In Prime We Trust
The Quotable Optimus Prime.
“Wisdom, insight and a rousing good time from that noble robot known as Optimus Prime.”
Prime MAD*L.
A designer toy by Jeremy Madl custom built for a collector.
Thank God for the mask.
He looks really freaky without it.
The younger years.
Okay, maybe he doesn’t look so freaky without the mask.
Etch-A-Sketch fanart.
We can’t even do a decent Prime with a computer, a Wacom graphics tablet and Photoshop so we’re very, very impressed by this.
Clean up your room NOW.
Don’t make Prime tell you twice.
Elsewhere
Battle Damaged Optimus Prime.
Obie Li’s Photoshop’d Masterpiece Convoy is a fine digital kitbash.
Kinetic Underground’s Tekken Nanomen.
These Nina Williams, Kazuya Mishima, Devil Jin and Raven block figures are expected out this December. (Test shots were released in June.)
Transformers Cosmos kitbash.
The portly character is known as Adams in Japan. This kitbash is based on a Megaranger Galaxy Mega DX figure.
Transformers Omega Supreme kitbash.
The body is based on a Cybertron Menasor while the head transforms to a tank.
Konami’s 2007 annual report.
“The toy industry in Japan is now faced with such issues as a decline of birthrate, young children’s shift away from toys due to their maturing at a younger age and an increase in household expenses for children or other amusement purposes. However, the toy industry has not experienced a rapid decline in sales but has continued steady growth because of an increase in expense spent per child and growing demand for toy products for adults along with an aging society.”
Strike a pose 17/52
How low can you go?
Elsewhere
GI Joe customs.
Fan customs displayed at the recent GI Joe convention. Favourites: the Kwinn, Dr Venom, Scarface comic pack, the Samuel L. Jackson and the Arachni-B.A.T.
Kamen Rider G3/G3-X/G4 digital dioramas.
Brilliant digiramas from Tamaki based on the Bandai S.I.C set.
Ahock’s digiramas.
The Votoms digiramas are outstanding.
Fanmode’s patron saint
Designed by Japanese toy engineers, refined by a Filipino, named by an American, voiced by a Canadian, written, among others, by an Englishman and of course, made in China these days.
Whether you know him as Optimus Prime or Convoy, he best epitomises how a toy, a mass-manufactured commodity, can be turned into a memorable character who can endure to become a beloved transnational multigenerational cultural icon.
Review roundup
Dave Van Domelen gets a taste of a new generation of Optimus Prime variants with the Pepsi Optimus Prime. Excerpt: “I got me a Pepsi Prime totally for free, didn’t even have to buy any soda.”
Thomas Wheeler gets a kick out out of the SOTA Street Fighter Dan Hibiki exclusive figure. Excerpt: “Dan comes with a good assortment of accessories, including … a second head — which shows Dan crying his eyes out.”
yo go re is dead pleased with the Art Asylum Mavel Zombies Minimates. Excerpt: “… if you want to start your own undead army, this is the place to start.”
drifand boldly reviews the Bandai Soul of Chogokin GX-38 Irongear. Excerpt: “… you cannot expect to safely hold the SOC in one hand for actual play.”
Matthew Kessen looks at the Mega Bloks Plasma Dragons figures. Excerpt: “These are toys made by people who know that dragons are supposed to be fun.”
Say, say, say, say
For Halloween. Ought to scare pretty much everyone. Here’s why.
Elsewhere
Obie’s brilliant Bumblebee kitbash.
It stands 17cm tall in robot mode and transforms to a 1/24-scale vintage Volkswagen.
WalkerMachine’s stunning digital dioramas.
The images are large but they’re absolutely worth it.
chiukeung’s Lego Optimus Prime MOC. [via]
Based on the movie version. Check out his Bumblebee, Ironhide and Gundam GP-03D MOCs, too.
Elsewhere
On eBay: Larry Hama’s GI Joe dossier scripts. [via]
Starting bids range from 10 bucks to 65 bucks.
GI Joe convention Hasbro Q&A report.
You’re unlikely to see the phrase “fixed-crotch” anywhere else this year.
70s toy commercials.
Bing Bang Boing looks so much fun.
Fidei Defensor
A photo of Knight Xiphos in plain form and a Diorama Studio screencap of a fully-armoured Xiphos composited together.
If there’s a Photoshop filter that makes phallic symbols less obvious, Fanmode would appreciate a link to it.