Overlord of the perfect comic room
Wednesday was, hands down, the best day so far of my holiday.
I've had ridiculous amounts of fun these past two weeks. LJ's returned from her trip so we've dreamed up games, caught up on wrestling shows, read comics and generally goofed off. Having uninterrupted time with stareyednight, after her months of cosplay prep, has been a blessing. Every day, I've gone out for either breakfast or lunch... sometimes both... with a friend or a family member. And I've been able to get plumbers, electricians and the like into the house to fix nagging maintenance issues or, in some select cases, repair them myself. It's been pure domestic bliss; the perfect antidote for work.
Wednesday tops them all, though. I had breakfast with a dear friend before mistress_vixn and thebagbunny came to collect me. I've wanted a new chair for the comic room for so damn long, and have searched unsuccessfully. With mistress_vixn on the case, however, we hit pay dirt on the very first try. That led to a great afternoon with them and the two-headed scraptracker entity, transporting said furniture home and setting it up. I'm blessed to have these people around me, you know.
Wednesday was also the day the framing store called to say my original Green Lantern: New Guardians comic art was ready for collection. And if that wasn't enough, there was a much-anticipated parcel waiting at the post office. Inside was something truly special; something I'd long ago given up hope of owning, something I was certain I'd never obtain. And yet there it was, after all this time... waiting for me inside that innocuous-looking box was the Transformers G1 Holy Grail... Overlord!
Before we go any further: I know. Just a handful of months ago I said I was done with Transformers collecting. No room on the shelves, no characters left to desire. Not only did I mean it, I thought there'd be no deviation from it. Yeah, I walk into Toy Fair each and every year saying "I want to buy G1 Overlord" but I never expect to be doing so. It'd a ludicrous notion. Overlord - released in Japan in 1988, Europe in 1991, and never in the US - is one of the rarest Transformers out there. The toy commands ridiculous prices on the secondary market, often upwards of $1500. Me, own Overlord? Yeah, right.
But a fortnight ago, I came across a UK seller who was parting with his childhood Overlord. He'd nominated a price but said he was prepared to consider offers as he wanted the toy "to go to a good home - a collector, not a re-seller". I calculated what I'd be willing (and able) to pay and sent in an offer, accompanied by some photos of my collection. Three minutes later, he accepted the offer. We got into a long-winded e-mail exchange (he's a nice guy) while we hammered out the deal and, before you knew it, my Overlord was on its way.
Cue anxious anticipation and, upon arrival, delirious fits of glee.
I was so staggered by the effort the seller had put into safely packing Overlord for transport that I had to document it. Wow. He'd told me he'd used the carton for his X-Box but I didn't expect anything like this. Packing peanuts, bubble wrap, custom-made foam inserts, guns and missiles tucked into hidey-holes... glorious, glorious madness.
Overlord has a lot of pieces. It's one of the reasons the toy is so expensive. Finding a pristine, 100% complete example is nigh-on impossible (unless you're willing to part with $1500+ for MISB). Mine's complete save and except for one of its two Powermaster engines - Lady Mega, which shits me no end (loving TF femmes as I do, I'd rather be missing Lord Giga). Guess that just means I still have something TF to hunt for and collect. I'll find one, eventually, and gouge my poor wallet all over again...
Most of us have seen only photos of Overlord. Let me tell you, pictures can't prepare you for how immense the toy really is. The jet mode is enormous, as you can tell from the comparison pic with G1 Skywarp. It's also sturdy, solid and built-for-play; very hefty, not at all fragile. The tank is the same - its weight caught me off-guard. There's no hollow plastic in the thing. Its width and size is also quite unexpected (poor G1 Warpath); it was the first item I removed from the box and I'll never forget how surprisingly heavy it was.
If, as a child in 88/91, you'd received either of these vehicles as a present - "just" as military vehicles - you'd have been so happy. To get both in one box, with everything else they do because they're parts of a Transformer? Too damn cool.
I thought I'd like the jet the most but, from the moment I first unwrapped it, I've been all about the tank. The sculpting is immaculate (though the turret doesn't turn, it looks like it does) and, as noted, it's a weighty and satisfying toy to hold and push around the floor. Predominately for Giga's use (according to the Japanese cartoons), the tank features a cockpit in which its master... lies down (Powermasters don't do forward hip flexes) and a missile battery that obscures its Powermaster port (more on that later). The treads don't move but the wheels set into the toy's base are free-rolling. Most of all I love the pipes/rigging down the side of the turret. Not sure why, but it's that sort of "tank detailing" to which I really respond.
The greatest thing about this tank? Absent the Decepticon logos, you'd not look at it and think "that's part of a Transformer". The "robots in disguse" element of the line had started to fall away by 1988 but is in full swing here. The whole design is brilliantly deceptive, as it should be.
And yes, of course I love the jet. How could I not? I've heard other fans call it the nicest large-scale jet mode in G1 and I completely agree. While not based on a real plane, Overlord borrows elements from several to give an overall SR-71 aesthetic. In terms of size and play features it reminds me of Miles Mayhem's jet from MASK, which was a childhood favourite of mine. That front landing gear should be folded up, by the way: the front section of the jet pops off as a mini-fighter, in which mode the gear is usable. At full size, you get the directional belly guns instead.
As with the tank, detail is king. It's not often you see G1 Transformers with sculpted flaps, nor segmentations that evoke early stealth fighter technology. This thing truly is an aerial dreadnaught and, for my money, one of the most dangerous-looking craft in all of G1. I don't think there's a bigger original release 'con plane in the ranks (it dwarfs even Sixshot), and for it to have such realistic elements at the same time is the icing on the cake. The amount of thought and design work that went into this baby is gob-smacking.
The Powermaster gimmick ("Godmaster" in Japan) involved Nebulan/human partners transforming into engine blocks that "unlocked the power to transform!". The reasons given for this, in fiction, varied from country to country. In practical, toyetic terms, this involved the engine block figure depressing a series of hidden studs to activate play features. Overlord came with two engines but has three sets of Power/Godmaster ports. The first, in the turret of the tank, allows you to split the vehicle in half.
This is where I really went nuts with delight. You've read how enamoured of the tank I am; discovering it splits in half, and each section unfolds twice more to reveal docking bays/repair stations/weapons-making plants was joy personified. This is seriously cool. Those white ramps are permanently attached and tuck away inside the tank halves, as does the double-barreled cannon and the fully-articulated, 360-degree rotating manipulator arm (squee!) that can reach any point on its half. Holy shit. Whomever designed Overload was going for the gold medal of play value.
My nine-year-old mind would have been melted by Overlord. Oh, the stories I'd have concocted!
Inserting the Power/Godmaster into the jet (after removing the purple double-barreled cannon on top) unlocks the white jet thrusters/arms/towers so they can be manipulated. It also releases a catch beneath those lovingly-sculpted air flaps I noted earlier; like they tank, they split in half and unfurl to reveal a third docking station. Flip up the nosecone, add in accessories like ramps and radar dishes, and voila! One self-sustaining, heavily-armed, munitions-processing nomadic station that moves ahead of the Decepticon fleet "pacifying" alien worlds for its arrival.
I've seen some fans complain, online, that the ramps don't snap into place and "just lay there". I think that's intentional, not a flaw. If Overlord were to be attacked by the Autobots, the two side docks would shoot forward, recombine into the tank and draw bead behind the good guys. The centre tower, meanwhile, would shoot straight up in the air, transform, and rain hell down from above. The dumbfounded Autobots would be left staring at three discarded ramps, wondering why they were getting annihilated.
Too far-fetched a thought for toy designers? I don't know about that. You look at the play value packed into this thing and you have to wonder.
Here's Lord Giga! His legs are a little wobbly (common problem) and his shoulder joints are a tad loose (also to be expected), but those aren't big issues. His sculpt and paint job are lovely and his chromed pieces are in good condition. I don't have a lot else to say about him - he's not part of the English language TF canon and I've no connection to Masterforce, the Japanese series in which he, his wife and Overlord were featured. I do like the way he slots into the little car and hoons around, though.
And so the beast rises... leaving Galvatron and Unicron with severe envy. Overlord's robot mode is something else. Save and except for the (removable) jet nosecone on his arm, I'd defy anyone to look at it and say "oh, he turns into a plane and a tank". Clean sculpt, a terrific lack of kibble and, for a G1 toy, a decent amount of articulation (shoulders, hips and - gasp! - a head swivel!). And, well, just look at him! He's a monster. A beautifully detailed monster, with all sorts of unecessary-yet-pretty design work (the panels on the arms, the circuitry on the chest), but a monster nonetheless.
This Overlord was a dearly-loved toy. If the seller hadn't told me, I'd have figured it out from the play-wear. Someone's used this Decepticon in a lot of bedroom battles but carefully. He's lost paint on his "belt buckle" and part of his right horn, and is otherwise in top shape. Lots of collectors would pass on a toy in this condition but, for me, it's a selling point. Overlord fits in nicely with my G1s precisely because he's been played with and loved, as were most of the toys on my shelves.
On a side note: the G1 'cons really became obsessed with shields toward the end of the run, didn't they? It's really noticeable when you look at them all together. Scorponok, Bludgeon, Stranglehold, Fangry, Snap Trap and now Overlord. It's not just a beast mode thing (the other late run 'con obsession). I suppose it started as a way of making alt mode kibble into something useful, but... yeah. As "innovative" as the jet/shield is, tragically none of Overlord's modes use each and every one of his accessories.
I mentioned Overlord had three sets of Power/Godmaster ports: the top of the tank, the top of the jet and the double-port in his chest. Hidden beneath spring-loaded doors (which, I'm pleased to report, still have tension), these last ports activate his robot mode weaponry. In the Japanese continuity they channel something called "Chokon Power"; in the Western canon, they're just the sort of nasty sneak-attack devices a sadistic sociopath would employ. For the rest of us, they're extra play value packed into a toy fairly dripping with the concept.
One last thing on design and, yes, I know I'm banging on about it. Check out the way the back of Overlord's head calls out to the design of his jet mode. Look at how the missile battery's base is sculpted to look like it's articulated. Witness how the huge knobs on either side of Overlord's gun are functional, and ensure the weapon can be pegged into the leg holes of his tank move so his base mode has another tower. It's crazy! I own a lot of Transformers and, I'm telling you, this is honestly one of the best-designed and most thought-through toys I've ever had the pleasure of owning. Takara went to town on this guy to ensure that, while he was at the top price-point, he'd be well and truly worth every last cent.
Which begs the question: why was such a fun, well-designed, hefty, toyetic and interesting Transformer left out of the US range? Particularly one specifically created to serve as a rival to Powermaster Optimus Prime? Hell, it's a big, evil guy sporting a large black weapon on his arm - wouldn't take a lot of imagination to dub it "Megatron" and say the 'con leader was trying to one-up his ancient foe by sporting a second Nebulan in his chest! There exists, out in the wild, a very nice custom-made example that proves how easily (and well) it could have been done.
The question has, as far as I know, never been answered. Overlord was a Japanese-exclusive release until 1991, when he was re-boxed for sale in Europe and Australasia (I don't recall ever seeing one in the shops, though I remember his being advertised on Transformer packaging at the time). How bizarre. Still, we need another Megatron toy like we need a hole in the head. More characters! Different characters! Diversity and increased interest! Yeah, that's the ticket. Screw you, Meggie, you miss out on a power-up... or you did until Generation 2, anyway.
Hopefully it's come across, by now, just how happy I am with Overlord. He's more than worth what I've paid, I have had and continue to have fun with the toy and he looks brilliant on my shelves (extra benefit: I had to pull the bottom shelf apart and rebuild it, which I love doing). I always say it's a good fandom purchase when you look at the item and forget/no longer care how much it cost; Overlord's definitely in that category. I also truly, truly wish I'd owned this toy as a child because, man, the ideas he generates!
Overlord is the most expensive Transformer I've ever bought. He's also indisputably one of the best and, after just three days, one of my all-time favourites.
As I said, the Decepticon's Ambassador of Destruction wasn't Wednesday's only purchase. Behold, the glory of my new chair! It is disgustingly comfortable. Each and every person who's sat in it has made a "good night, sleeping here now" joke. Every person. It's the perfect place from which to survey the awesome that is my comic room, or to read comics (First thing read? Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #43.). The table next to it is also a new purchase (found in the factory seconds area but, ironically, from the same designer). The whole ensemble is brilliant and my now-comfortable rear end is forever indebted to mistress_vixn. As much time as I've spent in the comic room until now, it's only going to increase.
To the left of the chair, above the comic boxes, hangs the final part of my Green Lantern Kyle Rayner original art gallery. I now have pages by Darryl Banks (Kyle's co-creator), Tyler Kirkham and Brad Walker (artists of New Guardians). A tweet I sent out, showing them off, was favourite-d and re-tweeted by each member of the trio, which was a nice little feather in my cap.
I'm thrilled about this, too - being able to display my WWF wrestling figures and my Viewmaster canisters. So much 80s goodness! I like to think Mean Gene Okerlund is standing ringside saying "who booked this crap?", given how impossible the scenario depicted really is (trust me: no match, ever scripted, even remotely resembled the scene I've laid out). As funny as it is, it's also bittersweet given Rowdy Roddy Piper's death today (there's going to be one hell of a wrestling card in Heaven tonight).
I've been working on this comic room for more than three years, ever so slowly chipping away at it like a sculptor does a chunk of rock. And though I will no doubt add to it as the years go by, and rearrange shelving/re-hang pictures to suit, I can honestly say that it is now perfect.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
I've had ridiculous amounts of fun these past two weeks. LJ's returned from her trip so we've dreamed up games, caught up on wrestling shows, read comics and generally goofed off. Having uninterrupted time with stareyednight, after her months of cosplay prep, has been a blessing. Every day, I've gone out for either breakfast or lunch... sometimes both... with a friend or a family member. And I've been able to get plumbers, electricians and the like into the house to fix nagging maintenance issues or, in some select cases, repair them myself. It's been pure domestic bliss; the perfect antidote for work.
Wednesday tops them all, though. I had breakfast with a dear friend before mistress_vixn and thebagbunny came to collect me. I've wanted a new chair for the comic room for so damn long, and have searched unsuccessfully. With mistress_vixn on the case, however, we hit pay dirt on the very first try. That led to a great afternoon with them and the two-headed scraptracker entity, transporting said furniture home and setting it up. I'm blessed to have these people around me, you know.
Wednesday was also the day the framing store called to say my original Green Lantern: New Guardians comic art was ready for collection. And if that wasn't enough, there was a much-anticipated parcel waiting at the post office. Inside was something truly special; something I'd long ago given up hope of owning, something I was certain I'd never obtain. And yet there it was, after all this time... waiting for me inside that innocuous-looking box was the Transformers G1 Holy Grail... Overlord!
Before we go any further: I know. Just a handful of months ago I said I was done with Transformers collecting. No room on the shelves, no characters left to desire. Not only did I mean it, I thought there'd be no deviation from it. Yeah, I walk into Toy Fair each and every year saying "I want to buy G1 Overlord" but I never expect to be doing so. It'd a ludicrous notion. Overlord - released in Japan in 1988, Europe in 1991, and never in the US - is one of the rarest Transformers out there. The toy commands ridiculous prices on the secondary market, often upwards of $1500. Me, own Overlord? Yeah, right.
But a fortnight ago, I came across a UK seller who was parting with his childhood Overlord. He'd nominated a price but said he was prepared to consider offers as he wanted the toy "to go to a good home - a collector, not a re-seller". I calculated what I'd be willing (and able) to pay and sent in an offer, accompanied by some photos of my collection. Three minutes later, he accepted the offer. We got into a long-winded e-mail exchange (he's a nice guy) while we hammered out the deal and, before you knew it, my Overlord was on its way.
Cue anxious anticipation and, upon arrival, delirious fits of glee.
I was so staggered by the effort the seller had put into safely packing Overlord for transport that I had to document it. Wow. He'd told me he'd used the carton for his X-Box but I didn't expect anything like this. Packing peanuts, bubble wrap, custom-made foam inserts, guns and missiles tucked into hidey-holes... glorious, glorious madness.
Overlord has a lot of pieces. It's one of the reasons the toy is so expensive. Finding a pristine, 100% complete example is nigh-on impossible (unless you're willing to part with $1500+ for MISB). Mine's complete save and except for one of its two Powermaster engines - Lady Mega, which shits me no end (loving TF femmes as I do, I'd rather be missing Lord Giga). Guess that just means I still have something TF to hunt for and collect. I'll find one, eventually, and gouge my poor wallet all over again...
Most of us have seen only photos of Overlord. Let me tell you, pictures can't prepare you for how immense the toy really is. The jet mode is enormous, as you can tell from the comparison pic with G1 Skywarp. It's also sturdy, solid and built-for-play; very hefty, not at all fragile. The tank is the same - its weight caught me off-guard. There's no hollow plastic in the thing. Its width and size is also quite unexpected (poor G1 Warpath); it was the first item I removed from the box and I'll never forget how surprisingly heavy it was.
If, as a child in 88/91, you'd received either of these vehicles as a present - "just" as military vehicles - you'd have been so happy. To get both in one box, with everything else they do because they're parts of a Transformer? Too damn cool.
I thought I'd like the jet the most but, from the moment I first unwrapped it, I've been all about the tank. The sculpting is immaculate (though the turret doesn't turn, it looks like it does) and, as noted, it's a weighty and satisfying toy to hold and push around the floor. Predominately for Giga's use (according to the Japanese cartoons), the tank features a cockpit in which its master... lies down (Powermasters don't do forward hip flexes) and a missile battery that obscures its Powermaster port (more on that later). The treads don't move but the wheels set into the toy's base are free-rolling. Most of all I love the pipes/rigging down the side of the turret. Not sure why, but it's that sort of "tank detailing" to which I really respond.
The greatest thing about this tank? Absent the Decepticon logos, you'd not look at it and think "that's part of a Transformer". The "robots in disguse" element of the line had started to fall away by 1988 but is in full swing here. The whole design is brilliantly deceptive, as it should be.
And yes, of course I love the jet. How could I not? I've heard other fans call it the nicest large-scale jet mode in G1 and I completely agree. While not based on a real plane, Overlord borrows elements from several to give an overall SR-71 aesthetic. In terms of size and play features it reminds me of Miles Mayhem's jet from MASK, which was a childhood favourite of mine. That front landing gear should be folded up, by the way: the front section of the jet pops off as a mini-fighter, in which mode the gear is usable. At full size, you get the directional belly guns instead.
As with the tank, detail is king. It's not often you see G1 Transformers with sculpted flaps, nor segmentations that evoke early stealth fighter technology. This thing truly is an aerial dreadnaught and, for my money, one of the most dangerous-looking craft in all of G1. I don't think there's a bigger original release 'con plane in the ranks (it dwarfs even Sixshot), and for it to have such realistic elements at the same time is the icing on the cake. The amount of thought and design work that went into this baby is gob-smacking.
The Powermaster gimmick ("Godmaster" in Japan) involved Nebulan/human partners transforming into engine blocks that "unlocked the power to transform!". The reasons given for this, in fiction, varied from country to country. In practical, toyetic terms, this involved the engine block figure depressing a series of hidden studs to activate play features. Overlord came with two engines but has three sets of Power/Godmaster ports. The first, in the turret of the tank, allows you to split the vehicle in half.
This is where I really went nuts with delight. You've read how enamoured of the tank I am; discovering it splits in half, and each section unfolds twice more to reveal docking bays/repair stations/weapons-making plants was joy personified. This is seriously cool. Those white ramps are permanently attached and tuck away inside the tank halves, as does the double-barreled cannon and the fully-articulated, 360-degree rotating manipulator arm (squee!) that can reach any point on its half. Holy shit. Whomever designed Overload was going for the gold medal of play value.
My nine-year-old mind would have been melted by Overlord. Oh, the stories I'd have concocted!
Inserting the Power/Godmaster into the jet (after removing the purple double-barreled cannon on top) unlocks the white jet thrusters/arms/towers so they can be manipulated. It also releases a catch beneath those lovingly-sculpted air flaps I noted earlier; like they tank, they split in half and unfurl to reveal a third docking station. Flip up the nosecone, add in accessories like ramps and radar dishes, and voila! One self-sustaining, heavily-armed, munitions-processing nomadic station that moves ahead of the Decepticon fleet "pacifying" alien worlds for its arrival.
I've seen some fans complain, online, that the ramps don't snap into place and "just lay there". I think that's intentional, not a flaw. If Overlord were to be attacked by the Autobots, the two side docks would shoot forward, recombine into the tank and draw bead behind the good guys. The centre tower, meanwhile, would shoot straight up in the air, transform, and rain hell down from above. The dumbfounded Autobots would be left staring at three discarded ramps, wondering why they were getting annihilated.
Too far-fetched a thought for toy designers? I don't know about that. You look at the play value packed into this thing and you have to wonder.
Here's Lord Giga! His legs are a little wobbly (common problem) and his shoulder joints are a tad loose (also to be expected), but those aren't big issues. His sculpt and paint job are lovely and his chromed pieces are in good condition. I don't have a lot else to say about him - he's not part of the English language TF canon and I've no connection to Masterforce, the Japanese series in which he, his wife and Overlord were featured. I do like the way he slots into the little car and hoons around, though.
And so the beast rises... leaving Galvatron and Unicron with severe envy. Overlord's robot mode is something else. Save and except for the (removable) jet nosecone on his arm, I'd defy anyone to look at it and say "oh, he turns into a plane and a tank". Clean sculpt, a terrific lack of kibble and, for a G1 toy, a decent amount of articulation (shoulders, hips and - gasp! - a head swivel!). And, well, just look at him! He's a monster. A beautifully detailed monster, with all sorts of unecessary-yet-pretty design work (the panels on the arms, the circuitry on the chest), but a monster nonetheless.
This Overlord was a dearly-loved toy. If the seller hadn't told me, I'd have figured it out from the play-wear. Someone's used this Decepticon in a lot of bedroom battles but carefully. He's lost paint on his "belt buckle" and part of his right horn, and is otherwise in top shape. Lots of collectors would pass on a toy in this condition but, for me, it's a selling point. Overlord fits in nicely with my G1s precisely because he's been played with and loved, as were most of the toys on my shelves.
On a side note: the G1 'cons really became obsessed with shields toward the end of the run, didn't they? It's really noticeable when you look at them all together. Scorponok, Bludgeon, Stranglehold, Fangry, Snap Trap and now Overlord. It's not just a beast mode thing (the other late run 'con obsession). I suppose it started as a way of making alt mode kibble into something useful, but... yeah. As "innovative" as the jet/shield is, tragically none of Overlord's modes use each and every one of his accessories.
I mentioned Overlord had three sets of Power/Godmaster ports: the top of the tank, the top of the jet and the double-port in his chest. Hidden beneath spring-loaded doors (which, I'm pleased to report, still have tension), these last ports activate his robot mode weaponry. In the Japanese continuity they channel something called "Chokon Power"; in the Western canon, they're just the sort of nasty sneak-attack devices a sadistic sociopath would employ. For the rest of us, they're extra play value packed into a toy fairly dripping with the concept.
One last thing on design and, yes, I know I'm banging on about it. Check out the way the back of Overlord's head calls out to the design of his jet mode. Look at how the missile battery's base is sculpted to look like it's articulated. Witness how the huge knobs on either side of Overlord's gun are functional, and ensure the weapon can be pegged into the leg holes of his tank move so his base mode has another tower. It's crazy! I own a lot of Transformers and, I'm telling you, this is honestly one of the best-designed and most thought-through toys I've ever had the pleasure of owning. Takara went to town on this guy to ensure that, while he was at the top price-point, he'd be well and truly worth every last cent.
Which begs the question: why was such a fun, well-designed, hefty, toyetic and interesting Transformer left out of the US range? Particularly one specifically created to serve as a rival to Powermaster Optimus Prime? Hell, it's a big, evil guy sporting a large black weapon on his arm - wouldn't take a lot of imagination to dub it "Megatron" and say the 'con leader was trying to one-up his ancient foe by sporting a second Nebulan in his chest! There exists, out in the wild, a very nice custom-made example that proves how easily (and well) it could have been done.
The question has, as far as I know, never been answered. Overlord was a Japanese-exclusive release until 1991, when he was re-boxed for sale in Europe and Australasia (I don't recall ever seeing one in the shops, though I remember his being advertised on Transformer packaging at the time). How bizarre. Still, we need another Megatron toy like we need a hole in the head. More characters! Different characters! Diversity and increased interest! Yeah, that's the ticket. Screw you, Meggie, you miss out on a power-up... or you did until Generation 2, anyway.
Hopefully it's come across, by now, just how happy I am with Overlord. He's more than worth what I've paid, I have had and continue to have fun with the toy and he looks brilliant on my shelves (extra benefit: I had to pull the bottom shelf apart and rebuild it, which I love doing). I always say it's a good fandom purchase when you look at the item and forget/no longer care how much it cost; Overlord's definitely in that category. I also truly, truly wish I'd owned this toy as a child because, man, the ideas he generates!
Overlord is the most expensive Transformer I've ever bought. He's also indisputably one of the best and, after just three days, one of my all-time favourites.
As I said, the Decepticon's Ambassador of Destruction wasn't Wednesday's only purchase. Behold, the glory of my new chair! It is disgustingly comfortable. Each and every person who's sat in it has made a "good night, sleeping here now" joke. Every person. It's the perfect place from which to survey the awesome that is my comic room, or to read comics (First thing read? Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #43.). The table next to it is also a new purchase (found in the factory seconds area but, ironically, from the same designer). The whole ensemble is brilliant and my now-comfortable rear end is forever indebted to mistress_vixn. As much time as I've spent in the comic room until now, it's only going to increase.
To the left of the chair, above the comic boxes, hangs the final part of my Green Lantern Kyle Rayner original art gallery. I now have pages by Darryl Banks (Kyle's co-creator), Tyler Kirkham and Brad Walker (artists of New Guardians). A tweet I sent out, showing them off, was favourite-d and re-tweeted by each member of the trio, which was a nice little feather in my cap.
I'm thrilled about this, too - being able to display my WWF wrestling figures and my Viewmaster canisters. So much 80s goodness! I like to think Mean Gene Okerlund is standing ringside saying "who booked this crap?", given how impossible the scenario depicted really is (trust me: no match, ever scripted, even remotely resembled the scene I've laid out). As funny as it is, it's also bittersweet given Rowdy Roddy Piper's death today (there's going to be one hell of a wrestling card in Heaven tonight).
I've been working on this comic room for more than three years, ever so slowly chipping away at it like a sculptor does a chunk of rock. And though I will no doubt add to it as the years go by, and rearrange shelving/re-hang pictures to suit, I can honestly say that it is now perfect.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF