Takara’s Masterpiece Rodimus is due in January 2011 for 16,800 yen, just over $200. On this September 15, 2010 Radio Free Cybertron, JD hosts while Brian Kilby is on vacation, joined by John DeLuna, Exvee, Rob Springer, Weevum and Aimee. They also cover Steve Blum’s take on Starscream and Transformers 3’s promise of more 3D than ever. Chris McFeely’s Wiki Spotlight looks at the Tree of Life, and Aimee reviews IDW’s Drift #1.
News
Takara Releases Official Masterpiece Rodimus Photos
Takara released official photos of Masterpiece Rodimus. The crew thinks the earlier color reveal pictures from a toy show looked better. It is due in January 2011 for 16,800 yen, just over $200, which the crew calls insane during a global recession. Still, they admit cramming Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime into one mold makes for an awesome toy. [Source: not found]
Elite Guard Optimus Prime Released by Takara
Takara’s Elite Guard Voyager Optimus Prime is out. Buying one means Yahoo Japan and a middleman service, or about $300 on eBay. [Source: not found]
Steve Blum Debuts His Starscream Voice
At SacAnime, the Sacramento anime convention, Steve Blum performed his voice for Starscream. The crew says it is a different Starscream, moving away from the G1 sound toward something more natural. One host thinks he’ll shift to a higher voice when Starscream gets scared. [Source: not found]
Movie Magic Bumblebee Priced at 13,000 Yen
Takara’s Movie Magic Bumblebee is due in December at 13,000 yen, about $150. The crew jokes about reselling Walmart figures in black shoeboxes, and one host says there are far too many Bumblebee toys. [Source: not found]
Transformers 3 Rumors: A New Villain and More 3D Than Ever
A report says the film’s main antagonist is a large construct with two turbines, possibly a jet-tank, and some guess Blitzwing. Another report claims Transformers 3 has more 3D than any movie before, which the crew mocks. [Source: not found]
Stan Bush Releases Dream the Dream
Stan Bush’s Dream the Dream album came out this week. The crew notes he personally thanks every new Twitter follower but doesn’t follow anyone back. [Source: not found]
Fan-Made War for Cybertron Axe and Fans Project Sidearm
A third-party axe for War for Cybertron Optimus Prime looks only sort of like the game’s weapon. Exvee prefers Fans Project’s new $10 sidearm for its Protector armor. It fits a Classics Hot Rod’s hand, so fans can make their own Targetmaster Hot Rod. [Source: not found]
Knight Morpher Naming Contest
A third-party company is running a contest to name a black version of its Knight Morpher, the Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime. The crew jokes about naming it Nemesis Prime.
This Day in Transformers History
Exvee notes that Scott McNeil was born on September 15, 1962. The crew praises how he connects with fans at BotCon, recalling one fan who called him on speakerphone for people in the lobby when he couldn’t attend. On September 15, 2008, the TF Wiki moved off Wikia to its own hosting.
TF Wiki Spotlight: The Tree of Life
Chris McFeely highlights a new, unfinished article by Derek Smith on the Tree of Life. The concept comes from Singularity Abyss, a Beast Machines prose story based on the episode Spark of Darkness. Megatron’s spark is guided by Rhinox through layers on the way to the afterlife. Derek found that the layers take their names directly from the ten Sephiroth of the Kabbalah. He diagrammed the model and found parallels in G1 episodes. Chris calls it bizarre and deeply intriguing.
Comic Review: Drift #1 and The Transformers #11
Aimee liked IDW’s Drift #1 enough to put it on her pull list based on the art and the first issue. The ongoing series #11 is still unbalanced, she says, with good moments and more fan nods, including a scene with Brawn. She thinks writer Mike Costa may be going through growing pains and getting better, but she doubts readers will stick around.
Live Chat Q&A
With no topic this week, the crew takes questions from the live chat. Picks for a Masterpiece include Galvatron, a triple changer like Astrotrain or Blitzwing, and G2 Sureshot. Breakdown and the Aerialbots top the War for Cybertron toy wish list. Animated Omega Supreme is the character they most want to see as a toy. For J-pop themes, one host picks the first Micron Legend opening. The crew also jokes that a 1984 Drift would have been a Decepticon named Deadlock.
RFC Twitter Theater: Powertrons
This week’s Twitter Theater was a commercial for Powertrons, pullback cars that pop into robot mode at the end of their run. Rob says they were official Transformers products in Brazil. The crew thinks the idea would work for Activators.
Contests
RFC’s contest runs through the end of the month; friend the TF Radio Network on YouTube to enter. TFormers’ best quotes contest voting starts Friday, with a sealed Bumblebee signed by Aaron Archer and a poster signed by High Moon Studios as prizes.
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.