The Rochert Effect

Hey look! I'm posting on this blog again too!

I thought I'd post here about a new(ish) phenomenon I've been noticing over the past couple of years, so please bear with me... 

Okay Everyone knows about the Furman Effect, which is where a relatively unknown character from the Transformers Archives is used by him and instantly becomes popular, his old toys start getting bought up on Ebay, and for much higher prices etc (case in point, Razorclaw) whom was a relatively unknown Transformer until he used him in the IDW Beast Wars stories, suddenly this Basic class figure with a one step transformation sequence is going on ebay for hundreds rather than just a couple of pounds like his wave mates would.

Now as for my actual reason here...the Rochert effect, named for Nick Roche and James Roberts, in which the Furman effect happens again (unknown characters suddenly become firm favourites) but with the added bonus of a new toy being created for this forgotten character as well, or the sudden usage of that character after many years of nothing in other media, when used in media created from either of these two wonderful men.

Some Examples of this:

Ironfist = Botcon 2011 Fisitron figure

Pyro = Botcon 2010 Pyro figure

Overlord = Botcon 2012 Gigatron figure

Guzzle = DOTM Guzzle figure

On top of these figures we also have just had the announcement of a new Swerve figure in Asia, just after he became a main character in MTMTE

Of course some other characters used prominently by this duo have also had new toys in recent years (Rodimus, Perceptor, Kup to name but a few) but since they were already popular characters already they can't really be counted (which is the same reason why the Furman Effect doesn't work toywise either, since characters like Grimlock, Nightbeat, Bludgeon and so on , who have gone to get new modern incarnations in toylines, were always popular anyway)

I'm sure there are many I've forgotten on this list, but if you look through the character lists of their works and then look at any new toy releases, you're bound to find a fair few correlations.

And remember, when you see a Skids, Tailgate or Whirl toy produced in the next year or so, always remember...Aesir told you so!