You bunch of enabling b... ended up getting the main "Shang-Chi" characters, except for Death Dealer. I found a couple in the BAF-less, (not many apart from Katy and Xialing) but the postage was more expensive than buying all three on IDT brand new... but yes, I have four Shang-Chi figures on the way, which is a step up from "ooh, the Awkafina one includes Morris! How cute!"

Glad you're taking a stand. I'm at breaking point at work too, but for totally different reasons. When I joined, there was 4 of us, looking after one school, but the longest-serving tech had also gone for the job I got, so he left for something else.

OKIE-DOKE, one manager, one senior tech, we can handle this.

Five years on, one school is now: one high school (1400+users), one primary school (400+ users), one county-wide training facility (best guess 200+ users), one multi-academy trust (incorporating another three schools with their own support, but a truck load of other support), on training school facility (different to the other facility, somehow) which is adding users at a rate of knots.

We've found the money to build TWO extensions/ new buildings since I joined and yet somehow we're still one manager, one senior tech and one junior tech. They keep having bright ideas and assuming we're going to somehow bear the weight of it all. "We built three new offices." "Cool, where's the socket for the computer?" "The what now?" "Where's my budget for buying three new computers, licenses, and accessories?" "The huh?"

Add to that the attitude I'm getting from a member of staff who literally thinks he's above the support teams and that we were his department's personal gophers, to the point where he doesn't deign to respond to my requests for more information and I'm ready to explode at the next person who asks the same question for the millionth time.

That's just awesome! Love the way they've redone the CW mould!

Welcome to the world of collecting Dr. Who DVDs where they chose a crap design theme to begin with, but keep monkeying with it and releasing box-sets of non-consecutive stories, so your shelf never looks quite right.

 

So long as they all aren't having a cheese and wine party it's alright.

 

Another 'blast from the past' email, IDT have sent the balance invoices for Neca's Homelander and Starlight figures.

Don't tell me I'm finally going to own the heroes of the VCU.

 

@Primacron & Xaran Alamas,
I could buy it with Thunderbirds & Stingray as they were both Gerry Anderson shows and the cameos in the X-Men cartoon worked well enough because it was a Marvel cartoon so it made sense for other Marvel characters outside of the X-Men to appear, it's the real straw clutching such as the example with Sean Connery's character in The Rock actually being James Bond I don't get.

Fair enough if that's what someone wants to do to make their YouTube content or whatever but I tend to take things at face value and don't over analyse it in the hope of finding hidden meanings or links to other things, to me it's the modern version of playing records backwards.

Sometimes I'll see something pop up on YouTube when it's the early hours of the morning and I can't sleep and it can be amusing but most of the time my reaction is,


EDIT,
Cliffjumper repaint has blue windows, so I'll stick with the first one. Not a fan of windows that're blue or other colours as a toon accuracy thing because it never looks good ,even when Newage use metallic tones.

I don't know how Kup differs from the prior release as I didn't look too closely at it. The mould is OK but the Takara version of the TR mould fills that gap.

 

Sales thread updated, some new additions and price reductions!!

Brum Bots For Sale Items!!

 

Cheeky  

 

So here's my theory. There's a higher up at Hasbro that keeps wanting really specific toys. Like they needed a Fangry for their collection, liked the idea of a Nemesis Primal and really wanted their SS86 Kup to have that busted chest from the movie.

But getting customs done would cost them personally so they've gone and started this line as a way to commission the toys that they personally want.

And as long as it sells, we get to keep getting this person's mad wish list of toys. Personally I'm hoping they get really into MTMTE.

 

Killer.

Enjoy Infinite dude.

 

The Rainmakers have shipped from Star Action! UK Stock! Excite!!!

 

Ectotron still hsn't turned up from kapow, so email fired off. For someone that was so quick out the door, it's dissapointing he went AWOL.


Also, seem to have lost all power now. Blegh, hope this passes.


The Cybertron rewatch continues. About 8 episodes left now. Tis a damn fine show. Not perfect, but pretty much captures everything I want from a tf show. Hasbro can keep all the uber serious grimdark edgy stuff of the past 5 to 10 years, I'll take the fun, adventurous, self piss taking but yet also super serious threat levels with the best starscream ever put to screen.

 

You need some sunglasses handy, I’ve gotten used to how garish their colours are but they’re fantastic.

 

Come on C&C !

 

So has, uh, anyone been over to the post-wfc speculation thread this afternoon? Because it's very funny. Unless of course you actually wanted 'multiverse' Menasor.

I'm losing track. Will this be the 4th or 5th time this leaker retires?

 

My In Demand ones are on the way too. Have Pulse shipped theirs yet? They were due in August.

 

Not even keeping track. It just shows how much "interest" has been generated in the last couple of years by a select band who actually "know" inside stuff and how hooked we've gotten on relying on them to be on the up and up. And in this case that trust was used.

Glad to see in an among the froth that @Apollux gets his rightful due for being not only a genuine source, but acknowledged for being a class act with it too. Take a bow fella - you are appreciated.

The only bit of it that actually makes me angry is the resorting to "it's because you're grown adults on a message board about kids toys...." As any kind of justification for spreading disinfo - yeah we know you classless pultroon, and you are a pointless chain-yanker looking to make a bit of chaos with people that actually have some passion for a harmless hobby.

I hate that kind of attitude, it's what allows utter pricks to justify why they spread malware "for a laugh...."

 

The whole kids toys thing... it's been obvious for at least a few years Transformers basically goes from toddlers to 'my knee just clicked!' and beyond. And that's just TFs FFS.

 

Understandable. One class I forgot is how sometimes some directors seem to have connective tissue between seemingly unrelated movies too, those can be fun sometimes... but I honestly can't explain why I find it fun to speculate connections between unrelated movies ^^ that said I still view it very much as a type of fan fiction as unless directly referenced by the movies (or whatever) themselves, that ain't canon and I'm not gonna go about telling people what to believe.

As for your example, I don't know the specifics of the movie but is the character even Bond like? Does sound a bit absurd though, if they are Bondlike it feels more like the sort of thing of how xXx apparently has a Bondlike character killed in the film opening as an intentional potshot at the Bond films but clearly it's NOT Bond.
As I say, some theories out there are just absolutely crackpot and my only enjoyment from them is pointing and laughing, but as you say there are those who will take it as 100% fact.

I'm not quite sure why this clip came to mind xD

Edit:

That's the sort of argument they usually resort to when they've got nothing else, try and insult everyone by saying it's just for kids.
Thing is, even if it's something where kids are the primary audience, there's plenty of times there are adult fans too so as an argument it's pretty damn weak.

 

So, I'm not due to get any new TFs this side of the festive period. Therefore, I feel pretty confident in throwing down my top 10 for the year.

And wow, what a year it's been for robots. There are figures that could have been in the top 3 any other year, but didn't even make the top 10. That good.

So, on with the list:

10. Studio Series Grimlock. Yup, this chonky bruiser barely made it into the list, that's what we're up against. He loses points because ultimately, he's the same toy experience he's been for years, but finally we have a Grimlock worthy of chug.

09. Studio Series Thrust. A latecomer that saw Scourge ousted from the number 10 spot, this was a bit of a 'fuck it' purchase when he went on sale. What a handsome and hefty voyager. And I love the 80s sci fi alt mode.

08. Studio Series Wreck Gar. Now, I don't dislike wreck Gar as a character, he's just never really been in my radar as a must have. However, as soon as I saw the renders for this fella it was love at first sight. And in hand he's tonnes of fun.

07. Kingdom Dinobot. That Bot mode. Heroic and savage all at once. That beast mode? Yeah not so much, but I still find it charming!

06. Kingdom Rodimus. I'll admit it, I thought this guy, in a year already stacked with God tier plastic, was going to easily breeze into the number 1 spot. Don't get me wrong, I still utterly love him. He's hefty, poseable, and has some wonderful touches here and there. I can't quite put my finger on why he isn't higher. Maybe my #1 choice wowed me so thoroughly that this guy didn't stand a chance. Maybe I actually do prefer toys to come packaged in bot mode - that first impression is very important. Who knows. Still awesome, but up against some serious competition.

05. Kingdom Cyclonus. To think, I had zero interest in this fella when revealed. I think at that point I was waaay to excited for the beasties. But I saw the light, and he's utterly sumptuous. Luxurious even. Silky smooth transformation and fantastic in both modes.

04. Earthrise Skylynx. I feel a little dirty putting in a toy from last year, but I got him this year and I would be remiss if I ignored his majesty. Another tale of initial zero interest, something switched in me and suddenly I had to have him. And this was before he was showing up at half price. Built amazingly and stacked with options, his atypical robot mode is something I didn't know I needed. And he can sit like a cat!

03. Kingdom Megatron. These top three exemplify what I mean when I talk about first impressions. Ignoring my first copy that had a fucked arm out if the box, this guy comes out swinging. Hefty, bags of camp menace, and unique tactile feel due to the reptile skin, Megatron was bestowed the honour of immediately buying a second to keep misb.

02. Kingdom Galvatron. In hand pictures and shoulder issues had me concerned for this guy. I needn't have worried. The shoulders are a non issue for me, and while it's true he doesn't photo well, in person he's the embodiment of grumpy, mad power. I'm so glad they went the route if condensing a leader class figure into a large voyager, because Galvatron has the tactile qualities i crave in a transformer but so rarely receive. He's a dense, solid boy. And the transformation is surprisingly fun and intuitive for a result that ultimately resembles a hose attachment, but wow what a hose attachment.

01. Studio Series Hot Rod. This year was won before it barely started. You know I said I have two Kingdom Megatron's? I have Three of this guy. Admittedly, part of the reason for that is the fact that he does feel a bit delicate during transformation, but I love him so much I couldn't bear to be without a back up should the worst happen. The is the hot rod I've wanted since I first put that shiny TFTM video in the slot back in 1988. Again, selling a deluxe at a voyager price point took balls but it paid off. I don't feel I deserve this toy. He's that good as far as I'm concerned.

So that's it. In the latter part of the year I've been really smitten with 40k, and so my focus is off of TFs. Will this be permanent? Who knows. I still plan on dipping my toe in with a couple of bits next year, but ultimately Legacy is looking a bit uninspired to me at the moment, and SS movie figures, amazing as they look, will be a bit thin on the ground.

I think the intensity of the exclusive nonsense over the past couple of years has soured me somewhat, and a bit of time away to remember what I love about TFs - the engineering rather than the collecting - might do me some good.

But, if this is my last year if being fully 'in', what a fucking year. Look at that list! The incredible figures that didn't make the cut are a testament to what a vintage year it's been. Absolute banger.

 

Not to shit on what @bcm77 is saying as he's entitled to his opinion, but John Mason in The Rock is absolutely 100% meant to be Bond.

Is it actually Bond? No, because the Fleming family didn't sign of on it. Is it Bond archetype in absolutely every other meaningful way. Yes. Does it matter if people watch the film and see him as Bond? Not at all, the movie still holds up.

I actually still think it is Michael Bay's best work and highly recommend it. Perfect 90s Bruckheimer goodness up there with Con Air.

If people get worked up about it and insist that it's definitely not intended to be Bond from the MGM movie series, fine. It's meant to be Bond from Never Say Never Again.

 

I'm 100% onboard with this way of thinking and it's exactly what I would do in that position.