Maz's Articles & Reviews

One day, should I move on from Transformers collecting, writing, hobbying and all related activities, I will have memories. Memories of my favourite figures, the best conventions and stories, and the people I met during my tenure in the fandom. People and things will stand out because they were unique, unforgettable and awesome. Jon “Napalm” Strong will be one of those people. Unconstrained by focus, bandwagons or what people think of him, Jon is an inspirational person and collector. So modest and humble was his response to being interviewed, I almost wish you could see the true Napalm!

Collector Interview 34 – Jon Strong | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

http://tfsource.com/blog/wp-content/...15/02/3402.jpg

All the best
Maz

Takara Tomy and Transformers Masterpiece have been knocking it out of the park recently, actually, for quite some time. Despite 3rd party companies beginning to converge aggressively on the Masterpiece scale and aesthetic, filling apparent holes in our collections that TT supposedly will not get to for years, the official stuff is as popular as ever and arguably getting better. From back in early 2014 with G2 Lambor, Silverstreak and Soundblaster & Ratbat, conceding that most of the popular stuff was focused towards the end of 2014, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Ultra Magnus and Skywarp have sent Masterpiece stratospheric. With Star Saber, Exhaust and Tracks around the proverbial corner, it seems set to continue in the same vein.

Masterpiece – They’ve Got Form (Part 1) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

http://tfsource.com/blog/wp-content/.../03/Form11.jpg

All the best
Maz

That’s right, I didn’t pre-order Masterpiece MP-22 Ultra Magnus. Thankfully, Masterforce.co.uk and Orbital Comics came to my rescue in the UK and I was able to get my hands on one, which is just as well because he sold out sharpish and is only going to go up in price as all Masterpiece seem to do when they’ve been spoken for. Like a number of collectors I spoke to, I was put off by the pre-release imagery of Ultra Magnus, that red bumper, the buttflap and general bulky silhouette which looked most inelegant. The whole point of this article series starting with last week’s Part 1, though, is to show how Takara Tomy have been hitting form with Masterpiece and how each release seems to top the previous one. I should have known Magnus would be superb, and I see a repeat situation with the upcoming MP-24 Star Saber.

Masterpiece - They've Got Form (Part 2) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

http://tfsource.com/blog/wp-content/.../03/Form36.jpg

All the best
Maz

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Originally Posted by Maz

One day, should I move on from Transformers collecting, writing, hobbying and all related activities, I will have memories. Memories of my favourite figures, the best conventions and stories, and the people I met during my tenure in the fandom. People and things will stand out because they were unique, unforgettable and awesome. Jon “Napalm” Strong will be one of those people. Unconstrained by focus, bandwagons or what people think of him, Jon is an inspirational person and collector. So modest and humble was his response to being interviewed, I almost wish you could see the true Napalm!

Collector Interview 34 – Jon Strong | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

http://tfsource.com/blog/wp-content/...15/02/3402.jpg

All the best
Maz

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I'm not one to read 'blogs' generally speaking, but this one caught my eye. I agree with everything Jon Strong said. Great collection and great write up.

http://tfsource.com/blog/masterpiece...t-form-part-2/

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I'll whisper it because talk like this can get you into trouble in certain parts of town, but could it be possible that Takara Tomy just have better toy designers than everyone else?

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Having blown a significant amount of dosh acquiring my first ever 3rd party product last year (TFC Uranos if you must), I'd have to say a resounding "YES".

Not that it's a bad figure, and I know Uranos isn't the best example, but if it's in any way indicative of 3rd party design I have to say I'm happy to keep paying my dosh to TakTom.

It's been a while since I went through my Transformers Masterpiece collection, and Maz from the TFSource forum inspired me with his term "Masterpiece Moment" to get my collection together.

So here's my video on what my "Masterpiece Moments" are with each of the figure molds. Each one has at least one awesome feature that I love!

Transformers Masterpiece Collection - Masterpiece Moments - YouTube

Hope you can check it out, subscribe, like, and comment with what your personal "Masterpiece Moments" are!

Like reading the interviews. Love looking at the collection pics, somehow the pictures are so bright and crisp I dunno if Maz has a program cleaning out the pictures sent to him :o:D:p I can stare at the pictures for hours.

Right, we’ve looked at what has been released in the Transformers Masterpiece range over the last year and a bit in Part 1 and Part 2, now – with one notable exception that cannot be mentioned – we are going to have a look at what’s coming next. Masterpiece fan poll winner MP-24 Star Saber, MP-21G Bumble G2 version and MP-25 Tracks take the spotlight this week, proving that if 2014 demonstrated a run of strong form for Masterpiece, 2015 is going to consolidate and excel.

Masterpiece – They’ve Got Form (Part 3) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

http://tfsource.com/blog/wp-content/...3/Formx031.jpg

All the best
Maz

Not sure why you bothered to mention "he who must not be mentioned" several times if you weren't going to say anything about it at all or why it might be relevant to the article (or the reader, for that matter), other than to drop the fact that you possibly know something other people don't?

That gripe aside, I've greatly enjoyed this series of articles... it's definitely helped me appreciate my own pieces more (and come to terms a little better with my Ultra Magnus purchase, from which I did suffer a little buyer's remorse after seeing that new Leader Class UM!)

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Originally Posted by zzyss

Not sure why you bothered to mention "he who must not be mentioned" several times if you weren't going to say anything about it at all or why it might be relevant to the article (or the reader, for that matter), other than to drop the fact that you possibly know something other people don't?

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Exhaust?