The Energon Pub

I'm really on the fence about this line...
I don't think anything looks particularly bad, but I've never been into base alt modes.
I never was into Headmasters. I don't mind the look overall, except it does effect the look of the headsculpt a bit.
May be a game time decision when I start seeing them in stores.

Could see it going either way, really. Could end up with some of these, or pass on the entire line completely. I guess I'm leaning towards getting Galvatron, but just not totally sold yet.
My checking account needs a bit of a breather from CW/UW purchases anyway.
And holding off now makes it easy to pull the trigger later when what I consider "must haves" are released.
aka Abominus, Predaking, and Piranacon.

Not sure if this is the right place to talk about this, but I've been writing my own fiction for the Prime Wars Trilogy in my spare time. Does anybody want to read any of it, because I'm thinking about posting it online once I'm finished with it.

Well, to talk about Titans Return some more, I really can't wait for these to come out, they all look so cool! My wallet is about to be in pain.

DigitalBrave3 wrote:Not sure if this is the right place to talk about this, but I've been writing my own fiction for the Prime Wars Trilogy in my spare time. Does anybody want to read any of it, because I'm thinking about posting it online once I'm finished with it.

Here is a the site's fanfiction section for posting just such works - http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/fan-fiction-f9.php

Sabrblade wrote:

DigitalBrave3 wrote:Not sure if this is the right place to talk about this, but I've been writing my own fiction for the Prime Wars Trilogy in my spare time. Does anybody want to read any of it, because I'm thinking about posting it online once I'm finished with it.

Here is a the site's fanfiction section for posting just such works - http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/fan-fiction-f9.php

Thanks!

DigitalBrave3 wrote:I would like a Titans Return Sunstreaker, only because IDW.

Seconded. Early IDW deserves some love and if they're making Hot Rod a Headmaster then why not a character that was a canon Headmaster anyway?

Plus he'd be an army builder.

Anyway, overall I like what I'm seeing. I'll go Takara for character I like - Galvatron, Hot Rod, Blurr, Scourge - and go Hasbro for characters I'm only "meh" on. I'm not sure I'll get every character from this line. It has more appeal than Combiner Wars since CW repeated many characters I already had in superior forms (like Wheeljack).

But I was never into Headmasters as a kid. IDW has gone a long way towards making me actually care about them in any capacity. But there's a few I definitely won't get. I don't need Soundwave or Blaster or any of the "cassettes". Getaway ... meh.

The fan voted Tripticon cannot come out fast enough for me, though. I really hope they don't muck him up by forcing him to have a robot mode, though. This guy should have come out instead of Titan Devestator. Devy didn't need to be the odd man out of the size class.

Interesting if the pounce/wingspan rumor/speculation turns out to be true after funpub went ahead and did them (better even, maybe?), be interesting to see who gets used, as blurr/brainstorm work, but what beast-former can turn into a cat and then be re-shelled into an eagle-thing

I am very happy with that Hot Rod. Still wish he was more IDW and a voyager, but ya know what? He's cool!

Seibertron wrote:Plus who wouldn't want to see the ultimate "Titanmaster" ... a Headmaster who's powered by a Powermaster engine and has a Targetmaster weapon! Now that would have been awesome.

I want this something fierce.

Seibertron wrote:I'd really like to see an IDW spin-off toy line. It's time. I thought they were heading down that track with the amazing Ultra Magnus, but it seems like we veered in another direction of late. Here's hoping that they revisit the concepts at a later date. Man I'd love to see a more "IDW" looking Rodimus. At this point, I'm thinking an entire series ala Transformers Animated but with Alex Milne and Andrew Griffith at the helm instead of Animated's Derrick Wyatt.

How many times can we agree in one thread? I love the IDW designs, and I'm a bit sad this Hot Rod looks almost nothing like his IDW counterpart.

DigitalBrave3 wrote:I would like a Titans Return Sunstreaker, only because IDW.

I have been on this and would be so into it. I mean come on! Only 1 or 2 headmasters in IDW and they won't do him?? Heresy!

D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I am very happy with that Hot Rod. Still wish he was more IDW and a voyager, but ya know what? He's cool!

Seibertron wrote:Plus who wouldn't want to see the ultimate "Titanmaster" ... a Headmaster who's powered by a Powermaster engine and has a Targetmaster weapon! Now that would have been awesome.

I want this something fierce.

Seibertron wrote:I'd really like to see an IDW spin-off toy line. It's time. I thought they were heading down that track with the amazing Ultra Magnus, but it seems like we veered in another direction of late. Here's hoping that they revisit the concepts at a later date. Man I'd love to see a more "IDW" looking Rodimus. At this point, I'm thinking an entire series ala Transformers Animated but with Alex Milne and Andrew Griffith at the helm instead of Animated's Derrick Wyatt.

How many times can we agree in one thread? I love the IDW designs, and I'm a bit sad this Hot Rod looks almost nothing like his IDW counterpart.

Sadly, it's far moremoved likely Hasbro will have IDW start drawing the characters like their toys, like they did with Starscream. I thought Magnus was a good sign too, but now I think it's more if a fluke.

Ironhidensh wrote:Sadly, it's far moremoved likely Hasbro will have IDW start drawing the characters like their toys, like they did with Starscream. I thought Magnus was a good sign too, but now I think it's more if a fluke.

Magnus's Leader toy was based on Nick Roche's comic design of the character, so he already looked like that in the comics long before the Leader toy was conceived. His toy was one of the many that were based on a comic design, rather than the opposite of having the comic use a character's toy design.

Not to mention the fact that despite being a retooled combiner limb, CW First Aid looks very IDW. He's easily one of my favourite figures rn because of that fact.
I think we'll see a few more IDW homages like in Generations from now on; I don't think we can seriously expect them to have pulled it off when already making so many sacrifices - and yet they still managed to pull off one or two like First Aid and Magnus.
This is still heavily G1-based but we're already seeing a few IDW homages in Megsy and Rewind; plus a lot of the designs seen so far at least don't deviate much from IDW's.

Kurona wrote:Not to mention the fact that despite being a retooled combiner limb, CW First Aid looks very IDW.

Does he, though? I had a look at his head back when I was listing all the IDW-inspired Generations toys, and it looks less like IDW G1 First Aid specifically and more just like a general non-specific-version of G1 First Aid, with any similarities to IDW First Aid being only rudimentary. Is there something I missed?

Only Magnus and Brainstorm really look like their IDW designs, in my opinion. They are two of the best looking figures we've gotten, as well.

Chromedome's head is based very much on the Nick Roche design from IDW. The body not so much. Same with Rewind.

Ironhidensh wrote:Only Magnus and Brainstorm really look like their IDW designs, in my opinion. They are two of the best looking figures we've gotten, as well.

Wait, are you referring to Generations as a whole? Then what about Skids? Deluxe Megatron? Swerve? Tailgate? Trailcutter? Springer?

Kurona wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:Only Magnus and Brainstorm really look like their IDW designs, in my opinion. They are two of the best looking figures we've gotten, as well.

Wait, are you referring to Generations as a whole? Then what about Skids? Deluxe Megatron? Swerve? Tailgate? Trailcutter? Springer?

I'll give you springer.

The problem is IDW has moved on to almost all Cybertronian alt modes, and Hasbro still kept most generations figures with Earth alt modes.

Doesn't make them bad toys.

Ironhidensh wrote:

Kurona wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:Only Magnus and Brainstorm really look like their IDW designs, in my opinion. They are two of the best looking figures we've gotten, as well.

Wait, are you referring to Generations as a whole? Then what about Skids? Deluxe Megatron? Swerve? Tailgate? Trailcutter? Springer?

I'll give you springer.

The problem is IDW has moved on to almost all Cybertronian alt modes, and Hasbro still kept most generations figures with Earth alt modes.

Doesn't make them bad toys.

Yeah, it's primarily the robot modes that Hasbro used for the IDW-inspired Generations toys. But all of the following Generations toys (whether in just robot mode or all modes) are based on designs that originated in either the comics or by the comics' artists:

Deluxe Autobot Drift
Deluxe Blurr
Deluxe Thunderwing (his headsculpt design)
Japanese Deluxe Ratbat (his headsculpt design)
Legends class Optimus Prime
Legends class Starscream
Legends class Megatron
Legends class Swerve
Legends class Tailgate
Deluxe Trailcutter
Deluxe Orion Pax
Deluxe Megatron
Deluxe Bumblebee
Deluxe Autobot Skids
Voyager Autobot Springer
Voyager Autobot Whirl (his head and legs are inspired by his MTMTE design, but not directly based on them)
Voyager Sky-Byte (certain elements like the details on his right arm are based on his IDW design)
Voyager Brainstorm
Legends class Thundercracker
Legends class Skywarp
Leader Thundercracker
Leader Ultra Magnus
Leader Starscream
Leader Skywarp
Legends class Autobot Rewind
Deluxe Chromedome (his robot mode is his "Shadowplay" body)
Voyager Sentinel Prime (his face is based on IDW Sentinel's armored up face)

Sabrblade wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:Sadly, it's far moremoved likely Hasbro will have IDW start drawing the characters like their toys, like they did with Starscream. I thought Magnus was a good sign too, but now I think it's more if a fluke.

Magnus's Leader toy was based on Nick Roche's comic design of the character, so he already looked like that in the comics long before the Leader toy was conceived. His toy was one of the many that were based on a comic design, rather than the opposite of having the comic use a character's toy design.

Hasbro has occasionally consulted with artists on designs, right? I'm not sure how much is, say, Hasbro developing a toy with an artist in well in advance of a figure, how much is the reverse.

I know Hasbro has gotten yelled at by comic artists when they use designs from a comic without additional compensation, which may make them gunshy.

That said, I also know Thomas Scioli seems to think it would be cool if they adapted some of his designs (I'd personally love his Jack Kirby Rodimus). And sometimes artists are riffing on concepts they got from Hasbro or Fun Pub. (I'm pretty sure Fun Pub proposed the idea of G1 Prowl as a motorcycle that was basically Animated Prowl in G1 colors to Eryck Webb. The figure never happened that I can recall but I understand that it was designed by Webb at the request of someone else because somebody had plans for G1 Prowl as a motorcycle.)

My suspicion is that it's one of those deals where the work done on the comics is for-hire at rates well below what Hasbro would pay a toy concept artist with IDW probably transferring the rights to new designs to Hasbro. So Hasbro probably has every right to use the designs but there's bad PR potential as the comic artists probably don't make the kind of money per illustration that a product designer would make. So they'd want to -- extra diplomatically -- be certain that they aren't going to get bad PR from using the design.

RodimusRex wrote:That said, I also know Thomas Scioli seems to think it would be cool if they adapted some of his designs (I'd personally love his Jack Kirby Rodimus).

You don't happen to have an image of this, do you?

Ironhidensh wrote:
Sadly, it's far moremoved likely Hasbro will have IDW start drawing the characters like their toys, like they did with Starscream. I thought Magnus was a good sign too, but now I think it's more if a fluke.

I'm equally as bummed. We had some great toys made to look like the character already in fiction, like Brainstorm and Magnus, 2 of my favorite molds altogether. I just wish we got some more designs like that. IDW Rodimus for example is a great one and he has an awesome head sculpt. Also wish they would do IDW Ratchet.

RodimusRex wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

Ironhidensh wrote:Sadly, it's far moremoved likely Hasbro will have IDW start drawing the characters like their toys, like they did with Starscream. I thought Magnus was a good sign too, but now I think it's more if a fluke.

Magnus's Leader toy was based on Nick Roche's comic design of the character, so he already looked like that in the comics long before the Leader toy was conceived. His toy was one of the many that were based on a comic design, rather than the opposite of having the comic use a character's toy design.

Hasbro has occasionally consulted with artists on designs, right? I'm not sure how much is, say, Hasbro developing a toy with an artist in well in advance of a figure, how much is the reverse.

In the case of Ultra Magnus, Nick Roche did his design for MTMTE, debuting in the first issue in January 2012. The Leader class toy didn't come along until just last year, three whole years after Roche's design debuted.

Hasbro making a toy based a preexisting comic design from several years before is not unprecedented, as the Generations Deluxe class Bumblebee and Megatron toys that came out in 2013 both used designs that originated from comics as far back as 2010. Even the upcoming Voyager class Astrotrain uses a transformation scheme that is based on the Astrotrain concept sketch from the Stormbringer TPB that was released all the way back in 2007.

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:

RodimusRex wrote:That said, I also know Thomas Scioli seems to think it would be cool if they adapted some of his designs (I'd personally love his Jack Kirby Rodimus).

You don't happen to have an image of this, do you?

Cobotron wrote:

Kurona wrote: So don't be surprised if this guy's called Offshoot or some mangling of Firebolt like... Fire... Laser... Man.

Yup! I vote for FireLaserMan!

That figure looks coooool.

'GO! Fire laser Man! The children are in danger!'

Hey Cobotron, I never commented, but I read one of your comments awhile back about MP 28 and how you prefer the beefy look of the G1 toy with the exhausts and wheels on his legs instead of his animation ballet dancer self, and it got me thinking; what if it was possible to make a Hot Rod figure where you can choose to keep those bits there, or move them off-looks like TR Hot Rod can do just that!

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:

RodimusRex wrote:That said, I also know Thomas Scioli seems to think it would be cool if they adapted some of his designs (I'd personally love his Jack Kirby Rodimus).

You don't happen to have an image of this, do you?

Incidentally, I'm not sure how you transflate the flame deco (those dts, in comics, tend to represent glowing energy) but one of the novel things was that instead of being a decal, it was more of a window into a glowing chamber in his chest.

hinomars19 wrote:

Cobotron wrote:

Kurona wrote: So don't be surprised if this guy's called Offshoot or some mangling of Firebolt like... Fire... Laser... Man.

Yup! I vote for FireLaserMan!

That figure looks coooool.

'GO! Fire laser Man! The children are in danger!'

Hey Cobotron, I never commented, but I read one of your comments awhile back about MP 28 and how you prefer the beefy look of the G1 toy with the exhausts and wheels on his legs instead of his animation ballet dancer self, and it got me thinking; what if it was possible to make a Hot Rod figure where you can choose to keep those bits there, or move them off-looks like TR Hot Rod can do just that!

Hinomars, you been lurkin' the 'Tron?

*goes and looks at TR Hot Rod for the umpteenth time*

Hey, you're right! I wonder where those pipes went? Hiding behind his calves maybe? Honestly I like Rod to have pipes on his legs in plain site. Just bolsters the idea of a "Hot Rod" for me. I like car parts hanging off bots. You know what this TR version does? It gives us the best of both worlds. He maintains a slender cut to his legs, but has some nice sculpted details on his shins. Although those shapes on his shins are simplified from past versions, the still evoke the the triangles and shin intake that is so prevalent on the older toys.
So are you thinking those panels with the wheels could swing back around to the side if you wanted the wheels to hang off his calves?
I like everything about this new Hot Rod, and can't wait to get one!