Radio Free Cybertron 325 is the crew’s live panel from Charticon 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The topic is the fandomization of Transformers: how fans shaped the brand through clubs, conventions, podcasts and third-party toys. The panel asks why fans build toys but rarely animation, and whether too many third-party Predakings is a problem. It wraps with a prize drawing for the audience.
Fans and the Brand
Brian opens by calling RFC one of the first podcasts, running since 1999. Rob traces organized fandom back to Transmasters, the club advertised in the last issue of the Marvel comic. The panel agrees that third-party toys are the biggest fan-driven force today, since they can make almost any character. Diecast points to a third-party Overlord head as something Hasbro has no reason to make.
Fans in Official Roles
John polls the audience, and nearly everyone came in through G1 or Beast Wars. He notes that younger creators such as Mairghread Scott grew up on Beast Wars, which shapes the stories they tell now. One host jokes that Kiss Players nostalgia must be coming next.
Too Many Predakings
The panel worries that third parties now repeat Hasbro’s habit of making many versions of popular characters. Three third-party Predakings are coming while the Platinum Edition Predaking sells for about $120. One panelist notes signs of coordination, such as Fans Project skipping Hardhead and Highbrow after another company made upgrade kits. John describes BotCon 2013, where dealers openly sold third-party toys despite the previous year’s ban.
Why No Fan Animation?
Brian wonders why fans make toys but rarely make their own animated media. The panel cites the cost of voice casts, music and editing, while motion comics and fan fiction fill some of the gap. One host notes that James Roberts brought ideas from his fan novel Eugenesis into More Than Meets the Eye, including the name Rung.
Waiting on Headmaster Arcee
The panel teases Don, who has asked for a Headmaster Arcee figure for 20 years and was watching from home. They point to Fans Project’s Headmasters and a Mastermind Creations Arcee as his best hope.
Audience Giveaway
John draws ticket numbers for three Transformers Prime Vehicons and a Strafe. The grand prize is a Shattered Glass Wheelie with three unopened Cheerwines. The panel thanks organizers Jacob and Eric, and the audience cheers for Charticon to return.
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.