BotCon 2012 is set for Dallas, April 26 to 29, and most of the Radio Free Cybertron crew plan to be there. Michael Bay is now merely undecided about directing Transformers 4. Rescue Bots gets its voice cast, with a Peter Cullen cameo, and the crew is surprisingly hopeful. JD Church takes on Mike Costa’s final issue of IDW’s Transformers ongoing. The crew also shares Transformers holiday wish lists.
News
BotCon 2012 runs April 26 to 29 in Dallas, Brian’s favorite BotCon city so far, and he expects a strong RFC showing. Ender is sitting this one out, since it would mean a plane trip. [Source: TFWiki]
Michael Bay Now Undecided on Transformers 4
Rumors had Bay directing a fourth film, but he now says he has not decided, which is softer than his earlier refusal. One host says Paramount will never leave Bay alone because the films keep working. Another thinks Hasbro may not want this forever, since Dark of the Moon made less domestically and the toys sold less. [Source: Atlanta Black Star]
Encore Devastator Compared to the Originals
A TFormers comparison notes fans calling the Encore Constructicons knockoff quality. The crew blames the aging mold and would rather buy a G1 Devastator than pay $100. One host is happy with a Big Lots knockoff Guardian City, since the real Guardian City and Battle Gaia are grails he will never own. [Source: not found]
Alternity Dai Atlas Door Defect
One host likes the look and colors of the Alternity Dai Atlas but worries about a reported defect. Peter, who wrote the TFormers story, explains that a door can stick open in the GT-R car mode. The crew notes that TakaraTomy quality control has slipped and that Japan often fixes problems by selling a corrected second version. [Source: not found]
Transformers: Rescue Bots Cast and Characters Revealed
Steve Blum voices Heatwave, Maurice LaMarche voices Boulder, Parvesh Cheena voices Blades and D.C. Douglas voices Chase. Peter Cullen appears as Optimus Prime in at least one episode. The crew jokes that Optimus will play Charlie from Charlie’s Angels, handing out missions. One host loved Super Hero Squad and is genuinely hopeful. Another questions why Transformers needs a separate cartoon for young kids. [Source: Seibertron]
Comics
JD Church fills in for Amy on IDW’s Transformers #31, Mike Costa’s last issue before the relaunch. Set millions of years in the future, it has Alpha Trion and Ironhide telling young Autobots about the war on Remembrance Day. JD notes nine of the 22 pages have little or no dialogue and calls it a self-congratulatory recap. The crew also discusses Regeneration One, the continuation of the Marvel comic, with issue 80.5 planned for Free Comic Book Day ahead of #81. Some call it fan service, though one host is hopeful because original creators are involved.
This Week in History
In 1986, Transformers: Mystery of Convoy was released for the Famicom in Japan. The crew notes Protoman was the first to beat it legitimately, on a live stream. A year ago, Darkness Rising Part 5 aired, and the crew still has no zombie Cliffjumper toy. One host reports the Transformers Prime wave 1.5 First Edition deluxes just hit Canada, with Starscream and Arcee selling out immediately.
Chat Questions
John DeLuna brings chat questions. In the current toy dead zone, some of the crew are taking a break from Transformers altogether. BotCon buzz in chat includes a fan driving between Dallas and Houston to make his prom.
Holiday Wish Lists
One host is buying Transformers Prime toys for his kids, including a Japanese Optimus Prime for himself. The crew raves about Kre-O, from Soundwave’s speaker face to Prowl’s smirk, and Brian hopes for the big $50 Kre-O Optimus Prime. One host is buying himself the MakeToys unofficial Powerglide and Seaspray. JD says BotCon in Dallas is his present, and John wants a 2010 Primus, though he admits it is a poor toy.
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.