TFCon organizer Colin Douglas sits down with Diecast and Matt to preview TFCon Charlotte, where Garry Chalk is already booked and another G1 voice actor is coming. Takara Tomy announces MP-11T Thundercracker in lighter, animation-accurate colors. TF Nation steps in to replace Auto Assembly in the UK, and Andrew Wildman launches a Patreon to sketch every Marvel G1 character. Dr. Wu moves from upgrade kits to a full Mixmaster replacement.
News
SDCC Exclusives Still Available at Hasbro Toy Shop
SDCC Devastator, the Kre-O Class of 85 set and the Combiner Hunters are still in stock at Hasbro Toy Shop. With its extra paint, SDCC Devastator is only $10 more than at Toys R Us. One host reports Toys R Us raised its price again, to $169. The crew debates whether Toys R Us will survive the next decade. [Source: Seibertron]
Takara Tomy Announces MP-11T Thundercracker
Takara Tomy announced MP-11T Thundercracker in lighter, animation-accurate colors. It may carry the waist improvements made for MP-11 Skywarp. At around 15,000 yen, Brian will stick with his earlier U.S. Thundercracker, which Don picked up for him. [Source: TFW2005]
Diaclone Reboot at Summer Wonder Festival
Summer Wonder Festival 2015 brought photos of the Diaclone reboot and its Diabattles robot. The crew worries the line will be expensive. Another look at Masterpiece Ironhide leaves Matt liking it less each time. [Source: TFW2005]
TF Nation Will Replace Auto Assembly
TF Nation is a new fan-run UK convention launching in 2016 to take Auto Assembly’s place. UK fans have been mourning the last Auto Assembly, so the crew calls it a big deal. The organizers and venue were not named in the announcement. [Source: TFormers]
Andrew Wildman Launches a Patreon
Andrew Wildman launched a Patreon with the goal of sketching every character from the original Marvel Transformers universe. Don loves how his art gives metal characters life. Rob points out that longtime comic artists have no retirement plan, so this supports him directly. One host plans to make Wildman the first creator he backs. [Source: TFW2005]
Machine Boy Shows an Astrotrain Homage in Color
Machine Boy posted the first color images of its Astrotrain homage. It sits between Classics and Masterpiece scale, with a coal tender car and a satellite. One host prefers it to DX9 Chigurh. Another doubts how many fans want that in-between size. [Source: TFormers]
Dr. Wu Makes a Mixmaster Replacement
Dr. Wu, known for upgrade kits, is making a full replacement Mixmaster for Devastator. Its styling is closer to G1, with the drum on its back. One host notes the robot is engineered like Hasbro’s, so the functional problems remain. Don reads it as a statement about Hasbro’s design and says the price will decide its impact. [Source: TFW2005]
MakeToys Rear End and Cyclonus Upgrade
MakeToys’ Mangamax update covers Rear End and its Cyclonus upgrade kit, sold on its own. Rob is very happy, while others are lukewarm. The Hasbro Tailgate falls short, so this Tailgate homage looks much closer to the comic. [Source: TFormers]
Fans Project Shows Function X Croc and a Highbrow Homage
Fans Project showed Function X Croc, its Skullcruncher homage, in production plastic. Its Highbrow homage is still a render. Some hosts dislike the truck windows on Croc’s chest. Others want it repainted as Optimus Prime, perhaps as a TFCon Charlotte exclusive. [Source: not found]
Interview: Colin Douglas on TFCon Charlotte
Diecast and Matt talk with Colin Douglas, organizer of TFCon and TFCon USA. TFCon Charlotte will run two and a half days, with voice actor Q&As, a live script reading and a third-party product preview. Garry Chalk is attending, and another G1 voice actor will be announced next week. Colin is planning with Dave Cunningham, and he wants a joint live recording with several podcasts. TFCon no longer makes its own exclusive figures, leaving those to third-party companies, though the show sells an officially licensed shirt. He promises something for Charlotte in 2016 alongside TFCon Chicago. The hotel package includes breakfast, internet, drink vouchers and parking.
Movie Rumor Reminder
The crew reminds listeners that viral posts about Pretenders, Battle Beasts and Shia LaBeouf in the next movie are not credible. Wait for Entertainment Weekly or Variety before believing any movie news.
This Week in History
Michael Bell, voice of Prowl and Bombshell, was born in 1938. Marty Isenberg was born in 1959. In 2002, Titan Books released Matrix Quest, an early collected edition of the Marvel comic. In 2004, OTFCC 2004 opened while an unofficial BotCon ran the same year.
On TFormers This Week
Exvee reviewed Combiner Hunters and More Than Meets the Eye #43, and Rob reviewed Windblade #5. Hisashi Yuki’s photos show the new Transformers Adventure Optimus Prime standing about as tall as Superion.
What We Got This Week
Brian got Transformers Adventure Roadblock, the Strongarm repaint, from Amazon. He also got the Platinum Edition Blitzwing and Astrotrain and found no mold wear. He likes Rob Springer’s theory about which old toy this Astrotrain honors.
Don found a second Power Battlers Junkheap at Ross, plus a Vehicon from the same wave. At Target he traded in a Bombshell toward Robots in Disguise Jazz and Sideswipe.
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.