A femme's touch
I liked them from the start, of course. That first commercial, where it looked like they changed all by themselves... the music, the unearthly look of the toys, that hypnotic "more than meets the eye" tag-line... yeah, Transformers had my attention from the beginning.
But not my devotion. In 1984, I was as much about Masters of the Universe as I was the robots from Cybertron. Probably more so, in fact. Robots were cool but, come on, He-Man rode a giant green tiger into battle! And his bad guy had a face like a skull! What more could you want out of life?
Twelve months later, everything would change. Blame that on Simon Furman, Target: 2006 and The Transformers: The Movie. With apologies to the iconic crews of the Ark and the Nemesis, it wasn't the first wave of Transformers that won my heart and enduring fandom. It was the second batch... the crew from the movie. And they'll always be my favourites.
That's why the arrival of my Arcee toy, today, made me giggle like a gleeful child.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's how 1986 should have looked.
stareyednight and I got our not-legally-Arcee toys in the mail today. My wife is, unfortunately, not all that impressed with hers. She points to its uneven paint job, flimsy joints and lack of detailing as flaws making it unworthy of the price she paid. Still, it's taken a prominent spot on her "girls who kick butt" shelf with the Arcees of other canons.
Meanwhile, I love this figure because it has an uneven paint job, flimsy joints and a lack of detailing. Just like a real G1 toy!
I can't understand the fandom's hatred for this toy. The manufacturers went out of their way to make a third-party Arcee that fits in with the original, official releases. And they succeeded. Let's face it, there were only ever two types of G1 toys: the guys with joints who went all wobbly within a year or two, and bricks. Arcee is clearly the former. And look at any other toy from the '86 line - the only paint apps they have, on their faces, are their eyes. Arcee is the same. Most of them have heads that flip out from under their car hoods - like Arcee - and pegs that don't quite clip in after a few transformations - like Arcee.
A toy for diehards? Certainly. But she looks, acts and feels just like an undiscovered vintage toy. The paint job has been aged to perfection, if you will. She's the kind you'd pay $90 for, without question, if you found her in a dealer's showroom. Those who complain have, in my opinion, forgotten what G1 was really like, and are stuck in some fantasy version they've conjured up. I mean, geez, look how well she blends in with a bunch of other 'bots...
Tell me true: what more could you ask for?
I've waited 25 years to have a toy version of G1 Arcee. My delirious delight with this figure should be clear indication that the wait was worth it. I felt, today, just like I did when I bought Unicron, or when Primus arrived... when you fill a gap in your collection you thought would always exist, because there was no toy in existence. That shelf is now more complete than complete can be.
All I need are some Reprolabels stickers and she's ready to roll...
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
But not my devotion. In 1984, I was as much about Masters of the Universe as I was the robots from Cybertron. Probably more so, in fact. Robots were cool but, come on, He-Man rode a giant green tiger into battle! And his bad guy had a face like a skull! What more could you want out of life?
Twelve months later, everything would change. Blame that on Simon Furman, Target: 2006 and The Transformers: The Movie. With apologies to the iconic crews of the Ark and the Nemesis, it wasn't the first wave of Transformers that won my heart and enduring fandom. It was the second batch... the crew from the movie. And they'll always be my favourites.
That's why the arrival of my Arcee toy, today, made me giggle like a gleeful child.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's how 1986 should have looked.
stareyednight and I got our not-legally-Arcee toys in the mail today. My wife is, unfortunately, not all that impressed with hers. She points to its uneven paint job, flimsy joints and lack of detailing as flaws making it unworthy of the price she paid. Still, it's taken a prominent spot on her "girls who kick butt" shelf with the Arcees of other canons.
Meanwhile, I love this figure because it has an uneven paint job, flimsy joints and a lack of detailing. Just like a real G1 toy!
I can't understand the fandom's hatred for this toy. The manufacturers went out of their way to make a third-party Arcee that fits in with the original, official releases. And they succeeded. Let's face it, there were only ever two types of G1 toys: the guys with joints who went all wobbly within a year or two, and bricks. Arcee is clearly the former. And look at any other toy from the '86 line - the only paint apps they have, on their faces, are their eyes. Arcee is the same. Most of them have heads that flip out from under their car hoods - like Arcee - and pegs that don't quite clip in after a few transformations - like Arcee.
A toy for diehards? Certainly. But she looks, acts and feels just like an undiscovered vintage toy. The paint job has been aged to perfection, if you will. She's the kind you'd pay $90 for, without question, if you found her in a dealer's showroom. Those who complain have, in my opinion, forgotten what G1 was really like, and are stuck in some fantasy version they've conjured up. I mean, geez, look how well she blends in with a bunch of other 'bots...
Tell me true: what more could you ask for?
I've waited 25 years to have a toy version of G1 Arcee. My delirious delight with this figure should be clear indication that the wait was worth it. I felt, today, just like I did when I bought Unicron, or when Primus arrived... when you fill a gap in your collection you thought would always exist, because there was no toy in existence. That shelf is now more complete than complete can be.
All I need are some Reprolabels stickers and she's ready to roll...
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF