INTRODUCTION


It’s All About Perspective...

    It’s 2015. The Combiner Wars are upon us, in toy and comic form. Elsewhere, the new Robots in Disguise cartoon and toys are filling in the remaining void. A lot of the older fans love the CW stuff since it’s inspired by G1 while casting aspersions upon RID, since it’s too “kiddie” (imagine! Hasbro producing toys for kids! The nerve of them!)
    For my two cents, both lines have their good points. The RID toys seem a bit simpler in design but I feel this is a good thing. Kids need stuff to buy that doesn’t take a degree in design to be able to figure out (so do us big kids sometimes. A few years back those Generations toys were getting pretty complex. The last couple of years have gotten back to basic a bit more now, which I appreciate). Also, some of the designs are cool. Drift, Optimus, Strong Arm, Jazz–even Grimlock are neat looking (I feel Bumblebee is a bit generic looking).
    Generations this year has Combiner Wars. New versions of Superion, Menasor, Defensor and even a Titan class Devastator! We even have two new Leader Class Megatron toys (I especially like the toy that looks like his G1 self but becomes a tank).
    On the fan side, there’s now two TFCons. The original in Toronto and the one in Charlotte this fall (in addition to the granddaddy of TF shows–BotCon in Chicago this summer). Additionally, we have the usual deluge of third party products available for those who want something different (and likely pricier).
    And IDW’s usual comic output–two regular series and whatever other stuff (mini-series, TPBs, HC collections, etc) they choose to put out for our entertainment.
    As always, we’re drowning in TF product left and right. Who can complain, right?
    Well...
    Leave it to the fan community to find something. Last year, one of my BotCon roommies was complaining how all of the product Hasbro put out was, er, crap (he made sure the Hasbro guys knew it too). What was the problem? It was all too kiddie and cheap. This year, people are complaining about Fun Publications and their pricing and policies (which has been going on for years, to be fair).
    I admit I’m not too deeply mired in the drama on the TF fan sites (I don’t have enough time as it is and don’t want to waste time with more needless drama over toys). But if the little bit I have been exposed to is any indication it’s amazing anyone is ever happy with anything!
    People, they’re toys! For kids! Lighten up already!
    Each year, there’s far more product out there then anyone can collect (unless they’re rich and reckless with their money). Simple toys, complex toys, comics, cartoons, video games, merchandising... there’s something for everyone and we should all be happy Hasbro is making enough money to bother producing all of this great material for us to continue to enjoy. We should be happy we can afford to spend out disposable income on toys and the like. There are people in third world countries that struggle day in and out to survive. They have the real problems. Any one of them would be grateful to just have to worry about whether or not some toy was the right way to suit them.
    Be grateful for what we have in the here and now. You never know when it could be gone...

Til All Are One!
Thunder

 






 

Transmasters Magazine. Issue #23, WINTER/SPRING 2015





REVIEW: Recent TF toys (part one)
 
REVIEW: Recent TF toys (part two)
REVIEW: Recent TF toys (part three)
REVIEW: Recent TF toys (part four)
REVIEW: Recent TF toys (part five)
PROFLE: Epsilon Pyrite (by Jay Gutzman)
PROFILE:
Powerdasher Sunblaze (by Jay Gutzman)
PROFILE: Deathmark (by Jay Gutzman) 
PROFILE: Firebrand (by Jay Gutzman)
PROFILE: Nightstrike (by Jay Gutzman)
PROFILE: Annihitron (by Jay Gutzman)

PROFILE: Spincycle (by Jay Gutzman)
     





Unless noted, this issue was produced by Tony "Thunder" Klepack. Contributions for future issues are welcome and encouraged!

(Some stock graphics were designed by Peter Phelps. Thanks to him for his many efforts). 

The TransMasters are a Non-profit club for and by Transfans. All content appearing in this issue is copyright its respective contributors and published with their permission.


The Transformers are Copyright and Trademark 2015 Hasbro/Takara Tomy. All rights Reserved.
This publication is not affiliated with nor endorsed by the above companies nor any of their licensees.



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