The Energon Pub

RiddlerJ wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Can we just have a dedicated thread for complaining about pre-release reviews instead of taking time out from line threads every single time a first look gets newsed

I'm skipping Hauler because I arbitrarily exclude animation errors from my G1 collection. Rainmakers are legit, I bought Redwing for some reason, Hauler is a hard "no." Could have gotten him for the Wreckers comic, but I'm biased against him for the G1 reasons.

Interesting, what other characters do you exclude then under that line of thinking?

Enemy is the other main example that comes to mind, though he was also canonized in IDW2.

Was Enemy an animation error? I thought he first appeared as a voice changer toy.

Yeah, the wiki is down so I can't provide details, and my memory could be off, but he had unnamed toy appearances that retroactively became associated with the name. That retcons idea is part of what I'm reacting against, as I basically consider Hauler to be a misnaming of Grapple, and the green deco from the Constructicons being the forced link. Hauler is a combination of two mistakes into canon, which is cool, but illegitimate to me personally.

Hauler wasn't an animation error. He was fully scripted to appear in the scene that he did (See Pages 37-39 of the PDF), and had a completely different character model from Grapple.





The script even identifies him as a tow truck, suggesting that he was originally going to be the Hoist mold before the Grapple mold was considered. But since neither toy made it to the 1984 case assortment (with the twelfth figure slot being filled first by a second Mirage and then by Skids in late 1984), and since both the Hoist and Grapple molds were named such when they finally released in 1985, Hauler never appeared again in the cartoon.

Sabrblade wrote:Hauler wasn't an animation error. He was fully scripted to appear in the scene that he did (See Pages 37-39 of the PDF), and had a completely different character model from Grapple.





The script even identifies him as a tow truck, suggesting that he was originally going to be the Hoist mold before the Grapple mold was considered. But since neither toy made it to the 1984 case assortment (with the twelfth figure slot being filled first by a second Mirage and then by Skids in late 1984), and since both the Hoist and Grapple molds were named such when they finally released in 1985, Hauler never appeared again in the cartoon.

Different animation model, different name, same base toy. In my opinion, same character. It's not an "error" per se, maybe better described as a mixup. This is firmly head-canon territory, but I find it more plausible that Cliffjumper used the wrong name rather than that there are two different yellow crane trucks that were never seen together.

To be more clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with the retroactive canonization of Hauler as a G1 character, I just refuse to acknowledge it in my own collection. If I absolutely had to have Hauler representation, I would have bought a second copy of Grapple so he'd be screen-accurate to that scene!

AcademyofDrX wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Hauler wasn't an animation error. He was fully scripted to appear in the scene that he did (See Pages 37-39 of the PDF), and had a completely different character model from Grapple.





The script even identifies him as a tow truck, suggesting that he was originally going to be the Hoist mold before the Grapple mold was considered. But since neither toy made it to the 1984 case assortment (with the twelfth figure slot being filled first by a second Mirage and then by Skids in late 1984), and since both the Hoist and Grapple molds were named such when they finally released in 1985, Hauler never appeared again in the cartoon.

Different animation model, different name, same base toy. In my opinion, same character. It's not an "error" per se, maybe better described as a mixup. This is firmly head-canon territory, but I find it more plausible that Cliffjumper used the wrong name rather than that there are two different yellow crane trucks that were never seen together.

To be more clear, I don't think there's anything wrong with the retroactive canonization of Hauler as a G1 character, I just refuse to acknowledge it in my own collection. If I absolutely had to have Hauler representation, I would have bought a second copy of Grapple so he'd be screen-accurate to that scene!

We all have our head-canon weirdness, but that's going a bit far. LOL. then again, Grapple is like 10 bucks. Get a Grapple, take the head from Hauler and Frankenstein him if you so require. I'll just get the figure and not care as I like getting extra guys for a whole other reason - it's a war and characters die. Want your favorites to live? Need some cannon fodder. LOL

AcademyofDrX wrote:

RiddlerJ wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Can we just have a dedicated thread for complaining about pre-release reviews instead of taking time out from line threads every single time a first look gets newsed

I'm skipping Hauler because I arbitrarily exclude animation errors from my G1 collection. Rainmakers are legit, I bought Redwing for some reason, Hauler is a hard "no." Could have gotten him for the Wreckers comic, but I'm biased against him for the G1 reasons.

Interesting, what other characters do you exclude then under that line of thinking?

Enemy is the other main example that comes to mind, though he was also canonized in IDW2.

Was Enemy an animation error? I thought he first appeared as a voice changer toy.

Yeah, the wiki is down so I can't provide details, and my memory could be off, but he had unnamed toy appearances that retroactively became associated with the name.

Enemy was a Pre-Transformers Micro Change deco that originally went unused for Transformers back in the 1980s, and whose name was appropriated from the "Decepticon/Enemy" designation given to an AM Radio & Headset and to an Electronic Voice Changer, produced by licensee Nasta, that both shared the same basic color scheme to the unused Micro Change cassette dude.

AcademyofDrX wrote:Can we just have a dedicated thread for complaining about pre-release reviews instead of taking time out from line threads every single time a first look gets newsed

This dead horse has been beaten to beyond pulp so I second that motion... but only as long it doesn't single out a particular reviewer (like we're doing here). Question is, which forum should that thread be placed in?

RiddlerJ wrote:Why do they keep giving figures that screaming face?
I mean I appreciate them giving some retooling to an otherwise straight redeco but this doesn't look good. I'd rather the time or budget go to an additional gun or something.

A better question would be why they keep resorting to that style of face when designing alternate heads Mind you, pulling straws here, but that could be his face of agony as his backstory includes him being a Constructicon who defected; he was retconed into a scene of (the error-laden) Five Faces of Darkness with the 8(!) Constructicons (the other extra became Gravedigger) rebuilding Megatron.

Now I would like to see a blue version called Mudflap.

Rodimus Prime wrote:Now I would like to see a blue version called Mudflap.

And a baby-blue one for Hotspot like they did with the classic mold because why not?

sol magnus wrote:I'll just get the figure and not care as I like getting extra guys for a whole other reason - it's a war and characters die. Want your favorites to live? Need some cannon fodder. LOL

I do this too. I'll headcannon just about anyone into a clone of someone, then pretty much kill them of.

In an oddly tangent thought, this is why I never had a problem non headmasters being given titan masters during Titans Return. You still get a figure of the "not supposed to be a headmaster" character but now with a bonus decapitation option.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Now I would like to see a blue version called Mudflap.

And a baby-blue one for Hotspot like they did with the classic mold because why not?

It would be an improvement over the CW mold for sure.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Now I would like to see a blue version called Mudflap.

And a baby-blue one for Hotspot like they did with the classic mold because why not?

Honestly, I'd rather have the RTS Solar Storm Grappel (sic) mold be used as a new version of Cybertron Mudflap. This way he'd still have the crane on his arm. Maybe retool it so it somehow had the crane on one arm and Inferno's cannon on the other. They'd never reuse that mold again though. It's too big for a voyager now probably. I always wanted to do this myself using GDO Hot Spot with Grappel's (sic) crane but never did. I'll settle for a multi shade blue Grapple Mudflap and like it though. I'll take another in forest green as the cancelled Cybertron Landslide as well.

I'll still take a baby blue Earthrise Inferno as Hot Spot too though.

I don't need any head cannon other than if I like a mold, I'll take more in other colors as other characters too. I don't need anything more than that sometimes. In fact, I'll take all the animation error colors too like orange and yellow Rumble, Dirgeclonus, dark green seeker EDIT:(dude's name is apparently Gunwing. When did he and the other generics and most of the animation error Seekers get named?), Air Warrior and everyone else too. Grimlock colored Octane? Kup colored Motormaster? Rodimus Prime colored Decepticon Snarl? Yes please!

Grahf_ wrote:dark green seeker EDIT:(dude's name is apparently Gunwing. When did he and the other generics and most of the animation error Seekers get named?)

That's not official.

I'd also be down for Grapple repaint Mercenary Mudflap, especially if (and others may not agree) the claw, nozzle, and crane hook were in translucent green plastic like Cybertron Mudflap's crane hook/saw and missile.

AcademyofDrX wrote:

RiddlerJ wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Can we just have a dedicated thread for complaining about pre-release reviews instead of taking time out from line threads every single time a first look gets newsed

I'm skipping Hauler because I arbitrarily exclude animation errors from my G1 collection. Rainmakers are legit, I bought Redwing for some reason, Hauler is a hard "no." Could have gotten him for the Wreckers comic, but I'm biased against him for the G1 reasons.

Interesting, what other characters do you exclude then under that line of thinking?

Enemy is the other main example that comes to mind, though he was also canonized in IDW2.

Was Enemy an animation error? I thought he first appeared as a voice changer toy.

Yeah, the wiki is down so I can't provide details, and my memory could be off, but he had unnamed toy appearances that retroactively became associated with the name. That retcons idea is part of what I'm reacting against, as I basically consider Hauler to be a misnaming of Grapple, and the green deco from the Constructicons being the forced link. Hauler is a combination of two mistakes into canon, which is cool, but illegitimate to me personally.

Transformers Encore Enemy Gallery

I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

LOL. I don't have one, so I can't follow suit. But I would.

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

Why, it's a good figure, just so happens the new is spectacular! Besides, as hard as Bumblebee was to get I'd hold on to that old Cosmos.

They called Road Rocket female, is that just because they didn't change the body? Burnout is also female and uses a previously male body, seems strange. And then there's Override who we're well aware of the history of. What a weirdly gendered line this is turning into.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

Why, it's a good figure, just so happens the new is spectacular! Besides, as hard as Bumblebee was to get I'd hold on to that old Cosmos.

They called Road Rocket female, is that just because they didn't change the body? Burnout is also female and uses a previously male body, seems strange. And then there's Override who we're well aware of the history of. What a weirdly gendered line this is turning into.

Emerje

I will be watching Pulse like a hawk, and I've been able to get all the Walmart exclusives at retail price one way or another. I loved TR Cosmos--up until today. Now I'm the Toy Story meme.

Emerje wrote:Burnout is also female and uses a previously male body, seems strange.

Burn Out's already female, ever since BotCon 2015.

The Walmart exclusive Velocitron Speedia 500 set, which is not available to purchase/preorder until July, has been revealed by hasbro today.
It includes deluxes Blurr, Clampdown, Cosmos, Burnout and Roadrocket, voyagers Override and Hauler and leader Black Convoy (aka RID Scourge).

Important points, Clampdown has white plastic instead of red plastic in areas like the legs as a conscious decision to further differentiate him from Red Alert. Also, the panel confirmed that the Black Convoy in the set is meant to be RID SCOURGE, unlike what some fans had guessed (or hoped?).

All images from the livestream are below.

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

What is TR Cosmos?

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

What is TR Cosmos?

Titans Return Cosmos, I would imagine.

Bounti76 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

What is TR Cosmos?

Titans Return Cosmos, I would imagine.

As would I, but isn't it just generations?
Oh wait, right, he was reissued

Oh, so they consciously screwed up Clampdown's deco and made him look boring? Cool, I'm consciously choosing not to get him then.

Using the Crosscut head for Burnout is an interesting play, I don't not like it?

Cosmos...sure is a G1 Cosmos, which means I'm passing as expected. The flag is funny though. Looks like the rumor of being a Warpath retool/shared engineering did actually pan out, looks like the arm/backpack setup works the exact same.

Road Rocket looks nice, so I guess Clampdown and Cosmos will be the only ones I'm passing on.

Overcracker wrote:With all these Sideswipe repaints, wonder when we will see another use of the Sunstreaker mold. Been so limited, and its the one I want the most, since I was never able to pickup a Sunstreaker or the Selects repaints Cordon and Spinout.

Are there other Sunstreaker repaints for them to do? I thought those 2 Diaclones were the only ones. Or are you just looking for a straight rerelease?

william-james88 wrote:

Bounti76 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

AcademyofDrX wrote:I can't wait to throw TR Cosmos straight into the trash

What is TR Cosmos?

Titans Return Cosmos, I would imagine.

As would I, but isn't it just generations?
Oh wait, right, he was reissued

Rereleased in TR with altered paint apps, yeah.