Dave's Transformers Artifact Rant

     Optimus Prime Head Knocker
     Megatron Head Knocker

     Head Knockers are basically Bobbleheads, but made without licensing the
Bobbleheads trademark.  They're made by NECA, and sold through comics shops
and specialty stores like Spencer's Gifts.

CAPSULES

     Optimus Prime: Decent G1 sculpt, neck's a bit too long and the paint job
has a few problems.  An amusing bit of decor/kitsch.  Recommended at comic
shop prices of $10.99.  Not sure it's worth the $14.99 Spencer's wants.
     Megatron: The face sculpt doesn't quite work for me, but the paint job
is better.  Same recommendation.


RANTS

     Packaging: Each of these statues is packaged in a box 9" (23cm) tall,
4.5" (11cm) wide and 4.5" deep, with a plastic window taking up most of the
front and a little of the sides.  The early G1 logo and grid background are
used, along with that style of name label.  Interestingly, the word "Brand"
is inserted just below the logo in tiny letters.  The Head Knockers logo
clashes pretty badly, and proclaims "Handpainted" (which is pretty obvious on
the statues, unfortunately).  Megatron's box is purple, Prime's is red.  Each
has pictures of the figure on the sides and back, but no mention of the other
statue in the set.  Inside, a pair of plastic trays snap together to hold the
figure more or less secure (my Megatron came with a broken-off arm), and a
simple white cardstock backdrop completes the package.  The boxes are not
taped closed, and the figures are not twist-tied to the trays.

     Figures, Common Aspects: Each figure is made of some sort of plastic
ceramic.  It feels like ceramic, but it's light and superglue works well on
it.  It also has a tongue-feel of plastic (temperature test), but a tap-sound
of ceramic.  The figures are not poseable, and come on 2.75" (7cm) diameter,
half inch (1.3cm) thick circular bases molded to look like rubble of
buildings.  They use the animation cel color schemes, so Prime has white
upper legs instead of gray or blue.  The paint applications look a little
rushed in places...I could certainly do better, but not at speed.  The
faction symbols were clearly not hand-painted, however, using a process akin
to (or the same as) the one used to apply faction symbols to the Spychangers.

     Optimus Prime: From the bottom of his feet to the top of his antennae,
he's 7.5" (18cm) tall.  3" (8cm) of that is head.  The head is mounted a
little high on the spring, leading to more of a lolling than a bobbling
motion at first.  He's posed standing straight with his rifle raised in his
right hand and his left arm lowered but bent, fist clenched.  My copy has a
bit of mold flash on the tip of the right shoulder smokestack, which stabs me
when I try to pick the statue up.  He's looking a bit to his right, although
I'm not sure if that's intentional or just sloppy assembly.

     Megatron: Slightly shorter than Prime, mainly due to Prime's taller
helmet (they see eye to eye), Megatron measures only 6.5" (16cm) from the
bottoms of his feet to the top of his bucket head.  His head's center of
gravity is lower, both because of its shape and because it lacks all the
crest and stuff of Prime's.  This results in a more satisfactory bobble that
doesn't make Megatron look like he's been kicked in the head once too often.
He stands straight, arms at his side and unbent, hands clenched in fists.
The right hand is thumb-forward, with the back of the hand towards the cannon
barrel on that arm.  The left hand is thumb-in, with the back of the hand
towards the front.  Megatron's expression seems to be an attempt at shouting
angrily, but it looks more like he's looking on in horror as some Sensitive
New Age Decepticon cuddles with his mate (or maybe just expressing horror
that he's been made into a bobblehead?).  Unlike Prime's somewhat featureless
back, his has all the correct molding and details, including stubby
gunbarrel.  The Decepticon symbol on his chest is a bit too low-contrast, and
looks more like a blur if you don't get right up on it.  As mentioned above,
the right arm of mine broke off in the package, but superglue seems to have
done the trick.

     Overall: Well, they're certainly novelties.  Not safe with a kid in the
house, though, since they seem shatterable.  Pretty well done for what they
are, though, and it's nice to see the brand extend into weird stuff.

     Dave Van Domelen, keeping his on display at the office...but not where
they might get knocked over.