The Target-exclusive Studio Series 15 Bumblebee and Charlie set turns out to be more elaborate than expected, with clip-on parts and a sticker sheet. New listings put a Decepticon in nearly every Siege size class, including a Leader Class Shockwave and a Deluxe Sky Tread. Encore Unicron of Light gets new stock photos, and Mastermind Creations ships the first half of its unofficial Sky Lynx early. Brian sits out with computer trouble, so the crew runs the show without him.
This Week in History
In 2002, the Transformers: Armada episodes First Encounter, Metamorphosis and Base premiered in the US. One host remembers the BotCon screening, where the room went wild on hearing David Kaye as Megatron and Garry Chalk as Optimus Prime. The crew notes that Neil Kaplan learned there that he was no longer voicing Optimus Prime. They also agree the animation quality dropped sharply after the three-part premiere. Don wishes Hasbro had made a toy of Optimus Prime’s pre-scan Cybertronian mode, while another host still calls Armada Optimus Prime his favorite design.
News
Target-Exclusive Studio Series 15 Bumblebee and Charlie Set Is More Elaborate Than Expected
A shopper found the set at a Target in California in a double-sized box. It includes clip-on customization parts, an optional sticker sheet and a small Charlie figure. The register did not recognize it, so it rang up for $10, and the crew guesses a real price near $30. Don already owns this Camaro Bumblebee mold three times and will pass. One host likes the customization idea and wants it on other figures. Several wish the parts could stay on through transformation, though one host accepts it for an older mold. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Siege: Finally Some Decepticons in the Lineup
New listings show what looks like most of Siege wave 1, with a Decepticon in nearly every size class. A Deluxe Sky Tread is likely Flywheels, and the crew hopes it still splits into two robots like Battle Trap. Megatron is confirmed as the other wave 1 Voyager. Leader Class Shockwave appears to be Ultra Magnus’s counterpart. One host notes John Warden’s SDCC interviews hinted at more armor-up Leader designs. The crew expects more reveals at Fan Expo Canada and New York Comic Con. [Source: TFormers]
McDonald’s Bumblebee Movie Happy Meal Toys Coming Soon
Bumblebee movie Happy Meal toys are on the way. One host jokes the whole set will end up at his house, since a family member works at McDonald’s and can claim the display. [Source: TFormers]
New Studio Series Images: Volkswagen Bumblebee, Dropkick and KSI Sentry
Dropkick is one of the new movie’s main Decepticons, and the crew is warming to the toy. KSI Sentry comes from Age of Extinction, and one host suspects it is Stinger with a new head. Having paid $20 for Stinger, he will skip it. Another host is still set on Shadow Raider after seeing Lockdown’s size in person. Rob adds that GameStop now offers preorders for the Studio Series Volkswagen Bumblebee set with cassettes at $70, about $10 more than Entertainment Earth. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers Encore Unicron: New Stock Photos of Unicron of Light
The green Unicron of Light gets new stock photos, inspiring the episode’s Captain Planet joke. One host finds it pretty but will not buy it. Another has already preordered it from Amazon Japan, the same way he is getting MP-43 Megatron. Throne of the Primes restocked on Hasbro Toy Shop the same day and sold out within hours. [Source: TFormers]
Mastermind Creations’ Half of Sky Lynx Ships Early
Planet Steel Express posted the first half of Mastermind Creations’ unofficial Sky Lynx, and some preorders shipped well before October. One host says $95 to $100 is a lot for half a Sky Lynx that turns into a box with wheels. Diecast is fine with it and is getting one too. A chrome gold head may be a Planet Steel Express bonus, alongside a painted head. [Source: Planet Steel Express]
What’s on TFormers
Rob reports that Imaginarium Art posted a 3D-printed prototype of its Megatron statue, which includes a broken Ironhide on the base. [Source: TFormers] The second Transformers: Cyberverse clip, The Scout Ship, is on YouTube, though it does nothing for him. [Source: TFormers]
From the RFC Vault
The episode closes with vintage RFC segments. John DeLuna’s ATT Buzz covers Takara’s blind-boxed G1 PVC statues, Car Robots Spy Changer recolors and Mega Megatron at retail. He also revisits the G1 episode City of Steel. An Ask RFC letters segment follows.
What We Got This Week
Chris had nothing in Transformers this week.
Don found the last Repugnus Titan Master at Five Below, hidden behind other stock. He also picked up the Mechfanstoys Huge Dragon, a Legends-scale take on Omega Supreme.
Rob received Power of the Primes Blackwing from an anonymous listener off his Amazon wish list. He now has both halves of Dreadwing, though the combined mode disappoints. On its own, Blackwing is great in both modes, with only slight, even warping on the tail fins.
John had nothing in Transformers this week.
Diecast finally received his Taobao box. He is not thrilled with the Mechfanstoys Huge Dragon’s proportions, though another host defends its play value. He loves Dracula, an unofficial Mindwipe, which he finds a big step up from that maker’s Weirdwolf. Fans Toys sent him free replacement leg parts for Soar after a part cracked. At Target he found Studio Series Jazz. He also got Perfect Effect’s upgrade kits for Power of the Primes Volcanicus, which add hands, feet and a new combined sword for Grimlock. At the New Jersey Collectors Convention, he picked up a Michael Kincaid shirt and two diecast faction insignias from Tony of TFW2005. He also spotted Collector Archive Services, which grades and displays loose figures with their accessories.
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.