Headmaster Don tells the story of his decade-long campaign for an Arcee toy, the reason behind his nickname. He asked Hasbro for Headmaster Arcee at nearly every BotCon until Generations Arcee finally arrived almost 30 years after the 1986 movie. John DeLuna gets Don’s take on Animated Arcee, Generations and Legends Arcee, and a possible Masterpiece Headmaster. Don also names his favorite toy and looks back at how BotCon has changed.
Why Arcee Mattered
Don says Arcee stood out in the 1986 movie as a strong, competent female character, not a damsel in distress. Yet she never got a toy while the rest of the movie cast did. With Headmasters, she became part of continuity, so movie and Headmaster collections were both incomplete without her. He never accepted the idea that boys will not buy female characters.
Asking at Every BotCon
Don asked Hasbro for Headmaster Arcee at every BotCon he attended for nearly a decade. He missed only 1997, while unemployed. He eventually stopped asking because people were tired of it. Around the Reveal the Shield era he asked one last time. A Hasbro rep told him to wait a year and he would be amazed, and a year and a half and he would be stunned.
Animated, Generations and Legends Arcee
Don still calls Animated Arcee a great toy in both modes, peekaboo head aside. When Generations Arcee was first shown, Don assumed it would be canceled. He would not believe it until he had one in hand. He likes it but prefers Takara’s Legends version for its more movie-accurate vehicle mode. He notes nothing in the engineering needed years of waiting. Don understands she could not be a Headmaster at Deluxe size.
A Masterpiece Headmaster Arcee?
Don hopes for a Masterpiece Arcee with a Headmaster head and Daniel as a driver, plus an alternate seamless head. He argues the Headmaster gimmick would give her the accessory value that Masterpiece Grimlock got from his extras.
Favorite Toy and Character
Don’s favorite toy is Car Robots Super Fire Convoy, and he praises the whole Robots in Disguise 2001 line, especially JRX. John picks Fire Convoy too and calls Scourge the other likely favorite. Don’s favorite character is Arcee, whom he sees as a good role model for both boys and girls.
How BotCon Has Changed
Don learned of the first BotCon in 1994 after writing to Lee’s Action Figure News and Toy Review about Arcee. His favorite BotCon toys include the Blackarachnia-mold Arcee and Tigertron. He likes Fun Publications’ box sets and nice packaging but misses when there were only two or three figures. He prefers a tightly themed box set tied to its comic, with eclectic souvenir sets and troop builders like Sharkticons.
Contributors: John DeLuna, Don
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