So there I am, sifting through eBay's listings, and I come across someone selling their BotCon 2007 souvenir Springer (no sign of Huffer - either gone already or the seller is keeping him) going for the tidy sum (as in 'Buy It Now') of £45
£45??? Have I just stepped into an alternate reality where everything I thought I'd missed out on suddenly becomes available at a reasonable price? Considering the dollar price of the Springer/Huffer set, that's not much more than the seller would have paid in the first place.
Fitting, in some ways, that this marvellous find (which, yes, I bought as soon as I'd recovered from the shock) should occur in time for my 100th post to this very blog. I was hoping to have something special or in some way cool to commemorate this most important milestone.
Later on today, I'll be heading off to meet my boss for my second ever dose of 'Late and the Tate', which is a special event running at the Tate Britain on the first Friday of each month.
The last one we went to must have been around this time last year, as there was a little garden party with snack food and drinks in the gallery's small garden area. There was also, if I remember correctly, live music... nothing of any great consequence, but a pleasant enough diversion, I suppose. Certainly, the gathering of the young and trendy on the grass were enjoying it all.
I'm wondering what happened to my holiday... I've been away from the office for two weeks, and now it's Friday afternoon of the second week, and I'll be going back to work on Monday. I've accomplished very little (skeletal design for my website update, and TF Movie toy repainting aside) and I'm not even feeling particularly rested. I have a nasty feeling that it'll take me ten minutes to get riled up again, making the whole two-week break a complete waste of time.
I really should have done something. I kept thinking about day trips and the like, but I'm so fried because of work that I'm completely apathetic outside work, and can't be bothered to do anything under my own steam.
Friday, 3 August 2007
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Third time lucky?
Speaking of harsh.
The first time I saw the new TransFormers movie, it was after midnight in an uptown London cinema with a shite sound system. I thought it was good, but not great, and missed much of the robot dialogue because of the sound problems.
The second time I saw TransFormers, I went a bit 'Film Critic' on it and, while I enjoyed it more because that cinema had a better sound system, I found it lacking in plot, what plot there was had a significant number of holes, too many events got glossed over (Jazz died? Bumblebee could speak? Which Decepticons actually survived that final battle?) and there were too many redundant characters.
Well, I've just seen it for the third time and, yes, it's not the greatest movie EVAR... but it's a hell of a lot of fun and, as sheer spectacle goes, I doubt anything will top it for years. Or at least until the next TransFormers movie.
Earlier today, I had a bit of a brainwave. Frequent readers will remember that I was (ahem) rather impressed by Beatmix Bumblebee, the non-transforming, semi-animatronic, interactive music speaker. A previous post also revealed that I have ordered TransFormers Music Label Soundwave (Spark Blue, for those who are interested... the white one shouldn't be called Soundwave at all... A black version might be called Soundblaster, but a white version? 'White Noise', perhaps, but not Soundwave). If I plug them together, I'll have the ideal photo opportunity for TFML Soundwave to have BM Bumblebee at gunpoint, saying "I have you now, Autobot... Now you shall dance to MY tune!"
I'm already planning to grab loads of Soundwave speech samples to upload to his Mini SD card (once I buy one... and a reader!) to break up the music (that'd be pretty mental on shuffle, if TFMLSW has such an operating mode but, if not, I can improvise), so that'd be pretty funny... I may even make a movie out of it...
OK, I'm a geek. Surely I've mentioned this already?
I also had one of my weird 'conversations' with characters from this rambling bit of fiction I'm occasionally attempting to write... The last one was four months ago, so that's still no sign that I'm getting back into gear. If I can figure out what triggered it (if anything did trigger it, that is) perhaps I can encourage a few more of these outbursts... but, right now, my mind is fried with all kinds of work crap, making it rather difficult.
You'd think two weeks off work would help me relax and unwind... oh no. Not me. Mr Tension. Mr Work-a-flaming-holic. I really do need to get out and do something...
Which is probably why I got that uncomfortable twinge when my folks mentioned that our local Scout group was looking to recruit helpers. My sister's husband has jumped in with his pack (right in at the deep end, last I heard - straight into organising camps, etc!), perhaps I should seriously consider doing something similar.
The first time I saw the new TransFormers movie, it was after midnight in an uptown London cinema with a shite sound system. I thought it was good, but not great, and missed much of the robot dialogue because of the sound problems.
The second time I saw TransFormers, I went a bit 'Film Critic' on it and, while I enjoyed it more because that cinema had a better sound system, I found it lacking in plot, what plot there was had a significant number of holes, too many events got glossed over (Jazz died? Bumblebee could speak? Which Decepticons actually survived that final battle?) and there were too many redundant characters.
Well, I've just seen it for the third time and, yes, it's not the greatest movie EVAR... but it's a hell of a lot of fun and, as sheer spectacle goes, I doubt anything will top it for years. Or at least until the next TransFormers movie.
Earlier today, I had a bit of a brainwave. Frequent readers will remember that I was (ahem) rather impressed by Beatmix Bumblebee, the non-transforming, semi-animatronic, interactive music speaker. A previous post also revealed that I have ordered TransFormers Music Label Soundwave (Spark Blue, for those who are interested... the white one shouldn't be called Soundwave at all... A black version might be called Soundblaster, but a white version? 'White Noise', perhaps, but not Soundwave). If I plug them together, I'll have the ideal photo opportunity for TFML Soundwave to have BM Bumblebee at gunpoint, saying "I have you now, Autobot... Now you shall dance to MY tune!"
I'm already planning to grab loads of Soundwave speech samples to upload to his Mini SD card (once I buy one... and a reader!) to break up the music (that'd be pretty mental on shuffle, if TFMLSW has such an operating mode but, if not, I can improvise), so that'd be pretty funny... I may even make a movie out of it...
OK, I'm a geek. Surely I've mentioned this already?
I also had one of my weird 'conversations' with characters from this rambling bit of fiction I'm occasionally attempting to write... The last one was four months ago, so that's still no sign that I'm getting back into gear. If I can figure out what triggered it (if anything did trigger it, that is) perhaps I can encourage a few more of these outbursts... but, right now, my mind is fried with all kinds of work crap, making it rather difficult.
You'd think two weeks off work would help me relax and unwind... oh no. Not me. Mr Tension. Mr Work-a-flaming-holic. I really do need to get out and do something...
Which is probably why I got that uncomfortable twinge when my folks mentioned that our local Scout group was looking to recruit helpers. My sister's husband has jumped in with his pack (right in at the deep end, last I heard - straight into organising camps, etc!), perhaps I should seriously consider doing something similar.
For when it absolutely has to be there... ON TIME
Perhaps I've been a little harsh.
On this occasion, Parcelforce not only delivered on the specified day, but managed to get my BotCon Games of Deception Boxed Set to my door at about 8.15 in the ante meridiem. That's pretty darned good performance, all told.
So, what is the set like?
Well, to anyone who's dismissed this as an overly expensive set of repainted Classics seekers with only one remold, plus Jetfire with a new head and Bumblebee with tattoos, I'd say you're missing a few salient points about this set.
1) Limited runs always cost more than full production runs. This is true of everything from newspapers to cars. Just because these guys are made using (mostly) the same molds, doesn't make them an exception. Different colours of plastic + Limited run = Expensive to produce.
2) The paintwork on the remaining three seekers is FAR superior to anything on Classics Starscream, Skywarp and Ramjet. More paintwork, more detail, well applied. Not only is the paint an additional expense in the production, but the level of detail and number of colours used increases the overall cost. New patterns had to be made up, too. Some of the paintwork is designed to emulate the characters' Gen 1 stickers to a certain extent. The same is true of Bug Bite - his curious tattoos had to be designed, and they're rather more precisely applied than Bumblebee's stripes or Cliffjumper's 'splashes'.
3) Thrust's wing configuration is entirely new - main wings and tailfins - which means new molds and more cost.
Then you have the new head for Dreadwind, sculpted by Dan Khanna, an artist who has worked on the TransFormers comics, and who would have to be paid for his time and efforts.
Then you have the costs for design and printing of the instruction booklets (2-colour, 1-side, but limited quantities in awkward sizes and the subsequent folding would increase the costs), the profile cards (4-colour, 1-side, but limited quantities in awkward sizes again, and cut with rounded corners) and the box (very sturdy, with 4-colour print and varnish on the lid, and a textured covering for the base). Design cost aside, the box art was handled by two different artists (Don Figeruoa and Chris Appel), who would have been paid for their time and efforts.
Then you have the cute little pin badge - metal with enamel design.
It all adds up, people. After that, you have to take into account that Fun Publications has to make a profit not just on BotCon, but on everything produced for BotCon (particularly the stuff given away 'free', which is not without cost) just to continue functioning as a business, let alone ensure that there will be a BotCon 2008 and further Collectors' Club/BotCon exclusives.
I suppose I have another advantage that the American fans/Club members don't - the strong UK Pound. Hasbro UK would have us UK fans charged £10 for a Deluxe (the Seekers and Bug Bite) and £20 for a Voyager (Dreadwind), I'd be paying £60 for a similar selection of models... which equates to roughly $120. Meanwhile, this limited edition, presentation-boxed set cost $279, in the region of £140. OK, so that's still more than double the cost of the standard figures... but need I remind you of the limited run=greater cost equation? Consider how many of the Seeker models Hasbro produced for the world market, how many Bumblebees and Cliffjumpers they produced, and how many Jetfires they produced... Compared to maybe a couple of thousand units of each model in the BotCon set.
Adding it all up, it really is worth it, and that's before I start considering nebulous concepts like 'Club loyalty': ensuring their continued profit ensures their continued support of my favourite toy line.
So, the set... Bug Bite is a straight repaint of Bumblebee/Cliffjumper, essentially to match the e-Hobby Mini Autobot Bug Bite from their recoloured set of Takara's Mini Autobot set reissue. The 'tribal' tattoos are a curious addition, but they look pretty good and add character to what would otherwise have been quite a bland model. He ends up looking kind of like Goth Bumblebee because, aside from the car shell, this model is entirely black. While some might argue that this set has too many repaints and not enough remolds, I'd complain more that Hasbro didn't give us a remolded head for their wider release of Cliffjumper (such as the one seen in the Club comics).
Thundercracker is the last of the original three seekers, and the source of some of the loudest complaints in the Fandom. Of course, once you put him next to Skywarp and particularly Starscream, you can easily see the difference in quality. Thundercracker has a far more elaborate paintjob that either of the mass-released jets. He strikes a happy medium between Gen 1 show accuracy and Gen 1 toy accuracy, but with all the extra articulation that came with Classics.
Thrust has, by far, the most remolding of the two models that feature any remolding in this set. The main wings with their VTOL rotors are a great update on the original and suit the body of the plane perfectly, and the odd tailfins complement them and create another great homage
Dirge is a bit of a disappointment, in that he's a repaint of Ramjet rather than being remodelled to look like his Gen 1 counterpart. Still, the paintwork is excellent and all three of these Classics 'coneheads' could stand together and look sufficiently different.
Dreadwind is largely just a repaint of Classics Jetfire, even down to the helmet, beneath which lies the all-important, all new, Dan Khanna-sculpted head. Despite being a little anticlimactic, the new head is very good, and works well on the Jetfire body and with the Dreadwind paint scheme to create an excellent model.
The only real disappointment with the set is the lack of non-standard accessories. While Bug Bite is never pictured with a handgun, it would have been cool if he'd come with his Cerebro Shell Control Panel, or maybe (as a further Gen 1 reference) a gun modelled on Bombshell's Cerebro Shell injector, and I can't help thinking that Dreadwind's helmet could have been slightly remolded... either to match his former comrade Darkwing (making this manic depressive 'bot seem even more disturbed), or just to further differentiate him from Jetfire. It's also a shame that the profile cards are pretty much just that - no details are given of the abilities of any of the characters, and some of the profiles leave you with more questions than answers. Just as well the comic comes as part of the package, as that fills in some of the blanks.
I've heard today that, in my absence at work, my boss had completed upload of today's magazine shortly after 1pm, which now stands as the record for finishing a magazine early.
On this occasion, Parcelforce not only delivered on the specified day, but managed to get my BotCon Games of Deception Boxed Set to my door at about 8.15 in the ante meridiem. That's pretty darned good performance, all told.
So, what is the set like?
Well, to anyone who's dismissed this as an overly expensive set of repainted Classics seekers with only one remold, plus Jetfire with a new head and Bumblebee with tattoos, I'd say you're missing a few salient points about this set.
1) Limited runs always cost more than full production runs. This is true of everything from newspapers to cars. Just because these guys are made using (mostly) the same molds, doesn't make them an exception. Different colours of plastic + Limited run = Expensive to produce.
2) The paintwork on the remaining three seekers is FAR superior to anything on Classics Starscream, Skywarp and Ramjet. More paintwork, more detail, well applied. Not only is the paint an additional expense in the production, but the level of detail and number of colours used increases the overall cost. New patterns had to be made up, too. Some of the paintwork is designed to emulate the characters' Gen 1 stickers to a certain extent. The same is true of Bug Bite - his curious tattoos had to be designed, and they're rather more precisely applied than Bumblebee's stripes or Cliffjumper's 'splashes'.
3) Thrust's wing configuration is entirely new - main wings and tailfins - which means new molds and more cost.
Then you have the new head for Dreadwind, sculpted by Dan Khanna, an artist who has worked on the TransFormers comics, and who would have to be paid for his time and efforts.
Then you have the costs for design and printing of the instruction booklets (2-colour, 1-side, but limited quantities in awkward sizes and the subsequent folding would increase the costs), the profile cards (4-colour, 1-side, but limited quantities in awkward sizes again, and cut with rounded corners) and the box (very sturdy, with 4-colour print and varnish on the lid, and a textured covering for the base). Design cost aside, the box art was handled by two different artists (Don Figeruoa and Chris Appel), who would have been paid for their time and efforts.
Then you have the cute little pin badge - metal with enamel design.
It all adds up, people. After that, you have to take into account that Fun Publications has to make a profit not just on BotCon, but on everything produced for BotCon (particularly the stuff given away 'free', which is not without cost) just to continue functioning as a business, let alone ensure that there will be a BotCon 2008 and further Collectors' Club/BotCon exclusives.
I suppose I have another advantage that the American fans/Club members don't - the strong UK Pound. Hasbro UK would have us UK fans charged £10 for a Deluxe (the Seekers and Bug Bite) and £20 for a Voyager (Dreadwind), I'd be paying £60 for a similar selection of models... which equates to roughly $120. Meanwhile, this limited edition, presentation-boxed set cost $279, in the region of £140. OK, so that's still more than double the cost of the standard figures... but need I remind you of the limited run=greater cost equation? Consider how many of the Seeker models Hasbro produced for the world market, how many Bumblebees and Cliffjumpers they produced, and how many Jetfires they produced... Compared to maybe a couple of thousand units of each model in the BotCon set.
Adding it all up, it really is worth it, and that's before I start considering nebulous concepts like 'Club loyalty': ensuring their continued profit ensures their continued support of my favourite toy line.
So, the set... Bug Bite is a straight repaint of Bumblebee/Cliffjumper, essentially to match the e-Hobby Mini Autobot Bug Bite from their recoloured set of Takara's Mini Autobot set reissue. The 'tribal' tattoos are a curious addition, but they look pretty good and add character to what would otherwise have been quite a bland model. He ends up looking kind of like Goth Bumblebee because, aside from the car shell, this model is entirely black. While some might argue that this set has too many repaints and not enough remolds, I'd complain more that Hasbro didn't give us a remolded head for their wider release of Cliffjumper (such as the one seen in the Club comics).
Thundercracker is the last of the original three seekers, and the source of some of the loudest complaints in the Fandom. Of course, once you put him next to Skywarp and particularly Starscream, you can easily see the difference in quality. Thundercracker has a far more elaborate paintjob that either of the mass-released jets. He strikes a happy medium between Gen 1 show accuracy and Gen 1 toy accuracy, but with all the extra articulation that came with Classics.
Thrust has, by far, the most remolding of the two models that feature any remolding in this set. The main wings with their VTOL rotors are a great update on the original and suit the body of the plane perfectly, and the odd tailfins complement them and create another great homage
Dirge is a bit of a disappointment, in that he's a repaint of Ramjet rather than being remodelled to look like his Gen 1 counterpart. Still, the paintwork is excellent and all three of these Classics 'coneheads' could stand together and look sufficiently different.
Dreadwind is largely just a repaint of Classics Jetfire, even down to the helmet, beneath which lies the all-important, all new, Dan Khanna-sculpted head. Despite being a little anticlimactic, the new head is very good, and works well on the Jetfire body and with the Dreadwind paint scheme to create an excellent model.
The only real disappointment with the set is the lack of non-standard accessories. While Bug Bite is never pictured with a handgun, it would have been cool if he'd come with his Cerebro Shell Control Panel, or maybe (as a further Gen 1 reference) a gun modelled on Bombshell's Cerebro Shell injector, and I can't help thinking that Dreadwind's helmet could have been slightly remolded... either to match his former comrade Darkwing (making this manic depressive 'bot seem even more disturbed), or just to further differentiate him from Jetfire. It's also a shame that the profile cards are pretty much just that - no details are given of the abilities of any of the characters, and some of the profiles leave you with more questions than answers. Just as well the comic comes as part of the package, as that fills in some of the blanks.
I've heard today that, in my absence at work, my boss had completed upload of today's magazine shortly after 1pm, which now stands as the record for finishing a magazine early.
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