Site update- Toy Hunt April '07

While it might appear that I've neglected posting stuff as often as I used to, nothing could be further from the truth.

I've recently had a lot on my mind and my plate (incidentally), and at the same time, I've been out having fun. As part of the fun, I probably should mention this particularly awesome birthday K-bash for E, but I shall refrain.

Be that as it may, throughout the mind, the plate, K-bashes and what-not, I've also been archiving the backlog of TF related things, articles, posts and stuff that I've done on or for other sites. These will in time, be posted here, in one form or another- with the hope of making this site as comprehensive as possible in terms of Heroic Decepticon's activities and contributions.

For this update, I've archived my April 2007 Hong Kong trip hauls, which were previously posted on the forums of OTCA (aka OZ Formers).

April 2007 acquisitions are broken down into the chapters below:

• Day 02 - Singapore
• Day 04 - Hong Kong (Wan Chai & Mongkok)
• Day 05 - Hong Kong (Causeway Bay)
• Day 06 - Hong Kong (Wan Chai, Mongkok & Yau Ma Tei)
• Day 08 - Hong Kong (Mongkok)
• Day 09 - Hong Kong (Mongkok & Yau Ma Tei)

Alternatively, all other toy hunt trip acquisitions can be found here.

'later,
HD

Megatron Origin quotes

*Admittedly, this post took longer, much longer, than I'd initially intended for it to take. Well, here it is at long last... and with a gratuitious picture to start off with!*

Like I previously mentioned, Eric Holmes really outdid all expectations I had for Megatron Origin. Not only is it jam-packed with subtle G1-centric references, which I previously identified, there are lines in there that are destined to be as oft-quoted as "'till all are one".

Here are some of them...

*Spoilers from here on forward*

Rumble: "Why didn't you burn them?"
Megatron: "Think about it- right now their priority is to search for and rescue their precious, wounded Senator... if its destroyed, their first priority would be hunting us."
Rumble: "So what now?"
Megatron: "Now... we disappear."

Megatron Origin #01

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Megatron versus Cy-Kill in gladiatorial combat:

Cy-Kill: "Heh... dumb scrap, got no weapon?"
Megatron: "Can always- become one."
Transforms and crushes Cy-Kill

Megatron Origin #02

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Soundwave: "Your request- for a flight capable combatant?"
Megatron: "Hrm. You have one?"
Soundwave: "Negative. I present three. Skywarp, Thundercracker- and Starscream."

Megatron Origin #03

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Sideswipe and Sunstreaker before answering Megatron's call to arms:

Sideswipe: "I'll watch the fights, but, bro- I don't want you in there."
Sunstreaker: "C'mon... it's me. I never lose."

Megatron Origin #03

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Megatron to the gathered Cybertronians:

"I want to ask each of you a question- why are you here? You come from Tarn, you come from Vos, Altihex, Uraya and Kalis. We gather in Kaon- and so you bring our misery together- and we fight."

"We are the forgotten, trying to forget. Forgotten until you stand with a blade in one hand, a throat in the other. Then you remember. You feel it- you are alive."

"We can wear badges, join teams, fight and kill... then the badge comes off and you crawl home. Assembled here I see strength. Power. The most dangerous Cybertronians alive. So... what if the badge never came off? What if the new arena was the entire face of the planet? What if there was one badge for all of us? And instead of fighting each other, we attack those that put us here... and take what is ours!"

"Would you have the bearings for that?"

Megatron Origin #03

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Sentinel Prime to a captured Megatron:

Sentinel Prime: "So this is Megatron, huh? The big bad himself? I don't see it."
Megatron: "Keep... looking."

Megatron Origin #03

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Starscream at his hearing:

Senator: "Why did the prisoner seek an early hearing?"
Starscream: "I was eager to see how the other half lived. Nice place."
Senator: "This chair holds the prisoner in contempt! I suggest a movement to expel the prisoner and return him to confinement..."
Starscream: "Hah, do you empty chairs also hold me in contempt?"



Megatron Origin #04

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Starscream to the Senate at his hearing:

"I have a message for you. For all of you. From all those in your cells. Through your own interests you created this. You brought us here. You didn't just make it possible- you made it happen. All we did was give it a badge."

Megatron Origin #04

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Megatron to himself:

"Oh destiny, how it pleases you to caress a few and molest others."

"In the mines, we had no idea that destiny must be harnessed, kicked and ridden until it takes you in the right direction... not just where you want to go, but where you force it."

Megatron Origin #04

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Starscream gifting Megatron with a fusion cannon:

Starscream: "With this, you can make that work for you."
Megatron: "Hmm. Yes. There is something about this."
Starscream: "Heh... something to make sure that a fair fight is the other guy's problem."

Megatron Origin #04

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The attack on Kaon:

Unknown warrior: "Megatron we await you command."
Megatron: "Fall on them as predators do prey. Show no mercy. Everything.

Megatron Origin #04

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Megatron to Sentinel Prime:

"I've heard it said that we only gain wisdom through suffering, and tonight I intend to make you very wise."


Megatron Origin #04

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Sentinel Prime: "Your ways, criminal? And when you have crossed the planet with your little gang of thugs. What will you do then?"
Megatron: "I will create desolation- and call it peace!"



Megatron Origin #04

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Dawn of the Decepticons:

Soundwave: "Commander Megatron. They wear your badge. They fight for you. You wield an army, you hold a city, what next?"
Megatron: "Next, Soundwave? Choices... we are spoiled for choice but one. Cybertronian by birth. 'Decepticon' by choice."



Megatron Origin #04

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Whew, and those were just some of the great lines, there are many more. My personal favourite is 'I will create desolation and call it peace', which appears to me like a direct reference to Megatron's tech spec motto of 'Peace through tyranny'- we now know, it was at this point, when fighting for his life with a Prime, that Megatron crystalized his vision for the route he will take.

I'm going to say it again, what an excellent series, Megatron Origin.

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Read all Megatron Origin chapters!
Chapter 01: The Mini Series
Chapter 02: Issue #02 easter eggs
Chapter 03: Issue #03 easter eggs
Chapter 04: Issue #04 easter eggs (part 1)
Chapter 05: Issue #04 easter eggs (part 2)
Chapter 06: Quotes from Megatron Origin

Breaking News- Massive box art at Botch's

They are here.

They are up and live.

Edited Headmaster era box art at Botch's Box Art Archive. It took the team consisting of Botch, Ginraii, Prial, Slim, ThunderThruster and myself, approximately 2 weeks and a bit to get all these up but they are here, in all their grandeur...

Check out Botch's original post here: Head Formation of Friendship

Now if I can just get my hands on Ginraii's 600dpi photoshop format edit for C-114 Fortress Maximus... heh.

Neil Gaiman book signing

As a general rule, I endeavour to keep the contents of this site Transformer in nature, or at the very least, Transformer related.

Today's post may be an exception to that general rule.

I wish I could name an instance where Neil 'the master of modern fantasy' Gaiman was linked to the Transformers. That way, I could at least pass this off as 'a Transformer related entry'. I know of no such instance (but I will try to connect this to Transformers, somehow).

All I can say is how profoundly Gaiman's body of work had and still continues to influence me. The Song of Orpheus (Sandman Special #1) was the first ever Gaiman book I picked up, when I was but a tot, in 1991. It was so gripping that I started following The Sandman series and reading its back issues. This was by all accounts abnormal back then, what with superstars like Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio and Marc Silvestri being on the rise; what with the formation of image comics... these were all the rage back then.

Still, for me, there was nothing like Sandman. Nothing quite like Gaiman's writing. Writing that hits all the right notes and resonates into the deepest recesses of the psyche.

I have over the years read and re-read The Sandman more times than I can put a finger to, and just as quickly read everything else he writes, whether comic, illustrated picture book or novel.

Today. 6th May 2008. Books Kinokuniya at the Galleries Victoria. Sydney city.

I met Neil Gaiman, in-the-person.

I met my idol. I spoke to him. I had books signed by him. And I shook hands with him.

For me, it was truely momentous. It was earth-shattering. It was awesome.

I got signatures and doodles for the following:

• Absolute Sandman (volume 1)
• Marvel 1602
• Fragile Things (first print)
• Stardust (illustrated hardcover) (for godmum)
• Stardust (illustrated hardcover) (for sis)

Here I have Neil signing my copy of Absolute Sandman, not just at any page, but on the cover of issue #08- The sound of her wings.

'Could you sign here please? I'm aware this is a significant issue for The Sandman and your career at that time' I said.

'It still is, you know' he answered.

He voluntarily shook my hand before I left, probably as a result of my gf telling him that I waited 18 years to meet him in person and that I cajoled 3 other people to attend with me so I could get more things signed.



Above: Me shaking hands with Neil Gaiman, as much a hero to me as Optimus Prime is. (ahh, I made the Transformer connection!)

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Some Neil Gaiman sites...
- NeilGaiman.com
- Neil Gaiman's journal
- Books by Neil Gaiman
- Neil Gaiman's Sandman

Preview of Box Art edits

I cleaned out my schedule over the weekend to Help the Archive edit box art. I've done 9 so far. Here is a little preview since they might not go live on Botch's site just yet.

At full size, these babies are 600 dpi, about 2000 pixels across, are sharp as knifes and clear as crystal.

Top row: Raiden, Cyclonus (Targetmaster), Scourge (Targetmaster)
Middle row: Pointblank, Crosshairs, Sureshot
Bottom row: Slugslinger, Triggerhappy, Misfire

Box art breaking news

Even more sensational than the previous Victory box art finds (here and here), this could be the Transformers box art breaking news of the year.

Just when I was deliberating on the reasons for getting a C-114 Fortress Maximus and about why its box art is quite important to me, Botch the Crab had managed to obtain a huge treasure house of G1 unobstructed box art from the Headmasters era- 32 Transformers in total!

He found the box art on the now 'vintage' Pioneer Transformers Headmasters laserdisc set. Yup, its the laserdisc set, not the dvd set, if that is any indication of its vintage-ness. This find is made all the greater because it contains the unobstructed box art of C-114 Fortress Maximus!

I would have volunteered to edit that but fellow TF Fan Ginraii beat me to the punch.

So far, I've helped the archive edit 9 TFs: Raiden, Cyclonus (Targetmaster), Scourge (Targetmaster), Pointblank, Sureshot, Crosshairs, Slugslinger, Triggerhappy and Misfire.

Fellow TF fans Slim and Prial are also assiting with edits.

Check out Botch's Box Art Archive for updates of these new crystal clear images.

The New Quest

Related previous chapter: The Big Move Epilogue

*Kudos to Deadpool/ Den-O for guessing right before I even started penning this chapter!*

Due to the slight discomfort I spoke about in the previous chapter, Fortress Maximus was to be my next acquisition. Also, knowing myself, it must be an MIB one at the very least- no matter the cost.

Fortress Maximus.

I turned the thought over in my head a couple of times. 'Which one?' I asked myself.

Which one?

Certainly not the RiD reissue, since I have 2; Certainly not Grand Maximus, since I have that guy. So its a toss up between either a USA boxed one or a Japanese boxed one. Normally and as I always do, I will go for the US boxed one but in this instance there was more to consider.

A year ago, I had the chance to acquire a US boxed Fortress Maximus from Hong Kong. At SGD$750, but with a broken Cerebros and yellowed/ yellowing parts, I declined to buy it. One of the reasons actually, was also that the US Fortress Maximus box art was, I thought, less than impressive.

Now, when I'm definitively getting a Fort Max, I'm faced with the further choice of either still going for the US boxed one or the Japanese boxed one. I quickly decided that the Jap box Fort Max is the way to go because:

• It has such sweet box art. Much more beautiful than the US box art.

• It comes with a Master Sword and having seen from my Grand Maximus how impressive one of these babies were, I thought there is no harm in getting another.

• C-114, Jap box Fort Max is in recent times becoming even rarer than what was previously the already rare C-311 Grand Maximus. I have gotten confirmation of this from my circle of collectors and toy shop owners in both Singapore and Hong Kong. In short, its a of better investment value.

USA box package art (left) versus Japanese box package art (right) (images from Botch's Box Art Archive)

The verdict is out: The quest is for Fortress Maximus, it is for C-114, Fortress Maximus in japanese box.

Next: The Acquisition

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Real all Fortress Maximus chapters!
Chapter 01: The New Quest
Chapter 02: The Acquisition
Chapter 03: It is here

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Related articles

The Big Move chapters:
Chapter 01: The Big Move
Chapter 02: Their New Home
Chapter 03: Shelves zoom in!
Chapter 04: Epilogue
Chapter 05: The New Quest