DX9 shows a test shot of its Masterpiece-scale Galvatron, and X-Transbots answers within hours with a render of its own. Takara Tomy’s Legends femmebots get new photos, with Matt most excited for Slipstream. IDW’s Transformers #45 gets an Acme Comics exclusive cover that pays homage to the 1986 Battle for Metroplex box art. Robots in Disguise turns up as a team theme in Nintendo’s Splatoon. The crew also marks the first known newspaper ad for the original Transformers toys.
This Week in History
In 1984, the first known newspaper ad for the original Transformers toy line appears. Autobot cars sell for $8.99 and jets for $10, with a limit of two per customer. The crew credits Crazy Steve’s Roboplastic Apocalypse blog for archiving ads like this one. Don started collecting at 14 in 1984 with Sludge. One host started at five with Mirage, which he promptly broke. Diecast was born in 1982 and remembers playing with friends’ Transformers when he had few toys of his own.
News
Transformers Legends Femmebots Get New Photos
New photos show Takara Tomy’s Legends Slipstream, Nightbird and Blackarachnia. Matt is excited for all three, but Slipstream is his favorite because he loves Seekers. Hisashi Yuki posted the Blackarachnia photo on Twitter. One host finds her a little top-heavy but says the Animated-style mold fits in well with the others. The figures are due in October, and one host already has them preordered. [Source: TFW2005]
Robots in Disguise Comes to Splatoon
Nintendo’s Wii U shooter Splatoon is running a Robots in Disguise Autobots versus Decepticons Splatfest. Don explains the game, where teams of squid kids race to cover the most ground in their color. John says the buzz comes from Splatoon being Nintendo’s first real competitive shooter. The crew notes the Transformers tie-in amounts to team branding rather than actual characters. [Source: TFW2005]
Robots in Disguise Returns With an App and a Season Finale
A Robots in Disguise press release says new episodes return in August, with the season finale in September. An iOS app due in late August looks set to carry full episodes, which Diecast finds the most interesting part. Episodes also land on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes the day after they air. The crew is unsure whether a second season has been confirmed to air. [Source: TFormers]
Acme Comics Exclusive Cover for Transformers #45
Acme Comics in Greensboro, North Carolina, is working with IDW, Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente on an exclusive Transformers #45 cover. It pays homage to the 1986 Battle for Metroplex box art from the back of the toy packaging. Only 1,000 copies will be sold at TFCon Charlotte in October, with leftovers sold on Acme’s website. Don has known the store’s manager for years, and the crew notes Acme has earned Eisner Award nominations. [Source: not found]
DX9 and X-Transbots Reveal Rival Masterpiece-Scale Galvatrons
DX9 shows an unpainted test shot of its Masterpiece-scale Galvatron. A few hours later, X-Transbots posts a chest-up render of its own Galvatron, seemingly in response. Asked which they would buy, the crew picks DX9. They warn that X-Transbots often fixes problems in second runs, as with Apollyon, which burns first-run buyers. One host argues the company’s strategy is simply to get there first. The crew says the DX9 figure will look great next to Masterpiece Rodimus Prime. [Source: TFW2005]
Boldforms Reveals Gladius
New company Boldforms shows Gladius, its unofficial Megatron, after releasing a combiner-compatible Motormaster. One host thinks it looks better than Hegemon and close to Apollyon without looking ridiculous. Another says it does not look Masterpiece-styled and doubts that tackling a harder triple changer is wise. [Source: not found]
GigaPower Shows Its Second Unofficial Dinobot
GigaPower reveals its unofficial Slag, the second in its oversized Dinobot line. The crew is surprised, having doubted GigaPower would release anything after its first figure. The robot mode looks good, but the dinosaur’s crown looks odd in prototype form. These Dinobots tower over Masterpiece Grimlock, and the crew calls the glut of Dinobots worse than the Devastators. Two hosts are sticking with FansToys’ Dinobots instead. [Source: TFW2005]
MakeToys posts color test shots of its unofficial Hound, Inferno, Grapple and Hot Spot. The crew likes them, especially Grapple and the classic-colored Hound, though one host finds Hound’s face a little off. [Source: TFW2005]
What We Got This Week
Brian
Brian found a complete Ramjet in the pile of toys a friend at work gave him.
Diecast
Diecast got Unique Toys Hagen and Siegfried, the last two members of its unofficial Abominus, and plans to review Hagen and finally combine the team. He also got Warbotron Speedwheel and Hammer Sharpener. He loves Speedwheel’s car mode and blue light piping. He also found Legends Rodimus and Skywarp at Target.
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.