Dual Model Kit (DMK) Commander Magnus - HTCC Entry

Update!

Here's something that I did a couple of months ago that is way overdue for a posting. Reason? I needed a better camera than the one I was using. Not that the current one wasn't good, but I needed a DSLR that could capture every intricate part of this work of mine.

Okay, so what do I have here, it's a Dual Model Kit Optimus Prime. DMK01 to be more precise. Now the DMK line is produced by TakaraTomy in an effort to get modellers into the Transformers movie hype. They produced 2 characters, DMK01 Optimus and DMK02 Bumblebee.

Now I manage to purchase one (birthday gift from my wife!) but haven't had the time to actually sit down and build it. Until I joined a competition held by Hasbro Malaysia, the Hasbro Transformers Custom Competition. I joined just for the fun of it and we needed to send in some of our previous works, and somehow I was listed as the 10 finalist. Yeehaw!

Being one of the 10 finalist I was able to choose between a DMK01 or 02, so I chose 01. Why? Coz it was Optimus Prime! Nuff said.

We were given the kits by Hasbro, and in roughly two months we were to come up with whatever design that we could think of by using the kit. As I scratched my head, I looked into comics, re-watched my G1 cartoons to find an inspiration...until I realised one thing...

Everybody is bound to be doing Optimus Prime. Heh. And that ladies and gentlemen sparked the idea of making my entry into...Magnus.

After observing the trademarks for Ultra Magnus, which were the head, color and shoulder missile launchers. Scrounged into my spare parts box and found the right parts to make into the launchers and by using some more parts I made the visors for his eyes. Now Magnus head was different and I shaving off Optimus's horns, I slapped on something of my own idea.

Mixed the right tone of blue and some white, I prepared to paint him according to the G1 version. It took me roughly a month in building this guy. His original weapons was suppose to be twin gatling guns on both arms, but then at the last minute I decided to change it and smacked together a bunch of stuff to make his big ass rifle. And...he was done! With some time to spare, I slapped some custom decals I bought for my model car kits. Thinking that if Optimus preferred flames, Magnus was more to the commercial kinda guy...or bot. Heh.

DMK Commander Magnus - HTTC Entry

Main body and head detailing.

Arm detailing.

The leg detailing.

Pose.

City Commander.

I've prepared a 'work in progress' shots of the building of Magnus which can be viewed at RK Design Studios Facebook page at:

'WIP of DMK Commander Magnus'

And there you go folks. After months, I've finally gotten good shots of this guy. So till then...

Sayonara!

RTS Prowl

Update!

Yes! Another one in the same day!! Lol.

Backstory on this project. I have always loved Prowl. Next to Optimus Prime, Prowl has always been my favourite Autobot. Imagine my grief when I saw him die in the original 1985 animated movie.

Thankfully, he was brought back to life. In the comics that is. And in those stories, you get a deeper understanding of who Prowl is and why he does what he does. Some might consider him a jerkbot, but I see him as an Autobot that will get his hands dirty to get the job done.

So when Hasbro released a new figure of him in 2008 under the classics line, again...here was a happy man. You see, I never had a chance to own one of the G1 toys...had an action master Prowl, but it...erm...disappeared. Here's the 2008 Prowl:

It had the look of Prowl. The car mode was also a great tribute to the original G1 version. So I was happy for awhile, but my mind never stopped trying to tinker with it's design. The Prowl in the IDW comics sort of followed the Classics version, but buffed him up and made him look awesome. Which was wat I wanted too. I mean, he is my favourite Autobot!

My answer came in the form of Reveal The Shield Jazz. The body was perfect! The car may not look like the original, but in robot mode...this was the body I was looking for!

After purchasing an extra Jazz (hey...Jazz was a fav too), I separated Prowl's head from his classic body and modified it to go to his new body. Got rid of some stuff, did some modifications to the legs without compromising his transformation (didn't want Prowl to look so much like Jazz). And a coat of new paints along with some custom decals made by myself...heh...and Prowl was ready! I present to you all...

Reveal The Shield Prowl (RKD: REVIVAL Series)

Custom decals made by myself.

Swapped and moved the legs to give Prowl a more different look.

Comparison to RTS Jazz.

Vehicle mode.

Yep. Now I am truly happy. Now what happened to the Classics Prowl body? Just wait for it to reveal itself soon. Till then...

Over and out...

Classics Hot Rod

Update!

Okay, lately I've been working on some personal projects of mine (actually it's been months...since last year...heh), I call it the revival project. Now what is it you might ask? It's actually custom works on Transformer figures that I think should be pumped up. Don't get me wrong, I think Hasbro has been doing a fantastic job in designing and creating Transformer figures for the fans. You see, I'm a Generation One fan and when Hasbro came out with the Classics/Universe/Reveal The Shield series I was excited!

I was into collecting them until around a year and a half back I stopped. Not sure why, economic problems...scalpers...and a bunch of other things. But a fan will always be a fan since I loved Transformers not for the toys, but the characters...how they lived, their stories, their profiles...who they were! I was more into the comics rather than the shows since the comics (Marvel and IDW) are the perfect medium to tell the tales of the Transformers. That was it. I was hooked again.

But this time...it's different. I intend to remake the Classics/Universe/RTS series into how I wanted to see them. And so...my quest begins.

For starters, I hated that they made Hot Rod (Rodimus) so bleedin' small! As you can see here:

The figure was good. I actually loved it at first, but then realising that he was puny compared to the other bots that was made. (I have a thing for proper scaling)...so sold of mine and made one of my own.

I had an extra Classics Sideswipe body lying around and since it's headless (using it for something else...will be revealed soon!) I took the body. Had the right look to it, and got myself Excillion's head (from the Galaxy Force series)...modded the neck extensions, gave him wings which I added to the engine part for Sideswipe and a paint job...so what do you get?

Classics Hot Rod (RK Designs version)

The Excillion head with new neck joints and the wings which is now part of the engine.

Hot Rod's arm blasters which is also part of his exhaust in vehicle mode.

Size comparison to Universe Kup.

Vehicle mode.

Now, the flames are actually airbrushed on. Did some masking and based the design from his G1 toy version. The only decal part was the Autobot emblem.

And there you have it. My version of Hot Rod. I'm kinda happy with this, but since it's my first design...I found some flaws in it. So if I do get a chance, I might be doing a version 2.0 of this guy...till then...

Hasta la bye bye!