Hasbro sues DC over a Bumblebee toy in the DC Super Hero Girls line, and the crew backs Hasbro’s right to defend its trademark. Rumors swirl that Kapow Toys received a cease and desist over third party figures. The Last Knight closes its theatrical run with about $604 million worldwide. The crew also looks back at the Dark Glass controversy of 1998, and Brian launches a giveaway for the RFC Daily Alexa skill.
News
Hasbro Pursues Legal Action Against DC Over Bumblebee
Hasbro accuses DC of trademark infringement over a Bumblebee figure in the DC Super Hero Girls line. Brian says Hasbro has the right and responsibility to protect a trademark it registered in 2015. The crew expects a settlement rather than a court ruling. One host asks whether different target audiences matter. Another explains that both are action figures in the same trademark category, so brand confusion still applies. [Source: TFormers]
Kapow Toys Cease and Desist Rumors
Rumors on Twitter say UK retailer Kapow Toys received a cease and desist over third party figures. Kapow’s owner said on TFW2005 that it should affect only two preorder items. He also suggested one manufacturer would struggle to sell outside China. The crew stresses how little is confirmed, including whether the notice came from Hasbro. Reports of a wider crackdown remain unproven. One theory points to figures that copy licensed movie designs. [Source: not found]
Transformers: The Last Knight Theatrical Run Post-Mortem
Per Box Office Mojo, The Last Knight finished with about $604 million worldwide and roughly $130 million domestic. That beats low expectations but trails the last two films. The crew counts heavy marketing costs against it. The Bumblebee movie’s lower budget gives it more room to profit. [Source: TFormers]
Cyber Battalion Series Found at a California Walgreens
The figures are $17 each. That fits what Rob Springer’s Walgreens source told the show. Jetfire is roughly Voyager height, and Prowl is in the assortment. One host loves Jetfire and plans to pick him up. [Source: TFormers]
Toys Alliance MAS-02 Mega Action Series Megatron
Megatron stands 18 inches tall with 72 points of articulation. Brian prefers it to the Optimus Prime and likes the IDW-style face. Diecast thinks the pair will look good together. Don finds the lower legs too large, in a Dreamwave style. [Source: TFormers]
Prime 1 Studio Announces Half-Scale Sqweeks Statue
Prime 1 Studio is making 500 of the roughly $1,500 statue. Brian does not know anyone who would buy it, and nobody on the crew would. [Source: TFormers]
Ultra Pro Transformers Card Supplies Seen at GenCon
Ultra Pro is making Transformers-branded card sleeves and supplies. Don asks why Hasbro has no Transformers trading card game. The crew thinks tabletop miniatures could fit better, if a gaming arm with realistic sales expectations made them. [Source: TFormers]
Iron Factory Fangs of Tyranny Coneheads Set
Iron Factory’s Legends-scale Coneheads follow an IDW take on the seekers. One host finds the jet modes too squat and prefers DX9’s version. Another notes the build quality should be about the same. [Source: TFormers]
Imaginarium Art Rodimus Prime and Matrix Statue
New photos fail to win over the crew. They find the face off and the extra detail too busy. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 1998, the Dark Glass debacle began with a post to alt.toys.transformers. Dark Glass was an unproduced Beast Wars script that would have revived Dinobot. A copy was offered for distribution without permission, and Beast Wars scripts stopped being shared after season two. The crew explains that fans were starved for fiction at the time, so any hint of a lost story mattered.
RFC Daily Giveaway
Brian is giving away a Legends Skywarp, a Legends Cliffjumper and a Titans Return Topspin. To enter, leave a review for the RFC Daily skill at tfradio.net/alexa and send a screenshot. He will announce the winner after HasCon. He also reports the RFC Roku app is fixed. Brian, Diecast and John head to HasCon next week, with an interview with Hasbro’s John and Ben scheduled.
What’s on TFormers
Rob’s Primitive Skateboarding Optimus Prime video review is up, along with a photo of all six Titans Return Optimus Primes. Exvee reviewed Optimus Prime #10 and shot galleries of Siege on Cybertron Magnus Prime and Tidal Wave. Magnus Prime differs from Super Ginrai mostly in its blue pelvis, darker windows and larger trailer logos.
What We Got This Week
Brian got the Legends Black Convoy. He calls it exactly what you would expect, but pretty.
Don got the Titans Return Siege on Cybertron set, still unopened. He also got X-Transbots Hoss, a Road Ranger homage on the Huffer and Pipes mold in a Captain America-style color scheme.
Chris had nothing this week but expects something cool next week.
Diecast got an Iron Factory seeker that completes the parts for the clear build-a-figure Starscream, with Sunstorm parts to come in the Coneheads set. He also got Fans Toys Grinder, the G2 Grimlock, for about $150. The crew compares how much G2 Grimlock’s blue varied.
Rob had nothing this week.
John got the Titans Return Siege on Cybertron set.