Review – Convertors Avarians “Hoot” (1984)

If you were at all into cheap transforming robot toys during the eighties then you must remember the Convertors Avarians series. Transforming robot birds, the Avarians are one of those lines I had forgotten about . . . until the moment I encountered a photo of one of the toys online. Once that happened there was no way in hell I wouldn’t have at least a few of these oddities on display with the other little-known transforming robot toys of my youth.

Packaging

I believe that the above image proves that the Convertors Avarians packaging is gloriously perfect and eighties fun. Airbrush artwork on the front, line art on the back to illustrate the transformation, what’s not to love about this blister pack? And that Circus World price tag showing the reduced price? Awesome! Now I have to search the Google newspaper archives and hope that I can locate a Circus World advertisement or two. Fingers crossed!

Owl Mode

Even though Hoot comes packed in robot mode I wanted to start things off with a look at the toy’s owl mode. A red and chrome robotic owl with stickers, what child of the eighties could resist something this marvelous? The stickers even make up the owl’s face; this is dangerous since getting the toy wet means our robot owl will be without any eyes. I know that today’s toymakers tend to rely on sculpted details and paint apps, but looking at this makes me think Mattel and Hasbro will soon switch back to stickers. Stickers have got to be a hell of a lot cheaper than painted details . . . especially if we have the kids apply the stickers after the toy is purchased!

Transformation Design

Hoot, being a cheap transforming robot toy from 1984, has a fairly simple transformation design. You can look at the card back to see the exact steps, but at its core what we have here are legs that extend and arms that fold out of the wings. The “rotating owl face makes a chest” part of the design is my favorite part of the transformation process, and overall I say this is perfect for the intended price point, audience, and year of release. I approve of this design!

Robot Mode

I wish the shoulder ball joints held a little better, but after that I have no other complaints with Hoot in robot mode. There’s limited articulation — just what’s needed for transformation and those ball-jointed shoulders — but if you pick up a transforming robot toy from the eighties expecting more than minimal articulation then you’re sure to be disappointed.

Hoot is attractive, easy to transform, and the plastic is far more durable and of a higher quality than I had expected. I can’t suggest you go out now and find one of these, but if you run across one and don’t find the price too high then grab it. Hoot is a remarkable addition to any display of cheap transforming robot toys from the eighties.