The Energon Pub

[william-james88]

Not everything Generations being sold at the stores is going to older collectors. There is a healthy mix of both, but I would still maintain that these lines are more intended for children.

I'd love to see the look on the 8 year olds face who's Grandma just got him Generations Rattrap or Jhiaxus as a gift...has no idea who or what it is .

I was given beast machines Tankor from my grandma when I was 10 and he looked nothing like anything I knew even if i was watching the show. But I liked transformers and just played with it and enjoyed it. Same goes for all those Beast Wars toys that never appeared on the show.

Also your comment just dissed a ton of G1 toys that never appeared on the show. And yet kids loved em enough that we are now getting them redone for a new generations.

To be fair, a lot of those toys ended up appearing in the Marvel comics instead like the wreckers. I think the only ones that never got fictional representation - before the cartoon ended - were the deluxe Insecticons, the Omnibots and the Powerdashers... and I certainly don't see them getting remade any time soon, bar the odd occasional Chop Shop because what else do you repaint Shrapnel into

But that assumes kids read the comic, which was not as popular as the tv show. Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

The point is you dont need media to sell a specific toy once a kid knows the brand.

[Kurona]

Not everything Generations being sold at the stores is going to older collectors. There is a healthy mix of both, but I would still maintain that these lines are more intended for children.

I'd love to see the look on the 8 year olds face who's Grandma just got him Generations Rattrap or Jhiaxus as a gift...has no idea who or what it is .

I was given beast machines Tankor from my grandma when I was 10 and he looked nothing like anything I knew even if i was watching the show. But I liked transformers and just played with it and enjoyed it. Same goes for all those Beast Wars toys that never appeared on the show.

Also your comment just dissed a ton of G1 toys that never appeared on the show. And yet kids loved em enough that we are now getting them redone for a new generations.

To be fair, a lot of those toys ended up appearing in the Marvel comics instead like the wreckers. I think the only ones that never got fictional representation - before the cartoon ended - were the deluxe Insecticons, the Omnibots and the Powerdashers... and I certainly don't see them getting remade any time soon, bar the odd occasional Chop Shop because what else do you repaint Shrapnel into

But that assumes kids read the comic, which was not as popular as the tv show. Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

The point is you dont need media to sell a specific toy once a kid knows the brand.

This is true, and I agree with you - after all, I have been saying that the whole time.

Just saying that the only ones that didn't get fictional representation at the time are the ones no-one really remembers. I think people remember a random pretender before remembering Camshaft was a guy that exists.

And, well... there certainly must have been some fanbase for the Marvel comics. They were able to run well past the cartoon - into 1990 - it's original 4-issue miniseries was enough to prompt a whole series, it was apparently one of the most popular comics with kids at the time, and there's a whole slew of Marvel-exclusive characters - whether they have basis in toy or not - that we remember and love from just the Marvel stories like Impactor, Scrounge, Bludgeon, Thunderwing and Straxus. All of which have later gotten official toys.

So yeah, while not as well known as the cartoon, I'd say there's definitely some proof to it's popularity.

[Agamemnon]

Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

Nope, that was me too. (That's why Frenzy is red and Rumble is blue. *ducks*) I didn't get into comics until well after the Marvel TF run ended.

And ultimately, I got into Transformers because it was a really cool toy! Sure the show influenced my desire to get some of the toys, but most of my desire was because of what my friends had. And I would spend my allowance money on whatever was available in the store. My son does the same thing, regardless of the media. (In fact, we have had so much trouble catching the new RiD show on the tube that neither he nor I even know what is going on in the show. I just like the way some of the toys look, working them into my Classics/Generations head canon...)

So, to bring this back around, I think Hasbro is doing a decent enough job these days making toys that appeal to both my son and me. But, I like that I can use my 40-something year old disposable income on some cooler looking stuff from Takara from time to time. (UW Computron will me mine. Oh, yes....)

(I just wish the prices weren't getting so up there....)

[william-james88]

So, to bring this back around, I think Hasbro is doing a decent enough job these days making toys that appeal to both my son and me. But, I like that I can use my 40-something year old disposable income on some cooler looking stuff from Takara from time to time. (UW Computron will me mine. Oh, yes....)

He will be mine too, I cant wait (he's on his way now, but wont be here for another 2 weeks or so).

Oh and Ag, while i have you here, this pic I found made me think of you.

[Agamemnon]

So, to bring this back around, I think Hasbro is doing a decent enough job these days making toys that appeal to both my son and me. But, I like that I can use my 40-something year old disposable income on some cooler looking stuff from Takara from time to time. (UW Computron will me mine. Oh, yes....)

He will be mine too, I cant wait (he's on his way now, but wont be here for another 2 weeks or so).

Oh and Ag, while i have you here, this pic I found made me think of you.

Gee, why would you think that?



Shoot...I need those eyes!! Takara, get on that!!

[o.supreme]

Also your comment just dissed a ton of G1 toys that never appeared on the show. And yet kids loved em enough that we are now getting them redone for a new generations.

True story--My first TF toy was Twin Twist. Always hoped he would show up in the animated series...never did...I thought he sucked.

A friend of mine had Whirl...he put him on a barbecue pit to watch it melt...I'm not saying this was smart by any means...But I think years later we forget how lackluster non-show characters are, because as adults we can appreciate them more, and because of their lack of media exposure...we in some ways want them more.

My favorite BW toys were Magnaboss & Tripredacus, they never appeared in the BW show, but I was an adult when this series came out, so I really didn't care. As a kid, I would have totally felt ripped-off that they didn't appear in the BW series.

--just to clarify, as an adult I think most TF toys are pretty cool. The design of deluxe insecticons, RB & Whirl, etc... But I'm pretty sure if you were to ask Hasbro, toys that represent characters as soon on TV sell much better than those that don't. In fact I'm sure they produce those toys in higher quantities in anticipation of it.

[o.supreme]

But that assumes kids read the comic, which was not as popular as the tv show. Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

The first comic I ever saw was issue #5, the first one I purchased was #9, then after a long absence I became regular with #25, and got all the back issues. But I spent pretty much the whole 3-4 years complaining, and even wrote letters to Marvel Comics why they didn't portray the characters correctly (i.e. the way the cartoon did) no wonder none of my letters ever appeared in Transmissions .

[D-Maximal_Primal]

I also don't see the oopla with the new hands and feet. The feet for Victorion don't do too well for me, so I can get over it, and I prefer the HFG anyway

[Hellscream9999]

I also don't see the oopla with the new hands and feet. The feet for Victorion don't do too well for me, so I can get over it, and I prefer the HFG anyway

I prefer wider feet for combiners with wider legs (like the cars, or tanks) the hfg's proportions look way off

Plus ankle-tilts seem really helpful

[grimdragon2001]

got my Computron today. Really like this guy. Strafe, Nosecone and Afterburner are wonderful retools and its nice to finally get to play with the Blast-Off mold. Lightspeed looks great with the Wheeljack mold and I love that red. Scattershot is done very well, really fond of the retooling he got. Awesome set

[Agamemnon]

UW Computron just hit my POL at BBTS. Waiting one week to see if TR Soundwave hits...

[Sabrblade]

[Kurona]

and there's a whole slew of Marvel-exclusive characters - whether they have basis in toy or not - that we remember and love from just the Marvel stories like Impactor, Scrounge, Bludgeon, Thunderwing and Straxus. All of which have later gotten official toys.

Though, Thunderwing and Bludgeon had already had official toys in 1989.

Oh I know; I was simply saying that at the time the Marvel comics were their only fictional representation and what they got popular off of; hence why they were popular enough to receive later toys in ROTF and Generations.

[nycPrime]

But that assumes kids read the comic, which was not as popular as the tv show. Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

I grew up with the G1 cartoon, but don't really remember too much after the movie. I had no idea there were any TF comics at that time, and still have yet to read any. I did recently re-watch all of G1 US cartoons and the Japanese Headmaster series. Still have no real interest in the comics.

[Va'al]

But that assumes kids read the comic, which was not as popular as the tv show. Am I the only one who watched the show but didnt read the comics?

Italy hasn't really had the comics in any significant way, still today. We have summaries of the original runs, we have reviews, we have access to the English versions (but widely so only post-internet), and we have the Panini translations of the 2007 onwards movie stuff, plus Infiltration. So cartoons it was for those of us who could watch them. I never really saw G1 until muuuuuuuch later, Beast Wars (Biocombat) was my introduction.

As Sabrblade says above, the UK had a completely different landscape, given the weekly nature of Marvel UK material and the direct link between the 1986 movie and the comics.

[X3ROhour]

Stranger and stranger...

I had almost no interest in Victorion
Yet here I am
In deep contemplation on this beauty.

The power of a good/catchy advertisement aka back story

Absolutely
And
Lotsa black

Hmmmmm...?
Still odd, though

[BATTLEMASTER IIC]

I just got UW Computron in the mail today from AmiAmi. I'm surprised how fast it came from Japan with EMS. It shipped out on the 27th, arrived in Jamaica, NY on the afternoon of the 28th (I didn't even know there was a Jamaica in NY), and arrived at my home today just south of Rochester, NY. The three-day shipping almost makes up for the extra I paid with the exchange rate!

I'm looking forward to playing around with the set tonight.

[Ultra Mad]

Got mine from Amiami also today. It was a very quick delivery. However, beside the exchange rate catching up with my wallet, I also received custom fees at delivery (It's only the second time I had to pay custom fees since I started importing TF toys but stil, the timing sucked).I'm glad I have him but somehow my enjoyement of this set is slightly diminished with all the additional fees that came with it.

[nycPrime]

Got mine from Amiami also today. It was a very quick delivery. However, beside the exchange rate catching up with my wallet, I also received custom fees at delivery (It's only the second time I had to pay custom fees since I started importing TF toys but stil, the timing sucked).I'm glad I have him but somehow my enjoyement of this set is slightly diminished with all the additional fees that came with it.

That sucks! I've never imported from Japan before. Are the customs fees totally random? And what is the % fee?

[Ultra Mad]

My import fees were the taxes I would have paid if I would have bought the item in Canada (so 15%) and I was hit with a handling fee of 9,95$ from Canada post. (They wrote on the package it was a fee for taking over delivery from EMS). So Basicaly, I paid 31$ at delivery But again, it's only the second time I had to pay such fees importing.

[Emerje]

Got mine from Amiami also today. It was a very quick delivery. However, beside the exchange rate catching up with my wallet, I also received custom fees at delivery (It's only the second time I had to pay custom fees since I started importing TF toys but stil, the timing sucked).I'm glad I have him but somehow my enjoyement of this set is slightly diminished with all the additional fees that came with it.

That sucks! I've never imported from Japan before. Are the customs fees totally random? And what is the % fee?

US consumers don't pay customs fees or duty from Japan on items valued under US$2,000 for personal use.

And for those fretting over TFSource pushing the date back, don't worry about it too much. My admittedly limited experience with them has left me waiting a week or more after release for them to process my imports. If it makes you feel better I placed my order on day one and I haven't gotten a payment request from them yet either.

Emerje

[Ultra Mad]

No import fees under 2,000$ purchase in the US? You're lucky. I wish it was the same in Canada.

[Cobotron]

Canada and the UK have strict customs. I feel for you guys.

[Kurona]

We... do? I remember buying Legends Arcee which I sorely regret and Legends Super Armadascream and having no trouble.

[Cobotron]

We... do? I remember buying Legends Arcee which I sorely regret and Legends Super Armadascream and having no trouble.

I've heard some stories. Does Scotland have different customs than England? You have different Pounds. (which I still don't understand. No need to explain. Way too off topic. )