The Energon Pub

Fri Aug 31, 2012 2:20 pm

I've launched a Kickstarter project to create a book about third party Transformers toys. Please take a moment to look at the project and check my stretch goals.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/102 ... rence-book

Fri Aug 31, 2012 10:09 pm

At the rate 3rd party stuff comes out, any book would be out-dated in 6 months or less. I would suggest you make a website decicated to 3rd party figures instead of a book. Kind of like a TF Wiki for all 3rd party stuff.

News Credits: 8 · Fri Aug 31, 2012 11:54 pm

philipjreed wrote:I've launched a Kickstarter project to create a book about third party Transformers toys. Please take a moment to look at the project and check my stretch goals.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/102 ... rence-book

I got to agree with X on this 1. The 3rd party scene expands daily, I would say any book would be inaccurate within a week or so at the current rate 3rd party stuff is announced or released. A ever expanding website though, "An un-official 3rd party database" would be epic and would be a great tool for ebayers who are unsure about products. Heck you could even throw some of the knockoffs(KO) on there as well..

Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:48 am

Thanks for the feedback, guys. A site would be neat, but my goal here is to create an introductory book for people unfamiliar with third party pieces and for my own shelf. For all of the third party toys coming out I still frequently chat with people who don't even know these exist.

If this goes well then I'll think about the suggestion for a site.

Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:50 am

Rated X wrote:At the rate 3rd party stuff comes out, any book would be out-dated in 6 months or less. I would suggest you make a website decicated to 3rd party figures instead of a book. Kind of like a TF Wiki for all 3rd party stuff.

Check this out:

http://en.wikialpha.org/wiki/Third_party_Transformer

Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:54 am

philipjreed wrote:Thanks for the feedback, guys. A site would be neat, but my goal here is to create an introductory book for people unfamiliar with third party pieces and for my own shelf. For all of the third party toys coming out I still frequently chat with people who don't even know these exist.

If this goes well then I'll think about the suggestion for a site.

I see your vision. It's just in the age of the internet, not alot of collectors want to spend money on a book. It takes up shelf space and costs money that could be used for more figures.

Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:16 am

Rated X wrote:I see your vision. It's just in the age of the internet, not alot of collectors want to spend money on a book. It takes up shelf space and costs money that could be used for more figures.

I completely understand. I have just always been a fan of print; I understand why magazines are dying but I still wish they could exist forever. But I also collect high-end limited editions of books so I know I am not the norm these days when it comes to print.

Fortunately, it looks like there may be enough interest in the project that it succeeds. (Which means I will get another book for my shelves.)

News Credits: 2 · Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:36 pm

Nice idea dude. You could counter things getting out of date by producing 'volume 1' which could be everything 3rd party from the first accessories to now, and then revisiting the scene a year or so later with Volume 2. I like books like that. I have a nice Starwars one which I like to flick though every now and then.

Heck, I'd love to see a definitive 'classicsverse' guide which shows you all the modern options you have for the G1 characters (official and unofficial). Springer would have a few. Maybe go down that road

Sun Sep 02, 2012 6:43 pm

Tue Sep 04, 2012 6:27 am

First stretch goal unlocked! I'll be announcing the $15k stretch goal later this week.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/102 ... rence-book

Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:38 am

CollectionDX has posted a video interview with me where we talk about the project.

http://www.collectiondx.com/article/epi ... me_voltron

Sat Sep 15, 2012 6:38 pm

Vangelus interviewed me for WTF @ TFW: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/wtf-tfw-t ... 012-a.html

Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:32 am

Now down to the final 50 hours of the project. Thank you to everyone who has supported and made the book better than it would have been.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/102 ... rence-book

News Credits: 2 · Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:17 pm

Congratulations pal, I meant to contribute to this but yet again I forgot completely until it was too late. Best of luck with it all.

News Credits: 49 · Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:25 am

This first PDF went live last night for people to send in corrections before it gets printed. Pretty good read. Wish he had time and space for 300 pages! There are enough potential toys out there now...

Here is a list of what 3P toys made it into the book with at least one picture:

Art Feather Bumblebee (34)
Beezleboss Growing Pains Custom Kits (32), Heroic Duo Custom Kit (33)
BTS Tremor and Frequency (55), Yin and Yang (55)
Corbot V War Axe and Carnage Axe (cover, 30)
Crazydevy Purple mixing barrel (37, 43, 45) and rifle for Hercules (37, 45)
Dr. Wu Eyesight (45)
FansProject Armored Batallion (9-11), Backfiery (5), Code (16), Defender (14-15), Flameblast (13), Protector (4), Steel Core (14-15), Stormbomb (7), Thundershred (8), Warcry (12)
Headrobots Blood (51), Butcher (53), Junk Armor (50), Snake (52, 54)
iGear Autoscout (24), Bee 02 (48), Black Rager (2, 21), Hench (22), Kup Head (25), Manatee (19), Perceptor and Kup Upgrade Kit (26), Rager (21), Rager (anniversary) (18), Shafter (21), Spray (17), UFO (23)
Impossible Toys Alicon (27, 64), Alpha Traon (28-29), Arbilus (28-29, 64), Kranax (28-29, 64), Quint-05 (64)
Junk Planet Warrior Armor Upgrade (49)
Maketoys Hover & Bomber (2, 48), Giant Type-61 (36-45)
Mastermind Creations Cyclops (61), Talon (62), Terminus Hexatron (61)
Mech iDeas Apex (56-57), Geminus (56-57)
MGS Hound and Ravage upgrade (31)
Perfect Effect Kingbat (64), Warrior Type-F (47), Warrior Type-R (47)
TFClub Dr. Crank (36-45 for all Hercules members), Exgraver, Heavy Labor, Iron Army A (58-60, Iron Army B (58-60), Madblender, Neckbreaker, Structor
Toyworld Hegemon (3), Grind Rod (35)
X-Transbots Glider/Air Robot (2, 63), Kobra Power Rat (63), Wild Child/Explorer (63)
Yom-G Wheelie Survivalist (63)

You can read about the book here: http://en.wikialpha.org/wiki/Transforming_Collections

Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:28 am

I still say a website data base would be a better idea than a book. By the the hard copy gets printed, 20 new 3rd party products will have been released and another 20 teased.

News Credits: 49 · Mon Mar 04, 2013 12:06 pm

Rated X wrote:I still say a website data base would be a better idea than a book. By the the hard copy gets printed, 20 new 3rd party products will have been released and another 20 teased.

There IS an online third party Transformer database already. It's at Wikialpha.

http://en.wikialpha.org/wiki/Third_party_Transformer

This book is not a database of all third party Transformer toys. It is a coffee table photo book of some pictures of some third party Transformers.

Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:19 pm

Scaleface wrote:
Rated X wrote:I still say a website data base would be a better idea than a book. By the the hard copy gets printed, 20 new 3rd party products will have been released and another 20 teased.

There IS an online third party Transformer database already. It's at Wikialpha.

http://en.wikialpha.org/wiki/Third_party_Transformer

This book is not a database of all third party Transformer toys. It is a coffee table photo book of some pictures of some third party Transformers.

I was thinking something bigger than a section of Wikialpha. Something similar to this website but without Hasbro products. (except add-ons of course) My problem with the book idea is that theres always some groundbreaking news in the 3rd party scene. Any book printed would be outdated in 6 months. TFC just announced a new combiner today. FP Motormaster has yet to be revealed. How about Hexatron ? Feral Rex ? Maybe this guy should publish a quarterly magazine instead.

News Credits: 49 · Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:39 pm

There are over a hundred pages of content on wikialpha about third party Transformers. As for message boards, pleanty of those out there. I don't know what else you want.

Yes, any printed material will be dated, but that's the nature of printed material. No different from when someone released a printed book about Transformers. Some people will buy it, other will say it's dated. This book is not a reference work, nor it is the "latest thing", and yes, you could probably print a quarterly magazine on the subject of third party Transformers, but that's not happening yet. There was talk of a second volume, with the best of the new stuff, and some classics that got overlooked.

I did notice that one Headrobots toy seems to premier in this book, and there are a few prototype photos of unreleased toys like Terminus Hexatron and MMC's Talon.

Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:48 pm

Scaleface wrote:There are over a hundred pages of content on wikialpha about third party Transformers. As for message boards, pleanty of those out there. I don't know what else you want.

Yes, any printed material will be dated, but that's the nature of printed material. No different from when someone released a printed book about Transformers. Some people will buy it, other will say it's dated. This book is not a reference work, nor it is the "latest thing", and yes, you could probably print a quarterly magazine on the subject of third party Transformers, but that's not happening yet. There was talk of a second volume, with the best of the new stuff, and some classics that got overlooked.

I did notice that one Headrobots toy seems to premier in this book, and there are a few prototype photos of unreleased toys like Terminus Hexatron and MMC's Talon.

I got a book lying around somewhere that says Lance Armstrong owns seven Tour de France titles.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:13 am

I'm assuming if all goes well a Volume 2 wouldn't be out of the question

News Credits: 6188 · Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:06 am

That looks like an amazingly impressive project, very well done! :APPLAUSE:

I agree with Banjo-Tron, if this goes well, it could turn into a series (if there is time, funds and willigness to do so, of course).

I don't think being up to date is the primary concern of the book, Rated X; as he pointed out, it's a collection of images and descriptions of third party figures, intended as an introduction to the third party scene and as reference material up to printing point.
(I also see it as a a collector's piece in itself, like, say, the Marvel Encyclopedia or Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross; by nature, they will have to be out of date, but they can be a nice addition to someone's collection.)

And it seems to successfully be doing that, in my opinion.