Lukis Bros Transformers Collector Site

#StudioSeries86 Voyager Mixmaster

No way to deep dive discuss which Devastator/ Constructicon set is better the #CombinerWars Titan or SS86 without taking a close look at individual components.

Whereas the difference with Scavenger btn CW and SS86 is negligible (a mixed bag: size is better with CW, each deco has its pros and cons, SS86 has his weapon, so a toss up for me) with Mixmaster we have a clear-cut definitive better version.

First and foremost, we've gotta talk about the cement mixer alt mode. I never did like the artistic license design team took on CW Mixmaster. That front load cement barrel in vehicle looks entirely wrong to me in both modes! hangs off his back like Waspinator's abdomen (yuck!) Similarly, the foot of Devastator, which is a too narrow vehicle rear cab is not screen accurate (doesn't even have the purple windshield! boo!!!)

For purposes of comparison, I've been using the #SDCC deco version of CW devastator because years ago, I put a lot in to upgrading the CW figure with both sticker set upgrades and aftermarket add-on kits to the regular mass release version. The kit allowed you to convert the cement mixer into a rear-loading barrel drum. Yet even with all these additions and upgrades, the SS86 version is vastly superior.

The SS86 vehicle mode is spot-on accurate to the original series. The cement barrel is in back of the truck and is sized and positioned properly to look right (as a backpack) in robot mode. Transformation is elegant, everything just pegs together so nice and tight, plus the mechanism to convert it to leg mode is very clever (I won't explain it, it's way better to see for yourself! 😉. Leg mode also has smartly designed heel flaps so Devastator is rock solid stable in combined form. I also prefer SS86 Mixmaster in robot mode. Head sculpt seems more to to the original animation, and TBH size difference here doen't matter to me.

I won't be the only one saying so - I predict a nearly unanimous opinion among the fandom in favor of SS86 over the former CW version.

New set announced via Takaratomy ASIA @TF_pr on X features the Insecticons and Earthrise Skywarp in G1 cartoon accurate deco!

Totally cool with this set but I wish they were using the new #StudioSeries86 mold for Skywarp.

Missing Link Ultra Magnus

Via @TF_pr on X is Takaratomy ASIA
(Loosely translated Japanese)
“Reservations starting soon!
The virtual reissue "Missing Link," which might have existed in that era, introduces "Ultra Magnus"!

Reservations start from Friday, September 5, 2025! Missing Link C-10 Ultra Magnus

#トランスフォーマー
#Transformers

Via @conquestyama on X
“Is that how it is~?
Or are the details of the feet just a dummy?
It's driving me crazy~

Teaser for the next Missing Link - #takaratomy #Transformers

DEVASTATOR #StudioSeries86 v #CombinerWars

Be prepared: If you’re hoping to hear me say one of these Constructicon sets is “better in every way vs the other” you’re going to be disappointed. It’s a mixed bag - though I do have a preference. Let’s walk thru.

Size: for me, the CW Titan scales better with other Studio Series toys. Construction vehicles are bigger than cars & the just like seeker jets, should stand taller in both modes than your average Autobot.

I know there’s an official scale chart but in reality, Combiners size changes from one cel animation or comic drawing scene to another. Even tho I prefer the taller size of CW, this is a little more forgivable characteristic and thus don’t as much mind using my imagination to some extent in this regard.

Hand feel, joint tolerances: SS86 wins this category hands down. He feels much more sturdy, poses better and much less tippy. SS86 is probably the best combined figure Hasbro ever made.

Deco/color: this one is dicey. The SDCC deco shown in these comparison photos is too neon yellow tint for me. The SS86 green is a little washed out/desaturated for me. The mass release CW figures probably had the best green and fortunately included some accent colors to break up the overwhelming volume of green and purple.

Devastator had a big solid red eye visor in TFTM. Although there were times in the G1 cartoon where he was depicted with individual eyes, for me it’s the visor I want. Winner SS86.

Proportions/sculpt: for me, again SS86 is a clear choice. Notice where the knee bends on the CW toy! The joint is in the middle of the thigh! SS86 is damn near perfect.

Accessories: CW version did not include weapons for the individual bots - definitely not okay. SS86 has got’m.

For me, tho imperfections exist the SS86 provides the best Devastator to date.

#StudioSeries86 #Transformers toys being produced today are absolute 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥!
🤯🤯🤯🤘🤘🤘

That said, better save up because this is $360 worth of retail price figures that you will pay a lot more for later down the road….

#studioseries86 Deluxe Constructicon Scavenger

So how does it compare with the previous #SDCC Exclusive (premium deco) #CombinerWars version?

Size:
Winner = CW is better. I like my Constructicons big and bad@$$. The CW version stands (appropriately) tall. SS86 is a bit small for me.

Deco:
This is a tough - and a matter of personal preference. The CW (SDCC release with upgraded deco shown in comparison photos) has much more paint apps to resemble the stickers of the original toy. SS86 much more plain, tho technically more cartoon accurate. The green color plastic is also tricky - CW leans too far yellow of where I feel it should be and the green in SS86 is strangely desaturated, otherwise … That said, i might be on board for an aftermarket sticker upgrade which would give a slight edge to the SS86.

Joint tolerances / “hand feel”
The SS86 figure is, to a greater extent than the CW Titan component, intended to be sold as a stand alone figure. Accordingly, I feel joint tolerances are a little better and I feel like engineers dedicated a little more to to get SS86 feel right.

Transformation is basically identical on the two so neither stands out with any advantage to one figure over another.

Articulation and pose-ability:
It bugs me that the scoop has no joint on the CW Titan version. SS86 DOES. They have very similar design characteristics in robot mode and each has similar amount of suboptimal hollowness, particularly in the arms and legs.
SS86 version has an edge here

Devastator’s right arm
Remarkably similar. Neither is notably or distinguishably different or better in this area

Overall a slight edge to the SS86 despite the CW version being larger sized and better deco. Ultimately, which scavenger figure you’re gonna think of is the best he’s gonna depend on your opinion of the overall team as a whole. More on this to come! 😉

#TheTransformersTheMovie #StudioSeries86 (Voyager Class) w/ Ramhorn and Ratbat

IMHO this version of the figure mold is better than the first Studio Series (Deluxe) release in every way - except for one fairly serious flaw.

A few side-by-side photos will help you distinguish. Personally, I like the deco on this version much better. The earlier Deluxe had the colors much closer to animation accurate than any previous version, this new Voyager release the best yet. For example, his face is shiny silver metallic on the Deluxe; a cell animation grey on this new release.

The robot mode’s back is retooled with a panel to cover the hole where his head goes in microscope mode. More accurate to the original figure and looks WAY better.

The chest plate is now grey ABS plastic, not the painted clear so it feels much more sturdy.

The big flaw I mentioned is the scope. Unfortunately the Deluxe version isn’t a functional scope with optical grade plastic like the original, but this looks WAAAAY better then the now solid opaque grey plastic the scope barrel has at its ends….

I couldn’t stand it so as a quick fix I covered it with a leftover (blue circle) sticker to at least make it look like a lens…:

All in all, I’d say a very worthwhile buy. (It’s out as a Target Exclusive right now so grab while you can! You’ll just have to find yourself a blue sticker to give the scope a proper look.

Erik with ToyRobot Magazine with a short little writ-up about my totally lucky day.

It was one of those middle-of-the-road kind of days. Sales in my shop (a toy store) were below my goal, but we had a lot of new people visiting the store, so that's always a good sign. The great thing about having a shop, and one of its goals, is to have people come to you with goodies to sell (and a few to keep).

Today, the shop did just that as a nice old woman came in all smiles while holding two large ziplock bags filled with toys.

"I have some G2 transformers and some Star Wars, but I think they are newer," she declared as she set them down on the table.

It took less than a second to see a G1 Jetfire, Hoist, Bombshell, Astrotrain, and a few others. The other bag was clearly original Kenner Star Wars, not newer stuff. We struck a deal rather quickly, where she was very happy with the cash I offered, and I was over the moon.

The only part I could see in the bag of Jetfire was his two wings, and what was on one of them? A Macross insignia. I had one of the holy grails of North American Transformers waltz into my shop, a piece I never thought I'd see in the wild, and one I've personally never seen in person until today.

This figure was an early release of Jetfire. The first batch had painted Symbols on the wings, the second batch had a sticker (like mine), and finally, they removed it altogether as it was not supposed to be on there due to copyright issues.

I like to think the universe tries to keep things balanced. Yeah, my sales were slow, but a new gem was now in my hands and ready to be added to "The Vault". The moral of the story is to try and keep your head up; not every day will be this awesome, but it's these days that make it all worth it.

Here we go, folks, my first write-up in what seems like ages. To preface, let me apologize for the absence of these short articles; life has been crazy. From switching jobs a few times to opening my own toy store in my hometown (Flashbax in Aberdeen, SD, if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods). It's been a lot of long days, and I haven't had that drive after work to get all my side projects done. However, the dust is settling down, and I have found a decent pace for my days. So, that means more free time to write articles and chronicle my love for transforming robots and their rich history.
Today is a celebration of adding one of the rarest items to my collection, along with some sweet bonuses. Several days back I was cruising eBay, a very common occurrence, and bouncing back and forth for stuff to buy and resell and stuff to add to my collection. Two sides of a coin, and I never know which side will win. Have you ever watched the movie Hotel Transylvania? In it, the father vampire tells his daughter that she'll know her first true love when the zing. Well, that's me and my eBay buying. I know the right item when I see it. And on that night, let me tell you, this lot and I zinged.
What lay before my eyes on my little phone screen in the dark of the night was a G1 Transformers Action Master lot with an original shipping box. Now, those who have followed my collecting know I'm a sucker for Transformers Artifacts, items that are tied to Transformers, but not part of the main toys. This could be anything from store displays, clothing, general merchandise, and so on. Often, these items can become hard to find or even exceptionally rare over time. Of all of these, the rarest and hardest to find items are shipping boxes. They are meant to be discarded after the items are put on a shelf.
Now, in my lifetime as a store owner, I have thrown away hundreds of these Transformers boxes; they rarely interest me at the time, but there has always been an exception to that. G1 boxes represent the original run, the dynasty that started it all, the crème de la crème. Hit up eBay or any major convention, and once in a while, these will pop their little heads up, like some sort of small animal watching the skies for a deadly predator, ready to run away in the blink of an eye. We collectors are the hawks, and those little G1 boxes are mighty good eats. Well, here I was, staring at this Action Master box, and it was in a field with eight carded Action Master figures! Carded figures and a box that matches them? I was hooked and dove for that purchase button.
Let's talk about making purchases like this for a short second. This lot was around $1,100, for some, that's chump change; for others, an impossible sum to spend on toys. I fall somewhere in the middle. I often use financing options for items like this and always like to remind people that is an option out there to shop on a budget, but for the love of the Gods, make sure you can afford it first! I have my bills paid for, I have a decent business, and I have many ways of offsetting expenses. The Joker pondered, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?”, well this guy does it with a lot of payments over time and skill with sales. So, tldr on this part: you can get awesome stuff, resources are out there, be responsible.
After what seems like forever, I was able to get my package in the mail this morning and tore into it like a little kid on Christmas. Let me tell you, the wait was worth it. This box is a beauty, excellent tone, great condition, and just had that feel of the 1980s to it. Adorned with the Transformers Logo, it will become one of the main centerpieces of my collection. How many of these still exist? I have no idea, but it isn't many, and few are ever seen or photographed for purposes like this.
Let's talk a little about these figures as well! Now, here come the haters, and do what you will, I love me some Action Masters. These were the last dying breaths of o

As if Hasbro official Aerialbots, Combaticons and Constructicons all in one year wasn’t enough!!!!! Along comes Takara’s MACHINA SERIES AM-T02 Predaking

“Scheduled to start accepting reservations in August 2025

Predacon The five Predacons, designed with their combined form in mind, aim for high-detail realization. Re-evaluated based on the original broadcast setting materials and toy designs. Not only the overall silhouette but also the entire design and details have been updated.”
Via tspark-official on X https://x.com/tspark_official/status/1950028506915877335?s=46

#Transformers Team @ Hasbro talks #Titan Class Age of Extinction Grimlock ….

This whole thing is completely bananas to me! They hope to release 4 Titans over the next 4 years to complete the AOE (sort-of) “Dino-“ bots. The last one slated for 2029?! Call it Hasbro magic - making me really want something I never wanted before! Ah meeeean … Im 100% in - Grimlock looks damn cool. But are the enough fans willing to spend (Nate from marketing says “under”) $200” apiece for each of these 4?!?! Grimlock and Scorn I can see… Slug the 5 (because why not have 5+ hornns asks Michael Bay?!?!) “triceratops” and Strafe the 2-headed “pterodacty-ish thing ?!?! Time will tell!

#StudioSeries 86 Thindercracker Reveal at #SDCC2025

It is NOT a “partial” (retool) off the Earthrise figure.. Designers said it’s 💯% new mold. G1 Seeker is a “mini-“ (I think “properly scaled”) Masterpiece. They confirmed the obvious, that they will release as Starscream and Skywarp and each of the 3 will have a different sculpted face!

Super excited for this. As good as the earth prize version of the toy was, this new one just looks so much cleaner, cartoon accurate.

Prototype on display at #SDCC2025 pic c/o @protoman on X

3/5 More Combaticons Deluxe Blast Off, Voyager Brawl and Commander Class Onslaught

Design Manager @markclonus said they intentionally kept the animation error eyes on the forehead deco. What a brilliant touch. I love it! Shuttle mode is spot on beautiful!

Brawl is a Voyager. Interesting, in so far as it’ll be the first of these limb component characters that hit that price point. I wonder if that means swindle will be similarly priced to match the opposite leg, in scale?!

Onslaught -  not much we said about him other than that the image they showed was a render from the package art.

Did you know that the first appearance of B Nemesis Prime was in Transformers Armada?! Fika has a new head sculpt as well as three completely new minions, which here in the age of the primes unite to form the original (mini-con) Star Saber!

#SDCC2025 Exclusive Void Rivals Jetfire w/ exclusive cover by @artofmarcelomatere
Cartoon deco of this character makes it a must have for me

#Transformers Hasbro Pulse Reveals from #SDCC2025

TITAN Scale #StudioSeries #AgeOfExtinction #Grimlock

Revealed today at SDCC, the scale allows Leader Class AoE OP to ride him, like in the movie. Nate of the marketing team stated they’re not sure about timing (guessing it’ll likely be a several year process, just like the studio series 86 G1 Dinobots) but repeated that they plan to do all four in Titan scale! 🤯🫣

Totally new sculpt, with more screen accurate design than the earlier leader class version. Due for release summer 2026.

Resin model prototype shown at the panel presentation, photos courtesy of @protoman on X https://x.com/protoman/status/1948908197429084371?s=46

Dinobot Snarl, courtesty YellaWolf Studios Product Photography

Transformers Cyberworld episode 1 is now available on the Official Transformers YouTube channel

What do you think of this new series? Does it seem like a show you might be interested in?

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