Heroic Decepticon goes live!

I have chosen to launch Heroic Decepticon today.

I am an insane, slightly out-of-wack collector who is only interested in G1 Transformers and mythology. I love everything G1- toys, box art, boxes, instructions, tech specs and even the packing bubbles. I can't really say I care too much for the post G1 lines, there is simply no affinity there.

Some quick links of, what I think, are potentially interesting to a TF fan:

• Photos of my collection are here.
• The Origin Story of my collection, starts here.
• My view of classic TF controversies can be found here.
• Search the 'Site Navigation' section (right) for more.

Special thanks goes to Sentient Development, Dirge of OZ Formers (Cliffbee.com), Raymond T. and AQ. [edit] Thanks also to Botch the Crab whose thoughts crept in early this morning, after returning from Boston.

'till all are one,

heroic decepticon
23rd October 2007


PS: These are my all time favourite Transformers. What about you?

Rumble is blue Frenzy is red

Rumble is blue Frenzy is red (RBFR) or Rumble is red Frenzy is blue (RRFB)?

This is one of a number of contentious, often discussed but never resolved G1 Transformer continuity issues. I’m going to put down what I believe to be true.

I write this as a more concise response to Botch's article Rumble is Red, Frenzy is Blue.

"Hey, am I Rumble or Frenzy?"

As a kid, I thought of Rumble as blue and Frenzy as red- I advocate RBFR.

In the early years, the G1 cartoons made up the majority of my Transformers exposure- they were the only thing I had to go on, at least for the first one and half years. Since MTMTE, Rumble had been coloured blue (or actually purplish-blue) and that was the colour I identified him with.

Add to this the fact that I continuously failed to convince mummy to buy me a Rumble (red toy) & Ravage set and we have a little me that not only believed that Rumble is blue as animated, but a me that wanted Rumble to be blue because I had a Ratbat & Frenzy set and can ‘reassign’ Frenzy as the more popular Rumble.

Rumble has ever been blue for me, even till this day. I am slowly being convinced otherwise because the new wave of TF comics have taken a stand- they are following what the toy package says and not the G1 animated cartoon.

Interestingly, Seibertron.com lists that the Japanese name for Rumble (red toy) is Frenzy and that Frenzy (blue toy) is Rumble here.

So, while I know that Rumble should be red and Frenzy blue, a part of me, perhaps the child part, still yearns to believe that Rumble is blue and Frenzy is red, RBFR. I am, as Botch would say, 'an illusionist' to the end.

Squawktalk & Beastbox mint on sealed card

*this happened around September 2005*

I managed to obtain a MISB (to me that is Mint in Sealed Bubble) combiner casette Beastbox and Squawktalk. Did not belive that I could get it sealed, fresh and untouched at a bargain price, well not on eBay at least. Beautiful box art on the card as well. Check it out...

Tom

My cat's name is Tom.

I read him A Dream of a Thousand Cats [Dream Country: The Sandman #18] a while back. Ever since, something strange came over him. In the day, he's a cute and adorable ball of fur; at night he starts kicking an incomprehesible amount of ass left right and center as a stealth panther... Ravage!

More shots of Tom can be found here.

The Grand daddy of Transformers - going to HK

Previous chapter- The Beginning

*These events happened in August 2005.*

Grand Maximus

Off I was to HK the next day. Little did DV know that I am very familiar with HK. There are only a handful of shops that stock vintage TF gems and they are not hard to locate. Sure enough, I found a shop that had a Grand Max cleverly hidden away on the second day of my trip.

I walked in and asked to see the piece but was promptly told that it was ‘not for sale’. Something’s starting to sound familiar here, in a good way. I convinced them to let me at least look inside the box. I gingerly handled the toy, picking up each part with the softest of touch, all the while maintaining an awestruck expression. My gf (at that time) rushed into the little shop when I pulled out the Grand Max unused and still sealed sticker sheet.

‘Wow! That is so nice’, she was ecstatic. ‘Buy this toy, buy this toy!’

The shop-owner, maybe taking pity on me, agreed to sell it- for the equivalent of S$1500 (coincidentally the same amount DV mentioned). I walked out to think about it because that was a large sum of money. My at that time gf, mad about the sticker sheet (I don’t know why), kept pestering me to buy it.

I went in, negotiated the price down to S$1300 and bought it. I bought Grand Maximus, the Masterforce Solar System Commander, the grand daddy of Transformers!

.....

...

..

.

‘DV, I found the Grand Max you mentioned. I bought it for S$1300’ I said smiling and radiating with joy.

‘Arghhhh, you bastard!’

***

Beautiful box art

Apparently, C-311 is so rare that many of the biggest sites on the internet at that time didn't yet have pictures of him. I took some pictures, which quality I'm quite ashamed of, and contributed them to TFU.info. These can be seen here.

Scans of the box art were contributed to Botch's Box Art Archive here.

***

MISB Grand Maximus opened

Parts, unapplied sticker sheet and paperwork

Solar System Commander: Grand Maximus

Them little monsters - a prediction of price increase

Continued from: Them little monsters

I have a theory about the price of them little monsters, which is the main reason I acquired them back here.

Here's the theory: there is every likelihood that Monstructor prices will rise even more over the next 3 to 4 months.

I'm comparing this situation with what I like to call the 'Sunstorm Surprise' in 2003/2004. Sunstorm was a 'wtf is this character' when released? But a few months later his price skyrocketed due to the first story arc in Dreamwave's TF G1 vol 3.

*warning, possible spoilers if you have not read Transformers Spotlight: Optimus Prime and/or Dreamwave TF G1 vol. 3 #4*

• Sunstorm was released in limited numbers (eHobby exclusive); Monstructor could even be more limited. The vintage and fragility factor further lowers its supply. Add to that the fact that Japan never got a Jap box Monstructor equivalent (they got Dinoking) and it follows that supply is even more limited than most would suspect.
• Sunstorm played a pivotal role in Dreamwave's TF G1 vol 3; Monstructor is going to play a very pivotal role in IDW's TF continuity. (i) Monstructor is the first even gestalt, not Devastator (they are incidentally composed of 6 robots like Devastator, thereby making good sense); (ii) the first ever TF gestalt was created by the Autobots, not Decepticons; (iii) Prime didn't kill them but is going to study them ensuring that they will at least play a part in the upcoming Devastation arc, and will be literally the father of every gestalt that comes after, in the IDW-verse.
• Fans were impressed when Sunstorm fought Omega Supreme to a standstill (winning after cheating); Monstructor took Omega to the cleaners, what will fans think? (see comparison below)
• All these pivotal events were penciled by Don Figueroa, widely regarded as the best TF artist now.
• All the above will have an effect because the IDW comics are the only source of new G1 material to shape fans' imaginations and fuel demand.

That's my prediction. Spotlight Optimus was published in Aug 2007, so I think a hike in price may start to occur in Dec or early Jan next year, but only time will tell.

Monstructor vs Omega Supreme (left); Sunstorm vs Omega Supreme (right)

***
Read all 'Them little Monsters' chapters:
Chapter 01: Them little monsters
Chapter 02: A prediction of price increase
Chapter 03: They are here!
Chapter 04: Gunning the monsters

***
Thread on OZ Formers Board here.
See what Botch the Crab has to say here.

Operation Combiner

Over the past 2 months or so, I was a little combiner mad.

It started with Computron and Abominus and just ended, hopefully, with Monstructor. My rules for buying combiners are that they (1) must be 100% complete; (2) must have instructions; (3) must have all tech specs and preferably the leader’s box; and (4) must be at least C9 and above in condition.

Summary of cost (inclusive shipping):

• 27 Jul 2007: Computron, S$196.41
• 27 Jul 2007: Abominus, S$196.41
• 02 Aug 2007: Piranacon, S$323.31
• 09 Sep 2007: Bruticus, S$205.55
• 08 Oct 2007: Monstructor, S$408.00

Operation Combiner... still waiting on Monstructor

Computron and Abominus, I am happy with. The bonus is that they come with partial backing cards as well.

Computron eBay auction

Abominus eBay auction

Piranacon is a tad high but in great condition as well.

Piranacon eBay auction

Bruticus is perhaps my favourite acquisition among the lot so far. It is not 100% complete, but I bought this lot more for the cardbacks which still have their bubbles attached! The Onslaught box and cardbacks are absolutely beautiful, clean pristine and sleek. If I wanted to, I could reseal all the Combaticons into the cardbacks quite convincingly. Happy with this.

Bruticus eBay auction

Beautiful Combaticon cardbacks

Monstructor is the most excessive of the lot- costing a whopping US$277 inclusive shipping. It is so insane that I immediately wrote the story of its acquisition here, and also posted it onto the OZ Formers site here. I received mixed reactions, some violent, the most common being ‘you paid way too much for this crappy/lousy set’. Admittedly, I did. I paid US$50-70 more than I should have. I am still waiting on this set’s arrival, waiting to see how well it either satisfies or disappoints me.

Monstructor eBay auction