MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Robert Jung

2014-11-30T01:43:48Z

Rumpus: add link

{{disambig3|Robert}}
'''Robert Jung''' is a long-time member of the Transformers [[fandom]], primarily active on [[alt.toys.transformers]] in the 1990s, where he was one of the earliest and most noteworthy [[Fan fiction|fanfic]] writers. He also organized and scripted [[the Trannies]], an annual online fandom awards contest.

Robert was one of the original [[MSTF]] performers, appearing from 1997 to 2000.

He currently spends his time lurking on the periphery of Transformers fandom, popping up on rare occasions when he can spare the free time.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jung, Robert}}[[Category:Fandom]]

Partformer

2014-06-16T20:00:03Z

Rumpus: add category

{{picsneeded|Omega Supreme all parts-ed out, a Seeker similarly, maybe Roadbuster's backpack assembly deal}}

A '''partformer''' (or '''parts-former''' or '''partsformer''' or '''part-former''', also sometimes a '''Lego-former''') is a fandom term for a [[Toy|Transformer toy]] that transforms by removing pieces of one form, then reattaching them to assemble the other form. For example, the original [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] molds required the jet mode's landing gear and weapons to be removed before transformation, and then reattached (along with the robot's fists, which simply sat around in jet mode) to complete the robot form. The original [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] is probably the prime example of a "partformer", since all of his robot mode limbs and backpack are formed from pieces separate from his central tank body.

This term is often used derisively, as by and large more modern engineering technology has removed this style of transformation from the line. However, it is still fairly commonplace to have figures with alt-mode parts that detach to become hand-held weapons and accessories. Some customisers will also use partsforming in order to achieve a better robot mode, by moving the kibble to different parts of the body.

==See also==
*[[Kibble]], especially the original definition of the term.
*[[Built to Rule]], LEGO-esque Transformers. That says it all.
*[[Kre-O]], new LEGO-esque Transformers.

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Articulation

2014-06-15T23:46:32Z

Rumpus: take a stab at trimming this sentence down and addressing it more fully in a subsection

[[Image:Animatedtoy-FreewayJazz_Breakdance.jpg|thumb|250px|Try doing ''this'' with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].]]
'''Articulation''' commonly describes the number, position, and type of a [[Toy|Transformers toy]]'s joints. '''"Posability"''' is a neologism often found in conjunction with mentions of articulation, although they are not necessarily interchangeable (see [[#Articulation vs. posability|articulation vs. posability]]).

The more joints on a figure (in either form), the more articulated it is. This generally includes the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and sometimes even wrists, ankles, and neck among others. Posability in ''Transformers'' ranges from the [[Spy Changer]]s, who are limited to rotating their arms up and down (shoulder [[Swivel joint|swivel]] articulation only), to the non-transforming [[Revoltech]] line, the entire selling point of which is the high amount of articulation per figure. Possibly the only Transformer toys that have ''no'' real articulation but can still be said to transform, are the [[Battlecharger]]s, the [[Throttlebot]]s, the [[Duocon]]s, [[Under-3]], and arguably [[Freedom Fighter]] and [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]].

Articulation is one of many factors that fans weigh when evaluating a toy, and naturally is of subjective value. To some, if a toy has unusually good posability, they will buy it over another figure that looks "better", but can not move as much. Toys with very few points of articulation are often referred to as [[Brick (term)|brick]]s. Many modern Transformer toys, particularly those from the [[Beast Era]] and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]], have high posability thanks to the incorporation of many [[ball joint]]s.

Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between articulation and production cost — the more complex the figure, the more parts that must be assembled and therefore produced, and the higher the retail price. For example, [[Megatron (Armada)|''Armada'' Megatron]] could easily have been given knees, but instead has a plethora of other [[gimmick]]s. Many [[customizing|customizers]] have taken to altering the figure to be more posable, and while some fans claim this is how Hasbro "should" have made the original, doing so would likely have sent the figure over budget.

Some figures are hampered in how well they can pose by their transformation or [[alternate mode]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]]'s shoulders, for example, are limited by how he transforms. A different transformation may have allowed his arms to move on an additional axis... however, as noted above, this would have also increased the toy's complexity and cost. Even when the needed articulation is present, posability can also be limited by [[kibble]] blocking a part's motion.

Conversely, sometimes a toy's posability is improved by its transformation. Or, perhaps more accurately, the designers managed to place the transformation-related articulation in places that would also serve the robot mode's articulation. The [[Unicron]] toy released during ''Armada'' is an example of this. His neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, ankles, and feet must all be moved to change him from planet to robot and back.

Articulation can have a drawback. If a figure is overloaded with joints, especially in the legs and waist, this can result in the figure having problems supporting its own weight, holding a pose, or even standing. This is a common complaint with [[Omega Prime]]. He is loaded with exciting and dramatic articulation, but is so top-heavy that it is hard to get him to do anything beyond "standing up straight". The much-loved ball joints are especially susceptible to weight and play wear problems, and as such are generally not used on larger figures. A similar level of flexibility can be created with a combination of two swivels or ratcheted swivels.

==Articulation as a feature==
{{anchor|Super Posable!}}In the mid 90s, Hasbro began introducing highly articulated toys and promoting their posability as a [[gimmick]] and selling point. In 1994, the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Rod]] cards advertised the toys as "Super Poseable!", and the [[Dreadwing (G2)#Generation_2|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)#Generation_2_2|Smokescreen]] box described the toys as "Super Poseable Robots". [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation_2|Laser Optimus Prime]]'s box notes the toy's "Fully poseable Laser Optimus Prime robot" mode. Other highly posable toys from the G2 era include the [[Cyberjet#Generation_2_2|Cyberjet]]s. ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (1996) was the first Transformers line to make a high degree of articulation standard across the toyline.

==Posable figures and safety==
Unlike what most people think, an articulated action figure passes the [[For safety reasons|safety regulations]] better than a [[Brick (term)|brick]]. During the time Hasbro started to make its own molds to represent characters as toys instead of importing from other toy lines, the company noticed that safety standards required a toy to withstand a pulling force of 20 pounds to deem them safe. Because most toys in those days had little to no outward movement in their legs or arms, they would rather quickly break with little force, so most figures were made with fused legs, preventing kids from pulling the legs apart. Because of this, most of the toys dropped articulation to make the figures stronger, turning a large amount of them into "bricks". During the time [[Takio Ejima]] started working on the brand, he noted that they could make the toys safer by the use of [[ball joint]]s, making it easier for the toy to pass the test (ball joints simply pop off under stress and can subsequently be snapped back on, resulting in no breakage and thus no safety hazard), and have a full range of motion at the same time. This idea would even change the standard of articulation ''outside'' the Transformers brand.

==Articulation vs. posability==
Official Hasbro sources have used the neologism ''posability'' (also spelled ''poseability'') and the adjective form ''[http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/poseable#poseable_1 poseable]'' at least as early as 1994 to describe highly articulated figures.<ref>Underwood, Bill. "Go Joe! // Doll Celebrates 30th Birthday". ''Tulsa World'', 29 June 1994.</ref> The [[fandom]] often uses the term ''posability'' interchangeably with ''articulation''; where a distinction is drawn, articulation refers to the number of joints and range of motion, while posability refers to a figure's ability to assume and hold poses (for instance, for display purposes). To illustrate the difference, [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Beast_Machines|Beast Machines Mega Cheetor]] has high articulation but poor posability due to its difficulty standing up and its arm gimmick.

==See also==
*[[Ball joint]]
*[[Ratchet (mechanism)]]
*[[Slide joint]]
*[[Swivel joint]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Toys]]

Articulation

2014-06-14T19:13:28Z

Rumpus: /* Articulation as a feature */ link to anchor

[[Image:Animatedtoy-FreewayJazz_Breakdance.jpg|thumb|250px|Try doing ''this'' with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].]]
'''Articulation''' commonly describes the number, position, and type of a [[Toy|Transformers toy]]'s joints. '''"Posability"''', a fan-coined contraction of "pose" and "ability", is often found in conjunction with mentions of articulation, although they are not necessarily interchangeable.

The more joints on a figure (in either form), the more articulated it is. This generally includes the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and sometimes even wrists, ankles, and neck among others. Posability in ''Transformers'' ranges from the [[Spy Changer]]s, who are limited to rotating their arms up and down (shoulder [[Swivel joint|swivel]] articulation only), to the non-transforming [[Revoltech]] line, the entire selling point of which is the high amount of articulation per figure. Possibly the only Transformer toys that have ''no'' real articulation but can still be said to transform, are the [[Battlecharger]]s, the [[Throttlebot]]s, the [[Duocon]]s, [[Under-3]], and arguably [[Freedom Fighter]] and [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]].

Articulation is one of many factors that fans weigh when evaluating a toy, and naturally is of subjective value. To some, if a toy has unusually good posability, they will buy it over another figure that looks "better", but can not move as much. Toys with very few points of articulation are often referred to as [[Brick (term)|brick]]s. Many modern Transformer toys, particularly those from the [[Beast Era]] and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]], have high posability thanks to the incorporation of many [[ball joint]]s.

Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between articulation and production cost — the more complex the figure, the more parts that must be assembled and therefore produced, and the higher the retail price. For example, [[Megatron (Armada)|''Armada'' Megatron]] could easily have been given knees, but instead has a plethora of other [[gimmick]]s. Many [[customizing|customizers]] have taken to altering the figure to be more posable, and while some fans claim this is how Hasbro "should" have made the original, doing so would likely have sent the figure over budget.

Some figures are hampered in how well they can pose by their transformation or [[alternate mode]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]]'s shoulders, for example, are limited by how he transforms. A different transformation may have allowed his arms to move on an additional axis... however, as noted above, this would have also increased the toy's complexity and cost. Even when the needed articulation is present, posability can also be limited by [[kibble]] blocking a part's motion.

Conversely, sometimes a toy's posability is improved by its transformation. Or, perhaps more accurately, the designers managed to place the transformation-related articulation in places that would also serve the robot mode's articulation. The [[Unicron]] toy released during ''Armada'' is an example of this. His neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, ankles, and feet must all be moved to change him from planet to robot and back.

Articulation can have a drawback. If a figure is overloaded with joints, especially in the legs and waist, this can result in the figure having problems supporting its own weight, holding a pose, or even standing. This is a common complaint with [[Omega Prime]]. He is loaded with exciting and dramatic articulation, but is so top-heavy that it is hard to get him to do anything beyond "standing up straight". The much-loved ball joints are especially susceptible to weight and play wear problems, and as such are generally not used on larger figures. A similar level of flexibility can be created with a combination of two swivels or ratcheted swivels.

==Articulation as a feature==
{{anchor|Super Posable!}}In the mid 90s, Hasbro began introducing highly articulated toys and promoting their posability as a [[gimmick]] and selling point. In 1994, the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Rod]] cards advertised the toys as "Super Poseable!", and the [[Dreadwing (G2)#Generation_2|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)#Generation_2_2|Smokescreen]] box described the toys as "Super Poseable Robots". [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation_2|Laser Optimus Prime]]'s box notes the toy's "Fully poseable Laser Optimus Prime robot" mode. Other highly posable toys from the G2 era include the [[Cyberjet#Generation_2_2|Cyberjet]]s. ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (1996) was the first transformers line to make a high degree of articulation standard across the toyline.

==Posable figures and safety==
Unlike what most people think, an articulated action figure passes the [[For safety reasons|safety regulations]] better than a [[Brick (term)|brick]]. During the time Hasbro started to make its own molds to represent characters as toys instead of importing from other toy lines, the company noticed that safety standards required a toy to withstand a pulling force of 20 pounds to deem them safe. Because most toys in those days had little to no outward movement in their legs or arms, they would rather quickly break with little force, so most figures were made with fused legs, preventing kids from pulling the legs apart. Because of this, most of the toys dropped articulation to make the figures stronger, turning a large amount of them into "bricks". During the time [[Takio Ejima]] started working on the brand, he noted that they could make the toys safer by the use of [[ball joint]]s, making it easier for the toy to pass the test (ball joints simply pop off under stress and can subsequently be snapped back on, resulting in no breakage and thus no safety hazard), and have a full range of motion at the same time. This idea would even change the standard of articulation ''outside'' the Transformers brand.

==See also==
*[[Ball joint]]
*[[Ratchet (mechanism)]]
*[[Slide joint]]
*[[Swivel joint]]

[[Category:Toys]]

Articulation

2014-06-14T19:10:34Z

Rumpus: /* Articulation as a feature */ copy edit

[[Image:Animatedtoy-FreewayJazz_Breakdance.jpg|thumb|250px|Try doing ''this'' with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].]]
'''Articulation''' commonly describes the number, position, and type of a [[Toy|Transformers toy]]'s joints. '''"Posability"''', a fan-coined contraction of "pose" and "ability", is often found in conjunction with mentions of articulation, although they are not necessarily interchangeable.

The more joints on a figure (in either form), the more articulated it is. This generally includes the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and sometimes even wrists, ankles, and neck among others. Posability in ''Transformers'' ranges from the [[Spy Changer]]s, who are limited to rotating their arms up and down (shoulder [[Swivel joint|swivel]] articulation only), to the non-transforming [[Revoltech]] line, the entire selling point of which is the high amount of articulation per figure. Possibly the only Transformer toys that have ''no'' real articulation but can still be said to transform, are the [[Battlecharger]]s, the [[Throttlebot]]s, the [[Duocon]]s, [[Under-3]], and arguably [[Freedom Fighter]] and [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]].

Articulation is one of many factors that fans weigh when evaluating a toy, and naturally is of subjective value. To some, if a toy has unusually good posability, they will buy it over another figure that looks "better", but can not move as much. Toys with very few points of articulation are often referred to as [[Brick (term)|brick]]s. Many modern Transformer toys, particularly those from the [[Beast Era]] and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]], have high posability thanks to the incorporation of many [[ball joint]]s.

Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between articulation and production cost — the more complex the figure, the more parts that must be assembled and therefore produced, and the higher the retail price. For example, [[Megatron (Armada)|''Armada'' Megatron]] could easily have been given knees, but instead has a plethora of other [[gimmick]]s. Many [[customizing|customizers]] have taken to altering the figure to be more posable, and while some fans claim this is how Hasbro "should" have made the original, doing so would likely have sent the figure over budget.

Some figures are hampered in how well they can pose by their transformation or [[alternate mode]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]]'s shoulders, for example, are limited by how he transforms. A different transformation may have allowed his arms to move on an additional axis... however, as noted above, this would have also increased the toy's complexity and cost. Even when the needed articulation is present, posability can also be limited by [[kibble]] blocking a part's motion.

Conversely, sometimes a toy's posability is improved by its transformation. Or, perhaps more accurately, the designers managed to place the transformation-related articulation in places that would also serve the robot mode's articulation. The [[Unicron]] toy released during ''Armada'' is an example of this. His neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, ankles, and feet must all be moved to change him from planet to robot and back.

Articulation can have a drawback. If a figure is overloaded with joints, especially in the legs and waist, this can result in the figure having problems supporting its own weight, holding a pose, or even standing. This is a common complaint with [[Omega Prime]]. He is loaded with exciting and dramatic articulation, but is so top-heavy that it is hard to get him to do anything beyond "standing up straight". The much-loved ball joints are especially susceptible to weight and play wear problems, and as such are generally not used on larger figures. A similar level of flexibility can be created with a combination of two swivels or ratcheted swivels.

==Articulation as a feature==
{{anchor|Super Posable!}}In the mid 90s, Hasbro began introducing highly articulated toys and promoting their posability as a [[gimmick]] and selling point. In 1994, the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Rod]] cards advertised the toys as "Super Poseable!", and the [[Dreadwing (G2)#Generation_2|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)#Generation_2_2|Smokescreen]] box described the toys as "Super Poseable Robots". [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation_2|Laser Optimus Prime]]'s box notes the toy's "Fully poseable Laser Optimus Prime robot" mode. Other highly posable toys from the G2 era include the [[Cyberjet]]s. ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (1996) was the first transformers line to make a high degree of articulation standard across the toyline.

==Posable figures and safety==
Unlike what most people think, an articulated action figure passes the [[For safety reasons|safety regulations]] better than a [[Brick (term)|brick]]. During the time Hasbro started to make its own molds to represent characters as toys instead of importing from other toy lines, the company noticed that safety standards required a toy to withstand a pulling force of 20 pounds to deem them safe. Because most toys in those days had little to no outward movement in their legs or arms, they would rather quickly break with little force, so most figures were made with fused legs, preventing kids from pulling the legs apart. Because of this, most of the toys dropped articulation to make the figures stronger, turning a large amount of them into "bricks". During the time [[Takio Ejima]] started working on the brand, he noted that they could make the toys safer by the use of [[ball joint]]s, making it easier for the toy to pass the test (ball joints simply pop off under stress and can subsequently be snapped back on, resulting in no breakage and thus no safety hazard), and have a full range of motion at the same time. This idea would even change the standard of articulation ''outside'' the Transformers brand.

==See also==
*[[Ball joint]]
*[[Ratchet (mechanism)]]
*[[Slide joint]]
*[[Swivel joint]]

[[Category:Toys]]

Articulation

2014-06-14T19:07:52Z

Rumpus: expand paragraph on history of articulated figures and spell "poseable" when quoting toy packaging

[[Image:Animatedtoy-FreewayJazz_Breakdance.jpg|thumb|250px|Try doing ''this'' with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].]]
'''Articulation''' commonly describes the number, position, and type of a [[Toy|Transformers toy]]'s joints. '''"Posability"''', a fan-coined contraction of "pose" and "ability", is often found in conjunction with mentions of articulation, although they are not necessarily interchangeable.

The more joints on a figure (in either form), the more articulated it is. This generally includes the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, and sometimes even wrists, ankles, and neck among others. Posability in ''Transformers'' ranges from the [[Spy Changer]]s, who are limited to rotating their arms up and down (shoulder [[Swivel joint|swivel]] articulation only), to the non-transforming [[Revoltech]] line, the entire selling point of which is the high amount of articulation per figure. Possibly the only Transformer toys that have ''no'' real articulation but can still be said to transform, are the [[Battlecharger]]s, the [[Throttlebot]]s, the [[Duocon]]s, [[Under-3]], and arguably [[Freedom Fighter]] and [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]].

Articulation is one of many factors that fans weigh when evaluating a toy, and naturally is of subjective value. To some, if a toy has unusually good posability, they will buy it over another figure that looks "better", but can not move as much. Toys with very few points of articulation are often referred to as [[Brick (term)|brick]]s. Many modern Transformer toys, particularly those from the [[Beast Era]] and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]], have high posability thanks to the incorporation of many [[ball joint]]s.

Unfortunately, there is a trade-off between articulation and production cost — the more complex the figure, the more parts that must be assembled and therefore produced, and the higher the retail price. For example, [[Megatron (Armada)|''Armada'' Megatron]] could easily have been given knees, but instead has a plethora of other [[gimmick]]s. Many [[customizing|customizers]] have taken to altering the figure to be more posable, and while some fans claim this is how Hasbro "should" have made the original, doing so would likely have sent the figure over budget.

Some figures are hampered in how well they can pose by their transformation or [[alternate mode]]. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]]'s shoulders, for example, are limited by how he transforms. A different transformation may have allowed his arms to move on an additional axis... however, as noted above, this would have also increased the toy's complexity and cost. Even when the needed articulation is present, posability can also be limited by [[kibble]] blocking a part's motion.

Conversely, sometimes a toy's posability is improved by its transformation. Or, perhaps more accurately, the designers managed to place the transformation-related articulation in places that would also serve the robot mode's articulation. The [[Unicron]] toy released during ''Armada'' is an example of this. His neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, hips, ankles, and feet must all be moved to change him from planet to robot and back.

Articulation can have a drawback. If a figure is overloaded with joints, especially in the legs and waist, this can result in the figure having problems supporting its own weight, holding a pose, or even standing. This is a common complaint with [[Omega Prime]]. He is loaded with exciting and dramatic articulation, but is so top-heavy that it is hard to get him to do anything beyond "standing up straight". The much-loved ball joints are especially susceptible to weight and play wear problems, and as such are generally not used on larger figures. A similar level of flexibility can be created with a combination of two swivels or ratcheted swivels.

==Articulation as a feature==
{{anchor|Super Posable!}}In the mid 90s, Hasbro began introducing highly articulated toys and promoting their posability as a [[gimmick]] and selling point. In 1994, the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Rod]] cards advertised the toys as "Super Poseable!", and the [[Dreadwing (G2)#Generation_2|Dreadwing]] and [[Smokescreen (G2)#Generation_2_2|Smokescreen]] box describes the toys as "Super Poseable Robots". [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation_2|Laser Optimus Prime]]'s box notes the toy's "Fully poseable Laser Optimus Prime robot" mode. Other highly posable toys from the G2 era include the [[Cyberjet]]s. ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (1996) was the first transformers line to make a high degree of articulation standard across the toyline.

==Posable figures and safety==
Unlike what most people think, an articulated action figure passes the [[For safety reasons|safety regulations]] better than a [[Brick (term)|brick]]. During the time Hasbro started to make its own molds to represent characters as toys instead of importing from other toy lines, the company noticed that safety standards required a toy to withstand a pulling force of 20 pounds to deem them safe. Because most toys in those days had little to no outward movement in their legs or arms, they would rather quickly break with little force, so most figures were made with fused legs, preventing kids from pulling the legs apart. Because of this, most of the toys dropped articulation to make the figures stronger, turning a large amount of them into "bricks". During the time [[Takio Ejima]] started working on the brand, he noted that they could make the toys safer by the use of [[ball joint]]s, making it easier for the toy to pass the test (ball joints simply pop off under stress and can subsequently be snapped back on, resulting in no breakage and thus no safety hazard), and have a full range of motion at the same time. This idea would even change the standard of articulation ''outside'' the Transformers brand.

==See also==
*[[Ball joint]]
*[[Ratchet (mechanism)]]
*[[Slide joint]]
*[[Swivel joint]]

[[Category:Toys]]