Ceji G1 "Puffer" Pipes

It's been a while, hasn't it? The longest period of time between Transformers articles from me for almost a decade, but it's taken quite a gorgeous and special vintage Generation 1 Transformers item to inspire me to write again. Since returning exclusively to collecting vintage G1 Transformers toys, I inevitably gravitated back towards my variant G1 and pre-G1 roots, but obviously with a modest budget there's only so much one can afford. Finding the above Ceji G1 Pipes - given the fan name "Puffer" - in a mixed lot of junkers was a touch of the good old days for me, and worthy of an article.

Bluster and Trench - TFCon/AA exclusive (Mario/Luigi)

We saw the test shots, we saw them displayed at conventions, we've anticipated and heard the death knell, then the song of resurrection...finally they are here. Mech iDeas Bluster and Trench. Almost. While the Techno Toon Titans line from Mech iDeas are aimed at filling all the gaps that the cancellation of Transformers Animated left, inaugural release TTT-01G is actually a repaint of the moulds for Animated Huffer and Pipes. The Transformers Animated colours are to be released later this year, but the Mario and Luigi repaints exclusive to TFCon in Canada and Auto Assembly in England are out. Here's my short pictorial review. If you need some historical context, background, rationale and design analysis, you can read my article on the test shots here.

Mech Ideas Bluster and Trench - Article Teaser

Thursday night (tomorrow) will see me publish an article on TFSource Blog about the upcoming 3rd party Mech Ideas Techno Toon Titans "Bluster" and "Trench". In layman's terms, they are the unofficial Transformers Animated versions of Huffer and Pipes as seen in the Allspark Almanacs and also in a brief scene in the 3rd season of the Animated cartoon itself. If these figures are successful - and I desperately hope they are - it could signal a way for TF Animated lovers to finally get their hands on unofficial versions of the unproduced and unused characters they have been so cruelly teased with by the creators of the show. Speaking of teasers, here are some of the pictures from tomorrow night's article to whet your appetite. Enjoy!