New Diamond Select Bust: Powermaster Optimus Prime

If only the real deal could've looked that cool...

I hate that they call those "busts". They're not busts; they're statues with no legs. And a statue of a Transformer is basically a Transformer that's permanently stuck in robot mode and can't be repositioned. Any they usually cost a lot more than a TF. I've never understood why anyone would buy one.

GuyIncognito wrote:I hate that they call those "busts". They're not busts; they're statues with no legs. And a statue of a Transformer is basically a Transformer that's permanently stuck in robot mode and can't be repositioned. Any they usually cost a lot more than a TF. I've never understood why anyone would buy one.

Same here, not to mention they're fragile. I don't understand the market for statues/busts. Someone must be buying them though because that's all I see at Comic Conventions these days.

It's a really nice sculpt though. Powermaster Optimus Prime is still one of my all-time favorite Transformers toys. I still think G2 Megatron goes nicely side-by-side with this version of Prime.

I shall call him "Ginrai" and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Ginrai.

Kudos to whomever gets this reference.

I know the original Optimus Prime toy is iconic and classic but Powermaster will always be my favorite. He was the first Prime figure I owned and loved. Great toy. This bust may be tempting...

GuyIncognito wrote:I hate that they call those "busts". They're not busts; they're statues with no legs. And a statue of a Transformer is basically a Transformer that's permanently stuck in robot mode and can't be repositioned. Any they usually cost a lot more than a TF. I've never understood why anyone would buy one.

Busts are normally just the head and shoulders of a sculpted image.

Yeah, badass as this looks, I'm a little stumped as to why the headsculpt and proportions are so closely based on the toy, as the point of busts/statues is usually to make a 3D representation more accurate to a character's cartoon or comic appearances. I don't get the appeal of easily breakable statues either, but I'd honestly be tempted if they'd made this one accurate to Geoff Senior's interpretation of his PM body, or a 'battle-damaged' one based on how Andrew Wildman drew him in Marvel U.S. issues 72-74, since that's how Optimus looked when Furman gave him his all-time greatest character moments, IMO.

There was a lot of Dreamwave-accurate TF sculpture back when said company existed, and several different versions of the same characters ranging from cartoony to "realistic", so I'm surprised at the lack of tributes to the best of Marvel's TF art. Have there been any? Does Marvel have some legal roadblocks in place to prevent that from happening?

so much cheaper to get the regular toy....

GuyIncognito wrote:I hate that they call those "busts". They're not busts; they're statues with no legs. And a statue of a Transformer is basically a Transformer that's permanently stuck in robot mode and can't be repositioned. Any they usually cost a lot more than a TF. I've never understood why anyone would buy one.

I agree with you in a way. Sculptures and bust are usually done in monochrome color or left in the color or the material it's created from. But for some odd reason fully painting them is the standard fair for sci-fi and comic characters, or TF in this instance. Personally I think it look utterly ridiculous -- rather than looking like a work or art, it makes them look like action figures with missing legs.

I don't get why they make them in this way, or why people buy them, it's just bizarre. You will NEVER walk into an art museum and find a fully painted bust, NEVER. But color aside, some of them look kinda cool and I've been tempted to buy one and toss it in some paint stripper and see how it turns out.

On another note, this thing actually has about the same amount of articulation as the real figure! Ha.

Liftgate wrote:

GuyIncognito wrote:I hate that they call those "busts". They're not busts; they're statues with no legs. And a statue of a Transformer is basically a Transformer that's permanently stuck in robot mode and can't be repositioned. Any they usually cost a lot more than a TF. I've never understood why anyone would buy one.

I agree with you in a way. Sculptures and bust are usually done in monochrome color or left in the color or the material it's created from. But for some odd reason fully painting them is the standard fair for sci-fi and comic characters, or TF in this instance. Personally I think it look utterly ridiculous -- rather than looking like a work or art, it makes them look like action figures with missing legs.

Yes. A simple BUST would suffice. This is a perfect example of less is more. Didn't they get the memo?

Liftgate wrote:I don't get why they make them in this way, or why people buy them, it's just bizarre. You will NEVER walk into an art museum and find a fully painted bust, NEVER. But color aside, some of them look kinda cool and I've been tempted to buy one and toss it in some paint stripper and see how it turns out.

I wouldn't be surprised if paint stripper would utterly destroy these.

Liftgate wrote:On another note, this thing actually has about the same amount of articulation as the real figure! Ha.

Hah! Good one, sir. Kudos.

And it's true...

I'd love to see Takara tackle a masterpiece Ginrai. I think we'd all line up to buy that sucker. Throw in Godbomber (with the same level of engineering) and we'd sell our firstborns.

Autobot032 wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if paint stripper would utterly destroy them.

As far as I know, most of these are made from porcelain, so the material itself should be safe. However, it's possible the porcelain could be stained from the paint, or that glue would be showing from where the assembled it. Or the paint stripper could dissolve the glue and then it falls apart.

In any case the parts could be tossed in bleach to see if that makes them porcelain white again, or it could just be painted a basic color like white or gray if that fails. I've seen these sell for $12-$19 on ebay, so it's not a huge loose if it got ruined anyway.

Sabrblade wrote:I shall call him "Ginrai" and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Ginrai.

Kudos to whomever gets this reference.

Dora from Finding Nemo

Sabrblade wrote:I shall call him "Ginrai" and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Ginrai.

Kudos to whomever gets this reference.

Doc Evil to Minime in Austin Powers 2 (I think it was 2).

This looks like a heavy remold of the normal Prime bust.

Mkall wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I shall call him "Ginrai" and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Ginrai.

Kudos to whomever gets this reference.

Dora from Finding Nemo

"Dory", but yes. You got it.

Dead Metal wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:I shall call him "Ginrai" and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Ginrai.

Kudos to whomever gets this reference.

Doc Evil to Minime in Austin Powers 2 (I think it was 2).

This looks like a heavy remold of the normal Prime bust.

Sorry, never saw Austin Powers 2. ^_^'

I would so love to see this figure redone with today technology !!! And also the god bomber part a well hhhmmmm fansproject does great add on trailers......

The hell is going on with his waist? This looks kinda terrible IMO.

Who buys these things?

I know embarrassment will keep you silent for the most part, but share some insight with us you weirdos.

Counterpunch wrote:Who buys these things?

I know embarrassment will keep you silent for the most part, but share some insight with us you weirdos.

This would be the only one to tempt me. PMOP is and has always been one of my favorite TF figures. This, however, looks bad. I have several other comic related busts and statues though. Although Bowen hasn't let me down on any of the comic ones I own.