Un"Encore"able

[dees]

Is there a list out there of G1 transformers that will definitely not be turned into encores or reissues because of lost molds or copyright / trademark issues. Ie. Shockwave or Jetfire.

Really hoping for a shockwave, wheeljack or sunstreaker reissue, but will that ever happen?

[Bruticus82]

Shockwave and Jetfire for sure I would think since they were licensed from another company. Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx were in this category too, but it turns out Takara discovered they owned the mold only a few years ago (pretty funny story too.). Deluxe Autobots (Whirl, Roadbuster) and the Deluxe insecticons (you know the ones who weren't in the cartoon?) were licensed from other companies also, and would probably not be available.

They are also limited by what molds they still have:

Known lost/stolen molds are:
Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, Mirage (All have KOs available)

Rumored lost molds:
Original Rattrap, Sunstreaker, G1 Constructicons (widely KOed)

Broken Molds:
G1 Soundwave (reissues use the soundblaster mold), and G1 Wheeljack (KOs are available).

I am only noting about the KOs being available because while some might try and claim they are encore reissues you should know what you're looking at is likely a KO.

Then there are issues about molds degrading, and for that I would watch to see what the Combaticon reissues look like, since they've been reused quite a few times and people fear that the mold is degrading. Molds can be rehabilitated, but it's expensive.

[Omega.Prime]

Shockwave and Wheeljack have been redone as KOs so the toys are out there... not that we support them or anything, but they're out and looking pretty closely like the originals. Jetfire has had a few reissues in different colours :P

I doubt there's a list of what isn't Encore-able but from what we've seen in the past and what's coming out soon, looks like anything hasbro released is up for grabs if the molds are out there. (tapes and combiners, w00t!)

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by Bruticus82

Shockwave and Jetfire for sure I would think since they were licensed from another company. Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx were in this category too, but it turns out Takara discovered they owned the mold only a few years ago (pretty funny story too.)

Weren't they owned by Tomy, so when the companies merged Takara could suddenly use them?

[Bruticus82]

Originally Posted by Whisky Tango Foxtrot

Weren't they owned by Tomy, so when the companies merged Takara could suddenly use them?

Well, Toybox was the manufacturer originally (check your vintage tfs!), and it was kind of assumed that Toybox owned the molds. Turns out Toybox had outsourced the design to Tomy. So when Tomy was acquired by Takara, Takara acquired the molds. However, since it wasn't a Tomy product, it was listed under a code name, and no one really realized that Tomy had it. Someone at Takara in the transformers division was looking through the Tomy catalogue of molds acquired and came across "shuttle dinosaur" listed in a development code name, which turned out to be sky lynx. Until that time I doubt even Tomy knew they had the sky lynx mold. (I imagine ditto on Omega Supreme.)

[zuffyprime]

wow, this thread has been highly informative, i was wondering how they got the license for omega

[Bruticus82]

I'll reiterate, I imagine it's the same for Omega Supreme (I don't want to get in trouble if I'm wrong. :-p)...I don't have any confirmation of this, but since such outsourcing of mold designs was common at the time, and they did it for sky lynx, it makes sense to me that it could have happened for Omega Supreme too.

Although they did release encore Omega Supreme after Sky Lynx, so it seems likely they went through the rest of their catalogue to see if they had him too. The extra time could also have been used to make that snazzy new face for him.

[CobraCommander]

Originally Posted by Bruticus82

Original Rattrap

Is that the BeastWars Rattrap?

[Bruticus82]

Originally Posted by CobraCommander

Is that the BeastWars Rattrap?

I would guess so...that's how it's listed on that tfwiki thing, "Original Rattrap" so I'm guess it's the original beast wars one.

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot]

Yeah, the old, Basic version of Rattrap was apparently lost after being used for a BotCon exclusive. That's why it was the Transmetal version that was re-released for the 10th Anniversary when everyone else was done in their original moulds.