Back home and fighting con crud, the Radio Free Cybertron crew wraps up the last BotCon. Matt learns why Liokaiser appeared as an Easter egg on a Platinum Edition box. The club confirms its final subscription and drops the Only Human Ultra Magnus and Springer. Don’s farewell to Fun Publications moves the room, and the crew shares BotCon hauls, from a $35 Valdigus to Masterpiece Shockwave.
News
BotCon 2016 Hasbro Panel Follow-Ups
Matt spoke with Hasbro’s Mark Weber, who explained the Liokaiser Easter egg. Hasbro was unsure the Heroes of Cybertron Platinum set would be ready to display, so its cross-sell art reached the case. That set holds Kup, Blurr, Springer, Arcee and Ultra Magnus, and the crew expects a Target exclusive at $125 or more. Asked about Headmaster Arcee, Hasbro told Don to wait and be surprised. Hasbro has nothing planned for the Beast Wars 20th anniversary and pointed fans to Takara Tomy’s Masterpiece Optimus Primal. A broken Astrotrain sample explains why Fortress Maximus was tearing him apart in the booth diorama. [Source: TFormers]
BotCon 2016 Collectors’ Club Panel: Subscription Service 5.0
Subscription Service 5.0 opens in about two weeks with installment options. It includes Optimus Prime, Lifeline, Toxitron, Fractyl with Scorponok, Counterpunch and a double Pretender Megatron in G2 Hero colors. The G.I. Joe crossover set adds Masterpiece Ratbat in Marvel comic colors and a translucent hologram Megatron. The Only Human Arcee and Rodimus are still coming, but Ultra Magnus and Springer are canceled. A head fix delayed the club Ramjet, so Ramjet and Skywarp ship later. [Source: TFormers]
Hasbro Hints at a 2017 Convention
Diecast was asked at press pickup what he would want from a future convention, and the crew hears Hasbro wants an event in 2017. Rob expects something closer to Hasbro’s Comic-Con showcases. Brian guesses it lines up with Transformers 5 in June 2017. Don adds that the G.I. Joe team expects news at JoeCon. [Source: not found]
Panels and Goodbyes
Don gave a heartfelt thank-you to Fun Publications at the club panel, reminding fans that the staff are losing their jobs. The crew also recalls a young fan in tears who got a hug from Pete. Seven attendees of all 22 BotCons received jerseys. Don has 21, so Brian launches an Amazon drive for a custom HMRC4EVR 21 jersey. Don signed his first autograph, on a fan’s Generations Arcee comic.
Dealer Room
The dealer room was a showcase of Japanese rarities, including Guard City, Battle Gaia, Dinoking, Metrotitans and a green Lucky Draw Unicron. Artfire 2000 raffled off a Grand Maximus and a Victory Saber, then added a surprise Star Saber as a third prize. Kids were spotted playing with G1 toys around the hotel.
What We Got This Week
Matt scored a complete Valdigus for $35, a deal of the show. He also got every BotCon exclusive, Masterpiece Ramjet and the neon green Takara Tomy Legends Springer. Ramjet looks better in hand, though the wing remold limits posing.
Diecast pulled Duocon Battletrap and a Voyager Megatron from the bargain bin for $25 together, plus last year’s ape souvenir figure for $8. He got a sprue model kit Grimlock and Masterpiece Shockwave, which he finds simpler than expected. A fan named Dustbuster gave him a BotCon Megatron. He also got the Reflector three-pack, Unit 3, an opened but complete Encore Omega Supreme for $100 and red Masterpiece Bumblebee with coin for $50.
Brian got Masterpiece Shockwave and now thinks FansToys Quakewave looks better. He also got Masterpiece Ramjet and the BotCon Megatron, Unit 3, Tigatron, Airazor and box set. He bought nothing in the dealer room.
Don got all the exclusives plus extras for friends, and a Road Rage for a friend. He also got Transformers Adventure Optimus Prime, Masterpiece Shockwave and Masterpiece Ironhide. A prepaid unofficial Hexatron was handed over outside the dealer room. He added Takara Tomy Legends Cosmos, Black Knight Optimus Prime and the $5 Magnaboss sticker sheet.
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.