BotCon 2013 is headed to San Diego, California, June 27 to 30, with a Machine Wars theme, and Brian Kilby says he can’t make it. This December 12, 2012 Radio Free Cybertron also covers Hasbro consolidating its movie and TV work under Hasbro Studios and two holiday Toys for Tots drives. Other news includes a new Ultra Magnus commemorative reissue, another run of Takara’s 2010 Predaking and Transformers Prime on Netflix. John DeLuna reviews Spotlight: Orion Pax, and the crew looks back at 12 toy lines from the 1980s that flopped.
News
BotCon 2013 Heads to San Diego
BotCon 2013 will be in San Diego, June 27 to 30, with a Machine Wars theme. Brian can’t go, and thinks the date and location will help Shardcon in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August. The crew hopes to hold a live RFC panel at Shardcon. John has been to 12 of the last 13 BotCons and will go mostly to see friends. The crew notes the Collectors’ Club comic seems to hint at Starscream, Soundwave and Megatron, and one host bets the builder set will be the jets. [Source: not found]
Hasbro Consolidates Media Under Hasbro Studios
Hasbro is consolidating its movie and TV operations under Hasbro Studios, with Stephen Davis leading Transformers film and TV projects. The crew hopes for more consistency but worries Hasbro will double down on its unified-universe approach and more Bumblebee. [Source: not found]
Fans Project Function X-1 Toys for Tots Donation
Big Bad Toy Store will donate $20 in toys at wholesale to Toys for Tots for each Fans Project Function X-1 mystery figure sold through December 16. The figure costs $68.99, and all that’s known is that it’s a four-wheeled vehicle. [Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
Hasbro’s Notes to Santa
Hasbro will donate a toy to Toys for Tots for each thank-you note to Santa written on the Marine Toys for Tots Facebook page. Brian plans to write plenty. [Source: not found]
G1 Ultra Magnus Commemorative Reissue Variant
A new run of the G1 Ultra Magnus commemorative reissue at Toys R Us reportedly has tall smokestacks and short missiles. The crew wonders why. [Source: not found]
Takara Tomy Reruns 2010 Predaking
Takara Tomy is doing another run of the 2010 Predaking reissue, with gold paint and less of the original’s toy-like look. Brian wants one but not at $200. [Source: not found]
Transformers Prime on Netflix
Transformers Prime seasons one and two are now on Netflix. [Source: not found]
Operation Beehive
Brian reminds listeners that Operation Beehive ends December 19 at 5 p.m. Eastern. Buy shelf-warming Transformers, donate them to Toys for Tots or another charity, and send RFC the receipt. If donations reach $500 in retail value, the crew will do a 6- to 10-hour live show.
Comics
John DeLuna says IDW’s Spotlight: Orion Pax is a good standalone story from James Roberts about a prisoner exchange, set before Autocracy. Alpha Trion turns into a Tumbler, Nightbeat is oddly turquoise and Orion Pax keeps complaining about his missing mouth plate. Rack ‘n’ Ruin, Bludgeon and Rung appear too.
Toy Hunting with Chris Triplett
Brian recalls racing his friend Chris Triplett to the Transformers aisle a decade ago, Wacky Races-style. These days they just let whoever wants a toy more have it. Another host remembers late nights toy hunting with Tim and Heath.
12 Toys from the 1980s That Didn’t Take Off
The crew goes through a Mental Floss list of 1980s toy flops: Food Fighters, Barnyard Commandos, Army Ants, Sectaurs, Rock Lords, Computer Warriors, Crystar, Inhumanoids, the Super Naturals, Air Raiders, Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos and Police Academy. One host loves the Inhumanoids, and the crew says Robo Force, Visionaries, Starriors and C.O.P.S. belong on the list. One host says Robo Force has aged better than many G1 Transformers.
RFC Notes
Radio Free Cybertron will be pre-recorded the next two weeks and returns live Wednesday, January 2. New Soundwave airs live next week, and the RFC Android app is at tfradio.net/android.
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.