Hasbro trademarks the name HasCon, and the Radio Free Cybertron crew debates what could follow BotCon. Machinima’s Transformers: Combiner Wars series finally gets new details, and Takara Tomy appears to tease Masterpiece Inferno. Titans Return Leader Powermaster Optimus Prime sells out on preorder, and John considers going all-in on Takara Tomy versions. Plus Iron Factory’s Lord Scorpion and listener praise for the BotCon retrospective.
News
Hasbro Trademarks Name HasCon – Is This The Successor To BotCon?
Hasbro filed a trademark for HasCon on April 16, right after BotCon. Rob speculates about a Transformers convention tied to Transformers 5 and a HasCon tied to Hasbro’s planned shared movie universe. Chris thinks HasCon is for brands without their own convention. Diecast would welcome a longer press preview than Toy Fair allows. Don reminds everyone it is only a name so far. [Source: TFormers]
Machinima: Transformers Combiner Wars New Details on Game Story, Cybertron, Designers, Poster, More
Two new slides show a cityscape and Windblade in front of Titan silhouettes. The series is set 40 years after G1-style events, with combiners new to that world. Diecast is impatient after hearing about it at San Diego Comic-Con last summer. Rob compares the short episodes to the original Clone Wars shorts. [Source: TFormers]
Is Inferno Next To Join The Masterpiece Autobot Cars?
A Takara Tomy Mall teaser on the Red Alert page points to Masterpiece Inferno. The crew hopes for Artfire and Grapple to follow. Diecast jokes it is happening because he just bought MakeToys’ Hellfire. The talk turns to why car licenses make a Masterpiece Jazz or Sunstreaker so hard. [Source: TFormers]
IDW Comics Review – Transformers Vs. GI Joe #12
Rob calls Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 decent but not his favorite, with three stories setting up the finale. He misses the weirdness of the early issues. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Figure Subscription 5 Images In Latest Collectors Club Magazine Issue
John got his club magazine first, with images of the whole fifth subscription. Brian warms to the name Lifeline for the Paradron Medic. The issue also tells how U-Haul nearly got a licensed Transformer. [Source: TFormers]
More Than Meets the Eye #55 ROM Cover and Details
IDW is running ROM variant covers in July, including More Than Meets the Eye #55. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return 2016 – Leader Class Powermaster Optimus Prime & Blaster TFSource New Preorders
Titans Return Leader Powermaster Optimus Prime sold out quickly on preorder. Brian got one, and Rob went with the two-pack that adds Blaster. Chris points out wave 1 will be everywhere. John may buy only Takara Tomy versions from now on, since prices are converging and Takara Tomy is on a hot streak. Rob already preordered Takara Tomy’s Blurr and Scourge for their decos. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers 5 – Michael Bay Scouting Stonehenge and Other UK Film Locations
Michael Bay is scouting Stonehenge and other UK locations for Transformers 5. The crew expects more things to blow up. Don pitches a Beast Wars movie as a sequel hook. [Source: TFormers]
Third-Party News
DX9 Leah Unofficial Legends Scale Arcee Color Sample Photos
DX9’s Leah, an unofficial Legends-scale Arcee, showed up in color. Don may get it, while Matt is burned out on Kup figures. [Source: TFormers]
IF-EX18 Lordscorpion – Iron Factory Not Scorponok Pre-orders Now Up!
Iron Factory’s Lord Scorpion, a roughly seven-inch not-Scorponok, is up for preorder at about $80. Brian already ordered one, and the crew says it looks better than Pandinus for the size. [Source: TFormers]
Also on TFormers
IDW earned 10 Eisner nominations, though none for Transformers. [Source: TFormers]
IDW Transformers Comic Solicitations For July, 2016
IDW’s July solicitations include the first Titans Return one-shot. [Source: TFormers]
IDW Comics Review – The Transformers Issue 52
Chris reviewed The Transformers #52, part three of All Hail Optimus. [Source: TFormers]
Planet Of Junk Clash Platinum Edition Set Now Available At Target Website
The Planet of Junk Platinum Edition set is up on Target’s site for about $75. Rob says its only real draw is the Junkion head from an old e-Hobby set. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 2004, the Zone OVA “Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!” came out on DVD in Japan. Brian thinks it is the source of his good-looking Zone DVD. Rob calls the Zone opening one of his favorites, and the crew agrees Masterforce has aged better than Victory.
Listener Feedback
Crazy Steve called the BotCon retrospective the best Transformers fan audio ever recorded. Phil from ASMZine nearly spit out his soda at the BotCon impressions. Rob mocked up Don’s 21 jersey, and listeners want it in Arcee pink.
What We Got This Week
Diecast picked up LR44 batteries for Masterpiece Shockwave, which is already packed for his move.
Brian found a never-transformed Toys “R” Us Masterpiece Starscream while packing to move. Diecast had given it to him at TFcon.
Don ordered Combiner Wars Leader Skywarp and paid off Masterpiece Ratchet. He has a TFC Hades piece on order and finally opened his unofficial Hexatron. He calls it a great Sixshot without paying $700 for a G1 original.
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.