FIRRIB

2011-12-01T09:59:14Z

88.149.122.96:

{{quote|Yes, in AHM Rumble is RED.|[[Joana Lafuente]] <ref>[http://khaamar.deviantart.com/art/All-Hail-Megatron-9-cover-112520321 Joana LaFuente's response.]</ref>|center=true}}
{{quote|Okay guys, let's get this right this time. Rumble is BLUE, Frenzy is RED!|[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] <ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/12/first-we-crack-shell.html Derrick Wyatt's opinion]</ref>|center=true}}
{{quote|[Frenzy]'s blue because Hasbro said so.|[[Shane McCarthy]] <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffvrLk_6Seo#t=28s Shane McCarthy's response during IDW's panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2008.]</ref>|center=true}}
[[Image:Rumble and frenzy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Rumble and Frenzy. Or Frenzy and Rumble. Whatever.]]
An acronym sometimes bandied about by fans, '''FIRRIB''' means "[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] is red, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] is blue". The phrase originated on [[alt.toys.transformers]] circa 1994, essentially as a (largely joking) rallying cry for those who favored [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] over various other media portrayals of the Transformers. In time, the counterpoint '''FIBRIR''' emerged, standing for "Frenzy is blue, Rumble is red". The forms RIBFIR and RIRFIB are also known.

The debate revolves around the colors of the [[Decepticon]] [[Mini-Cassette]]s, Rumble and Frenzy. It was [[Hasbro]]'s intent that Rumble be black and red, and Frenzy be two shades of blue. These color schemes are used in the toyline, [[Marvel Comics]] and many storybooks and ancillary media from the early years of [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], and naturally, it was intended for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon series]] to render the characters in this manner as well (as proven by the show's [[production bible]], which identifies Rumble as the "red robot"). However, as a result of some unspecified error somewhere in production, the two robots had their color schemes swapped, leaving the animated incarnation of Rumble blue, and Frenzy red.

Due to the widespread recognition the cartoon received, the concept of Rumble as the blue robot was ingrained into the minds of many viewers. As such, years later, [[Fandom|fans]] would argue vehemently (though often tongue-in-cheek) over which coloration was "correct", based mainly on their personal preference for the cartoon or comic.

The FIRRIB movement was codified by a cartoon fan named Scott Wells in 1994<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/7f7aa2ec041325c4/d066fdb5fb0bdaf9?lnk=gst&q=FIRRIB#d066fdb5fb0bdaf9 ATT FAQ file, 1994]</ref>, who coined the acronym FIRRIB. The FIRRIB idea quickly caught on with other cartoon fans on alt.toys.transformers, frequently appearing in signature files; its counterpoint, the comic- and toy-based FIBRIR, soon appeared as well. After endless discussion threads fueled by little more than personal preference, the subject eventually landed in the group's FAQ file as a do-not-ask question.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/75181b5ca5175ca3?&q=FIRRIB+FAQ ATT FAQ file, 1998]</ref>

The Japanese dub of the Generation 1 cartoon rectified the error, making the animation match the toys by simply switching the characters' names around.

As later incarnations of the characters draw on both the cartoon and toys as influences, the waters have become muddier still:

Items in the following table are listed in release order. E.g., the original toys came first.

{|border="0" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" style="text-align:left"
!
!Rumble
!Frenzy
|-
![[The Transformers (toyline)|Original toys]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"| Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"| Red
|-
![[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"| Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"| Red
|-
![[Ladybird Books]]
|style="color:#000;background:#fff;"|none
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Kid Stuff]]
|style="color:#000;background:#fff;"|none
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[The Transformers (cartoon)|US cartoon]]
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|-
![[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Japanese cartoon]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave comics]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity|Devil's Due comics]]
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|-
![[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW comics]] (early)
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
!IDW comics (ongoing)
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|-
![[Alternators]] toys
|style="color:#000;background:#fff;"|none
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Diamond Select Toys|Diamond Select]]
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|-
![[Music Label]] earphones
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]
|style="color:#000;background:#fff;"|none
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Transformers G1: Awakening|G1: The Awakening]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red
|-
![[Transformers (2010 toyline)]]
|style="color:#000;background:#fff;"|unconfirmed
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|-
![[Transformers: United]]
|style="color:#fff;background:#00f;"|Blue
|style="color:#000;background:#f00;"|Red

|}

It is generally agreed that pointing out Rumble was actually kinda purple in the original cartoon is not helpful (particularly since he still has blue in the places where Frenzy has red). Nor is pointing out the fact that for a brief moment in the movie (when Rumble, Frenzy, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] jam [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s transmission) ''both'' of them were red. Or that the Marvel US coloring had Rumble as red ''and blue''. Or that the ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[Frenzy (G1)#Generation_2_2|version]] of Frenzy was purple, and the planned corresponding Rumble was to be both red and blue.

==Similar cases==
While the coloration of Frenzy and Rumble is the most well-known instance of the original cartoon's color choices not matching the [[toy]]s its [[character]]s are based on, there are similar cases, some of which have also resulted in fan dissent regarding the question which is to be considered the "correct" coloration for the character in question:
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert's]] toy sported a black head, but possibly in order to differentiate him further from his [[mold]]-mate [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], the cartoon changed the head's color to red. His comic appearances usually use the toy's black head, while new toys are a mixed bag ([[TakaraTomy]] leans more towards a [[show-accuracy|cartoon-accurate]] red head, while [[Hasbro]] appears to prefer the original toy's black head). Thus far, however, none of Takara's [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]] of the original toy have featured a show-accurate red head.
* [[Grapple]]'s original toy sported a black head, but the cartoon changed it to orange, possibly to differentiate him further from his mold-mate [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]. The episode "[[Auto Berserk]]", however, consistently gave him a (mostly) toy-accurate black head. The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]] once again followed the toy's coloration.
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] is a huge mess: While early catalogs depicted him in a blue and silver deco based on his original [[Diaclone]] colors, which is also used for the [[instructions]] and the toy's [[package art]], the toy itself sports an entirely silver deco for the vehicle mode. The cartoon, on the other hand, gave him a silver and black vehicle mode deco based on ''another'' Diaclone color scheme. Later toys have alternatively used variations of any of the three color schemes, although only Takara have thus far released a reissue of the original toy in "show colors" through [[e-Hobby]], and there has been no reissue in the "blue" Diaclone deco at all yet.
*Then there's the thing with [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]'s [[character model|animation model]] using the colors of an early [[prototype]] (as shown in early [[stock photography|catalogs]]), while the actual toy sports an entirely different deco... and Takara released a variation of the toy in yet ''another'' different deco. Takara later released a reissue of the original toy in a color scheme resembling (but not identical to) the prototype through e-Hobby, while other toys by Hasbro and Takara have been alternatively based on any of the three decos.

==Notes==
[[Image:RumbleisRed.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Product #5731 also includes Ravage.]]
*In the season 1 episode "[[Heavy Metal War]]", [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] displays files on the Decepticons. The texts are, for the most part, lifted directly from the show's [[production bible]], including Hasbro's product code numbers for the toys (which are listed on the toys' [[packaging]]). As a consequence, Rumble (misspelled "Runble") is given the detail "red robot".
*The ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron|War for Cybertron]]'' video game uses the cartoon "FIRRIB" color choices for its [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] characters. Though clearly patterned after their ''Generation 1'' predecessors, they represent different-universe versions of these [[character]]s, so they're listed here instead of the chart above.
{{-}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.lilformers.com/index.php/2007/03/20/lil-formers-38-rumblefrenzy/ LilFormers' answer to this dilemma.]
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[[Category:Fandom]]

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FIRRIB