Transformers 3rd Party: FansProject - Tailclub

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.

The block of styrofoam carefully cradles the figure, weapon and mini-figure...which is actually Tailclub according to the included instructions...more on that later. Inside the little baggie is a G1 like instruction manual and a partially used sticker sheet. This is an odd touch, but I see how it fits into the whole package. I was a little frustrated however that the instructions don't include a sticker layout. While there are only a few stickers for you to actually apply, it would've been nice to have confirmation of where the stickers went. Thankfully it's pretty easy to find the pre-applied stickers and match up the others.

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.

The mini-figure comes sealed on a small blister card and is labeled "Tailclub". I'm assuming this means the rhinoceros is a non-sentient robot and controlled by Tailclub? Doesn't really matter to me as I like the gimmick...reminds me of some of the later Japanese exclusive G1 Transformers.

Creatively there is a small door on the footplate hat slides open to allow Razorspike to be inserted for "beast rider" mode...call it whatever you will.

I'm not exactly sure what you'd call these mini-figures. They aren't quite Headmasters. They aren't quite Brainmasters. They aren't quite Breastmasters either...however they share similarities (sort of) of all 3. Tailclub's legs fold forward forming a small cube. Then the mini-figure is inserted into the cavity of the newly transformed robot.

Tailclub's head is now the head of the larger robot. If the small, square head looks familiar it's because it's designed after many of the original G1 Transformer combiners. Small and undersized for the body, yet still awesome. The toy stands about 4.5 inches tall. Robot mode features very limited articulation. The arms move up and down and that is about it.

The beast head attaches to the tail piece to create even a larger weapon. The foot piece doubles as a shield. Overall Razorspike has a great looking form and would blend in well with any G1 combiner collection.

As shown on the back of the box, Tailclub forms the right leg/foot of the combined Glacialord. The robot's chest rotates forward to reveal a small square shaped peg that allows the leg/foot to be connected to Glacialord's torso, Tusker.

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: 

Fangro

Razorspike

Transformers 3rd Party: FansProject - Razorspike

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".

First up is Razorspike, a rhinoceros. 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 Razorspike and how he forms the right 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.

The block of styrofoam carefully cradles the figure, weapon and mini-figure...which is actually Razorspike according to the included instructions...more on that later. Inside the little baggie is a G1 like instruction manual and a partially used sticker sheet. This is an odd touch, but I see how it fits into the whole package. I was a little frustrated however that the instructions don't include a sticker layout. While there are only a few stickers for you to actually apply, it would've been nice to have confirmation of where the stickers went. Thankfully it's pretty easy to find the pre-applied stickers and match up the others.

After opening Razorspike I had a better idea of what I was getting into. Razorspike 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. Razorspike 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.

The mini-figure comes sealed on a small blister card and is labeled "Razorspike". I'm assuming this means the rhinoceros is a non-sentient robot and controlled by Razorspike? Doesn't really matter to me as I like the gimmick...reminds me of some of the later Japanese exclusive G1 Transformers.

Creatively there is a small door on the footplate hat slides open to allow Razorspike to be inserted for "beast rider" mode...call it whatever you will.

I'm not exactly sure what you'd call these mini-figures. They aren't quite Headmasters. They aren't quite Brainmasters. They aren't quite Breastmasters either...however they share similarities (sort of) of all 3. Razorspike's legs fold forward forming a small cube. Then the mini-figure is inserted into the cavity of the newly transformed robot.

Razorspike's head is now the head of the larger robot. If the small, square head looks familiar it's because it's designed after many of the original G1 Transformer combiners. Small and undersized for the body, yet still awesome. The toy stands about 4.5 inches tall. Robot mode features very limited articulation. The arms move up and down and that is about it. The beast head doubles as a weapon while the foot piece doubles as a shield. Overall Razorspike has a great looking form and would blend in well with any G1 combiner collection.

As shown on the back of the box, Razorspike forms the right leg/foot of the combined Glacialord. The robot's chest rotates forward to reveal a small square shaped peg that allows the leg/foot to be connected to Glacialord's torso, Tusker.

Razorspike is now the second of the lot that I opened and he's just as great as the first. 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: 

Fangro

Tailclub

Transformers 3rd Party: FansProject - Fangro

 

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".

First up is Fangro, a sabertooth lion. 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 Fangro and how he forms the left arm 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.

The block of styrofoam carefully cradles the figure, weapon and mini-figure...which is actually Fangro according to the included instructions...more on that later. Inside the little baggie is a G1 like instruction manual and a partially used sticker sheet. This is an odd touch, but I see how it fits into the whole package. I was a little frustrated however that the instructions don't include a sticker layout. While there are only a few stickers for you to actually apply, it would've been nice to have confirmation of where the stickers went. Thankfully it's pretty easy to find the pre-applied stickers and match up the others.

I was immediately impressed with Fangro as I pulled him out of his block of styrofoam. 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. Fangro 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. 

The mini-figure comes sealed on a small blister card and is labeled "Fangro". I'm assuming this means the sabretooth tiger is a non-sentient robot and controlled by Fangro? Doesn't really matter to me as I like the gimmick...reminds me of some of the later Japanese exclusive G1 Transformers.

Creatively there is a small door on the back of the tiger that slides open to allow Fangro to be inserted for "beast rider" mode...call it whatever you will.

I'm not exactly sure what you'd call these mini-figures. They aren't quite Headmasters. They aren't quite Brainmasters. They aren't quite Breastmasters either...however they share similarities (sort of) of all 3. Fangro's legs fold forward forming a small cube. Then the mini-figure is inserted into the cavity of the newly transformed robot.

Fangro's head is now the head of the larger robot. If the small, square head looks familiar it's because it's designed after many of the original G1 Transformer combiners. Small and undersized for the body, yet still awesome. The toy stands about 4.5 inches tall. Robot mode features very limited articulation. The arms move up and down and that is about it. I should mention the sabretooth tiger head is meant to be integrated with the hand gun. Overall Fangro has a great looking form and would blend in well with any G1 combiner collection.

As shown on the back of the box, Fangro forms the left arm of the combined Glacialord. The fist is included with Tusker. The robot's chest rotates forward to reveal a small square shaped peg that allows the arm to be connected to Glacialord's torso, Tusker.

Fangro is the first of the lot that I opened and I was having so much fun with this figure that it was hard to put him down and move onto the next. 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: 

Razorspike

Tailclub

Transformers 3rd Party: Vecma Studios - Head Warrior Wolfman VS-02

It seems that over the past few years the focus on 3rd party companies making Transformer related items has shifted from "masterpiece" scale over to "legends" scale. I for one am OK with this as generally the prices are more affordable and the figures are easier to pick up and fiddle with versus the more expensive and larger figures.

Vecma Studio appears to be yet another new company on the 3rd party Transformers scene, however I would not be surprised if it's an offshoot of another existing company. I don't know much about them, but Wolfman is the second purchase of theirs I've made and I'm quite impressed and happy with their work. Whether these are essentially KO's of Unique Toys' Palm Collection I'm still undecided, but the resemblance is uncanny.

One thing I like about these Vecma releases are the packaging. The box is made of a thick, glossy cardboard and features the classic Headmasters packaging from the Japanese Takara releases from the 80's. I know some people no longer keep packaging, but this presentation is just too nice to toss away. With the nice artwork on the front I'd love to find a way to display the box with my other vintage Japanese G1 boxes.

The contents are housed in a black plastic tray with a clear lid. The instructions are a simple folded, full color sheet. Wolfman comes with 3 accessories/weapons along with what appears to be a tiny power loader from the Alien movies. I still don't understand the inclusion of this so I'm basically ignoring it.

Once I got the figure out of the packaging I was impressed. I did notice that the right toe had a slit in the plastic that the other toe didn't. Then I realized the uneven symmetry of the legs. Once I flipped the figure over I understood the reason for the legs as I could see the "cockpit" on the backside of one leg and the rear wolf legs on the backside of the other leg. This was my first clue of the rather clever transformation this figure had.

Overall Vecma did a good job at capturing the likeness of the character. The yellow and dark turquoise used match the original Generation One toy. You'll see this first hand once we get to the comparison section of the review. 

The Headmaster gimmick is still in play!

This figure is well articulated, however you may not be able to tell that from my horrible posing ability. The area where the head plugs into is part of larger circle piece. This allows the head to be fully rotated which is something that I did not expect. The arms are on ball joints and allows for a full 360 degree rotation. The upper torso has a swivel joint to allow the top half to be rotated 360 degrees. The legs are attached to the hips via ball joints, as are the needs. The upper thighs have a swivel joint as well. The fists and feet do not have any type of joint to allow movement.

Wolfman comes with his dark turquoise gun and sword/tail as the original G1 toy. He also comes with an identical gun case in the same light gray plastic as the wolf head.

In wolf mode this figure reminded me of how the Titans Return/Legends figure of Weirdwolf. He's very slender in this form which is a drastic difference over the original G1 toy. The robot arms double as the wolf's front legs so you still have a pretty good range of motion. However the back hips peg into the body so they do not move. This does limit the poses you can pull off with the rear legs. The wolf head does rotate a full 360 degrees as part of the transformation.

Speaking of the transformation, I rather like what they did here. Earlier I mentioned how I found the symmetry of the robot legs to be off. This is because the right leg splits in half. Before you split the leg, you rotate the top half at the waist 180 degrees. Split the right leg to form the rear of the wolf. Very ingenious. The only down side to this is it does leave a few small gaps in the center of the wolf's body. Viewing the toy in beast mode from an angle doesn't expose these gaps, but from a side view they are noticeable.

You can lift up the metallic red painted cockpit to reveal an area behind the wolf's head where his Headmaster trainer, Albite can sit (or stand if you prefer).

All the joints were nice and tight straight out of the package. Thankfully they weren't so tight it felt like anything would snap during posing or transformation, but they were tight enough to hold certain poses.

Comparison time! I was able to reach into my glass case and grab out my vintage G1 Weirdwolf for the side by side shots. Wow, I haven't messed with this figure in years. While he was my favorite Decepticon Headmaster I have to say that if I'm being honest this figure really isn't that great. Once I got the two side by side you can see just how chucky the G1 version is. It is amazing however to see how far the engineering of transforming robot toys has come.

   

Here we can see the differences between the two Headmaster trainers, Albite and Monzo. For being such a small figure, I was surprised at how well he was resembled Monzo. Albite's arms are on the same peg so when you lift one arm, both arms raise. 

In head mode there are some liberties taken with the face, but I'm OK with this. A darker metallic red paint was used for the eye visor and looks great. The other noticeable difference is the absence of the flat pieces of plastic just in front of the tiny robot head/peg that effects the tech spec reader built into the body.

I do have to admit that I'm not a fan of Wolfman's chest piece featuring a hinge on the top. Of note the tech spec ratings are the same as Weirdwolf's.

 Here you can see the aforementioned gaps in the body.

This is Vecma Studio's second release thus far, with the first being Chivalrouser VS-01 aka Chromedome. While I found that figure to have less flaws than Wolfman, that does not mean that this isn't a good figure. Personally I think the robot mode is the stronger of the two forms. The flaws are so small however that they shouldn't deter you from picking up this figure if you have a budding legends class collection. It's well made and a lot of fun and will display well however you wish.