Generations Dion hits shelves and starts falling apart in JD’s hands on this June 16, 2010 Radio Free Cybertron. John DeLuna gets his Punch/Counterpunch and Shattered Glass Cyclonus, and the crew tries the War for Cybertron demo. Stan Bush records a promo for RFC’s Project Awesome high-five campaign. With BotCon 2010 a week away, the crew lays out convention etiquette for meeting voice actors, the dealer room and panels.
Brian is joined by Exvee, John DeLuna, Rob Springer and JD Church. Ender is out for most of the show and drops in near the end.
News
Generations Dion Arrives
Dion is out this week. JD’s copy keeps losing its legs, which he blames on lower quality plastic, so he plans to leave it in robot mode. The crew notes that no toy of the Hot Shot character has ever had normal shoulder joints.
Transformers Collectors’ Club Drops Printed Membership Cards
Some members are unhappy that the Transformers Collectors’ Club discontinued its printed membership and bio cards. Members now print their cards online. The crew admits they never used theirs anyway. [Source: not found]
Punch/Counterpunch and Shattered Glass Cyclonus Arrive
John DeLuna received his Punch/Counterpunch and Shattered Glass Cyclonus today. He says Punch and Counterpunch look nicely distinct, and he came to accept the tiny head, though it is small even for a pinhead. That leads to praise for Classics Mirage, which one host and a friend agree is probably the best Classics toy. The crew runs through the other uses of the Mirage mold.
Artists and a Twitter Contest at BotCon 2010
JD reports that several Transformers artists will appear at BotCon, including Dan Khanna. The crew finds it strange that fans they used to run into are now featured guests. BotCon is also running a Twitter contest: post one BotCon-related tweet between June 24 and 27 for a chance at an autographed print. [Source: not found]
Toy Rumors: A Universe Three-Pack and the Seacons
A rumored Universe three-pack would include Galvatron and Rodimus. Rumor also says the Seacon set discussed a few weeks ago will be a US exclusive. The crew notes G1 Seacons are hard to find, though less rare than the Predacons or Monstructor. [Source: not found]
Reproduction Stunticons Set
A reproduction, or knockoff, Stunticons set is out with all five Stunticons in G1 colors. An earlier set had replaced two of the team. The crew hopes the makers follow up with a G2 color scheme, and one host would buy it. [Source: not found]
Project Awesome with Stan Bush
Rob and the crew launch Project Awesome: give Stan Bush a high-five, or a hug, at BotCon 2010 and send RFC the picture. Stan Bush recorded a promo for the campaign, and the crew plays it.
BotCon 2010 Schedule
The BotCon schedule is up, and Friday is light, with a few panels and the dealer room. The crew misses the Mystery Science Theater event, which is not running this year, likely because of Disney. Walk-ins are advised to come Saturday, since they can’t get in on Friday. [Source: not found]
The War for Cybertron Demo
The War for Cybertron multiplayer demo is out. One host says it plays like Gears of War or any third-person Unreal Engine game. Others will wait for the single-player campaign to form an opinion, hoping transforming matters more there. The crew remembers Transquake fondly. [Source: not found]
BotCon Etiquette
The crew offers rules for BotCon newcomers and veterans. Don’t point a G1 Megatron at a voice actor, and don’t call actors by their characters’ names. Keep the fiction in the fiction: Garry Chalk didn’t write Beast Wars, he just voiced it. Keep hugs and touching to a minimum unless they’re returned. Don’t hover silently while someone talks to Scott McNeil, and don’t correct actors with Japanese character names. Don’t do your own impression while they do the voice.
Some guests, like Simon Furman, love Transformers minutiae, while for others it was a paycheck. Either way, say hi and say thanks. In the dealer room: don’t steal, follow security, don’t blow your money early and don’t throw a tantrum over a two-dollar haggle. Skip the long autograph lines, since guests turn up all weekend, though Scott McNeil and Peter Cullen draw the longest waits. Pack food, wear comfortable shoes, use deodorant and get some sleep. Ender adds: don’t sleep under the air conditioner, after he caught pneumonia last year.
Coming Up
Next week’s show will be small with BotCon underway. The week after marks one year since RFC returned to podcasting. One host says Transformers: Nefarious #4 did not suck, and the crew plans to discuss it on Sunday’s comic podcast.
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.