The Energon Pub

News Credits: 33 · Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:25 pm

Issue #66 is starting to hit mailboxes!

The issue features an interview with Kristy Wu - voice of RiD Windblade, a second installment of Another Time and Place which touches on the early days of design for the Headmasters and Targetmasters toys, Another Light part 6 - an 11-page finale to the comic story arc, a bio/history for Shattered Glass Optimus Prime and Megatron detailing how they became Nova Prime and Galvatron, and the Back Page has SDSG part two with Shattered Glass Strongarm and Windblade.

Speaking of, Josh Perez has tweeted out a preview of SG Strongarm:
https://twitter.com/dyemooch/status/674248586620739584

News Credits: 462 · Sat Dec 12, 2015 11:30 pm

Anyone else get their Issue #66 magazine? OH MAN, that comic conclusion was epic!

News Credits: 1 · Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:01 am

Sabrblade wrote:Anyone else get their Issue #66 magazine? OH MAN, that comic conclusion was epic!

Yeah dude, I got mine yesterday. That was freaking incredible. I now have a totally different outlook onBeast Wars II's Planet Gaea lol
That was an awesome twist. A nice little cliffhanger with a silhouette of our Mayhem Attack Squad at the end there, too! Can't wait until the next issue!

News Credits: 656 · Wed Dec 16, 2015 10:36 am

It was fun, but now it made me want another thing I'll almost definitely never have: Primus in that super cool SG deco from this book.

News Credits: 462 · Wed Dec 16, 2015 10:43 am

Would ya'll believe that Gaea isn't actually a "brand new" character? She actually first appeared years ago on both a shirt and an art print that were available way back at the unofficial 2004 BotCon convention. Though, the comic modified her chest to make it smoother and less booby.

Since this pic has been on the Internet for years, I feel safe posting it without fear of spoilers:

News Credits: 1 · Wed Dec 16, 2015 2:35 pm

Sabrblade wrote:Would ya'll believe that Gaea isn't actually a "brand new" character? She actually first appeared years ago on both a shirt and an art print that were available way back at the unofficial 2004 BotCon convention. Though, the comic modified her chest to make it smoother and less booby.

Since this pic has been on the Internet for years, I feel safe posting it without fear of spoilers:

Yeah dude, that was a total trip. Honestly, I was kind of hoping to see Rodimus get the "Prime" upgrade... Perhaps using the Generations Springer mold, much like what Cloud did.

I'm very curious for next year's story, while I'm not really a die-hard G1 kind of fan, it's gonna be very interesting to see where they go, and how FSS4.0 may or may not tie into it.

News Credits: 174 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 1:10 pm

Anybody know what's up with this: Transormers Club now says that all subscriptions will be terminated in December 2016?

Found here

Tue Dec 22, 2015 1:21 pm

Hellscream9999 wrote:Anybody know what's up with this: Transormers Club now says that all subscriptions will be terminated in December 2016?

Found here

It's news to everyone, and the few who actually know are probably barred from saying anything for the moment.

But it doesn't look good for the club continuing past that date.

News Credits: 174 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 1:31 pm

G.B. Blackrock wrote:
Hellscream9999 wrote:Anybody know what's up with this: Transormers Club now says that all subscriptions will be terminated in December 2016?

Found here

It's news to everyone, and the few who actually know are probably barred from saying anything for the moment.

But it doesn't look good for the club continuing past that date.

Huh, guess it must be a thing then, doesn't seem good...

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 2:25 pm

Fello Seibertronian Hellscream6666 has reported a finding on the Transformers Club Store. Pay attention to the last line of the membership listing:

Transformers Club First Class (Domestic Mail) Membership! Join today and get all of the great benefits! You get (6) Bi-Monthly Colored Magazines (Feb April June August October December) and your FREE transformers figure ships in the spring of each year. All memberships will terminate with the December 2016 issue.

This is new and different from the regular subscription renewal and end dates (which are based on the time individuals begin a subscription).

Let us know what you make of this in the discussion.

News Credits: 7 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 2:41 pm

Good, it was high time somebody shut down this club of inept amateurs. Looks like Hasbro finally got wise to these clowns. I was an overpaying international member for exactly one year, but man, never again!!! Still waiting on an apology for the credit card theft, guys!!! A whole year of anxiously checking out my credit card statements to see if Funpub hadn't again decided to hand out all my CC details.
Such good riddance to bad rubbish.

News Credits: 8 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 2:59 pm

i hope this means the club is being shut down, such a ripoff and was run by morons. Hopefully hasbro will move it to a company that knows whats its doing and will make an actual magazine thats actually worth it and not a 5 page pamphlet, and do a better job of getting the figure into the hands of the subscribers since thats the main reason why people join.

News Credits: 42 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:08 pm

If Hasbro gives the convention license to someone who makes the exclusive figures cheaper, then that's fine with me.

News Credits: 122 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:19 pm

I didn't read this as the Club ending post-2016. Not necessarily. I could see them moving to a defined subscription period, kind of like how the Subscription Service is setup: "Want to be a Club member? Well you have to join within this window. Otherwise, no dice." Or, maybe it's something else.

News Credits: 3 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:24 pm

Jesus guys this doesn't mean the club is ending. It's means subscriptions will go from January to December.

Terminate is probably not the best word usage but I certainly didn't take this as TFCC is ending by 2016. it means your subscriptions will end in December now

News Credits: 1 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:32 pm

Hopefully we'll get an official statement regarding this soon. It's certainly worrying wording.

Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:00 pm

It's just circumstantial at present, but all,signs are that this it for FunPub, not just a move to defined annual subscriptions or anything similar. That said, I wouldn't assume the club is going to anyone else. It could easily be that there will BE no club after 2016.

News Credits: 33 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:12 pm

The Transformers Collectors' Club Magazine is and always has been a 16-page edition with a 6-page comic in each. If you are a full-year's member, that's a total of 96 pages filled with interviews and information that you won't find anywhere else, as well as product debuts when available.

If you're a fan of obscure Generation 1 toy trivia, concept art, and unreleased product ideas, the article series "Another Time and Place" will continue into next year. The "Rubber Souls" article will have a very interesting follow up as well, which fans of PVC figures will certainly want to check out!

Lastly, the 6-page comic installments will tell an interesting story also, with a slightly different approach to the universe of Transformers.

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:16 pm

durroth wrote:Hopefully we'll get an official statement regarding this soon. It's certainly worrying wording.

People have reached out to them and this is as good as we have gotten for official statements:

Hello!

In regard to TCC memberships, the only information we have at this time is what is posted online.
Thanks and have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

Source: http://www.allspark.com/2015/12/botcon- ... d-of-2016/

Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:21 pm

I can't stand Funpubs price gouging anyway. So if they are closing up shop it wont hurt my feelings, plus it all makes sense with news of Hasbro trademarking “Cybertron Con” a little over a month ago.

So keep it "in house", make the rates cheaper, more accessible for all collectors and it keeps out 3rd party.

Bout d@mn time Hasbro, just don't disappoint and alienate TF collectors and fans like Botcon did.

News Credits: 4877 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:27 pm

YoungPrime wrote:I can't stand Funpubs price gouging anyway. So if they are closing up shop it wont hurt my feelings, plus it all makes sense with news of Hasbro trademarking “Cybertron Con” a little over a month ago.

So keep it "in house", make the rates cheaper, more accessible for all collectors and it keeps out 3rd party.

Bout d@mn time Hasbro, just don't disappoint and alienate TF collectors and fans like Botcon did.

Come on man, dont give in to the false assumptions. Cybertron Con is for a Hong Kong convention that has been going on for years. Its no relatated. Just google Hong Kong Cybertron Con and you will see its been going on for a while (the prime shockwave lab exclusive was sold there). That was just license renewal to ensure protect that convention in Hong Kong and ensure they can keep using that name, sicne its a very popular convention there.

News Credits: 174 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:38 pm

I would be super interested in seeing more exclusives come out - at much lower price points... These last sets have been as expensive as 3p combiners - and I know which one would give me a better deal for my money... it isn't fp

Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:45 pm

I hope this isn't true. I understand all the hate around FunPub, but you really think the next group is going to be any better? I at least know Pete has a wall of transformers and a love for the franchise. That exhibit in Vegas is not something I'm interested in and I don't think the company behind it is going to be a better alternative to FunPub. Also don't see them making any exclusives at all

As for prices for the club and Botcon, I don't think anyone is getting rich off us at FunPub, it looks more like they just make ends meet.

News Credits: 5 · Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:02 pm

the membership is such a rippoff. I didnt get octobers magazine and the december one is only 12 pages long. im glad fun pup is dead, hopefully somebody else with integrity and ability will take over. ive had 3 magazines this year and as a Canadian I pay a higher price for my membership and keep getting screwed, I'm glad they are done.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Pepsimus · Tue Dec 22, 2015 6:33 pm

I will say that I hope someone takes over the duties for the magazine ASAP other than those who are currently in charge. They already lost Recordicons by David Willis, and it got replaced by some dumb super deformed comic that has no humor in it whatsoever.

The most recent issue, #66, was basically just one long comic. Of the 16 pages (which includes the cover and backcover), 11 were devoted to the shattered glass comic. So, after the comic, cover, and backcover are subtracted, that left just 3 pages of info related pages. Of those 3, we got a credits page which had no real information, and a Teletron profile (again, related to their Shattered Glass comic). The only info page was page 3 that had a half page interview with the voice of Windblade and a half a page look at the creation of the vehicle modes of the headmaster era.

1 page of info total for the whole magazine. Uggh.

Time to turn out the lights on this one, methinks.