Not a Haitus...

...Just a long delay, partly due to having been rather busy with work over these last few month, and partly because I haven't felt particularly motivated to churn through the mountain of drafts this blog has accrued. I might decide to put a hold on them and focus on getting newer stuff up, with a view to getting some of the older stuff done afterward, or in between.

I've picked up loads more TransFormers: Prime stuff recently, including two First Editions - Bulkhead and Arcee - which are about all I'm interested in for the time being. For those who are curious, the full list of Prime toys in my possession is:

Autobots: Arcee, First Edition Arcee, First Edition Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Sergeant Kup, Ultra Magnus, Wheeljack
Decepticons: Airachnid, Knockout, Megatron, Vehicon (x2), Rumble, Skyquake, Soundwave, Starscream

It kind of puzzles me that the Autobots outnumber the Decepticons so far, when the TV show has portrayed the opposite situation since TF: Animated at the very least... but, again, I am completely dumbfounded by Hasbro's decision to shortpack Vehicon. Also, granted, I have two versions of Arcee... but I'd also have two versions of Starscream if it weren't for the fact that I'm actually quite happy with the mainline Voyager release.

I'm still not convinced by the 'Poweriser' gimmick - I can see several ways to have integrated a similar thing (albeit without the LED) into the main toy rather than having an oversized extra part, but I have to keep reminding myself that these things are for kids...

The upcoming 'Beast Hunters' subline looks a bit pointless to me... none of the Predacons look worthwhile - garish and silly-looking monsters that they are - and the upgraded Autobots (including yet another Bumblebee) seem like a waste of time, considering the show models aren't going to change. According to the December/January issue of the Official TransFormers Collectors' Club newsletter, the moment someone (at Hasbro) suggested bringing beasts back into the TransFormers line, everyone was enthusiastic and excited. I guess I can understand that... but wouldn't it be nice to have some context for it in the story, rather than just "the return of the Predacons, thought to have become extinct long ago..." Why not complete the TF: Prime arc, then borrow the title of the Japanese reissue line - Beast Wars Returns/Reborn - for a new toyline in a couple of years, giving the toy designers some time to think it through properly?

I've made a start photographing some of my new purchases, but the other thing about this time of year is that the light is terrible... On a good day, I get maybe ten minutes of useful daylight, and there haven't been many good days, weather-wise.

Just to forwarn, I'll be working full time for a while from early January, so it may take a while to get back into the swing of things.