Author | Lightnews

Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 13h

If the thought was to make the series more appealing to Japanese customers, that would be something Takara would take initiative on, and add to the toy line, themselves.

You can see that with Japanese exclusive Transformers, or changing the face for the vintage 12 inch G.I. Joe.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 13h

Barely featuring the toys you’re trying to sell, in order to prioritize a bunch of stuff they can’t buy, is a weird way to promote a toy line.

More telling, little to no changes were made in the text Takara was including with the toys, or to the cartoon which was airing in Japan at the time.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 13h

1980’s memo to Hasbro from Larry Hama, pleading to let him say new figures are just older figures who dress differently now, to lighten his burden on adding new huge numbers of new characters to the comic every twelve issues.

Reproduced from Mark Bellomo's Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe - 2nd Edition

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14h

I remember David Wise described episodes with that job as “a toy parade”. Everyone just walks onscreen and announces their name, one after another.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 17h

Two issues later, Poochie starts using a specially-made super machine gun bazooka.

The comic only lasted six issues, but somehow felt the need to use several original villains, too.

…Meanwhile in America, Larry Hama was being forced to introduce 20 to 30 new figures and vehicles, every year.

I said I don’t use guns… bazookas are okay though.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 17h

Musashi has big fan fiction main character energy. He can totally beat Snake Eyes in a fight, and he has a tragic backstory leading to him refusing to use a gun.

Instead, he attacks with a sword like such a madman, Cobra troopers would rather throw themselves from a moving train than fight him.

Snake Eyes shouts “Oh!” When Musashi throws a bucket on his head. Turns out that whole “can’t talk” thing is bullshit.

Yes, he is deflecting bullets with the sword, like a Jedi.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 17h

In a stunning example of the lack of oversight Takara used to exercise over fiction, in the 1986 G.I. Joe manga, artist Hisaji Ueda made the baffling decision to make the focus of the comic a completely new main character: “Tate Musashi”.

The rest of the G.I. Joe team basically becomes his backup.

“Tate” is pronounced “tah-tay”, not like the English name that rhymes with “tape”.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

Artistic accuracy is important. That’s why I don’t display Onyx Prime in bipedal OR centaur mode.

Obviously, the correct option is to have the front legs just kind of hang out in front, so you aren’t quite sure what the hell is going on.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

This effect takes place over months, or years, not hours. So you can absolutely still enjoy using blast effects for a fun afternoon, or to take some photos. Just be real careful about what you store them with, and don’t leave them displayed on your figures, long term.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

Since they’re sculpted to look like flames and whatnot, it’s hard to notice melt marks on most of the hard plastic. However, transference onto the soft plastic is VERY clear.

There’s no cleaning this off, it’s part of the plastic now. It’s still translucent, and the pink goes all the way through.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

Most blast effects are soft plastic, but there are a few made of hard plastic. For the sake of science, let’s store some of these together for a few months, and see what happens!

They’re expensive as hell on the secondary market, and we’re totally going to ruin some! Woo!

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

12” figure collectors have experienced this for a very long time, since many vintage figures used soft plastic for heads and accessories.

The 00’s reissues of Henshin Cyborg are notorious for this, with heads fused to necks and melt marks left by accessories touching the figure, in the package.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

“Rubbery” plastic has a chemical plasticizer which keeps it soft and pliable. This plasticizer has an adverse reaction with hard plastic, if left in long-term contact.

In simplest terms, it starts to make the hard plastic “soft” as well, resulting in melt marks at the point of prolonged contact.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 2d

Blast Effects can be a lot of fun, but unfortunately no matter how much I love them, they will never love me back.

Let’s talk about plasticizer migration.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 4d

tfw Target will pay you $15 to add a random Hot Wheels car to your order.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 5d

Translating pop culture jokes is exhausting.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25d

And it only took 40 years!

I really enjoy the new Deluxe Insecticon “Venin”, but I’m still perplexed by the silly name change Hasbro went with.

Obviously it’s supposed to be “Beetras 04: Battle Expert Emergency Task Ranger Anthromobile System, Beet-Zeguna”.

But apparently that was unavailable?

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25d

The Bio Suit figure can’t do a T-pose, only a regular Microman can, like the Rescue Team M27X it shows.

Last, it’s a dead ringer for 1980 Punch Robo. I’m guessing it was intended as a retool of Punch Robo for a 1986 Microman line that didn’t happen.

That’d make it one of the last Microman patents.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25d

Gotcha. So, the Bio Suits were model kits. Obvious you know, the focus of utility patents was “what the thing do”, so their patents were about assembling them.

Even when a kit also transformed, like the keshi kit for Countach / Sunstreaker, the patents were centered on “you put this together”.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25d

This patent is deeply confusing on multiple levels. There are several elements which are anachronisms. If you don’t mind, how did you come to the conclusion it was intended for Microman’s Bio Suit series?

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 26d

In Takara’s 1983 Tokyo Toy Show catalog, the prototype art of Cassette Man shows the original Micro Change Rumble / Frenzy cassette deco was… Enemy?

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 26d

This is for the Jumpstarters. You can see the latch for the spring mechanism on the chest. Also, Drill Dasher was released in 1981.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · Sep 23

Remembering Ron Friedman

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · Sep 15

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Two of the vintage art pieces were used in the Menko card series, while the Sky Base art was from its packaging. The Battle Buffalo lunar assault painting was used in the 1982 catalog.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · Sep 15

Aside from being some cute little guys, the e-HOBBY color swap versions of Powered System A&B came with some stunning art prints of modern and vintage Diaclone paintings.

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