BotCon 2001 is headed to Durham, North Carolina, on July 14 and 15, and Radio Free Cybertron marks its first anniversary at a new home, tfradio.net. John DeLuna covers import trouble for Takara’s G1 Megatron reissue and Takara’s plan to drop the Transformers name after Car Robots. Goldimus Prime gives Beast Machines Megatron a 9. The crew from coldhardslag.com sits down for an interview, and part three of the Transformers: The Movie parody finally airs.
News
RFC Launches tfradio.net
The new site is up at www.tfradio.net, “the Transformers Internet Radio Network.” The archive is about 85 percent restored, and Brian asks listeners to report broken links. The new site keeps the old layout but is cleaner and easier to use.
BotCon 2001 Heads to Durham, North Carolina
BotCon 2001 will be in Durham, North Carolina, about two and a half hours from Brian’s home. Brian will be there and hopes RFC can host a contest or gathering. [Source: not found]
LargeArmy.com Stop-Motion Series
Brian plugs LargeArmy.com from local friend Bob Engel, whose first episode of a stop-motion animated show made with toys is online.
Trivia
Last week’s clip came from Trans-Europe Express. Emperor Desiris, Rattrap007 and BlueStreak7 got it right. There is no new clip this week.
ATT Buzz
BotCon 2001 Dates Announced
John DeLuna confirms BotCon 2001 runs July 14 and 15 in Durham, and he will attend after his first BotCon in 2000. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
Takara’s G1 Megatron Reissue Faces Import Snags
Takara’s G1 Megatron reissue may not import into the US, because he turns into a realistic gun. John has little patience for ATT posters blaming America. He says police cannot tell a toy from a real gun, and customs will check anything coming in. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
Screechwing and Spiketail Repaints Revealed
A dealer site listed two new Beast Machines repaints for next year, Screechwing and Spiketail. John thinks they are likely Transmetal 2 Sonar and Stinkbomb repaints, and worries they will look out of place next to the Maximals and Vehicons. [Source: not found]
John Starts Collecting Beast Machines
In a “what the heck” moment, John bought Nightviper and Snarl and is now a Beast Machines collector. He praises Snarl’s sleek lion mode, proportions and working gimmicks. His one gripe is the tail weapon, since he finds tail weapons lame unless the tail truly becomes a weapon.
Takara to Drop the Transformers Name After Car Robots
Car Robots is ending on schedule, and John notes most Japanese toy lines last only a year. Takara reportedly will not import Beast Machines and will go at least a year without the Transformers name, moving to a Brave-style robot line. John tells ATT not to panic. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
Toy Review: Beast Machines Megatron
Goldimus Prime returns from a hiatus to review Beast Machines Megatron. The red dragon beast mode plays better than Transmetal 2 Megatron but is unstable. The robot mode is very neat, with clever use of the dragon arms. He swapped the green Vehicon spark for Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia’s Predacon spark and freed the spring-loaded neck. He loves the cloak mode and gives Megatron a strong 9.
My First Transformer
For the anniversary, contributors share their first Transformers. Mop Boy tells of wanting Shrapnel but leaving with a cheap carded Autobot. Another contributor recalls a G1 Mirage that snapped at the waist on day one. One contributor remembers Soundwave and a $25 G1 Optimus Prime, and calls Trypticon his all-time favorite. Alex’s first was Rodimus Prime. Turin’s was Starscream, with misapplied stickers and broken null ray missiles. Goldimus Prime started with G2 minibots Bumblebee and Seaspray, and returned through Transmetal 2 Dinobot.
Rattrap007’s Episode Review: Prime Target
Rattrap007 reviews the G1 episode Prime Target, where big game hunter Lord Chumley traps the Autobots one by one to lure Optimus Prime. Highlights include the Autobots’ soap opera and Blitzwing caught in an obvious booby trap. He calls it the ultimate Prime episode and gives it an A+.
News from Cybertron
RFC called the Cybertron election too early. Moonbase 3 is recounting after too many votes went to Wheelie, which a 1989 ruling forbids.
Interview: coldhardslag.com
Brian talks with Tim (Mr. Me), Heath (Nightlife) and J.D. (Unicron Spawn) of coldhardslag.com. Heath’s misquote of Rhinox named the site, and its interactive Transformers price guide put it on the map. Heath says RFC’s Larry DiTillio interview inspired their own. Those led to interviews with Bob Forward and Garry Chalk, who revealed he voiced the Generation 2 commercials. Plans include a MySQL price guide, an eBay market watch and a revamped attwhoswho.com. All three expect to attend BotCon 2001.
Transformers: The Movie Parody, Part Three
Part three of the parody stars Brian as Galvatron and Turin as Spike, with Zobovor voicing everyone else. Megatron becomes Galvatron, interrupts Starscream’s coronation and, under Unicron’s orders, heads for Earth.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.