Triple Takeover Toycast

We’re looking back to the nostalgic early 2000s era of collecting for our new episode, remembering the delights of Takara’s Smallest Transforming Transformers line — the teeny tiny toys which took classic 1980s designs and shrunk them down to minute scale.Typically known amongst fan circles as ‘World’s Smallest Transformers’ or WST, these microscopic marvels were surprisingly on point versus their full-size forebears, but at a fraction of the cost and the space required. Yet none of that stopped them from packing in amazingly faithful transformation schemes and details. The toys were so popular that they inspired numerous unofficial and fanmade counterparts, a sign of some of the earliest third party figures on the collector market.Inevitably, the discussion leads to eBay, and a sad realisation that, as small as these toys may be, their aftermarket value has become rather more significant in the years since their release. Still, it’s fun to remember a time when the best things really did come in small packages.—Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.comJoin the conversation with us on DiscordSupport the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover

Our latest episode celebrates the current 40th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie in a different way, by turning our attention to the page and exploring two of the comic adaptations of the film from over the years — including both the original 1986 Marvel story and the 20th anniversary depiction from IDW in 2006.Both comics are wildly different in their approach, and we delve into them in equal measure. The 1986 edition, released concurrently with the film being in cinemas, assumes no knowledge of the big-screen adventure, but is clearly working from an earlier draft of the original script, making for many differences from the final storyline as we typically know it. Meanwhile, IDW opted for more of a love-letter approach, firmly aimed at fans who already know and adore the film in great detail, albeit with a few embellishments and even some extra scenes thrown in for good measure. They make for a fascinating comparison.Ultimately, this ends up being a fun and insightful exploration of how one of our favourite movies (don’t listen to Jason) ended up being represented in two very different comics — just twenty years apart.—Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.comJoin the conversation with us on DiscordSupport the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover

Blokees has taken the Transformers scene by storm ever since making their debut in mid-2023. The range of miniature buildable action figures has captured the attention of collectors and children alike, proving to be much more than a fad in the arena of licensed robots in disguise merch, with Blokees expanding their offering considerably over the last few years. Today, we get to the bottom of why that is — and just how you pronounce the company's name to begin with.We cover off everything Blokees has going on, from the Galaxy Version and Shining Version lines, to the larger Class Class and considerably more involved Action Edition ranges, and the much smaller, simpler, and no doubt cuter Defender Versions too — to say nothing of the likes of Blokees Wheels. It's also ridiculously enabling, not least because so much of it retails for excellent value for money, so is it any wonder the team are all as enthused by it as we are? Liam has even won an award.It all means that, come the end of the episode, we find ourselves wondering just what other wee blokes we might want to pick up soon. Assuming we manage to stay on topic long enough for any of it, that is.—Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.comJoin the conversation with us on DiscordSupport the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover

As the final year of the original Transformers toy line in North America, 1990 is typically thought of for precisely one thing: Action Masters. Yet aside from the notorious non-transforming examples, there was also a whole second wave of Micromasters unveiled alongside them — and they're every bit the mini-marvels as the previous year's efforts.With new multipacks of four individual robots — including the Construction, Air, Monster Trucks, Hot Rod, Race Track, and Military Patrols — now bolstered by a heavy focus on Micromaster Combiners such as the Metro, Astro, Battle, and Constructor Squads, alongside the notoriously hard-to-find Combiner Transports, there's plenty to contemplate from this last hurrah of the line. In fact, there's an argument to say that "Generation 1" showed no sign of sputtering out at this point, considering how vibrant it all is.We examine all these toys and more, including the larger Anti-Aircraft Base and Battlefield Headquarters sets, exploring how this final wave built on the Micromaster concept introduced the year prior. More than anything though, this is a love letter to Micromasters as a whole, contemplating how sometimes, the best things really do come in small packages.—Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.comJoin the conversation with us on DiscordSupport the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover

The Transformers fandom was recently rocked by the tragic passing of legendary voice actor Peter Cullen, who famously provided the iconic voice of Optimus Prime for over forty years. We've already expressed our appreciation for the man himself in a dedicated minisode, but now we're back to celebrate his legacy in a different way — by selecting some of our favourite Optimus Prime toys from over the years. And boy, are we spoilt for choice.Right from the earliest years of the brand, Optimus Prime has had some of the best toy designs to his name — be they from the 1980s, '90s, '00s, or beyond. Today, we each highlight two examples that have spoken to us or stand out for various reasons, but what becomes clear is the sheer range of amazing options for representing the character in plastic. No two examples here are the same, yet they all share one thing in common: they're some of the definitive Transformers toys of all time. And that's Optimus Prime.Inevitably, there's some lighthearted landgrabbing along the way, along with the usual confusion about just what constitutes 'the brief' for the conversation. However, once we're all aligned, there's little doubt that this is a wall-to-wall celebration of some outstanding toy designs representing one of the most iconic characters in fiction — all in the memory of the man who famously brought him to life.—Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.comJoin the conversation with us on DiscordSupport the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover