Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine
Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 9:39PM CST
Category: Toy News
Posted by: Emerje Views: 33,408
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Thanks to a series of scans from Figure King magazine posted to
Loopaza Mega Store's Facebook page we're getting a very rare look at some early Transformers prototypes from back in the early planning stages of Diaclone! This is some great insight into the days when toys weren't designed on computers like they are today, but through actual hand made prototyping. These aren't even to the hand sculpting phase, but the earlier proof of concept stage using wood and layers of styrene plastic sheets.
And yet, as early on as these are it's very clear what these figures would become. We've got an Optimus Prime sporting a samurai-looking helmet along with some attempts at a trailer including a shot at the trailer that would later belong to Ultra Magnus. We also get to see Grimlock, Motormaster, and Metroplex among various Autobot cars. But what's very special is the prototypes that never became figures. Next to a rough attempt at Soundwave we have several unproduced tapes including various insects, a sabertooth tiger, and even a horse! There's also a Triplechanger that turns from robot, to tractor, to seaplane! And the biggest of all is a 5-changer that can turn into a robot, spaceship, tank, aircraft carrier, and what appears to be a train! How cool would that have been in the '80s or even 2019?
Thanks to Cyberpath for sending in the tip! Let us know what you think of these prototypes and if you see anything else interesting of note in these photos in the Energon Pub forums below.
Credit(s): Cyberpath on Seibertron.com, Loopaza Mega Store on Facebook
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Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012144)
Posted by
Cobotron on February 23rd, 2019 @ 10:06pm CST
Awesome! Just Awesome!
Those wooden cassettes are amazing.
The HORSE!
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012145)
Posted by
Black Bumblebee on February 23rd, 2019 @ 10:11pm CST
They belong in a museum... near me
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012149)
Posted by
Stormshot_Prime on February 24th, 2019 @ 12:17am CST
Hey Has/Tak why don’t you make some siege characters based on these?
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012150)
Posted by
megamanfan on February 24th, 2019 @ 12:22am CST
ah WHAT!? we could've had a biplane turn into a steam shovel!?
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012152)
Posted by
Nathaniel Prime on February 24th, 2019 @ 1:27am CST
Wow, some of these are amazing! Biplane triplechanger, Powered Up Prime, and the cassettes look great. Wow, this is an awesome blast from the past, and a really nice " what could have been" for us fans
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012153)
Posted by
Emerje on February 24th, 2019 @ 1:59am CST
megamanfan wrote:biplane
Nathaniel Prime wrote:Biplane
Not a biplane, those have 4 wings. It's a seaplane/pontoon plane.
Emerje
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012154)
Posted by
Short Circuit on February 24th, 2019 @ 2:06am CST
Interesting that they really wanted to keep the idea of a ramp trailer from here up to convoy’s diaclone prototype. Glad we ended up with Ultra Magnus and not G1 Shovel Hands Mcgee
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012157)
Posted by
Albatross250 on February 24th, 2019 @ 3:26am CST
I'm shocked that they have a 5 changer design that can turn into a Tank, Jet, Aircraft Carrier, Robot and Dragon Mode (Not Train mode)
If only they make a modernized 5 changer with those modes.
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012161)
Posted by
ZeroWolf on February 24th, 2019 @ 6:45am CST
I'd actually say that the train mode was supposed to be a train and a dragon... A precursor to Optimus Prime EX from the Transformers Go! Line?
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012175)
Posted by
Evil Eye on February 24th, 2019 @ 8:46am CST
That 5-changer and the seaplane/excavator combo need to be made real somehow. Also Prime with a samurai helmet is pretty cool.
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012179)
Posted by
CobraKai on February 24th, 2019 @ 9:28am CST
I like the use of a pack of Winston cigarettes to establish scale
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012187)
Posted by
Nathaniel Prime on February 24th, 2019 @ 10:00am CST
Emerje wrote:megamanfan wrote:biplane
Nathaniel Prime wrote:Biplane
Not a biplane, those have 4 wings. It's a seaplane/pontoon plane.
Emerje
Oops, my mistake. Should have said monoplane or seaplane but I guess I read the first guy's comment and put the name there
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012191)
Posted by
ScottyP on February 24th, 2019 @ 10:51am CST
One of those cassettes looks like Stinger, neat!
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012208)
Posted by
Immortal Starscream on February 24th, 2019 @ 2:23pm CST
I want that seaplane/excavator triple changer in my life. for realzies
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012215)
Posted by
Jelze Bunnycat on February 24th, 2019 @ 2:53pm CST
ZeroWolf wrote:I'd actually say that the train mode was supposed to be a train and a dragon... A precursor to Optimus Prime EX from the Transformers Go! Line?
Sorry, it's a dragon all the way. The writing calls out all 5 modes, in order:
- Jet
- Tank
- Aircraft Carrier
- Dragon
- Robot
The dragon is serpentine, the traditional kind for East Asian countries. The length is not capped, so they can be as long as they like: look at Shenron from Dragon Ball
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012331)
Posted by
triKlops on February 25th, 2019 @ 9:19am CST
Anyone know what issue number of Figure King this is?
I didn't see it mentioned but i might have missed it.
Thanks in advance!
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012361)
Posted by
RK_Striker_JK_5 on February 25th, 2019 @ 1:54pm CST
That seaplane/tractor triple-changer? We need a modern version of that, please.
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012372)
Posted by
Jelze Bunnycat on February 25th, 2019 @ 3:11pm CST
triKlops wrote:Anyone know what issue number of Figure King this is?
I didn't see it mentioned but i might have missed it.
Thanks in advance!
My best guess is that it's the March 2019 issue.
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012374)
Posted by
Emerje on February 25th, 2019 @ 3:16pm CST
triKlops wrote:Anyone know what issue number of Figure King this is?
I didn't see it mentioned but i might have missed it.
Thanks in advance!
It's 253.
Emerje
Re: Rare hand made Transformers prototypes shown in Figure King magazine (2012435)
Posted by
triKlops on February 26th, 2019 @ 8:55am CST
Thank you Emerje and Jelze!