topspin and I didn’t take the time to dig out the original G1 figures for a full comparison. Part Two corrects that omission:

Clone Generations

Both Clones are roughly the same height and are clearly the same design.

That shared design extends to the vehicle mode where the two have pretty much the same transformation.

Sadly, Fastlane is missing his spoiler, he probably left it “somewhere safe.”

Jumpstarter Generations

It is clear that these are both the same bot. But it is equally clear that the Titans Return version is a much more advanced and modern design that greatly benefits from the removal of the Jumpstarter gimmick. For my money exchanging the G1 gimmick with the Titan Master is more than a fair trade.

-Hey buddy, don’t loose your head!
-Quiet tiny!

One of the trademarks of the G1 Jumpstarters was their transformation: step one – fold in half, step two – there is no step two.

May 9, 2017
Bringing the Unexpected

Titans Return is a line full of the unexpected. We’re seeing toys based on G1 figures that I thought would never have been considered, much less released. I’m still kind of stunned that I have modern versions of both a Clone and a Jumpstarter sitting beside me on my desk. The very idea that the Twin Twist and Pounce are already announced and Cloudraker and Wingspan practically guaranteed is just mind boggling.

The Clone

Part of the Chaos on Velocitron box set, the diminutive Fastclash (Fastlane to his friends) is the first modern clone to arrive on the scene. The figure itself is pretty simple and has, except for the missing hip swivel, about the expected amount of articulation for a figure of this size. In the center of the chest is a tribute to the heat sensitive sticker unique to the G1 Clones that identified which vehicle each clone transformed into.

Transformation is simple, fold in the fists, pivot the arms onto the chest, snap the legs together, fold down the feet then pivot the head so that the spoiler is on top.

Just like with the G1 version, the drag racer mode is, let’s say; not quite an accurate representation of a real-world vehicle. However, the new fold up driver seat for Titan Master drivers is a nice touch.

The oddest thing about Fastclash, aside from actually being released, are the extra hinges built into his hips. These strange hinges seem to imply sort of secondary combined configuration with the yet to be announced Cloudraker. I can’t quite imagine what that configuration could be but there must be some reason for it aside from enabling cheerleader poses.

The Jumpstarter

Part of the fourth wave of deluxes, Topspin is an impressive modernization of the character. Back in the day, I only had Twin Twist in my collection so this purchase was just a preview of the figure I really wanted. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this mold. The transformation is fun and the robot folds up in a fashion similar to Combiner Wars limbs to give the vehicle mode a nice solid feel.

As with all headmasters, transformation begins by decapitating the figure. The back panel of the legs pivots out allowing you to fold the feet into the robot calf. Pushing the calves up will slide them over the robot thighs, the legs then snap together. The hips fold forward and the knee flaps fold in to become the air intakes of the jet mode. The bottom half of the figure rotates to move the back of the legs so that they face the robot chest. The front of the robot chest then spins so that the hips can be locked onto the robot shoulders. The nosecone folds down to reveal the Titan Master cockpit. Make sure that the peg on the back of the Titan Master legs is pushed in at the very front of the slot in the floor of the cockpit or the canopy will not fully close. A door on the back of the robot forearms opens so that the fists can fold in and the forearms can be folded back over the upper arms. After closing the flaps the arms slot snugly beside the cockpit and snap into place. The robot weapons slot into the underside of each wing to complete the transformation.

The Conclusion

I’m quite pleased with both of these figures but Topspin is, by far, my favorite. My anticipation for Twin Twist is even greater now that I’ve had such a great introduction to the mold.

An Aside

Perhaps, it’s all just monkey business…

May 8, 2017