Going to have to keep both as they are both excellent. One can lead season 1 Autobots and the other Season 2.

 

Yep that's G1 Optimus Prime. Tho, I won't feel he's legit until I get his unique and Signature Autobot Logo. Only Prime had that outlined version.

 

Loving this new head. 3p has charmed the wallet out of my trousers once again. Double dipping on this guy even though i have a 1st run copy.

 

These pictures make it look like it’s painted.

Any visual of this insignia? Where can I get it?

I should get my V2 tomorrow with the new head. Can’t wait!

 

Oh that's right, some of the original bots had it too! I forgot.. hmm...
Maybe because it's on the shoulder, then that means a different rank? We gotta remember, in G1 they established the Autobots were't just a collection of friends, but actually a military unit, with a Leader and commander, and LT and so on.. Maybe the outline version was for Autobots from a particular unit, like Prime was from, and those with the logo like Ultra Magnus had on his right arm, are from his regiment?? Maybe because they banded together, that was why we saw so many different Autobot logos?

I am getting mine ordered today from Toyhax, here:
Toyhax - Home of Reprolabels, Cobrastickers, & Toy Stages. Labels & stickers for Transformers & GI Joe, toy upgrades, & more. - Toyhax.com

TF logos, Autobot outline, they have 3 good choices for it. So as you see, Sideswipe has one, so you can use it more then once if you want.

 

I mean those are fair theories but I think it's more of an ease of animation thing. The logo is basically like drawing another face in every frame so the easier they can make it, the easier and more economical to animate - a logo on only one of Optimus' shoulders unlike the toy that had it on both (so they only have to draw it once per frame instead of twice), and using a white outline on bots who were red so they wouldn't have to go to the trouble of using a different shade of red. As for logo placement, I think it was just wherever it was most convenient and looked best.

 

I don't think the Autobot/Decepticon symbol placement has anything to do with rank etc... as much as just having a good place where it will fit. Both Optimus and Ultra Magnus don't have any good spot on their chests for one and then you have a bot like Sideswipe who's got that big ol' Lamborghini hood for a chest....

 

Yeah, there's no reason to make it complicated. They can't have the logo in one consistent place like on human uniforms because, well, their bodies aren't uniform. And for the once-in-a-decade mention of ranks, they really, really aren't a military organization. They're a militia at most and really more of a family.

 

Are you sure about that??
Highest ranked autobots

 

Yes, we all know that some of them sometimes have ranks. But show me a scene where those ranks actually matter, where they follow Prime's orders because he has a rank and not because they respect and trust him. Just watch any show actually based on the military, then watch Transformers, and look for the part where there is an actual military structure as opposed to a tiny number of people having titles that are effectively meaningless.

 

This looks like a list created by some random user Petey_is_Spidey
The G1 Cartoon dosen't have a "military" rank vibe at all, all i get is that Optimus leads and other Autobots with leader qualities like Ironhide will lead in his absence.

 

Who wrote that nonsense? Jazz outranks Ultra Magnus? "Commander and chief?" Um... do you think maybe they meant to write "Commander in chief" but got it wrong cuz they don't know what they're talking about?

 

Didn't Prime introduce Jazz, and Hound with rank in the original 3 part pilot?? I seem to remember that.
Also, don't get me wrong, I am not arguing with you guys, just playing devil's advocate. Us Geewuners sometimes have faulty memories being soooooo Old and all. LOL

 

The TE-01 reminds me more of the Geoff Senior Marvel Prime.

 

Kind of like this?



I know it's not the exact outline version, but I had these on hand and prefer it over the logos that came with him.

I have to say that TE hit the ground running with this guy. Every time I transform him I can't help but feel humbled by the engineering that was done to make it all work. Yes, it's a bit more complex than some, still not the chore that is MP-36, but a little more effort than what you'd expect. But, looking at both alt and bot modes, can't help but tip my hat for them pulling this off and that neither mode suffers in visually.

I think this may be the Prime to end all Prime purchases for me, it's that good.

Now... What is TE to do next? I think the pressure is on them for their next project to be as amazing.

Someone mentioned a more slender and animation accurate Ultra Magnus, I am down for this.

I'd love to see them tackle a Rodimus Prime where the Space Winnebago mode is all inclusive in bot mode, meaning no trailer. That's a lot to ask without compromising the bit or vehicle, but after seeing how they pulled off this Prime figure, maybe it can be done.

Either way, they did amazing work to G1 Prime, and am very happy to have it on my masterpiece shelf.

 

This figure totally satisfies my G1 Prime itch. The only other prime I want for my collection is UT Challenger. I will then have all the Primes I want to display. If someone makes a MP style TF Prime OP that doesnt have crap faux windows. I will definitely have to get that also. I will also pick up the inevitable Bumblebee MPM Prime also. Maybe even wait for a OSKO version of it. The SS fig is ok and need to get rid of that kibble and actually use the movie cgi design and not the concept art.

 

I also have UT Challenger. Going to be honest, hated... absolutely hated his bot design in AOE, and TLK due to the fact it seemed impossible to make an accurate toy of him.

That is until UT Challenger came along, with an easier than you'd expect transformation to boot.

I highly recommend him.

 

Hooo mama! The God Phoenix! LOVE!

 

After having the figure for a few days, I've slightly adjusted my thinking on the best point to fold the bumper in. I still think it makes the most sense to do the bumper, then the legs -- but if you're following Paik's video, you should fold the bumper up right after you do the ab and bumper swaps. I can show you why in one picture:



When the front chest windows are open, the hinge on the grille still works. That means you can just pop it open and have plenty of room to work with. Once you've got the white bits folded in, fold down the grille and push the bumper up so it's almost in.



(Note that it doesn't matter if you have the top or bottom of the bumper popped out; the leg transformation will work either way. For the sake of illustration, the next pics have it with the bottom of the bumper slightly out.)

The reason this works is that the only bits on the bumper that contact the legs are the pegs that go into the wheel wells. As long as those are clear, the legs will rotate in freely. (Click on thumbnails to open.)



Once the legs are in, peg in the bumper, and make sure everything is snug and lined up properly for the arms to go in.

On a related note: if you're having issues with gaps in the front and side panels around the arms in alt mode, it's most likely because the shoulder joint is being pushed slightly out of alignment by something. The most likely cause is the arms aren't perfectly squared off before you rotate them into place. Having the extra joint in the elbows for transformation is what makes this so tricky to get right.

--

I've gone through a bunch of options for the front windows, none of which I'm 100% happy with. This includes foil and mirror boards, pure white board, cell shaded decals and flat vinyl stickers (none applied).

Here's the thing: the blue-tinted windows are the single concession to the MP look on this figure. MP windows are generally either smoke tinted, or some shade of blue. None of them look like the super light blue/white on the cel shaded decals -- or for that matter, like the actual super light windows in the animation.

What this means is that, if you choose to do the cel shaded or flat light blue look, your figure will stick out like a sore thumb when placed next to other MPs, with the exception of maybe Ratchet (whose windows look lighter because of all the white plastic around and behind the tinted plastic). It's either/or -- if you buy in to that look, you then have to figure out how to apply it to the rest of your collection.

I ruled out foil and mirror boards pretty quickly, because the ones I got were extremely distracting and added a ton of glare. Also: if the idea is to simulate proper reflections on glass, neither of those solutions is the correct answer. Foil gives you a smudged look, and mirror is literally just turning the windows into mirrors (which is not how windows work).

So I went a bit sideways on this. I noticed a few people had been inserting various bits of paper behind the windshield. I went to an office supply store, picked up a pack of colored card stock, and after a bit of experimentation, came up with this:



There's two important things to note. The first is that, in direct light, the shade is pretty darn close to the color of the eyes. The second is that, in indirect, darker light, the color reads as slightly darker, and the edges of the windows cast shadows that cause the edges to darken and gain definition, while the majority of the window still reads as flat. From a distance, the edges read as cel shaded.

I'm not 100% satisfied with it (wish the blue was a bit less neon), but it's what I'm going with for now. I feel like it's a better solution than decals and stickers, because it's non-destructive, and it lets you keep the windows as windows, vs. turning them into painted or covered over pieces of plastic.

-XCN-