As many of you have probably seen, we now have pics of the Japanese TF Animated toys. (Available for preorder at the greatness of bigbadtoystore.com!)

Let me just say… YIKES. The chrome-ish paint jobs are just horrific. HORRIFIC. I suppose this is confirmation that the original releases were perfection. I mean, what else could you do with them? Add more paint apps? Alter their colors slightly?

It’s always nice to see when things are done right the first time. And always nice when the “Things Are Always Better on the East Side” argument takes a blow.

So the location of the 2010 Botcon is now all over the internets. If I may use meaningless executive jargon… it’s a game changer.

Disney World!

The reaction has been unbelievable. Old fans are revitalized and Botcon is back to being The Event You Can’t Miss. Why Disney was chosen doesn’t really matter. Maybe the economy pushed prices down to a reasonable level for FunPub. Maybe FunPub felt the need for a shake up.

Whatever the case, this is a grand occasion. Especially as our little fandom grows older and somewhat wealthier. Although you can argue that being a young adult/couple with kids is not easiest time to spend big money on a vacation.

But for those who CAN afford to go, this just feels… right.

All that’s left is the rampant speculation on the “lost” toyline/continuity that will grace the convention toys.

P.S. Can I get the Beast Wars voice cast to show up and read a Winnie the Poo book?



I think my new #1 favorite TF toyline is Animated. Officially replacing Transmetals.

What separates these two lines from the rest? Consistent excellence. Virtually every toy is a winner. In fact, the only toy I DON’T like in Animated (besides Bumblebee) is Sentinel Prime. He’s just… off. Too small and he doesn’t nail the characterization like the others. Bumblebee gets a pass because his upcoming toy looks to be a vastly superior replacement.

But other than that? GOLD. My only wish was for a real combiner. Safeguard doesn’t count. I’m talkin’ Menasor, Superion, Computron or Predaking.

At least I can dream.

You know what a movie studio covets most these days? Comic movies. Summer tentpoles that come nicely packaged with pre-written stories, dedicated fans and dramatic flair for the uninitiated.

Funny… that describes videogame properties as well.

And yet videogame movies remain arguably the worst genre of movies ever created. Why? Perhaps it’s because they’re treated exactly the OPPOSITE of comic movies. Take Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Iron Man. All three were created with the highest respect for source material. And all largely stayed within the boundaries of “believability” for fans of these heros.

Not so with videogame movies. Take your pick. Other than Mortal Kombat, virtually all are created with little respect to the original games’ visions. Resident Evil, Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros., etc. All flops on the grandest scale. And yet they had fanatical fanbases, adequate to very good mythos and huge brand equity BEFORE a script was ever written.

All of which should have guaranteed at least modest success and fair storytelling. But no. The movies wildly diverged from everything that made the games popular. Again I ask, why? Why shouldn’t videogames be so easy to make? Why NOT make Resident Evil The Movie the live-action realization of the first game? Why not accept Super Mario has no business BEING live-action?

Some will argue that videogame movies need to be “polished” by Hollywood to be accepted by a mass audience. And that game players don’t want to see a storyline they’ve played retold on screen. I disagree.

Games worthy of a movie have proven that their fiction has massive, lasting appeal. And great stories don’t get old. Especially when told on the big screen. Just like comic movies have proven, stay true to the source and good things happen. 

So here’s hoping someday Hollywood will see the light. That dreadful flicks like Resident Evil: Extinction are replaced by the ACTUAL RESIDENT EVIL STORIES. That Super Mario spends 90 minutes of CG glory in the Mushroom Kingdom and that Hollywood gives the world what they ACTUALLY love. Instead of what Hollywood thinks they SHOULD love.

As with many blogs, this first post is a test. So move on. Nothing to see here.