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Necronomitron

@necronomitron.bsky.social
238 followers 39 following 544 posts

The Book of Dead Robots. Transformers Generation Zero historian. Pre-Transformers / Takara SF Land information & translated documents.

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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
(From the old account) In 1982, Knickerbocker and Bandai were in talks to import Machine Robo. It fell apart when Knickerbocker's parent company, Warner Comminications, vetoed the deal. If Warner was looking to sell Knockerbocker at the time, a long term deal with Bandai may have complicated that.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I noticed everyone takes the same pictures of Robot Base, with a static, almost wiki-esque pose. As a consequence, here’s something very simple which shouldn’t be mind-blowing, but probably is. Surprise.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Having extremely niche interests involves a lot of showing someone a very ordinary-looking object, and saying “take my word, this is incredibly impressive”.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There’s a Japanese joke I use as an example of how bad machine translation can be at comedy manga. “What is a panda's favorite food? It’s bread!” The Japanese word for bread is “pan”, and “da” is an exclamation, so “panda” sounds like you’re excitedly saying “bread!”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
@oritech.bsky.social 巨大ロボG-1はキットバッシングで作られたと思いますか?ほとんどの部分は粘土のように非常に粗い質感だが、疑わしい箇所では市販品のように滑らかになっている。その拳はジャンボマシンダーから来る拳に似ている。頭部は見覚えがありません。
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
In the last dozen or so years, you could go to a dollar store and buy a knock off Gats Blocker with five plastic Dianauts, in a package covered with distressingly modern Transformers ..twice
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Two attempts to deal with problematic artwork, for a retro re-release. Bring them out of the kitchen, or just put up a wall and seal them inside, like the Cask of Amontillado.
“Study their tactics, Jenny. At the end of the game put the old score cards in the box, instead of throwing them away. Read them again before the start of the next game, to remember where they arranged their pieces and fired their shots last time. Find the patterns they don’t realize they are making.”

“I will learn well, Mother. They will lose because they believe the game ends when the pieces are put away.”

“Sink the patriarchy, Jenny.”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
One of the bonuses of tracking down vintage manga, is they usually come with great old Takara SF Land advertisements, and the figures in them often use prototype or early production parts. Today, let’s party like it’s Skullbrain and enjoy an avalanche of vintage ads, in no particular order. 1/5
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Hasbro made several changes to the Diaclone Car Robots molds for Transformers. Sometimes it was strengthening easily-broken parts, which is appreciated. Unfortunately, there could be consequences, and some figures lost functionality, like Car Robot No.2 Onebox Cherry Vanette, AKA Ironhide/Ratchet.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
“Rough day, huh kid?”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
1971 G.I. Joe: The Most Wicked Company manga, by Mikiya Mochizuki During the war, the sound effects for the different armies are in their own languages. While visually striking, these were unfortunately transliterations of Japanese sound effects, leading to cultural disconnect for a native speaker.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
“Guts: Eject. Operation: I’m friggin’ dead.” It’s surprising how many of the one shot Transformers manga felt no compunction about graphically murdering important Decepticons
Soundwave gets shot through the back, and delivers the Japanese onomatopoeia ガハッ, usually described as “choking on your own blood”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
It might be the joke Diaclone manga for little babies, but I genuinely think this tactic of rapidly un-combining to avoid an attack, then re-combining behind the enemy is brilliant.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
“John Henry was a Steel Drivin’ Man”, but it’s just human translators adding more and more cultural context notes
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
As mail order figures, the Transformers Omnibots didn’t have individual box art. However, they did for their original release as the Diaclone Double Changers. That art was used to piece together this image from the catalog… for the most part. For some reason, Savanna RX-7 ironically got the shaft.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
The common narrative is that smaller action figures were necessary, because it’s just too hard to make vehicles and playsets for 12 inch figures. What’s frustrating, is how easily disproven this is. Barbie’s had over 100 cars, and a new dream house every 2 to 3 years, for the last six decades.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Please enjoy a visual metaphor for why I’m not a fan of Devastator using a gun
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
This image from a Diaclone catalog is popular for showing an early prototype of Battle Convoy Overlooked is the fact that he has a completely different name in the photo Here, the toy is called “No. 17 Trailer Base”. Only a later spread with the final toy, would use the name “No.17 Battle Convoy”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Diaclone the Great Robot Base I can think of one or two fans who would cringe over being this cavalier with the most fragile parts of Robot Base, but it’s important to keep in mind: 1. I have the hands of a surgeon, and 2. Risks must be made for the science of “this is what the thing looks like”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
On paper, I am very familiar with the size of a Microman figure. Theoretically, there should be no reason whatever to mentally readjust from seeing the stock photos, to having the item in hand. ….
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
You’re probably familiar with View-Masters (which are just a kid-version of the Victorian stereoscope). Transformers of course had View-Master reels, and they’re not very difficult to scan. If you tear a View-Master reel open, it is just film glued to paper, and film scanners are readily available
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
The way Takara SF Land toy lines worked wasn’t spin-offs, as much as “trying to capture a different market” Giant robots were popular, they made Diaclone. Microman moved away from interchangeability, they made Blockman Timanic was designed as serious science fiction, for kids who outgrew Microman
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The 2024 McDonald’s Changeables Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover is a real thing that happened. They were ¥3,900, not free in a Happy Meal. Unfortunately, this makes it harder to give them to your traumatized son, and force him to play with them as you glare unapprovingly.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
The original patent for Punch-Counterpunch confirms the fan theory that the figure was designed to use the leg transformation which would result in a shorter Autobot. This transformation also makes Punch’s stubby little arms proportionate.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
The Micro Change Gun Robo came with little cardboard targets of AcroSatans and Marshal Admiral AcroDevil to shoot at. These usually go for crazy prices, so please enjoy some scans. Just promise not to destroy the secondary market with counterfeits?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Super BomBom, November 1987 Transformers Side Story: Beastformers, by Masahiro Kanda English translation 1/4
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
@msipher.bsky.social Psssst! bsky.app/profile/necr...
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Super BomBom, July 1987 Transformers: Beastformers Volume, by Ikuo Miyazoe English translation 1/5 This is the one you wanted to read, right?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Something which has always stood out to me about Beastformers, is how open it was to different artistic interpretations. Each artist who worked on it seemed to reinvent the wheel, developing a unique style, and disregarding any prior art. This is especially noticeable, with the manga.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
SF Land Evolution (which is all about the influence of older lines) provides an interesting theory connecting Beastformers to Diaclone. For the fortresses, they didn’t make something like a castle, or a volcano. Instead, they chose mobile Great Robot Beasts, which open to reveal the playset inside.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Have you even seen The Prisoner, if it wasn’t in the original Japanese? Prisoner No.6 (プリズナーNo.6) originally aired in Japan from March 2nd - June 22nd 1969.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
“Aw yeah, I’m gonna chop that fire so good!” Why does the Legacy G.I. Joe Firefighter come with two little hand axes? I figure he either throws them like a carnival act, or he’s the Benihana chef of firefighters
G.I. Joe Legacy Firefighter dual-wields tiny hand axes, because his other hand was just uselessly not chopping stuff
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
1. G.I. Joe was using drones in 1983 2. They put a flamethrower on it 3. It was worth half a flag point
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Oh no It would be the absolute worst thing ever if these get really popular, and Takara finds out.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
If someone tries to outbid you at the very last second, but it doesn’t work and you still win the auction… How do you send them a Venmo request for the extra money they just cost you for no damn reason?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Bad news: the new Matchbox Motocompo is too big for a Dianaut. Good news:
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
When a blog shuts down, all of the intrusive watermarks on their images should fade away, like a wizard’s curse being lifted by their death.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
It is very hard to describe the subtle differences of the Micro Change Gun Robo figures’ chrome, without sounding like some pretentious jerk describing wines. The chrome on the original red version is cool and dark, while the later blue release is bright and warm, almost like rose gold.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
1/5 Every month TV Magazine ran a contest, giving away toys provided by the companies. These were colorful fold-out spreads with an overwhelming number of robot toys. Interestingly, the images used were often prototypes. Nothing really worth translating, so just enjoy some pictures of robots.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
The Skyscraper robot from Big was a kitbash, which doesn’t appear to use a pre-existing skyscraper toy (the arch above the doorway is a peanut butter jar lid). The main robot components look like they come from one of the many, many Horikawa robot releases. Do you get it?
After this, he just fully pitched Beast Wars.Imaginext was shameless
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Part Two! Today we’re Repairing Radio Cassette Robo himself! As you already know, the cassette is the actual radio, while the robot is really just a speaker. Inside the tape compartment is a little 2.5 mm jack which plugs into the cassette when it’s inserted, so he WILL NOT hold cassette robots.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Believe it or not, this is a radio. Pretty cool, huh? Well, it WILL be a radio, once I solder that tiny black wire back onto the board. It's powered by an LR-44 battery, but you can get away with a 357/303 instead. Okay, soldering didn't go too bad. I didn't singe the antenna, so that’s good.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
It’s kind of bonkers how every re-release tries to fix Zarana’s face, huh? This impossible task has humbled multiple generations of sculptors.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
In “What if Things Were Different?”, TV Magazine explores a world where kaiju are able to stop fighting, and get along. They’d wear clothes, have jobs, start bands, and Ultraman and Windom would finally be free to express their love. It’s a sobering look at a life just outside our grasp.
It’s because he’s “King of the Monsters”I’m torn between the captions “We could have had it alllllllll!” or “This could be us, but you’re destroying Tokyo.”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
At a 2017 HasCon presentation, Hasbro revealed there was a point they were considering a G.I. Joe series of missile-launching armored horsies.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Calling it now: After credits scene for the new Masters of the Universe movie will be a badly beaten Skeletor begging someone offscreen for more power, to defeat He-Man. Then we get a quick reveal of the ghostly image of Hordak in another dimension, like the Thanos cameo at the end of Avengers.
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Reposted by Necronomitron
DM @grimdm.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
@necronomitron.bsky.social Suddenly this pre-Transformer got an update:
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
In 1983, TV Magazine attempted to answer the playground argument once and for all, with “Gamera vs Godzilla”! (a thinly disguised ad for a new Gamera model kit) After comparing their strengths, it concluded they were evenly matched. From an academic standpoint: that is absolute horseshit.
1. Their breath weapons are evenly matched. 2. Godzilla’s tail strike is more powerful.
3. Gamera can fly better.
Buy the new Popy Dai Kaiju of the Century Gamera model kit
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
There are times when the fourth wall of your hobby cracks a little, and you have to step back to admit, "From an objective point of view... this is pretty stupid." Today, that was after receiving a box stuffed with bricks of vintage TV Magazine and stacking them on a desk, like a manga drug lord.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
The “Microman Missing Link” go cart they just unveiled doesn’t LOOK very exciting, but the game changer will be if they kept the transformation. The Spy Magician vehicles all changed into role play spy gear. “Drag Tiger” (aside from being an amazing drag queen name) turned into a crossbow pistol.
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