The Energon Pub

[blackeyedprime]

In a world where certain brands have figures from every company and their dog, to figures of company dogs...or other companies willing to churn out multiple versions and waste just by not including a masked/unmasked head whist other IPs may not have even got a single figure.

That or merch may be so limited or so old (or even worse old, fragile and limited) or plain just not done great the first time around.

Maybe the licence was something only five people in the world watched. Plenty of stuff out there that I'd never watch and that gets merch so hey ho let's have at those too.

Here's a few of mine:

Highlander (tv series) duncan, Amanda hey if they want to do a non toon version of qunitin then go for it. Highlander films often see sporadic figures but duncan is the one to me.

Forevernight just 3 figures, some one sometime. Maybe neca.

All the Sam raimi/Robert tapert shows but maybe just the main characters. Xena, hercules (all the gods/demi gods) , Brisco, cleopatra, American gothic..

Magnum (I want playmobil magnum dang it, Higgins and the boys would look great)

Dallas reaction style figures - OK, I don't want these but believe that it should have merch.

Primal, I want a spear and fang yesterday. Not just some uber expensive iron studios statue or something.


Manta force (diaclone style?) I'd like some bigger action figures of the troopers, this line could go full on reinvention and I'd still be interested.

[blackeyedprime]

I gotta scratch playmobil Magnum PI off my never made list

https://www.playmobil.co.uk/magnum_-p.i ... imageMain2

Doesnt come with the boys and I'd want the Helicopter too but really cant complain, guess I'll switch that to modern Magnum PI

[Emerje]

That's awesome! Only complaint is that Higgin's hair is all wrong, but otherwise that's a great set!

Emerje

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Phantom 2040 (and by extension, the wider legacy of Pulp Heroes)

I do have a real fondness for Pulp Heroes. My friends that are aware of this, know not to mention a Certain 80's adaptation that really grates on me. This is probably though, my favourite iteration of The Ghost Who Walks. Because it was a blend of Pulp Hero within a sci-fi Future setting. Well regarded as it is. It is still an outlier legacy series of a classic comic book character not represented by the Big Two. Although Neca are knocking it out of the park with their DotE line. I doubt they will move this far down the line of the Phantom.

[blackeyedprime]

I cant see Neca doing Phantom 2040, the body to leg proportions is too similar to Guyvers requiring a new body type.

I can see them doing a Billy Zane though just downsize the super shredder body for the muscle definitions hahahaha I'd be down for a Billy Zane from Demon Knight too (even Titanic- best character in it, made me cry when he found out he was being cheated on).

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Just like the Highlander cartoon, which I similarly remember fondly. Phantom 2040 was very stylised. Which is often a strike against it, when it comes to figure representation. The Phantom film, as with The Shadow film from around the same time. They were fine. Aesthetically, their heart was in the right place at least. I enjoy them on the same level as The Rocketeer or Darkman.

[snavej]

My Little Snowflake! It would complain about a billion different things and then collapse on the floor and cry for hours.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

As we've discussed elsewhere, StarCom was a great line with a high-end show.



The magnet gimmick alongside how (for the time) intricate and interconnected the vehicles were, really made it stand out to me as a kid. Yet, the fact that it is vehicle based is likely the main reason a collector focused toyline wouldn't reappear. Anything other than a reduced scale line which would amount to models. Would likely be too cost-prohibitive for a franchise that has been dormant for the better part of 30+ years now.

[Emerje]

Yes loved Starcom as a kid, though I only had 2; the one in the top photo with 4 wheels and a big yellow gun on back and a "good" white 4 legged walker that came with a big yellow crate it could attach underneath and fly off with by way of pop out VTOL thrusters. Very creative stuff in that line.

Emerje

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Yes loved Starcom as a kid, though I only had 2; the one in the top photo with 4 wheels and a big yellow gun on back and a "good" white 4 legged walker that came with a big yellow crate it could attach underneath and fly off with by way of pop out VTOL thrusters. Very creative stuff in that line.

Emerje

I had a couple of the Shadow Parasites and a bigger thing that I can't really recall enough to google search now. My brother had some of the Starcom sets too. Looking it up, Mattel now has the rights to Starcom. Which is probably another reason it won't come back. I mean I just discovered recently that an indie studio has a line of Earthworm Jim figures on the way. Which is the only way these kind of properties do more than just be sat on.

[Emerje]

Yes loved Starcom as a kid, though I only had 2; the one in the top photo with 4 wheels and a big yellow gun on back and a "good" white 4 legged walker that came with a big yellow crate it could attach underneath and fly off with by way of pop out VTOL thrusters. Very creative stuff in that line.

Emerje

I had a couple of the Shadow Parasites and a bigger thing that I can't really recall enough to google search now. My brother had some of the Starcom sets too. Looking it up, Mattel now has the rights to Starcom. Which is probably another reason it won't come back. I mean I just discovered recently that an indie studio has a line of Earthworm Jim figures on the way. Which is the only way these kind of properties do more than just be sat on.

The thing is both Hasbro and Mattel are good about licensing out their stuff, just look at Super7. I can only imagine the issue is more with their licensing costs and unless a company is big enough to to produce things in numbers that can get their stuff into stores (not to mention be sure the nostalgia is really there and not just a vocal fan minority) those costs become hard to overcome and you end up with companies like Ramen Toys that go the KO rout instead (Centurions) but also sometimes doesn't (Silverhawks).

Emerje

[Triggerdick Megatron]

You know I really wish Mattel would bring back Mighty Max. I adored the MM toys and the cartoon, it's on youtube btw.

I know they had a vote at the San Diego Comic-con where they asked what franchise you would like to see return and the top 2 (in no particular order) where Street Sharks & Mighty Max. There is hope!

[Emerje]

You know I really wish Mattel would bring back Mighty Max. I adored the MM toys and the cartoon, it's on youtube btw.

I know they had a vote at the San Diego Comic-con where they asked what franchise you would like to see return and the top 2 (in no particular order) where Street Sharks & Mighty Max. There is hope!

20+ years ago micro playsets were everywhere, and now there's nothing. I wonder what happened? There's still the occasional girls toys, but I wonder why these failed with boys?

Emerje

[Aladar The Outmode]

I'm probably going pretty deep cut and obscure with this, but if you remember the action figure lineup for a little series called Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, you'll know there were some glaring omissions from the cast like XL Torque Commander Nebula and most criminally, Mira Nova the Tangean princess that joined Buzz's team because she found royal life monotonous. Now I don't want to see these figures done with modern sensibilities even slightly. I want to see them done in a way that fits with the original figures so you can finally complete your cast of the series if you still have them after all these years. Minimal posing if any, some neat little action feature built into them or as an accessory and mimicking the stylized look of the older figures to the letter. But let's be real it'll never happen. Hell, the first wave of figures based on the show was released under the Toy Story 2 and Beyond moniker, so I don't see it getting much respect any time soon. At least my favorite villain from the show got more respect as a toy than the gbc game gave him. Seriously what sense does it make to beat an energy vampire with an energy weapon if he eats the stuff like Scooby snacks?

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Speaking of Toy Story stuff, how about a Utility Belt Buzz that actually has the utility belt gadgets and not just the light-up buckle? It's been 26 years, still hasn't happened. Even the Collection/Signature Collection one didn't deliver there.

Would also like a proper, full-size Stinky Pete doll. And a full-size PLASTIC Hamm. And full-size Bo Peep's sheep with their RIGHTFUL design and not the Shawn the Sheep-ripoff redesign from the crappy fourth movie. And Zurg with an ion blaster that actually fires the foam balls.

Changing franchises, would love to see Playmates actually release the prototyped Hunk, Pidge, and Allura that we never got, and also do figures of the classic paladins so that we can have articulated, better-helmeted, accessorized versions of them... with a price tag that isn't "Oh god, WHY."

[-Kanrabat-]

Shantae action figures. Even as high end collectible like 150$ Figurarts.

[blackeyedprime]

Articulated monsters in my pocket (includes a repro one color monster with it a bit like kenner ghostbusters or the transformers decoys).

Also articulated Battle Beasts too, probably 6 inch scale. Just not by fourhorsemen/Mythic Legions as I do not want to go broke,

[Emerje]

Articulated monsters in my pocket (includes a repro one color monster with it a bit like kenner ghostbusters or the transformers decoys).

Also articulated Battle Beasts too, probably 6 inch scale. Just not by fourhorsemen/Mythic Legions as I do not want to go broke,

I'm honestly shocked that Takara Tomy hasn't brought back Battle Beasts/Beastformers for T-Spark when they're doing things like B-Dama and MicroMan.

Emerje

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Skeleton Warriors and Bucky O' Hare I'll add to this thread, with a little bitterness. The former had interest from an Indie studio a few years ago, but never made it beyond a couple of figures. The latter was a (documented) letdown by BFS more recently. Considering how both are faring with their respective TMNT lines. I'd love to see either Neca or Super7 pick up the Bucky line. Meanwhile, given their attention to detail with both MK and Golden Axe. I'd like to see Storm Collectibles take on the Skeleton Warriors.

[-Kanrabat-]

They did the Genesis and the Playstation.
So, how about they make the grandaddy of them all, the Atari VCS?



It could transform into either an original character, or why not Alpha Trion?

[-Kanrabat-]

Of, and speaking of old things, the Ford Model T is highly due to be a Transformers.

[blackeyedprime]

Joytoy needs the exosquad licence... and then I need to go rob multiple banks