[JTF] Pepsi Convoy Bio

[Doug Dlin]

A while back, Hirofumi Ichikawa was asked to do some minimal write-up
for the Pepsi Convoy toy that recently came out, with Fumihiko-san
helping as usual with historical material. He asked me to provide some
English snippets for the packaging (only some of which made it intact,
I've found) and, just in case, a translation of the bio and historical
material for the toy. (So yes, Sipher, once again, you can blame
Ichikawa-san for inciting you to buy a reissue by making it a new
character. :-) )

Since this variant was not an e-Hobby exclusive, it was handled by a
different person than his usual contact, so things developed differently
than usual and even without his knowledge (e.g., the translation of the
toy description posted on e-Hobby's site).

So, for all of you dying to know the full story (that's...two of you, I
think), here it is:

----------------------------------------

[Card Info] (Code number is temporary)

CP-01 AUTOBOT Pepsi Convoy
Function...Campaign Commander
Transformation...Pepsi Tanker Truck
Abilities...Splits into two powerful machines.
Pepsi Prime is a warrior equipped with fierce strength and a soda gun.
The Bottle Station is a mobile headquarters that carries large cola
bottles and related goods.
Profile...In the hands of the Autobot forces, the "living metal"
developed by NASA that once created the mysterious hero Pepsiman has now
been given the form of their legendary commander. He loves freedom,
peace, and the refreshing sensation of Pepsi, and considers it his
mission to cure people's thirst.
Weapon(s)...CO2 Soda Gun

STR......10
INT......10
SPD......8
END......10
RNK......9
CRG......10
FRP......3
SKL......10
TOT......70

(NB: The "living metal" material is taken from Pepsiman's official
background info. However, the phrase "that once created the mysterious
hero Pepsiman" ended up being omitted in the final version.)
---------
Pepsi Prime is...
Pepsi Prime is a hero born of a collaboration between Transformers and
Pepsi. This is the second time this has happened in the history of the
toys. The first time was in America in 1985*, when it debuted as a
domestic promo campaign item. The product had a Pepsi logo label sheet
attached to a regular version of the packaging, and you completed it by
pasting the two optional stickers onto the sides of the trailer.
(Besides the version pictured, there is also a "Canada version" of the
larger sticker.) '80s America saw an unprecedented TF boom. There were
even TV commercials depicting vending machines for Pepsi and its rival
companies transforming into robots and squaring off. The demand for
Optimus Primes is said to have made them scarce at the time, so this
campaign was probably very well received among children.

*This date is from Hasbro's product history list. However, according to
an entry at http://www.usasoda.com/Pepsi1980.htm, there's record of a
Pepsi can variant from 1986 that mentions "Win an Optimus Prime
Transformer," so the campaign seems to have gone on at least some time
into that year.

----------------------------------------

Whew...I could use a drink after all that.

Doug Dlin
apcog at hotmail.com

[Derik 'Inessi' Smith]

Doug wrote:

>So, for all of you dying to know the full story
>(that's...two of you, I think)

Three! I actually almost asked if you knew anything on the Laserwave
thread!
...or did you already count me?

So Pepsi Convoy is NOT Pepsiman, but more of his... sibling.
Was not Pepsiman created by the accidnetal infusion of Pepsi into the
living metal? If NASA was just starting with the pure metal again-
whyw as this PEPSI Convoy? Perhaps, seeing how well it worked out last
time, NASA replicated the accident.

http://www.shortpacked.com/comics/20050803five.gif

I interpet the new character art to mean that this toy represents a
character model distinct fromt hat of Optimus Prime. (i.e. despite
having idental toys, if the characters stood side by side, they would
look different, even discounting the polors.)

...the ad page with him is freaking me out now. Does Pepsico (who owns
Pizza Hut, of course) combat the evil of Destron Pizza?

-Derik

[gem...@tpg.com.au]

On 3 Jan 2006 23:59:01 -0800, "Derik 'Inessi' Smith" <ReGen...@aol.com>
wrote:

>http://www.shortpacked.com/comics/20050803five.gif

Now what would Johnny 5 transform into? He feels kinda Beast Machiney to
me. Probably a microtank originally, given the shoulder laser.

-SteveD

[Shin Hibiki]

"Derik 'Inessi' Smith" <ReGen...@aol.com> wrote:

>...the ad page with him is freaking me out now. Does Pepsico (who owns
>Pizza Hut, of course) combat the evil of Destron Pizza?

Actually, Pepsi hasn't owned Pizza Hut for quite a while now.
YUM! Brands (formerly Tricon Global Restaurants) initially consisted
of Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell, and now includes A&W and Long John
Silver's as well. (Can't help it--I'm a stock analyst.)

- Shin Hibiki

[Derik 'Inessi' Smith]

Shin Hibiki wrote:

>>...the ad page with him is freaking me out now. Does Pepsico (who owns
>>Pizza Hut, of course) combat the evil of Destron Pizza?
>
>Actually, Pepsi hasn't owned Pizza Hut for quite a while now.

Huh. Then perhaps Destron Piza represents a fictionalized evil parent
company?
Did the Destrons buy out Cave Pizza?

-Derik

[Thunder 06]

Derik 'Inessi' Smith wrote:

> Huh. Then perhaps Destron Piza represents a fictionalized evil parent
> company?
> Did the Destrons buy out Cave Pizza?

Yes, but it was lost in a hostile take-over by Coke... :)

t.k.

[Aphel Aura]

...and that entity was eventually destroyed by Unilever Unicron.

-AA. Now when is Viagra Prime coming out?

[Thunder 06]

Aphel Aura wrote:

> -AA. Now when is Viagra Prime coming out?

I can see it already... "Viagra Prime. He's hard. Are you?" :)

t.k.

[M Sipher]

Doug Dlin wrote:

> (So yes, Sipher, once again, you can blame
> Ichikawa-san for inciting you to buy a reissue by making it a new
> character. :-) )

Done and done. Fucker.

M "Now I Gotta Buy A Pepsiman Toy... and PLay The Theme Music
Incessantly" Sipher

[Doug Dlin]

On Jan. 8, 2006, M Sipher wrote:

> Doug Dlin wrote:
>
>> (So yes, Sipher, once again, you can blame Ichikawa-san for inciting
>> you to buy a reissue by making it a new character. :-) )
>
> Done and done. Fucker.

Love you, too.

> M "Now I Gotta Buy A Pepsiman Toy... and PLay The Theme Music
> Incessantly" Sipher

Don't forget that can-opening "psshh" at the start.

[lionpri...@gmail.com]

Hello Doug, Awesome English translation you did on Pepsi Convoy.

I was wondering If you have all this written up in Japanese because i've been trying my very hardest to translate it and write up for a scrapbook that I'm doing.

Aaron

[Zobovor]

On Monday, October 3, 2016 at 5:35:30 PM UTC-6, lionpri...@gmail.com wrote:

> I was wondering If you have all this written up in Japanese because i've been
> trying my very hardest to translate it and write up for a scrapbook that I'm
> doing.

Doug Dlin hasn't posted to the newsgroup in quite some time. (Which is a shame, since he was easily the most level-headed and patient fellow here.) The last e-mail address I had for him was apcog at hotmail dot com, but I don't know if that's current.


Zob (remembers when Doug weighed in on arguments about Alternators Skids, if that gives you any idea of how long it's been)