(ZMFTS) PVC Marvel Comics Soundwave, Dark Guardians/Guardian Robots, and More!
Zobovor
I finally muster up the time and inclination to work on them. A lot
of the projects in this update have been in the works since at least
2006, if not earlier. Whether it was worth the wait is anybody's
guess, of course, but here they are all the same. A lot of my recent
updates have been background characters that I basically invented, but
everybody I've worked on this time is an actual, bona fide
Transformers character with an official name and everything!
I've mentioned before that I really wanted to do a Marvel Comics
version of Soundwave. There's a certain sick and twisted irony to the
fact that he's the only Decepticon toy from 1984 who was actually
bright blue, so naturally he was the only one of these characters who
wasn't colored blue by Marvel. In addition to the new purple color
scheme, I fiddled with the pose and also constructed an alternate head
for him based on the way José Delbo tended to draw him. (If you get a
kick out of Transformers going around and saying "I'm Batman," this
should make you happy.) Check it out!
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_soundwave_marvel_comics_kitbash.html
I also did a version of Huffer in vehicle mode, towing Optimus Prime's
trailer as seen in the first-season episode "Heavy Metal War." Of
course, Huffer looks suspiciously like Optimus Prime in this scene, so
you can probably already guess which PVC figure I used as a basis for
this project. By the way, if the only version of the episode you've
ever seen is the Rhino DVD, then you've never seen this version of
Huffer before, because he wasn't in the early print of that episode!
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_huffer_vehicle_mode_repaint.html
Next up is a Guardian Robot, one of the defenders of Cybertron seen in
"War Dawn." They're similar in design to Omega Supreme, but I did
make a number of changes (including a completely new head sculpt) to
reflect the differences in design. I also put the figure in a
different pose to make it look more menacing. This figure also has a
detachable head with exposed internal components, just like the
headless Guardian Robot who appeared in the cartoon!
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_guardian_robot_kitbash.html
There were also earlier versions of these robots called Dark
Guardians, who were controlled by the Quintessons and used to keep the
slave robots in line, as seen in "Forever is a Long Time Coming." The
Dark Guardians had a completely different color scheme, and I also
rebuilt the toy and put it in a different pose so the two projects
wouldn't look identical to one another. Both pages have a comparison
shot with the Omega Supreme figure so you can see the changes I made.
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_dark_guardian_kitbash.html
Finally, I did a version of Starscream as he appears in the first-
season Beast Wars episode "Possession." All the robots on that show
looked like they were vacuum metalized, so I decorated Starscream in
metallic paint to try to emulate that look. I also modified the toy,
giving it new pivoting shoulder joints so he can assume the pose in
which he briefly appears in the episode. Believe it or not, the
animators actually used his Marvel Comics appearance as a reference
model!
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_starscream_beast_wars_repaint.html
I haven't uploaded the new files into a .zip file yet, but I'll do it
and post the link for anyone who asks, if they're having trouble
viewing the files on Fortunecity. If you've taken the time to click
the links and look at my projects, though, won't you please take
another extra minute or two and let me know what you think? I'd
appreciate it. Feedback of any kind makes me happy.
Zob
Onslaught Six
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_soundwave_marvel_comics_ki...
I've been waiting since you started doing PVC repaints for this.
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_huffer_vehicle_mode_repain...
Ha! Funky.
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_guardian_robot_kitbash.html
I always liked the fact that Omega Supreme in that ep just up and
decides to talk normally.
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_dark_guardian_kitbash.html
I wasn't aware these guys existed. Sweet.
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_starscream_beast_wars_repa...
I always found the fact that they coloured Starscream as if he's from
the comics funny here. It looks like his Decepticon symbols are red,
though, and he's got some blue on his launchers--but that could be the
screencap?
Chad Rushing
in life ... Hasbro, hire this guy as a redeco consultant!
I had never really thought about the fact that G1 Soundwave was purple
in the Marvel Comics series while he was blue on the TV show. Maybe,
I had just subconsciously given up on any TF character ever being the
right color in the comics, so it went right past me. If IDW was
smart, they would sell completely color-corrected versions of the
Marvel issues; I know I would buy them.
Also, I do not know what it is about the Guardian Robots and Dark
Guardians, but their animated depictions always looked kind of portly
to me, much "fatter" than Omega Supreme and almost like Crunch on
MIGHTY ORBOTS. Lastly, it always struck me as odd that Huffer and
Optimus had the same basic alt mode, but they were so vastly different
in size; go figure!
- Chad
SteveD
wrote:
>Lastly, it always struck me as odd that Huffer and
>Optimus had the same basic alt mode, but they were so vastly different
>in size; go figure!
There's also the similarity in size between Prime and Motormaster in robot
mode, despite the fact that Prime should come up to about MM's knee.
As a side thought, perhaps Prime's robot mode gets to be so large and
powerful because his trailer mass is sucked through subspace to his
interior, bulking him out. It might also mean that his robot mode is more
vulnerable when he's deployed his battle platform. No wonder we hardly
ever see it.
Why such a bizarre and inefficient transformation method? Who knows.
Perhaps Alpha Trion was one of the first bots to experiment with
subspace-based transformations, and Prime's something of a prototype.
It's almost a pity that the mass-changing and size-changing aspects of
transformation have never been thoroughly examined in canon. It would have
been interesting to learn about their history.
-SteveD
Zobovor
> There's also the similarity in size between Prime and Motormaster in robot
> mode, despite the fact that Prime should come up to about MM's knee.
> As a side thought, perhaps Prime's robot mode gets to be so large and
> powerful because his trailer mass is sucked through subspace to his
> interior, bulking him out.
We already know that Motormaster gets bigger when he combines with the
Stunticons into Menasor, so I'd be more likely to believe that
Motormaster is the one with size-changing capability, not Optimus
Prime. (If he can grow larger when he combines, there's no reason why
he couldn't get bigger when he turns into a vehicle, the same as
Astrotrain, Broadside, etc.)
Zob
Chad Rushing
>
> We already know that Motormaster gets bigger when he combines with the
> Stunticons into Menasor, so I'd be more likely to believe that
> Motormaster is the one with size-changing capability, not Optimus
> Prime. (If he can grow larger when he combines, there's no reason why
> he couldn't get bigger when he turns into a vehicle, the same as
> Astrotrain, Broadside, etc.)
I seem to recall a transformation scene for Motormaster in which his
"feet" grow bigger and become the cab as he goes from robot mode to
vehicle mode. Perhaps, someone who has watched through G1 more
recently than I have can confirm that recollection, or it might just
be wishful thinking on my part. Actually, it might have even been
Optimus when he was disguised as Motormaster in that one episode.
- Chad
Grüe
@c22g2000prc.googlegroups.com:
> Feedback of any kind makes me happy.
Beautiful projects all around!
I loved Starscreams bio! You need to add the trademark and regisered
symbols to the last line, though.
Grebo
when fellow fans overthink things? This is the coolest thing ever.
Keep it up, man! I love the observations about the Dark Guardians and
the Guardian Robots -- this is the kind of deep geekery that keeps me
coming back again and again, Zob! Your repaints and customizations are
beautiful, I just love looking at them and reading about them. I
especially enjoy that you have "illustrations" taken from the comics
and cartoon -- that really puts these entries over the top.
Say, what's the URL of the "index" to all your PVCs and other stuff? I
didn't see one when I poked around...
Grebo!
On Sep 28, 7:12 pm, Zobovor <zm...@aol.com> wrote:
> Sometimes there are projects that are on my to-do list for years until
> I finally muster up the time and inclination to work on them. A lot
> of the projects in this update have been in the works since at least
> 2006, if not earlier. Whether it was worth the wait is anybody's
> guess, of course, but here they are all the same. A lot of my recent
> updates have been background characters that I basically invented, but
> everybody I've worked on this time is an actual, bona fide
> Transformers character with an official name and everything!
>
> I've mentioned before that I really wanted to do a Marvel Comics
> version of Soundwave. There's a certain sick and twisted irony to the
> fact that he's the only Decepticon toy from 1984 who was actually
> bright blue, so naturally he was the only one of these characters who
> wasn't colored blue by Marvel. In addition to the new purple color
> scheme, I fiddled with the pose and also constructed an alternate head
> for him based on the way José Delbo tended to draw him. (If you get a
> kick out of Transformers going around and saying "I'm Batman," this
> should make you happy.) Check it out!
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_soundwave_marvel_comics_ki...
>
> I also did a version of Huffer in vehicle mode, towing Optimus Prime's
> trailer as seen in the first-season episode "Heavy Metal War." Of
> course, Huffer looks suspiciously like Optimus Prime in this scene, so
> you can probably already guess which PVC figure I used as a basis for
> this project. By the way, if the only version of the episode you've
> ever seen is the Rhino DVD, then you've never seen this version of
> Huffer before, because he wasn't in the early print of that episode!
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_huffer_vehicle_mode_repain...
>
> Next up is a Guardian Robot, one of the defenders of Cybertron seen in
> "War Dawn." They're similar in design to Omega Supreme, but I did
> make a number of changes (including a completely new head sculpt) to
> reflect the differences in design. I also put the figure in a
> different pose to make it look more menacing. This figure also has a
> detachable head with exposed internal components, just like the
> headless Guardian Robot who appeared in the cartoon!
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_guardian_robot_kitbash.html
>
> There were also earlier versions of these robots called Dark
> Guardians, who were controlled by the Quintessons and used to keep the
> slave robots in line, as seen in "Forever is a Long Time Coming." The
> Dark Guardians had a completely different color scheme, and I also
> rebuilt the toy and put it in a different pose so the two projects
> wouldn't look identical to one another. Both pages have a comparison
> shot with the Omega Supreme figure so you can see the changes I made.
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_dark_guardian_kitbash.html
>
> Finally, I did a version of Starscream as he appears in the first-
> season Beast Wars episode "Possession." All the robots on that show
> looked like they were vacuum metalized, so I decorated Starscream in
> metallic paint to try to emulate that look. I also modified the toy,
> giving it new pivoting shoulder joints so he can assume the pose in
> which he briefly appears in the episode. Believe it or not, the
> animators actually used his Marvel Comics appearance as a reference
> model!
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_starscream_beast_wars_repa...
Zobovor
> Omighod. These are totally awesome. Have I mentioned that I LOVE IT
> when fellow fans overthink things? This is the coolest thing ever.
> Keep it up, man! I love the observations about the Dark Guardians and
> the Guardian Robots -- this is the kind of deep geekery that keeps me
> coming back again and again, Zob! Your repaints and customizations are
> beautiful, I just love looking at them and reading about them.
You're officially my new best friend. Thanks for the kind words!
(Also, the check is in the mail.)
> I especially enjoy that you have "illustrations" taken from the comics
> and cartoon -- that really puts these entries over the top.
I've been waiting for somebody to point out that I've been cheating by
altering and reconstructing some of the images to suit my purposes.
Nobody's called me on it yet, though, so I guess nobody's noticed (he
says, his eyes darting around nervously).
> Say, what's the URL of the "index" to all your PVCs and other stuff? I
> didn't see one when I poked around...
Oh, sorry. I usually post it with the updates, but I forgot to do it
this time. Here's the index page for all my projects:
http://members.aol.com/zmfts/kitbashes.html
Zob
Thunder Magnificent!
t.k.
wii...@gmail.com
> I've mentioned before that I really wanted to do a Marvel Comics
> version of Soundwave. There's a certain sick and twisted irony to the
> fact that he's the only Decepticon toy from 1984 who was actually
> bright blue, so naturally he was the only one of these characters who
> wasn't colored blue by Marvel. In addition to the new purple color
> scheme, I fiddled with the pose and also constructed an alternate head
> for him based on the way José Delbo tended to draw him. (If you get a
> kick out of Transformers going around and saying "I'm Batman," this
> should make you happy.) Check it out!
>
> http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/pvc_soundwave_marvel_comics_ki...
> Zob
I'm pretty sure this is why Soundwave is purple in the comic:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Soundwavecommercial.jpg
Likewise, Starscream's "blue" chest can be explained with this:
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Starscreamg1early.jpg
--David
http://www.shortpacked.com
tomorrow4eva
> I loved Starscreams bio! You need to add the trademark and regisered
> symbols to the last line, though.
I thought that bio was fabulous too!
~tomorrow4eva
Onslaught Six
> Likewise, Starscream's "blue" chest can be explained with this:http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Starscreamg1early.jpg
Woah. That totally screws with my one theory that Skywarp and
Starscream's colour schemes were swapped at some early point.
See, Screamer and Thundy are the two Diaclone colour schemes. Very few
(if any?) of the 84 guys had major colour changes to their original
toys, like, for example, Hoist did. So Skywarp's got the new colour
scheme, which is pretty damned cool on its own. He's black!
But Starscream is the "major" Seeker, right? And Skywarp and
Starscream are known to have had their techspec numbers swapped.
Well...what if the bios were swapped too? Meaning Skywarp (the black
jet) was originally supposed to be the traitorous bastard and
Starscream was going to be the weakling with the teleportation
abilities. Now, clearly, the names don't make sense with that, but
Budiansky may have swapped the names or came up with Skywarp's name
'after' the colour schemes were swapped.
But this commercial sheds some damned new light on the situation.
What's even *more* interesting is that he's almost entirely Ramjet's
colour scheme. Is it at all possible that the team in charge of G2 was
aware of this? Nobody will ever know!
Autobus Prime
> http://members.aol.com/zmfts/kitbashes.html
Zob:
AOL Hometown has recently and rather abruptly been shutdown...you
might want to nab your
files at the Wayback Machine and move completely to Fortunecity or
something.
I just found this out when I was looking for your page today.
Cordially yours:
Autobus Prime
w/minicon Farebox.