A Dark of the Moon preview Optimus Prime has slipped out early at Toys R Us on this March 2, 2011 Radio Free Cybertron. Brian Kilby, Rob Springer, John DeLuna, Exvee, Peter and JD Church cover Shout Factory’s Headmasters DVD and the end of Takara’s Transformers United line. Chris McFeely’s TFWiki Spotlight looks at the new Aligned continuity, and the crew asks why Hasbro is unifying its fiction. Aimee reviews IDW’s Dark of the Moon prequels Foundation and Rising Storm, and the crew discusses the Transformers Prime episode Con Job.
News
Dark of the Moon Preview Optimus Prime Turns Up Early
A community member found a Legends Optimus Prime in Dark of the Moon preview packaging at Toys R Us. It costs $10 and comes with red and blue anaglyph glasses for exclusive 3D content on Transformers.com, though that content isn’t live yet. Peter thinks it slipped out early. The crew remembers when movie preview figures were deluxes. [Source: not found]
Shout Factory Releasing Headmasters on DVD
Shout Factory is releasing Headmasters on DVD but hasn’t said which dub it will include. The crew doubts a new dub, and fan dubs were made without license consent. One host notes the RTM1 dubs were licensed and appeared on the UK and Australian Metrodome sets. Another, a big fan of those dubs, fears that if the set skips them, fans won’t buy it and there will be no more Japanese sets. One host would settle for Japanese with subtitles. [Source: not found]
Shout Factory Reissues Beast Wars on DVD
Shout Factory is also re-releasing Beast Wars on DVD. The crew doesn’t expect much reason to upgrade from the Rhino sets unless Shout licenses extras from the Metrodome or Australian releases. One host wants the Metrodome commentary featuring Chris McFeely. [Source: not found]
Dark of the Moon Becomes Dark Side Moon in Japan
In Japan, Dark of the Moon will be titled Dark Side Moon. The crew says it sounds like bad 1998 Beast Wars fan fiction. New scans of Takara Tomy’s Dark of the Moon toys also show a retooled head for Tomahawk and an added Mech Tech weapon. [Source: not found]
Transformers United Ends After Wave 4
Figure King reports that Takara’s Transformers United line will end after Wave 4. That leaves Japan without United releases of Skullgrin, Thunderwing and Windcharger. The crew expects those toys to reach Japan later under whatever line follows. [Source: Figure King]
Generations Thundercracker and Wheeljack Ship
Big Bad Toy Store has started filling orders for Generations Wheeljack and Thundercracker, and Thundercracker’s package looks as expected. One host is jealous that Chris Triplett’s Wheeljack is on the way. One host has found only Scourge in stores, with no Kup or Perceptor. Another praises the new Bumblebee’s yellow plastic and quality over the 2006 version. [Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
Garage Kit Turns Wreck-Gar Into Junkions
A garage kit adds parts to Reveal the Shield Wreck-Gar to make Junkions, with up to 10 different heads planned. The crew calls it nice and reasonably priced, if they could find Wreck-Gar on shelves. [Source: not found]
Prime Soundtrack and a Cancelled Mini-Con Pack
A Transformers Prime soundtrack is coming soon. One host hopes for a Transformers soundtrack without butt rock. A shared exclusive Mini-Con three-pack with no unifying theme has been cancelled. [Source: not found]
TFWiki Spotlight: The Aligned Continuity Family
Chris McFeely spotlights the TFWiki’s new article on the Aligned continuity family. It joins the wiki’s other families, such as Generation 1, the Unicron Trilogy and the movie family. Hasbro built a production bible borrowing from past generations, and Transformers Prime lives there. Hasbro says War for Cybertron belongs to it too, which has fueled message board arguments. The article links interviews and panels and traces the ideas through War for Cybertron, the Exodus novel, Prime and the Hall of Fame profiles.
Classic Commercials and Series Wish List
The crew aired a G1 Devastator commercial during the break. In the chat, viewers named other series they want released officially. The list includes Beast Wars Neo, Beast Wars II, Zone and Robots in Disguise, which has only European and Australian releases.
Transformers Prime: Con Job
One host likes the latest Prime episode, Con Job, and its characterization. Another says it still feels like a monster-of-the-week show, introducing Makeshift only to blow him up, and little changes by the end. Others point to small character moments and Susan Blu’s voice direction, and expect the series to connect over time like Beast Wars. The crew is excited that the Wreckers are named, likely a first for TV continuity. One host gets half credit for predicting Wheeljack would be a Decepticon.
This Week in Transformers History
JD marks two years since Strafe, a Mini-Con offered to Transformers Visa card holders in Japan. One host notes last Thursday was Optimus Prime Day, the anniversary of The Return of Optimus Prime.
Comic News: Foundation and Rising Storm
Aimee reviews IDW’s Dark of the Moon prequels, both written by John Barber. Foundation, drawn by Andrew Griffith, is narrated by Megatron. It flashes back to when Optimus Prime and Megatron were friends under Sentinel Prime, who found the AllSpark and restored Cybertron. Aimee praises the pacing, art and coloring and recommends it. Rising Storm, drawn by Carlos Magno, introduces Shockwave and brings back characters from Simon Furman’s Nefarious, along with a self-aware Decepticon brain unit. She likes it too, though not Agent Galloway’s new role. Next week brings ongoing issue 17.
Why Is Hasbro Unifying Transformers?
The crew says simplification is the goal, since the multiverse is hard to explain to outsiders. It is also cheaper to design around a core cast. One host notes that retailers hold the power and resist changes to proven designs. Rob says a unified line lets game, cartoon, movie and Classics toys share shelf space. The crew doubts it will change the writing much.
Twitter Theater: Beast Wars Dance Video
Rob’s Twitter Theater pick is a Japanese fan video of Beast Wars characters dancing to a song the crew calls Django. Nobody knows quite what it is, but the crew calls it confusing in a good way.
The AllSpark Beats Its Charity Goal
The AllSpark beat its $5,000 goal for Hasbro Children’s Hospital, raising more than $6,000.
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.