G1 Carnivac: Thew's Awesome Transformers Reviews 266

[@misterbadguy7325]

Honestly, poor Carnivac. Simon Furman seems to have really liked using him, and Nick Roche had a great take on him in Wreckers, and then the actual toy is such a shambles and he's never gotten a better one.

[@Da_ComputerMonster]

Let's hope his Chimeracon-look will be the basis for a new toy

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

Apparently his orders are to *kill any Wreckers left standing!*

[@GraemeGunn]

Such a shambles.

[@magnus4001]

2:08 "Me Grimlock no crook, me king!"

[@shadowscribe]

I NEVER realized they blend in perfectly with 80s toys of the day. It's actually a brilliant callback to the minibots being penny racers. And much like them, things got dumb and weird trying to stretch being designed for a toy box into the logic of their media.

[@Takeshi357]

I've simply embraced the chaos and hid my Pretenders in my MOTU display.

[@TheRealHiboman]

Thew you just crushed this review! What are you gonna do next? “I’m going on Carnivacation!”

[@battleupsaber462]

Carnivac's always been one of the best Pretender characters to me because of his character arc in the Marvel UK comics. Hope he gets a modern update some day! edit: it's happening

[@roryowens9703]

Carnivac was such a well written character, in the Marvel UK comics. Loyalty forged in arms with the Wreckers, to the point where he considered them to be his brothers, more than the other Decepticons. But, as with many of Furman's stories and characters, they all had to be abandoned when he took over writing the final arcs of the Marvel US book.

[@firdawesome3203]

That story with where he hunts down Needlenose and Spinister is fantastic!

[@PhelesDragon]

He would work *so well* as a Transmetal 2

[@spawnytheistic]

The “adult collector scene” so often looses track of what makes toys so fun. You’re keeping a hunk of plastic in your house on a shelf because of how it makes you feel. Some of my favorites as a kid were minicons I got from the dollar store. suppressor and blight from the 2000s minicons are so special to me but they definitely aren’t perfect toys, none of them are.

[@superkeaton9912]

I was always a little surprised we never got a redeco of Weirdwolf for Carnivac.

[@XPproductions365]

Considering this year’s Amazon exclusive line is themed around the mayhem attack squad (a team he was once the leader of). I won’t be surprised if this actually happens.

[@pizzacade8594]

It's actually speculated that Pretender Grimlock is meant to resemble his voice actor, Gregg Berger.

[@snakesolid2279]

Then what the fuck happened to Jazz

[@nekroman524]

I appreciate the community shout out of "I'm going to talk about this pos until you f*cking buy one"! I'm not the only one that looked up prices on eBay after this video right..... Right?

[@matthewjoyner1595]

You’re not alone

[@GraemeGunn]

"...and can, but shouldn't, wear hats" lmao

[@PhelesDragon]

This review convinced me to finally go out and get that G1 Roadgrabber I've been threatening to treat myself to for the last 2 years 🎉

[@ShaunStephens777]

The concept art for the pretenders are amazing

[@PhelesDragon]

I don't care if this video isn't doing as well as your others; this was an all-timer Thew review IMO. Instant classic and made for the fans, not just to showcase new stuff. It's clear where you passion still lies, and the end product reveals that. Top tier, sir.

[@woebegone_kenobi]

This is what I call using your powers for good lmao. By bringing attention to the pretender beasts, I'm hoping that they realize they still have the ability to make new figures from those original, badass designs

[@HeresWhyItsCool]

10:54 Okay Hasbro.... I know you're watching our Boy Thew here.... Somehow, you gotta come back to these concepts shown at this time marker, and make it happen. 😎

[@papersamurai00]

Damn that concept art goes hard! If a modern Carnivac is made I'd definately prefer an IDW design. He was such a badass in the Wreckers comics, and my boyfriend would lose his mind for it. Still, a G1 style doing an Iguanus I may still get. Thr inner wolf style is just too cool.

[@DalekTheSupreme]

Honestly the appeal of a static creature that just goes "RAWR!" speaks to my childhood self because most of my toys growing up were just static dinosaur models.

[@JustinWahlne]

I loved Carnivac as a kid! Thanks so much for showing him some love! ❤

[@gregorylieber8362]

5:06 "there are somethings that can't be un clapped" hahahahaha

[@myuphrid]

Considering HasTak have been doing those Universal Monster Transformers, this could be a good time for a new Carnivac. They've already got Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster... why not a werewolf? And hey, you can always retool it into/from Weirdwolf or RID15 Steeljaw. Gotta love repaints!

[@PhelesDragon]

8:17 I can see the damage in Roadgrabber's left hand finally got that peg out eh 😂

[@ToaDrakua]

I'd like to see a modernized Pretender that instead of fusing the shell to the robot, is a solid robot with pieces that plug on to create the shell without compromising the poseability. Legacy Skullgrin was such a missed opportunity in that department.

[@Wiggywoo1977]

The concept art of what could have been was amazing.

[@legogodzilla]

Carnivac has got to be one of the dopest names to ever be coined for Transformers, and I'm really surprised that he's not been repainted into from other toys more. Like, the Wolfang toy from Beast Wars? Snarl from Cybertron? Titans Return Weirdwol - okay that one's too fragile, but still. He's just been used as a wolf minicon from Age of Extinction, in black translucent plastic when the original was already black. This isn't even really hard! The colors are there and so is the name, but the toy really isn't so he can tag along with any other wolf transformer that gets made!

[@ShutoStriker]

I had this as a kid. Really takes me back! I had to watch the moment I saw the thumbnail! I enjoyed it for what it was the figure had charm and mixed into MOTU etc. It was probably a lower cost Transformer option the pretenders (hence I had some lol) I remember my parents would be really put off by those prices compared to other toys. Otherwise I'd get half complete ones from the thrift store. Would really like updated releases to pay homage to the pretenders as something cool this time.

[@elpizo1789]

"Beast mode with a visor instead of eyes" should be more often a thing.

[@MrDoctorVK]

Ahh, this was one of Thew's personal vids of toys he liked as kid. Noice.

[@manjiimortal]

For all that Transformers were the ultimate gimmicky toy, kids either lost interest in the original gimmick, or/and Hasbro/Takara thought they did, so they went crazy with the gimmicks after 1985: - 1986: the whole Scramble City stuff - 1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters - 1988: Powermasters and Pretenders - 1989: Micromasters (to try to cash in on the success of Micromachines) - 1990: Action Masters (last ditch attempt, by way of mixing Transformers with GI Joe)

[@Voidsign]

Great Reveiw, Carnivac and Snarler were my fave Pretenders. I loved how the robot looked on both of them. Just a note, I think you're meant to flip all 4 of the Wolf Limbs behind him, not forward 🤔

[@fennekin1750]

I don't have any attachment to the Pretenders nor much knowledge of them, but I think that Carnivac deserves a new Legacy/Legacy-style figure! I like the Shell combined with the bot mode thing that the Legacy Pretenders are doing, so Carnivac should be the same! It'd be super cool!! He should transform into a half robot half organic wolf mode, not too different from the RotB Maximals.

[@AndyPowellAnimator]

Cheers mate! Happy to see you finally showing him off. Now.. About that Double Dealer........... 😜

[@MojoTheClown]

I love Carnivac unironically. He was the villain of the first comic book I ever got, Transformers #57, and he's the spark that lit a lifetime of passion for the medium.

[@ComboBreakerMLP]

My favorite Thew-isms are the one where he closes his eyes and starts groan laughing. Absolute gold right there.

[@tekyuinajarful]

I adore Carnivac. He's just a heavy metal album cover of insanity and wolfception.

[@noahstrube1027]

Thew's out of nowhere musical theatre references will never fail to make me smile

[@Cdr2002]

I genuinely really want a Legacy figure of this guy, a deluxe at least. It would be so good

[@internetjesus]

I still adore Carnivac and I am reasonably sure he's the reason why I love the Teal/Grey/Purple colorscheme so much. I even took a Cybertron Snarl and did him up in Carnivac's colors. He's still in my display to this day. I had Carnivac, Chainclaw and Landmine. Landmine's another landmark Transformer for me and the sole reason why I keep Energon Landquake around, because he has G1 Landmine's inner robot colorscheme.

[@sidbeckett5655]

Lovely to see a bit of latter day G1. Pretender Beasts were always good fun.

[@mechamanblade8465]

I had the other guy, Snarler. The pig with a drill for a nose.

[@windsweeper8002]

I do wonder if the drill nose was meant to be a pun between bore and boar.

[@leftygurl]

carnivac really has some charm under all his kibbles and guff, like if they had the budget or engineering to tuck the nonsense away he wouldve looked really cool. it’s one of the designs that leaves me still wishing for more legacy/generations pretenders because there’s still so many unusual designs and ideas to tackle.

[@Jimboliah3985]

2:10 Thanks, now I want to do what Linkara's 90s kid would do and bring Richard Nixon back from the dead so he can voice Grimlock in the next Transformers cartoon.

[@BagOfMagicFood]

But it's Futurama's Richard Nixon censoring all the violence!

[@jointjunkieslangards]

Really loved the G1 Pretenders. I think I only had two (Waverider and Cloudburst) as a kid because we never saw them at the local toy stores (got mine from yard sales), but I had so much fun with them. Dream of having the Monstructor team. I've always hoped that Hasbro would re-release those original toys, or update them with the same play pattern. I just really love those silly little shells.

[@Zonorheso]

I am so sad that the statue centaur pretender never happened, that looks so cool.

[@vustvaleo8068]

meanwhile in Japan the G1 Pretenders straight up become Tokusatsu heroes in the vein of Kamen Rider and the Metal Hero series complete with "henshin" sequences.

[@SRlikethetoothpaste]

Nice to see Carnivac's pauldrons get their moment in the sun. There's just something about those pauldrons. "Deeply appealing" indeed. And the fact that the manufacturer went to the trouble of producing TWO uniquely shaped pauldrons with "L" and "R" labelling has gone unremarked for too long. Thanks for drawing attention to this lovely little feature, Thew. 👍

[@Mechalon]

13:18 OK, that reference took a moment but it cracked me up once it registered.

[@Marc048b]

i remember my friend having a few transformers back in the day (aka. like 10 or some odd years ago when i was still a kid) and carnivac was one of those figures! i remember thinking it was just some random ravage thing? since he didn't have the shell and got it from his dad. it wasn't until a few years ago that i found out it was carnivac. ever since i messed with it back then, i've always loved the little guy

[@markc12345]

I’m fairly confident that every Transformer kid in the 80s had at least one pretender. Mine was Snarler. I loved that little drill faced piggy.

[@PlutoniumBoss]

I would love to see a third party take on some of those concept sketches.

[@incoherentbabbler4636]

4:07 This should be the cover of the next Rogue Limb release, or at least a single. With the Marvel comics creeping back into Generations, here's to hoping they try Carnivac again after Legacy...?

[@davidanderson4748]

I don’t know who should be beaten for this. You for making the video, or us for watching it!

[@Morbid_Society]

I would LOVE to see more Pretenders reimagined for Legacy! Carnivac done up as a Beast era TM2 styled cyber-wolf would be amazing!

[@shartslaw322]

I wake up and see a video of thew on my feed list, a good day starts with a healthy thew breakfast. But you could say he is of wolf and man perhaps.

[@TheVeryAngryGoose]

This is my first time finding out about what Beast Pretenders were intended to be and I am devastated

[@MrDoddi1984]

Ah, Carnivac. I owned this figure as well as a kid. Played endlessly with it. This guy needs a modern day upgrade figure!!!

[@LeoKearonMSc]

I got him for my brother's birthday a few years ago. He loved him.

[@Maswartz226]

5:10 this is what I wish Third Parties would get on. The concepts that we never got.

[@michaellombardi1620]

Whoa, that pretender concept art! Let's get figures of thos! The engineering is there now!

[@kevinpeoples8702]

Oddly enough, Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender” was recently covered by a metal band called Wolves at the Gate.

[@larrychilders6599]

Carnivac would be a great figure to update, it has 2 repaints raring to go in the form of Volfang and K9

[@KiLDELTA]

With those concept sketches, I do hope they make an actual modern take on the pretenders with articulation on both the shell and the bot inside. Perhaps 3rd party companies can also do that...

[@elwafflejr3856]

I remember when he opened Carnivac in old plastic toys 2 electric Thewgaloo

[@suprizeoptomist4680]

I had Carnivac. The shell got shattered during a move after a house fire. The bot lasted for several more years before getting the garage sale treatment.

[@eyywannn8601]

Not gonna lie, there's kernels of cool in him. Almost makes me want to draw him but modernized. Something I also notice is how quickly technology advances. 40 years ago we barely have ball joints in figures.

[@daverage4729]

Loved Carnivac! Lets be honest, yes, his shell was basically a lump, but the beast pretenders were the only ones who actually split down the middle like pretenders did in the comics. Definitely give the beast pretenders a revamp....they deserve it! ;)

[@HeresWhyItsCool]

I never got the hate for Pretenders. I LOVED them as a kid... and still love them to this day!!!! It's funny, there's plenty of other robots that are skinny and turn into weird vehicles in the TRANSFORMERS.... but Pretenders get a weird cynicism against them... I thought it was rad!!!

[@PhoenixFyre]

I have fond memories of pretenders grimlock, so much so i snagged his loose core bot years ago.

[@samurexatlas7373]

WE NEED ROBODOG TO GET A MODERN TOY! Do the shell as a repaint, and improve on his design. Hasbro, do this. ASAP.

[@Peshi80]

For the sake of the rumored upcoming Mayhem Attack Squad. And thanks IDW’s take on him I hope they use Thundertron’s mold to retool a decent figure of him.

[@HelloMisterJAMWAH]

Yeah, okay. They're not great but Pretenders landed at the height of my collecting fervour and nothing beat the feeling of running to the toy aisle of Grandways and grabbing that Catilla. Always wanted Carnivac too but Catilla was cyber Battle Cat so he was a priority. Despite the characters returning for Legacy, I'm surprised the gimmick hasn't made some kind of comeback in all the years since. We've learned a lot about toy engineering, they could really do something cool with the Pretender concept. Also, Carnivac has the colours of an early 90s bowling alley and I'm here for it.

[@rubiconprime1429]

Let it be known Thew knowingly uses his videos to artificially manipulate the transformers aftermarket to increase the value of his own collection 😂

[@a-tick]

Give this a try... Fold the robot legs in and use his beast mode rear legs as robot legs. His arms are also jointed in a way where he can hold the rifle sideways on his shoulder. Looks way cooler in my opinion =)

[@gabrielchee8470]

2:44 actually his function is...hunter/tracker i guess thts Wolf like right?

[@darrenbent7601]

I only had one of the wave 1 Pretenders, Landmine. Wave 2 I had Doubledealer and Octopunch. I always wanted to get the ones that Thunderwing was in, with the shells also transformable, then you could combine the two vehicles into super-vehicles. Those designs you showed look interesting, I would have loved to have some creatures that also could become some sort of centaur-like creature before transforming into robots.

[@scottywan82]

As a 41 year old fan, I have NEVER seen those concept sketches before and they are blowing my mind. 😳

[@The93spiderfreak]

But, Thew, that's why we come here. The reviews no one asked for, but didn't know we needed.

[@windsweeper8002]

The robot mode is transformed incorrectly. The wolf legs fold into the back of the robot arms. The robot head is stiff but can be turned. I still prefer the G1 Pretenders to the Legacy Disappointments with their shell based robot modes. I wish Hasbro would just update the inner robots like Titans Return Metalhawk.

[@russellharrell2747]

I want concept art carnivac in Legacy/WFC styling, with the merging with the shell gimmick actually working.

[@fennekin1750]

I actually like the shell combined with the inner bot thing that the Legacy Pretenders are doing. I think they are actually really cool & not disappointments! I have no attachment nor too much knowledge on Pretenders, but I think Carnivac deserves a new Legacy/Legacy-style figure! His wolf mode should be partially organic, partially robotic, not too different from the RotB Maximals. Like, he would have fur in places. & I really want Legacy Bludgeon cuz hes super awesome!

[@windsweeper8002]

@@fennekin1750 Fair enough. If you like them good for you. You say you have no attachment to Pretenders but I grew up with them. I really liked the portrayals of Cloudburst and Landmine in the Mecannibals story and Thunderwing with his Matrix affinity was one of my favourite Decepticon villains. Skullgrin was shown to be more than a stereotypical Decepticon thug when he befriended some humans. Cloudburst was one of my favourite Autobot figures and the inner robot was one of the more articulate G1 figures. His space cruiser mode was very cool. Bumblebee's Pretender toy was actually his best G1 figure. While most of the inner robots were lacking in terms of articulation, I still really liked the look of some of them like Skullgrin. I also liked his character model in the comics. The box art and Masterforce cartoon also improved on the look of both the robot and vehicle modes and I really hoped the Legacy line would update them as Titans Return did with Metalhawk. Had they even just made the creature heads into helmets that covered the inner robot head, I'd have been happy with that. I always liked the robot head designs of Skullgrin, Iguanus, Cloudburst, Landmine, Thunderwing, Stranglehold and Bludgeon. That's why the Legacy versions disappoint me. A lot of fans criticise the G1 inner robots and I do understand where they're coming from. Moreso than the shells, it's always been the inner robots I wanted updated. I agree with you regarding the Pretender Beasts. I'd have no problem with them redesigned as Beast Wars characters since they would likely retain their proper robot heads as their alt modes were essentially robotic versions of their shells. Similarly, the Pretender Classics have had modern updates of their inner robots by default of not being Pretenders originally. I'd also be happy if Rise of the Beasts Rhinox was repainted as Stranglehold's inner robot providing they didn't give him a moustache. I think Pincer could get away with being a repaint of Kingdom Scorponok since Pincer's shell could translate into a traditional Transformer robot. Anyway, I've said my piece.

[@fennekin1750]

@@windsweeper8002 Maybe they could make updates to their inner bot modes alongside the current style of Pretender updates in Legacy? Idk. Like, keep a few as they are like Bludgeon, & others cuz they're designs not only work with the combination thing, but also someone like Bludgeon (for example) has been this way (Skull Samurai head, etc) for a while now. But, others, that they have not done yet in Legacy could get a shell & bot combined bot mode (figure), with another figure that is their inner bot modes, maybe with armor that encases them to act similarly to their OG shells? Maybe make a 2 pack with the base bot mode for a character & a Weaponizer/Fossilizer/whatever style figure, which would be able to come apart & be kinda like their shells? Just spitballing here. & y'know how some characters have beast modes & their heads look kinda animalistic as well as "normal", like both combined? Like, for example how some versions of Cheetor have a cat-like bot head. What if they updated the Pretender Beasts & gave them bot mode heads that are the beast mode animal head & a more "traditional" head combined? Just spitballing. Like, a bot head with lion theming, for example?

[@windsweeper8002]

@@fennekin1750 I don't have an answer for your first point. I never liked robot heads with animalistic features. That's just more of the hybrid design aesthetic that I'm not fond of. I've just never liked departures from the original G1 aesthetic such as Beast Wars Rattrap and his buck teeth or DOTM Brains or Bulkhead. I just don't like the stylised aesthetics. That said, I never liked Floro Dery's designs such as Alpha Trion, Orion Pax, Wreck-Gar or Kup.

[@PhillipLemmon]

I remember the pretenders... But... I don't remember the line having such a LARGE catalog of figures. Guess I was busy with something else toy-wise, lol

[@havanowoncheese]

I still have my Chainclaw and Pretenders Jazz from when I was a kid. The are so bad yet I loved them.

[@moosegrinder]

Actual lol at Jean Flawed Van Damme.

[@PhelesDragon]

Thew's passion is so intense i found kyself purchasing the inner robot off ebay 😂 I love him.

[@Akuma12366]

Well when you’re right, you’re right I want one now. Fs would want Carnivac in Legacy to assemble Tarantulas gang in the IDW Wreckers and Carnivac was just so cool wen I was reading it

[@Akuma12366]

ITS HAPPENING WE GOT A LEAK FOR A 2 PACK WITH IRONFIST 😭 I hope it’s gonna happen

[@despawn7663]

Was this line (Beasts) the first documented case of them saving money on molding leaving gaps and needing to buy 3rd gap fillers? Look at those holes along the legs!

[@KeshmarOrange]

A cool robot wolf in a wolf fursuit. That's it. That's him.

[@vanstreun]

I now know how I am going to spend this sunday. Looking in my parents basement for the wardhog version of this I had as a kid. I just googled it and fount out it's called Snarler.

[@CyberSammael]

"Ah ha, I Carnivac will turn into a wolf, and if there is danger of being spotted I will hide in disguise as..... a wolf.... again... but another one."

[@modok47]

OOf, man. The Pretenders is where I got off the train as a kid. I couldn't get my head around the idea that giant robots were hiding in the shells pretending to be EVEN MORE GIANT HUMAN BEINGS. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE FOOLIN'? But it's good to learn that the initial idea wasn't always that dumb.

[@stevehandley1]

I’ll get ya!

[@petermckinney6799]

I love Carnivac because of the Marvel UK comic but never had the toy. I did have Snarler and Carnivac, which I really loved. As Thew mentions, the robot alt models were really decent. I am hoping the rumoured Mayhem capsule has updated versions of Carnivac and his Pretender pals.

[@krank23]

I'm a sucker for transformers who seem to have misunderstood the assignment. "Ah, yes, I'm a giant monster murder robot, and I need to hide from the humans so they don't see me. What should I transform into, that makes me less conspicuous? A giant murder monster, of course!" I mean, the Dinobots were reasonable; they blended in to the time period they landed in (I'm going by comic timeline here). But stuff like the decepticon pretenders, the Terrorcons, the Seacons, the Monsterbots… I'm just infinitely entertained. And also, Skulgrins spotlight issue where he's a movie monster is absolutely fantastic. I've bought all the new Pretender toys that have been released, even the shit little titan master armor ones, and have absolutely enjoyed the new Iguanus, Bomb-Burst and Skulgrin. I'm hoping for a new Monstructor at some point and both Submarauder and Finback had fantastic designs. At some point I hope they make G1 pretenders "done right" - proper articulated shells, nice robots inside. And yes, even Carnivac and Snarler…

[@coffeeinhandproductions3238]

First time hearing anything about the G1 pretender beasts. Only ever knew about the first wave characters. This still is very cool, and dumb in a classics static 80s toy sensibility. Considering with what Legacy has already done with the Pretenders would actually love to see Thundertron as a G1 Carnivac. New head, colors and a gun would be all he needs to pair up with and scale next to Bludgeon.

[@batangbatugan]

A modern version of the Pretender Beasts would be a Rise of the Beasts style main robot with its armor and weapons forming another robot.

[@ftfasttalkfoodreviewsyt]

Panthor: available at Ollie's rn!

[@TimHonda]

“I can’t even wolf here!”

[@MrPooleish]

I couldn't remember the name "Pretenders" for the life of me! I've been trying to talk to a roommate about Skullgrin for days.

[@briximusprime]

Would love to see a new modern carnivac styled like the newest legacy pretender guys

[@scarwein]

Came here to watch this video after hearing the comment in latest video that no one watched this video. Did I catch a matryoshka and lupine in there? This is why Thew next level! Some things that can’t be UnClapped - ask your mom 😂😂

[@alt_mode_rose]

Glad you didn't leave the Pretenders references be-Hynde

[@NightmareZerogbs]

I'm still salty we haven't gotten a TR Weirdwolf repaint as Carnivac or even better, a Wolfang redeco, they showed us they still have the mould!

[@andersondiazcampos8720]

I wish hasbro keeps going on giving us modern renditions of the decepticons pretenders (because to be honest I don't think the autobots ones [except for landmine] would be good to have the same treatment) just like they're doing with legacy