Botcon 05 report...

Find it here:

http://www.karmicsalt.com/bc05report.html

A bit long winded...not for those who just want the straight-up facts (I like to talk about everything I
did so I can remember it years later).


http://www.karmicsalt.com/bc05pics.html

Pics of several things.... I took even more but tried to cut it down to the most interesting ones (I have a film camera and scanning this stuff takes forever). Also, botcon.com has pics of stuff like the Hasbro booth, so I figured why bother rehashing that stuff again? (If anybody wants to save/DL my pics, please feel free to do so. They eat a lot of space on the site and I won't be able to keep them up forever).

- Thunder

New Tshirt Avery Design Pro Files

I recently completed this new design for TransMasters Tshirts. The below images link directly to my Avery Design Pro versions. The text uses TF fonts that are widely available online. I left a 1/2 inch more than the 1/2 inch margin on the right side so if you wanted you could put your TransMasters character name vertically. I figure Hasbro shouldn't blow a gasket for just outline representations, crossing my circuits there. I attempted to keep to our symbol colors in case in the future we decide to actually try to get them printed up through a screen process. Feel free to tweak the colors if you just want to use an iron on anyway.

You might want to use the right-click, save target as option to download the files to your hard drive. Tell me what you think?

Introducing...TransMasters E-Cards

Well after playing with the code for two nights I have finally gotten it right. Here is a new service to all you TransMasters and anyone else who you think will enjoy this: http://pws.internet49.com/phelpscomp/ecards/index.html

There's a POV RAY image of the Matrix I made, A picture of Apex Prime kicking Overlord while blasting Black Zarack, The next two pictures I entered into BotCon2004's Art Contest and Auction. "Can't Get That Itch" was titled that way because I have Kicker using the Energon Sword to scratch his back (though you might not notice unless it was pointed out to you), "G1-Energon Rhettro" was an attempt to recreate the classic G1 poster using Energon characters. This one actually sold at BotCon, so all I have of it were a few digital pics I took before I went.

OK, In the Miscellaneous catagory is a character that is actually based on a toy I bought from Grocery Outlet, but later sold. For a while I created some of my own Transformer type characters, first called Cyber-Roids but I decided later to rename them Phasers. This is one of my Medieval Phasers, Leo. The very first time my fair let in 3D computer art I won a first prize with this picture.

Hopefully we can put some more pictures up for this kind of thing. Thanks.

Fw: CD

----- Original Message -----
From: "L. E."
To: <pierrimus@internet49.com>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 12:56 PM
Subject: RE: CD

You are taking all the medias that Tony is sending to you and putting them on CD for all to see? That is a massive undertaking! Understatement of the year, I'm sure. Still wow, just wow. Kudos, big effing huge kudos. If you want to put in TransAction and Overlord II that'd be great. You have my permission to copy them as printed. TransAction is mixed media and so is Overlord II, just so you know ahead of time.

Oh and if you need to borrow any of my BotCon tapes let me know (which reminds me I have to contact the guy that borrowed them off me). Let me know when you get the first CD going, love to see how it comes out.
---------------------------------
I received the above here from Liane Elliot about her medias today and I think you will all be pleased to hear I have the green light for thier inclusion on the CDROM.

Transformers Media

Have any of you been listening to the TF WIRE (Stands for TF Week In REview) Podcasts? I've been downloading the .mp3 versions whenever I get the chance to visit my friend that has the cable modem. They tend to focus mostly on toy news right now, giving their oppinions of the BotCon exclusive set, the Legends of Cybertron toys, etc. You can get their .mp3 files at: http://tfrollout.com/podcast/index.html These are not small, about 30-40 MB files.

I was wondering if you were interested in this type of media commentary, video files or those comics that are created by people who take digital pictures of their toys in various positions? Ie. Generation Dumb. Not sure how often I might be able to come up with the audio or video files, but I now have an all-in-wonder video card and have sucessfully digitized video from my camcorder. Are their other types of media that you might be interested in? Let me know. Thanks.

CAN SPAM

In an effort to try to reduce or completely eliminate the spam posts we have been seeing I have activated the word verification feature. In order to post comments you have to type in the matching letters. I have been spending a bunch of time the last couple of weeks deleting these posts, especially when some have been about adult items. This will only helps try to keep down the posts created by webbots and crawler programs. It will not keep out people who are registered Blogger ussers and have come to create these posts manually. I'll cross my circuits this works.

Expanded Archive

Thanks to Johan Piest for the scans of AutoUpdate 40, 41. By my own error I had issue 41, and still need issue 39. But all of the rest of the issues are now scanned and online. I've also fixed the index page so you should now be able to just go to: http://transmasters.250free.com
to get the site.
I've added my Unofficial Beast Wars Transformers Comics and a link to Johan Piest's War Log site. If you have medias you want to add to the archive by either links or through scans sent to me, please let me know and I'll try to get them up ASAP (or as soon as I have some time...)

A question I'd like to pose: Do you think we should try to have another proposed media, perhaps back to the b/w copied-snail mailed version for Fanfic/Stories? (I know I probably shouldn't have sent that Universe story as HTML through the Yahoo Group, next time plain text.) Perhaps it's a moot question right now, since we have so few active members so far. But I can envision a point where the Magazine might not be the best forum for the stories. I guess it comes down to wether you prefer to have something physical in your hands to read or if you are fine with the digitized versions. I still like to read paper more than off the computer screen or to try to use my Visor's eBook software (that usually translates into HTML files anyway). The TMUK's forum had this question before and they said about 90% of the votes were still for a paper format. What do you think?

Pre-Order your copy of IDW Transformers #0

GO to:
http://store.idwpublishing.com/
to pre-order your copy of all 4 cover variants of issue #0 due out October 31, 2005 for only $3.96 (not sure if that includes the shipping, probably not).

I don't know about the rest of you but I tried 5 times to set up an online account whith Dreamwave and never got it to take. It took me less than 5 minutes to set up one at the above store. As there is only one comic store in my county right now and they seem to not be too engrosed in knowing the comics (I had to tell them IDW got the TF license), I'll probably see if I can buy direct instead. I hope they come up with some kind of subscription to the Transformers comics so I don't have to spend a bunch of time ordering every quarter. They'd better not wreck the TFs too badly.

More Knockoffs/Bootlegs

When I was down at Big Lots I came across these. They have to be some of the sorrier KOs of the G1 combiner toys I've seen. But 2 for $1.49 is really cheap and they'd probably be good for kitbashing or creating some kind of diorama scene where you wanted to smash up or melt some plastic. The reason I say this is that the plastic is much more brittle than the originals or even good KOs use. I no sooner began to transform the Skydive clone than I broke off his right arm. I have one of those wierd Menasor KOs (It has 2 technobots rather than all the Stunticons), for which I decided to put the Streetwise KO onto, the post was a *bleep* to get in and then the hole was too loose and Menasor's hand kept falling out. This makes me beleive they are copies of copies if you know what I mean.

Mini Micro-Combiner Gesalt KOs

I'm sure most of you have probably already seen posts about these on the forums, but here goes. I was able to get down to Sacramento a few weeks back and hit up the Big Lots store for these Bootleg/Knockoffs of Devistator, Sixwing and Sixbuilder. The differences here are mostly in size and some in colors. My original Sixwing KO is 20cm tall where the one from Big Lots is 16cm tall, and for some oddball reason he comes with a KO of a Kenner Go-Bot swamp plane. The G2 Dev.KO is 21cm tall where the Big Lots version is 17cm tall. I don't have a KO or otherwise of the original Sixbuilder, but this Big Lots version is 16cm tall. These toys are $3.99 each. (I'm ashamed to say I've dropped the Devistator toy a few times now, so far I've been able to reassemble all the little pieces.)

Spychanger Omega Prime

Well, it perhaps isn't ready for Transtopia, but here's one of my first real kitbashes. (I consider all my other attempts just repaints.) No, this doesn't still transform and is just basically a model now. The ladder gun makes him a bit heavy up front and I guess my add on parts weren't heavy enough to compensate. That's why you see my hand there keeping him up. This is the sort of stuff I'm looking for for the upcoming TransMasters Magazine. Hope you've been thinking of something to submit. Thanks.

Armada Scavenger Problem

OK, So I am a complete idot for overlooking the fact that this toy had rubber parts! I'll admit it. I was moving around and dusting off the collection and found the above. I guess I totally spaced on the fact that it was really rubber and needed to be Armor-Alled just like all the G1/G2 tires, and now probably all the Alternators too. I guess this post is for newbies and I expect to get chewed out for this, not that I don't already feel dumb enough here. Check those toys, you may not be safe assuming nothing was made of rubber after G2.

Beginings of the Online TransMasters Archive

So far I've only scanned and posted Tony Buchanan's Auto Update 1-50 missing the 2 issues I don't have yet. Here's the address:
http://transmasters.250free.com/main.html

I couldn't get my index file to work right, they don't like the frames. I'll probably edit the main page to include the TransMasters logo/symbol and rename it so it's the index page in the future. I hope to post more issues as I get them scanned. The site has a 250 MB bandwidth limit per month, so don't be too surprised if we use it too much and it cuts you off. Right now I'm using 67MB of the 250 allowed for space. Just a warning, like most freebie sites there's plenty of advertising and pop up junk. Sorry about that, but unless we want to start paying fees that's how it gonna be.