The Energon Pub

News Credits: 171 · by **notsoalex** » Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:50 pm

What are your thoughts on the RID 15 cartoon as a whole?
What can you expect from the POTP after the official and unnofficial reveals?

News Credits: 4837 · by **william-james88** » Tue Nov 14, 2017 12:45 pm

What are Scotty and Ari's thoughts on this news?

https://www.seibertron.com/transformers ... les/40022/

by **Skullcrunchberries** » Wed Dec 06, 2017 7:27 pm

Hey guys, have a bit of a weird question but I thought it'd be potentially a fun and silly one for an end-of-the-year episode. Especially since, to me, listening to the Twincast is exactly like hanging out with my buddies in a situation where they're just constantly ignoring me >_>

So I have been wanting - DROOLING OVER - MP-36 since it came out. Sadly, I haven't been able to afford it, but I've been dreaming of the day when I can afford to splurge or maybe get lucky around Christmastime or something. I happened to check my BBTS PoL the other day, and it was just sitting in there. Apparently, I ordered it last MAY, completely forgot about it, and it's been hanging out there for seven months forgotten about.

My question is this: has this situation, or anything similar that ended up in you apparently giving yourself a secret hidden birthday present, happened to you guys? I'd love to hear about the surprises y'all have placed on yourselves! ;)^

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:29 am

We're recording again in a couple days so let's have some questions if you've got em! I think we're generally caught up to what's here.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:41 am

Do you feel that the overall quality of mainstream Transformers fiction (e.g. - the most accessible-to-everyone stuff, like the cartoons and films) has objectively diminished over the years, or do you feel that some of the newer fiction is actually more along the same level as some of the older stuff and that is it just a dual case of "We're adults now, so we're not as easy to please as we were when we were children" and "We're nostalgic to the older stuff because we're more familiar with it than we are with the newer stuff"?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:25 pm

Sabrblade wrote:Do you feel that the overall quality of mainstream Transformers fiction (e.g. - the most accessible-to-everyone stuff, like the cartoons and films) has objectively diminished over the years, or do you feel that some of the newer fiction is actually more along the same level as some of the older stuff and that is it just a dual case of "We're adults now, so we're not as easy to please as we were when we were children" and "We're nostalgic to the older stuff because we're more familiar with it than we are with the newer stuff"?

Or is it a little of both?

Or do you think the quality varies depending on things like the creators, or the networks (like, Cartoon Network having a say on RID's content vs. Discovery Family's say on Rescue Bots's content), or the target demographic, etc.?

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:18 pm

Are the forced gimmicks hurting more than they are helping recent lines?

by **Skullcrunchberries** » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:49 pm

Alright guys, I've got two questions for you! The first I know has been asked in the past, but with our recent lines I thought it was time to ask again:

In terms of the toys, would you guys prefer to see Hasbro/Takara finishing out the G1 cast in some Classics-esque form (CW, TR, PotP, etc.) and continuing to update them in subsequent lines, or would you like to see an all new line consisting of a new aesthetic, new gimmicks, and new characters, like another Unicron Trilogy? How do you think your answer will affect the way you display your collection?

My second question is a long one, but I would really love to hear stories about what got you guys into collecting in the first place. I don't mean what got you interested, but rather what made you cross that line from "oh this is neat, I remember this!" to spending real amounts of money, time, and space to collect these things.

As an illustration of what I mean I'll share my story, which also has an amazing twist!

I think this was somewhere around 2001 - 2003. I happened to meet this guy in a random chat room, and after developing an online friendship with this creepy guy he mentioned he collected Transformers. At the time I was really into Gundam models, and had started using my old TFs to fill in the ranks for play value. With this guy's encouragement, I started slowly getting back in, originally collecting what bits and pieces of G1 I could afford despite him trying his hardest to get me into Unicron Trilogy stuff, particularly to fill out this "neo-G1" shelf he was working on. It wasn't until 2006 with the release of Classics that I started collecting modern stuff, but I haven't looked back since.

That creepy guy who got me back into things, if you haven't guessed already, was our very own Counterpunch.

Counterpunch: counterpunching for almost two decades and strong! :lol:

Anyway, I'd love to hear how you guys started!

by **Acesmcgee** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:43 pm

So I saw the video by Gotbot, I think, where he modded his POTP Rodimus. So my question is, what is the most extreme modification you've made to your transformers, if any?

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:57 pm

If, say, a content provider that is actually good, like Netflix or Amazon, decided to put out an adult/older fan oriented cartoon, would you want an all new story line? Or one based off of past or current comics?

by **Acesmcgee** » Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:00 am

So gents and possibly lady(ies), my daughter and I have been having a blast making Skylinx walk around the house and it has had me pondering what my favorite gimmick that I can recall from past and present lines has been, and for me it turned out to be simple, light-piping that gives a sense of life to my TFs. What is yours?

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Wed May 02, 2018 11:10 am

If you have any questions for author and artist of the upcoming Requiem of the Wreckers one-shot, the one and only Nick Roche, please post them here by Sunday! They don't necessarily have to be about Requiem.

No promises we can take what you post, but would like to try and use as many community sourced questions as we can. Have fun

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Thu May 03, 2018 8:35 am

Which do you enjoy more: writing about the conflict, or exploring the characters?

Specifically, I guess, thanks for making Springer so very interesting.

by **Rabid Robot** » Sun May 06, 2018 11:30 am

What do you hope for in the IDW reboot?

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Wed May 09, 2018 7:54 am

We got both of those in, thanks! Ironhidensh, I apologize in advance for where it ends up going - like most of the interview, it's amazing, but might not be the answer you were looking for

Can't wait for everyone to hear it in a couple weeks!

by **Lurkingfandom79** » Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:48 am

Does anyone remember the japan only transmetal T-rex megatron that was retooled to look like a dragon? It was a Japanese convention exclusive back in the 90s,it predated the release of tm2 dragon megatron, It's existence seems to have vanished from the internet.

2nd question: was there an alternate cut of the Transformers movies (1986) made specificly for TV broadcast?, I distinctly remember a shot of devastator looking aghast as unicorn rips up seibertron, I believe it was a reused shot from early on in the film with a new background.

PS both these questions make me feel really old.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:00 am

Lurkingfandom79 wrote:Does anyone remember the japan only transmetal T-rex megatron that was retooled to look like a dragon? It was a Japanese convention exclusive back in the 90s,it predated the release of tm2 dragon megatron, It's existence seems to have vanished from the internet.

I'm afraid you've been misinformed about a few things. There never was any dragon retool of Transmetal Megatron sold as a Japanese convention exclusive in the 90s. The Megatron you are thinking of is likely this:

That's no toy retool. That there is a CGI model of a character named Megatron X, who was the final boss character that one could fight in the old Nintendo 64 game Beast Wars: Transmetals.

Here is a better view of his CGI model, this time taken from a Nintendo Power magazine issue:

And here is a screenshot of his in-game model:

No toy of Megatron X was ever made.

The idea of there having been a Japanese convention exclusive of him made in the 90s sounds like either one of those old fandom rumors from back in early years of the online fandom, or like a conflation with Silver Megatron, a Lucky Draw figure released in a limited quantity of 50 as part of a contest done by TV Magazine over in Japan back in 1999-2000. But it had no retooled parts on it.

by **Lurkingfandom79** » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:21 am

God bless you Sabrblade, I haven't seen that picture in twenty years.

News Credits: 127 · by **Counterpunch** » Thu Jul 19, 2018 3:16 pm

Lurkingfandom79 wrote:God bless you Sabrblade, I haven't seen that picture in twenty years.

Co-sign to that.

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:43 am

Counterpunch wrote:
Lurkingfandom79 wrote:God bless you Sabrblade, I haven't seen that picture in twenty years.

Co-sign to that.

Wow, yeah! Wonder if that's in the American Nintendo Power. I still have most of them from that era at my Mom's house.

Lurkingfandom79 wrote:2nd question: was there an alternate cut of the Transformers movies (1986) made specificly for TV broadcast?, I distinctly remember a shot of devastator looking aghast as unicorn rips up seibertron, I believe it was a reused shot from early on in the film with a new background.

PS both these questions make me feel really old.

So yes to the cut up version, it was part of the "5th Season" of the show with the weird Tommy Kennedy bumper segments. However, I'm now making it my podcast homework to look up that Devastator detail.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:46 am

ScottyP wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:
Lurkingfandom79 wrote:God bless you Sabrblade, I haven't seen that picture in twenty years.

Co-sign to that.
Wow, yeah! Wonder if that's in the American Nintendo Power. I still have most of them from that era at my Mom's house.

It's from issue #132, cover date May 2000.

News Credits: 33 · by **Amelie** » Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:10 am

Is War For Cybertron feeling like "business as usual" for the Generations line or more of a reboot point? Further to that, do you think they've reached saturation point with the "familiar" characters in Generations?

News Credits: 4837 · by **william-james88** » Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:39 pm

Have you noticed any improvements in distribution this year over other years? Were toys that you wanted easier to get than before? I feel Hasbro really tried to adress issues this year as most as they could from a supplier standpoint (like shortening a line, synching generations lines with the calendar year) and I wanted to hear your thoughts on the result.

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:07 pm

william-james88 wrote:Have you noticed any improvements in distribution this year over other years? Were toys that you wanted easier to get than before? I feel Hasbro really tried to adress issues this year as most as they could from a supplier standpoint (like shortening a line, synching generations lines with the calendar year) and I wanted to hear your thoughts on the result.

I know you didn't ask me, but I don't really think a lot of the distribution problems are on Hasbro's end. I think a lot of it is at the hands of the retailer. They order/stock very heavy on wave one, and if that doesn't sell out, it can seriously hamper the stores putting out later waves.

News Credits: 4837 · by **william-james88** » Tue Jan 01, 2019 8:57 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:
william-james88 wrote:Have you noticed any improvements in distribution this year over other years? Were toys that you wanted easier to get than before? I feel Hasbro really tried to adress issues this year as most as they could from a supplier standpoint (like shortening a line, synching generations lines with the calendar year) and I wanted to hear your thoughts on the result.

I know you didn't ask me, but I don't really think a lot of the distribution problems are on Hasbro's end. I think a lot of it is at the hands of the retailer. They order/stock very heavy on wave one, and if that doesn't sell out, it can seriously hamper the stores putting out later waves.

Your right, which is why I get very annoyed when fans hate on Hasbro whenever they dont find a toy at retail in their specific area. But what I found rather cool about 2018, and why its pretty special is because we saw Hasbro doing whatever they could on their end. We did see more wave 2 eventually, for instance. So while it cant always be perfect due to the whole retailer factor, I think Hasbro did try to change things on their end in terms of the release schedule to help distributors know what is current year product that should be stocked.

And basically I am asking the podcast crew if they noticed this year being better than other years in terms of distribution. As an outsider reporting in general I can see it, but I would like to hear personal experiences and see if the better results were felt by everyone.