Not a lick of paint... not a lick...

 

If I want a video guide on how to transform a figure, both to alt mode, and to 'bot mode, I usually watch Optibotimus.

However if I want pure entertainment, it's Thew every time  

Sweet. Did she knit one for you back in the day?
You must post a pic when it's knitted!

Despite my Mom's best efforts I can't knit to save my life.
I can sew though.

 

The scullfaceisms are catching.  


I don't find him crass like Sponge does. But speaking of crassness my mind trips back to this Peaugh gem - his infamous doughnut review.  

 

No problem, hope you win it 

 

Sadly she didnt knit one when i was a kid due to losing the pattern... but she did knit me a wicked A-Team jumper back in the day.

 

Never mind, at least your son will be getting an awesome Transformers jumper.
A hand-knitted A-Team jumper is still pretty cool.
I pity the fool who thinks any different  

 

Only occasionally do find him crass, but often enough that it's something I noticed, and even then it's not like he's insanely crass only mildly so IMO

So yeah, it's not hateful  

 

ARGH! It's a Mod! Quick, everybody freshen up and go back and edit your posts! Haha welcome back Al, but I assumed that even if you're not actively posting you're lurking anyway.

@Scuba, that's awesome. Clocks ticking away huh? Just a couple of months away! When I get back I will box up all your bits and drive them over to you.

As to 'getting back' seeing as I'm back really soon I think it's safe to say now that I'm in HK (which would explain my weird ass time posting, if anybody noticed).. After a job to do this morning (administration! Immigration! Visa's!) I will go on a last minute MP Tracks retail hunt, as well as keep an eye out for some bits for a couple of peeps here.

Have picked up a lot of cheap crap, from the aforementioned Azalea for £2...5? £25 or so. Cheap anyway and lots of TF-Qs. Plus the entire run if 4 McD's NuRID Happy Meal toys, but weirdly in HK they're only releasing half of the US run. Oh and somehow lots of Micro Machines because here... well they're around a third off UK retail prices.

I picked up the Millenium Falcon playset for £21, more than a tenner off the UK RRP!

 

I forgot Seeker Sunday  

Video reviews...
Vangelus I always found pretty funny, loved his review of MMC's Cyclops where he checked to see if it would float.
Peaugh was always my go to, I like him as its just a straight forward review, no graphics, humour just straight talk about whatever figure.
Optibotimus I find to be a bit of a plum, away too cheesy for my liking. I still don't get that bit with the coke, was he serious, was he joking? I need answers.
Thew is purely for entertainment.
Paik is a more recent one, kind of in the Peaugh camp, no nonsense reviews. I really like that for a triple changer he'll go from bot mode to one of the alt modes, then rather than go straight into the next alt mode he'll go back to bot mode again to start the transformation.
Emgo I never really checked out, but I did watch the rant, hes clearly riled up about been accused of shilling but it was slightly uncomfortable to watch. I feel for him, but also I wouldn't rise up to the comments! Let haters hate!

Killer shots dude  

Who do you mean MT? this guy?




Edit: @scubaboy Your Mum rocks!! How cool is that?!!

 

Ooh, I wonder if it can be scaled up easily - my mum's just getting back into knitting... 

I started knitting my sister a scarf that I was going to give her for her 18th birthday.... She's now 41 so I think I missed the window to finish it though...

I have done a few proper cross stitch pictures though.

 

Here we go, more Sphinx, then some preview shots of the Sphinx vs Invisible comparison I'll have in Tuesday night's article:














All the best
Maz

 

Interesting. Sphinx has a far better alt mode, but I really prefer Invisible's bot mode. I didn't realise until I saw them side by side. Cracking photos, as ever, Maz.

 

Oh very nice comparison pics Maz.
I still prefer Sphinx in both modes by some distance, but the more I look at Sphinx's boat race, the less I like it(might look better in hand though - Pubecon?), and was never a fan of Invisible's face either.
I'll wait till Takara show us their hand...............if they ever do of course.

 

That was the kinda thing I was talking about when I said I'd sort you out with one.   Next pube bring him down and I'll swap the heads out?

He sells them for 3 quid each at cons. I can snag one if I see him at one again?

As for reviewers... generally speaking? I just have no interest in video reviews so I really appreciate Maz's pics and articles in particular. I am Twitter-chums with people like Vangelus and Thew, so I check out their stuff when it catches my eye but I don't have a lot of time spare for watching stuff on YT generally, you know? I'd rather read than watch generally, and it applies to reviews too. It might sound kind of conceited, but the best way to get me to watch a YT channel or listen to a podcast is to mention my stuff and then I'll feel compelled to check it out on principle. >_>

RE: Sphinx, Maz's photos make him look better than he was in-hand, IMO.

 

This is all true, but while TFs animation magic was Primes trailer suddenly appearing from nowhere, Prime and Motormaster being the same size, Onslaught standing next to Bruticus and Jetfire/Skyfire actually having an impossible transformation, the majority of Macross cgi magic comes down to a few forearms that grow and how the hell do the VF-1 hips work.  

I am a bit more forgiving of the later Macross stuff, largely because I love the Frontier/25 designs, and personally think that they are way better than even the VF-1. The 0D was a bit of a non-event for me, but I am looking back at it now, simply to break the monotony of yet another VF-1 clone transformation pattern as much as I can! And thats not saying much.

The jury is still out on Delta for me. I am interested to see where it goes, and as a fan of the SV line I want to see what that new jet holds. The 31 is basically just an evolution of the 29, which was an extension of the 25. I mean.... I know thats kind of the point, but damn Macross is good at beating a good idea into the ground, and has been for 30 years!

My top reviewers are Vangelus, Peaugh and Exillion on YouTube. I think that Vangelus is at the top of the game right now. He combines some serious production effort with humour and a very good look at the toy, and he is probably the only one who actually 'reviews' a figure. He is the only one really that goes beyond 'its blue here and red here and has these joints and this is how you transform it'. I want opinions and I want a reviewer to be critical.

Peaugh has settled into groove, its true, but the 'basic' nature of how he does it is nice to me. Its un-produced and honest. I trust him as a reviewer and he gives the clearest view on a figure to let me make up my own mind about it. Him and Optibotimus do the same kind of thing and just detail the figure clearly. The difference is that I can watch Peaugh a lot more.

I recently resubscribed to Emgo and dropped Optimbotimus. Emgo is OK, but his humour is hit and miss for me, and he thinks that he is way more funny and clever than I think he is. But he goes into more detail. I originally dropped him when he put out a video review of MP Bee that was about 40 minutes long. Seriously? There is no need for that beyond ego.

I like Thew, but I think that he is way over-rated and honestly I think that him being English is a massive reason why he is so popular here. I wish that Ray/ilovemess would come back. If you havent seen him, check out a couple of his videos. Ben seems a nice guy. His reviews seem ok. But what he does is simply done better by the other people that I subscribe to, and they are a lot more entertaining. I will happily watch him for a figure that I want to know about but havent subscribed to him at all and dont watch many.

TJOmega I have gone off a lot. He used to be great, and very funny when scripted. Then he got a Patreon account. Suddenly, the number of videos that he put up went from one every two weeks to about three a week. Coincidence? Plus, because of the output, most of them are unscripted, and those times he is almost painful to watch. Kuma I occasionally watch, but he is not gentle with his toys and its a miracle that he hasnt broken everything he has ever been sent! I wince through most of his videos. I also find his style a bit dry.

Most of my YouTube watching is based more on being entertained than actually learning about the latest TF release. When I actually want to know about a figure, I go to a written review with pictures most of the time.

I can knit.





Wait.... did I say that out loud?

I dont think that Tracks is out over here yet mate. I wouldnt hold your breath.

 

It's all good, if you happen upon another let me know, but don't go out of your way or anything  

Also I don't think reading makes you conceited...

only watching reviews that relate to yourself and your work makes you conceited  

But seriously, preferring written/pictorial reviews is just that a preference, time being a factor makes such a review format far more accessible, it's way easier to read a review off and on, than it is to watch one off and on, besides which its way easier to scan over a written review or a picture for pertinent information than it is to fuss about a video to the same effect (well unless the author includes a timeline in the description I guess)  

BTW Glaug, have you seen the new Hi-metal R Glaug?



 

 

Wow, seeing Sphinx next to Invisible in bot mode makes Sphinx look like he's wearing a tight white vest! 

 

Here it is people, micromasterforce Monday.....

 

Take That fan?

The side by side is cooling me off on the idea of 2 now, that face does look a bit iffy. Hmmm.

 

Believe me the face is better in hand and I am super critical of head sculpts. I nearly flushed MP Smokescreen down the toilet as I had high hopes for that. Same for Sphinx in terms of expectation but he's lovely.

I looked at those side by sides and they do indeed even to me with the figure in hand make the head and face seem odd.

See it in person and decide guys. I'm still on for 2 of this figure.

All the best
Maz