The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1014 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:17 pm

Faster than a speeding bullet, trusted Seibertron.com sponsor Big Bad Toy Store has listed a preorder for the recently announced Cobra Headmaster replacement head.

As reported, the 3rd Party figures have a pricepoint of $17.99 USD and are scheduled for tentative release in March 2010.

Check out the preorder and bring your headless figures back to life by clicking here.

News Credits: 1082 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:26 pm

Yay, news credit... oh wait.

Thanks FG! I love these, already p-ordered two, probably will go back for a third. The reasonable price has me...

Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:41 pm

Like I said before, that thing is ugly. Is it really that hard to find a used headmaster head on e-bay ???

The only headmaster I have from my childhood is Snapdragon and I took good care of all the parts including his head figure...

News Credits: 1014 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:57 pm

Rated X wrote:Like I said before, that thing is ugly. Is it really that hard to find a used headmaster head on e-bay ???

In a word: Yes.

Have you done a search on headmasters in the last 3 years? Skorponok's headmaster Black Zarak goes for about as much as a complete fig. Its insane.

News Credits: 1082 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:26 pm

First Gen wrote:
Rated X wrote:Like I said before, that thing is ugly. Is it really that hard to find a used headmaster head on e-bay ???

In a word: Yes.

Have you done a search on headmasters in the last 3 years? Skorponok's headmaster Black Zarak goes for about as much as a complete fig. Its insane.

WEll, the problem with that is Black Zarak in good condition is also rare, and with the Gold plastic syndrome parts breaking on some models, it's even harder to find any replacement pieces, even if you can manage to acquire the whole thing.

I think the answer to are there loose heads on ebay... sure. Are there a lot of them? No. A few tend to show up regularly, some are certainly more rare, harder to come by, so this can help replace that.

News Credits: 198 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:14 pm

Thank god my Headmasters have their lids; they wouldn't be caught dead wearing this thing.

News Credits: 1082 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:17 pm

DevastaTTor wrote:Thank god my Headmasters have their lids; they wouldn't be caught dead wearing this thing.

I just flipped through the Ark II, and the unused designs could lead to some really fun, and interesting unproduced headmasters.

Support them I say!!!!

Maybe we'll get the two different versions of the 'Chameleon'!!!!

EDIT: Or maybe they will go as far as to make Victory's missing B-force member...Deathcobra!

News Credits: 198 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:32 pm

tigertracks 24 wrote:
DevastaTTor wrote:Thank god my Headmasters have their lids; they wouldn't be caught dead wearing this thing.

I just flipped through the Ark II, and the unused designs could lead to some really fun, and interesting unproduced headmasters.

Support them I say!!!!

Maybe we'll get the two different versions of the 'Chameleon'!!!!

EDIT: Or maybe they will go as far as to make Victory's missing B-force member...Deathcobra!

Hmmm, sounds interesting. I'll have to check that out.

In the meantime, Weirdwolf says no. :lol:

News Credits: 3 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:57 pm

Hello My Friends,

Thank you for the honest feedback. Can you let us know what's so ugly about it so we can try to fix our future designs?

We tried really hard to make the best quality piece with very high attention to detail. It has details in it impossible for the original Heads from the 80s. Of course we know the old school stuff isn't everybody's cup of tea but you guys seem to really hate it and we are wondering why?

Thanks!

-headrobots

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

headrobots wrote:Hello My Friends,

Thank you for the honest feedback. Can you let us know what's so ugly about it so we can try to fix our future designs?

We tried really hard to make the best quality piece with very high attention to detail. It has details in it impossible for the original Heads from the 80s. Of course we know the old school stuff isn't everybody's cup of tea but you guys seem to really hate it and we are wondering why?

Thanks!

-headrobots

Hey there welcome to the site!

IMO, they're not ugly. Of course that's my oppinion.

I think that in the days of modern ROTF and Universe-stylings, the G1 throwbacks seem out of place. Even though I have no headmaster figs from G1, and thus have no interest in your product, I do think it's cool that you're reviving old designs.

News Credits: 3 · Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:31 pm

gotcha, thanks for the reply. we are checking out all the posts as best as we can so we can continue to make cool upgrades for fans. unlike the other companies based mainly in asia we are spread out with people in europe, japan, hk, and the us...all of us are professionals in our fields and are mainly doing this in our spare time so it's been a crazy rollercoaster.

so in a nutshell too oldschool?

-headrobots

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

headrobots wrote:oo in a nutshell too oldschool?

-headrobots

Well, I don't collect any G1, so I'm not the best to say anything definitive on the subject.

News Credits: 1014 · Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:34 am

headrobots wrote:gotcha, thanks for the reply. we are checking out all the posts as best as we can so we can continue to make cool upgrades for fans. unlike the other companies based mainly in asia we are spread out with people in europe, japan, hk, and the us...all of us are professionals in our fields and are mainly doing this in our spare time so it's been a crazy rollercoaster.

so in a nutshell too oldschool?

-headrobots

I think the heads are awesome. Knowing that they are productions of unused designs makes them even more awesome. My only recommendation would be to add a little more color to differentiate. That way you can buy a bunch of heads but they are different. Heck you could make heads colored for specific headmasters.

And no, not too oldschool, there are ALOT of G1 collectors out here, like myself.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:40 am

thanks a lot first-gen!! we love positive and negative feedback from the community.

we chose more neutral colors so it would blend with more bodies and not look as cartoon-ish and childish like the original Japanese exclusives but it looks like people want brighter colors?

it's funny, we thought people would complain if there were re-colors so we are limiting convention and store exclusives to just 3 different recolors worldwide. but you aren't the first person who has requested more colors, we'll have to put up a survey or something.

Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:00 am

I don't own The Ark II so I'm not familiar with this design, but if it's really an unused G1 concept then I think it's pretty cool, and I normally don't even care about 3rd party products. At first I thought it was weird that it transformers into a snake, but then again it's being attached to alligators and wolves, so I guess that's not so strange.

To the Headrobots dude: I think alot of the people that don't like it either don't understand the concept/where it's coming from, or they are forgetting G1 was full of odd designs and transformations. As far as details in it that were impossible in the 80s, don't add any more, look what they are being attached to! I think they match up pretty well as-is. As far as paint aps go, you were extremely lucky to see more than one color on a G1 face, so again, matches nicely.

I think I'll purchase at least one, good luck, hope they are successful for you.

News Credits: 217 · Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:08 am

Liftgate wrote:
To the Headrobots dude: I think alot of the people that don't like it either don't understand the concept/where it's coming from, or they are forgetting G1 was full of odd designs and transformations. As far as details in it that were impossible in the 80s, don't add any more, look what they are being attached to! I think they match up pretty well as-is. As far as paint aps go, you were extremely lucky to see more than one color on a G1 face, so again, matches nicely.

It can't be helped if these need to be accurate to a concept drawing, but the head's faces look a little too inhuman for the time period involved. The Headmasters had regular humanoid faces throughout, even though some of them had visors, mouthplates or both. Even the Japanese exclusives had humanoid faces:

These guys with their low-slung visors and their little breathing-holes look a little too...alien in my opinion.

News Credits: 1082 · Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:37 am

Diem wrote:
Liftgate wrote:
To the Headrobots dude: I think alot of the people that don't like it either don't understand the concept/where it's coming from, or they are forgetting G1 was full of odd designs and transformations. As far as details in it that were impossible in the 80s, don't add any more, look what they are being attached to! I think they match up pretty well as-is. As far as paint aps go, you were extremely lucky to see more than one color on a G1 face, so again, matches nicely.

It can't be helped if these need to be accurate to a concept drawing, but the head's faces look a little too inhuman for the time period involved. The Headmasters had regular humanoid faces throughout, even though some of them had visors, mouthplates or both. Even the Japanese exclusives had humanoid faces:

These guys with their low-slung visors and their little breathing-holes look a little too...alien in my opinion.

I am on the opposite page. I understand that they are sort of inhabitants of another planet, and thus, they might have different looking faces. I actually like that part, and more than that, I like the alternate mode of the heads being an animal. Sure this is sort of an animal/tank, but again, a snake itself would be quite hard. Since the originals all looked very familiar, especially in robot mode (small), then the whole fact that there are animals, etc., allows your collection to look a bit different.

Being a G1 fan myself, and trying to collect all the original individual heads, and seeing this design created, I love it. I have 3 on pre-order, and am quite in awe of what has been done.

It seems like such a small piece, and simple to some, but I really like the idea.

Keep it up.

Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:11 pm

RE: Diem

Hmm, I can see what you're saying, that is true for the most part I think. There's afew exceptions like ::cough:: Optimus, who I always thought looked like a bit like a surgeon with his metal mask thingy. Or Brawn with his Gort-visor-type mug. Then there's G1 Bumblebee looks like.... I'm not sure what the heck he looks like. Oh, and G1 Ratchet and Ironhide who had no faces at all! Haha! Those guys were the best!

News Credits: 1 · Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:21 pm

The focus of my collection is animal themed g1 transformers so I'll definitely be picking this up.

I'd love to own the orginal (Japanese exclusive) animals headmaster but you can't even find them on ebay, let alone afford them. Does anyone know if there's any chance of reproductions of those? (I guess that puts me into the 'whatever' category on the reproduction g1 transformers front...)

Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:43 pm

Primacron's Little Helper wrote:I'd love to own the orginal (Japanese exclusive) animals headmaster but you can't even find them on ebay, let alone afford them. Does anyone know if there's any chance of reproductions of those?

Yes.

News Credits: 217 · Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:16 am

Liftgate wrote:RE: Diem

Hmm, I can see what you're saying, that is true for the most part I think. There's afew exceptions like ::cough:: Optimus, who I always thought looked like a bit like a surgeon with his metal mask thingy. Or Brawn with his Gort-visor-type mug. Then there's G1 Bumblebee looks like.... I'm not sure what the heck he looks like. Oh, and G1 Ratchet and Ironhide who had no faces at all! Haha! Those guys were the best!

I meant specifically the Headmasters. But more generally, most of the post-diaclone and microchange G1 figures had more humanoid faces (to clear up my definition, the faces might have face plates, visors, helmets and more, but "underneath" their eyes, mouth etc. would be in the right places.)

On these cobra heads, the visor is where the mouth and nose would be on a regular face, while the breathing holes are on the chin.

EDIT: I'm aware I may sound a little too critical here. I have no big prejudice against these heads; I don't like 'em, but that just means I won't buy 'em. But the makers asked why these heads might be considered ugly and I wanted to give my opinion on the matter.

News Credits: 1452 · Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:51 am

This is giving me Transformers: Blackest Night vibes...

The Blackest Night falls from the skies.
The darkness grows as all light dies.
We crave your heads and your demise.
By my cobra head, the snakes shall rise!

Er..... whoops... wrong universe..

Mon Feb 08, 2010 5:03 am

Ordered 2 from BBTS, I've been getting 2 of all the 3rd party stuff lately, to me, they're awesome little garage projects, well worth supporting! Don't have any Headmasters of my own, but the fact that this guy is based on unused concept work is awesome!! looking forward to the repaints and future molds(?)!!!

News Credits: 4 · Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:55 pm

I quiet like it, ordered mine from kapow toys and i hope they do the other non produced heads.

I would love has/tak to reproduce the originals officially but its a pipe dream really