Smoulder

I was in a Transformer buying mood some months ago, and it just so happened the Powercore Combiners were on sale at TRU. I knew for balance to my collection I needed a Decepticon, and deliberated long and hard before going for this guy. I was most certainly impressed!

This is more or less the anti-Inferno/Optimus (depending on your particular generation). A fire truck seems like a pretty strange choice for a Decepticon, but he pulls it off well. In fact, the facial sculpt is so well done, as are the colour applications, that in robot mode there's no doubt whose side Smoulder is on. Well, other than he bears a passing resemblance to Perceptor, but nevermind.

Now, what's really awesome about Smoulder is the addition of his weapon, 'Chopster'. Reminiscent of the original Targetmasters, Smoulder's axe is a mini-Transformer and character in his own right! Double cool for a discout price. Furthest more, whilst I'm unable to show it off (due to not having Bombshock), in another nod to Transformers of yore, Smoulder can combine as the central piece with another lot of combiners to form an entirely new gestalt! I've seen pictures; it looks like G1 Bruticus, it looks awesome, and it is on my wishlist.

There you have it folks. Evil fire engines? They're pretty hot right now :D

Wheeljack Strikes Back

The first of my modern TF purchases, I proudly present the irresistable Alternators Wheeljack!

For me, this was the ultimate series of Transformers - Generation 1 characters who transformed from accurate scale replicas of existing cars into bulky, ass-kicking robots with multiple weapons. Wheeljack, whilst never one of my favourites originally, really shone in his new incarnation as a Mustang muscle car, complete with go-faster stripes, an energon sword and an engine block that turns into a gun. Sheer design genius!

  

G1 Soundwave never stood a chance...

The Dinobot Coast

 

For more realistic Dinobot action than the Swoop shot below, these Grimlock pics were taken, quite appropriately, on a trip to the Jurassic Coast last year. I think the King fit in rather well...

The New Leader of the Decepticons!

Well, new in 1986...

 

I had the original Galvatron, and was always disappointed in how different he looked from his animated appearance. The same was true of Ultra Magnus, but Galvatron was just... grey. To the point of looking unhealthy. Or, like a knock-off Megatron. It didn't take away from his playability; the size did that, about the only other TF he could fight in my collection was Skorponok. Either way, the original was an underwhelming figure. Jump forward two decades, and we have this!

It's strange to be a hangup about a toy, but finally he's purple. The headsculpt has the menacing three-pronged crown, and of course, his right arm carries the massive cannon. Furthermore, the figure fits into scale with the new TFs perfectly; big enough in size and sculpt to be menacing, small enough to fit into a display without dominating. Add to that the great articulation, and we have the ultimate... Wha'd he say his name was, anyway? Galvatron!


"Long live Galvatron! Long live Galvatron!"

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Mos Espa Collection, 2012 (+13 days). The viewing figures for the site have actually been immense over the last two months, for whatever reason, so I figured you may like to read a post that isn't merely holding station for images... So, new acquisitions!

I guess this is the New Hope collection. Well, minus a Han, Chewie, Leia, C-3PO, Stormtrooper and all those other irrelevant characters :D... These and my OTC Dagobah set are the only non-POTF2 modern figures I have, and the temptation to open these is huge. But! The Vader is unpunched and sealed in a starcase. I don't exactly know what that means for it as a collectible, but it does look nice, and, let's face it, the packaging is one of the biggest draws of the Vintage Collection (if you know of any significance about ol' Darth being packaged like this, please let me know in the comments).

So, I think this might be the first time in my life I'll buy two of a figure to keep one carded. To make that argument ten times harder than it would be though, check out this review of the Vintage Collection Darth Vader over at Chase Variant, a rather excellent toy review blog I came across recently.

The Episode IV Blu-Ray pack is a different prospect. As much as I'd love to open the package and start populating a Jundland Wastes display, as well as framing the nifty mini-poster, this set was bought before I'd properly consulted my finances post-student loan installment. As such, these are staying boxed until I get part-time work, or else I'll have to sell them on to eat come April! Sad times... But a nice looking set all the same.

And finally, because this wouldn't be a Mos Espa collection blog post without an action figure shot...

You may have seen this on my Flickr. Photographing vintage figures isn't going to be a new direction for me, but this guy is in honour of my upcoming weekend catching up with old friends and playing X-Wing vs TIE Fighter until the small hours of Sunday morning. Being geeky may be, y'know, geeky, but it's also incredibly fun :D