ESSAY: Toyhacks - A cause of One True Way-ism
Dave Van Domelen
an examination of One True Way-ism in toy fandom
copyright 2006 by Dave Van Domelen
===========================================================================
Okay, any fandom that's been around any significant amount of time is
going to generate splinter groups. These splinters will focus on a
particular aspect of the fandom as the One True Way, with all other aspects
being cheap crap knocked out to make a buck. Transformers G1 fans, Kung Fu
Grip GIJoe fans, Classic Trek fans, Han Shot First Star Wars fans, etc.
Having run into some particularly annoying One True Wayists recently,
I've come to the conclusion that a great many of them share a particular
origin, regardless of what fandom they're in. TOIHAAK Syndrome: The One I
Had As A Kid. For the rest of this essay, I will refer to these people as
Toyhacks.
The One True Way of a Toyhack is whatever aspect of the property they
were first exposed to as children. Childhood exposure is important here, for
reasons I'll go into in a moment...fans first exposed as adults or even teens
tend to be less likely to join a splinter group and less strident in their
One True Wayism.
Of course, everyone has a special place in their heart for their first
time. But most people are willing to accept the weaknesses of their first
love as well as the strengths, and may well favor later (or earlier) sublines
over the one they first knew. Nostalgia happens, but it doesn't rule
everyone's judgement.
A Toyhack, however, developed a particularly strong emotional attachment
to their TOIHAAK line. Not just nostalgia, but a firm conviction that their
favored aspect is the best there ever was, all other expressions of the line
are pale imitations. I suspect this is because children often have a hazier
line between reality and imagination, and have an easier time forming deep
emotional connections (or cathexes, to use jargon) with inanimate objects.
Teddy Bear really protects them from monsters, GIJoe really IS a *Real*
American Hero, and so forth. Older children and adults are less likely to
form this kind of connection.
Now, unless you're in serious need of psychiatric help, you stop
treating your toys as living things by the time you're an adult. Your
stuffed animals do not talk back to you (unless you've implanted voice
chips), and you do not respect their opinions. But even though you no longer
consciously think of them as people, those old emotional connections will
linger in some form.
A Toyhack's buried emotional connections are so strong that they
override other considerations. They're perfectly sane (usually) and may not
even consciously be aware of these cathexes, but the connection is the basis
of all of their opinions regarding the fandom. Their TOIHAAK is their One
True Way.
At best, a Toyhack will dismiss any evidence that some other element of
the fandom is superior to their focus (or even equal to it) and ignore the
flaws of their favorites. At worst, they'll come up with elaborate arguments
with no bearing on reality to help support their biases (see, for instance,
http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20060501.html for a guy who had Spawn toys as a
kid). Toyhacks also tend to exhibit a "you must be a moron" attitude when
talking to someone who likes any other aspect of the fandom, viewing any
evidence through the "it comes from an idiot" filter.
Now, of course, there's degrees of Toyhacking. For instance, many
Transformers G1 Toyhacks will accept Alternators as being worthy of their
attention, and all but the most inflexible G1 Toyhacks will accept the
Commemorative Series reissues. But what defines the Toyhack is that there IS
a line drawn soemwhere, and anyone who likes anything on the other side of
the line simply has no taste.
Similarly, it's common to have a rabid Toyhack in one fandom be fairly
relaxed in other fandoms, especially those they were exposed to later in
life. They may have favored splinters in those other fandoms, but be more
willing to rationally argue the merits and flaws of their favorites. For
instance, someone born in 1970 may have Kung Fu Grip GIJoes as a TOIHAAK and
be blindly partisan of them, hating 3.75" figures and Sigma 6, but only be a
partisan of Playstation as a platform without being rabid about it. Modern
platform wars simply didn't exist when they were young enough to form a deep
emotional connection to Princess Peach.
And, since it's likely to be one of the responses to this essay, I'll
lay out my own situation. When I was growing up, we were on the low end of
middle class, so I didn't get a lot of toys compared to my peers. And the
ones I did form emotional connections to fell into three groups: handmade
toys my mom made for me, toys or toy lines that no longer exist, and Hot
Wheels. Hot Wheels haven't really changed in thirty years, except to reduce
the metal content so that the price wouldn't have to change (seriously, I can
remember when I was 8 years old, saving my nickels and dimes so I could get
an 88 cent Hot Wheels car...they're usually 99 cents now when not on sale).
Transformers didn't come out until I was in high school, and I didn't
have any of the 70s GIJoes (did have 6 Million Dollar Man, though, that was
cool). My first time with most toy lines has been as a young adult or not so
young adult, and I don't really have any TOIHAAKs. I'm willing to accept
both greatness and abject suckitude from all eras of Transformers. :) But I
certainly know plenty of G1 Toyhacks who look down their noses at me for
daring to say a Cybertron toy is good....
Punch/Counterpunch
thought I'd give you some perspective from someone who has gone beyond
being a TOIHAAK.
Transformers first came out when I was 7 years old, and I fell in love
with them. Much like yourself, my family was on the poor side of middle
class, so I never had a lot of toys, but my brother and I did have a few
Transformers.
My brother and I played so much with them, we would literally have day
long battles. A few Autobots, Decepticons, self-created "legobots" and
"legocons" (to bolster our Transformer ranks), "little people" from the
1960s, and a He-Man or two would fight in epic battles, with heavy
losses, with a real sense of catharsis and drama on both sides.
We continued to play with our toys, occasionally getting a Transformer
or two every year, until we reached adolescence, ironically, around
1990, and quit playing with (and purchasing) Transformers. My brother
bought a single "Action Master" toy, because he wanted to have a
Wheeljack toy that he was never able to get in the 1980s, but that
pretty much ended it all. Toys, in general just didn't seem as much
fun, anymore. Late night homework, interest in social groups, and and
life in Junior High/Middle School had become the focus of my life.
My interests beyond school and social groups had changed. I began
looking to things of a more artistic and theatrical nature, and Disney
fit the bill. My brother, on the other hand continued his interest in
toys, purchasing most of the first line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Throughout High School, I stayed away from the toy aisles, even passing
up amazing deals on toys (I saw a genuine 5-Lion Voltron toy for $20 in
1993, now you can't get one for under $100).
After I got out of High School, Beast Wars made its debut. I took one
look at the toys, and said to myself, "I don't like those toys...those
just aren't real Transformers!" I even tried to watch the show at the
time, but found it too hard to follow, so I just gave up.
When Beast Machines came out, I took one look at the toys, and gave up
on Transformers, all the while thinking, "These aren't real
Transformers. I don't want none of that beast crap!"
After Beast Machines died down, I saw a few of the Machine Wars toys at
Target. I remember seeing Hoist, and thinking, "Wow, they finally turn
back into cars. Finally, none of that beast $#!^. This one is named
Hoist, and he's a tow truck...but that isn't Hoist. I'm not buying
it." At that point, I had become a full-blown TOIHAAK.
When the RiD line came about, I was hesitant to get my feet wet with any
of the figures, because they just *weren't* what I was expecting. There
was no way I was going to accept Optimus Prime as a fire truck. I mean,
I just couldn't, having the "real" 1984 Optimus Prime in storage at my
Mom's house! I took one look at a lot of the newer RiD-formers, and
although I liked their vehicle modes, their robot modes were fugly, and
too action-figureish, not really robotic.
Then...Armada hit the airwaves and the stores, about the same time as
the G1 Reissues. I began picking up the G1 Reissues, as they were my
chance, once again to have those Transformers I wanted as a child, but
were unable to obtain.
I began watching Armada, and thinking at the time that the cartoon
wasn't bad (at the time, I believed it was the best Transformers series
that I had seen in years). I bought my first Armada toy, Hot Shot, and
fell in love with the line. I was willing to accept Optimus Prime in
his new form, as he was once again a red truck with a trailer that
transforms into a base. Heck, I was even able to accept Megatron as a
tank, because he had a huge cannon on the right side of his body.
Finally, Armada was a toy line that was being done right.
With the acceptance of Armada, I began to accept other lines. I began
watching Energon, and buying the toys. I have the entire series of
Cybertron (and am planning to burn it to DVD, soon), along with a host
of amazing toys from that line, as well. I have even picked up some RiD
toys that I found amazing in design. I eventually bought the entire
Beast Wars series on DVD, and began intensely watching it, until I
viewed the entire series. Now, thanks to the 10th anniversary reissue
of the Beast Wars toys, along with E-Bay, I have a few Beast Wars toys,
as well.
The genuine cure for my TOIHAAK Syndrome was to find something I felt
was being "done right", but it took initiative. Granted, G1 will always
hold a special place in my heart, but a lot of the newer toys have been
nothing short of amazing! Most of those with TOIHAAK syndrome do not
have any more interest in the toys, and are not willing to accept
change. They reject new versions of the toys, and new stories involving
the mythos altogether. They hold onto the past, having no interest in
the future, and it definitely works for them. Will they ever be
interested in continuing stories of those toys they had when they were
kids? Probabaly not.
-Punch/Counterpunch
gem...@tpg.com.au
still have a soft spot for it. While I'll readily admit that the current
toys are a hell of a lot better in articulation, durability and often just
general coolness than most of the G1 line, it's the G1 characters I
remember the names of. I've got old G1 toys that have been sitting in the
cupboard for years, and for each one I could tell you its name, a little
about the character, and exactly what accessories it originally came with.
I've had more recent toys sitting on prominent display (and prone to being
fiddled with) for a year, and I still find myself struggling to recall
some of their names, or whether they have accessories at all. I can never
remember Blackout's name, for example.
I'll admit I never bought any of the BW toys, but only because I
considered most of the designs too simplistic and have never gotten around
to tracking down the few I liked.
If the BW reissues continue into the Transmetals, I'll get some this time
around.
I bought a bunch of RiD stuff, although not as much as I would have liked,
and I still want to see BM reissued so I can grab some. Alternators were
mostly great, and I'm loving the look of the upcoming Classics.
Ironically, I'm not that interested in the G1 reissues. The characters
give me warm fuzzies, sure, but the toys just don't measure up any more.
Not for the price they're asking.
-SteveD
maxmike!!
"Dave Van Domelen" <dva...@haven.eyrie.org> wrote in message
news:e5596t$q1p$1...@haven.eyrie.org...
>
> Having run into some particularly annoying One True Wayists recently,
> I've come to the conclusion that a great many of them share a particular
> origin, regardless of what fandom they're in. TOIHAAK Syndrome: The One I
> Had As A Kid. For the rest of this essay, I will refer to these people as
> Toyhacks.
The problem with all this is that toy companies must think of their products
as PROPERTIES, not individual toys. Otherwise, they are caught in the middle
as the original children grow up and abandon those toys (we, in fact, are
probably the first generation with enough disposable income and the societal
leeway to actually collect toys through adulthood). So each generation gets
it's re-imagining of the toy. There are kids out there whose only exposure
to TFs is Beast Wars--to them, Optimus Prime IS Munky, NOT Truk. Where it
all falls apart is when the reimagining is not done with the care and
attention to detail that the previous rev was (I mean, I love RiD myself,
but it's easy to see it's no Beast Wars or even G1), or where the
reimagining violates the basic core of the property (Spiderman as villain,
Optimus as a jet). For example, Punch/Counterpunch is probably able to
accept Megatron as a tank simply because the main aspect of Megs is that
he's a BIG FREAKIN CANNON ROBOT and a tank fits that definition. Megs as a
jet? Naaawww. Optimus as munky? Ain't happening, dude.
So the keys to overcoming TOIHAAK Syndrome are:
1) Always define, respect and maintain the basic elements that made the
property what it is.
2) Always spend the time to make the property with care and attention to
detail. Don't try to do it on the cheap or slapdash.
3) Remember that each generation will have it's iconic versions of the
property, but as long as you keep the basic elements of (1) intact, there
should be enough common ground to bridge those generations.
my 2cents
mm
Ground Zero
> long battles. A few Autobots, Decepticons, self-created "legobots" and
> "legocons" (to bolster our Transformer ranks), "little people" from the
> 1960s, and a He-Man or two would fight in epic battles, with heavy
> losses, with a real sense of catharsis and drama on both sides.
A quick apology for sidetracking a bit -- but it's nice to see I wasn't the
only one who used Legos to make figures they'd never otherwise afford.
:p
... although mine usually ended up as Robotech characters ;-)
-GZ
Kil - Michael McCarthy
news:1148670...@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
>. There are kids out there whose only exposure to TFs is Beast Wars--to
>them, Optimus Prime IS Munky, NOT Truk.
Anyone whose only exposure to TFs is Beast Wars who thinks of Optimus PRIME
as a monkey must not having been paying much attention.
-Kil
-----
Michael "Kil" McCarthy
http://kil-michaelmcc.livejournal.com
http://hometown.aol.com/michaelmcc79
Chad Rushing
>
> A quick apology for sidetracking a bit -- but it's nice to see I wasn't the
> only one who used Legos to make figures they'd never otherwise afford.
I actually built a "transforming" Optimus Prime out of LEGOs when I was
kid as I didn't have the real toy. IMO, it actually looked better than
most of the BTR we got a few years ago.
- Chad
G.B. Blackrock
maxmike!! wrote:
> (we, in fact, are
> probably the first generation with enough disposable income and the societal
> leeway to actually collect toys through adulthood).
Actually, I've been under the impression that we were the first
generation not to be as economically well off as our parents were.....
Must not be uniform either way....
G.B. Blackrock
maxmike!!
"Kil - Michael McCarthy" <michae...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:-4qdnZ8eItk94erZ...@comcast.com...
> "maxmike!!" <nos...@falsorian.com> wrote in message
> news:1148670...@sp6iad.superfeed.net...
>>. There are kids out there whose only exposure to TFs is Beast Wars--to
>>them, Optimus Prime IS Munky, NOT Truk.
>
> Anyone whose only exposure to TFs is Beast Wars who thinks of Optimus
> PRIME as a monkey must not having been paying much attention.
>
They don't NEED to pay that much attention. YOU may, because it's your
hobby. But to most people, it's a TV show. Most kids of my son's generation
(smack in the middle of BW) couldn't tell the difference between Prime,
Primal or Primadonna if you paid them. But since they (or rather, their
parents) bought the toys, they have just as much vote as you do.
mm
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maxmike!!
"G.B. Blackrock" <nicodem...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1148685552.7...@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
No, it's the COMBINATION of income and leeway. Let me put it this way--your
Dad may have had more money than you, but do you really think your Mom would
have let him drop $100+ on Masterpiece Prime? On the other side, your wife
may be a lot more forgiving to you because grown men buying toys is more
acceptable now.
spyde...@gmail.com
yesterday!! the new toyline!!!
http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/default.cfm?page=news&newsid=70BEDAAE-D56F-E112-412B14A6033C14A1
Grebo
That was a really good essay, man. You know, you're just about the only
fanfic writer I read (those Intermezzos are good stuff) and lookit
that, you're a fine essay-writer as well.
I dig the term "Toyhack" -- it's entering my lexicon right next to
"toyetic," from good ol' Freakazoid.
I appreciate your perspective, since I pretty much share it.
(My Life's Story Mode ON)
I was 14 was Transformers came out, and I HATED it then -- because I
was into "real" anime, like Macross and Gundam. I was aware of the TFs
Japanese origins and how the American product was such a scramble of
previously-existing stories/properties. That's what made me hate it.
Remember, this was back in the same days as when Battletech used mecha
art from Macross and Dougram; when Revell's Robotech model kit line
used kit molds from same; when Marvel's Godzilla and Shogun Warriors
had almost nothing in common with their original concepts; etc etc etc.
Cool Japanese properties were being chopped up, scrambled, and served
like omlettes in the USA at that time. It drove me nuts! Transformers
being part of that situation back then, I despised it. Buuuuut, many
years later, I happened to catch "The Agenda" and I was intrigued. I
bought Transmetal Megatron and that was a GREAT toy. I watched all of
Beast Wars, bought all the BW toys, and my habit expanded from there.
Now I can appreciate G1 just fine... although I do think it's a little
goofy.
(My Life's Story Mode OFF)
And dude -- there are plenty of good Cybertron toys. Hell, I'd take
Cybertron Starscream over G1 Starscream any day of the week! Yeah, I
like the character of G1 screamy, but I never thought he was a good
toy.
Grebo
Phillip Thorne
> The March of the Toyhacks
> an examination of One True Way-ism in toy fandom
> copyright 2006 by Dave Van Domelen
>===========================================================================
All your points are legit, Dave, but I don't think the term "toyhack"
quite hits the mark. When I see that combination of words, the first
things I think are: "hack toy designer," as in hack writer; and
"hacked toy," as in fan modification. If you're going to coin a
pronounceable acronym, it needs to be unconfusable with terms already
in common use.
Also, the term describes a phenomenon, but sounds like it should
describe the people who *exhibit* that phenomenon.
* The One I Had As A Kid --> TOIHAAK --> toyhack
Alternates:
* The one I saw as a kid is best --> TOISAAKIB, TOISKIB --> toyskib
* My first love is best --> MFLIB --> mifflib
* Only what I met first is worthy --> OWIMFIW --> owiemeefew
* Worthiest is a kid's first love --> WIAKFL --> wiakiffle
* Kids fall hard, obsessions last --> KFHOL --> kifhol
Okay, I admit I'm striking out on pronounceability here.
/- Phillip Thorne ----------- The Non-Sequitur Express --------------------\
| org underbase ta thorne www.underbase.org It's the boundary |
| net comcast ta pethorne site, newsletter, blog conditions that |
\------------------------------------------------------- get you ----------/
Chad Rushing
>
> All your points are legit, Dave, but I don't think the term "toyhack"
> quite hits the mark. When I see that combination of words, the first
> things I think are: "hack toy designer," as in hack writer; and
> "hacked toy," as in fan modification. If you're going to coin a
> pronounceable acronym, it needs to be unconfusable with terms already
> in common use.
>
> Also, the term describes a phenomenon, but sounds like it should
> describe the people who *exhibit* that phenomenon.
>
> * The One I Had As A Kid --> TOIHAAK --> toyhack
Maybe if it was spelled "toyhaak" or "toyhak" (dropping the article "a"
from the acronym) instead, then the "hack" part of it wouldn't be
misleading since that term already has a definition associated with it.
It could still be pronounced the same as "toyhack" in conversation
though.
- Chad
Punch/Counterpunch
says...
>
> "G.B. Blackrock" <nicodem...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1148685552.7...@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > maxmike!! wrote:
> >> (we, in fact, are
> >> probably the first generation with enough disposable income and the
> >> societal
> >> leeway to actually collect toys through adulthood).
> >
> > Actually, I've been under the impression that we were the first
> > generation not to be as economically well off as our parents were.....
> >
> >
> > Must not be uniform either way....
>
> No, it's the COMBINATION of income and leeway. Let me put it this way--your
> Dad may have had more money than you, but do you really think your Mom would
> have let him drop $100+ on Masterpiece Prime? On the other side, your wife
> may be a lot more forgiving to you because grown men buying toys is more
> acceptable now.
> mm
For the last few decades in Japan, it has been acceptable for grown men
and women to buy (and play with) toys well into adulthood, so it is
encouraging that it is finally catching on in the US. Even so, my wife
gives me the "evil eye" every time I buy a Transformer.
-Punch/Counterpunch
Punch/Counterpunch
ggrond...@BLOCKhotmail.com says...
Of the main line characters, I ended up making Sunstreaker, Skywarp, and
Starscream out of Legos (they actually looked somewhat like the real
toys, although I never took pictures.) We also made up new characters
out of Legos; blimps, jets, and generic cars that turned into robots.
Each of our Lego Transformers transformed BTR style; we had to take them
apart and put them back together to get them into robot mode.
I believe we even tried to make the Stunticons and Aerialbots out of
Legos. They worked as individual robots/vehicles, but they never stayed
in their combined modes very well.
Now that I look back, playing with Lego Transformers that we made
ourselves was a lot of fun. I mean, the Lego Transformers were able to
take A LOT more damage than our real ones!
-Punch/Counterpunch
Chad Rushing
> Even so, my wife gives me the "evil eye" every time I buy a Transformer.
Ah, yes, I've gotten that "evil eye" from girlfriends, too. "So,
you've got money to buy toys, but you're too broke to take me out to a
fancy restaurant, eh???" Being an ardent collector is so much easier
when you're a bachelor.
- Chad
Beauty Personified
Chad Rushing wrote:
>
> Being an ardent collector is so much easier when you're a bachelor.
Being a bachelor is so much easier when you're an ardent collector.
:-)
Anyhoo...
Christopher "Beautiful" Carlson
Canada's #1 Nashville Predators Fan
"You can never have too many pucks."
http://beautypersoni.livejournal.com/
G.B. Blackrock
Chad Rushing wrote:
> Being an ardent collector is so much easier
> when you're a bachelor.
>
> - Chad
I'll second that. It's not so much that my wife gives me the "evil
eye" (she's actually okay with my TF hobby), but more that I simply
have different financial priorities now.
G.B. Blackrock
Chad Rushing
>
> Being a bachelor is so much easier when you're an ardent collector.
>
> :-)
I know that you swapping my statement around was meant to be
tongue-in-cheek, but there's some truth to that.
The more ardent a collector one becomes, the less time and money they
have for other activities such as socializing. The less socializing in
which one engages, the less likely they are going to meet people to
date (even if the person in question is an amiable and/or attractive
individual). And, no dating generally means bachelorhood.
Everything in life is a tradeoff. In this case, there is a tradeoff
between posessions and social experiences. Sure, there is a happy
medium somewhere, but the adjective "ardent" before "collector"
generally tips the scales.
- Chad