IT'S A fireTRAP!

So I found another one of those Transformers Scout Class figures on sale for 5 bucks, and I just couldn't resist.

This is Firetrap. His card says he's some kind of Autobot weapons enthusiast. Whatever. He has guns and turns into a truck... what more do you need to know?



I'm not sure if this is a real type of truck, but I want one. I've always said I needed a cattle pusher on the front of anything I drive-- combine that with big freakin' cannons on top, and you get my perfect vehicle.


The bot mode is REALLY nice-- the main reason for getting the figure, in my opinion.


He has a really cool helmet and gas mask kind of face going on. Not exactly sure why a robot needs a gas mask, but who cares? He looks awesome. You can't really make it out in any of my pics, but the dark spots where the eyes are are quite recessed and have little goggle-type eyes inside of them. Pretty darned detailed for such a small figure.


As you can see, he has a very dynamic sculpt with lots of personality. He looks like a bruiser. He's a tad shorter than the other Scouts, but I think that gives him a certain charm. His color scheme and diminutive nature make me think about the old Generation 1 Transformers character Brawn. He's kind of like Brawn meets Ironhide.



Now... about those guns: this guy has 'em! He has two wrist-mounted cannons that can swivel on their bases and pivot up and down. This works in both modes, and it is awesome. The cannons aren't really meant to be removed, but you can pop them out of the sockets. They just look better on the wrists, and there's really no where else to store them anyway. He's poseable as all get out... he has at least 16 points of articulation in bot mode that aren't solely for transformation, so he can be put in all kinds of crazy poses!


And best of all? He looks great with the other Scouts. I've pretty much pledged that I'm only collecting Scouts from here on out (unless it's Optimus Prime-- that's a whole other issue). I mean, these little dudes are super awesome, super detailed, and super affordable-- what's not to love about 'em?

Cheap and Classy!

The other day I got my latest Transformer figure. Walmart is having what appears to be a regional if not nationwide price cut on their TF figures. The Voyager sized figures are $13, the Power Core Combiner 2 packs are $7.50, the Scout class figures are $5, and the Legends class are $3.50. Not the greatest sale ever, but it makes each one just a bit more attractive to the thrifty TF fan!

I picked up one of the Scouts that I had been wanting to get, but the price kinda kept me from pulling the trigger. Scouts aren't the biggest Transformers (they stand roughly 5 inches tall), but they are very nicely made. Seeing one for $5 is much better than seeing one for $10.



This is Hubcap. He's an Autobot warrior (I guess-- they used to give them neat titles like "spy" or "commando", but now they just call them "Autobot" or "Decepticon.") who transforms into a classic hot rod. My dad says it looks like a 35 or 36 Ford... they can't really mimic some cars exactly due to licensing issues, so they sometimes get really close without being exact.



The car mode has a lot of style. I love classic cars, and it's really rare to see a Transformer who turns into one.



The car has a LOT of detail hidden here and there that didn't really need to be addressed in such a small toy. The door handles, gas cap, rumble seat handle, and even the tire air nozzles are sculpted in minute detail. On the front right tire there is even a sculpted tire balance weight that isn't sculpted on the others. That's a really nice bit of detail that really makes the toy stand out!



He's perfectly scaled to the Classic Voyager Prime, so that's nice. I love scale, but I've learned to live without a set scale in the Transformers toy universe!



The robot mode is just fantastic. He has a very dynamic build with just enough bulk to make him look adequate as a warrior, but with a lean enough frame to make him look like a spy.



Curved forms are rare on Transformers, so it's always nice to see it used well.



He's very poseable with at least 17 points of articulation (not including the parts that move when he transforms). So he can take on great action stances...



... as well as more subdued poses.



He looks great with other Scouts...



... and even better with the larger Voyager class figures.



Pretty spiffy!

The only drawback to the figure is a blatant lack of weaponry of any kind. His hands are molded open, and he can't really hold any standard TF weapons, which kinda sucks. I'd have been happy with guns molded into his arm panels, or the exhaust pipes pointing straight back in the car mode so they could be arm cannons in the bot mode... instead they bend outward, so they can't really be used that way.

Other than that, this is one cool little dude. If you dig little toys, robots, Transformers, and/or classic cars, take a look at Walmart while they last. $5 ain't bad at all for a super poseable action figure that's engineered to turn into a classic ride!

Got any joints, man?

My friend Matt Doughty, the crazy madman behind Onell Design and the father of the Glyos System, sent me a Christmas gift this year that I'm enjoying like a kid in a candy store. He sent me a box of Glyos goodies including a bunch of the new Axis Joints that he has just released on his web store. The sets sell for $4, and I have to say that they TOTALLY change the game when it comes to Glyos. The Glyos System toys have always been known for their interchangeability, but these joints make building a whole new experience. I haven't built this much stuff with Glyos parts since I started collecting them a few years ago. Below are a few of the many things I've built with the new joints. I've tried to take images that allow you to see how the builds were made, but if anyone has any questions about building with these joints please feel free to ask. I also recommend that you check out the Glyos Forum hosted on the October Toys Forum... there are tons and tons of much more talented builders there making fantastic aliens, monsters, robots, and vehicles with these parts, and they are a friendly bunch!

The standard Axis Joint set comes with a small disc, two large ball joints, two small ball joints, and two male/female connectors. The actual ball joints are made up of two pieces that are useful to build with individually. A single set will increase your ability to build exponentially.

These joints allow for sturdier builds with a massive range of movement. All of the builds here are able to bear their own weight quite well, even in the exaggerated poses I have them in.






I wanted to make a Bio-Govurom (a nod to Matt's Bio-Pheyden from his blog)... these joints helped out a lot! The figure has a grossly mutated left arm that is hyper-poseable!




My favorite character from the Glyos System is Scar Pheyden. I wanted a beefy, well-articulated version of him... combining several Axis Joint sets allows for a nicely jointed figure that is pleasing aesthetically. The disk that comes in the set allows you to extend the torso of the standard Glyos figure to better match the length of the limbs.





This is a character that I call the Stalker. I imagine him kind of like an alien tracker that uses his huge sniffer to detect his prey wherever it may hide. Once again, the Axis joints provide for very sturdy construction that allows you to pose them any kind of way.







This figure is pretty much the culmination of all the things I've learned about the Axis Joints so far. I wanted an ED-209 type battle droid, so I started building this mech (which I named the Ectodrone). It's a sturdy, flexible build with a rigid core. The last illustrations show how to make the core.








Matt sent a couple of Rigs along with the other stuff. The Rig is the latest rotocasted vinyl vehicle from Onell Design. It's composed of 4 parts (an upper control module, a lower leg/thruster unit, and two gun arms) and can hold a Glyos figure inside. Before I had one of the Rigs I can honestly say that I wasn't that impressed by it. I thought it looked awesome, but was limited by how much you could build with it. Well, after playing around with this one I have to say that I was VERY wrong. The legs on the lower half of the Rig are sculpted in such a way that they can grip the arm units perfectly and allow you to put the Rig in all kinds of configurations. Add to that the fact that the holes for the arms and torso are compatible with the Armodoc, and you have hours of building fun on your hands!











Just having a little fun here... mixing and matching colors of the new Traveler figures and playing around with weird proportions.






So, if you haven't picked up a set of the new Axis Joints give 'em a try... they are tons of fun and will really get your creative juices flowing! And keep your eyes open for the next version of the Rig... word is there will be a release early in February... stay tuned on the Glyos blog for upcoming news!