The Energon Pub

The Twincast / Podcast wants you to be our valentine with a new episode that has absolutely nothing to do with the holiday on which it's being posted. Join your main matchmaker Scotty P as he helps you field hot singles in your area, such as but actually-not-at-all-because-they're-taken podcasters Megatronus, Mr. Starscream and xRotorstormx. The Transformers discussion topics are like a box of chocolates unless you read the rest of this post, then you'll know exactly which flavors to expect.

Episode #270 “An Ox, a Seagull and a Monster” is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio and many other Podcatcher sites within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Here's what we discuss in this episode:

• Haslab Unicron's final production update as well as the first video reviews of the toy spark decidedly tame conversation.
  
  
  
  
  
• The now pretty regular bi-weekly round of leaked upcoming products starts with Kingdom exclusives and T-Wrecks.
  
• Hope you didn't buy 18 Voyager Scourges already.
  
  
  
  
  
• Time to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a new MPM Prime? It's looking more likely than you might think.
  
• The action is alive with Super7's upcoming Transformers entries in their "Ultimates" lineup. Sorry if our FOMO rubs off on you. Clean it off with cold water.
  
  
  
  
  
• We begin a journey into the Beast Wars with a wish list for Transmetals reissues and a timely listener question from D-Maximal_Primal.
  
• The first issue of the new Beast Wars series from IDW Publishing has been released so we take the time to discuss the book, with it being the first time we've actually wanted to talk comics in quite awhile.
  
  
  
  
  
• We finish up with a round of Bragging Rights, highlighted by Mr. Starscream bringing you a lunchtime special - and we don't meant chocolates

I had initially decided my comment on last episode weren't interesting enough, but then I saw this:

ScottyP wrote:I would take non-interesting posts in the podcast topics at this point.

So I figured I'd post them here (I haven't yet listed to this episode).

I've recently started listening to this (and podcasts in general) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It's good quality discussion about Transformers. Last episode was very enjoyable, and I found the clickbait discussion entertaining, so if there's more where that came from, I would be open to listening about it.

I recently got a Studio Series Jazz, and he just... didn't have any doors (this is apparently a third option for where they go in robot mode). This got me thinking about my recent-ish luck with QC in general. I've had trouble with some toys fitting together* in one mode or the other that nobody else seems to have an issue with. (now going into what could be potentially called "listener questions") How often does this happen for the rest of you? What do you do if/when it does (force the connection, file/sand something down, just leave it, etc.)? On a kind-of related note, should we be concerned about Weaponizer/Modulator/Fossilizer connections getting loose over time as a result of frequently connecting and disconnecting of parts?

*I posted a while back about having a Shadow Raider that didn't fit together properly in vehicle mode (I still haven't gotten around to fully sanding down the parts to fit right). My Siege Barricade's middle hood piece also didn't seem to want to rotate all the way for vehicle mode, so I did some sanding there as well. Lastly, I have an MP-18B whose car front doesn't quite connect to the tab below it in robot mode.

Hydrargyrus wrote:I've recently started listening to this (and podcasts in general) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It's good quality discussion about Transformers. Last episode was very enjoyable, and I found the clickbait discussion entertaining, so if there's more where that came from, I would be open to listening about it.

I recently got a Studio Series Jazz, and he just... didn't have any doors (this is apparently a third option for where they go in robot mode). This got me thinking about my recent-ish luck with QC in general. I've had trouble with some toys fitting together* in one mode or the other that nobody else seems to have an issue with. (now going into what could be potentially called "listener questions") How often does this happen for the rest of you? What do you do if/when it does (force the connection, file/sand something down, just leave it, etc.)? On a kind-of related note, should we be concerned about Weaponizer/Modulator/Fossilizer connections getting loose over time as a result of frequently connecting and disconnecting of parts?

First off, thanks!

Stuff not quite fitting together at the end mainly seems to happen with Movie stuff for me, but certainly not just on that. The Studio Series 74 Bee that came out recently is a good example where it feels like the design causes it. My Voyager Hot Rod's front end has one headlight piece that is perfectly flush but another won't quite go. Either the tab or the slot probably has a tiny amount of extra plastic on it, so which part to cut or sand is a gamble. Might work on the tab with some really high grit sandpaper, or may just leave it rather than risk making it worse. Basically, it's always a gamble and sadly a lot of the newer engineering makes this a frequent occurrence.

I'm typically not concerned about 5mm/3mm pegs wearing out on things like Weaponizers/Fossilizers, but if they do, some clear coat usually fixes them right up. Except for ER Grapple, but he's kind of an outlier.

Hydrargyrus wrote:I had initially decided my comment on last episode weren't interesting enough, but then I saw this:

ScottyP wrote:I would take non-interesting posts in the podcast topics at this point.

So I figured I'd post them here (I haven't yet listed to this episode).

I've recently started listening to this (and podcasts in general) and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It's good quality discussion about Transformers. Last episode was very enjoyable, and I found the clickbait discussion entertaining, so if there's more where that came from, I would be open to listening about it.

I recently got a Studio Series Jazz, and he just... didn't have any doors (this is apparently a third option for where they go in robot mode). This got me thinking about my recent-ish luck with QC in general. I've had trouble with some toys fitting together* in one mode or the other that nobody else seems to have an issue with. (now going into what could be potentially called "listener questions") How often does this happen for the rest of you? What do you do if/when it does (force the connection, file/sand something down, just leave it, etc.)? On a kind-of related note, should we be concerned about Weaponizer/Modulator/Fossilizer connections getting loose over time as a result of frequently connecting and disconnecting of parts?

*I posted a while back about having a Shadow Raider that didn't fit together properly in vehicle mode (I still haven't gotten around to fully sanding down the parts to fit right). My Siege Barricade's middle hood piece also didn't seem to want to rotate all the way for vehicle mode, so I did some sanding there as well. Lastly, I have an MP-18B whose car front doesn't quite connect to the tab below it in robot mode.

I've noticed a lot of the current figures not lining up or tabbing together well in alt mode.

It's actually been a big frustration for me because as long as I've been collecting, I could always say, "Official TFs work. Like the design or not, the tab together well and the tolerances are crisp."

Not so much the past few years. However...

I don't convert my toys often. A handful of times fresh out of the box, but not much after that. I have found, that with many of the newer toys they need to be worn in a bit and then they go together much more cleanly.

The plastic on the new figures seems to be slightly softer, likely because they toys are smaller. I think this plays into it some. I also feel like we're just in the realm of small collectibles now rather than toys that we happen to collect. I'm not sure if that's a distinction without a difference, but if you get it, you get it.

Counterpunch wrote:I also feel like we're just in the realm of small collectibles now rather than toys that we happen to collect. I'm not sure if that's a distinction without a difference, but if you get it, you get it.

If there's a more succinct distillation of the difference between collecting Transformers 15-20 years ago compared to now, I don't know what it is.

Hello again. I finished the episode over the weekend and wanted to follow up.

Coming up with beast modes for traditionally vehicular transformers is something I find very neat. The best one I've seen (which also fits the prompt of non-G1) is this Plesiosaur Pliosaur Lugnut by Josh Burcham:

Source: https://twitter.com/GeneralTekno/status/1178408471651221504

I've also thought that a transmetal fiddler crab could suit Galvatron pretty well. The eyestalks and unbalanced pinchers would really emphasize his lunacy (the big one could become his cannon). He's not non-G1, but Megatronus (I think it was Megatronus) didn't stick to that either.
Cosmos could perhaps be a transmetal horseshoe crab that has an aerial mode akin to Depth Charge.
Flamingos are, in fact, terrifying. Look up pictures of their beaks (especially when opened). With a wide eyes and flexible neck, it's definitely a look.

I also find it interesting that, as you discussed the issue with Hot Rod on the episode, my earlier comment was unknowingly on-topic.