Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 28

« Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club #28 »
Trust no one... not even yourself!!!
Publisher	Fun Publications
First published	early August 2009
Cover date	Aug/Sept 09

WOW! BOTCON 2009! PUNCH / COUNTERPUNCH! NEW Club Exclusive In Development!

Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue #28

Editor-In-Chief: Brian Savage
Editor: Pete Sinclair
Creative Director/Layout: Lanny Lathem
Associate Editor: Ben Yee
Associate Editor: Jesse Wittenrich
Research Editor: Karl Hartman
Lead Writer: Rik Alvarez
Columnist: Rob Meyer
Head Proofreader: Heather Choplin
Proofreader: Mark Baker-Wright
Resident Colorist: Drew Eiden
Resident Artist: Evan Gauntt
Staff: Greg Sepelak, Trent Troop
Contributor: David Willis
Featured Artists: Evan Gauntt, Robby Musso, Jesse Wittenrich

Contents

• On the cover: package/conceptual art for the forthcoming club-exclusive Punch/Counterpunch toy, based on the Universe Sideswipe/Sunstreaker mold (p. 1)
• Inside cover: "Brian's Bytes and Bolts", "From the Editor's Desk" (p. 2)
• Animated "Bots vs Cons" Tech Specs: (p. 3)
  • Glyph
  • Dirt Boss
• "THE ARMADAVERSE: A Whole New Way to Play" by Greg Sepelak, a short article recapping the Unicron Trilogy toylines (p. 3)
• "BOTCON 2009: A Star-studded Extravaganza!" by Jesse Wittenrich, a three-page photo-illustrated writeup of the 2009 convention (pp. 4–5 & 9)
• Bios in the style of More than Meets the Eye:
  • Shattered Glass Hound (p. 6)
  • Shattered Glass Abominus and the Terrorcons (pp. 7–8)
  • Shattered Glass Ratbat (he's brooding!) (p. 8)
• "Reunification: Part 4" - comic story (pp. 10–15)
• "The Back Cover..." (p. 16)
  • Around Cybertron
  • "Rob's Hot Pick! He IS that good!"
  • Mini Mayhem!

Notes

• Characters mentioned in the Animated tech specs include: the Constructicons.
  • Like everyone thought, Dirt Boss's mind controlling technology are cerebro-shells, the weapon of Generation 1 Bombshell.
• Characters mentioned in Hound's profile include: Optimus Prime, Alpha Trion, Rodimus, and Ultra Magnus.
  • Hound, after appearing in prose and being mentioned several times, finally receives visual representation: he is based on Universe Hound in evil colors. His nightmare projector and fear of organics inverts his positive-universe counterpart's hologram projector and desire to be human.
  • Ultra Magnus' coup was previously referred to in "Dungeons & Dinobots" and Sky Lynx's profile.
• Characters mentioned in Abominus and the Terrorcon's profiles include: Optimus Prime.
  • The secret project that created Abominus was called Operation: Combination, after the Japanese toyline of nearly the same name.
  • Abominus was named for an Iaconian epic poem, Abominus Ex Meticular. His fighting style, meanwhile, is based on Kalistian interpretive dance.
  • Hun-Grrr's alt-mode, an Algean two-headed razor beast, is named for the Beast Wars Maximal Razorbeast.
  • Blot's tests would make Hermann Rorschach proud (Also, see "Errors" below); indeed, his position as a psychologist seems a joke on the "inkblot" tests.
  • Among the audiences Sinnertwin's puppet shows used to entertained included emirates; several characters of authority in Transformers have held this title, most notably Xaaron.
  • The name of Sinnertwin's alt-mode, a Twin-Headed Devorian Devil-Dog, is loosely inspired by the Terror Dogs from Ghostbusters and the Devaronians from Star Wars.
  • All of the Terrorcons special abilities and guns are opposites of their positive-universe counterpart's weapons.
• Characters mentioned in Ratbat's profile include: Optimus Prime.
  • Ratbat is based on his positive universe counterpart in the colors of DC Comics superhero, Batman. His personality, meanwhile, is based on self-help guru Tony Robbins (eventually, this would later be shifted into a more Bruce Wayne-like personality in David Willis' (the writer of the profile) Recordicons strip.)
  • Among the items Ratbat used to sell were Chic Chips, creations of Generation 1 Needlenose.
  • Ratbat's bestselling work, Unlimited Fuel: Awaken the Gestalt Within, is named for Tony Robbins' books Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within.
• Profile art for Liftor, Ichibi, Mugen, and Snowblind is included alongside Sepelak's article about the Unicron Trilogy. Perhaps some actual photos of toys from the series would have been more suitable, as opposed to cropped illustrations of obscure Mini-Cons.

Errors

• What appears to be an editor's note made it into the middle of Blot's bio in parenthetical form. Whoops! (A reference to a human psychiatrist that Blot can never have met is inappropriate for a Tech Specs entry. Luckily, this is a More than Meets the Eye profile!)