Dark of the Moon toys launched this week, and Brian Kilby admits he forgot the street date. This May 18, 2011 Radio Free Cybertron also covers IDW editor Andy Schmidt’s move to Hasbro, Michael Bay’s BotCon 2011 appearance and Takara’s $190 Jetwing Optimus Prime. John DeLuna, Rob Springer, Exvee, LadyWreck, Weebo and JD Church, calling in by phone, review Transformers Prime’s Shadowzone. The crew also looks at the first Human Alliance basics.
News
Dark of the Moon Toys Hit Shelves
Dark of the Moon toys launched Monday. Brian preordered Topspin for about $20, then found him on shelves before his order even shipped, and his friend Chris Triplett picked one up for him. One host saw Cyberverse boxes on a pallet but none on the pegs. [Source: not found]
Takara Jetwing Optimus Prime Skips Jetfire
Takara’s Dark of the Moon Jetwing Optimus Prime retools the Revenge of the Fallen leader figure. It gains a trailer that forms the movie’s flight pack instead of including Jetfire, which disappoints Exvee. It will cost $190. Brian would sooner buy the new Masterpiece Prime. [Source: not found]
Takara Exclusive Vortex Recolor
A Japanese exclusive recolors Tomahawk as a Vortex homage, at about $28. [Source: not found]
Andy Schmidt Leaves IDW for Hasbro
IDW Transformers editor Andy Schmidt is leaving for Hasbro at the end of the month. LadyWreck, who wrote an editorial on it, calls it a smart career move for a family man and says IDW’s next six months are already set. Brian notes vendors often move to the companies they serve. The crew speculates he will act as a liaison for tie-in fiction, though Hasbro hasn’t said. [Source: not found]
Michael Bay Puts a Bounty on Skids and Mudflap
Michael Bay swears Skids and Mudflap aren’t in Dark of the Moon, and offers $25,000 to anyone who can prove otherwise. The crew mostly laughs. [Source: not found]
Generations Continues Alongside Dark of the Moon
Generations stays on current Target and Walmart planograms alongside the movie line. One host spotted fresh Thundercracker and Wheeljack at Walmart. [Source: not found]
Ain’t It Cool News Calls Dark of the Moon the Best of the Three
Ain’t It Cool News saw an early preview and calls Dark of the Moon the best of the three films. JD dismisses the site, and the crew agrees that isn’t a high bar after Revenge of the Fallen. Rob argues the movies brought billions into the franchise rather than ruining anyone’s childhood. [Source: Ain’t It Cool News]
BotCon 2011 Guests Include Michael Bay
This week’s BotCon guest reveals include Michael McConnohie, Jack Angel and Stan Bush, and Michael Bay will attend to share surprises. Bay and Steven Spielberg are also going into the Transformers Hall of Fame. The crew says they’ve earned it for the money they’ve brought to the franchise. [Source: not found]
Shout! Factory’s Beast Wars Complete Series
The Beast Wars complete series set adds art galleries, new interviews, featurettes, a 12-page book and a copy of the BotCon 2006 comic. The Japanese DVD collection includes a Fortress Maximus lithograph but no dub. That sends the crew into memories of Headmasters and The Rebirth. [Source: not found]
Transformers Prime: Shadowzone
Most of the crew found Shadowzone fun and creepy, though one host felt it was a letdown after the last two episodes. A space bridge malfunction strands Raf, Miko and Jack in a phase-shifted zone with a zombified Skyquake. Brian traces the idea to Star Trek’s The Tholian Web and The Next Phase. The crew wants Miko gone, and is pleased Ratchet finally transforms and has to go on a mission.
From the Chat: Hard-to-Transform Toys
The chat’s pick is toys that are hard to transform. The crew names the G1 Throttlebots, Blot, and Beast Wars Neo’s Dead End and Bazooka. Hooper X in the chat notes the Robots in Disguise Side Burn designer later said he’d do it differently. The crew argues the shift from beast shellformers to fixed-shape cars took Hasbro and Takara years to master, and one host calls Cybertron Crumplezone a brick.
Comics with LadyWreck
Ongoing #19 and Foundation #4 are out today, along with trades for Foundation and Rising Storm, which Brian vouches for. LadyWreck likes Ongoing #19’s coloring by Joana Lafuente and art by Guido Guidi, and its story of Rodimus and Wheelie stealing a ship home. In Foundation #4, Optimus Prime takes the AllSpark away from Megatron, leaving the Decepticons to feed new protoforms from their own energy. She gives both a 4.
This Week in Transformers History
JD notes that the theatrical trailer for the 2007 Transformers movie debuted May 17, 2007.
Dark of the Moon Pickups
Rob picked up Icepick and Thunderhead and calls Human Alliance the best concept ever at $9. He thinks the basics replace the Power Core Combiners two-packs, and that Icepick’s bio places Power Core Combiners in movie continuity. One host says the figures remind him of M.A.S.K. John skips movie toys, treating them like tie-in merchandise. TFormers reviewer Blitzwing1975 gave Megatron four and a half stars. The crew likes Topspin, Air Hammer, the Cyberverse figures and the Commander Prime redeco.
RFC Twitter Theater
Rob’s pick is a fan-made CG video of Starscream and Bumblebee kissing in a hot tub, and the crew is horrified.
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.