IDW announces Star Trek vs. Transformers, a crossover drawn in the style of the Star Trek animated series, and Brian calls it his moon landing. Toys R Us Australia will close all its stores, and Brian shows off the hand basket from his final US Toys R Us visit. Amazon details Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch, and Fun Publications renews the BotCon trademark. That sparks a debate over whether fans still need a Transformers-only convention.
Happy Birthday, Don and Rob
Don is out this week with his birthday tomorrow, and Rob Clay’s birthday follows on Saturday. Brian points listeners to their wish lists at tfradio.net/MasseyAttack and tfradio.net/Claylist.
This Week in History
In 2008, preorders closed for Henkei! Henkei! Skywarp and Thundercracker. One host recalls how hard they were to get, since Thundercracker had no other modern option until 2010. The crew also remembers the $20 Target set with Skywarp and Ultra Magnus. [Source: TFWiki]
The Big Item
IDW’s Star Trek vs. Transformers: Boldly Going Where No Cybertronian Has Gone Before This September
The four-issue crossover pairs the G1 Transformers with Star Trek: The Animated Series, written by John Barber and Mike Johnson. Brian calls it his favorite Transformers news ever, and one host wants a poster of every cover. The crew praises how well the art nails the Filmation look, though Windblade looks out of place on one cover. One host wishes it were animated, reused frames and all. The crew urges fans to preorder, since many shops no longer stock Transformers comics. [Source: TFormers]
News
Toys R Us Australia to Close All Stores
The crew links the news to Toys R Us Australia’s earlier no-refund cancellation of Masterpiece Shadow Panther. Brian made his last visit to a US Toys R Us, where fixtures were for sale. He bought an old-style hand basket for $15, and John has a seven-foot Geoffrey. [Source: TFormers]
Walgreens Power of the Primes Wreck-Gar Shipping Date Leaked
Rob Springer reported a September 28 date, which the crew reads as a distribution date, so stores may see it in October or November. One host thinks the combiner-limb design is truer to the movie Junkions than the Generations version. [Source: TFormers]
New Details on Power of the Primes Counterpunch: Make That Punch-Counterpunch!
Amazon’s listing confirms both robot modes, with nine steps between them, plus a Prime Master. Rob believes it is a retool of Power of the Primes Jazz, since most of that car shell is a separate clear-plastic part tree. He loves that how it works is still a mystery. [Source: TFormers]
Fun Publications Renews BotCon Trademark
Fans first thought Hasbro had taken the BotCon trademark, but Fun Publications renewed it. One host speculates, as personal opinion, that it may simply be holding the name. Another thinks Fun Pub is leaving money on the table with an unofficial BotCon. The crew agrees TFcon is great and HasCon is no replacement for a Transformers-only show. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
Lorenzo di Bonaventura says the Bumblebee movie let the team go G1, and the crew winces at Gen 1 as a verb. They agree the movie’s seeker is obviously Starscream. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Matt got two Power of the Primes Infernos and plans a custom repaint with tips from HeyMickey. He finally opened Hun-Gurrr and Elita-1. He is not feeling Hun-Gurrr’s dragon mode and likes Elita-1 more, though Hun-Gurrr will live in Abominus mode.
Diecast got the wave 3 Prime Masters from Taobao and made videos of each, with Bludgeon his favorite. He also got an unofficial cel-shaded Optimus Prime for about $110. He praises the paint, which even covers the joints.
Jason found Power of the Primes Inferno locally and got the wave 2 Prime Masters.
Rob got an Ollie’s Trypticon thanks to Matt and calls it everything he wanted Fortress Maximus to be. He also likes Full Tilt. Chris sent him Power of the Primes Grimlock, which he likes in robot mode, but he will never combine Volcanicus again because clear plastic joints bear its weight.
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.