Bludgeon effect
From Transformers Wiki
Pleased to present for your consideration a portrait of aTransformersfan:you.Age: youthful. Income: slim. Your tastes lean towards toy robots, animation for children, and comic books. It is the latter that captures you now. You find yourself charmed by one of itsdramatis personae:a modern reinvention and reinvigoration of a character given little to do in the past. Inspired, you feverishly search online auction houses and dealer halls, but you find that the toy that no-one batted an eyelid at during its original shelf life has now risen in demand–and price–beyond your wildest imagination.
You have just encountered theBludgeon effect.
Ahem.Put simply, we define the "Bludgeon effect" as being when the aftermarket prices of an inconsequential character's toy(s) skyrocket after said character gets an important, memorable, or sympathetic appearance in fiction. This differs from the usualtoy-shilling methodsin that, more often than not, thereisn'ta concurrently available toy... though sometimes, it can lead to new toy releases later down the road.
In some circles, this phenomenon used to be known as theFurman effect,dating from a time whenSimon Furman-penned fiction was the only game in town.
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The Bludgeon effected
The TransformersBludgeon and Thunderwing
The namesake for this phenomenon is the "Generation 1"PretenderBludgeon.Part of the1989"small Pretender" assortment, Bludgeon was comprised of an inner robot that transformed into a small tank and a Pretender shell styled after a skeletal samurai. On its own, this was no more remarkable than other toys in the same assortment, such as themonster walrus guyor theoctopus bell suit diver.As a result of appearing as a badass martial artist instories penned by Furman,however, he commands a handsome tuppence on the aftermarket.
The same is true of another toy from the same year:Thunderwing.Part of the newMega Pretenderassortment, Thunderwing had an oni-styled Pretender shell that itself could transform and combine with his inner robot to form a starship. Again, under Furman's pen, Thunderwing would appear in the comics as a ruthless Decepticon warrior with an obsession for theCreation Matrix,and his machinations would influence events in the comic right up until its end in 1991.
Now, despite being the ur-examples of the "Bludgeon effect", both Bludgeon and Thunderwing were available on shelves around the same time as they were appearing in fiction. The characters' reputation and their toys' value are intrinsically tied to the rise of the internet and online fandom. As awareness of their comic exploits spread online, demand for the singular toys of each character shot up on sites such as the fledglingeBay.The takeaway from this is that the "Bludgeon effect" is not necessarily caused bynewfiction, simply the newappreciationof fiction. (Though theydidalso appear in new fiction courtesy of Furman, with both seeing central roles in theStormbringerminiseries in 2006.)
The desire for Bludgeon and Thunderwing somewhat subsided when new toys were released that closely evoked (and dare we say improved upon) their original appearances. ABludgeon toywas released in theRevenge of the Fallentoylinein 2009, complete with skeletal face and samurai swords, and a faithful (if undersized) update ofThunderwingcame out in theGenerationstoylinein 2010. New toys ofvarious Bludgeonswould continue to surface over the years.
Beast WarsRazorbeast
Razorbeastwas aBasic Classtoy released in the first wave ofBeast Warsproduct in1996.A simple affair at US$5, Razorbeast transformed from a wild boar whose tusks gleam in the night into robot mode and back using aspring-loaded mechanism.Appearing in onlyone piece of contemporary fiction,Razorbeast was quickly overshadowed by wavemates that would appear prominently in theBeast Warscartoon,likeRattrapandTerrorsaur,leaving him desirable only to kids and completist collectors likeWill Smith.
In 2006, Razorbeast was chosen for the main character role in the comic miniseriesBeast Wars: The Gathering(and later its sequel,The Ascending). Once again, a comic by Furman caused this nobody of a character, who had received precisely one toy ten years prior, to become a fandom darling–though Furman admits that had he actuallyseenthe toy first, he might have picked someone else.
Despite this boost in profile, there has yet to be another toy of Razorbeast since the original. That said, the popularity ofThe GatheringandThe Ascendinghas dwindled as time has gone on.
The Transformers/Generation 2Ironfist
Ironfistwas an AutobotLightformerreleased only in Europe, first in theTransformerstoylinein1993and then inGeneration 2in1994.Turning into a Humvee with a massive,gimmick-loaded turret, Ironfist was innocuous among a particularly strong selection of toys.
In 2010,IDW PublishingreleasedLast Stand of the Wreckers,a comic series considered an oasis in a particularlydismantledanddecompresseddesert. The book's writing duo ofNick RocheandJames Robertsgrew up in the right time and place to (correctly) recognise the appeal of early 90s Euro-Transformers,and so many such characters appeared inLast Stand.In particular, Ironfist received an endearing, sympathetic, and tragic characterisation that quickly charmed fans. As you might guess from his inclusion on this page, suddenly his toy became a lot harder to come by.
Fun Publicationstook notice of this clamour and, in short order, released aTransformers Animatedversion ofIronfistatBotCon 2011and an"Aligned" continuity"Fisitron"via theirFigure Subscription Service.Hasbro also attempted to produce aCombiner Warstoy representing Ironfist on a more obtainable scale, but plans changed (seeIroncladfor more information).
