The Transformers cartoon turns 30 this week, and the crew remembers their first Transformers toys. The voice of Blaster, Buster Jones, has died at 71, and Brian remembers meeting him at BotCon 2012. Subscription Service 2.0 Chromedome arrives, and MP-20 Wheeljack shows up out of the box. New York Comic Con will host a Robots in Disguise panel. The Hub becomes Discovery Family, and KTC unveils cassette combiners.
News
Subscription Service 2.0 Chromedome Arrives
Brian loves Chromedome, which looks better in hand than in the 2D art and comes with Stylor. He gives Subscription Service 2.0 a thumbs up overall. One host still prefers his Fans Project Headmaster not-Chromedome, which came early through a Toys for Tots charity offer. [Source: TFW2005]
Out-of-Box Images of MP-20 Wheeljack
New images show Masterpiece Wheeljack out of the box, now shipping after a slip to September. One host is not as smitten as he was with Prowl or Bluestreak, and thinks it looks like a nice Generations figure. Others love it, and he expects it to look better in hand. The crew also likes the look of the repaint homage to the Diaclone Marlboro Wheeljack. [Source: not found]
Buster Jones, Voice of Blaster, Dies at 71
Buster Jones, the voice of Blaster in the G1 cartoon, has died at 71. Brian met him at BotCon 2012, his first exposure to the fandom, and calls him a really nice guy. The crew credits his voice with making Blaster one of G1’s most memorable characters. [Source: not found]
Robots in Disguise Panel Set for New York Comic Con
New York Comic Con will host a Robots in Disguise 2015 panel with new characters to be revealed. Diecast will be there for the Thursday 4 p.m. panel and plans to report live. The crew debates how Optimus Prime will appear. Several hosts expect him early as a ghostly guide, and one jokes that he could give a PSA at the end of every episode. [Source: not found]
Angry Birds Transformers
Nicole is excited about Angry Birds Transformers after seeing its trailer, which shows Optimus Prime and Megatron fighting Devastator. It looks more like a side-scroller than a typical Angry Birds game. She also likes the Optimash Prime Mr. Potato Head toys. [Source: not found]
The Hub Becomes Discovery Family
Discovery is taking primary control of the Hub, which will rebrand as Discovery Family. Hasbro will provide programming in a daytime slot from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The crew worries that window is a poor fit for Robots in Disguise. [Source: not found]
Subscription Service 3.0 Tarantulas Gets Brighter Colors
The Collectors’ Club showed a brighter new color mock-up for Tarantulas. Brian is still on the fence about Subscription Service 3.0. He says a nice toy matters more to him than the homage behind it. [Source: not found]
Third-Party News
KTC Shows Cassette Combiners
KTC, still using its old KFC logo, shows jet-and-tank cassette pairs that combine into new characters such as Death Metal. The crew expects a Flywheels-colored version eventually. Brian will wait for reviews, since he did not like KTC’s Bad Bat. KTC also plans versions of two very rare cassettes that also combine. Brian says he does not mind third parties copying toys that are so rare and unlikely to be reissued. [Source: not found]
Renders of Legends-Size Datsun Autobots
Renders show small third-party Prowl, Smokescreen and Bluestreak figures. Brian will not cover renders until real figures exist. [Source: not found]
RFC 15th Anniversary Shirt
RFC’s first shirt in about five years features the 15th anniversary logo, with art by John and layout by Diecast. It costs about $20 plus shipping and needs a minimum of 50 orders. Orders that reach the minimum arrive before TFCon. Brian says the show makes no profit on it. The 15th anniversary episode is a month away, and there will be no regular show the week of TFCon.
This Week in History
On September 17, 1984, the first episode of the Transformers cartoon debuted, 30 years ago this week. The crew agrees it was essentially a toy ad, and a great one. First toys around the table include Mirage, Gears, Beachcomber and Ultra Magnus. Don says in the chat that his first was Sludge.
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.