Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia

Posted by Va'al Feb 9, 2017 at 4:05am CST 32,139 views

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As we have seen before from toy concept designer and artist Emiliano Santalucia, we now have another look at the ideas and sketches behind a figure in the Transformers Titans Return line: Skullsmasher, now also available as Krok! The croco-tastic robot can be seen in the images below, showing the initial idea for the cockpit (in the beast head), preliminary transformation, and the back panel that became a removable tail. Check them out!

Transformers News: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia

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Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Evil Eye Feb 9, 2017

That is some seriously neat artwork. As much as I love what we got, I'm a little sad we didn't get something a little closer to that.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Stuartmaximus Feb 9, 2017

Black Hat wrote:That is some seriously neat artwork. As much as I love what we got, I'm a little sad we didn't get something a little closer to that.

Aye, very true, i'm still waiting on an Optimus Prime redeco of the TR mold

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by fenrir72 Feb 9, 2017

Black Hat wrote:
Burn wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Hopefully we'll get a Twin Twist to go with him.

If we don't, I say we riot.

I'll be right there with you. Question is, do you want to hold up the placard or throw the firebombs?

In all seriousness though I don't see how they couldn't make Twin Twist. It's such an obvious (not to mention minimal) retool job, and you really can't have one without the other. Though given we still haven't gotten a TR Frenzy (or rather, a Rumble in the correct colours) or an Eject in spite of them being straight redecos of each other...I'm a bit worried.

Remember how long it took Hb/Takara releasing the Legend sized Insecticons? I wouldn't hold my breathe for Twintwist.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by OptimalOptimus2 Feb 9, 2017

fenrir72 wrote:

Remember how long it took Hb/Takara releasing the Legend sized Insecticons? I wouldn't hold my breathe for Twintwist.

Don't forget Salt-Man Z, Salt-Man X, Robot-Man Z, and Robot-Man X!

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Kurona Feb 9, 2017

... man that would have made the figure so much better. The hind legs actually forming the back of the robot legs rather than awkwardly hanging off and the Titan Master cockpit being in the mouth... I'm sad now :-(

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Targetmaster Kup Feb 9, 2017

The alligator head as the chest I love, but I love the tail gun we have now.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by WreckerJack Feb 9, 2017

I love that detailed sketch. I think one of my favorite things about Titan Masters is all that detail in the molded plastic, especially in the military vehicles.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by fenrir72 Feb 9, 2017

Kurona wrote:... man that would have made the figure so much better. The hind legs actually forming the back of the robot legs rather than awkwardly hanging off and the Titan Master cockpit being in the mouth... I'm sad now

The cockpit in the mouth is reminiscent of the original Skullcruncher would have looked good but would have required a much bigger body/head leading to a much more wonky body proportions. 3rd party dealt with this but then we have to deal with a higher price point.

Also, using the croc head as the chest would deviate further from his lore established looks.

This would indeed be a perfect world were the conceptual illustrations would be 100% translated into a practical functional form

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Albatross250 Feb 9, 2017

TR G2 Optimus Prime seems a little off to me :-?

Anyone does have their TR Optimus repainted to Nemesis Prime?

or Black Convoy? :RENEGADE:

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Albatross250 Feb 9, 2017

Black Hat wrote:Hopefully we'll get a Twin Twist to go with him.

If Twin Twist is about to be retooled, i'd say it's going to be a Topspin Retooling to be done :DANCE:

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Megatron Wolf Feb 9, 2017

As much as i like the one we got this design is 10 times better & its a shame they didnt use it. If hasbro was smart they'd use it for a beast wars megatron and repaint it into aligator optimus.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Autobot N Feb 9, 2017

Found something interesting on TFW2005. As always, take with many grains of salt:

Hoffman wrote:I have no idea if this info came out and got buried in speculation threads or something, but I have some info on the next wave of TR Deluxes.

The new figures in this wave are Misfire, Twintwist, and Windblade. All retools.

The other figure listed in the assortment is Wolfwire. No packout details.

Hoffman wrote:Misfire - Triggerhappy
Twintwist - Topspin
Windblade - Highbrow

The guy owns a Canadian online store, so it's not out of the blue, but I still have my doubts.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Evil Eye Feb 9, 2017

Yay! Burn can put away the firebombs!

But...Windblade out of Highbrow? Huh. Not exactly who I'd envisioned as a base body for Windblade, if I'm honest.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Cobotron Feb 9, 2017

Windblade? Really?... :roll:

Bah!

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by D-Maximal_Primal Feb 9, 2017

Triggerhappy and Twintwist? Yeah I can see. I'd like.

Windblade? What the actual crap. Why? And is the titan masers name gonna be M. Scott?

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Autobot N Feb 9, 2017

Hoffman wrote:I run a toy store an TFs are a small part of what we sell. This info came from a solicitation from a distributor. I was told the info was ok to share, however with how strict Hasbro has been with their solicitations, I'm still wary about how much info I should divulge.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by Evil Eye Feb 9, 2017

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Triggerhappy and Twintwist? Yeah I can see. I'd like.

Windblade? What the actual crap. Why? And is the titan masers name gonna be M. Scott?

Maybe they'll give her a cool, creative name like Nadeshiko or Naginata. Or maybe we'll just get Xindxlade.

Re: Transformers Titans Return Skullsmasher Toy Designs by Emiliano Santalucia (view post)

Comment by william-james88 Feb 9, 2017

We have some strange Titans Return related news for you. Hasbro seems aware of the lack of Generations deluxe figures in stores and is employing different case strategies to ensure that there is product on the shelves. For isntance, there is a revision case currently found across he US which includes the wave 1 delues as well as Highbrow and Chromedome. That means that Wolfwire and Mindwipe wouldn't be as readily available right? Well Hasbro has an asnwer for that: solid cases. This means cases filled with the same figure. This was more common in the 80s, when Hasbro would constantly rerelease G1 toys throughout the years (like the seekers/coneheads) but it has been found recently as well like RID Drift in Europe last year. Well, solid cases are back for Titans Return and this solid case of Mindwipes was found in Canada at a freshly restocked Toysrus. Let us know if you find other solid cases in your neck of the woods, it only makes sense that there would be one for Wolfwire too.