News/Updates 

Today marks the beginning of the second year of this weblog. Hit-or-miss occasionally, but it has now been a full year since I launched this section.

Coincidentally, I also just recieved my copy of Theater Hopper: Year Two. Although it lacks the individual sketch option of the first book, it is still signed by the author plus it even improves on a couple of other fronts. First, Tom Brazelton really started hitting his groove here, and Year Two contains many of my all-time favorite Theater Hopper strips. Second, the incentive sketches (83 total by my count) are a really nice touch. The page count is also up from Year One, weighing in at 216 pages compared to the earlier 192. The forward and guest strip sections remain, and the overall quality of the book is excellent. If I could make one request, I wish they were double-packed. I know it would add another cost, but the mail service between Iowa and New York isn't always delicate and both of my books got a little roughed up in transit. Not bad, but a plastic baggie would have kept them near-perfect. Still, I'm glad I picked up both and highly encourage everyone else who enjoys the comic (or movies in general) to do the same.

Both books are currently available at theaterhopper.com for $18 and $15, or you can buy them together for just $25.

The third panel is priceless; anyone who's ever built a model needs to read this strip. You can start with the beginning of this story arc here.

Also, I just added the 2004 Justice League Parade Car to the diecast review section.

It's a banner day for the wheels 'n windshields set: both Cars and Transformers The Movie: 20th Anniversary Special Edition came out today!

Hawk models has launched their site for Lindberg kits, http://www.lindberg-models.com/.

This model was a great testbed for several new ideas that I had been wanting to try out, plus it allowed me to work on some techniques that I don't get to practice too often (like two-toned paint jobs). With all of the modifications I made, the hood was actually the only problem area. It wasn't even the vents: those went in perfectly on the first try. No, all of the problems came from the usually simple process of trying to get a decent coat of paint on it. I ended up stripping and repainting it about eight times in the end. Still, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - it might not be the most beautiful car on the planet, but I've always liked the oddball design of the Sierra/XR4Ti.

This was something I've been toying with for a while now, and finally decided to go ahead with it. There are a lot of good diecast reviews out there, but not too many that focus on 1/24 scale cars. I thought I could boost that somewhat, plus introduce other collectors to cars that they might not be familiar with (as my own collection has a few oddballs in it). I'm also open to any suggestions; so if you have any ideas for future reviews, or ways that I could improve the reviews, be sure to let me know.

Revell has just posted a bunch of new non-kit stuff to their site, including tools, apparel, and my favorite:



A license plate frame for you 1:1 car! You can check out their store here.

Today's addition marks two new milestones: the first Transformers: Cybertron replica, and the first Decepticon replica. I kind of figured Scourge or one of the Stunticons would be first, but then a combination of picking up the figure and seeing Jada's Dodge Magnum set a new course for me. It was pretty fun project, giving me a chance to do some freehand work as well as practicing my Bare Metal Foil skills. You can see Cannonball in his pirate-inspired glory here.

When you pick up the current issue of Scale Auto Magazine, be sure to check out the "Tips" section. In it, they printed the Tip of the Month on how to scratchbuild a set of air horns. Thanks, guys!

From the HobbyTalk forums:

1/25 Display Case with Chrome Base
1/25 Display Case with Chrome Base 2-Pack
'Â’35 Auburn Convertible
'Â’31 Bugatti Royale Victoria
'Â’61 Chevy Impala Convertible
'Â’66 Chevy Chevelle Hardtop
Chrysler Atlantic Concept Car
'Â’37 Cord Convertible
'Â’64 Dodge 330
'’64 Dodge Super Stocker (Bill '“Maverick'” Golden)
'Â’64 Dodge Super Stocker (Ramchargers)
'Â’64 Dodge Super Stocker (Color Me Gone)
'Â’69 Dodge L-700 Tilt Cab
'Â’69 Dodge L-700 Tilt Cab with Flatbed Trailer
'Â’97 Dodge Dakota Sport Pickup
'Â’07 Dodge Charger Super Bee
Dodge Dakota Sport Pickup '“Raminator'” Monster Truck
Dodge '“Little Red Wagon'” Wheelstander (Bill '“Maverick'” Golden)
'Â’10 Ford Model T (1/16)
'Â’25 Ford Coupe Tall T S/R (1/27)
'Â’32 Ford Closed Cab Pickup Street Rod (Lindberg tool)
'Â’34 Ford Roadster Pickup Street Rod (Lindberg tool)
'Â’34 Ford Pickup 3 in 1 (AMT tool)
'Â’34 Ford Pickup/Stake Truck/Wrecker (AMT tool)
'Â’40 Ford Coupe, stock, custom or police
'Â’53 Ford Victoria Hardtop
'Â’53 Ford Convertible
'Â’53 Ford Convertible Indy Pace Car
'Â’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car - Georgia
'Â’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car - North Carolina
'Â’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car - Alabama
'Â’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car - California
'Â’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car - Tennessee
'’96 Ford Crown Victoria 4 Door Sedan Patrol Car '– Generic with several light options
'Â’97 Ford F-150 Flareside 4X4 Pickup
'Â’97 Ford F-150 Off-Road 4X4 Pickup
Ford T Pickup Street Rod
'Â’48 Lincoln Continental
'Â’29 Mercedes Benz SSK Roadster
'Â’64 Plymouth Belvedere (Richard Petty)

I've been kicking around the idea of offering diecast reviews on the site for a while now, and have decided to go ahead with it starting November 1st. These will be different from what you might see elsewhere in that I'll be doing reviews almost exclusively of 1/24 scale vehicles, and will also include older & unusual cars. You can get a sneak peak of the new section here, and if you have any thought or suggestions, be sure to send me an e-mail.

From the Scale Auto Magazine forums:

AMT:
1/25 '58 Chevy Impala W/JL Car
1/25 '60 Chevy Corvette
1/25 '69 Chevy Camaro
1/25 '75 Chevy Blazer
1/25 '86 Chevy El Camino
1/25 '28 Ford Woody Pickup
1/25 '53 Ford "Double Flip" Tk
1/25 '68 Dodge Coronet
1/25 '70 Dodge Charger W/JL Car
1/25 '69 Dodge Daytona W/JL Car
1/25 '69 Pontiac Firebird W/JL Car
1/25 '07 Dodge Challenger, NT
1/25 '07 Ford Mustang, NT
1/25 '94 GMC Sonoma
1/25 '71 Mercury Spoiler
1/25 '70 Plymouth 'Cuda
1/25 Pontiac GTO Hard Top
1/25 Super Judge GTO Funny Car

Revell:
1/25 Aerovette
1/24 '70 Buick GSX 2-N-1
1/25 '87 Buick Grand National
1/24 Cadillac Escalade EXT
1/24 Cadillac STS-V
1/25 '41 Chevy Pickup
1/25 '55 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop
1/25 '55 Chevy Pro Sportsman
1/12 '57 Chevy Hardtop 2-N-1
1/25 '58 Chevy Impala 2-N-1
1/25 '63 Chevy Impala SS 2-N-1
1/25 '65 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 Z-16 2-N-1
1/25 '66 Chevy El Camino 2-N-1
1/25 '67 Chevy Corvette Coupe 2-N-1
1/25 '69 Chevy Camaro SS 427, 427 L
1/24 '70 Chevy Chevelle 2-N-1
1/25 '86 Chevy Monte Carlo SS 2-N-1
1/25 '99 Chevy Silverado Custom Pickup
1/25 '99 Chevy Silverado Pickup
1/25 Chevy SSR
1/25 '07 #24 DuPont Monte Carlo
1/25 '07 #48 Lowes Monte Carlo
1/24 Chrysler 300C Hemi SRT8
1/25 Dodge Charger SRT8
1/24 Ferrari Super America
1/25 '29 Ford Pickup Street Rod 3-N-1
1/24 '30 Ford Woody Street Rod
1/25 '34 Ford Street Rod1/24 '71 Plymouth Barracuda Street Machine
1/24 '37 Ford Coupe Street Rod
1/25 '48 Ford Convertible
1/25 '64 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
1/24 '69 Ford Talladega
1/25 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning
1/25 '77 Jeep CJ-7 Renegade 2-N-1
1/25 '49 Mercury Custom Coupe 2-N-1
1/24 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda
1/24 '69 Pontiac GTO
1/24 '91 Pontiac Firebird 2-N-1
1/24 Porsche Slant Nose
1/25 The Baron
1/25 ZZZZZ-28

Some really nice potential, though as always these lists are subject to multiple changes.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - October 17, 2006 - The Franklin Mint, once the world's largest collectibles maker but now engaged in a battle against changing consumer tastes, was sold to a group of private investors.

A group led by executives from Hicksville, N.Y.-based The Morgan Mint bought The Franklin Mint from Roll International Corp., a privately held firm based in Los Angeles. The new ownership group includes Hollywood producer David Salzman, who describes himself as "at times, an out-of-control collector of stuff."

M. Moshe Malamud, chairman of The Morgan Mint, and Steven Sisskind, the coin and stamp marketing company's chief executive, will hold the same positions at the Franklin Mint, which will be moved out of its current headquarters west of Philadelphia.

Read the full article here

When MEGATRON said, "It's over Prime," he had it all wrong. On November 7 th , the home entertainment group of SONY BMG Music Entertainment pulls out all the stops for the 20th Anniversary of the pop culture phenomenon TRANSFORMERS: The Movie with the explosive release of the two-disc TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20 th Anniversary Special Edition DVD.

This new DVD marks the return of the out-of-this world animated big screen bonanza that catapulted the likes of OPTIMUS PRIME, MEGATRON, STARSCREAM, SOUNDWAVE and even the DINOBOTS into pop culture icons. The TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20 th Anniversary Special Edition DVD will be packed with premium features and behind-the-scenes footage developed with input by and for TRANSFORMERS fans across the country.

For the 20 th Anniversary Special Edition, Sony BMG Home Entertainment completely remastered and color-corrected the film. The Autobots and Decepticons fight for universal domination in three distinct versions:

•  16X9 WIDESCREEN PRESENTATION ? which has not been seen anywhere since the movie was in theaters 20 years ago.
•  AUTOBOT MATRIX OF KNOWLEDGE PRESENTATION ? Truly showcasing the pop culture phenomenon that is THE TRANSFORMERS, SONY BMG has created a special version of the film for the DVD release. The Autobot Matrix of Knowledge will feature trivia and fun facts about the movie itself, the TRANSFORMERS brand, and the pop culture references in which TRANSFORMERS has been spoofed/tributed.

Over 100 fun facts will show up on screen throughout the movie. Many of the factoids were provided by fans through a special DVD site created by Sony BMG to solicit input -- marking the first time that the huge TRANSFORMERS fan base has ever been asked to participate in the creation of a TRANSFORMERS home entertainment release.

FULL SCREEN EDITION

Adding to the excitement for this DVD, Sony BMG Music Entertainment has partnered with Paramount Pictures to provide a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at next summer's highly anticipated TRANSFORMERS live action movie event. The special feature segment includes comments from Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg who share their vision and passion for TRANSFORMERS.

TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD will take viewers further inside this cult favorite than ever before through three all-new exclusive featurettes with director Nelson Shin, story consultant Flint Dille, Sue Blu (the voice of fan-favorite female TRANSFORMER, Arcee) and producers Tom Griffin and Joe Bacal. First-time-ever audio commentaries will feature Nelson, Flint and Sue ? as well as a special fan audio commentary.

To further commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the film, SONY BMG is providing fans with some extra-celebratory content that lets them track back to the true origins of the TRANSFORMERS. After careful consideration and preparation, Sony BMG has scoured the archives for the best TRANSFORMERS-related footage available ? i ncluding the original commercials for the toy line and movie ? allowing viewers to see how and where the phenomenon began.

SONY BMG is also including some very special and rare footage; highlighted by three items previously unreleased in the U.S. These never-before-released special features will now contain exclusive audio commentaries. Specially included are the infamous 20-minute Scramble City original animated episode from Japan , a promo trailer for TRANSFORMERS: The Movie and test/alternative/deleted footage from the film. Also on this one-of-a-kind DVD will be never-before-released animated storyboards and a DVD-ROM link to exclusive content.

Beyond the actual DVD content, Sony BMG Home Entertainment is expanding the DVD's collectibility to the packaging itself. A collectible, limited-edition lenticular cover will adorn the front of the TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20 th Anniversary Special Edition DVD. The company commissioned fan-favorite artist Don Figueroa to create the imagery for this special lenticular cover.

Through his much-heralded work with TRANSFORMERS, Don's art brings to life the characters so many have grown to love. In one image, Optimus Prime is appropriately situated in a position of prominence. Joining the Autobot leader are Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream, Blaster and more of the most popular TRANSFORMERS characters. The second "transforming" image, Hot Rod - as he transforms into Rodimus Prime - is grasping the Matrix of Leadership as it lights the Autobots' darkest hour. Above, Unicron begins to destruct, while Galvatron, Arcee and Springer look on.

"The TRANSFORMERS franchise continues to thrive across multiple platforms, and we are excited to celebrate this pop culture phenomenon with a compelling new DVD tribute," said Jim Wilson, Executive Vice President, General Manager of Home Entertainment for SONY BMG . "By teaming with TRANSFORMERS fans, we have developed an exclusive product with premium content and special features that will be sure to attract fans of all ages."

TRANSFORMERS: The Movie features the voice of Orson Welles in his final role, as well as stars Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, Robert Stack, John Moschitta, Peter Cullen, and Frank Welker. The DVD also features a winning soundtrack featuring the iconic theme "The TRANSFORMERS" performed by Lion, and the popular "The Touch," performed by Stan Bush. The movie, set in 2005, chronicles the efforts of the heroic Autobots to defend their home of Cybertron from the evil Decepticons and Unicron, a huge robotic creature that devours planets.

For information and updates on TRANSFORMERS: The Movie 20 th Anniversary Special Edition DVD log onto www.TRANSFORMERSthemovieDVD.com.

Outgoing Links
Official Site - http://www.transformersthemoviedvd.com
Media Player - http://www.transformersthemoviedvd.com/mediaplayer/
Official Transformers Soundboard - http://www.transformersthemoviedvd.com/soundboard/
Submit your content and win with the Transformers TagWorld Page - http://www.tagworld.com/transformers

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