Hints for the BotCon 2011 set point toward Transformers Animated, and a tweet during the show says every Animated fan will want it. This January 26, 2011 Radio Free Cybertron also covers first images of Generations Warpath and Thundercracker. Leaked Dark of the Moon Shockwave pictures and Toy Fair UK line details also come up. LadyWreck runs through the week in comics, and the crew remembers the biggest Toy Fair surprises of years past.
News
BotCon 2011 Hints Point to Transformers Animated
The Transformers Collectors’ Club magazine says the BotCon 2011 set will be very Animated, apparently with a capital A. Other hints mention season 3.5 and list G1, AEC, Animated and Beast Wars. The crew notes Animated molds are in production, so they would be cheaper now, but nothing is certain. Late in the show, BotCon’s Twitter reports that Derrick J. Wyatt was instrumental in the set and every Animated fan will want it. One host guesses Classics toys redone as Animated characters. Another thinks season 3.5 may tie up loose ends from the end of season three. [Source: BotCon Twitter]
Generations Warpath Pictured
A small picture of Generations Warpath is up on TFW2005. The crew thinks it looks mistransformed and notes its 3mm clip points. One host is let down that the transformation is easy to guess, since it reverses the usual deluxe tank style. [Source: TFW2005]
Dark of the Moon Toy Line Details From Toy Fair UK
Toy Fair UK revealed Dark of the Moon line details, largely confirming earlier UK Toys R Us listings. MechTech weapons run through the main line, and Cyberverse figures come with transforming bases. The basics become Commander class, and an Ark playset is coming. One host wonders whether movie Power Core Combiners with commanders and drones are next. [Source: TFormers]
Reveal the Shield and Generations Deluxes Reach Stores
Reveal the Shield deluxes Wreck-Gar, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Perceptor and Generations deluxes such as Scourge are showing up in stores. The crew complains that new product is bottlenecked in the U.S. Power Core Combiner basics have been out in Malaysia and Canada for weeks, while U.S. pegs hold Wave 3 recolors. [Source: not found]
Generations Thundercracker Revealed
Pictures of Generations Thundercracker look great. One host already owns the mold several times over as Starscream, Skywarp, Ramjet, Acid Storm and Thrust, and is still impressed. He prefers the Henkei blue but likes the Generations silver. [Source: not found]
Leaked Dark of the Moon Barricade and Shockwave
Exvee wrote up leaked pictures of stolen Dark of the Moon toys, including Barricade and Shockwave. The crew says Shockwave looks nicer than expected but sure is Megatron in purple. Clearer pictures from a chatter make him look like Iron Maiden’s Eddie. [Source: not found]
Third-Party Cliffjumper Kit and Kup Heads
A custom kit for Classics Cliffjumper is coming, but no close-up of the new face has been shown. The crew notes that Classics Cliffjumper hasn’t been in stores for about five years and is now expensive. They also discuss pricey Classics and Cybertron toys. The two-head kit for Generations Kup from iGear looks great, at $12 shipped with a box for Kup’s truck bed. One host who passed last week now plans to buy it. [Source: not found]
Toy Fair 2011 Live Coverage
RFC will cover Toy Fair 2011 live on February 12, from noon to about 5 p.m. Eastern, this time with video. Coverage will stream at TFormers and tfradio.net and go up on YouTube afterward.
The Week in Comics
LadyWreck reports that IDW’s Transformers Prime #4 is out this week. Transformers Infestation starts February 2 and runs biweekly, and IDW says it is self-contained. Transformers: Foundation and Rising Storm launch February 23. The Last Stand of the Wreckers trade is being reprinted on February 16. Death’s Head returns in Marvel UK comics, written by Simon Furman and drawn by Simon Williams. IDW’s April solicits add two Transformers movie slipcases collecting the movie prequels, adaptations, Reign of Starscream, Alliance and Defiance.
TF Wiki Spotlight: Cobra Commander
Chris McFeely spotlights Cobra Commander, who has a TFWiki page for his crossover appearances. The page covers the Marvel G1 and G2 crossovers, the Devil’s Due and Dreamwave crossovers and his G1 cartoon cameo. Chris closes with “rest in peace, Cobra Commander.”
This Day in Transformers History
JD notes that Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 was released on January 27.
Toy Fair Surprises of Years Past
The crew remembers Toy Fair 2001, when Car Robots toys appeared after the first day showed no Transformers. Fans who had imported Car Robots the year before were upset. They recall Armada’s debut at Toy Fair 2002 confounding fans who expected a return to G1, and fans insisting Megatron was only a deluxe. The Armada Optimus Prime’s radio-controlled trailer and Hot Shot’s missile gimmick come up fondly. In 2003, Hasbro kept its showroom closed to all but retailers and held a separate event for news sites. The crew also recalls the War for Cybertron figures leaking right after Toy Fair 2010.
Twitter Theater: Japanese Game Show
Rob describes a clip John DeLuna found on Twitter from a Japanese show like The Gong Show. Two performers race to a trophy as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Bumblebee stops short, Optimus grabs the trophy, and a judge lectures them for two minutes.
Reveal the Shield Packaging
Chatter Tracks32 shares new Reveal the Shield packaging that reveals one figure will be an Autobot. One host thinks Demolition Rumble feels too big as a deluxe.
RFC Announcements
New Soundwave follows the show with an episode about the Nintendo 64.