It’s the bodies that are different. A lot of fans bandwagoned on the idea of Motormaster being made from the Wreck-Gar mold, but it ended up being Prime. An unfortunate portion of the Wreck-Gar group reacted with a bit of entitlement.
Shortpacked has bike racks? I mean the old shortpacked did when they needed to sell buyer protection rackets. But Its a nice use of the background.
1. In the Animated Universe Wreck Gar’s body is a not a standard protoform frame. It also transforms in a kind of silly way, that does’nt fit the drama of motormaster.
2. Wreck gar has a huge backpack you don’t want on motormaster, though I see where people do like it with the chest.
3. The voyager Optimus Prime mold, is Epic. Lots of sharp lines and sturdy build. Works well with the other stunticons being standard Autobot millitary frames.
Those are both Animated bodies. What We’re Getting is an Optimus Prime repaint, What We Wanted is (inexplicably) a Wreck-Gar repaint. (Both with new heads, obviously.)
Took a look at the TF wiki to see who Motormater even was (and picked a TF site to see the botcon exclusives). I don’t get why the fans want Wreck-Gar. Motormaster was originally a truck just like Optimus, so wouldn’t it be a neat homage to do it the way they’re doing it? Not that I’m unaware of usual fan demand being utterly ridiculous, but usually they’re demanding stuff that closely resembles the classic figures (what with the nostaglia and all).
What confuses me about wanting Wreck-Gar is less matching the alt mode of the original (though I think that should be considered) it…the fact that Wreck-Gar’s alt-mode is…a garbage truck. Even if they’re going to switch to a different alt-mode rather than a tractor trailer…why would they go with a garbage truck?
Off the cuff guess, it’s the only vehicle mode that’s got a cab and ‘trailer’ that transform together into a single robot. (If you can consider Wreck-gar’s bin to be integrated with his robot mode, anyway.) It’d be better if they removed the lift arms. And maybe they like the robot chest better. I dunno.
I hate to say this, but it appears, even in San Francisco, with it’s vibrant active bicycle riding and advocacy community, it’s local chapter of long distance riding nuts from Randonneurs USA (link goes to SF Randonneurs web site) and San Francisco’s status as Gold Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, bikes are still toys.
But seriously, even if you’d trust a bike assembled from a box by someone who’s not a working bike mechanic, would you trust a bike assembled by Mike? Or UltraCar?
Most seven year olds are more concerned about whether their bike has streamers or the right color of paint etc than its performance. If you’re buying something that’s going to be outgrown in two years and not going to get used for anything more than going around the block, yeah, it’s more of a toy.
Dear Ali: Hi! If I were in the mood to disrespect a cartoonist for their representation of bicycles, I’d be doing it on Yehuda Moon. As a confessed bike nut, I am dismayed at “big box” and “toy store” bikes, and it isn’t the frames, components, or bike construction that’s the REAL issue. It’s the assembly. Even BMX-looking little kid bikes will, at some point, be ridden at speed, in dense traffic (I include bike path, beach boardwalk, and municipal park other cyclist, scooter rider, roller blader, roller skater, dog walker, joggers, necking couples, baby stroller, stray cat, unintimidated pigeons clustering around a food spill and the occasional misjudging of distance between oneself and that thorny bush so common to beginning riders as “dense traffic). In those circumstances, do you really want the little ones on bikes, with or without training wheels, that have drive trains and brakes assembled by people who may have no training at all? As in “What does this screw and stuff do?” “That’s the bolt that holds the coaster brake arm in one place.” “Do I need to put it in?”
If you’ve ever tried explaining how derailleur shifting systems, or even internal gear hub systems, work to beginning cycling adults, you’d prefer the smaller set start on single speed bikes too. Learning how to ride and work with other road users is way more important than big distance and speed when starting out. I also wouldn’t disrespect BMX style bikes, or even beach cruisers — they are performance machines, although the non-professional riding racers are built more for dependability and durability than light weight. When you’re Just Riding Along, and paying for your own ride, reliability is a huge part of performance. There are no Neutral Support vehicles in real life. Besides, although not perfectly adapted for distance stuff, I have seen people on BMXs and beach cruisers doing JUST FINE on the 25 mile “Bike the Bay” ride and the 20 mile “Midnight Madness” ride. BTW, if you ever do ride “Midnight Madness” held in August in San Diego, please be advised, for your own safety, to keep some distance between yourself and other riders who a) have open alcohol containers, b) open flames, c) a generator on a trailer to power their sound system, or d) all of the above.
On the other hand, I believe bike bells, like bike lights and bike carrying racks, are accessories that shouldn’t BE “accessories” — they should come with the bike. And streamers are underappreciated by bicycle cognoscenti, especially compared to the new leather saddles made in UK fetishism. No, really, the aftermarket in fancy parts is seeing some production stuff finished in copper plate to match the rivets on some of the more ostentatious Brooks saddles.
Please excuse me — I’m in a really foul mood because my commute bike is in the shop due to a City of San Diego pothole that split the rear rim. As in the bike shop guys couldn’t figure out how I’d managed to do that and stay on the bike until I mentioned I’d had a load of groceries AND I had a coffee mug eject all the way across the street. I’ll be taking photos and putting in a claim when I get an estimate on relacing the wheel with a new double wall rim.
Yeah, they can bitch all they want to (they always do) but who the heck do they think they are putting “We” with no context around it? The Seibertron thread attached to that image proved conclusively that “We” don’t want anything. A small group of people want a Motormaster with a garbage can hanging off his back, a large group of people want what “We” are getting, and a larger group of people couldn’t care less if they tried.
I think people should at least appreciate the irony of this situation with Motormaster; something not often associated with fans. So many people were open to the idea of Wreck Gar being used for Animated Motormaster that they got used to the idea. It was then very disappointing to find out that the Motormaster would be a repaint of Optimus Prime.
Wait…now it’s suddenly whiny to be unhappy that they adhered too closely to the traditional repaint system for Motormaster, but it’s totally unpetty to be quibbling about the color?
I guess you’d have to have read a specific complaints forum, because Ethan in this comic is being more whiny than any of the people I’ve read commenting about the OP-body choice.
Traditional repaint system? But the only Motormaster toy (that made it to retail with the name Motormaster) is the original which was a unique mold. The others eventually got renamed Menasor, and one got cancelled. There are no repaint Motormaster toys (until now.) Even the G2 repaint of the original toy got cancelled.
I don’t think it’s the ‘what’, so much as the ‘how’. Ethan says, “I don’t like the color, but whatever.” If the obsessive fans also said, “I don’t like they mold they chose, but meh,” that would be one thing. His complaint is over the people who are saying “They didn’t use the Wreck-Gar mold! They hate their fans! It’s a total betrayal, and a stupid choice, and we should all blow up the factory and steal their babies! Anyone who disagrees with me is not a true Transformers fan! Damn you Willis!”
I would have been fine with the Wreck-Gar mold, but I have no problem with the use of the Optimus mold either. My issue is the same as Ethan’s. There isn’t enough grey on it. As is it gives off more of a Nemesis Prime vibe than Motormaster. The head looks really 2 dimensional in the photos they have but I imagine it’ll look much better in person. I think the set as a whole I think looks great and if I can scrape up the money to get it I will.
Yeah, the stated reason for the head’s flatness in the photography was the samples they received were scarred with the trademark “X” that Chinese factories use to discourage theft. They had to rebuild the face in Photoshop.
I agree with there being too much of a Nemesis Prime vibe coming from it. This is mainly due to the fact that every Optimus mold ends up later being repainted black and called Nemesis Prime (if not in USA, at least in Japan). So after years of us being told that black Optimus is Nemesis, now they give us a black Optimus repaint and want us to consider it someone other than Nemesis????
Wreck-Gar had potential in that his alt mode had a cab and trailer, his robot chest looked better, he could be more gray and he would have swords.
Am I disappointed? No. Why? Because I wasn’t intending to get them.
Wasn’t there an episode of old school Transformers where Prime infiltrated the Decepticon base disguised as Motormaster? That alone would justify Motormaster as a Prime repaint in my mind.
Agreed. That’s just Seibertron being a jerk to everyone who doesn’t share his opinion. It’s not the first time. He even praised Transformers: Bumblebee because of not being Transformers Ongoing and atacked eveyone liking it, seriously when he wants to be a jerk, he gets real nasty.
Oh Ethan. Does it really matter what color the transformer is?
Of course. Motormaster should be more orange and yellow and burning vengeance.
Grey? That’s so … Neon, dude!
Maybe he should be happy that they’re doing this series at all and quit whining… Damn, I’m turning into an old, crotchety man, already.
It’s just getting too much for him. True fans being overshadowed by the bandwagon crowd.
Your mom is a true fan.
Of nickels.
So what toy is the ‘what we wanted’ version? Ultra Magnus?
Wreck-Gar
Wrek Gar
There are arrows.
Bumblebee
The love child of Skeletor and Rhodomus Prime?
Damn you Willis for making me feel so petty. I now officially am jumping on Opti-Motormaster.
So why are they bringing that into a toy store.
Where else would you put a BANNER about the toy? Other than the event of course.
Because they want to bug Ethan!
And thus we are all connected in the great circle of fandom.
Poor Amber in the background! That “not again!” look on her face!
Ha, it’s funny that you gave her that personality with your mind. I just drew a random am er.
I have had liuorws
am er.
I have had liuorw
Come again?
I think he is trying to communicate that he is drunk.
Are they really making a Motormaster? Ever since my disposable income dwindled I had to stop thinking about things I can’t afford to collect.
Yep, they’re doing all five Stunticons, Animated style!
Six Stunticons, surely.
This year’s BotCon set is the Animated version of the Stunticons.
So…it’s Animated Prime with the same head they were demanding?
good to see i wasnt the only one who thought seibertrons news coverage of this was a tad biased
Have they managed a fit analogous to the one they threw when Movie Megatron was first revealed?
I love how Motor Mash 2 is no different than 1.
It’s the bodies that are different. A lot of fans bandwagoned on the idea of Motormaster being made from the Wreck-Gar mold, but it ended up being Prime. An unfortunate portion of the Wreck-Gar group reacted with a bit of entitlement.
Shortpacked has bike racks? I mean the old shortpacked did when they needed to sell buyer protection rackets. But Its a nice use of the background.
1. In the Animated Universe Wreck Gar’s body is a not a standard protoform frame. It also transforms in a kind of silly way, that does’nt fit the drama of motormaster.
2. Wreck gar has a huge backpack you don’t want on motormaster, though I see where people do like it with the chest.
3. The voyager Optimus Prime mold, is Epic. Lots of sharp lines and sturdy build. Works well with the other stunticons being standard Autobot millitary frames.
It seems like a good idea to ignore Seibertron and TFW. Makes the fandom seem totally reasonable.
The figure of “What we’re getting” looks like the cooler one of the two to me- :/
(Granted only tansformers I’m into are in the recently cancelled Transformers Animated series so…)
Those are both Animated bodies. What We’re Getting is an Optimus Prime repaint, What We Wanted is (inexplicably) a Wreck-Gar repaint. (Both with new heads, obviously.)
Took a look at the TF wiki to see who Motormater even was (and picked a TF site to see the botcon exclusives). I don’t get why the fans want Wreck-Gar. Motormaster was originally a truck just like Optimus, so wouldn’t it be a neat homage to do it the way they’re doing it? Not that I’m unaware of usual fan demand being utterly ridiculous, but usually they’re demanding stuff that closely resembles the classic figures (what with the nostaglia and all).
What confuses me about wanting Wreck-Gar is less matching the alt mode of the original (though I think that should be considered) it…the fact that Wreck-Gar’s alt-mode is…a garbage truck. Even if they’re going to switch to a different alt-mode rather than a tractor trailer…why would they go with a garbage truck?
Off the cuff guess, it’s the only vehicle mode that’s got a cab and ‘trailer’ that transform together into a single robot. (If you can consider Wreck-gar’s bin to be integrated with his robot mode, anyway.) It’d be better if they removed the lift arms. And maybe they like the robot chest better. I dunno.
I’m loving these Dumbing of Age style background so far. We’re really getting a sense of the store as a space.
The store hasn’t been that big since the first strip.
I think it makes the strip look a bit busy, but that’s probably just me, and due to the fact that it’s different and change is bad.
I hate to say this, but it appears, even in San Francisco, with it’s vibrant active bicycle riding and advocacy community, it’s local chapter of long distance riding nuts from Randonneurs USA (link goes to SF Randonneurs web site) and San Francisco’s status as Gold Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists, bikes are still toys.
But seriously, even if you’d trust a bike assembled from a box by someone who’s not a working bike mechanic, would you trust a bike assembled by Mike? Or UltraCar?
Bikes for children are still sold at large toy stores, yes.
Most seven year olds are more concerned about whether their bike has streamers or the right color of paint etc than its performance. If you’re buying something that’s going to be outgrown in two years and not going to get used for anything more than going around the block, yeah, it’s more of a toy.
just took a second look at the actual bikes drawn in the strip, never mind
Dear Ali: Hi! If I were in the mood to disrespect a cartoonist for their representation of bicycles, I’d be doing it on Yehuda Moon. As a confessed bike nut, I am dismayed at “big box” and “toy store” bikes, and it isn’t the frames, components, or bike construction that’s the REAL issue. It’s the assembly. Even BMX-looking little kid bikes will, at some point, be ridden at speed, in dense traffic (I include bike path, beach boardwalk, and municipal park other cyclist, scooter rider, roller blader, roller skater, dog walker, joggers, necking couples, baby stroller, stray cat, unintimidated pigeons clustering around a food spill and the occasional misjudging of distance between oneself and that thorny bush so common to beginning riders as “dense traffic). In those circumstances, do you really want the little ones on bikes, with or without training wheels, that have drive trains and brakes assembled by people who may have no training at all? As in “What does this screw and stuff do?” “That’s the bolt that holds the coaster brake arm in one place.” “Do I need to put it in?”
If you’ve ever tried explaining how derailleur shifting systems, or even internal gear hub systems, work to beginning cycling adults, you’d prefer the smaller set start on single speed bikes too. Learning how to ride and work with other road users is way more important than big distance and speed when starting out. I also wouldn’t disrespect BMX style bikes, or even beach cruisers — they are performance machines, although the non-professional riding racers are built more for dependability and durability than light weight. When you’re Just Riding Along, and paying for your own ride, reliability is a huge part of performance. There are no Neutral Support vehicles in real life. Besides, although not perfectly adapted for distance stuff, I have seen people on BMXs and beach cruisers doing JUST FINE on the 25 mile “Bike the Bay” ride and the 20 mile “Midnight Madness” ride. BTW, if you ever do ride “Midnight Madness” held in August in San Diego, please be advised, for your own safety, to keep some distance between yourself and other riders who a) have open alcohol containers, b) open flames, c) a generator on a trailer to power their sound system, or d) all of the above.
On the other hand, I believe bike bells, like bike lights and bike carrying racks, are accessories that shouldn’t BE “accessories” — they should come with the bike. And streamers are underappreciated by bicycle cognoscenti, especially compared to the new leather saddles made in UK fetishism. No, really, the aftermarket in fancy parts is seeing some production stuff finished in copper plate to match the rivets on some of the more ostentatious Brooks saddles.
Please excuse me — I’m in a really foul mood because my commute bike is in the shop due to a City of San Diego pothole that split the rear rim. As in the bike shop guys couldn’t figure out how I’d managed to do that and stay on the bike until I mentioned I’d had a load of groceries AND I had a coffee mug eject all the way across the street. I’ll be taking photos and putting in a claim when I get an estimate on relacing the wheel with a new double wall rim.
Bikes are serious business.
Yup. You get one guess why I actively enjoy when Ethan goes on a “wall of text” rant about some articulated model.
Yeah, they can bitch all they want to (they always do) but who the heck do they think they are putting “We” with no context around it? The Seibertron thread attached to that image proved conclusively that “We” don’t want anything. A small group of people want a Motormaster with a garbage can hanging off his back, a large group of people want what “We” are getting, and a larger group of people couldn’t care less if they tried.
I think people should at least appreciate the irony of this situation with Motormaster; something not often associated with fans. So many people were open to the idea of Wreck Gar being used for Animated Motormaster that they got used to the idea. It was then very disappointing to find out that the Motormaster would be a repaint of Optimus Prime.
Wait…now it’s suddenly whiny to be unhappy that they adhered too closely to the traditional repaint system for Motormaster, but it’s totally unpetty to be quibbling about the color?
I guess you’d have to have read a specific complaints forum, because Ethan in this comic is being more whiny than any of the people I’ve read commenting about the OP-body choice.
Traditional repaint system? But the only Motormaster toy (that made it to retail with the name Motormaster) is the original which was a unique mold. The others eventually got renamed Menasor, and one got cancelled. There are no repaint Motormaster toys (until now.) Even the G2 repaint of the original toy got cancelled.
I don’t think it’s the ‘what’, so much as the ‘how’. Ethan says, “I don’t like the color, but whatever.” If the obsessive fans also said, “I don’t like they mold they chose, but meh,” that would be one thing. His complaint is over the people who are saying “They didn’t use the Wreck-Gar mold! They hate their fans! It’s a total betrayal, and a stupid choice, and we should all blow up the factory and steal their babies! Anyone who disagrees with me is not a true Transformers fan! Damn you Willis!”
I’m just impressed that Willis decided to draw bicycles. Lots and lots of bicycles.
CTRL+C is your friend.
I would have been fine with the Wreck-Gar mold, but I have no problem with the use of the Optimus mold either. My issue is the same as Ethan’s. There isn’t enough grey on it. As is it gives off more of a Nemesis Prime vibe than Motormaster. The head looks really 2 dimensional in the photos they have but I imagine it’ll look much better in person. I think the set as a whole I think looks great and if I can scrape up the money to get it I will.
Yeah, the stated reason for the head’s flatness in the photography was the samples they received were scarred with the trademark “X” that Chinese factories use to discourage theft. They had to rebuild the face in Photoshop.
Wow, that’s pretty sad.
I agree with there being too much of a Nemesis Prime vibe coming from it. This is mainly due to the fact that every Optimus mold ends up later being repainted black and called Nemesis Prime (if not in USA, at least in Japan). So after years of us being told that black Optimus is Nemesis, now they give us a black Optimus repaint and want us to consider it someone other than Nemesis????
Wreck-Gar had potential in that his alt mode had a cab and trailer, his robot chest looked better, he could be more gray and he would have swords.
Am I disappointed? No. Why? Because I wasn’t intending to get them.
Wasn’t there an episode of old school Transformers where Prime infiltrated the Decepticon base disguised as Motormaster? That alone would justify Motormaster as a Prime repaint in my mind.
Agreed. That’s just Seibertron being a jerk to everyone who doesn’t share his opinion. It’s not the first time. He even praised Transformers: Bumblebee because of not being Transformers Ongoing and atacked eveyone liking it, seriously when he wants to be a jerk, he gets real nasty.
OMG, he’s going to sue me now!
Gotta give you credit for the bikes in the background. It’s good detail that you didn’t have to bother with, but did. Nice.
My objection to the choice is that the new head looks stupid on that body, and just bad in itself. It doesn’t make me think of Motormaster. It makes me think Optimus Prime is wearing a cardboard box mask of . I’d have preferred a straight Prime repaint or the cardboard box put on Wreck-Gar.