John DeLuna returns to fill in for Don and Diecast, and Brian finally lands a carded G2 Breakdown at TFCon Orlando.
TFCon 2024 heads to Baltimore, November 1 through 3.
The crew previews the 10/27 Hasbro stream and MCM London, then picks apart the giant R.E.D. Grimlock and a baffling EarthSpark Deluxe Prowl.
Sunbow Marvel Archive shares recording-session audio for The Revenge of Bruticus, and Chris Smith wins the G2 Dead End giveaway.
News
TFcon Baltimore 2024 Announced: November 1-3
TFCon 2024 will be in Baltimore, November 1 through 3. John is considering the trip, maybe as a family outing. Brian recaps TFCon Orlando, where he spent an hour getting his pass and 20 minutes in the dealer room. The rest was a family trip to SeaWorld and Peppa Pig World. [Source: TFcon]
Transformers Legacy G2 Dead End Giveaway Winner
Matt donated a G2 Toxitron Collection Dead End for the listener giveaway. The winner is Chris Smith. John Triclops also sent the first Elf on a Shelf Warmer donation of the year, including a Cyberverse Fusion Mode Megatron.
Hasbro’s 1027 Stream and MCM London Preview
The 10/27 stream lands on Friday, with MCM London reveals on Saturday. The crew expects Transformers to focus on the next Studio Series wave, not a new HasLab, since one was hinted for 2024. Talk drifts to HasLab economics. One host says about $200 seems to be the sweet spot for a Transformers HasLab after Unicron was a tough sell at $600.
Transformers R.E.D. Grimlock In-Hand Images
Photos of the forgotten R.E.D. Grimlock show a figure a full head taller and much broader than R.E.D. Optimus Prime. One host says the red chest plate is the biggest problem. Chris adds that R.E.D. has no consistent internal scale. One host wonders if it is even a R.E.D. toy. [Source: TFW2005]
First Look at Transformers EarthSpark Deluxe Prowl and Thrash
Chris expected EarthSpark Deluxe Prowl to reuse Cyberverse Prowl, as EarthSpark Shockwave did. Instead, it is the Cyberverse Deluxe Hot Rod with a Prowl deco. Chris is disappointed, since his Cyberverse Prowl yellowed badly. Blade Raider notes the box art is drawn from the Cyberverse Prowl mold. Chris says Deluxe Thrash looks worse than the cheaper Warrior Class version. [Source: TFW2005]
Legacy United Rescue Bots Chase Behind the Scenes
Mark Maher shared behind-the-scenes photos of Chase on Instagram, and the crew is still looking forward to it. The blast-effect parts peg into the feet, so Chase can fly like Iron Man. Rob explains that most figures since Siege have 5mm foot ports for that reason. [Source: TFW2005]
Sunbow Marvel Archive Releases Recording Session Audio for The Revenge of Bruticus
Sunbow Marvel Archive has posted dialogue recording-session audio for The Revenge of Bruticus. Brian bid on the Five Faces of Darkness Part 1 reel, which sold for $664. The seller digitizes each reel onto a CD. Chris urges listeners to explore the archive’s storyboards and audio. [Source: TFW2005 forums]
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got the last two G2 Troopers he planned to buy from the Troop Builder pack, thanks to SuperMechadad in the Discord. He now has five. At Ross he found a G2 Shadow Strip and Legacy Skullgrin for $8. He also found Legacy Bombshell at Walmart, completing his Legacy Insecticons.
Rob
Rob’s pickups this week were not Transformers.
Matt
Matt got Studio Series 86 Ratchet from Hasbro Pulse. He notes a clear mismatch between painted and unpainted white panels in van mode. Still, it feels better than Ironhide, especially at the ankles. He calls the clear plastic roof hooks terrifying to transform.
John DeLuna
John got Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus, which he hopes is his last Ultra Magnus. He also picked up Studio Series Nightbird, still unopened.
Brian
Brian spent 20 minutes in the TFCon dealer room and left with a carded G2 Breakdown. It is labeled a prototype because of its cut card, and it may be his most expensive Transformer ever. From Peppa Pig World, he ordered a boxed G1 Reflector from ArtFire.