Weekend robots and coffee and comics

So, in the vein of what the Gassy Autobot usually does, here are some Transformers and coffee shots over the weekend (coffee from my trusty Nespresso machine).

Breakfast, coffee, Transformers and graphic novels. Lovely.

Saturday

Sunday

PE-DX03 - Perfect Effect Warden aka IDW's Fortress Maximus - a short review

This is one of the best third party toys I have ever seen.

It's not an embellishment, it's quite the truth.

I have been there from the beginning, since FansProject's City Commander, commonly regarded as the third party toy that started it all. And I still think Perfect Effect's PE-DX03: Warden is one of the best third party toys out there.

It hits all the right notes. It's highly detailed, beautifully sculpted and there is so much play value - it transforms into so many relevant things. Also, there are die-cast parts and the tank threads are rubber!

Amazing yeah?

It is at once (1) IDW's Fortress Maximus (based very closely on Milne's design way back from Spotlight Arcee); (2) an add on kit to G1 Fortress Maximus; and (3) a headmaster of the G1 variety.

I am truely delighted, yet surprised, that PE could make the jump from what to me were a string of pretty mediocre releases to this marvel of design, engineering and construction.

So here it is, with a Milne page that is no doubt the inspiration for the toy.

one toy to rule them all - one ambassador to choose

In the first of his 'Ambassadors' series of articles, Maz asked the question "What toy would you choose to represent an entire toy line, if you had ONE choice, one toy you could pitch to a non-collector in order to sell the line?".

What I think he meant, was for a selection of 1 toy, from a specific line, to be an ambassador to that line of toys, in the Transformers context of course. As an example, the selection of G1 Optimus Prime as an ambassador of the G1 USA line, as a toy one could use to pitch to a non-collector in order to get the non-collector interested in that line, and so on and so forth.

I was asked to pitch in, and I have - in relation to my selection of an 'ambassador toy' for the Japanese G1 (exclusives) line.

The bad news? My pitch is not published yet.

The good new? Pitches from other stella contributors has been published already! Check them out here: Ambassadors – Part 1, featuring contributions by Gordon, Tony, Sid and Bryce.

This is also now being discussed on TFW: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/976398-ambassadors-part-1-tfsource-article.html

On Seibertron here: http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/ambassadors-part-1-tfsource-article-t98851.php

So... one toy to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them?

Which will it be?

A very special gift - Bluestreak sketch by Alex Milne on Drift #4, Canadian C4 exclusive cover

After checking my letterbox this yesterday and then again this morning, I was sure that the comics loot from Maz (and a friend) would not be arriving today (Saturday).

After lunch with E, and a relatively long drive home because the traffic was so heavy, the concierge guys downstairs passed me a package as I walked through the front lobby - whoa, it was the package from Maz, it has arrived indeed!

Maz has kindly over the past months diligently helped with acquire past MTMTE comics with covers that I previously missed out on. Mostly, these were the nice Milne covers. Now, 'hidden' in this lot of about 10+ comics, I knew there was a gift from another collector buddy, that was passed to Maz to include in this comics package. Prior to today, I had no idea what it was, but just knew it was 'a surprise'.

After opening the package (immediately on reaching home), I soon discovered that this gift was likely to be a comic - because all that the package contained were comics. To compound matters, there were not 1 but 2 comics with double backing-boards, one on the front and another at the back, so that the entire comic was covered / concealed.

Ok, it's probably one of these I thought.

I removed the boards for one of them and it was the Roche cover for MTMTE #1. Ok, this I was expecting because its one of them that Maz told me he had obtained for me.

So, I opened the next one... and here it is.

I was stunned beyond words. I just gaped at the comic. I saw...
- "For Brandon"
- I saw it was Bluestreak
- I saw it was signed by Milne!

Hasbro 1985 Series 2 Jetfire MIB (Matsushiro too)

Recently, I purchased 3 USA MIB Transformers from a TFW2005 member, 2punish&enslave. One of them was a MIB Jetfire.

It's taken me quite some time, but I never seem to get this guy right. This is the 6th Jetfire that has been in my collection. Variously, none of the ones before this was quite right. I have 2 other MIB Jetfires, but somehow, they were variously, 'not right' - whether its the toy, the armour, or the box. I had them, but subconsciously, they were not exactly up to my expectations.

Holding this MIB Jetfire really changed all that. This one, I feel, is 'right'.

A More Than Meets the Eye breakfast...

Peanut butter bread, nutella bread and coffee (in a tea set from my godmum) for breakfast, while reading IDW's More Than Meets the Eye #26, in front of my new arrivals Jetfire MIB, pre-rub Soundwave MIB and pre-rub Thundercracker MIB.

A truly More Than Meets the Eye breakfast!
(Roberts continues to delight, Barber carries on disappointing...)

Beautiful G1 specimens from the USA from TFW seller '2punish&enslave'. Check out his sale thread here.

another one checked off my Wants List - Japanese 37 - Devstar (Constructicons / Devastator) giftset

I actually traded a giftset for this 37-Devstar giftset while I was in Singapore a week and a bit ago. It was a good trade, and brings me closer to my aim of completing a certain segment of the Japanese TFs.

Another step closer to finishing up my Want List.