At this time, the TF2 movie toys are being revealed and preview figures in at least one country, Animated is either preparing for its 3rd season or putting it off until after the TF2 movie, IDW continues with its All Hail Megatron, Maximum Dinobots and Movie prequel comics, and Universe/25th Anniversary is reaching its peak of release before it is put on a break for the Movie toyline season. TakaraTomy on the other hand are still sproradically releasing items for the older collector, with Alternity Convoy being the most significant item this month.
1 year ago - February 2008
-After Hasbro Australia had a shortage of new stock for the last 2 1/2 months, stores were finally starting to get in new toys in February. Some of the new stuff included the White Movie Ratchet, Thundercracker, Leader Nightwatch Optimus Prime, FAB Smokescreen, FAB Ramjet, FAB Ironhide (grey recolour), FAB Optimus (red recolour), Slammer Ironhide, Slammer Patrol Barricade, Legends 2-packs (Ironide Vs Desert Brawl, Nightwatch Optimus Vs Stealth Starscream), Stockade and Jungle Bonecrusher.
-America were striding ahead with their toy releases during this time, with most of the above items already filling most stores, plus they had the store exclusvie Jolt, Big Daddy, Grindcore, Divebomb.
-Animated Cartoon was up to around episode 10 in America at this time, which was still 2-4 months before the toys were to be released.
-US and UK toyfair showed a number of the early wave Animated toys (including Soundwave and Oilslick), and first wave of the new Universe toys, including Powerglide, Onslaught, Blaster, Heavy Load, Sunstreaker, Tankor and Prowl.
-BotCon registration forms were up, which was really late for a convention that was only 10 weeks away.
-The BotCon pre-registrant pack of toys starts to be revealed officially at the BotCon website, but not until after all are sold out.
-Club Exclusive figure Nightbeat revealed.
-IDW Spotlight Wheelie is revealed and Spotlight Arcee is released.
-IDW also announce a bridging comic for the Movie Universe, called 'Reign of Starscream'.
-Transformers The Ride, announced for Asia and America for 2010.
-The Aussie Dollar reached a record 95us cents, the highest it has been in 23 years, and made importing Transformers cheaper than buying them domestically. It managed to make an extra 3us cents mid-year, before dropping 40% in a matter of months, to its 2003 rate.
5 years ago - February 2004
-Energon was in full swing, with the second assortment making its way to stores in America this month. Toys being released include Megatron, Landmine, Prowl, Rodimus, Snowcat, and the new 'Perceptor' Minicons. Regular Universe was in it's fourth wave with King Atlas (homage to Dai Atlas), Skywarp (matching the BotCon 2002 character/toy) and Triceradon. Hasbro were into their seventh series of Reissues, covering Dirge and Rodimus. The second Alternator was released (Sideswipe), and US store exclusives included 20th Anniversary Optimus, Ruination, Sunstorm redeco of Thrust, Prowl and Sideburn (with Universe CDs), and several Spychanger recolours (some with names that don't match their colours).
-In Australia, aside from the 20th Anniversary Optimus, we didn't get any new items for over a month after Christmas (bit of a pattern here). We had a four month delay with the launch of Energon here, so the only significant stuff in stores at this time were the remnants of Armada, Alternator Smokescreen and Sideswipe, and the fifth and final series of Hasbro HoC figurines.
-Dreamwave comics at this time included Generation 1 Vol 3, Energon, and War Within Vol 2.
-Future stuff being revealed at this time included the upcoming Energon Towline, Downshift (the one that looks like Wheeljack, but isn't Wheeljack), Bulkhead, Alt/BT Hound, Alt/BT Tracks (in its original yellow colour), Ehobby Astrotrain (in its cartoon colours), TCS Minibot set, JP Anniversary set for Transformers and Microman, and Universe Ramjet (white redeco of Armada Skywarp).
-And the first images and details for BotCon 2004 were being revealed, with it being located in Pasadena California in June that year. It was being billed as the final BotCon to be hosted by the original Hartman Brothers, and would be up against the Official Convention, to be held a month later.
10 years ago - February 1999
-Season 2 of Beast Wars just ended its first airing on TV here, and we had to wait for Season 3 to resolve the huge time-storm cliffhanger.
-Season 3 of Beast Wars was currently two thirds through screening, with plot reviews already online at places like BWTF.com
-Season 4 was only just announced in America, and had a working title of 'Beast Hunters', then 'Beast Machines'. It is said that it might only be 13 episodes, and will have a new story editor team.
-Techspec Mottos returned with the current assortment (which included Cybershark). Hasbro website mentions that the toy packaging for Transmetal II was changed to Transmetal 2 during the first wave, because Hasbro are afraid their target (American) demographic wouldn't be able to comprehend the Roman Numerals...
-US Toyfair reveals images of Transmetal 2 toys, including a highly anticipated Megatron Dragon.
-Hasbro during this era weren't releasing much toy product, and on shelves during this month you could find the last few Fuzors, and regular Transmetals. Airazor and Razorclaw redecos were released with videos, while in the UK, Clawjaw and Spittor redecos were also released with videos.
-Takara were in the middle of BWII in Japan, and details were surfacing on the ATT newsgroup about the Japanese direction of Transformers in Beast Wars Neo, going back to basics with more realistic beast forms, including a mammoth, giraffe, penguin, horse, cobra, rabbit, ammonite, and a number of dinosaurs.
-First part of the BotCon99 text story 'Reaching the Omega Point' is released, with the registration confirmation materials. Back then, BotCon was something announced and registered to, 9-12 months in advance, which allowed long distant fans enough time to organise time off work and book cheaper flights.
-Ozformers had 36 members at this time, with our club newsletter up to issue 29 this month.
15 years ago - February 1994
-Generation 2 was in full swing, but still a bit before the internet fandom existed. Or at least, before any Australian fans were online to know about anything more than what each of us were individually exposed to.
-The Generation 2 cartoon was probably still on TV at this time, and most of the Generation 2 toys had been released by now, with just Dreadwing/Smokescreen and Laser-rod Optimus being the only significant figures not released until sometime during this year. Toys that were currently in stores at this time here included the oddly coloured Dinobots at $30 (we only got 3 of the 9 G2 Dinobots - Blue Grimlock, Red Snarl, Green Slag), G2 Jets Ramjet and Starscream at $33, G2 Autobot cars Inferno, Jazz, Sideswipe at $28, G2 Optimus at $40, and Green Tank Megatron (at $60) was finally released a number of months after it was being advertised in Kmart catalogues.
-Going by print date, the Marvel Gen2 comic was up to issue 4 - Featuring the Dinobots on the cover, but not inside. The theme of death and destruction continues in this issue with the deaths of Red Alert, Mirage, and thousands of humans as Bludgeon's Warworld ship destroys part of America to flush out Optimus. We get to see the re-introduction of Starscream, and further cementing of Furman's love for Grimlock, with him being given command of the Autobots again, over higher ranking or more reliable Autobots.