Transformers Collectors Club memberships will now end with 2016, and the crew reads it as a sign Fun Publications is losing the license. Takara Tomy’s early design model for Masterpiece Optimus Primal sparks a long wish list, from a skull mace to a Masterpiece Lio Convoy. More Than Meets the Eye and writer James Roberts win Comics Alliance Awards. Diecast raves about the FansToys Sludge figure, and MakeToys shows production samples of its Hellfire and Wrestle.
News
Transformers Collectors Club New Membership Expiration Date: What Does It Mean?
The club registration page now says Transformers and G.I. Joe club memberships end at the close of 2016. The crew has suspected for months that Fun Publications is losing the Hasbro license, and this looks like more evidence. Chris asked Pete Sinclair, who said all announced projects are still going forward. The posted notice is all the club can say for now. One host hopes for an official Transformers convention in 2017, even if it is not called BotCon. The crew notes Hasbro has promised a fan convention and has trademarked the name of its official convention used elsewhere in the world. They debate whether a Hasbro-run show would offer fewer souvenir exclusives, and whether that is a bad thing. The pricey SDCC Knights of Unicron set comes up as an example of exclusives aimed at general fans rather than collectors. Rob suggests unreleased remolds, like a Beast Wars Megatron made from Fall of Cybertron Grimlock, could become convention exclusives. Don misses the smaller early BotCon packages and wonders if Fun Publications could be folded into a new organizer. Diecast points out that companies often rebid contracts, and the change may simply come down to price. The crew closes by thanking Fun Publications for everything it has done for the community. [Source: TFormers]
First Look: Masterpiece Optimus Primal Early Design Model Images
Takara Tomy’s design model shows the parts and how they move, not the final sculpt or texture. Some hosts find it less exciting than the smooth render revealed during BotCon. Turnaround sketches show an ape mode that can stand upright like the show or knuckle-walk like a real ape. The crew expects it to be about Autobot car size and to reach US retail, since there is no outside license involved. Wishes include the skull mace, the bat mutant head and hands that can shake with MP-10 Optimus Prime. Hosts also want a Transmetal Optimus Primal, a Masterpiece Megatron and a Masterpiece Lio Convoy. Don says the Beast Wars 20th anniversary is a chance for third parties to fill the gaps Hasbro will not. [Source: TFormers]
More Than Meets The Eye Wins Comics Alliance Awards
More Than Meets the Eye won the online-voted Comics Alliance Award for Continued Excellence in Serial Comics, beating Lumberjanes and Saga. James Roberts also took the award for Outstanding Writer of 2015. The crew calls it well deserved. Don loves seeing a toy tie-in book recognized for quality writing. [Source: TFormers]
G1 Comic Artist Don Perlin Recovers From Operation, GoFundMe Page Established
Don Perlin penciled much of the Marvel G1 run from Shooting Star to Child’s Play, including Optimus Prime’s death. After a series of operations, a GoFundMe page is helping with his medical bills. The crew notes that older work-for-hire comic artists rarely have retirement plans and urges listeners to help. [Source: TFormers]
Unite Warriors Grand Galvatron Webcomic Now Translated To English
Chris explains that the story is set ten years after Headmasters, likely before Masterforce. Galvatron’s enemies are brought together by the power of grudges. The one new detail is Ghost Starscream, who is only half ghost, which explains why parts of the toy are not clear plastic. Everyone is looking forward to the set. [Source: TFormers]
In Hand Photos Of RID Mini-Con Battle Pack Optimus Prime
The pack includes a Cyberverse Optimus Prime, a Mini-Con and armor and weapon parts for a Warrior Class price. The crew likes it and plans to pick it up. The Mini-Con, called Lord Dumitron at a Hasbro press event, turns out to be Bludgeon. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece Ironhide’s Transformation Revealed Through Video Animation
A short cel-shaded CG video shows MP-27 Ironhide’s transformation, likely from design data. The crew wishes every toy came with one. One host jokes he wants to see a CG version of Tracks’ fiddly backpack. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece Road Rage MP-26 Out Of Package Photos
New photos show MP-26 Road Rage transformed and next to Tracks. Hosts still like the look but dread transforming another one after Tracks. Several plan to leave her in vehicle mode. One host adds that an upscaled knockoff Masterpiece Optimus Prime scales well with these cars and has surprisingly good quality. [Source: TFormers]
MakeToys MTRM-03 Hellfire and MTRM-05 Wrestle Final Production Images
MakeToys’ Masterpiece-scale Inferno and Grapple look great overall. Some hosts find Hellfire’s face small, young-looking and low on detail. Brian admits the Remaster name confused him, since the line started with a Chromedome and he expected Headmasters. The crew also feels Fans Project’s Function X line now looks dated after its long release schedule. [Source: TFormers]
Master Made Diabolus Rex Unofficial Trypticon SD Style Figure
The super-deformed Trypticon stands about eight inches tall and costs $150. The crew likes its Zoids-inspired look but balks at the price. One host would consider it at around $90. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 1990, the Super-God Masterforce episode “Battle in Space” premiered in Malaysia with its infamous English dub. Don recalls God Ginrai, Black Zarak and Overlord battling on the moon. One host loves the dub, and Don shakes his head in dismay.
What We Got This Week
Diecast
Diecast got the whole Combiner Wars Bruticus wave, including Legends, Voyagers and Deluxes. His Brawl holds together well, and the Voyagers now come as two-packs. His favorite is the FansToys Sludge figure, a satisfying G1-style transformation he cannot fault. He also opened FansToys’ Sever and looks forward to the extra parts that will come with Stomp. He picked up DX9’s Tyrant, a Masterpiece-scale-ish Galvatron with a great face but unnecessary hand pegs. He also got Sunsurge, which has a floppy, Badcube-style transformation, and was first to post a review of it.
Matt
Matt’s Big Bad Toy Store order finally arrived. It includes the third-party Spartan, a not-Impactor with gigantic legs. He also got the Combiner Wars Voyagers, Deluxes and Legends to build Bruticus. Masterpiece Thundercracker, Masterpiece Silverstreak and Unite Warriors Defensor round it out. He thinks the Combaticons are so-so alone but make a fine Bruticus, and Shockwave works great as Onslaught’s gun. He keeps his opinion of Scattershot to himself.
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.