The Once and Future King

- mantis nine nines

Recently I purchased a Maketoys Cupola (the KO Data Clerk version to be accurate) and it got me thinking about what it is that defines a “Masterpiece” Transformer. Not because it is a 3P design, and not because it is a KO, but because it is 1:24 scale. Too big for most collectors to fit in with their MP Datsuns and the like, but perfect for my needs. 

For more years than many reading this have been alive, I have collected cars, models, and whatever else I can find in the 1:24 scale. And since 2003, this included Transformers. The original Masterpiece Prime may appear to be an outdated relic these days, but it’s impossible to overstate what a leap forward MP-01 represented for the TF fandom. Full of die-cast, packed with features and gimmicks, and designed to represent the ideal vision of the character, this was a new standard for what a Transformer toy could be. It was also an almost spot-on 1:24 COE truck. I loved it. It sold like hotcakes, and thus began the cycle of excellence that leads us back to the present day. And what a present! Transformers are getting the royal treatment, with loving care lavished upon us loyal Transfans.

The first attempt at a True collector-focused line began with MP-01 and the Binaltech/Alternators. These figures gave us what we were sure we wanted at the time: G1 characters with highly detailed car modes and a large degree of articulation. For years collectors kitbashed and customised figures to be as G1 accurate as possible, and represent as many characters as possible. I remember buying a red KO Hound Hummer with the intention of creating a “perfect” Ironhide. At the time I would have never thought a TF collector could do any better, and I was not alone. Little could I know that the 1:24 scale boom would be short-lived.

Classics was only intended to fill in for a year while Hasbro awaited the dawn of the Bayverse, but it ignited the fandom’s passion like no other. Trading accurate car modes and gimmicks for tighter engineering and more solid robot modes, the fandom seemed to suddenly realise that no, THIS was what they wanted all along.In fact I remember reading forum posts where people stated as much in almost those exact words. Fans wanted anything and everything they could get in this new style. Such was the hunger for Classics that Hasbro alone could not keep up. It was at this time that FansProject went from making gun and matrix upgrades for Alternators Prime and got the ball rolling full speed with City Commander. Hasbro continued to crank out molds as well, and fans were sure that collectors could not do any better.

When the announcement came that a new Masterpiece Prime was being created, much of the fandom were uncertain why. Others were upset that the “final” pressing of MP-01 had just been released, and here we were with a blatant cash grab. Little could we know just how correct this was. Since 2011 Transformers collectors have ridden an unprecedented wave of product aimed at making sure every character, no matter how obscure, is represented on their MP shelf. And yes, once again we are certain that what we have is EXACTLY what we want.

So where do we go from here? As you may have surmised, I believe that what was old is new again. Big bots are back baby, and 1:24 is the future. MPP-10 remains a curiosity for many, but as Wei-Jiang, Robot Hero, and KBB continue to upscale and enhance bots, and third parties like Toyworld continue with their larger than MP scale offerings we creep ever closer to full circle on What Fans Want.

It's not just size either. With Takara delivering all the cartoon accuracy we could ask for, a lane is left open for a shift back to vehicle accuracy. Not at the sake of good looking bots, but in spite of them. Given the brilliant engineering we see from all comers these days I'm sure there's someone capable of making both bot and car perfect. A perfect Prowl that also has a detailed interior? Yes please!

Perhaps one day this post will seem prophetic and perhaps not. Maybe the whole thing will collapse. All I can say for certain is that whatever the Absolute Ultimate Version is today will be obsolete tomorrow. Or not. Sometimes you just have to be patient for the future to catch up to the past.

Until next time, keep it #Refined


Follow Dan on Twitter @mantisninenines

Generation One Car-Robots

 - Dorian MacQuarrie

There is something quite special about the Generation One Autobot car-robots. By car-robots I mean the first few waves of Autobots, taken from the Diaclone line and presented with new names, characters and in some cases new colour schemes. 

I missed the boat on G1 and it was only in the last ten years I even held an Autobot car-robot but I was immediately gripped by a certain magic that nothing else in the vast world of Transformers collecting, not Masterpiece, nor anything from the Third Party scene has been able to recreate.  

It is the "car" in car-robot that so enthralled me and drew me into a world of diecast, scale cars with real-world counterparts but with a hidden secret of transformation under the hood.

There is a sort of uncanny valley with most modern Transformers alt modes. Even the movie toys which are often based on real world vehicles can still have a hint of robot about them, maybe the paint work or panel lines betray what really lies under the car body. Steps are not taken to give them a worthy disguise. The Alternators/Binaltech line is possibly the only instance where the alt modes were presented as legitimate scale model cars, made for display in alt mode and definitely not to be confused with a Transformers toy(!)

From Hoist's car-towing capabilities to Skids' opening boot (complete with scooter were we talking about Diaclone Honda City Turbo) and of course the obvious but still marvelous car carrying capacity of Ultra Magnus, the G1 car-robots performed the necessary tasks required to pass as a toy car and nothing more. With rubbers tires, die-cast parts, spectacular real world detailing and chromed metalwork, they pass as convincing toy cars to the uninitiated, making their transformation all the more surprising and satisfying. 

Ye Gods that chrome wear 

Transformers have always had that 'two toys in one' appeal, a robot warrior with some sort of alternative mode but rarely do modern toys have an alternative mode that fulfills the toy-based function of its designated vehicle/camera/gun/tape deck etc. 

Universe 2.0 Sunstreaker's alt mode does not pass for a convincing toy car, it is clearly a Transformer and lacks many of the hallmarks that would indicate a toy car with only the intention of being a toy car. And that's fine, that's good, there's nothing wrong with that but cast your gaze over to the G1 car-robots and boy oh boy, they had that 'two toys in one' thing sorted. 

If only I had some drivers

I do find myself wondering why I don't just buy model scale cars, be they model kits or die-cast constructs but the answer is simple, they'd just be cars. That's it. The pure joy I feel over the G1 Autobot car-robots stems from the duality of their nature. They are inherently both a toy car and a robot. I'd say this stems from the original design ethos, to be cars that turned into robots, complete with little drivers (more on that topic in a future article, spoilers, I love drivers for my robots) and therefore they needed to pass as toy cars with all the trimmings necessary to fit that particular sort of toy. 

If you're reading this and wondering why little toy car-robots have such a prime position in my collection then maybe you need to go out and buy some of these G1 gems and experience them for yourself. Pound for pound, date for date, Transformers has never matched those original car-robots. 


Until next time, keep it #Refined

The Last Knight Voyager Megatron - Pictorial Review

 - Ben Watson

The Last Knight hits theatres this week and whether you've booked your tickets and are eagerly awaiting it or not, one thing seems to ring true among fans this time around: Megatron's new design is pretty damn slick. Honestly, I didn't echo this sentiment at first. He looks like a LOTR baddie or a Dark Souls boss more than a Transformer but the figure looked to be something well worth getting my hands on and certainly worth getting behind a lens. 

A Leader version also exists which furnishes the inexplicably reborn Decepticon leader with his new tusky faceplate and some flame effect parts along with a generally sleeker alt mode but I much prefer my leaders to not be Leaders. Voyager is enough size for me - and enough expense; because the very first thing to mention about any TLK toys is sadly the price. Every size class now costs roughly what the one above it used to. I.e. Deluxes are now Voyager money. But thankfully Voyagers don't feel as ludicrously overpriced. I've been paying roughly £30 for them for years through online dealerships so it's not much skin off my nose but I can well see how it might be for most. Good thing then, that Megatron delivers and for the first figure of a new movie design, that's no small feat. 

Starting in robot mode as everything does these days, Megatron is a very decent action figure before any conversion comes into it. Every joint is afforded a wide range of motion while actually for the most part being exceptionally tight. The current standard suite of articulation for Generations style figures is present, so sadly no wrists or waist swivel but this is more than made up for with a double ball jointed neck and ankle tilts that go as deep as you could ever possibly want them to. For once this point of articulation is a transformation joint - clever. All of this allows you to make the most of Megatron's imposing feudalistic form and imbues a great deal of character. 

Gimmickry is clearly minimal in a line focused only on accurately portraying on-screen designs but (depending on what you count as gimmicks) Megatron isn't totally devoid of fun touches. Firstly he wields his big new axe-sword / sharp pendulum thing. I have no idea how the describe this top-heavy weapon but it looks weighty and destructive in his grip and feels like a perfectly brutal blade for him to counter Optimus' robo-Excalibur with. This can also be stored on his back but lies just out of reach for him to pose as if he's grabbing for it. 

For the first time movie Megatron also wields his cannon mounted on his right arm. I hesitate to habitually drop the words "fusion cannon" because judging by trailers and the inferences of the Leader version it appears much more incendiary in nature. It sits on his arm in the right place and looks suitably alien - a little Gigeresque actually - and can fold up and retract to the underside of his arm. This motion is really for transformation but it can allow you to create the sense of him extending it for battle - a dynamic from the movies I've always enjoyed.

Perhaps the best touch of Megatron's robot mode however is his light piping. It feels like ages since this was a regular thing and while it's relatively difficult to get to glow, it works so well for Megatron's beady rage rubies. This also provides a very effective hint of colour against his mostly monochrome metallic bod. I can understand the feel they're trying to evoke with the layers of black armour but it does leave Megatron feeling particularly visually uninteresting without good lighting. At least the dull gold accents prevent the deco from being completely dim but there are also some not-so-easily seen silver washed sections to create a touch of depth. 

Transformation is quite entertaining, especially considering the fact Megatron essentially goes from an entirely rounded robot to a purely flat-edged jet. Very little of either mode can be seen in the other and honestly it just leaves me feeling like each was made by a different concept team. Megatron appears to use magic to transform because while you can spot jet sections on the figure, the CG model just has nothing that goes any way to resembling vehicle kibble. This is a personal gripe of mine over the newer movie designs; at least before you could see roughly how they transformed and what into but now, pfft, no chance mate. All this aside, Megatron's new jet mode is certainly distinctive. Echoing some shapes of his 2007 alien form but appearing to be made out of earthen jet sections arranged in a sci-fi way, it almost feels like Megatron. Honestly I keep seeing Beast Machines Jetstorm in its suggestion of a face in the translucent cockpit... But good detail abounds to (for once) give you a sense of a Cybertronian mode that isn't just visual BS. I really hope we get a mildly good look at this mode in the film because if nothing else, it feels kinetic and I'd really like to know why those blue thrusters appear to be facing the wrong way... 

All in all, Megatron delivers a really interesting new design that at least has some kind of character driven aesthetic. The layers of armour give a real sense of kineticism which is really the only objective of any movie design. To be able to imagine how the plates overlap and segment as the robot moves  - possibly as they would on-screen - is a testament to this design. Of course whether this figure carries over the presence of Megatron as seen in the movie remains to be seen, especially when this is the first attempt at the design (remember how awkward that first AOE Optimus was) but something about it makes me feel confident that they've done a good job here. Even with the deeply weird jet mode.

The Last Knight aside, this is a very competent and very unique new rendition of the Emperor of Destruction and I'd heartily recommend it. I struggle to think of anything else in my collection that evokes quite the same sense of restrained malice - certainly not another Megatron figure. Time will tell how strongly this design is received compared to each of Megatron's previous incarnations as he does seem landed with the disadvantage of a new look in every appearance. Will he finally get a break and be allowed to seem as constantly iconic as Optimus? I'd like to be hopeful, but somehow I doubt it. Maybe he needs to be just a touch more #Refined...



Follow Ben on Twitter @Waspshot23

Spinout Chest Fix from Printformers

 - Dorian MacQuarrie

Shortly after posting my article on Omnigonix Spinout I received some pieces in the post which aim to fix one of the more glaring issues on Spinout, the chest connection. 

Beyond all the QC issues the connection between the roof of the car and the neck assembly prevents any real handling of Spinout without having to constantly readjust and reconnect said neck assembly to said car roof. It may hold for a second or two but look at it the wrong way and pop, it's come undone. 

Thankfully there is a piece available from Printformers which rectifies this and boy oh boy, what a case of rectifying it is! 

Arriving in a quaint little brown box, these 3D printed pieces replace two silver neck panels, allowing for a much, much, much stronger connection. The pieces bare (bear?) carry the telltale granulation of a 3D printed piece but the black hides this well enough. It would be nice to have a more polished piece but their function far outweighs their aesthetics in this case and I quite like the black neck piece as opposed to the stock silver. 

Installation is super easy as everything is held on via a single pin and parts can be easily slid off/on as needed.

The result? A much stronger connection that can withstand handling and posing. The connection is strong enough to bear the weight of the whole figure, which yes, might not be such a grand statement but it is a remarkable step up from how the figure was out of the box. 

If you're interested in buying a set for yourself (and I highly recommend that you do) head on over to Printformers' Facebook page where you can see this and more examples of his great work. 

https://www.facebook.com/Printformers/

Also check out this video for installation and further commentary from the designer of the pieces. 

Until next time, keep it #Refined

Defining the work of Geoff Senior. Part 1/3

- Leigh Gregurke

The team of Senior and Furman is perhaps a big reason why Transformers fiction and art has the credibility and reputation it does now. Its hard to find a working artist who doesn't call on Geoff Senior as an inspiration or love and his work could be seen as defining the visual style of so many now prevalent characters.

What makes Senior so great though? I've always valued his work even from a young age. I would skip other artists at times but never a Senior Issue, never. Now with a more trained eye and understanding of the craft I want to look back and unpack exactly what he did that pulled me into a story with such effect. Over three parts I hope to break down and unpack Senior starting with composition and cause and effect.

Marvel Comics

I wanted to begin with something I think most people know, Target 2006 Part 8. An issue devoted entirely to a fight between two emergent behemoths of the fiction. Furman uses Medias Res (starting in the middle of the story or action) driving the viewer straight into the work. Senior assists and places us immediately into a dangerous and exciting position visually. The action is angled directly towards and heading past us, the curving lines of the road and the smoke cutting into the gutters, the panel borders themselves cut at the tops showing motion and direction, everything angles towards the centre of the page, defining our focus while the by-standing cars career from its unstoppable path.

The sense of chaos reads immediately and we see the cars careering off the road letting us know the reckless and dangerous nature of the chase venturing to the wrong side of the road. The low shot gives us the underbelly of the Magnus truck mode, the smoke and grit sell the desperation and energy. Both Magnus and the other cars motion remind me of Frank Miller and Sean Gordon Murphy in the way they often depict cars almost airborne in speed, out of control and no longer chained to the surface. I will cover Senior's mark making, spotting of blacks and anchoring lines in a later article but I want to highlight the way Senior uses solid black shapes to show Magnus's cab, it adds tremendous weight and visual priority to the contrasting white of the cab against the stark background.

I think what immediately sells me on the desperation and consequence of this page is the action's visceral intent. Galvatron's hand clutching the shattered roof is both for his own survival but an act of incredible violence. Senior acknowledges the importance of alternate modes in Transformers lore and utilises their physical options for action. Creating a sense of chase in this issue pulls in some of the terror of films of the era that I loved, the relentless pursuit in Westworld and Terminator but also the speed and danger of the chase from Friedkin's To Live and Die in LA.

Marvel Comics

The page following carries the same intent and utilises a bit of a Senior trademark: the wide flat horizontal shot. In this instance it both acts as an establishing shot giving us a sense of scale but it also acts like a metronome and gives us the beat of the page. Sequential art at its best engages a pace and rhythm to assist the viewer and connect art with a sense of speed. Starting from the left and ending on the right of the page the top horizontal panel provides us a certain constant as the panels following all echo its action and we are reminded always of the situation. The final 2 panels even sit in the in same format as the top panel however zoomed in giving us the detail required to tell the change in situation. Cause and effect exists at the heart of good visual storytelling, the viewer must understand an action and its response. Senior I think delivers action so well in that we see always an act of something happens, therefore another thing happens, there never feels a jump or leap that we struggle to read or understand.

Marvel Comics

The final page, the climax of the tremendous back and forth struggle ends much like the story began with a now iconic image. Immediately the first two panels establish the emotion and brevity, the consequences of chaos and aggression. The flames all burn to the right providing direction, the following image echoes that direction with trademark Senior impact and we again see the panel borders affected by the action. Galvatron's stance is one of power, exaggeration and dominance and he strides almost out of the panel itself with generous foreshortening on show reminiscent of the great Jack Kirby handling a Captain America Punch. The shape contrasts are perhaps exaggerated more than ever here, Magnus's squared lines against the strong curved form of Galvatron. Almost centrally his cannon attracts the eye as it feels pointed towards the viewer demonstrating menace and dread with its black-hole like emptiness once again echoing the importance of the viewers eye from the opening page. The choice to obscure Magnus's face and instead focus on his reaching hand is a powerful one and it reads as desperation and defeat and allows Galvatron all the spotlight.

Marvel Comics. Jeff Anderson

I want to make it clear right now that I am always loathe to compare artists. I would rather find the strengths and promote what I love about artists and it's a rare occasion when I will pit them against each other but I wanted to include this page from the following issue by Jeff Anderson just to show how incredible Senior is. Anderson is a classic UK mainstay and I really enjoy his work. The above image reads well and gives us the required information but contrast the two. Anderson places the characters in the same plane and has the viewer at a similar eye level. Galvatron's dominance reads but the sense of scale, the contrast in power, the triumph and destruction is subdued and perhaps lacks the intensity that Senior utilised by having the scene have a sense of depth and placing the viewer directly in its way.

I remember reading advice from the brilliant John Romita Snr on having your figures feel heroic, allowing yourself to exaggerate foreshortening and make them look as they are lunging out of the page. When I think of action and cause and effect in sequential work that I love I find myself drawn to that style, whether it is Geoff Senior or other luminaries such as Romita's son who carved his own reputation as one of the greats here on Daredevil with Anne Nocenti or Walt Simonson on wonderfully indulgent and bizarre Robocop vs Terminator collaborating with Frank Miller.

Marvel comics. John Romita Jnr

Dark Horse Comics. Walt Simonson

Geoff Senior throughout his run on Transformers and other works consistently told excellent, clear and engaging stories visually. I knew when I was young, even when I sped read through some of the issues what was going on, he depicted action like no other artist. I cannot see characters such as Rodimus, Scourge, Goldbug, Thunderwing, Death's Head and of course Galvatron and Ultra Magnus without his vision and style defining them.
In part two I will cover Senior's mark making, quality of line and spotting of blacks.


What are some of your favourite Geoff Senior scenes? Let us know.

Until next time, keep it #Refined


Follow Leigh Gregurke @ambushthem

In Defence of Omnigonix Spinout

 - Dorian MacQuarrie

Omnigonix Spinout is a fantastic toy. 

Not what you would expect to hear about a release known for terrible quality control, questionable material choices plus a few design issues thrown in for good measure. If you can look past those issues though, glaring as they are, you may just see the wonderful design that lies at the core of Spinout. As the first release from a new third party company, Spinout could have been one of the most successful attempts at recreating the Hasui style of Masterpiece Transformers but whether it was cost cutting measures, head office meddling in the manufacturing process or if rumours are to be believed, sabotage at the factory level, Omnigonix was unable to deliver a Masterpiece build quality. 

The reveal of MP-39 Sunstreaker has set the fandom alight with anticipation of this once unlikely release from the Masterpiece line. It has also set eBay and selling forums alight with a wave of Sunsurges at bargain prices. Not so much with Spinout. Be it because he differs so drastically from the cartoon focused MP-39 and Sunsurge or maybe it's the storied journey the toy went through from conception to release, Spinout seems to be keeping his place as a Sunstreaker representation on many Masterpiece shelves. 

This isn't the first time I've written about Spinout on this blog and it won't be the last as I'll be sure to write a comparison piece between Spinout and MP Sunstreaker when he's finally released. He is just one of those figures that captivates and I'm not alone in this regard, you need only head over to the Spinout thread on TFW2005 to see how much fanaticism this toy has garnered. 

Early adopters of the toy went on a journey, from supporting a new designer working on a project through the thrilling highs of revealed concepts and audience participation in voting for head sculpts to the abject lows of the final reveal and the tragic story of how a spectacular design was rendered into a thoroughly unspectacular form. This investment of time and interest has held sway over the many collectors who push past the flaws seen in the toy, resulting in a supportive community who are more than happy to help with fixes and tips to get the most out of your Spinout. 

Even with the known flaws, Spinout still looks amazing and I don't just mean a swell looking bot, I mean absolutely, drop dead gorgeous amazing. From the toy focused detailing of the real car hood making the real robot chest to the clean, kibble free back to the feet, oh those damn feet! Spinout is the quintessential representation of a Masterpiece Sunstreaker for my tastes. He is more in line with the early Hasui cars than a 3PMP has any right to be. For someone like myself who is not a fan of the current cartoon focus of the MP line Spinout is a breath of fresh air and allows me to have the classic duo of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker in a matching aesthetic.

Car roof for a chest? Check. Car hood feet? Check.

Yes Spinout's downfall comes from the poor build quality, be it indeed because of factory sabotage, head office meddling in the manufacturing process or just the inexperience of a new third party company, but there is still a great toy under all that mess.

The best way I could describe the experience for those who have never handled the toy is similar to that of a middle to high quality KO or maybe that of an early test-shot, or at least what I imagine an early test shot would feel like (I've only handled final test shots in my limited experience). Everything is there, the toy works as a transforming car-robot-man but the fit and finish is lacking. Details from the initial designs removed as cost cutting measures, poor quality plastics used for armatures and transformation joints and a general feeling that Spinout needed a few more passes through the manufacturing process before he was ready for release have taken what could have been a A+ release into a risky purchase. 

"Put up your dukes!"

My Spinout could be considered a "good" sample, with slightly loose joints and the ever present issue of wheels popping off. I've heard horror stories of figures literally crumbling away and parts missing upon opening which makes it difficult to defend Spinout and put forward why I think it's such a great toy. 

As ridiculous as it may seem you need to divorce the QC issues from toy itself. The toy is fantastic and mine is fairly well built and very much in line with the early releases of the third party scene. The quality controls and materials used in the manufacturing of the toy are the real culprit and the reason why your experience with Spinout may be disappointing. That's a bit mad to say as of course so much of a toy is the build quality but I struggle to think of another example where a terrific design was so severely hamstrung with a poor build and in a way Spinout stands alone in this very niche, particular bracket. 

LamBros forever

Even with a pre-order down for MP-39, Spinout will still have pride of place in my collection. As the only offer of a toy focused Masterpiece Sunstreaker he looks marvelous next to the early MP Autobot cars and is a more fitting partner for Sideswipe than Sunsurge or even the official release. If you can find one for a good price (oddly difficult these days) roll the dice and take the gamble, you may be pleasantly surprised. 


Until next time, keep it #Refined


Follow Dorian on Twitter @Vigadeath

Under-engineering and Imagination

- Ben Watson


We live in a blessed time. Full articulation is now basically standard for all Transformers figures. Masterpiece and Generations updates allow you to handle the character designs you love and pose them as you might have always wished. But this was not always the way. In times past (and in certain corners of the present) Transformers were simply toys that changed shape, not slick robot action figures. Perhaps it could be said there was once a time when TFs were treated as a toy of their alt mode first and robot second. Nowadays robot is everything and there is an undeniable feel of a switch to them being treated as action figure first, especially as 90% of toys are now packaged in robot mode. Of course this is quite the opposite of a bad thing, but it gives me cause to explore the design mentality that once existed of toy over figure. These are two very different words and what I'm about to talk about are objectively bad action figures, but positively wonderful toys. Join me now as we extend the overhead rainbow of imagination and find treasure where others would see junk.

Toy Vs. Figure?
(We're doing subheadings now?) Let me first explain my above statement so you know the sense of the words as I'll be using them as we carry on. To toy collectors everywhere 'toy' and 'figure' (here shorthand for Action Figure) are perfectly interchangeable nouns to refer to the same things. But can you really call a robot that can only move its elbows an 'action figure'? You sure as hell can't pose it for artistic reference purposes. Likewise, is a slick super-posable vaguely fragile robot worthy of nothing less than pride-of-place display and aesthetic appreciation a 'toy'? On both counts, to me the answer is no. Clearly there's a vast blurred middle ground and I'm just using extremes to prove my point but I'll be sticking to this sentiment because what we're going to examine today are most certainly capital T toys and bring with them all the childlike magic that word entails. We're not skirting around the fact these things are made for kids by using a grown-up word like 'figure' here, no sir. 

In Times Long Past
Clearly the first such examples to fit this description are the Transformers of Generation 1. Nothing was made to be anything more than just a child's plaything. Good articulation came as a by-product and for the most part wasn't even attempted. You were buying a die-cast car that happened to have robot bits in. Yet the toys of this vintage still command interest and a huge amount of love from everyone who had their earlier years graced by them. Despite my equivalent being Beast Wars, the first line to give articulation and action figure status its due, I can still say I was met with stunted yet lovable toys thanks to Armada. I knew what good posability felt like and when I wasn't mildly irked by the lack of it in some of my favourite new toys, I loved them for all of their other qualities. Quick satisfying transformations, fun action features, strong silhouettes and bold design all combined to mean these bricks were rarely out of my hands. It seems when the aesthetic cannot be fully expressed this is made up for by the tactile. Toys are made to be played with, and play with them I did. Many a chunky solid bot from the years between 2002 to 2004 is now quite knackered, but back in those halcyon days they served their purpose - to fire my imagination. 

Redeeming Quality
Herein lies the rub, when toys are robbed of a physicality you wished was there, be it knees or firing cannons, (it's always knees with me) as a kid you made up for it with imagination. I may have been annoyed with toys that didn't do everything I wanted but it still didn't stop me from loving them and getting the most out of them. This even applies to toys outside of the TF remit - my first figure of Venom (not the Deluxe Insecticon) was painfully under-articulated but god do I love that thing. Each absent joint or even in some cases weapon were gaps to be filled through fantasy and drawing the thing in a state you wished it existed in. And it was good. This kind of engaging and enriching absence of abstraction is not to be found in many toys today. In a world where knees are standard, we have it made, yet somehow that spark to the tinder of the imagination, that ephemeral quality that puts the thing in your hands and in your thoughts far more often than on a shelf is almost entirely gone.

The State of Play Today
I may mourn the loss of that childhood value apportioned to every toy I was privileged to own and while I may be implying kids today can't feel it either, thankfully bad figures do still exist. But do believe me when I say I know 'bad' from 'bad'. The equivalent solid simple stuff to my beloved Armada today is sadly rather flimsy and dumb. Having lost my mind for about eight months and deciding to buy the One Step Changers from Age of Extinction, I thought I was subjecting myself to that pleasant funk of a toy that could be light years better but it just didn't add up. Sure there were some clever tricks on offer but they didn't feel complete. They weren't enough of anything. I'm not intending to ever touch the subsequent Robots In Disguise offerings like oversized Hyperchange Heroes or Crash Combiners (ok maybe my arm could be twisted for one of those) as straight off the bat you can see they're bad for no other reason than cost. The bad figures of my day were bad because they sacrificed in order to allow inventive gimmickry. The toys of today are exercises in cutting costs, using less plastic, less parts, even less packaging. 'Cos kids won't know better right? But perhaps all hope is not lost for the toy that knows it's good to be bad...

The Cyber Battalion
Here is where we reach the seed of the idea for this article. Good bad toys that are new and let me feel that old feeling. In 2015 Hasbro suddenly unveiled a new subset of figures under the Generations brand without the customary toy fair or convention appearances and left a lot of people very intrigued and slightly confused. The Cyber Series would offer A-list characters in 'definitive' G1-esque guises to the younguns by virtue of being big and simple and cheap. The Battalion lot would turn out to be roughly voyager sized while the Commander class would be filled with massive Leader-plus sized versions of - what a surprise - Prime and Bee. Perhaps it was the lack of concrete info or satisfying in-hand pics or the fact you literally couldn't get them that lodged the idea of Cyber Battalions in my mind. Whatever the case I had to track them down and despite only being available in Asia and South America, I managed to get my hands on a few and simply fell in love. 

Only two out of the four I have are possessed of knees. Only two have any accessories. Yet they are all supremely solid (no awful 2012 era plastic here), decently painted, fun to transform and imbued with bold character. If you want a feel for them in your own head, imagine the build quality of the Combiner Wars Constructicons. Some joints are missing. Some complexity is missing. Plastic is smooth and inherently metallic (on Prime and Megatron) and you simply can't put them down despite all their flaws. Here are toys very clearly made to be played with. Generations offerings that are certainly not made to appeal to the pseudo-high-end collect and display market. Here are G1 updates for actual children to enjoy. Here is a Jetfire that isn't rickety and you don't have to shell out fifty bucks for. Here is a Prowl that looks like a police car you might have in your country. Here is an Optimus that does a better job of looking like a definitive G1 Prime than anything else in Generations. Here is a Megatron that, er... has painted wheels? Megatron is an odd one. But they all incite the urge to handle them, to convert them back and forth, to pit them against each other in plastic fisticuffs and even to leisurely pose the assortment of joints they have. Once again my imagination is fired and I want to sit and draw Jetfire in a pose he can't adopt and imagine how the working of his knees might look. In short, they're clearly bad action figures - certainly leagues below anything you might expect from the Generations pedigree - but because of that they're good toys. Not damn good without any gimmickry but pure; an expression of Transformers that hasn't existed in a long time, where the conversion of the thing isn't treated like a gimmick but it's the only one present. 

Attention Span
It's probably becoming more apparent to everyone but me that I like bad figures and I hope this is another step on the way to realising I have a problem. But if you're like me and see the value in static hulks of sturdy build, by all means please share with us your favourite objectively woeful action figures. Keep the flame of imagination alight with what these stunted robos can do in your head rather than in the real world. But mostly just stop fooling yourself that you're not a grown adult buying toys for kids. Shed the ego and dive in to unabashed love of that dumb thing made for eight-year-olds. You'll be more #Refined for it. Love and peace.



Follow Ben on Twitter @Waspshot23