AllSpark Almanac co-author Jim Sorenson joins Radio Free Cybertron for a long interview about building the Transformers Animated guidebook. He explains why the book is written in-universe and how its hidden science fiction and Transformers references were layered in. The crew also marks the 10th anniversary of Beast Machines, which Brian calls the most important Transformers series to happen. In the news, new Bludgeon photos and Device Label pictures get a mixed reception. The show closes with Twitter Theater on TFCOG’s Robotmasters fan dub and the launch of RFC Throwback.
News
New Bludgeon Photos Disappoint Brian
New pictures of the upcoming Bludgeon figure surfaced online this week. Brian says his interest in the toy has gone downhill. Exvee refuses to condemn a toy based on mistransformed pictures of a stolen sample. One host notes the photos are painted and the colors look right, but the figure looks gangly. Another host, agreeing with Exvee, wants to see it in the package first. [Source: not found]
Device Label Pictures Leave Brian Mixed
More pictures of TakaraTomy’s Device Label line appeared online. Brian thinks the Ravage and Tigatron USB flash drives look great and work as Device Label toys. He is less sure about the Grimlock and Trypticon mice and the Blaster USB hub. The crew debates whether 2 GB of storage is enough for the price. One host says he is “Ravaged out” but could go for Tigatron. [Source: not found]
RFC 10th Anniversary Show Set for October 15
Brian announces that the 10th anniversary of Radio Free Cybertron will air on Thursday, October 15. He promises voices from the past and teases projects with Turin. He later reveals one of them as “Transformers movie part five,” with most of the original voices returning. Brian also says the show will stop calling itself the world’s first podcast. An exchange with an editor at Wired turned up someone who did something similar within about a year of RFC. Brian still believes RFC is probably the oldest show still going.
Interview: Jim Sorenson on the AllSpark Almanac
Brian, JD Church and John DeLuna interviewed Jim Sorenson, co-author of the AllSpark Almanac and The Ark books from IDW Publishing. Jim also runs the Disciples of Boltax blog.
From Fan to Author
Jim’s first Transformer was Prowl, bought when his mom could not find an Optimus Prime. He joined online fandom around 1994 on alt.toys.transformers. Around 2005 he co-bought a show bible of G1 character models with Fumihiko Akiyama. He pitched a book to Chris Ryall at IDW and was turned down. A year later he returned with a refined pitch and a Don Figueroa cover, and IDW said yes. That became The Ark Volume 1, followed by The Ark 2 in 2008, which covered the Japanese G1 series.
How the AllSpark Almanac Came Together
At a BotCon Transformers Animated panel, Jim and his co-author Bill met Derrick J. Wyatt. Wyatt had been using The Ark 1 as reference and loved the idea of preserving his models in a book. IDW took the pitch right away. The working title was The Ark Animated. Because the team had every model and access to the creative staff, they chose to expand the universe in-universe. Episode guides became Autobot and Decepticon reports, cereal boxes, magazines and newspapers. Jim says he would be reluctant to do the same for G1 without the original creators’ blessing.
Layered References
John DeLuna asked how the book’s many references were placed. Jim says the goal was a book anyone could enjoy, with references that reward fans without confusing casual readers. He cites Starscream’s line about the “Benzouli expanse” as a nod to Simon Furman’s IDW comics. The Cybertronic background text quotes real books, songs and shows so readers have a fair shot at decoding it. Jim credits Chris McFeely’s annotated guide with finding most of the hidden references. He confirms nods to Battlestar Galactica, Farscape and Babylon 5.
Writing In-Universe
Writing in-universe led to the out-of-universe “interstitial” chapter breaks with their own borders. Jim explains why most episode guides are reports rather than interviews. The Vector Prime entry was a solution for summarizing Dispatches, the first issue of The Arrival comic, with its many points of view.
Hopes for a Volume 2
Jim hopes to do an AllSpark Almanac 2 covering Season 3. Ideas include Project Omega and its Omega Sentinels, the Lugnut Supremes and the Steelhaven. He says the best way to help is to buy the book and give IDW feedback. For toys, he suggests contacting Hasbro directly. John DeLuna urges listeners to buy the book. [Source: Disciples of Boltax]
Beast Machines at 10
The original 40-minute Beast Machines discussion with John and Rob was lost to a corrupted file. Brian, Exvee and Chris recorded a second take. Chris suggested the topic.
Why Beast Machines Mattered
Brian calls Beast Machines the most important Transformers series to happen. In his view, it proved the brand could continue in America as an entirely new cartoon on Fox Kids. The crew agrees Season 1 felt like a letdown after Beast Wars. Season 2, by contrast, was “one gigantic arc of awesome.” One host recalls arguing that Season 1 was needed to reach where the show wanted to go. The crew says the techno-organic Cybertron ending feels less radical now that other continuities exist.
The Toys
The crew points to some memorable toys and a few losers, naming Nightscream. One host calls Beast Machines Scavenger one of his favorite Transformers ever. Brian notes Exvee considers Supreme Optimus Primal one of the best, though it ended up as a Robots in Disguise toy. Complaints include size mismatches, slow release of show characters and no Botanica. The crew tries to recall Jetstorm’s early development name. They agree Thrust is awesome and debate whether he flipped off Optimus Primal.
Fox Kids Edits and the Season Gap
Brian says his first rant on RFC was about the Fox Kids edits to Beast Wars, including a cut Depth Charge line. That show will be posted to RFC Throwback. One host asks whether fans would have judged the show differently if all 26 episodes had aired straight through. Canada aired Season 2 almost right after Season 1, while U.S. fans waited about a year. The crew calls the fan backlash against writers Bob Skir and Marty Isenberg unfair and shameful. They recall the Battle for the Spark subtitle being added for the U.S. airing. Brian also points listeners to his old Beast Machines fan fiction: episode 39 parts 1 and 2, and episode 53. [Source: Wikipedia]
This week’s RFC Twitter Theater was TFCOG’s fan dub of Robotmasters episodes 1 and 2, each about seven minutes long. The crew says the source material is weak, built from toy commercials of random fights. They praise TFCOG’s effort and talent in dubbing it for free. They suggest a better microphone and a quiet room would make the dubs nearly professional. Their verdict: TFCOG makes unwatchable stuff tolerable. [Source: TFCOG]
RFC Throwback
Brian introduces RFC Throwback, a new feed in RFC’s old free-form style. It will post classic Radio Free Cybertron shows, starting with October 15, 1999, about one a week. It will also carry occasional new episodes.
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.