Transformer Fan Interview – Steve

October 18, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

It’s been a while but we welcome the return of the very popular Transformer Fan Interviews! In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Steve, a great bloke I was privileged to meet at a Collectormania Toy Fair and who, like me, was an avid Transformers TCG player. So lets chat to this fine fellow and avid collector of all things Cybertronian.

Name and/or nicknames:

Wattsy, Sharky – do you need a background story??

Family?

Married with 2 little Sharkticons

Career?

Retired Commercial Electrician now work in the Engineering Space for Transport Infrastructure

How would you rate yourself on a C scale, C10 being MISB Mint perfection, to the lowest C1 ‘junker not worth it even for parts’?

C3.. not quite a full blown junker but working myself there with heavy wear.

How would you rate your attraction to Big Angry Trev? With one being ‘very’ to 10 being ‘I even send him Action Masters in the hope I get an extremely physical and rough thanking’?

This has to be 10 by default, right?? I mean I sent the Action Master… I’m just waiting for the Rough and Physical Thanking – but we are responsible adults mostly and under current circumstances (its 2020 people in case your reading a “retro revisited blogedy vlog blob^TM” fifty years from now) we maintain that social distancing!!!

Editors Note: I could thank you while we both wear HazMat suits maybe?

Fan/Collector since (year)?

Since it began in 84

Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?

Autobot

Your Techspec motto if you had one?

‘If it is to be it is up to me’

What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?

Ratchet – always fixing other people shit

Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?

Skywarps Vorping….

What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?

That original opening sequence when prime is rolling along and then transforms and then the 3 jets fly in and turn into robots… first time I saw it, it was soo awesome…. Still is. The concept of a vehicle and a robot in one toy Brilliant!!!

Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?

No, I seriously think I will “retire” at the conclusion of the War for Cybertron Trilogy and Unicron when it arrives… but like any professional athlete that retires, they will still stroll out for a game or two and I am sure there will be a few bots picked up along the way

Do people outside of the hobby know you collect TFs (like at work/school)?

Yeah, they do, most think it is cool but I also don’t care, I don’t collect for them!!

Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?

I did not hide it – not sure if it was fully supported but they never were negative to me about it.

What does your partner think of your hobby?

Ill ask her. – “He has more toys then our kids…..”

Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?

Yes. Yes and yes, many moons ago when those sorts of things where considers normal.. well normal in the nerdy/geeky/popculturey way anyway.

Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?

Nah nothing like that at all, not creative at all…

Favourite series/era/year, and why?

Always G1 cause that’s what I grew up on, but Animated was outstanding the cartoon style and the way the toys could maintain that aesthetic and still function was outstanding

Collect any comics?

Too many…..

Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?

Transformers or in general???

Transformers my favourite arcs where from the old UK Issues, City of Fear and Space Pirates in other franchises Marvels Annihilation event was brilliant and always gets a reread

Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?

To many to name one I think, there is always a great episode from every series, but I think call of the primitives from G1 is always a favourite or Grimmy new brain, or Starscream’s ghost if I had to pick a handful…. And can’t remember the episode names from Animated or prime…..

Favourite Character, and why?

Sludge – just because I love the big bastard of a Dinobot, Ratchet would be a close 2nd

Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?

Sludge

Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?

SLUDGE!

Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc):

Lots and lots and lots under the cosmic unified numbering technique system…. There was an acronym, but I’m not allowed to use it.

But over a thousand

Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?

Yes mostly the ones that are sealed are really, really old or I don’t have time to open them yet.

How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?

That I would love to and not ever know the answer too

Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?

Probably, but I don’t keep track of those sorts of things

What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?

Nothing that is out of the ordinary, I have a chunk of Ironhide’s Tyre from Dark of the moon, Leonard Nimoy’s Autographs as Sentinel prime, and a bunch of the 1^st movie actor scribbled their name on a poster

Editors note: Nice!

First Transformers toy?

Optimus Prime

One toy you most want?

Optimus prime, still sealed in that original g1 box

The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?

I don’t really have a centrepiece my collection is all over the place between storage and display, but my First year G1 is always my fave!

Favourite toy in your early years of collecting?

G1 Highbrow when I got this guy he was my first “futuristic” styled transformer and I loved the headmaster concept and the figure.

Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?

So many from Armada…..

Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?

So So So Many from Armada…

Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?

Remember when a car that transformed into a robot was a gimmick…..i think gimmicks are cool they need to freshen up every now and then otherwise we just keep getting Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Starscream over and over again……

Also Non transforming Stuff… Love it… I would love a super articulated action figure if it didn’t transform, screen accurate highly detailed Action Masters!! Also Statues I have wayyy to many but love it , Transformers are a brand and we can enjoy that brand on anything we desire, shoes, underwear, hats, non transforming action figures, bobble heads the possibilities are limitless and if you enjoy it who cares if it doesn’t transform!!!

Which single TFs toy should every fan own?

I would say it would have to be Optimus Prime, I will allow modern versions of the Autobot leader but the G1 is such a classic iconic toy that it should be apart of anyone’s collection.

Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?

It would depend on the person getting married I would tailor the gift to the person somehow, like an action master in a custom tuxedo. on a side note my wife gave me a Movie Bumblebee with an engraving on his rear window with “Just Married” for our wedding day, sits proudly in my cabinet (only transformer my wife has ever bought me).

Do you collect other toys?

Yes amongst other things too,..would you like to know more?????

I have a heathy collection of Guardian of the Galaxy figures and POP!s, Trading Cards from Movies and Sports, other sports and movie/tv memorabilia, I like to chase autographs from actors of my favourite shows. Comic Books

What is your favourite TF themed post on this website?

There are so many good entertaining posts, I have enjoyed watching the transformatroium grow the toy reviews are good because its just a “this is how it is approach but some of the most entertaining ones would be the ones not about transformers (*GASP*) the Tales of the Trev stories or the hot sauce reviews. (pssst hey You, you out there reading this. Don’t limit yourself to just reading about transformers there is entertainment value all over the dark little corner of Trev’s blog)

Editors Note: Best response to this question EVER!

How did you find out about www.bigangrytrev.com ?

I remember in the golden age of message boards Trev Posted a thread up about his blog.. Check it Out he wrote. (sounds like a good name for a show….) so I did…

Questions from other Fans:

Stu (via Twittah)

With so many great teams in the NRL why on Earth would you be a Sharky’s fan?

Way back in that magical time called the 80’s I spent those early years living around Bankstown my Parents Supported the Bulldogs My Grandparents Supported the Bulldogs and Souths my Uncle Parramatta, but me a young and impressionable kid just loved the way this teenager at fullback of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks played the game. Andrew Ettingshausen was the reason I started following the club, I had no allegiances or commitment prior to then and I followed the club ever since!

Dallas (via Twittah)

Do you have collecting Goal? You have a Spectacular Display Space; how do you plan to collect as it fills up?

Since the Sharkticons and life the collecting has slowly reduced, I don’t really have a collecting goal I pick up things that I like, my main goal I guess would be getting the majority of my collection actually out on display not just sitting around waiting to be set up. Its just finding that elusive time to do it. I mentioned a bit earlier in that I am entertaining the idea of retirement, collecting as it fills up will probably be focused around on how or if it will it display better, and maybe going back and replacing a few existing pieces or retro-filling gaps in some of the older lines I missed over adding more and more new stuff.

What’s your favourite non g1 series?

That would be Animated, the shift in animation style and aesthetic was refreshing, the cartoon was fun and the toys able to match that styling mad them a fun series to pick up

Did Beast Wars/Machines really save transformers?

This is a tricky one, and I am going to say no it didn’t, you see the end of “g1” came about when 98.35% of the target audience grew up and was venturing into the world of Highschool and hormones so the interest petered out. But the younger siblings or newer families where coming of age, and I always feel toys follow a cycle, introduced – evolve – die off and then they a refreshed every 6-7 years years for the newer generation going through a fresh “jumping on point” so it was fresh imaginations and a resupply of young children that saved transformers, beast wars was just the gimmick of the time…. Much like how nostalgia now has parents buying care bears and MLP and MOTU and Strawberry Shortcakes for their children now.

Why hasn’t (named redacted) blocked you yet?

That’s a question you should ask him yourself…wait….you cant….

Michael (via Twittah)

I’m increasingly curious about people’s social media interactions, especially in regard to TFs – maintaining them, where they go and why?

Once upon a time I used to frequent the big American and Australian TF message boards but they became a tedious chore full of elitists nobodies which made them an unenjoyable place to go, then I joined (and in some cases left) facebook groups these suffer from a lot of the same negatives as message boards. These days I am on twitter where I can get the “news” and a part of a few small group chats of fellow collectors where we can just bounce stuff off each other, I also frequent/read a few odd blogs that people post random stuff up for entertainment, and I am pretty happy about that, I guess when it comes down to it, it is just easier to have a quick scroll through a twitter feed then to navigate the depths of message boards.

Hursticon (via Twittah)

Which do you derive more enjoyment from – toy or trading card collecting and what differences between the two worlds or fandoms keep you maintaining the two?

I wouldn’t say I get more enjoyment out of one or the other, but They are two different worlds, transformers you know what you get, chunk of plastic in a cardboard box that shifts and folds, Trading Cards, I guess is it is like gambling, hit that signature or short print card or that elusive 1of1 and it bring excitement and joy, it’s the combination of all things that I enjoy, sort through some card board or transform some figures, both are forms of relaxation, but like anything you need to find a balance, you cant get everything, and you have to accept that, and never spend beyond you means…. It would be awesome to own that Michael Jordan Rookie card or that MISB G1 Fortress Maximus but also I rather like eating and doing things with my family!!

Kenan (via Faceybook)

Biggest case of buyers remorse?

Not really one to be too remorseful about purchases but there were a lot of transformers from armada I could of really done without, but if we are talking other things it would have been maybe a case of 2018 NRL elite, where all I hit where shite cards or my youngest daughters bunk bed, that was a nightmare of thing to make every day.

Thank you so much to Steve for doing this fantastic interview! If you have any other questions for him please pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them.

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Hobby Farming

Recipe – Curried Duck Eggs

October 7, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Don’t ya hate it when your poultry has a secret nest?

I have all these great laying drums set up for my ducks, but for some damn reason half of them prefer to find some nice secret spot in the garden and lay their eggs there every day until I discover it a few weeks later.

This just happened yet again, so we’ve gone from no duck eggs to having well over a dozen that have to get used up pretty quick from not being refrigerated.

So I decided to try out a recipe of my sisters to use them up – her magnificent curried eggs. She makes them that mouthwatering that for years I’ve insisted on a plate of them instead of birthday gifts from her.

While I can’t profess to make them as well as her, I gave it the ol’ college try and they still came out pretty damn good! And it’s a simple recipe so really easy to make. So here is Big Angry Trev’s sisters recipe for Curried Duck Eggs.

Ingredients:

*16 Duck Eggs – boiled

*120gm Butter

*4 tbsp Cream

*2 tsp Curry Powder

*1 tsp Mustard Powder

*Black Pepper

*Paprika

*Chilli Flakes

Method

*Boil the eggs, slice in half and scoop out the yolks.

*Put yolks in a bowl and add butter, cream, curry powder, mustard powder and season with black pepper. Mash.

*Spoon mix back into egg whites.

Seasoning

How you season your eggs is up to you. Typically as the househusband I have to cater to everyone’s particular tastes so I divvy the eggs up into 3 lots.

First lot I put on no seasoning for my kids.

Second lot I put on paprika for my wife.

The third I put on paprika and chilli flakes for myself.

I’ve yet to try them with hot sauce but that’s only a matter of time. But I definitely recommend the paprika, it really makes the flavour pop!

And there ya go, a simple recipe that is an effective way to use up all those extra eggs you find lying around the farm.

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – WFC-GS12 Greasepit

September 30, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Transformer fans had mixed reactions when we saw the return of the Micromasters a couple of years ago. On the one hand it was great to get new versions of characters we hadn’t seen since 89/90. On the other their joints were often weak and their combined weapons modes were more often than not fairly crap.

Then this year we got a new spin on the whole Micromaster gimmick. Back in the day some of them had bases that transformed from things like airports into battle stations with Micromasters manning them – very cool with a lot of play value. Now those classic bases are coming back but now have a third and fourth mode – robot and Modulator armor/weaponary.

The first of these figures released was earlier this year in the Earthrise line with Ironworks. So let’s see how his Decepticon counterpart is getting on in the new millennium with Generations Selects Greasepit.

Fuel Station Mode

Being a redeco of Ironworks, we are seeing pretty much the same figure here. A small compact petrol station, Greasepit’s building portion looks more industrial than than the auto-repair theme the original sported. Also what the hell were they thinking with the positioning of those gas pumps?! Right at the entrance/exit ramp to the fuel centre, filling up your vehicle means you are going to block other customers and, Primus forbid, if you leave your handbrake off you are gonna see your car roll off into traffic!

The one thing that is kinda cool here is the ‘Super Gasoline’ sign – all but identical to the original toy.

Battle Station Mode

The original Greasepit station (or station belonging to Greasepit I should say) unfolded to have towers, missile launchers, guns and radar dishes – it was very cool. Almost all of that is gone now except for the tower and a solitary gun emplacement. Certainly a downgrade from what had come before and essentially identical to Earthrise Ironworks.

Robot Mode

Also pretty much identical to Ironworks. And once again I have to question the placement of the fuel pumps. I mean, on the end of his fist? Punch someone once and you’ll blow your own hand off! At least the colour scheme is pretty boss and he comes with a gun which you can replace the fuel pumps with.

Modulator

Yeah, the Modulators as a whole aren’t working for me the same way the Weaponizers did. Besides a gun you are really just giving other bots a bit of extra armour and some cyberclown-sized shoes.

Overall

The new Ironworks toy worked because the base mode still had its crane, the battle station mode still had one big weapon and you could get the little truck to go with him from the Micromaster 10-pack that was released in Siege. This redeco doesn’t do the original toy justice at all. No little partner to obtain to go with it, the fuel station mode looks odd and the battle station mode is nowhere near as cool as the original. If like me you intend to get Generations versions of classic G1 characters then you are going to want to pick this guy up. If not then this figure is an easy pass.

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

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Toy Review – Earthrise Snapdragon

September 30, 2020 Big Angry Trev 2 Comments

The original Headmaster Horrorcons were G1 toys that kinda had it all. They were triple changers, they had beast modes, they had jet modes AND they were Headmasters where the Nebulan partner also triple-changed – becoming the head of the robot and of the beast. Combine all this with the fact that they also showed up in the season 4 of G1 cartoon before it’s end and these were sought after figures!

Sadly, the beast modes weren’t brilliant, the colour-schemes were cringe-worthy, the accessories were easy to lose and if you lost the Headmaster itself the toy only worked as a jet. This makes these figures very hard to find on the secondary market today, and both toys remain some of the few from the G1 cartoon I don’t own.

However for those wanting representations of these figures but can’t afford the huge amounts the originals go for – fear not! They are back in the new toylines! Last year saw the release of Apeface in the Siege line and this year we get his partner in the Earthrise line. So without further ado, let’s have a look at War for Cybertron Snapdragon.

Robot Mode

A good sized and robust figure for the Voyager class, very chunky and strong looking, though it would have been nice to see less kibble on the arms. Despite this the figure has decent articulation. A bit plain looking, but pays homage to the original toy – right down to Krunk becoming the head and the Decepticon-faction symbols on the nipples.

Cybertronian Fighter Jet Mode

Once again it is very faithful to the original figure and it’s certainly his strongest mode. A really nice representation of a Cybertronian Fighter Jet and had multiple ports to not only attach the robots guns but also other weapons such as those from Weaponizer characters.

One feature I really like is the big cockpit in the middle of the jet. It splits down the middle to open sideways and allow Krunk to ride inside and even has a control panel!

Dragon Mode

“All the better to eat Daniel with m’dear!”

If his jet mode is his stronges mode, then the dragon mode of Snapdragon is definitely his weakest, even if a distinct improvement on the original. Firstly Krunk doesn’t even become the head, he becomes the lower jaw and can be extremely frustrating to get into place. For me it usually means leaving his mouth wide open. Also he doesn’t really look much like a dragon – he looks more like a weirdly coloured faux T-Rex with the little forearms and general proportions. Add to this all the visible jet kibble and this is not a great beast mode at all.

Overall

If you are after a Generations representation of the Headmaster Horrorcons then Snapdragon is for you. Also if looking for a figure for a younger fan this isn’t bad, what with the easy transformations, three modes and the Titan Master gimmick. However to other collectors the very cool jet mode may not make up for the average robot mode and subpar dragon mode. So yeah, this is definitely a ‘take or leave’ kinda Con.

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

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Toy Review – WFC Earthrise Quintesson Judge

September 16, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

How long have we been waiting for an official G1 Quintesson toy? The time seems immeasurable…

… well, not really. Thirty four years. 34 damn years since Transformer fans first saw those 5-faced tentacles monstrosities passing judgement on Lithone and Cybertronian alike, having their victims thrown into the Sharkticon tank. And we’ve wanted a toy ever since!

The Quintessons have had a varied history in Transformers lore depending on the source. In the G1 cartoon they were the creators of the Transformer race, having been rousted from Cybertron when their creations rebelled. In the Aligned continuity they were cousins of the Transformers – the children of Quintus, one of the first 13 Primes. Most fans these days tend to lean towards the latter.

We’ve had a few Quintesson toys in other Transformers continuities. In the Energon cartoon we got an Alpha Quintesson figure and in the Movieverse we got a tiny Quintessa toy that came with her combiner bodyguard Infernocus. Earlier year in Cyberverse we finally got a non-transforming Quintesson Judge, albeit based on the Cyberverse design rather than G1.

But now we finally have what we have been waiting for – and it even transforms! Geewunners put your drool-bibs on as we look at the Earthrise Quintesson Judge.

Judge Mode

A thing of friggin beauty! Beautifully proportioned and G1 through and through. They simply got everything right, from the tentacles to the light beam to the five faces of darkness. You can see each face by pushing a small handle on the side of the figure which makes it spin – so cool!

He has slight articulation via being able to position the tentacles and open and close some of the mouths. And admittedly there isn’t much else you can do with it after that besides make it spin. He can sit in a chair to pass judgement…

Everyone likes a sit down, even those without arses

… and he can hold his pistol.

But overall the Judge looks great and it would be difficult to pass for any rabid fan of the 1986 movie.

Prison Mode

Well you get those that complain when a ‘Transformer branded toy doesn’t transform’ so I guess they had to put a transformation in. Admittedly the chosen altmode is not a bad idea given the history of the characters. The Quintesson’s main body turns into a guard town and the chair and inner core of the robot turn into a prison cell.

The prison cell is proportioned so you can just fit a Micromaster or Battle Master character into it.

So I’m going to give the creators of the figure points for effort here. But to be honest it doesn’t look fab and I can’t see many people having this toy displayed in Prison mode rather than Judge mode.

Transformation

I’m not sure you could even really call it a transformation – it’s a cross between partsforming and folding stuff either up or down really.

Overall

As a Geewun fan I would have been happy for them to leave the transformation gimmick out and simply have this toy as a Quintesson Judge at a lower price point so that I could get several. But that’s just me. For kids and casual fans of the franchise this figure may be easy to pass up, but for your G1 enthusiast it is simply a must have that we have waited oh so many years to finally receive!

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

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Toy Review – WFC-GS11 Exhaust

August 25, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

It’s become an accepted fact now that the Generations Selects line is going to be part of the Transformers toyline for the foreseeable future. Whilst annoying that one can never simply walk into a store and purchase one of these figures, at least they are still easier to obtain than store-exclusive figures (most often only obtainable in the US).

Most Generations Selects figures are either simple recolours or slight retools of toys from the main line. And today figure is no different. So without further ado lets take a look at WFC-GS11 Decepticon Exhaust

The character Exhaust has a kinda cool history. A Diaclone figure that shared a mold with Wheeljack and whose paintjob was closely associated with a brand of cigarettes, in the new area finally got a Transformers toy (Masterpiece no less!) based on him as well as an actual name – Exhaust. And yes the smoking jokes have never stopped since then.

Robot Mode

As you can see here, Exhaust being a retool of Wheeljack continues, with a new visor and paintjob being the only real difference between this figure and Earthrise Wheeljack. Like the Autobot mad scientists toy, I find this Exahust to be a tad stocky. I also would have liked to see some greater detail in the paintjob such as some blue on the wings and patches of green on the body. Still, for his first Generations outing Exhaust got a fairly good toy. What is interesting to note is that he is sporting a ‘Mercenary’ badge rather than a Decepticon one.

Like most toys in the War for Cybertron trilogy toyline, Exhaust comes with extra ports to attach Weaponizer components, such as those from Greasepit.

Vehicle Mode

This is where he comes into his own. He retains his old number but otherwise the paintjob is different from his MP outing, with Decepticon even being spelled out in Japanese on the side. It’s a really nice looking sportscar and the little missile launcher on the roof I feel suits the likes of Exhaust better than Wheeljack.

For us older fans, we have to wonder: Is Exaust deep down a Burt Reynolds fan? And with a new paintjob could he be the source of the next movie crossover figure?

Transformation

Pretty simple, you aren’t going to break your brain changing this guy.

Overall

If you are a Generations completionist then Exhaust is worth grabbing. Unlike Prime and Soundwave and so many other big names he doesn’t already have hundreds of toys out there of him. If looking for a solid figure with an interesting history then this is also a good reason to pick him up. However if simply looking for a new toy, there are plenty easier (and cheaper) to obtain than this smoky bandit.

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Random Reviews

Review: SHIT THE BED Aussie Hot Sauce

August 23, 2020 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

During the summer bushfires we lost power to our home for several days and as such lost everything in our fridges – including my beautiful range of hot sauces. Sniff… dark days indeed.

It’s over half a year later and I’m still slowly building a small collection back up. As such, when I saw some for sale right in the little town we live near, I couldn’t resist grabbing a bottle.

So let’s have a look at the latest offering from Bunsters, subtly titled – SHIT THE BED Aussie Hot Sauce.

The Flavour

Now with a name like Shit the Bed you probably aren’t expecting a top of the range hot sauce, full of subtle flavours that complement the heat. And you’d be right! Trying a bit on its own is like getting stung on the tongue by a wasp, a short sharp unpleasant sting to the tastebuds.

Of course, hot sauces aren’t meant to be eaten on their own, just as one is not supposed to drink from a bottle of tomato sauce. They are a condiment to be added to other foods. So I tried this sauce out on a homemade double-beef burger.

I will say that as a supporting flavour this hot sauce does come into its own. The sauce significantly added to the taste of the burger, and whilst still rough around the edges it was fairly pleasant on the whole. The label on the bottle said the hot sauce goes great with pizza and eggs so I added an extra dollop to the fried egg on my burger for good measure.

Bring the Heat… please!

This hot sauce may have an initial bite to it, but it is severely lacking in the heat department, despite Warning: This sauce is extremely hot being on the back label. Whoever wrote on the front label that the heat is 12/10 was either taking liberties with the truth or sorely needs to revisit their high school maths. Even eating this hot sauce straight wont make you yearn for a cup of water or milk and within a minute the heat has fully receded from your mouth. At a measly 35,000 Scoville’s it’s not even a tenth as strong as Mad Dog 357 (which has a level of 357,000 Scoville) and does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as God Slayer Fucking Hot Sauce which comes in at a whopping 6.4 million! Yep, if you are after a heat challenge from your hot sauce I’d look elsewhere.

So… did I soil my sheets?

The implied claim with the name of this product is that the hot sauce is so lethal it will make you shit the bed. Indeed with some of the heat challenges I’ve done such as attempting Australia’s Hottest Hamburger, I’ve had to get up at 2am in extreme gastric distress and sit on the toilet for an hour or two. Surprisingly, despite the relative lack of heat, around 10pm that night I did have to go sit on the toilet for a while with my stomach churning. However instead of the usual liquid lava boiling from my bowels it felt like I had eaten a dodgy curry or something. And if this had all taken place after I had nodded off, the attack was not that acute that I think I would have dropped a brown one in the bed rather than made it to the lavvy. Nope, no ring of fire for this cowboy’s latest ride.

Is this hot sauce worth your time?

If you are a hot sauce connosuier like me then no. It has an unpleasant taste on it’s own, is average on food and has very little heat. The only thing it seems to have in common with the better/stronger hot sauces is that it causes you gastronomic queasiness, which is meant to be a side effect rather than the main selling point. However given its cheap price point and vulgar name, it’s probably not a bad one to have on standby at a BBQ to give your boozed up mates a chuckle and to stick on a burger.

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Pictorial Toys Review – My Little Prime & Plasmane

July 27, 2020 Big Angry Trev 2 Comments

What a wonderful time to be a toy collector eh? Figures we only used to dream of in our geekiest fantasies are being trotted out right left and center! A lot of that can be put down to people who loved things in their youth during the 80’s now being (supposedly) grown-ups with disposable income on their hands.

Well My Little Pony is happy to jump on that cash-in bandwagon with a new line of Crossover collectible figures. These range from Dungeons and Dragons to even Power Rangers. But today we are going to look at by far the two best of the crossover figures, because they cross over with two of the best franchises in history – Ghostbusters and Transformers.

As the only feature of these toys, besides their cool looks and packaging (I love the fact that on the boxes it says ‘approved by Optimus Prime and Peter Venkman respectively), is the fact you can move their tails, there is not really much to review here. So enjoy the photo’s and hopefully they will help you decide if you would like these awesome figures for your collection.

My Little Prime

Plasmane

Friendship is Magic!

So do you think you will pick up these figures? Do you love the nostalgia or would prefer the takes be more modern? Let us know in the comments below.

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Toy Review – Studio Series Scrapper

July 10, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

The slow release of the Studio Series Constructicons continues. Some see it as a good thing, not overloading their budgets. Others see it as an irritation, their frustration to build Devastator from Revenge of the Fallen growing week by week.

For me personally it has been neither. As someone who is happy enough with the ROFT Devastator I already own, this Studio Series has simply been a chance to fill out my collection with those onscreen Cons who never received an actually decent toy before such as Scrapmetal.

Today we are looking at one such character. The leader of the Constructicons in G1, who like Long Haul and Mixmaster got to actually keep their proper name and traditional alt-mode for the movieverse, we are looking at Scrapper.

Robot Mode

This looks pretty good for a movieverse toy. He actually looks like a robot rather than just a mess and is pretty faithful to how he appeared on the big screen. He has retained the flail attachment on his arm, however sadly is unable to swing it. He has decent articulation for a fairly stocky bot, with elbows, neck, knees and hip movement.

‘Am I busting a kung-fu move or just getting down with my bad self? Let your imagination run wild kids!’

The colour scheme is not only faithful to how he appeared in ROTF, but also has some G1 roots too, almost an homage to the European/Australasian rerelease of the G1 Constucticons from 1992.

“The studio insisted I bulk up for the movie”

Vehicle Mode

Really pretty damn good! A superb amount of detail throughout the entire vehicle form, this looks like a proper model of a real construction vehicle. Some have argued that the alt-mode is too kibble-laden, but as someone who has seen a lot of very large construction vehicles up close, some Front Shovel Loaders do indeed look similar with parts everywhere.

The vehicle form feels very solid overall and a nice touch is that you can actually raise the shovel!

Transformation

This figure has a really interesting transformation. With 36 steps its going to take you a few minutes to do the first time out, but there is no part that is overly frustrating or a head-scratcher. It feels very satisfying to work through, and that is always a massive plus when dealing with actual transformer toys.

Overall

If you have no interest in the Movieverse (in which case why are you reading this review? Go outside and play!) then it’s an easy pass. But if you like the Movieverse, are a Constructicon fan or a completionist then you will want to pick this guy up. Of course if you intend to build Devastator then you have no choice but to pick him up! But you wont regret doing so, it’s a solid figure in both modes with a good transformation and for once you feel like you are getting a proper Voyager-class sized figure when buying a toy of that classification. So yeah, a good value toy that reminds you just how fun transforming transformers can be.

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Toy Review – Earthrise Sky Lynx

June 30, 2020 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Last year we saw the introduction of the Commander Class in the Generations toyline of the Transformers franchise. This new classification of toy size was for those characters that were much bigger than even the likes of Optimus and Megatron in the G1 cartoon and the fans wanted a toy to match.

So far we had only had Jetfire, and what a damn cool toy he turned out to be! This year we have gotten our second Commander Class toy. The Space Dragon with an ego almost as big as his hull, we get Sky Lynx.

A bit of history about Sky Lynx

The original Sky Lynx was a very unique toy and a very unique character in the G1 franchise. The toy was made up of two distinct pieces; a motorized troop carrier box that could turn into a giant, twin-tailed Lynx beast, and a space shuttle that could turn into a sorta Dinobird monster. These could operate independently of each other in the cartoon and were controlled by the one consciousness that was Sky Lynx, effectively making him the brands second DuoCon, after Omega Supreme. More often than not in the cartoon however, the space shuttle usually carried the troop carrier on the bottom of its hull in order to transport Autobots through space. In robot mode the Lynx and Dinobird portions combined into Sky Lynx’s complete robot form, with size and strength enough to take on the likes of Predaking independently, and even take a pot shot at Trypticon. In this complete form, the toy could walk, once again making it fairly unique in the toyline.

We didn’t see a Sky Lynx toy for many years, until the Predacons Rising subset of the Prime cartoon and toyline. While he still had his Space Dragon mode and was big, he wasn’t huge and had a robot mode instead of a space shuttle mode. That combined with being a Predacon meant that fans were underwhelmed by the characters return to screen.

**Review of Beast Hunters Sky Lynx HERE**

A few years later we got another Sky Lynx figure. This time a Voyager class toy in the Combiner Wars line which was much more an homage to G1. He had his space shuttle and Space Dragon modes, by could not separate. Instead he became the torso of a combiner Sky Reign – with the head of a Lynx. This toy was more warmly received, but being only Voyager class and not having all the modes of the G1 toy, fans still did not get their proper Sky Lynx fix.

Well, now in 2020 weve finally got what we were waiting for, a proper reimagining of the Sky Lynx figure, and boy was it worth the wait! So with our history lesson done, lets move onto looking at this fantastic new toy!

Space Shuttle Mode

A really nice, really big looking space shuttle. Sky Lynx is trying to finally have an Earth disguise with NASA printed on the side. You will note that the name on the side of the shuttle is ‘Magnificence’, both a reference to a large story arc from the Transformers IDW comics, as well as to Sky Lynx’s opinion of himself.

The top of the shuttle opens up, just as the G1 toy did, to reveal what could either be considered escape pods or cargo pods. I’m inclined to think of them as the latter. Besides this there are not many play features to the space shuttle, but its still a damn nice looking toy.

Dinobird Mode

Very faithful to the G1 concept, with instead of two eyes it having a row of the space shuttle windows for viewing. The wings are a great improvement, both with the detail on the blue sections to make them look more like robotic feathers, but also the fact the wings can now be angles up and down instead of going out from the body on a straight angle. Speaking of posing, the Dinobird has in his legs hip joint swivel, ankle tilts and knees, making it much easier to pose.

The head is a bit big for my liking in Dinobird mode, but one thing I do like is that instead of just having a blaster for a tongue, he now has a tongue and blaster and both can be moved about on a separate hinge in his mouth. Combine this with the fire effects that come with the toy it can give him a nice offensive posture.

Troop Carrier Mode

It was pretty boring on the G1 toy, just being a blue box. This is a bit better, though not that much. At least it comes with big tank tracks on the side to make it look like it is supposed to move around under its own power. Unfortunately, unlike the G1 toy it doesn’t move around under its own power, though it does have wheels so it will roll. The lack of batteries has opened up the inside so that other small Transformer figures such as Micromasters can ride inside it.

Please, no ‘enter me from the rear’ jokes, as tempting as they are

Add a couple of lasers to the front and it looks like something industrial designed to navigate a rough planet or asteroid, something out of a sci-fi like the new Thunderbirds or perhaps Starship Troopers.

Lynx Mode

At least the head can actually stick up more this time, rather than constantly looking at his own feet. Once again very faithful to the G1 concept, even down to the twin tails.

A cool new addition is that like the Dinobird it can now shoot fire from its mouth. The figure also has some (but limited) leg articulation.

Space Shuttle Transport Mode

A thing of friggin beauty! Having the two halves of the toy combined really gives it a physical presence the character deserved, and feels strong and bulky in the hand to boot! Besides holding it in the air and yelling ‘zoom!’ the only real play features are that you can open up the back and unfold a ramp to load Micromaster vehicles, and you can put flame effects in the shuttle exhausts. But all said, it’s a great looking toy – just make sure you get the two halves of the toy tabbed together correctly.

Combined Robot Form

And here he is! Truly magnificent! Here the head now seems perfectly in proportion as does everything really. With the fact you can move the prehensile neck, adjust the knees and ankles and wings you can pose him quite well for a character that lacks traditional hips and has no arms.

And the size of him is fantastic, I honestly expected him to be around the same size as the G1 toy but he dwarfs his predecessor.

Space Shuttle Launch Base Mode

If all of the above weren’t good enough, we even get a new mode! The troop carrier/lynx portion of the toy can fold out and become a base for the space shuttle with built in launch pad. While this was pretty cool with the latest Astrotrain figure to come out, its even cooler looking here due to the size. A particularly nice touch I thought was the extendable ramps that lead from the ground all the way up to the shuttles storage pods, making it look like it is taking on supplies before heading into space.

Worth Getting?

Australia is one of the first places in the world to get it and right now is fairly easy to find at the Big W toy sale for $119(au). Sky Lynx is definitely worth the price tag. With so many modes there is an absolute ton of play value to be had here. The transformations are quite easy and very indicative of the G1 toy. Whilst some collectors may be annoyed at the simplicity, I’m not as it means that you can change Sky Lynx into whichever of his multitude of modes suits your play without having to spend 10 minutes doing so. So not only is this figure great for G1 enthusiasts as well as Transformer Collectors in general, but means it is also great for younger fans too with the easy accessibility it provides. I cannot recommend this toy heartily enough – as loathe as I am to coddle an ego that is already so big, this Sky Lynx is worthy of the name Magnificence.

Got a Sky Lynx too, or thinking of picking one up? Tell us in the comments section below!

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