Post by Philip Ayres on Oct 5, 2010 20:03:58 GMT
Jazz
Jazz is another Transformer car who first appeared as a Diaclone Toy, in this case #14 Porsche 935 Turbo. The Porsche 935 is the racing version of the Porsche 911 with an additional Spoiler. The Porsche 935 has been raced by a number of teams so was available in a wide variety of colours. Here's an image of a 935 in similar colours to Jazz, while real life images of Porsche 935s with the number 4 on them, like the Diaclone version, can be found here and here. For other colour versions have a look at Google Images. Actually given the number of colour variations this has been raced under it comes as a surprise that the Jazz toy hasn't been repainted more often.
The Transformers version is a direct port of the Diaclone one, including the number 4 and sponsors logos: Martini stickers on the door and Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on front & rear windows. The doors open allowing you access to the chromed driver's seatr in the centre of the car that's suitable for a Diaclone man.
Transformation: very nearly the same as that used on the three Fairlady-Z toys (Bluestreak, Prowl & Smokescreen). All that's really missing is the turn in the middle. Open the doors and pull the rear of the car back. Fold the arms out from under the bonnet - the fist hole on each hand is holding a peg on the shoulder of the other arm - out to the sides bringing the wheels with them. Fold the front of the car forward 90 degrees. Hold onto the chrome piece on the front of the robot's chest and bring the car's bonnet back and up to form the to of the robot's chest. Pull the car's roof back and fold back to reveal the robot's head. Fold the rear of the car down 90 degrees, pull out to the sides then fold the silver feet/lower leg fronts up. Clip the backpack into his back.
Normally now I'd leap into a big description of the robot mode but I need to get a few things off my chest about the transform sequence here: The chrome chest panel keeps wanting to turn back when you try to move the upper chest in position. I'm not 100& sure why it's there, why not just chrome the panel underneath it? The legs on mine - and I've owned a few Jazz by now - are never that keen to move apart fully (my current Encore version is horrendously stiff!) And the backpack never fits in right. There's a pair of slanted tabs which fit into grooves in the robot's back that are part of the Transformation sequence. I can never get the backpack to go in far enough to sit solidly enough for my liking!
Jazz's robot is a smaller one than most of the Diaclone originated Autobot cars. Mainly white again like the car, a lot of black has been introduced in this mode on the lower legs, waist, hands, upper arms and head as well as the aforementioned chromed silver lower chest and feet. Weapons are provided by the backpack with it's missile launcher over his right shoulder that can fire any of the three silver chromed missiles supplied with the toy. Also included is a silver chromed "photon rifle" for him to hold. Articulation is confined to the arms and is the same as the aforementioned Fairlady-Z toys whose design Jazz is similar to: The shoulders shrug up, turn and allow the arms to swing to the sides while the elbows bend and the wrists turn.
Verdict: Jazz is one of the big G1 Transformer, but I've never seen the appeal of him as a toy or a character. The design is similar to the Fairlady-Zs which work better as toys in my opinion and lack the annoying details I mentioned at the transformation stage. Give me Sideswipe over Jazz any day.
Jazz was first sold in the US & UK in 1984, and was sold in the UK through into 1986. He was first sold as a Transformer in Japan in 1985 as Transformer #06 where he was called Meister.
Jazz's status amongst the top tier of G1 characters is evident from the amount of remakes he's had, two of which were within the original Transformers line: First he was a Classic Pretender and then an Jazz. There's a 14 year gap between that and the Alternators/Binartech (during which he was reissued a number of times!) after which the remakes flow quickly with Botcon Jazz, several flavours including a G1 looking exclusive of Movie Jazz, a Universe Legend and an Animated Jazz. All these are liable to be forgotten in the wake of the forthcoming Generations/Reveal the Shield update that's shortly to be released.
Here's where the text about Jazz's reissues would go. He has been reissued numerous times, but all of which involve some minor modification to the toy. These are listed bellow in the order which they came out. Pay attention because there may be a quiz later ! Are we sitting comfortably?
Cookie Crisp Jazz
This Jazz was a mail away exclusive for the Cookie Crisp cereal. He's nearly identical to the original Jazz, except that he looses the Martin sponsors logos on the doors and the Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on the front & rear windows.
Targetmaster Stepper with Nebulon
In 1987 a number of older toys were re-released with new Targetmaster companions. Each toy had some remoulding to allow them to use the weapons in vehicle mode hold the weapons in robot mode.
In the west - US, UK and associated markets - we got the following toys:
AUTOBOTS
Blurr with Haywire
Hotrod with Firebolt
Kup with Recoil
DECEPTICONS
Cyclonus with Nightstick
Scourge with Fracas
In Japan none of these toys were released, and instead a different approach was taken. Two older toys were brought back. Inferno was repainted and packaged with Scourge's Targetmaster Fracas to form Artfire with Nightstick. Stepper is a repaint of Jazz, paired with Nebulon, who was the same Targetmaster packaged with Cyclonus, Nightstick.
The following colour swaps apply to Stepper:
White becomes black
Black becomes white
Chromed silver becomes chromed gold
The stickers on the toy are completely changed with a firebird adorning the bonnet and flames down the side. Stepper looses he chromed gun & missiles that Jazz had. He has a new backpack which consists of a piece running across his shoulders with a 5mm peg hole on one side to hold Nebulon in Stepper's robot mode: Stepper's hand holes are too small to hold Nebulon so he's used as a shoulder cannon. Similarly the car's spoiler is remoulded to include a 5mm peg hole in the middle of it which allows Nebulon to be used as a weapon for the car mode too.
One of the more interesting things about the toy is it's name: Stepper. It doesn't seem to fit the toy. In fact Stepper would be a more appropriate name for Artfire, while the name Artfire does work on both toys perhaps it's more appropriate to the toy with an artistic representation of Firebird on it. Then there's the Targetmasters. Why does Scourge's Targetmaster Fracas become Nightstick while Cyclonus' Targetmaster Nightstick becomes Nebulon. If you're happy with the Nightstick name, why not leave it on the same toy? Then there's Car Robots Artfire (RID Hot Shot) who is a clear Stepper homage. No,I'm pretty convinced the Fire Engine should be called Stepper with Nebulon while this should be Artfire with Nightstick.
Stepper & Nebulon were part of the Headmasters series and Japanese Transformers release C-109. For many years Stepper was one of *THE* Japanese toys to own and commanded a high price. As to why it isn't now, well see bellow....
European Classics Jazz
Again this Jazz is nearly identical to the original Jazz, This time he looses the Martin sponsors logos off the doors but retains the Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on the front and rear windows.
Available in a gold box he was sold in Europe in 1990 & 1991.
Generation 2 Jazz
This version of Jazz is still white, so he's escaped the curse of the Generation 2 recolour. But he has got new stickers featuring a white number 1 in a pale blue circle. G2 Jazz comes with his original chromed gun but doesn't have the backpack mounted missile launcher & missiles. Instead he gains a new pale blue missile launching gun with long safety conscious green missiles. This is the same weapon & missile moulds used at the same time on G2 Sideswipe and the following year with G2 Onslaught. The missile weapon is retooled from the weapon used by 1991's GI Joe Snow Serpent(version 2).
The mould has had a few tweaks,most notably a hole in roof for the new missile launching gun to be mounted on in vehicle mode. The chrome feet which are narrower than the previous versions: this modification is present on all later versions, which is a shame as the new feet don't cover the lower legs quite as well as the original versions do. The face on this toy has acquired a smirk, as TF Wiki's Jazz toy page. This is thought unlikely to be a deliberate design decision and is probably a result of mould degradation.
Transformers Collection Meister
Meister is the first release in Takara's Transformers collection of reissues. He's *nearly* identical to the original Jazz. Mould degradation has led to a bigger smirk on his face - see TF Wiki's Jazz toy page for a picture. In this version the word Martini on the doors is changed to Meister while the sun visors become Agent Meister. These are the stickers used for all subsequent versions of Jazz/Meister.
There's a second version of this toy listed bellow which features retooled weapons.
Electrum Jazz
Electrum Jazz is the first of the E-Hobby recolour released to accompany the Transformers collection series. He's the Transformers Collection Jazz but covered in a gold chrome plating and packed in generic Autobot packaging.
As is said when I looked at the later E-Hobby Chrome Bluestreak I'm not sure I'd want to risk even touching it for fear of scratching or blemishing the chrome.
Electrum Jazz was released paired with E-Hobby Anime Bluestreak. This pairing was released to compliment Transformers Collection 01 Jazz and 02 Prowl.
Commemorative Series III Jazz
Modified weapons toolings were introduced with this release. The backpack/missile launcher is now in two parts, with a peg on the top of the backpack fitting a hole in the underside of the missile launcher. The Backpack has round peg sticking up which goes into launcher. I feel this should have been other way round to make launcher hand held and gun shoulder mounted. The gun & missiles for this release aren't chromed but instead are plain black. The missiles have been redesigned to be much longer than before. The launcher itself features a long rod sticking out the back of it which makes it look as if the missile has passed through the launcher.
Transformers Collection Meister Version 2
A second version of TFC Meister which features retooled weapons. We have the same two part backpack/missile launcher as CSIII Jazz but the launcher looses the protuberance out of the back. Missiles are back to their normal size; both they and the gun are chromed again.
Transformers Collection Stepper with Nebulon
The announcement that there would be a Transformers Collection release of Stepper was met with great joy. Even greater joy was found when the toy arrived and we discovered what was in the box. Transformers Collection releases had been adding little extras for a while now: Convoy's axe, Megatron's morning star & Hot Rod's complete gun collection. Stepper also has some improvements and extra goodies in with him:
Nebulon has been remoulded with the peg being in two stages: a thin base to allow Stepper to hold him with a larger top as allowing him to be attached to the Targetmaster backpack and used by other Transformers with a 5mm peg hole hand. The missile launching backpack, missiles & hand gun, included originally with Jazz, makes it's first appearance on Stepper here but now, like the robot's feet, their chrome is gold, rather than Jazz's silver, like Stepper's feet. One notable change happen to the toy mould with this release: The smirk on the face is finally fixed, restoring it to it's original look.
Stepper was numbered 15 in the Transformers Collection
Even if you were one of the few that had an original Stepper this is a release that needed to be owned. Extra weapons and the ability to hold his Targetmaster make this version of Stepper the definitive release of this character beating the original version hands down. And yet it doesn't seem to have sold that well: I bought a sealed one off eBay for less than £20 last week!
Commemorative Series IX Ricochet with Nightstick
Released nearly simultaneously with Stepper, is the first western version of the Stepper toy, named Ricochet, carrying a Targetmaster renamed back to Nightstick.
Ricochet comes with the two part missile launcher backpack, first seen on Commemorative Series III Jazz complete with the long spike sticking out the rear, a black version of the Jazz handgun and the same longer black missiles. Like the Japanese TFC Stepper this release didn't sell too well at Toys R Us, it's original exclusive home, and could be found in discount stores.
Ricochet was part of Commemorative series IX with Astrotrain.
Encore Meister
Nearly identical to the second TFC Meister, this version uses the corrected head tooling and repaints the visor in Blue.
Meister was release #8 in the Encore series.
Future Repaints
As I mentioned above the Porsche 935 has been raced under many colours. So there's lots of scope for new versions/relatives of Jazz. How about a nice red one?
Jazz is another Transformer car who first appeared as a Diaclone Toy, in this case #14 Porsche 935 Turbo. The Porsche 935 is the racing version of the Porsche 911 with an additional Spoiler. The Porsche 935 has been raced by a number of teams so was available in a wide variety of colours. Here's an image of a 935 in similar colours to Jazz, while real life images of Porsche 935s with the number 4 on them, like the Diaclone version, can be found here and here. For other colour versions have a look at Google Images. Actually given the number of colour variations this has been raced under it comes as a surprise that the Jazz toy hasn't been repainted more often.
The Transformers version is a direct port of the Diaclone one, including the number 4 and sponsors logos: Martini stickers on the door and Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on front & rear windows. The doors open allowing you access to the chromed driver's seatr in the centre of the car that's suitable for a Diaclone man.
Transformation: very nearly the same as that used on the three Fairlady-Z toys (Bluestreak, Prowl & Smokescreen). All that's really missing is the turn in the middle. Open the doors and pull the rear of the car back. Fold the arms out from under the bonnet - the fist hole on each hand is holding a peg on the shoulder of the other arm - out to the sides bringing the wheels with them. Fold the front of the car forward 90 degrees. Hold onto the chrome piece on the front of the robot's chest and bring the car's bonnet back and up to form the to of the robot's chest. Pull the car's roof back and fold back to reveal the robot's head. Fold the rear of the car down 90 degrees, pull out to the sides then fold the silver feet/lower leg fronts up. Clip the backpack into his back.
Normally now I'd leap into a big description of the robot mode but I need to get a few things off my chest about the transform sequence here: The chrome chest panel keeps wanting to turn back when you try to move the upper chest in position. I'm not 100& sure why it's there, why not just chrome the panel underneath it? The legs on mine - and I've owned a few Jazz by now - are never that keen to move apart fully (my current Encore version is horrendously stiff!) And the backpack never fits in right. There's a pair of slanted tabs which fit into grooves in the robot's back that are part of the Transformation sequence. I can never get the backpack to go in far enough to sit solidly enough for my liking!
Jazz's robot is a smaller one than most of the Diaclone originated Autobot cars. Mainly white again like the car, a lot of black has been introduced in this mode on the lower legs, waist, hands, upper arms and head as well as the aforementioned chromed silver lower chest and feet. Weapons are provided by the backpack with it's missile launcher over his right shoulder that can fire any of the three silver chromed missiles supplied with the toy. Also included is a silver chromed "photon rifle" for him to hold. Articulation is confined to the arms and is the same as the aforementioned Fairlady-Z toys whose design Jazz is similar to: The shoulders shrug up, turn and allow the arms to swing to the sides while the elbows bend and the wrists turn.
Verdict: Jazz is one of the big G1 Transformer, but I've never seen the appeal of him as a toy or a character. The design is similar to the Fairlady-Zs which work better as toys in my opinion and lack the annoying details I mentioned at the transformation stage. Give me Sideswipe over Jazz any day.
Jazz was first sold in the US & UK in 1984, and was sold in the UK through into 1986. He was first sold as a Transformer in Japan in 1985 as Transformer #06 where he was called Meister.
Jazz's status amongst the top tier of G1 characters is evident from the amount of remakes he's had, two of which were within the original Transformers line: First he was a Classic Pretender and then an Jazz. There's a 14 year gap between that and the Alternators/Binartech (during which he was reissued a number of times!) after which the remakes flow quickly with Botcon Jazz, several flavours including a G1 looking exclusive of Movie Jazz, a Universe Legend and an Animated Jazz. All these are liable to be forgotten in the wake of the forthcoming Generations/Reveal the Shield update that's shortly to be released.
Here's where the text about Jazz's reissues would go. He has been reissued numerous times, but all of which involve some minor modification to the toy. These are listed bellow in the order which they came out. Pay attention because there may be a quiz later ! Are we sitting comfortably?
Cookie Crisp Jazz
This Jazz was a mail away exclusive for the Cookie Crisp cereal. He's nearly identical to the original Jazz, except that he looses the Martin sponsors logos on the doors and the Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on the front & rear windows.
Targetmaster Stepper with Nebulon
In 1987 a number of older toys were re-released with new Targetmaster companions. Each toy had some remoulding to allow them to use the weapons in vehicle mode hold the weapons in robot mode.
In the west - US, UK and associated markets - we got the following toys:
AUTOBOTS
Blurr with Haywire
Hotrod with Firebolt
Kup with Recoil
DECEPTICONS
Cyclonus with Nightstick
Scourge with Fracas
In Japan none of these toys were released, and instead a different approach was taken. Two older toys were brought back. Inferno was repainted and packaged with Scourge's Targetmaster Fracas to form Artfire with Nightstick. Stepper is a repaint of Jazz, paired with Nebulon, who was the same Targetmaster packaged with Cyclonus, Nightstick.
The following colour swaps apply to Stepper:
White becomes black
Black becomes white
Chromed silver becomes chromed gold
The stickers on the toy are completely changed with a firebird adorning the bonnet and flames down the side. Stepper looses he chromed gun & missiles that Jazz had. He has a new backpack which consists of a piece running across his shoulders with a 5mm peg hole on one side to hold Nebulon in Stepper's robot mode: Stepper's hand holes are too small to hold Nebulon so he's used as a shoulder cannon. Similarly the car's spoiler is remoulded to include a 5mm peg hole in the middle of it which allows Nebulon to be used as a weapon for the car mode too.
One of the more interesting things about the toy is it's name: Stepper. It doesn't seem to fit the toy. In fact Stepper would be a more appropriate name for Artfire, while the name Artfire does work on both toys perhaps it's more appropriate to the toy with an artistic representation of Firebird on it. Then there's the Targetmasters. Why does Scourge's Targetmaster Fracas become Nightstick while Cyclonus' Targetmaster Nightstick becomes Nebulon. If you're happy with the Nightstick name, why not leave it on the same toy? Then there's Car Robots Artfire (RID Hot Shot) who is a clear Stepper homage. No,I'm pretty convinced the Fire Engine should be called Stepper with Nebulon while this should be Artfire with Nightstick.
Stepper & Nebulon were part of the Headmasters series and Japanese Transformers release C-109. For many years Stepper was one of *THE* Japanese toys to own and commanded a high price. As to why it isn't now, well see bellow....
European Classics Jazz
Again this Jazz is nearly identical to the original Jazz, This time he looses the Martin sponsors logos off the doors but retains the Martini Porsche sun visor stickers on the front and rear windows.
Available in a gold box he was sold in Europe in 1990 & 1991.
Generation 2 Jazz
This version of Jazz is still white, so he's escaped the curse of the Generation 2 recolour. But he has got new stickers featuring a white number 1 in a pale blue circle. G2 Jazz comes with his original chromed gun but doesn't have the backpack mounted missile launcher & missiles. Instead he gains a new pale blue missile launching gun with long safety conscious green missiles. This is the same weapon & missile moulds used at the same time on G2 Sideswipe and the following year with G2 Onslaught. The missile weapon is retooled from the weapon used by 1991's GI Joe Snow Serpent(version 2).
The mould has had a few tweaks,most notably a hole in roof for the new missile launching gun to be mounted on in vehicle mode. The chrome feet which are narrower than the previous versions: this modification is present on all later versions, which is a shame as the new feet don't cover the lower legs quite as well as the original versions do. The face on this toy has acquired a smirk, as TF Wiki's Jazz toy page. This is thought unlikely to be a deliberate design decision and is probably a result of mould degradation.
Transformers Collection Meister
Meister is the first release in Takara's Transformers collection of reissues. He's *nearly* identical to the original Jazz. Mould degradation has led to a bigger smirk on his face - see TF Wiki's Jazz toy page for a picture. In this version the word Martini on the doors is changed to Meister while the sun visors become Agent Meister. These are the stickers used for all subsequent versions of Jazz/Meister.
There's a second version of this toy listed bellow which features retooled weapons.
Electrum Jazz
Electrum Jazz is the first of the E-Hobby recolour released to accompany the Transformers collection series. He's the Transformers Collection Jazz but covered in a gold chrome plating and packed in generic Autobot packaging.
As is said when I looked at the later E-Hobby Chrome Bluestreak I'm not sure I'd want to risk even touching it for fear of scratching or blemishing the chrome.
Electrum Jazz was released paired with E-Hobby Anime Bluestreak. This pairing was released to compliment Transformers Collection 01 Jazz and 02 Prowl.
Commemorative Series III Jazz
Modified weapons toolings were introduced with this release. The backpack/missile launcher is now in two parts, with a peg on the top of the backpack fitting a hole in the underside of the missile launcher. The Backpack has round peg sticking up which goes into launcher. I feel this should have been other way round to make launcher hand held and gun shoulder mounted. The gun & missiles for this release aren't chromed but instead are plain black. The missiles have been redesigned to be much longer than before. The launcher itself features a long rod sticking out the back of it which makes it look as if the missile has passed through the launcher.
Transformers Collection Meister Version 2
A second version of TFC Meister which features retooled weapons. We have the same two part backpack/missile launcher as CSIII Jazz but the launcher looses the protuberance out of the back. Missiles are back to their normal size; both they and the gun are chromed again.
Transformers Collection Stepper with Nebulon
The announcement that there would be a Transformers Collection release of Stepper was met with great joy. Even greater joy was found when the toy arrived and we discovered what was in the box. Transformers Collection releases had been adding little extras for a while now: Convoy's axe, Megatron's morning star & Hot Rod's complete gun collection. Stepper also has some improvements and extra goodies in with him:
Nebulon has been remoulded with the peg being in two stages: a thin base to allow Stepper to hold him with a larger top as allowing him to be attached to the Targetmaster backpack and used by other Transformers with a 5mm peg hole hand. The missile launching backpack, missiles & hand gun, included originally with Jazz, makes it's first appearance on Stepper here but now, like the robot's feet, their chrome is gold, rather than Jazz's silver, like Stepper's feet. One notable change happen to the toy mould with this release: The smirk on the face is finally fixed, restoring it to it's original look.
Stepper was numbered 15 in the Transformers Collection
Even if you were one of the few that had an original Stepper this is a release that needed to be owned. Extra weapons and the ability to hold his Targetmaster make this version of Stepper the definitive release of this character beating the original version hands down. And yet it doesn't seem to have sold that well: I bought a sealed one off eBay for less than £20 last week!
Commemorative Series IX Ricochet with Nightstick
Released nearly simultaneously with Stepper, is the first western version of the Stepper toy, named Ricochet, carrying a Targetmaster renamed back to Nightstick.
Ricochet comes with the two part missile launcher backpack, first seen on Commemorative Series III Jazz complete with the long spike sticking out the rear, a black version of the Jazz handgun and the same longer black missiles. Like the Japanese TFC Stepper this release didn't sell too well at Toys R Us, it's original exclusive home, and could be found in discount stores.
Ricochet was part of Commemorative series IX with Astrotrain.
Encore Meister
Nearly identical to the second TFC Meister, this version uses the corrected head tooling and repaints the visor in Blue.
Meister was release #8 in the Encore series.
Future Repaints
As I mentioned above the Porsche 935 has been raced under many colours. So there's lots of scope for new versions/relatives of Jazz. How about a nice red one?
