ZMFTS Updates Archive (2001)
I am constantly making minor modifications to various pages (correcting
spelling mistakes, adding a few new bloopers here and there, scraping gum
off the seats, etc.) but they don't warrant an update in the archive; you
won't find those here. Also, keep in mind that some of these links
may no longer be active as I shift, change, and rearrange the good ol'
ZMFTS.
(11/17/2001)
ENCYCLOPEDIA:
INTERVIEWS:
-
Last month I conducted
an interview
with Donald F. Glut, who wrote several episodes of the
original Transformers series. He shared some
interesting tidbits and memories about his
contribution to the cartoon show. Check it out!
(There's more of these coming, by the way.)
(10/6/2001)
ENCYCLOPEDIA:
-
The Transformers Television
Encyclopedia has been moved to a new server so that it can continue to
expand. I've uploaded over 230 screen shots of both featured
and supporting characters from the original series, with lots more to
come. Also, the "G's"
are now online. Expect to see more very soon!
(9/8/2001)
GeoCities has informed me that my web space on their servers
has exceeded the maximum allotted data transfer, and that if this level of
traffic continues I will have to begin paying for that space or
the site will be shut down for portions of the day. I am
certain that the reason for this is that the
Transformers Dance is on their sever, and that people
continue to link directly to my images for use in
message board signatures and the like, despite my repeated
requests that this practice stop.
FAQS:
-
Updated the RiD FAQ.
I actually do this fairly regularly,
but it merits special mention here now that the cartoon
series has premiered.
KITBASHES:
-
Uploaded my
TMNT punk
frog repaints. That's right, those four lovable amphibians
from the cartoon show now have their very
own action figures.
VOICE ACTORS:
-
Updated both the
actors
and characters pages to
reflect the roles introduced in RiD, and added a few upcoming
roles as well.
(9/4/2001)
KITBASHES:
-
Added my
Cerebros
kitbash, which is (of course) in the spirit of the cartoon series. To
that end, I've corrected his colors, fixed his face, and even tinkered with
his tech specs meter.
(8/26/2001)
Here are a few recent tidbits. I'm aware that none of the links to
Webjump pages are working (they abruptly discontinued their hosting service
this month). I'll upload it all somewhere else as soon
as I have a few uninterrupted hours to fight FTP.
FANFICS:
-
I wrote a somewhat naughty story called "A Special Touch,"
starring Carly and Hound. I don't have it on my page yet, but
you can find it in Google's newsgroups archive. Here's
part
1, and here's
part
2. (Those links should work now.)
KITBASHES:
-
I finished my
G1
Galvatron repaint, a project I'd started several months back but
had to postpone because I'd ran out of purple paint. This is Galvatron
as he should have been released back in 1986, in colors consistent
with his movie appearance!
-
Just for fun, here's a
Blackarachnia
PVC figure. At long last, a poseable figurine
in the character's likeness! Yes, I know I'm snarky.
-
I've also been doing a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles projects
lately. The most extensive of these was my
Bebop
kitbash, which uses real metal chains and rings as accessories.
-
I also
did a Foot
Soldier repaint, replacing that bizarre Playmates Toys Foot Clan
color scheme with something a bit more appropriate to
the cartoon.
-
Finally, I carved and whittled away at the
Rat
King figure to turn him into the TV series version of the character.
No more nasty vermin scuttling all over him!
MISCELLANEOUS:
-
Added the ZMFTS FAQ
in an attempt to fend off some of the questions I'm asked repeatedly
via e-mail. Please, please read this before you contact me.
No, I mean it. Go there right now.
No, I haven't completely abandoned Transformers in favor
of TMNT, but I was quite fond of the cartoon and toys after the
demise of G1 and I'm in the midst of rediscovering
it. It's probably a phase; last month it was GoBots.
The month before that, knockoff toys. (Yeah,
I still need to finish that archive.)
Thank you for visiting. I've got quite a few more projects in the works,
so expect more at some point.
(8/1/2001)
Well, I couldn't stand not updating any longer, even though most of
the Very Big Projects that I've been trying to
finish still aren't quite ready yet.
There is a lot of stuff in the works at the moment, including
a complete list of the edits made to the
Transformers cartoon by the Sci-Fi Channel, a
photo archive of Transformers knockoff toys, and preparations to
move parts of the site in anticipation of the
demise of NBCi. (I apologize if those parts of the
site are offline by the time you've read this. Rest
assured, I am exploring alternative hosting services.) In
the meantime, here are a few small tidbits to tide you over.
ART:
-
Very Big Project #1. I've been working
on a ginormous project for ViceGripX's new fanfic,
Masters of Fate, which
will be located at The
Wildrun once it's completed. Here's a
sneak
preview--just one of over a hundred illustrations that will be included!
-
Just for fun, I created concept designs for
Micromaster versions
of four of the classic Transformers characters, namely Bumblebee, Grimlock,
Jazz, and Starscream.
KITBASHES:
-
While doing some restoration work on
my G1
Dinobots (12 images at over 400KB), I decided to repaint
them to more closely resemble their animated selves. Delta Star
even gave me permission to modify his existing reproduction stickers and
create cartoon versions of the stickers to complete the look!
-
Soundwave didn't
escape the show-accurate repaint bug, either. My G1 toy is now colored
exactly like his cartoon-self. Come have a look! (As an
aside, I feel that it's very sad that I should even have to specify
which Soundwave toy I'm talking about. There is only one
Soundwave.)
-
I figured while I had all the right colors mixed up, I may as well
repaint my
Action
Master Soundwave as well. Wonder if Raksha's jealous yet?
-
Whoa, here's one I almost forgot about. A couple of months ago,
I made an Episode I transforming
Pit
Droid kitbash. It folds up into a compact
configuration just like those little guys in the movie.
-
And, on a slightly different note, I repainted my TMNT
April
O'Neil figure to match her cartoon appearance. Oh, come on, you
know you're curious.
STATIC IMAGE THEATRE:
-
Uploaded a page documenting exactly where
Snarl popped
up in The
Transformers: the Movie, complete with a time index and screen shots
for each appearance.
-
Also created a page that features several digicam images of
Metroplex's
undocumented Scramble City features. Did you know that he can combine
with Hot Spot, Silverbolt, Motormaster, and Onslaught? I didn't invent
this; it's part of his original design!
VOICE ACTORS:
-
Updated the Actors Page and
Characters Page with the cast list and
characters for Robots in Disguise. Also did a major overhaul
on the Characters Page, adding first appearances for every character
along with brief explanations of their roles in the series, for those who
don't remember the characters based on their names alone.
MISCELLANEOUS:
-
Added the Robots in Disguise FAQ, written
and maintained by yours truly. The FAQ will be updated regularly
and posted every other Monday to alt.toys.transformers for the forseeable
future.
-
Some other things. Secret things. You'll have to search for them.
Know that I work on this site every single day in some capacity,
and that it's a tremendous disappointment for me that
I can't pour more time into it than I already do. Also
know that there are going to be something in the neighborhood
of fifteen items on the next update, if all goes
as planned, including three more Very Big Projects. More
than anything else, though, don't underestimate her, because she's more
than just a pretty face.
(4/30/2001)
I've consistently been pushing back this update for at least
a month now. There's lots of things I've
been wanting to add to the site, but I wanted to get
it all done in one nice, big chunk since I've got some other
projects going on that will likely keep me occupied for a bit.
ART:
-
A few weeks ago I did a silly drawing of the
Technotuff
Girls, three of the female Autobots rendered in the style
of the Powerpuff Girls.
-
I also uploaded
Cassette Man,
an equally silly drawing of Soundwave (and friends) drawn in the
style of one of the bosses from a Mega Man video game.
-
I actually got around to scanning a
super-deformed
Autobots drawing that I colored after finding a black-and-white
version in Tony Preto's Cyber-Con newsletter. I think
the drawing originally appeared in the pamphlet that came with
one of the Transformers laserdisc sets sold in Japan.
Anyway, I don't know if there's an official colored
version out there, but here's mine.
-
Finally, I've uploaded a drawing that I simply
call...'Tex.
(He's in his Generation 2 colors because, well,
I drew this not too long after his G2 release.)
BLOOPERS:
-
The Transformers
Comics Bloopers page is online, featuring the first four issues
of the Marvel TRANSFORMERS comic! Original scans included!
Exclamation points everywhere!
ENCYCLOPEDIA:
-
The Transformers Etymology
Page is uploaded, though at the moment it's not complete.
When it's finished, I hope to have working definitions for
every single Transformer name and then some. (I wasn't really
sure which section of the site to stick it under. I guess
it's sort of encyclopedia-ish.) There are still a few that I
don't quite get, so feel free to submit your ideas or theories.
ESSAYS:
-
Added an essay to the Zob's Thoughts page
called "Robots
in Disgust," a not-entirely-tongue-in-cheek look at the
upcoming Robots in Disguise toy line and the effect
it may have on the future of G1.
FANFICS:
-
Book
Two of the epic tale,
Children of
Cybertron, is available for reading. Here's where the story
really gets interesting, as new alliances are forged
and allegiances are called into question!
KITBASHES:
-
Well, my digital camera hates me. Or more precisely,
it hates my computer. Its software conflicts with nearly
every other program I try to run, but I didn't realize until recently
that I could just ditch the software entirely and feed the digicam shots
to Adobe PhotoDeluxe like I've always done. I'm also learning how
to manipulate my flatbed scans more effectively to bring out more vibrant
colors and better image clarity.
-
Uploaded some of my
latest Transformers die-cast
car repaints. Some of these are so extensively modified
that they're actually mini-kitbashes unto themselves! Highlights include
Beachcomber,
Cosmos,
Huffer,
Sandstorm,
and an extra-large versions of
Broadside
and
Astrotrain!
-
I finished repainting my G1
Hot
Rod and
Kup
toys. I've given them movie-accurate color schemes and they really
do look great now. I also made comparatively minor paint
modifications to
Bluestreak, Cliffjumper,
Bumblebee,
and
Laserbeak.
-
Also, new digicam images of my
Pretender
Starscream repaint,
the transforming
Arcee kitbash, and
G1
Starscream custom are online. These are much better images than
the ones I had up previously.
-
Finally, my Brian
Devonhyre figure from Tales of Torlynn is finished. He's
not evil, he's medieval!
POP
CULTURE:
-
Some new files have been added to the Transformers
Pop Culture Page, which now has over 60 individual sightings. Of
particular interest is the sound file (in .wav format) of
Tom Hanks
singing the Transformers theme on The Tonight Show.
SYNOPSES:
-
The Transformers
Comics Synopses page is online, and summaries of the first
four issues of the TRANSFORMERS comic are finished.
Selected quotes, factoids about the story and characters, and
original scans from every issue are included!
SOUNDS:
-
Added the electronic sound effects from the God Magnus and God Fire Convoy
toys to Zob's Sounds Page.
TRIVIA:
-
I learned about this too late to announce it here,
but on March 1st, the
AllSpark message board hosted
their fourth trivia contest,
Matrix Challenge
IV. Your humble webmaster contributed most of the G1 questions,
but I was a bit surprised that very few of the difficult questions I
submitted were used in the contest. I'm thinking about
putting together a small contest of my own using
some of the discarded trivia questions, so watch this space
for more details.
MISCELLANEOUS:
-
I changed around the Site Info page a little
bit, mainly to emphasize my position regarding the use of images
and other files from this site. As a reminder, all the information
contained on this site can be distrubited freely, but please do
not link directly to my files or use them on other sites, in whole or
in part, without my permission. I've wasted a lot of time protecting
my intellectual property of late--time that could have been spent on
this site instead!
(1/1/2001)
All right, here we go! The long-awaited 2001 update of the ZMFTS has
finally arrived!
GENERAL ZMFTS STUFF:
-
Redesigned the home page to reduce clutter and make it a bit less redundant,
and make it a bit less redundant. To that end, every major section
of the site can now be accessed via those links to your left (including the
legalese, which now resides on the Site Info
page).
-
Also, with the new year comes the new logo. I wanted
it to be simple in design and yet professional in appearance, but when that
didn't work out, I used this one.
-
Perhaps the most exciting new feature to the ZMFTS, though, is the fact that
we've started taking pictures to eventually replace all the flatbed scans
of three-dimensional objects. You'll never see me complain about crappy flatbed
scans again--now I get to complain about glorious 3-D digicam shots!
Wheeee!
ENCYCLOPEDIA:
-
Uploaded the "F's" to
the Transformers Television
Encyclopedia. Fancy some facts on Abdul Fakkadi? Forgotten
about the fair Marissa Faireborn? Figure you should become more familiar
with "Five Faces of Darkness"? Well, fear not!
-
Not only that, but
Nightwind the Screen Capture
Goddess has generously offered to help me get the screen shots I need for
the encyclopedia. Ain't she cool? Check out her website, the
Transfan
Asylum! You'll be seeing many more all-new images accompanying
the text for the encyclopedia in the coming months, and it's all thanks to
Nightwind! Worship her!
-
I seem to have run out of room on the AOL encyclopedia web space,
so I'll be moving the encyclopedia to an alternate server before
I upload any more images.
BLOOPERS:
KITBASHES:
-
They're coming. I had some software conflicts with the new digicam,
so I couldn't have them uploaded in time for the big update. I think
I've got that resolved now, so check back in a bit.
FANFICS:
-
We proudly present the
Prologue and
Book One of the
epic tale, Children of
Cybertron! This 12-part saga takes place before the movie and
features almost all the Generation 2 characters as well as plenty of your
G1 favorites. The rest of the story will be finished before the
end of
2001 2002.
STATIC IMAGE THEATRE:
-
Previously, but not mentioned here, I had uploaded some
Transformers:
the Movie Comparison Shots between the VHS Kid Rhino release,
the 1986 Panini sticker album in an attempt to determine just how much was
present in the theatrical release that was removed for home viewing. Well,
screen shots from the DVD release have now been added to the mix.
-
A while back, somebody asked me about the Unicron toy prototypes, and since
I know of no site that compares all three prototypes in one place, I took
the liberty of composing the
Unicron
Toy Comparisons.
ALL-NEW STUFF:
MISCELLANEOUS:
-
The Transformers
Pop Culture References Page has been updated with a bunch of stuff that
popped up this past year. Now with pictures and
sound files!
-
The Transformers Voice Actors Page has been updated
with the complete Beast Machines cast and a few new discoveries about
the G1 series.
-
I finally got around to writing up Beast Machines toy reviews for
Skydive, Blastcharge, Megatron, and Primal Prime, which can be found on
Zob's Toy Reviews page.
-
Added a few essays to the Zob's Thoughts page
that I'd written and posted to ATT over the past few months, including the
infamous (and newly image-enhanced) "Soundwave
is Opportunistic, Backstabbing Scum" editorial.
-
Added a picture of the
Elephaorca toy
to the Torca page, as well as an honest-to-gosh,
real-life Torca
sighting! I also shunted his page to a more general
Character Tribute page (to which I'll be adding
other characters I'm obsessed with, at some point down the road).
-
Tore down the Mandatory Ego-Driven Section About Moi, which is now
called About the Zobovor, rewrote and condensed
it a bit, and added new pictures of the
family.
-
Stuck a few fun new URLs on the links page, mainly
the pages of the wonderful folks I mentioned above, and updated a few of
the old links. Also created a new
link button as well as the
ZMFTS Seal of Approval.
-
Finally, I've created a new redirect address for the site, courtesy of
NameZero.com. You can now get here through
http://zobovor.zmfts.com (there's
no need to update your bookmarks, since the old URL still works just fine).
I'm not especially pleased about the banner that pops up, so I personally
won't be using the redirect address... but if it's convenient for you, and
you don't mind the ad banner, then by all means, go for it!
And now, if it's all right with all of you, I'm going to take a break for
a little bit to play Majora's Mask.