The Energon Pub

Hey all,

Just a heads-up before TFSource's next newsletter, I'm really excited and happy to announce that in addition to what I write for TF-1, I am once again contributing articles to TFSource.com which will be posted directly to http://TFSource.com/blog

The first article is "Japanese Transformers 1985 - 1987" with the next two pieces already written and ready to go live roughly weekly or bi-weekly, we'll see how it goes and adjust accordingly.

Initially the plan is to post more overview type articles, and then go more in depth when a few categories have been established.

Hope you enjoy the articles and thanks to Curt for his support

All the best
Maz

Second article is up!

Japanese G1 Cybertron Cars | TF Source News

Japanese Cybertron cars

All the best
Maz

http://tfsource.com/blog/

Latest TFSource article "The World of Minibots" including a few nice shots of Peruvian minibots, Greek minibots, Mexican minis as well as the MC blue Bumblebee and red Bumblejumper

All the best
Maz

That's a great article on the Minibots, and really makes me cringe for when I decide to start tackling that area of collecting.

http://tfsource.com/blog/mexican-g1-tra ... idiculous/

Latest one for TFSource - Mexican G1 Transformers variants and oddities

All the best
Maz

5th article for TFSource - Diaclone Car Robots - Part 1
http://tfsource.com/blog/diaclone-car-robots-part-1/

Very happy with this one

All the best
Maz

Part 2 of my Diaclone Car Robot articles for TFSource:

http://tfsource.com/blog/diaclone-car-robots-part-2/

Thanks to Nick, Ben, Alessandro, Byron and Ben Munn for priceless additions to the article.

All the best
Maz

Top stuff as always Maz, you really do your homework don't you?

Many thanks mate! In this case, a lot of the info was out there already, the trick was getting permission to use the excellent photos in addition to what I had of my own old collection.

All the best
Maz

Hi all,

I've now uploaded the last chapter of the 3-part Diaclone Car Robot article for TFSource, enjoy!

http://tfsource.com/blog/diaclone-car-robots-part-3/



Thanks must go to Ben Munn, Alessandro Musconi and TFU.info's Anthony Brucale for the immense contributions.

All the best
Maz

Time to put the kettle on before I settle down for a read....

(Thats very British of me isn't it?!)

Another Diaclone-themed article for TFSource:
Diaclone – More Than Just Car Robots | TF Source News



Special thanks to Alessandro Musconi for a simply huge contribution to this article.

All the best
Maz

Hey all,

This is my last article in the month of Diaclone articles on TFsource Blog, I'm back to writing Transformers next week, but my goodness are those Diaclones going out with a bang...

Diaclone Abroad | TF Source News

This article will act as a pre-cursor to an absolutely gigantic article that will be going up on TF-1.com in the next 2 or 3 weeks, and will coincide with the launch of a new European website dedicated to the same subject...November's going to be very exciting for pre-Transformers enthusiasts!




All the best
Maz

Back to Transformers..

http://tfsource.com/blog/the-appeal-of- ... on-part-1/

"The Appeal Of Pre-Production - Part 1"



All the best
Maz

More prototype and sample goodness, it's Part 2 of "The Appeal of Pre-Production"!

The Appeal Of Pre-Production – Part 2 | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ



Thank you once again to all for their priceless contributions.

All the best
Maz

Now for some Euro G1 love!

Europe’s Strangest Attractions | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ





All the best
Maz

After taking a tour around the globe, looking at a wealth of foreign Diaclone variants, weird Mexican Transformers, exotic minibots and obscure European attractions, we're back in North America for a classic slice of Generation 1. Don't be fooled however, all is not as it seems, even US G1 had its secrets...

Early Days of US G1 | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ





Thanks to Hitchens, Musconi and McNichols for the contributions

All the best
Maz

Thanks Maz!

Don't collect this stuff, personally as it's waaayyy out of my price league, but I can drool right?

Love reading about what formed the brand, especially the Euro stuff

New Source article up! E-Hobby, Lucky Draw and Diaclone are connected in this retrospective across a sea of 3 decades.

Origin of the Species – Part 1 | TF Source News <--- CLICK TO READ





Massive thanks to HighPrime, Alessandro Musconi, Marco Salerno, Gordon Yip, Nicholas Chen, Benjamin Davis and Himawari for major photographic contributions.

All the best
Maz

New Source article up! E-Hobby greats, ancient Diaclones and stunning colour variants. Part 2 of Origin of the Species:

Origin of the Species – Part 2 | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ

• Diaclone Ultra Magnus
• Diaclone Blitzwing
• Diaclone Insecticons
• Diaclone Police and Black Sideswipe
• Powered Convoy DX set
• Blackhooded Bluestreak

Some nice toys featured this week

Thanks again to HighPrime, Alessandro Musconi and Himawari for providing the visual fireworks!

All the best
Maz

New Article! E-Hobby's wildest recolours, Black Megs & Proto Astrotrain all star in the last part of our Origin series:

Origin of the Species – Part 3 | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ





Thanks again to HighPrime, Ras, Cobra Zartan and Brian Mahony of Guumon Toys (Guumon | Facebook)

All the best
Maz

This week's offering explores the value of toy paperwork. Hopefully what can usually be seen as a topic less interesting than the toys themselves is spiced up a bit by some of the more interesting literature we've seen released with toys globally:

Who Cares About Paperwork? | TF Source News < - CLICK TO READ





All the best
Maz

Hi guys,

I wanted to give my light tent and lamps a good run out so I picked up a variety of toys to photograph with the new equipment, see if I can improve my article photography. Here are a few of the highlights, but I notice that unlike before when I was taking photos by the window, some of the feet of the robots are out of focus, almost as if the depth of focus has reduced for some reason despite me using the same settings on the camera. Could it be that I need to lower the lamps a little?

Anyway here we go:

1) Diaclone Black Honda City Turbo (Skids)






2) Human Alliance Sideswipe




3) Masterpiece Grimlock MP-08




4) Mexican Black Prowl:




5) Mexican Smokescreen/Bluestreak hybrid






6) Euro post-MB Starscream (hard nose, black wheels - source of Mexican mould)






7) Human Alliance Barricade





Mexican Iga Ramjet (hard nose, black wheels, metallic wing finish)





Thanks for looking

All the best
Maz

Hey guys,

Here's my latest short piece for TFsource on the subject of Takara's Micro Change Gun Robos:

Micro Change Gun Robos | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ





Thanks so much to Quint Gremmen for photographing so much of his collection for this article! Hope you enjoy it

All the best
Maz

Hey all,

This week sees me go back to one of my all time favourite areas of TF collecting, Mexican Iga G1 variants. I realised I had enough new material and pictures to write another article on this niche collecting favourite thanks to a few decent variants I got my hands on recently.

Mexico Revisited | TF Source News <- CLICK TO READ





Highlights include:

- Mexican Megatron
- Mexican Metroplex
- Another Mexican Smokescreen/Bluestreak hybrid
- Good old Black 'Policia' Prowl
- Mexican Ramjet

And a link to last week's article, "Micro Change Series in Italy"

http://tfsource.com/blog/micro-change-series-in-italy/

Cheers for looking

All the best
Maz