The ZMFTS FAQ

"Did you get your questions answered?"
"Yes—and every answer led to a bigger question!"

Hopefully this should answer some of the question that I'm asked now and again.  It might be a good idea to look this page over before you e-mail me.  Please.  No, I'm serious.



1)  When is your next update going to be?

The short answer:  Whenever I've got enough new material finished.  Be patient.

The long answer:  I wish I could spend all my time working on Transformers-related stuff.  I've got tons of kitbashes and drawings and other projects I've been wanting to get to forever, but there are only so many hours in the day.  I don't like putting half-finished projects up on display, but I'm also working on several projects at any given time, so sometimes it takes a while for one or more of them to see completion.  These days, instead of adding a piddly little update to the ZMFTS once or twice a week, I'd rather get it all done in one nice, big chunk.

2)  Why don't you answer my e-mails?

I'll try to get to you in less than two weeks, assuming you're not asking a question I've answered on my site somewhere.  Between my family (who lives a couple hundred miles away) and friends and fan-related correspondence, I tend to get a lot of e-mail.  If I've got fewer than 50 messages in my inbox at any given time, I feel like I'm doing pretty good.  (I also delete spam on sight without reading it.  If your subject line looks generic, or is left blank, chances are pretty good I won't read your message.)  Of course, if you have a general Transformers question, posting to alt.toys.transformers will net you lots of responses, instead of just mine.

3)  Do you know where I can find episodes/toys/comics for sale?

Honestly, eBay is your best bet for pretty much anything on the secondary market.  The newsgroup alt.toys.transformers.marketplace is also a good place to ask.  Barring that, all the original Transformers episodes have been available on DVD for years, and Titan Books in the UK reprinted many of the old Marvel comics in collected volumes not too long ago.

4)  What happened to your list of toys for trade?

I got rid of it for a while, but now it's back again.

5)  Why do you keep picking apart the episodes/comics?  Aren't you a Transformers fan?

Yes.  I happen to be a fairly detail-oriented person who enjoys examining the minutae of the Transformers, even to the point of pointing out comparatively minor discrepancies.  This doesn't mean that I'm interested in slamming the episodes and comics and toys for its own sake (well, not the good ones, anyway).  I will just say that the argumentative messages I  used to get every time I upload a new set of bloopers more or less sucked all the fun out of compiling them at one point.

6)  I'm thinking about making a kitbash.  Do you have any advice on how to go about it?

Just about anything useful that I could possibly think of having to do with kitbashing, I've already included in my kitbashing guide.  Check eBay for junked Transformers to use for kitbashing fodder (do a search for the phrase "parts lot" under the Toys & Hobbies category) or check Toys "R" Us for action figures, since they have several toy lines on clearance at any given time.

7)  I'm thinking about making a web site.  Do you have any advice on what to include?

Something unique.  Personally, I'm far less impressed with web sites that simply archive stuff that can be found elsewhere on the World Wide Web than I am with fan sites that offer a unique feature of some kind.  For example, at the time of this writing, I have never seen a web site that documents the locations of the rub symbols on the Transformers toys.  I think that would be neat to see.

8)  What happened to your (insert old ZMFTS feature here)?

As of 2009 I streamlined the site design to make it easier for me to manage, so some of the older features fell by the wayside.  Maybe one day I'll restore some of them.  (If there's something you want to see back on the site, let me know and if there's a favorable response I'm much more likely to reinstate it.)

9)  Why don't you post on (insert name of message board here)?

I was introduced to the fandom through alt.toys.transformers and that's still my favorite forum to express myself.  The fandom has since grown and splintered and spread out to dozens of different message boards and I have no interest in participating in all of them.

10)  Why don't you want people using your files on other web pages?

Believe it or not, I'm a pretty agreeable guy.  If you take the time to ask me first, you may find that I'm willing to share just about anything from my web site as long as I'm duly credited for it.  When I spend time creating animations for the site that people decide to steal and use as their web avatars, that makes me unhappy.  When I spend time creating screen captures or comic book scans for my site, digitally manipulating the colors and backgrounds, and I later find that some wiki editor has swiped it for their own use, that makes me unhappy, too.  I've probably developed a reputation as being a grouch when it comes to content theft, but if that's the result of trying to protect my unique contribution to the fandom, then so be it.

11)  What does "Zobovor" mean?

I am Zobovor, and "Zobovor" means me.

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This Page Created 7/1/2001
Last Updated: 10/17/2009