Now it may be surprising to some but i don't just collect transformers toys, i collect Transformers related Merchandise, Statues being one of the non toy Products. Hard Hero is an American based company that had the license to manufacture "non transforming " transformer related products. basically statues.. cold-cast porcelain kind. they made a series of busts and full sized versions of the Gen 1 Characters, they even managed one for the Beast Wars. Unfortunately the licence wasn't renewed and we never saw many more after Rhinox. It was a shame, what appealed to me well besides the fact these were essentially he first High end collectible statue for transformers, but the fact that they captured the simplistic cartoon designs of the character.
Hard Hero managed to put of 14 Busts. (16 if you include the metallic painted versions of Shockwave and cyclonus). A simple Bust collection when you look at them, not alot of detail but then easily identifiable with the cartoon of old. Prime was the first Hard hero released, and he is my Favorite Autobot bust i own, That includes all the newer version but out by Diamond.
Above: Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack. Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus and Grimlock.
Starscream has his trademark Smirk and Devastator is a heavy statue pretty much twice the size of the other standard busts, pretty fitting i thought since he is supposed to be a combiner.
Above: Cyclonus, Megatron, Devastator, Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave
To mix up the busts there were some full sized.. well not literally full sized. full sized as in the busts have legs.... Ravage was marked as "1st in the Cassette Series" but alas he was the only one, a side effect of the un-renewed license we didn't get to see more, just like Rhinox. an absolute awesome looking version of the Beast Wars character, he set a high standard, but we never saw the next one (which was supposed to be waspinator) Disappointing. together the statues look pretty good as a group almost looking like a Small diorama. Optimus and Megatron sending both their pets into battle..bumblebee and ravage both had "mettlic variants" as well.
Above: Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Rhinox, Megatron and Ravage.
The Insecticons also got the statue treatment. not quite the size of the megatron and optimus but larger then the busts. Th make a nice three piece set.
Above: Kickback, Shrapnel and Bombshell
Originally a Botcon 2002 Exclusive (no i didn't attend it, my local comic shop managed to get one in) Unicron stands around 406mm high (that's 16 inches to any one reading that doesn't use metric) it is a big statue and a nice statue make sure it stands on something solid though because its also a fragile Statue, I'm petrified that one of the prongs on his wings or his hands will snap off.
So the pictures above is pretty much every transformer related Statue Hard Hero managed to release (that doesn't include the 4 metallic Variants) that is 23 Hard Hero Statues.
