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Thread: Collector Club Magazine contents

  1. #1
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    Default Collector Club Magazine contents

    I figured that with the minimal interest in the Club Magazine these days, and the current issue being so light on content, we could probably just have an ongoing news topic of its contents (and for discussion)... and add each issue to it every two months.

    The current issue (number 66 - Dec/Jan) arrived at my mailbox a few days ago, and it is almost entirely filled with the comic. Of the 16 pages, 11 are the comic.

    Contents.
    Page 1 (cover) - group photo of some old Club toys and a Beast Wars toy.
    Page 2 - telling us about the holiday discount sale on their site (which is only useful to Americans getting the magazine three weeks ago if things were limited and sold out by now), and noting that registration for BotCon will be very soon (obviously written before they decided to postpone it to January). It also notes that there are more reveals and guests to be announced, but I don't think there have been any since this issue came out in the first week of December.
    Page 3 - Half page interview with the VA of RID Windblade (Kristy Wu), plus a half page paragraph on the early origins of the original Headmasters and Targetmasters design process.
    Page 4-14 - Comic "Another Light" part 6, concluding the Mirror-verse version of the 1986 Movie, introducing the character Gaea, who was first teased to us at BotCon 2004 (on the convention T-shirt), but the related story never ended up being written. (Gaea is like Unicron and Primus, but was the core of the Earth like Unicron was in TFPrime)
    Page 15 - A brief history of the Mirror-verse Megatron/Galvatron and Optimus Prime characters.
    Page 16 - Another advertisement for their online holiday sale, and a minicomic of the SDSG (Super Deformed Shattered Glass).

    Not sure why they gave us a double edition of the comic, but maybe it has something to do with the new membership cycle they appear to have for 2016, in that starting the new comic story next issue allows them to have the stories contained within a calendar year of Magazine issues.

    I haven't read the comic yet (I leave it until I get all the parts and then sit down and read the entire story)... so this issue was very quick to flick through so far (for me).
    The Headmasters origin paragraph was fascinating, but a shame that it was just a half of a page, so didn't go into more detail or more design drawings.

  2. #2
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    I finally received issue 67 (FEB/MAR) on Thursday, and it's a shame that the contents are getting better (for this fan), just in time for their demise.

    The contents of this issue...

    Page 1 (cover) - art of Membership toy Ramjet.
    Page 2 - The fourth Subscription set starts shipping in April, and a warning that they are only accepting membership registrations and renewals for 2016, ending in December. Now that I have read the exact wording of them only selling 2016 memberships, it is obvious that March 16th was the final renewal/registration date, as memberships after that date would have been for the 2017 toy, if they had one.
    They also mention that the new comic story starting in this issue, is the final chapter of their story universe.
    Page 3 - an interesting article documenting an unreleased Hasbro Transformers toyline concept of 1987, of articulated figurines that would have been a similar size to Battle Beasts... something that I didn't even know about.
    Page 4 - full page advertisement for the Club toys Ramjet and Skywarp.
    Page 5 - full page advertisement for the fifth Subscription set, showing us the Double Pretender Optimus Prime and Paradron Medic (which were leaked last month when Americans got their copies).
    Page 6 - another interesting article, this time detailing the history of Transformers statues, starting with Hard Hero in this first part, including a checklist of their released items with production numbers. (the contents page notes Andrew Hall as the Vintage Articles contributor, so these two articles might be from him)
    Page 7-13 - comic story "Of Masters and Mayhem", part 1 - Assembly. The first five pages just deals with the various humans, with the sixth page re-introducing us to Unicron's herald, Ramjet.
    Page 14 - and another interesting article, looking at the development of the Japanese Victory series. This is part one, detailing the origin and meaning behind the character of Jan in the cartoon.
    Page 15 - bio of Membership toy Ramjet (who has filled four whole pages of the 16 pages of this issue)... I guess they really want people to renew before March 16th so that they aren't stuck with too many of them later.
    Page 16 - mini-comic strip and Club Store advertisement.

    Aside from the extra large comic issue last time (which now makes sense, as they only had six issues left for this year and 8 comic parts left to publish... so there might be another double comic issue to come later as well), this was another great issue for long time collectors who are interested in the background info and oddities of the Brand. And after 30 years, there should be a fair bit of material out there, and I'm finding most of the recent articles very informative.
    But again, it is a shame that they've left it until they no longer need to hype up the need to own/register for the magazine, as these sorts of articles would have made it a valuable resource to read and keep. (and maybe replace the two pages of advertising with more articles as well)

  3. #3
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    I was completely lost reading the humans, and it seemed really corny dialog.
    Are these human sized pretenders? They dropped some character names but it went way over my head until Ramjet appeared
    On the lookout for MISB Headmaster Highbrow, Takara or Hasbro. I'm sure I could make you a sweet deal!

  4. #4
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    if they'd had the headmasters article and victory article in that stupid magazine earlier, I might have stayed a member.
    That's the sort of stuff I wanted and expected from the start.
    Damn fools.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by reillyd View Post
    I was completely lost reading the humans, and it seemed really corny dialog.
    Are these human sized pretenders? They dropped some character names but it went way over my head until Ramjet appeared
    Yes, the story is a bunch of Autobot allies humans and Pretenders in human form. Metalhawk, Cloudburst, Landmine, etc.

    The plot is that before Gaea transforming into her robot mode in the last comic she transported all the humans and human-looking pretenders from Classicverse Earth to a copy of Earth. It's now 5 years later and they are all living on Earth, with the human looking Pretenders assuming full human form to blend in. The Pretender seem to have taken on forms that look a lot like the Pretenders from Masterforce, meanwhile it appears the Mayhem Attack Squad and Ramjet have arrived on the planet. Thus the title Masters and Mayhem.

    You might notice the promo posted for Masters and Mayhem is a total parody of the promo posted for Masterforce.

    http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/...rcePoster1.jpg

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CXf_PanWcAAHXI3.jpg

    The blonde guy at the bottom is an adult Spike Witwicky from the Marvel Comics. The guy with the tie is Metalhawk (dressed exactly as Mr. Hawk from the Masterforce show), the guy in the red jacket is Vroom. The guy in the white shirt with orange stripe is Crossblades. The one in the black overcoat with the stripes of grey hair, I have no idea. They are keeping it a secret it seems. I think he might be Starscream.

    The black woman is called Elizabeth, who seems to be a new character, and she's Spike's girlfriend. She does look a lot like "Lisa" who appeared in issue 67. Lisa might be short for Elizabeth.

    http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Lisa
    Last edited by griffin; 25th May 2016 at 10:42 AM. Reason: hotlinking from non-hosting sites prohibited

  6. #6
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    Issue 68 of the Club Magazine has started appearing at American addresses, so should be out here in a couple weeks.

  7. #7
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    Issue 68 (APR/MAY) arrived last week, and just like the previous issue, this one had a fair bit of stuff in it that was worth readin.

    The contents of this issue...

    Page 1 (cover) - character art of Subscription Pretender Megatron.
    Page 2 - They both talk about just completing BotCon (the issue was printed before BotCon) and holding back the release of this issue so that they could have the full reveal at the convention. They also mention that the 4th Subscription toys start shipping this month (mine arrived with the magazine), and that the Membership toy Ramjet will come out late Spring (May-June). Plus a final note that they are no longer selling any more memberships.
    Page 3 - Another fascinating article about something from Gen1 era that few people probably even knew about - in 1987, the company U-Haul in America, approached Hasbro to produce a toy based on their iconic moving trucks, for them to give out to their customers (like the Aveo Swerve and Toyota FJ Cruiser). The article shows us the design drawings, and mentions that a prototype was made, but it is unknown as to why the toy didn't go ahead. The vehicle would have been about Minibot sized, but being slightly taller and skinnier, the robot mode would have been about 10cm tall, to be about the height of the Insecticons. Article by Andrew Hall.
    Page 4 & 5 - the full reveal of the 5th Subscription set of toys.
    Page 6 - Following on from last issue's history of Transformers statues, this issue covers the Palisades statues, which ended abruptly in 2006 when they went bankrupt, a year after Dreamwave (the source of their designs). Article by Colin Betts.
    Page 7-12 - comic story "Of Masters and Mayhem", part 2 - Insight. The first three pages is about the "Humans", after one is shot last issue and isn't hurt. The next two pages are on Paradron, with Impactor talking to a Paradron Medic about a recent operation to save Punch/Counterpunch. The sixth page has Ramjet waiting to meet up with "The Other" to destroy this universe, while a mysterious man in black confronts the "Humans", knowing that they are Cybertronians, to warn them that "He'll be here soon".
    Page 13 - The second part of the development of the Victory series (from last issue), talking about the changes that some of the toys went through from concept designs to their final versions. There is too much to mention here, but I'm sure that when the Club ends at the end of this year, scans of many of these articles will start showing up online.
    Page 14 & 15 - bios of the Subscription toys Lifeline and Impactor.
    Page 16 - mini-comic strip and an advertisement for buying unsold BotCon items from the Club Store.

  8. #8
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    Why does it feel like they've been keeping their good material for their swan song?
    My Fan interview with Big Trev

    my original collection from when I was more impressionable.
    My Current Collection Pics (Changing on occasion)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by UltraMarginal View Post
    Why does it feel like they've been keeping their good material for their swan song?
    So that everyone can remember them fondly with good info, as opposed to remembering them as the asshats and useless bunch they really were.

    Seriously, they should've had articles like this earlier in the club's life!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy View Post
    So that everyone can remember them fondly with good info, as opposed to remembering them as the asshats and useless bunch they really were.
    Bwah hahahaha!

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy View Post
    Seriously, they should've had articles like this earlier in the club's life!
    I've had this issue sitting on the pool table for a week or two. Had become that disillusioned with them that I hadn't even bothered to open it, might do so when I get home

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