The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6188 · by **Va'al** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:13 am

For all you sticker-lovers out there, here is Reprolabels' first update of the year, including Generations, Masterpiece and some new artwork on their own website - check the links out below!

We're starting the year off in style with great new sets from the design team at Reprolabels!

Mike has created excellent new sets for Generations Sandstorm and Skids:
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/sandstorm.php
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/skids.php

Justin's been attacking the FP toys, with sets for Code, Quadruple U, and Last Chance.
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/chromedome.php
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/weirdwolf.php
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/deadend.php

And we've got excellent new sets from Craig for Toyworld's Orion and MP 10B Black Convoy:
http://reprolabels.com/Binaltech/blackconvoy.php
http://reprolabels.com/Classics/orion.php

Lastly, some randomly cycling new artwork is appearing on our main page, penciled by Frank Milkovich and colored by Javier Reyes. Hit refresh a couple times here to check it out:
http://reprolabels.com/index.php

by **Yotsuyasan** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:17 am

The Skids set is a bit disappointing... I thought the Generations Skids toy was supposed to be in the G1 continuity? But the sticker set looks more appropriate to a WFC/FOC toy... I'd have hoped for a more G1ish sticker set...

Ah well. Sandstorm looks nice. I may have to add it to my mental shopping list for whenever I place my next order.

News Credits: 15 · by **PrymeStriker** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 12:33 pm

No Prime Voyager Predaking or Magnus sets for us?

by **MGrotusque** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 1:27 pm

I'm liking the Skids and Sandstorm sets.

by **Shadowstream** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:27 pm

Yotsuyasan wrote:The Skids set is a bit disappointing... I thought the Generations Skids toy was supposed to be in the G1 continuity? But the sticker set looks more appropriate to a WFC/FOC toy... I'd have hoped for a more G1ish sticker set...

Generations Skids is based on his MTMTE design, which itself has a lot of WFC/FOC design cues, though I will agree it is mildly disappointing that there wasn't at least optional stickers for a more G1-esque look overall.

Same applies for the Code stickers, I can see where they were going with them, but it seems rather odd. Did he even have those light stripe designs in Shadowplay? And why no orange mouthplate sticker?

The Orion stickers are the ones I was looking forward to the most, and I can say they bring a definite improvement, but still not big enough of one to save the toy.

Also I hit refresh on the main page umpteen times and saw nothing but Metroplex.

by **Doubledealer93** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 3:22 pm

I really wish they would stop doing 3rd party sets. There are a lot of official toys that are in great need of their services. Generations rhinox, a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

News Credits: 4 · by **philswitch engage** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:24 pm

Doubledealer93 wrote:I really wish they would stop doing 3rd party sets. There are a lot of official toys that are in great need of their services. Generations rhinox, a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

Agreed. I didn't understand what took them so long to get to Prime Smokescreen when they were doing all the 3rd party updates.

I wonder if they will do sets for the collectors club figures like Ultra Mammoth.

News Credits: 104 · by **Cyber Bishop** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:04 pm

philswitch engage wrote:
Doubledealer93 wrote:I really wish they would stop doing 3rd party sets. There are a lot of official toys that are in great need of their services. Generations rhinox, a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

Agreed. I didn't understand what took them so long to get to Prime Smokescreen when they were doing all the 3rd party updates.

I wonder if they will do sets for the collectors club figures like Ultra Mammoth.

Not me, I do pick up some of the 3rd party releases and enjoy the stickers for them.

News Credits: 15 · by **PrymeStriker** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:37 pm

Doubledealer93 wrote:a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

Agreed. Dreadwing, Skyquake, Shockwave...

...Predaking and Ultra Magnus

by **MINDVVIPE** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:30 pm

No one's talking about the **** up stickers on wierdwolf yet?

Those are definitely wierd.. even when they're cool, they're...really wierd. Plus, being written all over his body..... I dont know, seems TOO wierd. But maybe thats the point. Some of it sounds like badass things he would say or think, just strange that it'd be visible, and in English and not cybertronian, all over his body (from a super realism enthusiast pov)

by **Yotsuyasan** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:59 pm

Doubledealer93 wrote:I really wish they would stop doing 3rd party sets. There are a lot of official toys that are in great need of their services. Generations rhinox, a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

I for one love them for their third party sets. Since (in order to stay in the grey-area of homage) most reputable third party figures leave off faction symbols and some other fine details, I always look forward to seeing Reprolabels add those details in.

Mind you, as someone whose collection is predominantly "Classics" style, I don't care as much about Prime, Beast Hunters, or WFC/FOC. So my opinions may be a bit slanted. For people who do collect those types of toys, I could see how their wishes from Reprolabels might vary.

But personally, based on the etymology of their name, which is a portmanteau of reproduction and labels, I see anything that is more then a reproduction of a vintage sticker sheet for the purpose of restoring a vintage toy is a fun bonus for consumers. (Mind you, probably quite a lucrative bonus for the folks at Reprolabels!)

I bitched about the Skids set above. I don't like it. But you know what? I don't need it. Generations Skids will be complete without it, unlike if I had a vintage Skids with worn out stickers. And any third party figures I own? I do like when I can get Reprolabels sets for them with specific details. But if it is a figure that Reprolabels doesn't do a set for, or if I don't like the set they do? Well, worst case scenario, I can just order a set of faction symbols, and that will take care of the one essential detail.

MINDVVIPE wrote:No one's talking about the **** up stickers on wierdwolf yet?

Well, I for one wasn't talking about it as I hadn't looked at that set. While they're cool, with funds a bit tight at the moment the Fansproject Headmasters were a line I had to alas decide not to collect. But your post certainly made me take a look...

And you're right, those stickers with the text on them are mighty strange. But they also look like they are separate stickers that are quite optional, and aside from them the set looks rather nice. So, aside from the fact that the sticker set might be a buck or so cheaper without these optional stickers, and if I were buying these I might be ever so slightly annoyed by the price being inflated by stickers I don't want, I see no huge problem with them.

News Credits: 1 · by **durroth** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:09 am

Yotsuyasan wrote:The Skids set is a bit disappointing... I thought the Generations Skids toy was supposed to be in the G1 continuity? But the sticker set looks more appropriate to a WFC/FOC toy... I'd have hoped for a more G1ish sticker set...

Ah well. Sandstorm looks nice. I may have to add it to my mental shopping list for whenever I place my next order.

Skids stickers seems heavily informed by both his MTMTE appearance and his Transformers Legends card art in the recent FoC themed event, which is based directly off his figure's appearance. Agreeing on sandstorm. his stickers look alot less overdone than springer's

by **Yotsuyasan** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:16 am

durroth wrote:Skids stickers seems heavily informed by both his MTMTE appearance and his Transformers Legends card art in the recent FoC themed event, which is based directly off his figure's appearance.

Okay, based on the card art you presented, I definitely see what they were looking to do with this set... but in that case, it seems strange to me that Reprolabels didn't put this sticker set in their "Prime/FoC" section. If they had done that, I would have been fine with this set. But with it in their "Classics" section, I expect a sticker set designed to help the figure better homage the G1 version.

News Credits: 15 · by **PrymeStriker** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:24 am

Yotsuyasan wrote:
durroth wrote:Skids stickers seems heavily informed by both his MTMTE appearance and his Transformers Legends card art in the recent FoC themed event, which is based directly off his figure's appearance.

Okay, based on the card art you presented, I definitely see what they were looking to do with this set... but in that case, it seems strange to me that Reprolabels didn't put this sticker set in their "Prime/FoC" section. If they had done that, I would have been fine with this set. But with it in their "Classics" section, I expect a sticker set designed to help the figure better homage the G1 version.

With it in the Prime/FoC section, we would expect it to be part of the aligned continuity, let-alone in those toylines and fictions. >:oP

News Credits: 2 · by **Banjo-Tron** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 6:05 am

HEY!!! Are Reprolabels not 3rd party?

Bad Va'al, bad!

News Credits: 4 · by **philswitch engage** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:54 am

Yotsuyasan wrote:
Doubledealer93 wrote:I really wish they would stop doing 3rd party sets. There are a lot of official toys that are in great need of their services. Generations rhinox, a lot of prime guys and beast hunters.

I for one love them for their third party sets. Since (in order to stay in the grey-area of homage) most reputable third party figures leave off faction symbols and some other fine details, I always look forward to seeing Reprolabels add those details in.

I get what you are saying about the faction symbols. My personal opinion, though, is if I am going to pay the price that third party figures cost, I would be extremely disappointed if they would still need extra details that the stickers bring.

$12 from Ross on a Prime Ultra Magnus and then buying the sticker pages for him to spruce him up is great. $95 for a third party transformer, and then another $15 for a sticker sheet puts you into a very different price range.

by **Yotsuyasan** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 3:53 pm

philswitch engage wrote:I get what you are saying about the faction symbols. My personal opinion, though, is if I am going to pay the price that third party figures cost, I would be extremely disappointed if they would still need extra details that the stickers bring.

$12 from Ross on a Prime Ultra Magnus and then buying the sticker pages for him to spruce him up is great. $95 for a third party transformer, and then another $15 for a sticker sheet puts you into a very different price range.

Well, perhaps "need" is a strong word... Just to take an example I have handy photos of, let us take a look at Giant Type-61. (Apologies for posting photos of a third party toy outside of the third party forums... But then again, I am posting them as an illustration of Reprolabels, which is oddly the one third party product actually allowed...)

Before Reprolabels:

Theoretically just fine, other then the expected lack of faction symbols. If all I ever had to add was faction symbols, I'd be happy.

After Reprolabels:

But damn, the Reprolabels sure added a nice extra "wow" factor! (Even more so, I might argue, when looking more closely at the individual components... But I don't wish to bog the thread down too much with superfluous pics.)

Anyway, the same applies to most Hasbro/Takara figures. Reprolabels (aside from G1 ones used for restoration purposes) are rarely needed. They're a nice extra wow factor to add onto a figure. Sure, it is great to spruce up a figure a bit, be it a $15 Hasbro figure or a $60 third party figure. But it is hardly necessary in either case.

You make it sound like Reprolabels are a necessity for Hasbro, and how dare they do stickers for third party figures? I just see it as a happy extra option for whatever figures they do. Are there some I hope for? Certainly. But I don't consider it a crime if they don't come, or an affront when ones I don't want do get made.

News Credits: 4 · by **philswitch engage** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:41 pm

there is no crime by any stretch. It just feels like hasbro has started to skimp on some paint recently, and the stickers do a lot more to help the hasbro figures.

Also from a sales stand point, you have more people buying hasbro figures than you do 3rd party, so the productions cost vs sales would, in my very basic assumption, would seem to lead to doing more hasbro figures than 3rd party.

At the end of the day, I was frustrated by the wait time on getting stickers for some of the Prime figures, while 3rd party figures were getting sheets produced.

by **Yotsuyasan** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:58 pm

philswitch engage wrote:there is no crime by any stretch. It just feels like hasbro has started to skimp on some paint recently, and the stickers do a lot more to help the hasbro figures.

Also from a sales stand point, you have more people buying hasbro figures than you do 3rd party, so the productions cost vs sales would, in my very basic assumption, would seem to lead to doing more hasbro figures than 3rd party.

At the end of the day, I was frustrated by the wait time on getting stickers for some of the Prime figures, while 3rd party figures were getting sheets produced.

Well, a few things... Although the following is all supposition on my part, so if anyone from within Reprolabels wants to come in and supply facts (either to support or dispute my supposition) then they are welcome to.

I gather that the people who design sets for Reprolabels are doing it because they like specific figures and want to add to them. Someone wants to design labels for certain figures, those are the labels we get. If they are skipping certain figures, perhaps it is because they are less interested in those figures. By contrast, someone (or some ones) who designs for Reprolabels must like certain third party figures. And so we get sticker sets for them.

Are there certain figures you want? You could always e-mail them and ask about it. They seem quick to respond to e-mails, even if that response is to say that they don't have immediate plans. But, of course, if they get a lot of e-mails about specific figures, perhaps they will change their plans!

Alternatively, if you have any graphic design skills, you could always write them and ask if they would be willing to take design submissions, and what their requirements for such submissions might be.

You mentioned a sales standpoint... Again, supposition on my part, but let me pull some figures out of my arse.

You say more people buy Hasbro toys then third party figures? No disagreement here. But who are buying those toys?

Thirty people buy a cheap Hasbro figure. 20 of them are parents buying a toy for their kids. 8 of them are casual adult fans who have never heard of (or just don't care about) Reprolabels. Of the remaining two, one purchases a Reprolabels set.

Two people buy an expensive third party figure. Of them, one also buys a Reprolabels set.

Either way, Reprolabel's sales are probably about the same.

As far as production costs... Again, I am only guessing here, but I don't think they have huge production costs. After initial investments of high quality printers and blank sticker sheets, I should think their costs are pretty minimal.

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:36 am

What the hell is going on with those massive white stripes on Toyworlds Orion?
They look awful!

: Check my massive stripes!

I understand one might want a white stripe to give Orion that G1 Optimus look but three massivs stripes just look crazy and why only on one side, AND what is with that white door sticker on the other side? [-(

Im a little baffled by this set! :-?

Like Triptykon on Facebook · by **Triptykon** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:55 am

Oh man, my Skids needs these.

by **Shadowstream** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:30 am

robotmel wrote::???:
What the hell is going on with those massive white stripes on Toyworlds Orion?
They look awful!

orion_3.jpg
I understand one might want a white stripe to give Orion that G1 Optimus look but three massivs stripes just look crazy and why only on one side, AND what is with that white door sticker on the other side?
Im a little baffled by this set!

The 3 stripe design matches up with his IDW design, which this toy is based(poorly) off of. I imagine the other side with the white door sticker is actually meant to display different sticker options depending on whether you want a color accurate vehicle mode or robot mode(depending on the issue and colorist).