Transformers Prime debuts, and the crew shares first impressions of its opening two episodes, from Cliffjumper’s early death to his zombie return. Generations Tracks hits retail, and John DeLuna calls it a faithful but familiar take on the G1 toy. Hasbro renames Spastic after complaints, and e-Hobby set details reveal clear Matrix Hot Rod and translucent Decepticons. Chris McFeely’s TFWiki Spotlight covers the AllSpark, and Brian details the RFC year-end giveaway.
News
e-Hobby Set Details Revealed
New e-Hobby sets look to include a Hot Rod with a clear blue Matrix, a battle-damaged Arcee and Junkion Scrap Heap. A Decepticon set comes in clear purple plastic, including Universe Galvatron. The sets are rumored at about 7,500 yen, or $125 to $150 after markup. Brian says he is less interested except for the Junkion. [Source: not found]
Takara Turns Power Core Combiner Minicons into Targetmasters
Takara is turning three Power Core Combiner minicons into Targetmaster stand-ins as store premiums for big spenders. XV notes Takara did the same during Galaxy Force. The crew recalls other odd Japanese premiums, like credit card minicons. [Source: not found]
Hasbro Renames Spastic
Hasbro will rename the Power Core Combiner Spastic after complaints that the name is offensive. Brian, who works for a large company, notes how hard it is to vet a name across cultures. Another host says the word isn’t a great fit for a kid’s toy anyway. [Source: not found]
Generations Tracks Hits Retail
Generations Tracks is out, and John found his at Walgreens. He says the classic toys reimagined G1 designs, while Tracks is basically the G1 toy modernized. That makes him a little underwhelming for a fan who already owns two or three versions. He does like the open hands. A Wheeljack repaint is coming with a new head and weapons. [Source: not found]
Power Core Combiners Wave 4 Ships, Deep Dive Revealed
Power Core Combiners Grimstone and the Constructicons are shipping. Pictures show Deep Dive, a Seaspray repaint, which Brian likes despite the touched-up promo art. [Source: not found]
Peter Cullen-Signed Convoy Raffle for Toys for Tots
E&I, parent company of TFormers.com, has teamed with Beyond Comics to raffle a Takara THS-02 Convoy signed by Peter Cullen. Tickets are $1 at the Gaithersburg and Frederick, Maryland stores, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots. The drawing is December 18, and winners don’t need to be present. [Source: TFormers]
Simon Furman Reveals Dreamwave’s Unfinished Energon Ending
Simon Furman shared on his blog how Dreamwave’s Energon comic would have ended. The crew jokes it sure sounds like a Dreamwave comic. Brian names favorite Transformers comics: Chris Sarracini’s early Armada issues, the Headmasters miniseries and most of the UK comics. [Source: simonfurman.wordpress.com]
Transformers Prime and G.I. Joe: Renegades Debut
Transformers Prime debuts this week, followed by G.I. Joe: Renegades. Brian finds Lady Jaye’s new voice and personality a little off. John jokes that 1980s G.I. Joe insensitivity explains Spastic. [Source: not found]
War for Cybertron Double Experience Event
Aimee reports that War for Cybertron is running a ten times experience event online until Sunday at midnight Eastern. [Source: not found]
IDW February 2011 Solicitations
Aimee runs through IDW’s February 2011 solicits: Infestation issues 1 and 2, Galvatron’s return in the ongoing series and reprints of older titles, including AllSpark Almanac volumes one and two. Transformers Mosaic is up on DeviantArt, and Sector 7 is out this week. [Source: IDW Publishing]
This Week in History
XV notes that the Japanese Beast Wars theme single “War, War! Stop It” came out on November 21, 1997. He calls it so bad it’s funny. Scatman Crothers, the voice of Jazz, died on November 22, 1986. The crew calls his the best voice in G1.
TFWiki Spotlight: AllSpark
Chris McFeely spotlights the AllSpark, which he recently merged and expanded on TFWiki. The movie, Animated and Exodus versions share the same story: a source of life on Cybertron shot into space and tracked to Earth. That makes the AllSpark a recurring concept like the Matrix or Energon. The article now covers its history across comics, movies, the AllSpark Almanac, games and merchandise.
RFC Year-End Giveaway
Brian announces the RFC year-end contest. Enter by following RFC on Twitter, Facebook, Ustream or YouTube, with one entry per platform. Prizes include Generations Blurr and Darkmount, a Fanboy Versus clock, an E&I shirt, Titan Transformers magazines and many Titan trades. Details are at tfradio.net/contests.
Transformers Prime First Impressions
John, XV and JD Church review Prime’s first two episodes. JD found it flatter than expected, with predictable plotting, Bumblebee’s beeps and story echoes of Robots in Disguise. The others liked it more. They point to the violence, zombie Cliffjumper, Dark Energon, the Unicron tease and Jeffrey Combs. Brian says he could easily separate Prime from the movies he dislikes. The verdict: definitely not bad, worth watching and possibly good.
Twitter Theater
Without Rob, Brian plays this week’s clip, a strange 1980s anime with Mazinger Z-style robots and a flying Inferno lookalike. The crew is baffled but enjoys spotting the references.
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.