Backflashing and Autobots...

It's 4 a.m in the morning...

I finished building another tank for a friend of mine and now my brain is kinda 'up'. Actually I wanted to post earlier but I got hooked up on something else...so when's a good time to blog?

4 a.m...yeah...

Well, it all started a few days ago...lately I've been having flashbacks of my childhood. It's like when I pass somewhere and it just triggers it. And I can actually feel the emotions at that moment...

You see...when I was in primary school I was a victim of bullying. Yes. I'm not ashamed to admit it. In the last two years of my life in primary school I was called names and pushed around by so called, leaner, faster and cooler kids.

Let's start from the beginning...you see, my education started abroad. So when I came back to Malaysia, I was in the mid of the year and enrolled in a normal school. The first day of school was quite horrible that I was culture shocked. And that my dear readers was how I became the fat kid of the class and later school.

I was always last in whatever sports involved running. I was chosen last when we had soccer matches, and sometimes I was only picked since they wanted to just kick the ball AT me...not TO me. It was tough. Due to my size, even some teachers thought I was dumb. I didn't excel at anything and later the kids found a nickname to call and tease me. I was the kid that just wanted to be with friends. To play around...talk and have fun.

I thought wrong.

In standard 5 and 6, I was tormented. Somehow those kids forgot my real name and kept on calling me by that ugly nickname. But me, wanting to be friends...I let them. It hurt my every being. And I got fatter and fatter. I remember my mum saying that I was becoming selfish when it came to food. She was right.

I was fat, ugly, selfish and stupid.

But you know who actually kept me from my path of self depreciation? From further falling into a place where I would never be able to crawl out?

Optimus Prime and his Autobots.

Yup...the fictional character from a cartoon series. And among a few more shows...and their toys. They were the ones that kept me from bad to worst. No matter how bad things were at school, I knew when I got home my 'real' friends would be waiting. My own world where the only limit is my imagination. As soon as I step foot into my room, it becomes another world. Where there are heroes...where good will always triumph. The bullied are safe from bullies.

Why didn't I tell my mum about what I was going through? I guess I wanted to fight my own battles. I didn't want to be the boy who cries 'mama' each time he faces a problem. My mum only knew many years later of my ordeal and she wondered why I never told her.

Later in highschool it was totally different for me. But that's another story...

What I'm trying to say is that toys helped me a lot when I was young. It not only gave me the power to imagine...to be creative...but it also helped me by being my friends when I felt that I had no one. They played out stories that made me laugh and cry. They took me on adventures and expeditions...Where I learned of true friendship and responsibility.

Toys weren't just plastic that I play with, it was a part of my life. A part of me growing up.

Yeah, maybe I was a victim of bullies in school...but if that didn't happen...

I would have never had Optimus Prime and the Autobots as my friends.

I became who I am today if not for the things that I had to go through.

And I am proud of who I am.

Till next posting!

Starcom: The U.S. Space Force

When Starcom: The U.S. Space Force (a cartoon series in the late 80's) aired on the shores of our local television station, I couldn't help but fall in love with it instantly. I became more than just a fan but I was obsessed with the show. I remember it so well among all the shows because it had everything that I was into. And you can't help but become a fan to the fictional characters that was portrayed so well by their voice actors. Every week the Starcom forces would try to outwit and battle the Shadow forces.

I followed the adventures of Dash, Slim and Crowbar (field commanders for the three Starcom factions, the Star Wings, Astro Marines and Starbase Command) every week! My eyes were glued to the tv and tried to take in as much of its story and action as possible. I even taped it on VHS and would watch it countless of times and missing an episode was not an option! Every episode was new and the space battles were some of the most memorable scenes I can remember.

During its run on our networks, the toys came in as well. Sadly during those time, my family wasn't really well off and getting my hands on one of it was...how shall we say, something I can only dream of. Saved as much money and I finally got to buy one figure, and I have it till today aside from its weapons, the figure still looks good.

Wanting the toys so bad, I opt for another way to get it. I built them. Yep. I actually made them from scratch. I borrowed my friend's Starwolf and Starmax Bomber for a day or so and got all the measurements. Using cardboards and what other materials I could find, I made it. I had so much fun building it and working out all the details to work just like the real toys, except that it wasn't waterproof...hahahahaha

The cool thing about the Starcom toys were the Magna-Lock and Power Deploy gimmicks. Which worked with each other to activate weapons and doors. It was fantastic and up till today I still think its awesome. I'm sure that there are those who are fans of the show and totally forgot about it, but all I can say is that I am one of it's fan and forever will be. By luck I managed to get two of the toys which were my favs, the Starwolf (a friend conned me of it) and a Starmax (traded with a neighbour) and after hari raya with some money I managed to get the M6-Railgunner. (If you're wondering what I'm talking about drop by http://www.starcomspaceforce.com which has the most extensive info of the series). As I was growing up, the toys disappeared...and left no trace whatsoever.

A few months ago I manage to get my grubby hands a few of the vehicles and figures. Thanks to a few friends who looked out for me I got hold of the toys that I only dreamed about when I was young. So now I'm on the task of refurbishing these toys and at the moment have finished two of it...

Here were the conditions they were in when I got them (here's two from my collections that is)...

The Starwolf...

The Starmax...

Bad isn't it? Yup..if the toy is more than 10 years and was made in white...this will actually happen...So what did I do? Refurbish them that is...hahahahaha...you see what I've done to them at my other blog:

RK Designs

So there you have it...sometimes, patience is a virtue. After my long wait, I am able to have some of the toys and episodes from one of my favourite shows...

Starcom: The U.S. Space Force

SCRAMBLE!!!!!!