Takara’s new Masterpiece Optimus Prime looks good in both modes, and the crew wants one despite a price of about $250. On this May 11, 2011 Radio Free Cybertron, JD hosts while Brian Kilby is on vacation, joined by Exvee, Weevum, Aimee, John DeLuna and Rob. They also cover the record-setting Dark of the Moon trailer and new BotCon guests Neil Ross and Morgan Lofting. Then they break down Transformers Prime’s Out of His Head and debate who the best Starscream is.
News
Takara Reveals a New Masterpiece Optimus Prime
The crew greeted the news of yet another Masterpiece Optimus Prime with an eye roll, until pictures appeared. The new figure is the same height as Masterpiece Rodimus. It looks good in vehicle mode and less rigid and boxy than the first version. AllSpark posters noticed truck cab details on the robot’s back. It comes with the trailer, Spike, the gun, the Matrix and an opening chest, for about $250 before shipping. One host says this one feels like a figure he would pose, not an oversized statue. The crew worries about the transformation and quality at that size. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Rodimus Reissue Promises Fixes
Big Bad Toy Store’s pre-order for the Masterpiece Rodimus reissue claims it corrects the flaws of the original release. The crew jokes about what Takara counts as a flaw. [Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
Transformers Prime Voyagers Coming to Europe
Transformers Prime Voyager figures are coming to European markets, though nobody knows who is in the wave. The crew hopes for Bulkhead or Skyquake. One host is impressed that the Optimus Prime figure looks screen-accurate. Others say Starscream cheats by hiding most of his body under the jet. [Source: not found]
Dark of the Moon Trailer Sets a Download Record
The Dark of the Moon trailer set a record with 6 million downloads from Apple Trailers in 24 hours. The crew wonders how many of those were fans trying to pick out robots. They note it gave a shot of Shockwave and at least a hint of plot. [Source: not found]
BotCon 2011 Guests Announced
BotCon’s voice actor guests include Gregg Berger and David Kaye. Neil Ross was announced this afternoon, along with Morgan Lofting, the voice of Firestar and Moonracer. One host recalls when Michael Bell accidentally revealed a surprise BotCon guest in a Cold Hard Slag interview. [Source: not found]
Dark of the Moon Game Pre-Order Bonuses
Dark of the Moon game pre-orders come with retailer-exclusive downloadable characters. The Nintendo versions include physical RPM bonus figures. The crew calls skin-only exclusives pointless and expects them in a later download pack.
Transformers Prime: Out of His Head
Megatron returns, first controlling Bumblebee from inside his mind before getting back into his own body. Starscream is waiting with Dark Energon, and Megatron gives him a beatdown. The crew notes that Bumblebee never gets an apology. They expect fewer Optimus Prime lines now that Frank Welker’s Megatron is back, since big-name voices are expensive. One host wonders whether Knock Out will now compete with Starscream for second in command. Another wishes this Megatron would finally kill Starscream.
Comics This Week
Aimee says no Transformers comics shipped this week. Foundation and the ongoing #19 both arrive next week.
This Day in Transformers History
Exvee notes that the Transformers PlayStation 2 game from Melbourne House, based on Armada, came out in the U.S. on May 11, 2004. He calls it the first good Transformers game. The crew remembers the early Beast Wars games less fondly.
Crave Corner
Rob talks with Cole from Crave, which is planning a table and possibly an event at BotCon. Cole highlights a batch of loose, complete G1 figures, including a rare well-kept Swoop. He also notes a G1 Cosmos that sold fast and a $12 Revenge of the Fallen Skids. JD plans to sell much of his Headmaster and Targetmaster collection on Crave.
Who Is the Best Starscream?
One host picks the Beast Wars II Starscream as the most effective version. Others make the case for Animated Starscream and his clones, and Armada Starscream for his real character arc across the Unicron Trilogy. Another host likes the Transformers Prime Starscream for how he handled leading the Decepticons. A chat listener compares Starscream to Daffy Duck, which the crew loves. They agree the lack of consensus is a tribute to the character.
RFC Twitter Theater
Rob’s pick is the Chris Potter Art Band playing the Transformers theme at a backyard party. Even the kids cover their ears.
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.