BotCon 2011’s exclusive set will be the Transformers Animated Stunticons, and the crew is not as fired up as last year. Masterpiece Rodimus Prime ships with thin plastic, rubbing paint and parts that snap. Generations Warpath surfaces through Japanese trademark filings and Entertainment Earth. XV shows off his new Reveal the Shield toys and warns about stress marks on Wreck-Gar. Marty Isenberg talks Beast Machines, and the crew digs into the Dinobots.
News
Life-Size Dark of the Moon Bumblebee Camaro
A full-size Dark of the Moon Bumblebee is a production Camaro with a big fake Mech Tech gun mounted on the roof. It is only available in Japan. The crew trades Camaro color jokes, from Animated Wasp to Hubcap. [Source: not found]
BotCon 2011 Exclusive Set Is the Transformers Animated Stunticons
The BotCon 2011 set is the Transformers Animated Stunticons, apparently not a combiner. One host loved the G2 and Beast Wars sets but feels less excited about this one, since Animated just left shelves. Pete has said on Twitter there will be three new head sculpts. The crew expects Wreck-Gar’s mold to become Motormaster and notes Dead End reuses Jazz with a goatee. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Rodimus Prime Ships with Quality Control Problems
Masterpiece Rodimus Prime is out, and reports of breakage are widespread. XV explains that the trailer interior is painted, so the spoiler rubs paint off when the car slides in. Thin plastic shows stress marks, and some arm hinges have snapped at metal pins. Collectors who avoid breakage praise the Hot Rod likeness and engineering. The crew expects a cheaper Hasbro release, possibly with a Targetmaster. [Source: TFW2005]
Generations Warpath Revealed
Clear photos of Generations Warpath turned up on the Japanese trademark and patent website. Entertainment Earth lists him in Generations Wave 8 for April. The crew loves the solid tank mode and blocky robot mode, and wants a Treadshot or Gutcruncher repaint. [Source: Entertainment Earth]
Classics Cliffjumper Upgrade Head Pictures
Clear pictures show a third-party upgrade head for the 2007 Classics Cliffjumper. The crew finds the face dull and vacant, and agrees it doesn’t look like Cliffjumper. Nobody plans to buy it. [Source: not found]
Transformers Prime Episode Summaries
Episode summaries for upcoming Transformers Prime episodes mention Skyquake, Terrorcons and Scraplets. The crew is excited for Skyquake and Scraplets. [Source: not found]
Comic News
Aimee reviews Infestation 1, which she enjoyed despite shipping delays. One host questions why Galvatron tells humans to get out of their cars instead of just throwing them. The crew dislikes how Optimus Prime takes command from Bumblebee and calls the zombie premise borrowed from Marvel Zombies. Transformers ongoing issue 16 is out next week.
What We Got This Week
XV
XV picked up Reveal the Shield Kup, which he likes for its sharper face and musket rifle. He also got the rerun Bumblebee, with tighter joints than his Classics Bumblebee. Perceptor has a nice robot mode but a fiddly, panel-heavy transformation. Scourge from Target is his least favorite, with overcomplicated arms. His two Wreck-Gars both show stress marks in the hands and shoulders. He warns that transforming the handlebars by hand can crack the hinge, and suggests shaving the handlebar nubs to prevent it.
TFWiki Spotlight: The Last Days of Optimus Prime
Chris McFeely spotlights The Last Days of Optimus Prime, a short unofficial Simon Furman story for the 2000 Transforce convention. A world-weary Optimus Prime seeks out the Afterrealm somewhere between Generation 1 and the Beast Era. The article ties it to Furman’s other fiction of the era and links to a Flash version of the comic.
This Week in History
JD notes that the Energon cartoon premiered in the U.S. on January 29, 2004. The crew agrees Energon showed promise early before falling apart. The Revenge of the Fallen teaser debuted during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009, and the Dark of the Moon trailer airs during this Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Toy Fair 2011 Coverage
RFC will cover Toy Fair 2011 live on February 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Eastern, this time with video and pictures.
Interview: Marty Isenberg
Brian and JD interviewed Marty Isenberg, who says he is working on a Transformers Animated project and something for Transformers Prime. Isenberg recalls that Hasbro hired the Beast Machines writers as Transformers novices for a fresh take. He was told the movie was the only look at Cybertron, then later learned about Iacon and Vector Sigma. He admits he found Transformers: The Movie incomprehensible.
Topic: The Dinobots
The crew traces the Dinobots from Diaclone to G1 and roasts Wheeljack for building giant robots with small brains. They call Sludge and Snarl the also-rans. They debate Simon Furman’s comic Grimlock, smart but talking dumb. They run through later Dinobots, including Energon Grimlock and Swoop, Animated Grimlock and Snarl, and Power Core Combiners Grimstone. Masterpiece Grimlock ranks as the best Dinobot toy.
BotCon Reveal Hint: Axel F
BotCon tweets its next reveal hint, “Axel F.” The crew guesses everything from an Eddie Murphy robot to Breakdown, via “Shakedown” from Beverly Hills Cop II.
Twitter Theater
Rob shares a Beast Wars Neo sausage commercial, with dramatic animal action scenes selling meat snacks.
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.