The Energon Pub

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:03 am

Takara Tomy is kicking off the new year with their first reveal of 2021! Thanks to Seibertronian Powered Convoy for alerting us to a tweet from Takara Tomy's official Twitter revealing Skids as the latest figure from the 1985 lineup to get a Masterpiece figure. This is very early news with only early line art and the 2021 release all we know. Surely in the coming months we'll have something more substantial to share, but for now this might just be the pick-me-up that some of us could use.

Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:17 am

Well well well. Ironically, I was just thinking about checking out that 3pmp Skids, I forget whatever he’s called. TakTom must have scanned my brainwaves!

Was Skids ever featured in the cartoon? Just curious if they’ll go for the hyper-cartoon aesthetic or something closer to the MP-10 style.

News Credits: 22 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:30 am

Is that drawing just a rough start? The front end/chest doesn't look like that.

News Credits: 4 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:37 am

Nemesis Maximo wrote:Was Skids ever featured in the cartoon? Just curious if they’ll go for the hyper-cartoon aesthetic or something closer to the MP-10 style.

If I'm not mistaken, Skids showed up in Generation 1 for like two episodes and even then, I don't think it was for more than 30 seconds each appearance. ("The Insecticon Syndrome" and "Triple Takeover" being the episodes) I don't think he was even named dropped.

News Credits: 174 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:38 am

So is this like a concept sketch, or is TT doing another drastic style change on the MP line again, because that is not the hyper-smooth cel-like designs they have been going with, that looks like a pre-mp magnus hybrid style mp, man this collection is gonna have no design consistency whatsoever if this is the case :HEADHURTS:

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:39 am

Nemesis Maximo wrote:Was Skids ever featured in the cartoon? Just curious if they’ll go for the hyper-cartoon aesthetic or something closer to the MP-10 style.

Two episodes, and he's one of the few characters who's character design (both bot and alt) is almost identical to the original toy (aside from his wonky cartoon shoulders). Judging from the line art he should be a nice blend of both.

Emerje

News Credits: 1 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:44 am

Nemesis Maximo wrote:Was Skids ever featured in the cartoon? Just curious if they’ll go for the hyper-cartoon aesthetic or something closer to the MP-10 style.

Just "Quest for Survival" and "Triple Takeover", with just one line each, in a totally different voice/persona.

So while cartoon accuracy should mean a long overdue toy stretched out into a minivan alt, I'm hoping this will be Takara's Most Marvelous Masterpiece to date. Seriously, if MP Tracks warranted an original Raoul microfigure, Skids should come with one of Charlene in her iconic cowgirl cosplay...or that other outfit, if they're ambitious enough to do the bucket accessory.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:55 am

Hellscream9999 wrote:So is this like a concept sketch, or is TT doing another drastic style change on the MP line again, because that is not the hyper-smooth cel-like designs they have been going with, that looks like a pre-mp magnus hybrid style mp, man this collection is gonna have no design consistency whatsoever if this is the case

It'd be pretty much impossible to make him based on the cartoon exactly and still have a good figure. The cartoon got the overall shape correct, but they really screwed up the shoulders. I don't think of this so much as being a new type of design as I do fixing the original.

Compared to the original toy and the MP line art.

"Compromises" had to be made and I think it turned out for the better. Looks like they'll be retaining the sticker designs from the toy, probably tampographed on.

Since this is just line art there's still room for changes like adjusting the front of the van to the right model.

Emerje

News Credits: 20 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:56 am

Rodimus Prime wrote:Is that drawing just a rough start? The front end/chest doesn't look like that.

The drawing's alt mode seems based on the Honda City Turbo II. Inaccurate to the G1 toy, but I think it would have been the predominant version of the vehicle available in '85. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong)

News Credits: 372 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:00 am

Looks as though they're going back to Hasui's design "philosophy" rather than literal cartoon-accuracy, at least with Skids. Maybe they're testing the market.

The Tweet does mention "instinctive" transformation + "hybrid" version MP.
Maybe they realised fans were fed up with overly complex transformations. There's also the cracking issue with Hound that they haven't addressed, as far as I know.

Truth is, I skipped both MP-45 Bee & MP-51 Arcee. I do have MP-52 Starscream pre-ordred because I've wanted a proper Masterpiece Starscream from the start, but other than that, at least for now, I think I'm done with MP.

WfC has become more fun, it's cheaper, it takes up less space, and they put out lots of characters. Though even with CHUG I've cut back.

News Credits: 19 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:14 am

Looking forward to Skids, can't believe how badly the cartoon messed up the shoulders compared to the designers other bots.

If the price is Takrazy the third partys look pretty good so at least their is options but would always prefer to see the official toy before deciding. Maybe Hoist and Trailbreaker will finally get a release too (and Rattrap...and Raiden)

News Credits: 462 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 9:59 am

Weird choice, but okay.

Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:05 am

Where. Is. My. G1. Mp. Jazz.

Fri Jan 01, 2021 11:30 am

Was not expecting this. Never got the off-brand version because I didn't like the face (although I got their Crosscut and it's a pretty solid act). I haven't like the designs of most of these "phase three" MPs, but based on these drawings I'm cautiously optimistic.

Glarryg

News Credits: 7 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:53 pm

Interesting,so this means to do the whole season2 lineup?I have no doubt that Skids will a solid toy.
Day 367 of waiting for Transformers Armada Masterpiece news.

News Credits: 388 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:12 pm

84everfan wrote:Where. Is. My. G1. Mp. Jazz.

This is just a guess, though probably a pretty solid one....Porsche hasn't given HasTak a license for their products, and HasTak is big on doing licensed vehicles for the Masterpiece line. It's the same reason there isn't an MP Cliffjumper. It could be as simple as this, or its possible that another toy company has the license for Porsche. That's the reason that Dino in the Studio Series line isn't a licensed Ferrari.

News Credits: 10 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:15 pm

Good grief he looks good, and that's just a line drawing.

News Credits: 14 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 2:23 pm

Hmm, anybody clamoring for an MP Skids?

Anyway, looks pretty good.

Though the Alternators version wasn't all that bad either True not the actual G1 car model but still decent attempt.

Also, I guess this means Porsche still hasn't allowed ther car to be a war robot huh?

News Credits: 174 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 2:25 pm

Overcracker wrote:Hmm, anybody clamoring for an MP Skids?

Thew actually, can't wait for his review :DANCE:

News Credits: 1 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 3:04 pm

Skids? Interesting choice...

Fri Jan 01, 2021 4:26 pm

i wonder if they will include the scooter

News Credits: 19 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 4:43 pm

Ultra Markus wrote:i wonder if they will include the scooter

Of course they will, gotta try and give value in the £120+ price tag

News Credits: 241 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:44 pm

blackeyedprime wrote:
Ultra Markus wrote:i wonder if they will include the scooter

Of course they will, gotta try and give value in the £120+ price tag

If anything, the scooter will add collector's value for the inevitable Crosscut pretool, as featured as a "backup" in his bio. :lol:

News Credits: 9 · Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:08 pm

This may end up being a great figure, but I think this new MP Starscream will be the last MP figure I ever buy.
Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, and Starscream are all the MP's I need.
Especially with some of these recent regular releases being so strong.

Sat Jan 02, 2021 7:18 am

Tuned Agent wrote:The drawing's alt mode seems based on the Honda City Turbo II. Inaccurate to the G1 toy ...

Based on Skid's bonnet design in the MP artwork, I think both the MP and the G1 toy are based on the Honda City Turbo rather than the Turbo II. My favourite 80s subcompact car, so getting Skids and the green repaint if they release it.

I hope we get the Motocompo scooter and a Charlene figure.
Or clip-on parts and panels that make him look like the Sunbow animation model in both modes which can stay on during transformation.