Sometime around 2013 (or was it 2014) FansProject unveiled their wholly original design which just happened to tickle the fancy old Transformer collectors like myself. The Retro-Future series featured a ice age themed combiner group that when merged together formed Glacialord. It's as if these new figures could have been on the shelves of your local Toys 'R Us store back in the 80's.
I've been sitting on these figures for entirely too long. It's time to "let them breathe" so join me if you will as we take an indepth look at the "Glaciabots".
Next up is Tailclub, a Doedicurus. If you aren't familiar with that animal, don't worry as I didn't know what that was either. Apparently its an extinct relative of the Armadillo family. Before we get to the figure, let's take a closer look at the packaging. If you're a long time reader of the blog then you'll know I'm a fan of packaging. While I don't save toy packaging like I once did, there is just too much love put into this particular packaging for me to gloss over or to toss in the trash.
For starters you'll notice that the box has all sorts of "defects" worked into the design. From the crushed corner, worn edges, old tape or even water damage, these boxes are meant to look like they've seen their fair share of love over the years. The front of the box features a small window where you can see a portion of the toy. If you look through the window carefully you'll notice the figure is sitting inside a white block of styrofoam. Screw planet Earth, we've got styrofoam trays again!! A image of the blocky character is featured prominently on the right side.
On the back of the box we have a smaller image of Tailclub and how he forms the left leg/foot of Glacialord. More of the weathered look of the box can be seen on the back as well. While not pictured, the robot and alternate forms are shown on each side of the box.
After opening Tailclub I had a better idea of what I was getting into. Tailclub is more of the same...which is a good thing! The feel of the plastic is smooth and you can tell it's of a good quality. While the paint apps may be limited, they look great. Tailclub really is a brick...but that's a good thing...well that is if you are a fan of the original 80's Transformers. No ball joints here. Limited poseability, check. I do like how Glacialord's foot plate is integrated into the animal design. Accessories that are self contained on a action figure is a huge plus in my book.
Tailclub is now the third of the lot that I opened and he's just as great as the previous two. It's a shame that these toys ultimately didn't sell that well for FansProject as they are great. It was refreshing to see a third party company release something original in a sea of "reimagined" established characters. As of this post, many of the "Glaciabots" can be purchased at online retailers for a fraction of their original prices.
GLACIALORD:
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