Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak are revealed on this March 6, 2013 Radio Free Cybertron, along with the first official look at the US Toys R Us Masterpiece Soundwave and Acid Storm. The crew digs into rumored Takara reissues of Star Saber, Dai Atlas and Galaxy Convoy, and the BotCon 2013 reveal of Megaplex on the Dreadwing mold. Hasbro’s Australian Toy Fair display confirms a three-faced Generations Blitzwing. Rob and Exvee review More Than Meets the Eye #14 and Spotlight: Bumblebee, and Transformers Rewind covers Sky-Byte Saves the Day.
Brian is joined by Don, Exvee, Rob Clay and Aimee. Brian plans to start numbering episodes again around episode 300, once Paul confirms the count.
Fans Project Function X-1
Don shows his Fans Project Function X-1, the not-Chromedome, which he paid retail for and calls worth it. He has preorders in for the next two and hopes the line reaches the Headmaster Juniors and the Horrorcons. He advises new third-party buyers to start with something like City Commander or a not-minibot rather than a combiner.
News
Rumored Takara Reissues
Rumored Takara reissues include G1 Star Saber, Dai Atlas, Galaxy Force Galaxy Convoy and Wing Saber, and Beast Wars Optimus Primal, plus an Air Jordan Black Convoy. Brian is surprised Victory Leo isn’t included to form Victory Saber. Rob would rather see Fire Convoy, given the plastic issues collectors have. Others expect Overlord would be the big seller and say a Liokaiser gift set reissue would make Takara a fortune. [Source: not found]
Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak Revealed
Photos of Masterpiece Prowl and Bluestreak look gorgeous and close to the character model, and one host has already preordered. Another notes Prowl’s design turns kibble into art, a pattern Transformers has reused for 30 years. Aimee likes that this Prowl’s feet look able to hold him up. The crew expects Smokescreen next and guesses which other cars could share molds, from Inferno, Grapple and Hauler to Ratchet and Ironhide. [Source: not found]
BotCon 2013 Megaplex Revealed
BotCon revealed Megaplex, built on the rare Prime Dreadwing Voyager mold. One host notes it copies the original toy’s look in bare plastic colors and lacks a new head, likely because the mold arrived late in development. Brian and Don lean pro-Fun Publications, but the crew finds this year’s Machine Wars-themed sets nebulous. One host says the strongest BotCon years were 2006, 2007 and 2010. [Source: TFU.info]
Australian Toy Fair: Blitzwing and Springer
Hasbro’s display at the Australia Hobby Toy Fair confirms Generations Blitzwing has three faces, with a bio drawn from his Animated personality. The crew is fine with that, since G1 Blitzwing had no personality to speak of. Generations Springer still looks good, based on Nick Roche’s comic design. [Source: not found]
Walmart Listings Reveal Upcoming Toys
Walmart listings point to Beast Hunters Sandstorm, Prowl and a new Megatron. Bot Shots five-packs of the Protectobots and Combaticons are also coming. One host notes the Beast Hunters instruction story has Megatron disappear, so a new body makes sense. [Source: Walmart]
Masterpiece Soundwave and Acid Storm
The first official photos of the Toys R Us Masterpiece Soundwave and Acid Storm are out. The crew calls Acid Storm gorgeous, in a toxic green closer to the cartoon. Soundwave has a yellow visor, which Brian doesn’t mind. [Source: not found]
Jeff Kline on Beast Hunters
Transformers Prime producer Jeff Kline says Beast Hunters will be a good ending. Brian wishes he had said a happy one. [Source: not found]
Comic News with Aimee
Aimee reports that Monstrosity, the follow-up to Autocracy, is out digitally. Amazon lists More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4, a paperback Movie Collection Volume 1 and a 30th Anniversary Collection. The Art of Fall of Cybertron limited edition is up for preorder at IDW Limited.
Comic Review: Spotlight: Bumblebee
Rob and Exvee say Spotlight: Bumblebee is a formulaic story built to be packed with a toy, about Bumblebee asserting his leadership while Prowl acts like a jerk. They find the art the weakest of the spotlights so far, with some panels missing nearly all detail and colors that stay bright even at night.
Comic Review: More Than Meets the Eye #14
More Than Meets the Eye #14 opens an arc of up to eight issues. Chromedome probes Overlord’s mind, and Overlord probes back, revealing that Prowl put him aboard the Lost Light and how Overlord became a Phase Sixer. The issue ends with Overlord trapping Chromedome in a slow room and leaving to start a slaughter. Rob and Exvee find Overlord disturbingly well written and dread the deaths ahead.
Transformers Rewind: Sky-Byte Saves the Day
Transformers Rewind covers the Robots in Disguise episode Sky-Byte Saves the Day, where the Predacons take hostages in a tower and demand the Autobots’ O-Parts. Chris McFeely notes the episode never aired in the US, which left later O-Parts references unexplained. One host calls it a show where nobody knows what they’re doing, while another calls Sky-Byte his favorite RID character and enjoys the dub cast.
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.