Toxitron Collection Cloudcover (2023) and the "Lost" Generation 2 Toys

So, it's been a couple of years, but I'm back with a semi-regular posting schedule. I'm hoping to have at least a post a week for the time being, although posts won't always go up on Fridays so that I can properly recognize anniversaries and such on the proper date. Also, I'm trying to be a bit more diverse than just writing about Transformers for the time being (although it did seem appropriate that my first post in so long should make clear that Transformers will remain something this blog should be known for). You'll see what I mean as more posts appear in the coming weeks.

Watch This Space...

The past few years have been pretty chaotic ones. The pressures of moving forced me to pull back on my writing and posting a few years ago (and I've moved again since then!). But even though blogging is considered more and more archaic all the time, writing remains a form of self-expression I enjoy.

So, when I realized that the 20th anniversary of my first blog post (back when I did them at Transforming Seminarian) was coming up in April, I decided that this was a good time to get back into the habit of regular posting. But I'm not quite ready, thanks to current work pressures and other commitments, so I'm looking through the archives, and posting links to old posts that I think still hold up after all this time (and, sadly, I see that there's quite a lot that doesn't... I guess that's what 20 years of growth means, though, so I guess I won't complain) over on my BlueSky account. You're welcome to follow me over there. Subscribe to @gbblackrock.bsky.social. A new link to an old post will go live every Friday between now and the anniversary in mid-April.

In the meantime, I'm making plans. By the time the anniversary comes around in April, there will definitely be content here. Another thing you might look forward to in April is "JSApril," a podcasting and blog event celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Justice Society of America, the very first comic book super team. You can see a list of participating podcasts and blogs (including this one!) listed at https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/jsapril/.

See you then!

Not Your Father's Autobot - Episode #12 - Transformers: Generation 2 issue #12

For this, the final episode of Not Your Father's Autobot, we're discussing Transformers: Generation 2 issue #12, cover dated October, 1994. This issue can be found reprinted via the Transformers: Rage in Heaven paperback, which may be purchased via Amazon. Listeners may also wish to try to find a copy of either the collected paperback or the issue itself via eBay (purchases through these links do not support the podcast in any way). 

Titans Return Laser Prime with Refractor and Rodimus Prime (Chaos on Velocitron set, 2017)

Before the final episode of Not Your Father's Autobot drops on Sunday, we've one more Generation 2 homage figure to feature. During the Titans Return segment of the "Prime Wars" Trilogy, a set given the name "Chaos on Velocitron" was released as a Toys "R" Us/online exclusive. At the time, this set was the only way to complete the pair of Autobot Clones (new versions of the classic figures featured here), in addition to a number of other characters (all reuses of previously released molds to a greater or lesser degree). Most of these deserve their own features, but we're mostly going to focus on the Generation 2 homage here, called "Laser Prime" for this release.

Not Your Father's Autobot - Episode #11 - Transformers: Generation 2 issue #11

For this episode of Not Your Father's Autobot, we're discussing Transformers: Generation 2 issue #11, cover dated September, 1994. This issue can be found reprinted via the Transformers: Rage in Heaven paperback, which may be purchased via Amazon. Listeners may also wish to try to find a copy of either the collected paperback or the issue itself via eBay (purchases through these links do not support the podcast in any way). 

Combiner Wars G2 Menasor (2016)

 

Back in the days of what we now call "Generation One," the Aerialbots and the Stunticons came out more or less simultaneously, and their first appearances in both the cartoon and the comic were closely tied to each other. It perhaps thus seems obvious not only that both teams were redone in Combiner Wars, but that both received "Generation Two" redecoes. Fans of the actual Generation 2 line, however, know that the story is rather more complicated than that, specifically in regard to the Stunticons.

In Remembrance of Derrick J. Wyatt - His version of an Animated Galvatron

 

Like many Transformers fans, I was shocked to learn of the passing of Derrick J. Wyatt, lead character designer for Transformers: Animated, last month. While I didn't know him personally, I did get to meet him on a couple of occasions, as Derrick (himself a Transformers fan) was a regular attendee at conventions. The most recent of these occasions was BotCon 2016, where I purchased from him this sticker of his concept for what an Animated Galvatron might look like. I never have gotten around to sticking this on anything (once you place a sticker, it's generally stuck there forever, and I'm not keen to lose this piece!), but it's a fun concept, and I'm glad to share it on this occasion.

I'm going to be in the process of a move to a new house in the next month and a half. While I hope to keep posting at my regular schedule (or at least close to it!), this may not be possible (especially as so many of the toys that I might be featuring have to get boxed up for the transition!), so please bear with me.