The crew is back from TFCon USA 2017 in the Washington, DC area, and nearly everything about the show was a hit. The exception was a third-party panel full of old reveals that ended with audible booing. Chris argues unlicensed third party is in a death spiral, while Brian sees a market correcting course. TakaraTomy prices an Encore God Fire Convoy at 30,000 yen, and Peter Cullen joins the Bumblebee movie. Plus convention hauls and Diecast’s fiery farewell to Kronos.
News
Encore Car Robots God Fire Convoy Is Happening, and It Costs How Much?
TakaraTomy will reissue God Fire Convoy as an Encore set for 30,000 yen, or about $270. That is roughly three times the original combined price of Super Fire Convoy and God Magnus. Legends Seaspray, Twin Twist and Topspin are also coming. Some fans theorize the set includes the Brave Maximus sword. One host saw boxed Car Robots originals at TFCon for $70 apiece. Another argues the price tracks with recent reissues like Primus, given the electronics and possible mold repairs. Don suspects a surprise in the set, since cheaper molds could sell better. The crew jokes that cruder, animation-accurate Autobot symbols would make it truly accurate. [Source: TFormers]
Exclusive No More? The Last Knight Premier Edition Hot Rod Listed on Amazon
The Last Knight Deluxe Hot Rod, a Walmart exclusive, has shown up on Amazon and Target. Right after the Amazon listing appeared, Walmart’s own listing briefly came back in stock. Several hosts still have not found one, and one ordered the Japanese movie Hot Rod and Kup set instead. [Source: TFormers]
The Last Knight 7net Exclusive Clear Voyager Optimus Prime
TakaraTomy’s Japanese Blu-ray release of The Last Knight comes with a 7net exclusive clear Voyager Optimus Prime. Don wants it but expects it to be hard to track down, like the Family Mart Revenge of the Fallen Prime. The crew notes the clear plastic means no paint to worry about. [Source: TFormers]
Optimus Prime Preturns: Peter Cullen Joins the Bumblebee Movie
Peter Cullen will voice Optimus Prime in the Bumblebee movie. The crew says that could mean a voice, a hologram or a recorded message rather than a full appearance. Don worries about continuity, while others point out the films never cared much about it. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return Deluxe Wave 6, Featuring Slugslinger, Hits US Retail
Titans Return Deluxe Wave 6, with Slugslinger, is reaching stores. The crew notes several TFCon deals on toys with missing or wrong parts. One was a Twin Twist with two right fists, given away in a podcast panel raffle. [Source: TFormers]
Starscream Leak Confirmed as Part of the Transformers Authentics Line
A leaked Starscream is confirmed as part of the Transformers Authentics line. One host thinks Authentics is simply Cyberverse under another name. Another is increasingly sure Authentics is separate, possibly replacing or joining Cyber Battalion as an economical line. The crew notes Cyber Battalion toys are selling at Walgreens for about $17. [Source: TFormers]
TakaraTomy to Release a Star Wars Transformers Darth Vader TIE Fighter
TakaraTomy is releasing a Star Wars Transformers Darth Vader TIE Fighter in March for about 6,000 yen. The crew debates how much it reuses the 2005 mold, and both sides agree it is heavily remodeled. Concept art for a Millennium Falcon follows. One host shows his original TIE Bomber, and the crew revisits the old wish for Transformers characters as Star Wars vehicles. [Source: TFormers]
STF-01 Firage Is an Unofficial Dark of the Moon Mirage
STF-01 Firage is an unofficial take on Mirage, or Dino, from Dark of the Moon. The crew finds it very pretty but doubts many fans need this barely seen movie character. [Source: TFormers]
X2 Toys Sky Crusher: First Color Look at the Not-Jetfire Figure
X2 Toys’ Sky Crusher is a $110 Headmaster take on Jetfire. The crew finds its faceless head creepy and wonders why it lacks a Skyfire face. One host suggests the head may be a battle mask with a regular face available. [Source: TFormers]
The Big Item: Is Third Party in a Death Spiral?
Chris’s TFormers article argues unlicensed third party is in a death spiral. He says the TFCon third-party panel showed almost nothing new and drew boos. He blames companies chasing the same Masterpiece characters and combiners. Brian disagrees and calls it a market correction after the bubble burst. He notes Bobby Skull Face’s theory that companies hide ideas so rivals cannot copy them. Diecast sees a mix of causes and points to Fans Toys’ backlog of unreleased figures. Don says the presenters rushed new slides and finished early. Matt calls the panel lifeless, with about 400 slides and old Fans Project slides now under a different company. John DeLuna says companies must be strategic now and should run their own hype panels with fan ambassadors. [Source: TFormers]
TFCon USA 2017 Recap
Brian finally met Alex, one of RFC’s founders from the alt.toys.transformers days, along with his brother Eddie. The crew sat on the Transformers podcast panel and met Jason Kirk in person. Matt spent Friday in the custom class with Counterpunch and Razorclaw of TwinCast and Robby Musso. Don thanks every fan who came up to say they enjoy the show. It was John DeLuna’s first TFCon, and he prefers its family-reunion feel to HasCon. The crew found the dealer room too crowded and suggests moving guests and third-party displays to another room. Matt won the late-night Cards Against Humanity game, though the crew calls it a technicality.
Diecast Burns Kronos
Diecast finally destroyed his Kronos on video, and Brian edited the clip. The video runs about two minutes, but the toy took 15 to 20 minutes to catch. Diecast says he got some hate for it but would not feel right selling a toy with so many problems.
18th Anniversary Contest
RFC turns 18 next week. Follow @TFRadio on Twitter and retweet the pinned tweet to win a Titans Return Arcee autographed by Don. The winner will be announced on the October 11 show.
This Week in History
In 1992, the Headmasters episode “The Dormant Volcano Erupts Again” aired in Malaysia. Brian promises the matching What’s Wrong with the Headmasters episode, featuring Chris Triplett, soon. In 2008, the Fun Publications club exclusive Seacons began shipping. Chris never got the set and recalls the “try harder” heckle at BotCon.
What We Got This Week
Matt
Matt painted a Mastermind Creations figure in TFCon’s all-day custom class. He bought a custom-painted Getaway from a Toronto customizer. Orson at Captured Prey hooked him up with more Titans Return Sharkticons, bringing him to 30, with a Takara one in the mail. He also got the Open and Play Galvatron, the Shattered Glass Tarn, the PC-15 upgrade kit for Optimus Prime and a small Iron Factory Delta Magnus. His highlight is the blue and white Guardian Robot Omega Supreme he has wanted for years, at $200.
Don
Thanks to JT Hogg, Don found a Titans Return Overlord at Toy Dojo for $35, with matching tail fins as its only defect. He bought Cogman on eBay for $35 after hearing it may not reach the US. He rebought Armada Tidal Wave, complete with its missiles and Ramjet, for $15. He also found Titans Return Ramhorn at retail and the Shattered Glass Tarn. His last two items are Scorn from Walmart and a Weijiang upscaled Voyager from Diecast, which he praises for its paint wash.
Chris
Chris had nothing yet this week. His orders start arriving tomorrow.
Diecast
Diecast got the orange Shattered Glass Tarn, which comes with both an Autobot face mask and a Decepticon mask. He bought Transform Dream Wave’s upgrade kit for Combiner Wars Defensor at about $40 and plans to get all four. From Maketoys’ Cross Dimension line, he got Despotron and Striker Manus in Optimus Prime colors. He also got Meteor, which he reviewed, plus Overlord, Slugslinger for $25 and Takara’s Legends Kup, whose colors he calls perfect. Takara’s Titans Return Hot Rod with the clear chest rounds it out. Captured Prey sent him the Open and Play Galvatron to review.
Rob
Rob had nothing this week.
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.