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Necronomitron

@necronomitron.bsky.social
240 followers 39 following 554 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 · 4h
Wang also made the Batsuit for Batman Returns, and he sculpted the model kit for that, too. He called Warner Bros and asked for high quality reference photos. They refused. “We can’t distribute photos of the top secret new Batsuit”. “They didn’t care it’s a licensed product, and I made the suit!”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 5h
When Max Factory wanted to make a model kit of the Guyver suit Wang had created, he said “Okay. I’ll sculpt it.”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 6h
So Mark Hamill explained in an interview why he did Guyver. He used to do a thing called “script roulette”, he’d flip to a random page, and see if he liked the scene. He opened it and saw “Max turns into a giant cockroach!” He laughed out loud and thought “okay, this would be fun”
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 8h
And as you probably already know, Machine Saurer got repurposed into Machine Dragon, the Waruder villain created for the Diaclone Dinobots
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14h
If it helps
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16h
These guys are great. Optimus graphically murdered them in the Brizzi Diaclone comics, and the head from this kit is what Takara designers used when they made the first Diaclone Powered Convoy prototype.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16h
@ayukato.bsky.social もしあなたがまだ疑問に思っているなら、シールドDプライムの特許には3人の人物が「創作者」として記載されています。 高谷さんの名前は見当たらない。
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16h
Motoki Takaya, who has designed almost 100% of modern Diaclone, was also in charge of Beast Saga. The original Laser Beast design sketches were his first project at Takara.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18h
Being set decades after the vintage series, the modern Diaclone line avoids slavish reproductions, opting to emulate the design language, instead. They didn’t use the exact same mech for 40 years, but the new one looks like it was made by the same people. Here’s Sky Carrier, compared to Sky Base.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
His vintage Japanese tech spec lists his alt mode as “mutant”. The original concept art makes it clear, he’s not supposed to represent anything “real”, he’s just a monster.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Polaroids of handmade prototypes for 3 of the 4 Mysterians mini cars were in the Takara concept binder shown in “The Toys that Made Us”. Whatever line they were originally intended for, it is Takara who made them.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Additionally, Knickerbocker contacted Marvel for story and media, to make Mysterians. From Jim Shooter's blog, it sounds almost identical to what would become Transformers. Does that mean Machine Robo would essentially have all the comic and animation material later made for Transformers?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If the deal went through, and Knickerbocker was still sold to Hasbro, the rights to Machine Robo would go with them. If that were the case, Hasbro wouldn't have gone to Takara for Diaclone and Micro Change. Then there would be no GoBots, and Transformers may have used Machine Robo toys instead.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
It makes you wonder how things might have been different, with this one change. If the deal went through and Knickerbocker wasn't sold, there would be no GoBots as we know it, and Hasbro would not have received the cash they needed. Would Hasbro still have been able to make Transformers?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Knickerbocker then tried to make their own smaller "Mysterians" line (largely copying Bandai's Gold Lightan toys), when Warner sold them to Hasbro for 37% - 40% of their common stock. Hasbro also received a cash infusion from Warner, which greatly helped them at the time.
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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 · 19/09/2026
Bust a capsized?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Shockwave’s handle is a little too wide without help
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I hardly know her
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Hm?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I’d imagine even several people who own one don’t realize it, if they didn’t grow up with it. The neck can get very stiff, and without pictures showing it can do that, you wouldn’t try to work the joint and loosen it.
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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 · 17/09/2026
Yes, Japan was introduced to bread by the Portuguese, so they adopted their word for it.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Changing one word to another, just because it’s not what the machine expected to see, isn’t just inaccurate, it’s unethical Please keep in mind, when using machine translation and presenting it to others: you cannot trust the accuracy Sometimes it’s even wrong on purpose
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I always assumed the problem would be Google Translate giving the answer “bread” or maybe “panda” Horrifyingly, it turns out it lies and changes the answer to “bamboo” instead The word for bamboo is “Take”. It’s not even close Enter just the punchline, and then it’ll give the correct answer
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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
これほど大量の粘土を単独で用いて、腕を広げたポーズを作り出すことは事実上不可能です。このことから、既存の頑丈な骨組みの上に粘土が盛り付けられたと考えられますが、その骨組みとして最も単純かつ有力な候補はジャンボマシンダーです。あなたはどう思われますか?
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
ゴーグルと頭頂部(中央の隆起の間)は表面がざらついていますが、頭部のそれ以外の部分は非常に滑らかです。これは、滑らかな部分が元々の状態で、ざらついた部分は後から粘土が付け加えられた箇所であることを示唆しているのでしょうか?
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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
The face looks like it was taken from the Kronoform version, but something has definitely changed in the mold, that’s a lot of depth added to the torso. I’m not even sure some of those would fit in the vehicles.
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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
Finally an end to miscellaneous vintage Takara SF Land (and one Beetras) advertisements, 5/5
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Way too many miscellaneous vintage Takara SF Land advertisements, 4/5
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Overwhelming number of miscellaneous vintage Takara SF Land advertisements, 3/5
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Deluge of miscellaneous vintage Takara SF Land advertisements, 2/5
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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
If I’m wrong, and it turns out I invented this feature, then I’m a genius and you’re welcome.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Full disclosure, the Diaclone instructions don’t tell you to do this. But it’s hard to see it as a coincidence. The pieces fit perfectly, the weird long gun makes more sense by going through to become a lever, and I can’t think why else you’d want to hook the red peg on the other side of the gun.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Without being able to secure the red peg between the clamps on hips to hold it in place, it’s also hard to make the gun rotate.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
…attach the Beam Cannon as a turret, in robot mode. On Ironhide, the post has too much room to move around, and won’t allow the figure to fully transform.
If this isn’t intentional, and I invented it, then I’m a genius and you’re welcome.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Some minor changes, the Transformers version made the hole under the windshield much larger, and the red peg was no longer able to fit on both sides of the Beam cannon. These might not seem like a big deal, but it makes it harder to…
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
The cockpit for the Diaclone pilot was already a tight squeeze, but when Hasbro shortened the area where the chair was, a Dia-Naut could no longer sit all the way down. This change carried through not just Ironhide and Ratchet, but also the 2007 eHobby Encore “Ironhide Protect Black”.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
More mecha than robot, Onebox includes the Machine Base, a small playset that Transformers fans call “the sled”. Btw, the red peg can be stored in the back, and the instructions have gun on the bottom. Unfortunately, the Transformers gun will scrape on the ground.
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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 · 09/08/2026
That was Ono specifically holding out. He still liked adding them if possible, like seats in the Train Robo despite the scale. Starting with the Construction Robo, the new directive was pilots were no longer the focus, it would be robots and gimmicks. Jizai Gattai planned to eliminate them entirely.
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Necronomitron @necronomitron.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Diaclone’s designers were trying to move away from pilots by the end. It made engineering harder since vehicle had to be a specific size, and they had to keep room for the cockpit. A lot of times there wasn’t even a place for the pilot in robot mode. Takara loved the idea of making the robots alive
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