iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I’ve started reading silver age Aquaman, which is just disposable gag short stories so far, but man, Ramona Fradom could draw. Love how smug Aquaman looks here, undercover in the navy.

Two navy guys look confused around a stack of crockery. A third guy (secretly Aquaman) looks smug as hell.
Dialogue:
There are thousands of these greasy dishes! We’ll never get them clean in time!
Relax boys… I’ve got the best kitchen detail in the world.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Ooo, the Gen 4 Citroen looks nice.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

You need a Sports Direct mug (which are notoriously massive but I’m learning now, if you don’t already know that, it doesn’t come across in pictures at all).

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Unsure about Mad Professor Mariarti. I was too young to really get it (not that it seems that good anyway) but I did appreciate that it has a TARDIS hidden in it.

Grid of 9 games that "shaped who I am". MechCommander, Freedom Force, The Curse Of Monkey Island, Simon The Sorcerer, Mad Professor Mariarti, Mega Man X, Metroid II, Super Smash Bros and Donkey Kong Country.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Bonus picture from the photography I did for the review of those Visionaries figures. "Now how does this work?"

Photography of a blond barbarian man (200x He-Man from the MotU Origins Cartoon Collection) holding a silver staff atop which is a green hologram of an owl thing (Leoric's power staff of Wisdom from the original Visionaries toy line).

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Blimey, wouldn’t have guessed this is what Starmer would get up to once leaving parliament.

Photo of those “black shorts” dickheads, posing about in the streets. The one wearing white crew socks in his otherwise black outfit bears a passing resemblance to Keir Starmer.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

But you're telling me this by emailing the very same email address I used to get the code to log in. Do you not see the issue with this security alert, Facebook?

Security alert: log in with a code

Hi Martin,

Someone just used the email address [my email address] and a code to log in to your Facebook account.

We're getting in touch because this could be a sign that someone is trying to hack your account. If this wasn't you, we're here to help you take some simple steps to secure your account.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Started printing my custom spines for Switch game cases. So much better than the solid wall of red.

A stack of Switch games. The bottom few are the standard red with white text. The ones above have full logos on graphics with a picture of one of the game’s characters on the bottom third of the spine.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

‘Ey up, it’s Waspinator! The last Beast Wars finger puppet for my collection. Direct from Japa- er, Thailand, oddly. Found it listed on eBay as an unspecified Kaiju for a pittance (and then intl postage, which was not a pittance).

A small soft vinyl finger puppet of Beast Wars Waspinator, a squat green dude with sky blue boobs (the eyes of his beast mode), wings and eyes and also yellow highlights.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Literally so hot my Firestick has decided it can’t be arsed. Thankfully after I finished X-Men 97 (though it initially crashed in the credits).

A photo of my TV displaying a thermometer symbol, which is the Firestick’s way of saying it’s too hot, I guess.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Two packs in. Highlights: lovely Ed McGuinness art on Stargirl and Nightshade. Also, the quotes on the two different Nightshade cards are linked and I think meant to be from Detective Chimp. Also, this other card (Calculator) came creased, somehow. It’s only a common, so let’s see if I pull another.

Three VS System cards. Top: Stargirl.
Bottom: two different versions of Nightshade from Shadowpact. Quotes read: “Magical Babe Number Teo is good - not Enchantress-good, but good.”
“She hits harder than Enchantress though. Ouch.”

A hand holding a VS System card showing the back. There’s a crease running down its length.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Been on a real dive back into the Marvel and DS VS System tcg recently which has led to… Booster packs! 12 sealed Infinite Crisis packs from 2006 just waiting for me to rip into! This set is from just after I stopped paying attention to VS originally, so it’s all new to me.

Four rows of three booster packs of VS System Infinite Crisis. The covers feature lifeless faux-realistic artwork of Lex Luthor and the Flash by Alex Ross with blue and silver trade dress.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

In my head trading cards (non game ones) are ineffably, intrinsically 90s. Early 00s at the latest. Post Lord of the Rings they feel… irrelevant. What can you get from them that you couldn’t from a DVD or a tpb or the internet? Trading cards are for before that. Like these 90s comics creators ones.

Cards of famous comics creators with their names below photos. L-R top to bottom:
Steve Rude, Bryan Talbot, Reed Crandall, Curt Swam, Marc Hempel, Lou Fine, Gerard Jones, Mark Evanier, Julius Schwartz, Paul Gulacy.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Found it thanks to a site that has loads of old and, to my surprise, new trading cards for sale. I had no idea trading cards were still a thing. Upper Deck are putting out sets for every MCU film and show and “annuals” for DC’s actual comics every year. Who’s buying those?

A box of trading card packs for Dr Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness. For some reason.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Been trying to remember the name of this football trading card game for over a week now. Subbuteo Squads. The first tcg I got into, although couldn’t even convince my Magic playing older brother to play it with me.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I’m tempted to see if it’ll let me buy any of these still but to be honest, they always felt like a waste of money when avatars were a thing, let alone now.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I’ve got my Xbox 360 hooked up to the internet at the moment and there’s a vestige of the Avatar store on there (which apparently shouldn’t be?) Those prop animations sure got elaborate in later years.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Ha, the back of case for the first half of Beast Machines s2 uses screen caps from Beast Wars. Now that’s deceptive advertising.

Rear packaging of Beast Machines s2v1 Fallout. Top image is Beast Machines Blackarachnia. Middle screenshots are in turn Transmetal Optimus and Rhinox, Inferno firing on TM2 Cheetor and Optimal Optimus shielding Silverbolt, Cheetor and Rattrap from falling debris. None of which is in Beast Machines.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

There was supposed to be a photo in that.

Screenshot of AliExpress product listing showing a fake PSA grading slab containing a KO Charizard shiny Pokemon TCG card, which to my amateur eye looks pretty accurate.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Super7 Visionaries in the flesh (well, plastic) at SDCC and they've got real holograms! And look really good! The odds against this were astronomical. (photo nicked from @toyark.bsky.social )

Two carded Super7 Reaction+ Visionaries figures. On the left: Leoric, a figure in light blue armour and with silver accessories. On the right Darkstorm, a figure in dark green armour with gold accessories. Both have green holograms on their chests and power staffs.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Finally taken a punt at making custom spines for my Switch games, as the unbroken sea of red was getting unbearable. I’d previously thought they were too thin to make work but… maybe not? I could do with bodging thinner logos though. (These tests printer on cheap printer paper and cut with scissors)

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

To this or from this? Or was it different in Japan anyway?

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

You mean like the one six years ago?

Google search result of a Sun headline: Captain Birdseye to be played by a woman for first time in 53 years. Date 9th July 2020.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Sorting thru my Magic cards has inevitably led me back to my beloved VS System cards, which I think I might thin down to just one of each card (as I’ve only played ~3 games in 20+ years so don’t need multiple decks worth of cards). Is it just me or do the regular ones look nicer than the foils?

Card binder page of the first 9 cards of VS System Marvel Origins, which are X-Men character cards. 7 of them are holo foil variants.

Card binder page of the first 9 cards of VS System Marvel Origins, which are X-Men character cards. These are all the regular versions.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Happy “Lego released a modern update of a fan-favourite Castle set only as a gift with purchase” week to all the scalpers out there.

A string of eBay listings for the Lego Ideas Sea Serpent set starting at £26.70 (plus postage) and going up.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Now I’m not some kind of fancy big city riverologist or anything but I’m correct in thinking brooks aren’t supposed to just stop like this, right? @theriverstrust.bsky.social?

A photo of the Carrant Brook in north Gloucestershire. We are looking directly downstream where the stagnant water stops at an accreted mass of mud, silt, plant matter and fallen tree bits. There is no visible continuation of the flow of water. The water we’re standing in is about two feet deep, barely moving and grasping our legs like quicksand. Water has already sloshed over into one of wellies from it not moving clear of the mud with the rest of our leg. We’re not confident we’ll be able to get back out of the brook without losing a welly or completely stacking it into the fetid water and ruining the phone.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

“But the slogans are all good, right?” “Don’t even worry about it.”

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

“The printed t-shirt business is over, finished! We need to find a new platform for our insipid, try-hard madlib nonsense.” “Boss, I’ve got it: socks.” “Along the sides?” “No, on the sole, the hardest worn bit of clothing anyone wears.” “Genius.”

A retail stand full of socks all with dreadful things on them like “born to golf” and “you are a certified legend” or “bring Katie a glass of wine”.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Oh man, who could have predicted this?

Farage saying he’s making a statement on his future in public life at 2pm.

Formula E press release saying that Jaguar will announce who is driving their Gen 4 test car at Goodwood at 2pm.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Why does the Daphne head on that Scooby Doo Transformer look like Rung?

A hideous abomination of a Mystery Machine Transformer that has four headmasters based on the gang and then giant box of Scooby Snacks that turns into Scooby. The Daphne head is like 80% Rung from Mtmte.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

All the more annoying for the fact ITVX's live streams/channels aren't working. And their support which is apparently working til 10pm are out of office. And I'm sure that ticket number they've given me will be really helpful.

"Contact us via our chat service, just click on the live chat icon to the right. Alternatively, give us a call on 0207 365 6045. We're available 9am-10pm 7 days a week."

Chat bot message telling me that my ticket number is " ". Yup, completely blank,

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Starmer's Britain all over. "Hey, you've got parental controls turned off, but here's a warning that what you're trying to watch might not be suitable for kids anyway."

Warning panel on ITVX. At the top "some programmes may be unsuitable for younger viewers - please check individual programme guidance information." Large: "Parental controls are off." Then a button choice for "I have read and understood the Terms of Use: cancel or watch now" and a "turn on parental controls" option below.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

On the off chance anyone’s ever wondered how a Kabaya Metals Hero is put together, here’s a view of one after a blast from a heat gun. Interesting material they’ve used. Solid at room temperature but essentially a rubber band when heated up, so incredibly pliant.

A disassembled Metals Hero Rhinox. The top piece of the waist/legs section is squished and shoved into the aperture of the chest (which is hollow.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

I don't understand why Capcom is remaking Resident Evil Code Veronica, it already had a perfect special edition on the PS2.

Mock up Pal PS2 cover for "Resident Evil Code: Veronica Mars X" with that weird extreme close-up of Jill's face replaced with one of Kristen Bell because she was Veronica Mars, you see. Not a big image and a slightly fuzzy photo because, weirdly, it's quite hard to find a photo of an actress as she looked 20 years ago in high enough resolution to match that mad extreme-close-up from the actual Code Veronica X box.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

They’re all good! (Well, I haven’t bothered with the He-Man one). I really hope they do the rest of the main T-Cats.

A very cluttered photo of Motu x T-Cats Mumm-Ra, Lion-O, Steve, Battle Cat Man, Cheetara and Tygra.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I think they’re pretty sweet!

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I don’t know why, but I just kinda assumed CB Cebulski (aka Akira Yoshida) wasn’t on social media. I’d have been doing this long ago if I’d known.

Instagram comment from Akira Yoshida - in response to Mike Choi posting a video about something about a John Romita JR cover getting pulled (I genuinely have no clue what that’s all about) - essentially saying “hey, you’re in the secret club bro. You could have privately asked us what was going on instead of believing what’s publicly known about it”. So I asked him why he’s bot told us all and called him Yoshida-sama because this guy PRETENDED TO BE A JAPANESE GUY none of his colleagues knew in order to get around internal rules about not hiring staff for freelance work because he thought he was special, the rules didn’t apply to him and he’s a fucking weeb, I guess.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Or maybe Transmetal Tarantulas. Not easy to get all the modes of a TF laid out nicely in these composites, but when you nail it, it's great.

Composite of Transmetal Tarantulas. Top left: spider mode. Middle: transport mode, which is the spider but with some wheels. Right: robot mode.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Right, massive load of toy photography I did the other week now all finally edited and uploaded. Apart from the Visionaries ones for the Prysmos Wiki, which I probably need to redo so you can actually see the holograms. My favourite is probably this composite of Transmetal Rattrap.

Composite image of Beast Wars Transmetal Rattrap. On the left, he's in his rat mode. In the middle, his robot mode and the right his "transport mode" which is the rat mode but with some wheels flipped out and the tail smoothed into a curve.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

I think we're well past the statute of limitations on spoilers for this; it is quite funny how Marvel has kept up the pretence of Taskmaster being part of Thunderbolts* by photoshopping like on photo of her into promo material with the rest of the team. Yet they immediately spoiled the * bit.

Back cover for the 4K blu-ray of Thunderbolts*. A shot of the team from near the end of the movie has Taskmaster added in, like she wasn't merced 15 minutes in.

Front cover of the 4K blu-ray of Thunderbolts* with a promo shoot photo (collage?) of the team with pretty much the same picture of Taskmaster added in the background.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I had to look up what a LinkNYC kiosk is and damn they sound cool.

Q. What do Links do?

Links provide high-speed Wi-Fi, phone calls to anywhere in the U.S., device charging, a touch screen tablet for access to city services, maps and directions, and a 911 Emergency Call button. All of these services are free to use. Links also have two have two 55” high-definition digital screens used for public service announcements and advertising.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Rewatching season 1 of X-Men 97 and just noticed that in the opening titles for the penultimate episode, the fleeing humans have been made over as Prime Sentinels.

From the opening titles to X-Men 97, a screenshot. It’s the bit right near the end where humans flee towards the screen with Sentinels in the background and then the X-Men and Brotherhood race towards each other. The humans are bright pink with solid yellow eyes, the sign of Sentinel infected humans aka Prime Sentinels.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Roy Lichtenstein Jr’s justification for just taking other artist’s work and slapping his name on it.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I have bought, direct from Japan, perhaps the greatest, perhaps the stupidest thing possible: Dogtanian chopsticks. (And Dogtanian chopstick cases).

A pair of fluro pink chopsticks, tightly bound by two gold foil bands. Across them is a picture of Dogtanian (you know, the Muskahound) and the Japanese title of the show beneath him. He has an expression that seems to say “yes, you made a good choice buying these”.

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Martin Smith @transmithim.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

How strange that Royal Mail’s parcel collection FAQs doesn’t have one for “you didn’t bother collecting my parcel for two successive booked days and haven’t bothered to say why”. And they even delivered post to my house this morning! Which is pretty rare in itself now.

Email dated yesterday from Royal Mail to me saying they couldn’t collect my parcel as arranged for no given reason and I should rebook.

Email from Royal Mail to me dated today in which they again say they couldn’t collect my parcel for reasons not given and to rearrange it.

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